This week I finished learning about the four Noble Truths. The first two are Buddha's diagnosis of the human predicament, and the last two are his prescriptions or cure to ail us.
The first is the truth of suffering. The goal in life according to Buddhism is to reach Nirvana, but this is because humans need to be liberated from this suffering. Linked to this truth is the word Dharma, which has many meanings on its own. First is it is the truth about the way things are and then in, and the truth about the way we should live in recognition of the way things are. There is also the theory that it represent the unseen order of our lives. Duhkka is another term referring to how we are unsatisfied with our lives. This is the reason we need things to make us happy and fulfilled, whether it be a doughnut, money, and even sex. Although these are pleasures we commonly seek, we have to live with knowing none of these are permanent.
This brings us to the second Noble Truth, the truth of the cause of suffering. Our cause is attachment whether it be for our social status or our own existence. This is saying that we should not crave or cling on to much and let go of our pleasures. Motivation comes from that little taste we get when our brain is satisfied for that split second. Eventually we do not think it is enough anymore so we are lost in a pursuit for more. We suffer because we cannot let go, and it is our society that has set us up for suffering. If we did not have to prepare for job interviews in fear of not making a good living, we would not stress as much. For me I think I need to let go of the pressure from others to be someone they want me to be.
Next we have the third Noble Truth of Cessation of Suffering. This brings us to some good news on how to get rid of our suffering. This means we need to be able to not give into temptation and remain pure from greed. We need to be able to let go of those craving and learn to live without them. Now this is easier said then done because it is hard to do this in a western society. However the fourth Noble Truth provides the path to how this can be achieved.
The Eightfold path is the last of the truths which helps guides us to a place of no suffering. The eight rights we need to concentrate for this path are: The right view, the right intention, the right speech, the right action, the right livelihood, the right effort, the right mindfulness, and the right concentration. These are all terms that we hear very often, as they are similar to our morals and values. For example, we know it is not nice to say mean things about someone. The last two rights are very important, as they are able to clear your mind so you can focus. Although most people who have devoted their life to Buddhism have not reached Nirvana through meditation, there is no doubt of the benefits it gives to your well-being. There is such thing as partial liberation as you may not be able to get rid of all of your suffering, but it can help eliminate some of it.
These Four Noble Truths have opened up my eyes to the root of human suffering. It is the environment and your actions that can lead to your happiness or it could lead you astray. For your well-being it is important to stay true to your morals and not let anyone set you off your path. Personally I might take up meditation to help me come down from my daily stresses.
The first is the truth of suffering. The goal in life according to Buddhism is to reach Nirvana, but this is because humans need to be liberated from this suffering. Linked to this truth is the word Dharma, which has many meanings on its own. First is it is the truth about the way things are and then in, and the truth about the way we should live in recognition of the way things are. There is also the theory that it represent the unseen order of our lives. Duhkka is another term referring to how we are unsatisfied with our lives. This is the reason we need things to make us happy and fulfilled, whether it be a doughnut, money, and even sex. Although these are pleasures we commonly seek, we have to live with knowing none of these are permanent.
This brings us to the second Noble Truth, the truth of the cause of suffering. Our cause is attachment whether it be for our social status or our own existence. This is saying that we should not crave or cling on to much and let go of our pleasures. Motivation comes from that little taste we get when our brain is satisfied for that split second. Eventually we do not think it is enough anymore so we are lost in a pursuit for more. We suffer because we cannot let go, and it is our society that has set us up for suffering. If we did not have to prepare for job interviews in fear of not making a good living, we would not stress as much. For me I think I need to let go of the pressure from others to be someone they want me to be.
Next we have the third Noble Truth of Cessation of Suffering. This brings us to some good news on how to get rid of our suffering. This means we need to be able to not give into temptation and remain pure from greed. We need to be able to let go of those craving and learn to live without them. Now this is easier said then done because it is hard to do this in a western society. However the fourth Noble Truth provides the path to how this can be achieved.
The Eightfold path is the last of the truths which helps guides us to a place of no suffering. The eight rights we need to concentrate for this path are: The right view, the right intention, the right speech, the right action, the right livelihood, the right effort, the right mindfulness, and the right concentration. These are all terms that we hear very often, as they are similar to our morals and values. For example, we know it is not nice to say mean things about someone. The last two rights are very important, as they are able to clear your mind so you can focus. Although most people who have devoted their life to Buddhism have not reached Nirvana through meditation, there is no doubt of the benefits it gives to your well-being. There is such thing as partial liberation as you may not be able to get rid of all of your suffering, but it can help eliminate some of it.
These Four Noble Truths have opened up my eyes to the root of human suffering. It is the environment and your actions that can lead to your happiness or it could lead you astray. For your well-being it is important to stay true to your morals and not let anyone set you off your path. Personally I might take up meditation to help me come down from my daily stresses.
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