28
May

Buddhist Belief — It’s All In Your Mind!


“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

~~~ Buddha

Since one of the aspects of Buddhist Belief which many people have difficulty wrapping their minds around is the subject we’ve been looking at these past couple of weeks — suffering (dukkha) — perhaps it would be a good idea to spend a little more time with it and see what we can discover.

Buddhist Belief, meditation, nirvana, mindfulness, karma

When Buddha taught about The Four Noble Truths, he was clear about how important it was for us to understand that as human beings we’re going to experience dukkha. Perhaps one of the important things about this fact is how we understand the way we realize this experience. It’s our minds, folks. All those things we feel and recognize as suffering are felt in our minds. This is the Truth of Suffering as taught by Buddha.

When you slam a door on your finger — feel hunger — become ill — have something not go the way you want — have your boss give you a bad time — run short of money — these are typical of the type of suffering Buddha described as physical or emotional pain. These events are happening nearly every day in our lives.

Then we have the suffering brought about by the fact that nothing ever stays the same. Life is always changing. When something really great is happening in our lives, it seems as though it never lasts long enough. Just when you’re feeling wonderful, we find something to worry about, or we have to meet some responsibility we weren’t planning on. Our mind never seems to be able to find a place where it can just sit back and cool it. The one thing in our lives which is always there — is change.

I know for me, I do what I can to try to prolong those times when everything feels great. Everyone does. However, as always, the next moment is going to arrive. It’s unavoidable. The moment when all is great will go and a new moment will be there to take its place. The new moment might be great too, but we don’t know until it arrives. One moment can be desirable and the next could be displeasing. It’s a universal truth. There are no exceptions. We will all feel pain — we will all lose loved ones — we will all experience illness at some point — and we will all die.

There is another form of dukkha Buddha describes in his teachings, and that is when we get to worrying about the future or fretting about the past. Have you ever wondered whether you were living the life you were meant to live? Have you ever gone through a day and felt as though you didn’t accomplish anything of great significance? Is there a suffering more profound than the suffering of feeling inadequate — having self-doubt — just not happy with who or where you are in life?

What Buddha is talking about is this — suffering is an experience of our minds. When he describes the Four Noble Truths, he is showing us a way to alleviate suffering. No, he’s not saying you won’t feel pain any longer. What he is offering is a way to improve how we react to the pain we’re feeling in our minds. It’s the way we react to these events that gives us the dissatisfaction which causes us to suffer. This is a difficult concept for most of us, me included. I’m in a place in my life now where I need to learn to react differently to my illness. I’ve come to the place Buddha talks about where old age and illness will enter and become my dukkha.

I now have choices — and they’re mental choices — I can decide to resist this part of my life — or — I can learn to accept what is. Either way, I will still have the illness. One way I can suffer with the discomfort of the illness and moan and groan and feel sorry for myself — AND – also be miserable because I’m ticked off about it most of the time.

Or, I can choose the other way where I still have the discomfort of the illness, but if I accept it as “what is” — if I train my mind to understand that if I resist this I’ll be more miserable than if I accept it as reality. I can teach myself new ways of living with it instead of fighting against it.

Some of you may be asking the Dr. Phil phrase, “How’s it working for you, Ron?” I’d say it’s working pretty well. I do have some “ticked off” days — but I am learning and becoming more aware of how my mental attitude will dictate how much of the dukkha will rule my life. I will say this, though — meditation is the key! Every day meditation is vital and mindfulness is so important.

I hope this hasn’t been too much of a “downer” post — I do admit, I’m writing this for myself as well as to you. This “talking to” is something I need to reinforce in my own mind — and — I feel certain some of you may need to hear similar words. I’ll try to pick up the mood before I write the next article.

Metta ….May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

=====================================================

Ron’s Recommended Reading List

Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook

Eckhart Tolle’s amazing best seller, A New Earth

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s wonderful book, My Stroke of Insight: Nirvana is just a breath away!

And this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.

This is a new one for you by Pema Chodron entitled: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

=====================================================

Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)


“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

Have a peaceful day!! —

Ron Rink

P.S. If you;d like to read my memoir/novel, you can access it here:
http://www.wecould2.com

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21
May

Buddhist Belief — Is It Suffering or Isn’t It?


“All conditioned things are impermanent – When one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.”

~~~ Buddha

Last week as we were spending our Buddhist Belief time on the Four Noble Truths — and in line with them — the aspect of Dhukka – or suffering — I began contemplating this post as I was writing the one last week. Since Buddhism seems to devote much of it’s teaching to this subject of dhukka, it might be a good idea to spend some more time delving into it.

Buddhist Belief, meditation, nirvana, mindfulness, karma

When Buddha first began to tell others about his realizations, he told about what he saw as the reality of human life, which is — we will all experience suffering of one sort or another, and also, how there is a path to a cure for this. We now refer to this basic teaching as The Four Noble Truths. In Buddha’s description of dhukka he covers pretty much all of life from the beginning to the end. From birth, to growing old, to the illnesses which accompany old age, and finally death. He also includes having things in our lives we don’t want, and not having enough of what we do.

So many of us, particularly in the Western world, have considerable difficulty with the term “suffering”. When we hear or say “suffering”, we get these images of extreme pain and even anguish, right? I agree, “suffering” may not be the best translation of dhukka for us in this day and age. It may be a bit too drastic for us.

Let’s try this — put what we consider to be mental and physical anguish at one end of the scale — and on the other end let’s put things like annoyance, stress, dissatisfaction, and unreliability. We now have extreme stuff on one end and more subtle forms of discomfort on the other end.

But, let’s not forget this — Buddha also included “happy moments” in his definition of dhukka. He did this because he knew how even happy moments didn’t last very long. Happy experiences tended to be unstable. When we’re delighted with something in our lives, it’s usually brought to us by some external factor, and those factors have a tendency to fade away after awhile. When we reach the point where we have to face the impermanence of whatever we are wanting to keep in our lives, we experience another form of dhukka.

There are so many terms we could use to define dhukka in our western language aren’t there? Everything from not contented — to annoyed — to dissatisfaction — to aggravation — to anxiety — to pain — to sorrow — to agony — and on to anguish. It’s an endless list. It’s something which flows through our lives like a never-ending stream.

The opposite of dhukka is sukka, which translated means “ease, pleasure, happiness”. So, perhaps a good word for dhukka might be dissatisfaction, or unhappy or uneasy. At either end of the spectrum, it’s still suffering.

Whatever we decide to call it — it is in our lives — and there is a way to change much of our uneasiness to more inner peace and happiness. The Third and Fourth Noble Truths are where the answers can be found.

Metta ….May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

=====================================================

Ron’s Recommended Reading List

Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook

Eckhart Tolle’s amazing best seller, A New Earth

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s wonderful book, My Stroke of Insight: Nirvana is just a breath away!

And this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.

This is a new one for you by Pema Chodron entitled: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

=====================================================

Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)


“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

Have a peaceful day!! —

Ron Rink

P.S. If you;d like to read my memoir/novel, you can access it here:
http://www.wecould2.com

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14
May

Buddhist Belief — What Are Noble Truths?


“Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.”

~~~ Buddha

Among the things anyone who is studying Buddhist Belief will learn, is about the Four Noble Truths. Buddhists take the first of the Noble Truths very seriously — which is that all beings will experience suffering and dissatisfaction in their lives. When one looks at the Sanskrit word for this, dhukka, we see something more complex than it first appears. It doesn’t always simply mean suffering as we normally understand the word. There are many different forms of suffering we will experience as human beings.

Buddhist Belief, meditation, nirvana, mindfulness, karma

Certain types of this dhukka are nothing more than plain and simple suffering. We all know what this is. However, there are other types of dhukka which we would not normally think of as suffering. Sometimes dhukka can be experienced as the pleasures of what seems to be apparent happiness. Perhaps the best way to look at this subject is to understand how some forms of suffering are avoidable and others are unavoidable, and how to know the difference.

If you’ve been reading here for any time, you already have an understanding of the Four Noble Truths — about suffering and the end of suffering. One of the aspects of this which has always bothered me a little is why we call all of the Truths, Noble. I mean, it’s sort of a stretch to call the first two Truths — the truth of suffering — and the cause of suffering — Noble, isn’t it? The last two, sure — the cessation of suffering and the path which leads to the cessation — they do seem more Noble, don’t they?

I’m being a bit facetious here, though. What is truly Noble is to understand the four truths together in their entirety. When you can see how these truths work together — and see how you, as a human being, can work with them — well, now we’re getting into something we can truly call Noble.

Once we learn to accept the reality of suffering — and we can stop denying that it exists — we will gain a better understanding of how we can work to attain our enlightenment because of suffering rather than in spite of it.

Perhaps you’ve heard of the wheel of samsara, also known as the wheel of suffering. In simple terms it refers to the fact that as long as we keep clinging to things and stuff, we’ll keep suffering. It might seem like bad news to hear that life is permeated with suffering, but just because we experience dissatisfaction or pain, or that our pleasures do not last, or that our precious dreams turn into nightmares, does not mean that our life is rendered meaningless.

As long as we insist on our clinging and craving, we will experience dissatisfaction. But, we don’t have to. This kind of suffering or dissatisfaction is avoidable. One of the many things we learn in Buddhism is how we can avoid this type of suffering if we develop the right attitudes and look deeply into ourselves and our habits. The sufferings we inflict on ourselves due to our undisciplined mind are avoidable, but other forms of suffering, such as old age, sickness, and death, are unavoidable.

Buddha taught how the lack of permanence in everything can cause us to be unhappy or experience some dissatisfaction. What needs to be clear is that it isn’t the fact of impermanence itself which makes us suffer. Rather, it is our mind and our way of thinking that is the problem. We have taught ourselves to believe we will be eternally happy with the things we cling to which are impermanent. Through study and meditation it is possible for us to learn to relate to the transient things of our lives with an understanding that permanent joy and happiness won’t be found in these. If we are aware of the truth of the cause of suffering, we will find the happiness we seek. Without the truth of suffering and the truth of the cause of suffering, there would be no truth of cessation, nor would there be the truth of the path.

Buddha taught us how our destiny lies in our own hands. When we learn to see the truth of suffering and the truth of the cause of suffering, we can make choices. We can either continue to cling to and crave those things which are going to eventually make us unhappy, or we can practice our dharma – our Buddhist Belief — our meditation – and make it a part of our everyday life.

The primary lesson we need to learn is to recognize that transient pleasures are simply that and nothing more. So long as we do not recognize this, we do not accept the first noble truth fully, and this non-acceptance of the truth only produces more discontent and frustration.

Most of our suffering is avoidable. If we can only learn to discipline our mind, we can deal with our physical ailments and mental distress with a greater resolve and fortitude. It is possible to not get upset when people speak ill of us. It is possible to be free of paranoia about what others are thinking of us. When we feel loss and we grieve, we can do so without the emotions overwhelming us, opening the door to despair and depression.

We can also learn how not to generate further suffering by accepting the unavoidable suffering of old age, sickness, and death. By trying to look younger, one does not become younger. Pretending one’s illness is not serious does not make the illness go away. Pretending you are not dying, when you are in fact on your way there, will not lead to an endless life. There are also unavoidable forms of suffering in the environment, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods. There is also suffering from adverse circumstances, such as a plane crash or an auto accident. There are conditions which are beyond our control. Trying to control them leads to suffering.

Pleasures are also frequent causes of suffering. If we enjoy being in the sun, it becomes unpleasurable after a while. It can lead to a painful bout of sunburn and even to skin cancer. We gain pleasure from culinary delights, but eating the same food again and again may stop being pleasurable. And our eating habits may lead to all sorts of physical ailments. We may think that we are addicted to pleasure because we find the object of our addiction pleasurable. But being addicted to something is not in the least bit pleasurable.

Many of the writings about the teachings of Buddha speak of the dharma as the medicine for our mind. This is true. However, please understand this, the dharma is not a quick fix. The dharma is not the Zoloft or the Prozac cure. Our old habits will resurface from time-to-time. However, if we continue following the path in our life, we will overcome those old habits. The Fourth Noble Truth, the truth of the path, makes this clear.

We need to travel on the path of healing and wholeness. That will take time. We may start out expecting quick relief from our wheel of suffering. When that doesn’t happen, we may become disappointed, resentful, or indignant. We may even say this dharma stuff isn’t working for me. But if we stay with it — keep up with our daily meditations and continue our study of the teachings, we will begin to see the power — the healing power of the teachings of Buddha.

Metta ….May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

=====================================================

Ron’s Recommended Reading List

Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook

Eckhart Tolle’s amazing best seller, A New Earth

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s wonderful book, My Stroke of Insight: Nirvana is just a breath away!

And this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.

This is a new one for you by Pema Chodron entitled: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

=====================================================

Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)


“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

Have a peaceful day!! —

Ron Rink

P.S. If you;d like to read my memoir/novel, you can access it here:
http://www.wecould2.com

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06
May

Buddhist Belief — How’s Your Ego Doing?


“You are now in control of your life. You see, the ego is never in control. The ego is controlled by wishes for comfort and convenience on the part of the body, by demands of the mind, and by outbursts of the emotions. But the higher nature controls the body and the mind and the emotions. I can say to my body, “Lie down there on that cement floor and go to sleep,” and it obeys. I can say to my mind, “Shut out everything else and concentrate on this job before you,” and it’s obedient. I can say to my emotions, “Be still, even in the face of this terrible situation,” and they are still. It’s a different way of living. The philosopher Thoreau wrote: If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps he hears a different drummer. And now you are following a different drummer–the higher nature instead of the lower.”

~~~ Peace Pilgrim

The teachings in Buddhist Belief are considered to be the oldest continuing lessons in human history. It makes you wonder what all the millions of monks, nuns, and lay people have accomplished in these past 2,500 years or so, doesn’t it? Could this all be little more than a long-running experiment? Has anything been proved? Is there something in all of this worth paying close attention to — or is it nothing more than some kind of concept of how to live our lives?

Buddhist Belief, meditation, nirvana, mindfulness, karma

Buddhist teachings state that certain practices and ways of living will, if done with genuine compassion and caring for others, make you wiser, kinder and more peaceful. While the results shown over these past many years are certainly verifiable and reproducible, they’re not truly quantifiable. Even though, I do think it’s rather clear how having a Buddhist practice and lifestyle in the lives of so many people has generated an above average number of wise and compassionate people.

What has been the primary focus of Buddhist belief?

Despite the multitude of teachings in the dharma, the basic teachings always come back to The Four Noble Truths. Buddhists believe in the First Noble Truth — as humans we will have suffering, dissatisfaction and anxiety in our lives. We further believe in the Second Noble Truth — that the cause of this dissatisfaction is giving in to the demands of our egotistical selves with all our desires, greed, craving and clinging to things. It is our attachment to these “things” which creates the conflict with the Buddhist belief that none of these “things” will last, not even ourselves. Nothing is permanent. When we’re not willing to let “things” go when it’s time, we suffer from dissatisfaction. Most of this is brought on by our ego-focused way of living.

Buddhists further believe in the Third Noble Truth — that this dissatisfaction will cease. If we can find some way to diminish our craving, greed, and clinging to our self-centered ways, our suffering will diminish, or even disappear. Finally, Buddhists go on to believe (Fourth Noble Truth) — that the answer is to follow a path, or style of living, which will lead to the diminishing of ego-centered living. Using wisdom, moral behavior, and compassion, our instances of suffering and anxiety will lessen greatly.

So, how close is all this 2,500-year-old stuff to where we are today?

I’m guessing we may not be so far off the mark. If you look closely at the multitude of apparently diverse ethics, moral, codes of conduct, and commandments we follow, there’s something similar that runs through all of them. Our ideas of right and wrong, with whatever variations you follow, all come down to the same basic premise — what is right and good comes from selflessness and love for others — what’s bad and wrong is the result of selfishness and putting ourselves before others.

Metta ….May all beings be well and happy. May all beings live in safety. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings live with ease.

Namaste — Be in Peace.

Ron Rink

=====================================================

Ron’s Recommended Reading List

Just click the links that are sort of Grey in color to take you to where you can learn more about each book and how you can purchase a copy for your own library.

Anam Thubten — No Self – No Problem

No Self – No Problem
shows how to realize the ultimate meaning of life in each moment by dissolving all notions of ego-identity. It asks that spiritual seekers wake up to their true nature, which is already enlightened. Based on Buddhist wisdom traditions, this easy-to-read book discusses in simple, but profound and inspiring language, how we can live a life full of love, satisfaction, and happiness. No Self – No Problem

Sharon Salzberg — The Kindness Handbook

“It takes boldness, even audacity, to step out of our habitual patterns and experiment with a quality like kindness–to work with it and see just how it might shift and open up our lives. This book is an invitation to do just that. — From The Kindness Handbook

Eckhart Tolle’s amazing best seller, A New Earth

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s wonderful book, My Stroke of Insight: Nirvana is just a breath away!

And this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.

This is a new one for you by Pema Chodron entitled: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

=====================================================

Always remember this wonderful quote from Buddha ….


“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~~~ Buddha

Shanti everyone, … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)


“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

Have a peaceful day!! —

Ron Rink

P.S. If you;d like to read my memoir/novel, you can access it here:
http://www.wecould2.com

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Posted by Ron Rink under Buddhist Belief | Comment now » |