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Buddhism And The Four Noble Truths
Buddhism and the degree to which the Chinese people have erabraced it is, to me, one of the most romantic aspects of what we have studied about their culture. Buddism as a philosphy and way of life is unique and utterly captivating. For those interested in learning more about and perhaps following Buddhist teachings there are several important questions, the answers to which must be understood in order to progress within Buddhism itself. What is meant by enlightenment and how can adherence to the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path set forth by Buddha himself help to guide you in your journey to attain it?
Buddha, in his travels, discovered that extremes are harmful but there is a path of moderation between indulgence and asceticism which he called the middle way. This mildle way is the road to Enlightenment. Enlightenment, as I understand it, can be described as a complete separation from all worldly ties or attachments, but it is so much more than that. It is the elimination of suffering itself and is also referred to as (Nirvana). It is a state of perfection where the mind has completely transcended the body and the self. It is the point in which one is no longer susceptable to suffering. Only when the candle of suffering has been blow out can one truly reach enlightenment. In order to help lead us toward enlightenment, Buddha created a set of guidlines which he called the Four Noble Truths.
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS:
1. The Truth of misery.
2. The Truth that misery originates within us from craving for pleasure.
3. The Truth that misery can be eliminated.
4. The Truth that elimination is the result of following the middle way(Eightfold Path).
1. right mode of seeing things.
2. right thinking.
3. right speech.
4. right action.
5. right mode of living.
6. right effort.
7. right mindfulness.
8. right meditation.
The first Noble Truth is perhaps the simplest one to comprehend. It is the truth of misery, also known as dukkha or duhkha. In essence it is merely the realization that suffering exists and that we are all experiencing it nearly every moment of our lives. This helps us by identifying the problem which affects every human being. It also allows us to understand the significance of what we face.
After we have realized that we do indeed suffer and understand at least some of the extent of this misery, then we can begin to look at the causes of it. This is the second Noble Truth which states that misery originates within us from the craving for pleasure and for being or nonbeing. One must realize that we suffer because we become tangled in a web of our own attachments. When we take pleasure from something, it is in our nature to grow attached to it. The more we indulge in a particular pleasure, the more the attachment grows and even the possibility of separation from the pleasure results in suffering and misery. Every time we long for something that we do not possess we suffer.
Probably the most significant craving is for that of a self. It is what underlies all suffering. A self is constituted by the five aggregates known as khandhas. The five khandhas are bodily processes, sensation, perception, impulses to action, and consciousness. There is no self to which we can attach khandhas. Any self that contains these processes is based upon our craving for a self. This doctrine is called anatta or anatman which means "no self".
Only once we have recognized suffering and understand the cause can we begin to stop it. This is done using the Third Noble Truth which tells us that this misery can be eliminated. This is accomplished only by eliminating the cause itself. By denying the notion of self and attachment, we deny the ego and therefore suffering itself.
It is not enough merely to know that misery pervades all of our existence. There must also be some method of purification which will allow us to overcome desire and thus suffering. This method is known as the Eightfold Path and is contained within the Fourth Noble Truths. The Eightfold Path sets forth guidelines to help us not to stray from the middle way.
The first and second premises of the Eightfold path are related to wisdom and deal with ways of ending desires of the present. The right mode of seeing things includes the Four Noble Truths themselves which give this doctrine a circular and infinite aspect. By following them, we recognize suffering and how to eliminate it from our lives. Right thinking refers to our own intentions and perception. We must
Axiom three through five of the Eightfold Path deal with ethical behavior. They help to ensure that additional cravings and desires do not develop in the future. Right speech, right action, and right mode of living are reasonably self-explanatory and fall in line with one another. Speaking true leaRAB to acting true. Both in turn are integral parts of living true. By living the right kind of life you make it far more difficult to stray from the path to enlightenment.
Discipline is the main concern of premises six through eight. It is essential to follow them in order to live a life devoid of suffering. You must do things with the right effort alway keep the true Buddhist mentality. All this corabined with proper meditation can allow you to lead a life without misery perhaps reaching the ultimate goal of enlightenment.
Buddhism and the degree to which the Chinese people have erabraced it is, to me, one of the most romantic aspects of what we have studied about their culture. Buddism as a philosphy and way of life is unique and utterly captivating. For those interested in learning more about and perhaps following Buddhist teachings there are several important questions, the answers to which must be understood in order to progress within Buddhism itself. What is meant by enlightenment and how can adherence to the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path set forth by Buddha himself help to guide you in your journey to attain it?
Buddha, in his travels, discovered that extremes are harmful but there is a path of moderation between indulgence and asceticism which he called the middle way. This mildle way is the road to Enlightenment. Enlightenment, as I understand it, can be described as a complete separation from all worldly ties or attachments, but it is so much more than that. It is the elimination of suffering itself and is also referred to as (Nirvana). It is a state of perfection where the mind has completely transcended the body and the self. It is the point in which one is no longer susceptable to suffering. Only when the candle of suffering has been blow out can one truly reach enlightenment. In order to help lead us toward enlightenment, Buddha created a set of guidlines which he called the Four Noble Truths.
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS:
1. The Truth of misery.
2. The Truth that misery originates within us from craving for pleasure.
3. The Truth that misery can be eliminated.
4. The Truth that elimination is the result of following the middle way(Eightfold Path).
1. right mode of seeing things.
2. right thinking.
3. right speech.
4. right action.
5. right mode of living.
6. right effort.
7. right mindfulness.
8. right meditation.
The first Noble Truth is perhaps the simplest one to comprehend. It is the truth of misery, also known as dukkha or duhkha. In essence it is merely the realization that suffering exists and that we are all experiencing it nearly every moment of our lives. This helps us by identifying the problem which affects every human being. It also allows us to understand the significance of what we face.
After we have realized that we do indeed suffer and understand at least some of the extent of this misery, then we can begin to look at the causes of it. This is the second Noble Truth which states that misery originates within us from the craving for pleasure and for being or nonbeing. One must realize that we suffer because we become tangled in a web of our own attachments. When we take pleasure from something, it is in our nature to grow attached to it. The more we indulge in a particular pleasure, the more the attachment grows and even the possibility of separation from the pleasure results in suffering and misery. Every time we long for something that we do not possess we suffer.
Probably the most significant craving is for that of a self. It is what underlies all suffering. A self is constituted by the five aggregates known as khandhas. The five khandhas are bodily processes, sensation, perception, impulses to action, and consciousness. There is no self to which we can attach khandhas. Any self that contains these processes is based upon our craving for a self. This doctrine is called anatta or anatman which means "no self".
Only once we have recognized suffering and understand the cause can we begin to stop it. This is done using the Third Noble Truth which tells us that this misery can be eliminated. This is accomplished only by eliminating the cause itself. By denying the notion of self and attachment, we deny the ego and therefore suffering itself.
It is not enough merely to know that misery pervades all of our existence. There must also be some method of purification which will allow us to overcome desire and thus suffering. This method is known as the Eightfold Path and is contained within the Fourth Noble Truths. The Eightfold Path sets forth guidelines to help us not to stray from the middle way.
The first and second premises of the Eightfold path are related to wisdom and deal with ways of ending desires of the present. The right mode of seeing things includes the Four Noble Truths themselves which give this doctrine a circular and infinite aspect. By following them, we recognize suffering and how to eliminate it from our lives. Right thinking refers to our own intentions and perception. We must
Axiom three through five of the Eightfold Path deal with ethical behavior. They help to ensure that additional cravings and desires do not develop in the future. Right speech, right action, and right mode of living are reasonably self-explanatory and fall in line with one another. Speaking true leaRAB to acting true. Both in turn are integral parts of living true. By living the right kind of life you make it far more difficult to stray from the path to enlightenment.
Discipline is the main concern of premises six through eight. It is essential to follow them in order to live a life devoid of suffering. You must do things with the right effort alway keep the true Buddhist mentality. All this corabined with proper meditation can allow you to lead a life without misery perhaps reaching the ultimate goal of enlightenment.