The Eight-fold Noble Path

From his origins in India, Gautama Buddha’s message of sublime hope has inspired billions of people for more than 2,000 years. To Buddha, one of the realities of life was suffering. An escape from this plight was possible by adopting an enlightened attitude, one of which was the doctrine of impermanence. Everything in the world is changing. Nothing is permanent; eventually, all things pass away.

What seems to be the stability of appearances is really an illusion. Buddha referred to the state of things not a “being” but as “becoming,” a constant shifting and rearrangement of the parts. Wisdom lies in our ability to cope with impermanence. We must learn to remain calm and serene in the midst of a changing world. One way to achieve this is through the practice of universal compassion. Buddha described it as a form of loving-kindness that extends to all human beings without distinction. This kindness offers comfort to all humanity because suffering is their common lot. We must nurture it and allow it to fill the soul until re reach a state of inner bliss called “nirvana” or “nibbana.” According to Buddha, this is the ultimate purpose of life.

We should strive t achieve inner serenity through the eight-fold noble path as suggested by Buddha. The eight elements of the path are:

1.      Right thinking

2.      Right ideas

3.      Right desire

4.      Right language

5.      Right attitude

6.      Right effort

7.      Right action

8.      Right livelihood

We must first engage in “right thinking.’ If we champion a noble cause, we also become noble-minded. Right thinking gives us the right ideas and desires, and together they will help us engage in right actions. To engage in right thinking means to reflect about life through a process of regular meditation. Great are the rewards for those who practice it faithfully. The promising thing is that everyone is able to meditate because it is so simple and natural.

[Buy a copy of A Book of Wisdom and Delight on Amazon]

Through right thinking, the mind generates right ideas, like a capacity to distinguish between good and evil. Sublime thoughts make a sublime person and are a key to enjoying inner peace. To Buddha, we are made of something more than just flesh and blood. We are what we think. The essence of a person is the way he thinks and the ideas he holds, which determine his personality entirely. Basically, different ideas are what distinguish people from one another, not physical attributes, People who possess noble ideas will display noble characters.

Right desires emanate from intense reflection. The golden rule according to Buddha is to be moderate in all our desires; the constant craving within us must be contained. One way to do it is through acts of generosity. Right language lies in abstaining from lying, abusive words, and idle chatter. A right attitude is essential for a true understanding of life. One should, to a fair degree, make a right effort, that is exert oneself to achieve fruitful results.

Right action is the end result of practising the above three steps. In essence, it leads to a life of universal compassion. It is important to know what is right and to do what is right.

Finally, for right livelihood, earn your living thorough honest means.

---

I hope you have enjoyed this excerpt from my book.  I will be posting more excerpts in future posts, so please come back.  Click here to buy your copy of A Book of Wisdom and Delight from Amazon today.

From Loneliness to Togetherness

Every human being experiences some form of loneliness at some stage in their life.  I have experienced my due share of loneliness. 

“Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink,” cried the Ancient Mariner when he was shipwrecked on the high seas.  Though the cry sounds chilling, they are only words contained in a poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

In today’s troubled world, many an anguished person seems to be crying, like the Ancient Mariner, “I see people, people everywhere, but not one to be my soul mate.” It is a paradox of life that we could be lonely in a crowded world and that those people who are near to us may not be dear to us.

To a lonely heart, even a candle is company in a dark room. 

Loneliness is an obstacle to serenity.  Normal problems appear aggravated when we are lonely.  We tend to be more fearful and less cheerful, more withdrawn, and less social.

Actually, no mirror can reflect a lonely heart.

[Buy a copy of A Book of Wisdom and Delight on Amazon]

It is a fact of life that others will not fully understand the “real you.”  It requires wisdom to realize that when we are right, name many people remember, but when we are wrong, few people forget.

We usually judge ourselves by our noble intentions, while other people judge us by our deeds.  We are really much better than what others think of us.

Combating loneliness is a key to serenity.  Certain measures deserve to be taken to escape from the doldrums and put us in a sublime mood.  A serene spirit comes to a person when he is at peace with his “inner life” and his “inner world.”  This world contains a person’s private thoughts, experiences, desires, fears and feelings.  It is a world that is very personal and real to him.  A good example of serenity is found in the story of Job in the bible.  When buffeted by a whole range of calamities, Job remained calm and tranquil.  He said to his detractors, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away.”

The secret to serenity lies in our ability to share our inner world with another person or a few selected people.  When this occurs, our heart is filled with gladness, leaving little room for loneliness.  As Pearl Buck wrote, “The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human being. His heart withers if it does not answer another heart.  His mind shrinks away if he hears the echoes of his own thoughts and finds no other inspiration.”

---

I hope you have enjoyed this excerpt from my book.  I will be posting more excerpts in future posts, so please come back.  Click here to buy your copy of A Book of Wisdom and Delight from Amazon today.

An Ancient Formula for Modern Times

The world is full of formulas ranging from suggestions for good health and achieving success in life.  Here is in my opinion one such formula for happiness.

The ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus presented a different perspective. His formula for inner contentment placed a higher priority on goals that are realistic and attainable and a lesser priority on goals that are unrealistic and more difficult to achieve. He did not rule out the latter, but emphasized pursuit of the former. In today’s parlance, Epictetus would say that it is good to have dreams, but our feet must be firmly planted on the ground. Thus, a desire to be an artist is a realistic goal, but a desire to be an overnight success is unrealistic.

We can also view the practical wisdom of Epictetus as a balance between needs and wants. Needs refer to our basic requirements for food, clothing, and shelter, which we must satisfy for our survival. Wants refer to our fancied desires, where satisfaction is not crucial, though we may consider it so. Bread is a need, but venison and wine are wants. Water is a need, but champagne is a want. A warm coat is a need, but a mink is a want. Actually, only a mink needs a mink.

What is note worthy about this formula is that it is provoking. 

---

I hope you have enjoyed this excerpt from my book.  I will be posting more excerpts in future posts, so please come back.  Click here to buy your copy of A Book of Wisdom and Delight from Amazon today.