Buddhist Belief – The Three Trainings
“By means of meditation we can teach our minds to be calm and balanced; within this calmness is a richness and a potential, an inner knowledge which can render our lives boundlessly satisfying and meaningful. While the mind may be what traps us in unhealthy patterns of stress and imbalance, it is also the mind which can free us. Through meditation, we can tap the healing qualities of mind.”~~~ Tarthang Tulku
The last article we wrote offered a small experiment where we were to shower love and compassion on the next being we encountered in our life. Any comments on that? How did it work for you? The next being I encountered after writing that article was the checkout person at the local Kroger store. All I managed to do was to smile big and wish her a great evening. I also helped her bag my few items. I gave her a sincere “Thank You” and that was it. It felt good, but not out of the ordinary for me. She did smile back, and I’d like to think she saw me as a bit more “up” than many of her customers that day. I’d be interested to hear from any of you to see how it went for you.
Now, let’s get back to the basics of this study which is the Noble Truths of Buddhist Belief.
One of the important elements of the Eightfold Path is the regular practice of meditation. I know when I devote time every day to my practice, a lot of things have a way of falling into place. Meditation helps me to realize I don’t have to figure everything out — which I can’t do anyway. This realization doesn’t mean I should stop questioning, or seeking or studying. It doesn’t mean it’s necessary to become sort of anti-intellectual. What it does show me is how slowing down for a while has a way of clearing the brain-sludge. In some ways it reminds me of trying to get a knot out of a shoelace. You know how if you fight with it the more you can’t open it? Sometimes, if you just stop fighting with it — just stop for a moment and take a deep breath, somehow the knot miraculously opens on your next try.
This analogy is much the same as a regular meditation. You’ll get those wonderful moments of awareness. Some of the answers to the questions in our mind seem to fall into place. We don’t have to continue batting our head against the wall. Suddenly we find the open window or the open door right next to the wall we’ve been hammering against when we were not open to awareness. Meditation is the door to the path. It’s our opening to the journey toward enlightenment. You don’t have to believe it. You don’t have to wait for someone to give you this opening. It’s something you live and apply yourself. It’s your path. It’s right there under your feet. All you have to do is step onto it.This is the “How-To” path. It’s the great highway to awakening. It’s where we’ll learn how to relinquish — how to let go — how to end the craving, clinging, conditioning, karma, and so on.
There a couple of ways to look at the Eightfold Path, and we’ll discuss both of them in these articles. First, I’d like to talk about the way this was originally taught, as the three trainings, the three facets of enlightened living. These are the sila (virtue or ethics), the samadhi (meditation or concentration) and the prajna (wisdom and awareness.). Many students feel they have to accomplish one of these aspects before they can move on to the next. For example, some students feel they have to get control of their ethical behavior (sila), they have to develop more self-discipline, they have to cool down their basic nature — before they can embark on the meditation and contemplation step (samadhi). Once they get “good enough” then they can start to develop their skills at meditation so they’ll be able to develop some wisdom (prajna).
It doesn’t work that way, folks.
These three aspects are mutually supportive. The idea is to put some attention to all of them. Isn’t it smart (wise) to be ethical in our dealings with others? It’s not as though our morality has to come before we focus on getting some wisdom in our lives. It doesn’t do a lot of good to have a regular, daily meditation practice and then go out and be ruthless to others. These three are all intertwined. We would do best to see what we are able to add to our lives right now, coupling those thoughts with where we feel we’re most out of balance. I always say we should have meditation in our daily lives, even if it doesn’t come easy at first. Learning to be present, to see things just as they are, moment by moment, does take practice. Sure, enlightened living, being more ethical and virtuous, is very important — and helpful. It’s also sensible. It will be almost impossible to pursue wisdom and truth if we’re not being ethical with others. How can we quiet our minds in peaceful meditation if we’re stewing about the problems we’ve created by not being wise and ethical?
Around and around. Can you see how these three aspects belong together?
Let’s pick up at this point in the next article about Buddhist Belief.
See you in the next articles.
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I’ve been a member of the Spiritual Cinema Circle for several years. This membership has been a wonderful pleasure. Each month I get a DVD with a feature film and 3 shorter films. It’s mine to keep. I don’t have to send it back. So I can share it with friends or watch them again whenever the mood strikes.
This coming month the feature film is called, “After Life“. If you had to choose one memory in which you would spend eternity, could you? This is the premise of “After Life. This thought-provoking film is available to you if you become a member before November 14, 2008.
The real beauty here is you not only get this feature film — you also get three more shorter films — (I’ll tell you about them in a moment — plus I’ll show you a video preview of the films for this month! ) — you get all four of these films on a DVD you get to keep as part of our free trial offer for new members. All you have to pay for your first month of films is a nominal shipping and handling cost.
After Life is a Spiritual Cinema classic and this year’s carefully chosen “hidden gem.” It’s a film from the recent past that embodies the essence of spiritual cinema. After Life, which was released ten years ago on the U.S art house circuit (with very little publicity), disappeared too quickly. Spiritual Cinema Circle is thrilled to offer this unique film to its subscribers.
In After Life, a team of counselors meet each week with a new group of people who have recently died. They are there to help them choose a memory from their lives that they will live out for all of eternity. As film crews gather to re-create the chosen memories, the subjects have just three days to decide which memory is the one to take with them.
Spiritual Cinema Circle scours film festivals and seeks out cutting edge filmmakers to find the most soulful, heartfelt and uplifting films to offer its subscribers.
Also, we have: Against the Wind (Short Film): In this sweet short about life, an elderly man examines his past and his present, looking for that one thing that keeps him going.
And …Second Life of the Sugar Bowl (Short Film): A man wanders through Paris before dawn while the flea market vendors are just setting up their wares. He’s searching for something specific as he begins to collect an odd assortment of junk…junk that becomes treasure for someone he loves.
Plus … Speed of Life (Short Film): This short documentary introduces us to a courageous young woman who was making her mark in the competitive snow-boarding world when she was struck by a mysterious illness that changed her life forever. Amy has gone on to change the lives of many other athletes, showing us all that facing life’s challenges can be part of the fun of living!
Receive After Life and the 3 great short films free (plus nominal shipping fee), by visiting Spiritual Cinema Circle at this link:
Spiritual Cinema Circle Free Trial
– be sure to do this before November 10.
Here are some video clips so you can get a glimpse of what’s being offered:
Enjoy the films,
I know I sure do — they’re a bright spot in every month.
“Spiritual Cinema Circle is providing a great service to those who want to evolve and be entertained at the same time.”~~~ Deepak Chopra
Start your Free Trial Today
Spiritual Cinema Circle Free Trial
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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 — and I’ve added one more:
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
Tags: attachment, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, Buddhist Belief, detachment, Eightfold Path, First Noble Truth, Four Noble Truths, Fourth Noble Truth, inner peace, Nirvana, Peace, Second Noble Truth, Third Noble Truth