Buddhist Belief – Is Meditation Alone Enough?
The Four Noble Truths are: 1. The world is full of suffering and stress. 2. The cause of this suffering and stress is the desire of physical instincts. 3. If desire can be removed, then suffering and stress will be ended. 4. Desire can be removed by following the Eightfold Path: Right Views, Right Thoughts, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration.
We’ve been writing about the three aspects of the Fourth Noble Truth of Buddhist Belief, virtue and ethics, contemplation, and wisdom. If you’re having any problems applying these in your own life, why not take a look and see where you are with it? Is there some underlying reason why your life may not be at ease? Are there too many complications in your life which may have come about because of ethical or virtuous missteps? Is your mind filled and confused due to a variety of “little white lies”, some of which you may not even be conscious of telling?
Those of us raised in western cultures often look for others to help us keep our lives in order. We’re accustomed to look to our ministers, our priests, our rabbis, our gurus, and other religious leaders to guide us through the maze of life. We may even look for answers through analysis. Sometimes we rely on friends or family members for shoulders to cry on. There’s nothing wrong with doing this. Counseling with our leaders or people close to us is never wrong. What we need to realize is no matter who we use to help us bare our souls — it always comes back to our decisions, the choices we make for ourselves. As Buddha said, “We must be lights unto ourselves”.
Can anyone deny how much more contented, relieved and at ease we would be if we lived our lives in a morally flawless way? There can be no question about how much more clarity we would have if our minds were clear and relaxed. There is so much wisdom in just being — just being alive with these three principles, sila (virtue), samadhi (contemplation), and prajna (wisdom). Buddha taught these by being the example. They became his way of life. He learned by living with these principles how to rid himself of dissatisfaction and reach enlightenment.
These articles will soon be shifting over to more detail about the Eightfold Path of the Fourth Noble Truth. So how do our three principles of virtue, contemplation and wisdom relate to this additional way of teaching about the last of the Noble Truths? These three principles become the Eightfold Path.
Sila, or ethical conduct, becomes (1) right action, (2) right speech, and (3) right livelihood. Samadhi, or mental discipline, contemplation and meditation, becomes (4) right effort, (5) right mindfulness, and (6) right concentration. Finally, prajna, or wisdom, becomes (7) right view and (8) right intention. This ties our entire being together — if we practice these principles with our body, our speech, and our mind, we will be on target for enlightenment. This is something we can do now. We don’t have to wait for this to happen in some future lifetime. It always comes down to the choices we make in how we live our lives today. Either we adopt this lifestyle — or we don’t. It’s always up to us.
People who read my blogs know how I always strive to get you to include daily meditation in your lives — at least a half-hour each day. As one who does this, and more, most every day, I can assure you — it works! But, it will only work if you make it an everyday practice. It won’t work if you do it today and then don’t do it again for a week or two. If you will practice for at least a half-hour every day, if you will make it a part of your daily routine, you will find and become familiar with the feelings of inner peace. You will also find out how you can carry these feelings into your life when you’re not meditating.
However, here’s a caution — the Fourth Noble Truth is not just about meditation. Look at the three principles and the eightfold path. There are more aspects besides meditation alone. Meditation is a part of it — and it’s a major part — and it is a great way to get started. One of the things we westerners are so tempted to do is to focus solely on the meditation aspect and wonder why we are still so dissatisfied with our lives. Everything is still a mess. Quieting your mind for a half-hour a day is wonderful and vital, but what happens for the rest of the day? There are some other actions needed in order to see real change. You need the entire Eightfold Path as your way of living. There is action and wisdom needed right along with your meditation. Not only do you need your meditation — your mindfulness — you also need to include being faultless in your speech, your thoughts, your efforts, your views and your actions. Add to this finding your true vocation, and you’ll see how living with the Fourth Noble Truth of Buddhist Belief is an engaged way of life.
Let’s pick up at this point in the next article.
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For those who wanted me to repeat the links for the books I’ve mentioned in the last few articles, here they are again:
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!”
An this one by Sharon Salzberg and is entitled: “A Heart as Wide as the World: Living with Mindfulness, Wisdom and Compassion“.
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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
http://www.theleaderinside.com
http://www.wecould2.com
http://www.buddhistbelief.com
Tags: Buddhist Belief, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, First Noble Truth, Four Noble Truths, Second Noble Truth, Third Noble Truth, Nirvana, inner peace, peace, attachment, detachment, Fourth Noble Truth, Eightfold Path. karma
Tags: attachment, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, Buddhist Belief, detachment, Eightfold Path. karma, First Noble Truth, Four Noble Truths, Fourth Noble Truth, inner peace, Nirvana, Peace, Second Noble Truth, Third Noble Truth
December 19th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth” has been made into a video discussion with Oprah Winfrey. http://www.oprah.com/anewearth
It’s free, and there is one class for each chapter. Each class is about 1.5 hours.