The Eightfold Path (with a little explanation) November 3, 2008

1. Right Understanding (samma ditthi)

The understanding of things as they are (Four Noble Truths). Understanding as knowledge, an accumulated memory, an intellectual grasping of a subject according to certain given data. Real deep understanding is called “anubodha”, seeing a thing in its true nature, without name and label. This is possible only when the mind is free from all impurities and is fully developed through meditation.

2. Right Thought (sankappa)

Selfless renunciation or detachment. Thoughts of love and non-violence. This demonstrates wisdom.

3. Right Speech (vaca)

Abstention from a) lies, b) slander and talk that may bring about hatred, enmity, disunity and disharmony, c) harsh, rude, impolite, malicious and abusive language, and d) idle, useless and foolish babble and gossip. Speech should be at the right time and place. If one cannot say something useful, one should keep “noble silence”.

4. Right Action (kammanta)

Promotes honorable, moral and peaceful conduct. Should abstain from destroying life, from stealing, from dishonest dealings, from ilegitimate sexual intercourse. We should also help others to lead a peaceful and honorable life in the right way.

5. Right Livelihood (ajiva)

One should abstain from kaing one’s living through a profession that brings harm to others.

6. Right Effort (vayama)

The energetic will to a) prevent evil and unwholesome states of mind from arising, b) to get rid of such evil and unwholesom states that have already risen within, c) to produce, cause to arise good and wholesome states of mind not yet arisen, and d) to develop and bring to perfection the good and whole states of mind already present.

7. Right Mindfulness (sati)

To be diligently aware, mindful and attentive with regard to a) the activities of the body (kaya), b) sensations of feelings (vedana), c) the activities of the mind (citta), and d) ideas, thoughts, conceptions and things (dhamma). Be aware of all forms of feelings and sensations and how they appear and dissapear within oneself. One should also be aware whether one’s mind is lustful or not, given hatred or not, deluded or not, distracted or concentrated.

8. Right Concentration (samadhi)

Discard thoughts of: ill-will, languor, worry, restlessness, skeptical thought. Maintain: joy, happiness, tranquility, awareness.

Three essentials of buddhist training and discipline: ethical conduct (sila), mental discipline (samadhi), wisdom (panna).

According to buddhist for a man to be perfect there are two qualities that should be developed equally: compassion (karuna), and wisdom (panna).

The Five Hindrances

1. Sensual desire

2. Anger

3. Sloth, torpor and boredom

4. Restlessness and worry

5. Doubt

Buddhist Precepts

I undertake to observe the rule to abstain from taking life; to abstain from taking what is not given; to abstain from sensuous misconduct; to abstan from false speech; to abstain from intoxicants as tending to cloud the mind.

Teachings of the Dalai Lama

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson

3. Follow the 3 R’s: Respect for yourself, respect for others, and responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

7. Spend some time alone every day

8. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values

9. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer

10. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a 2nd time.

11. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for eachother exceeds your need for eachother.

12. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it

13. World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not the absence of violence. Peace is the manifestation of human compassion.

Buddhist Teaching June 23, 2008

“Water which is too pure, has no fish”

Tell me what you think of it, and what meaning you interpreted from it.

Dreaming of Buddha June 11, 2008

Buddha

1. If you were the Buddha, this is a dream of contrary. You may feel in possession of knowledge and wisdom that you don’t currently have, but that you can obtain through study and meditation. 2. Dreaming of being in the presence of the Buddha is a very powerful dream, possibly an actual experience of the Buddha or the wisdom he embodied, or a harbinger of such an experience.

Found at: http://astrocenter.astrology.msn.com/msn/DreamDictionary.aspx?Af=-1000&GT1=21001

(They also have the meaning for other things in dreams)

In Depth Noble Eightfold Path May 22, 2008

NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH

1. Right View/Understanding
(Understanding the Four Noble Truths) – See things as they truly are without delusions or distortions for all things change. Develop wisdom by knowing how things work, knowing oneself and others.

2. Right Thinking

Decide to set a life on the correct path. Wholehearted resolution and dedication to overcoming the dislocation of self-centered craving through the development of loving kindness, empathy and compassion.

3. Right Speech

Abstinence from lies and deceptions, backbiting, idle babble and abusive speech. Cultivate honesty and truthfulness; practice speech that is kind and benevolent. Let your words reflect your desire to help, not harm others.

4.Right Conduct

(Following the Five Precepts) – Practice self-less conduct that reflects the highest statement of the life you want to live. Express conduct that is peaceful, honest and pure showing compassion for all beings.

5. Right Livelihood

Earn a living that does not harm living things. Avoidance of work that causes suffering to others or that makes a decent, virtuous life impossible. Do not engage in any occupation that opposes or distracts one from the path. Love and serve our world through your work.

6. Right Effort

Seek to make the balance between the exertion of following the spiritual path and a moderate life that is not over-zealous. Work to develop more wholesome mind states, while gently striving to go deeper and live more fully.

7. Right Mindfulness
Become intensely aware of all the states in body, feeling, and mind. Through constant vigilance in thought, speech and action seek to rid the mind of self-centered thoughts that separate and replace them with those that bind all beings together. Be aware of your thoughts, emotions, body and world as they exist in the present moment. Your thoughts create your reality.

8. Right Concentration
Deep meditation to lead to a higher state of consciousness (enlightenment). Through the application of meditation and mental discipline seek to extinguish the last flame of grasping consciousness and develop an emptiness that has room to embrace and love all things.

Quote of the Day April 29, 2008 April 30, 2008

“We don’t learn from our experiences, we learn from our capacity for experience” – Buddha

Quote of the Day April 21, 2008 April 21, 2008

“We don’t learn from our experiences, we learn from our capacity for experience” – Buddha

Quote of the Day April 17, 2008 April 17, 2008

“We are what we think. With our thoughts, we make the world.” – Buddha