During a dinner with friends recently, Yim and I mentioned that we mostly aligned with Buddhism as a philosophy.
I had mentioned that I liked that Buddhists look within themselves for truth and understanding. That I could understand the concept of impermanence, a more minimalist, less consumer oriented lifestyle and that we are all on a path through life with a constantly growing and changing soul.
Buddhism, to me, is about simply being a good person and accepting your life is an impermanent process, which will ultimately end, during which time, you can live in accordance to what you believe and continue to grow, and ideally, feel contentment as your days near an end.
It is the only form of belief that I am comfortable with.
The Three Universal Beliefs of Buddhism
- Everything in life is impermanent and always changing.
- Because nothing is permanent, a life based on possessing things or persons doesn’t make you happy.
- There is no eternal, unchanging soul. Self is just a collection of changing characteristics or attributes.
I can relate to all three of these beliefs. I believe these to be true based on my own experiences in my lifetime. Nothing has ever been permanent to me and I’ve learned that possessing things does not make me happy. Life itself makes me happy.
And of course, I fully agree with the belief that a soul is simply a collection of changing characteristics or attributes. As we grow and evolve, new experiences enter our lives and subsequently change us. If we are somewhat aware as a person, we can recognize these shifts. I recognize the changes that have occurred within me during my lifetime, continue to embrace them and in the process, become more at ease with myself, more accepting, which is then manifested in my interactions with other people.
I don’t expect to be who I am in 2024 in 2034.
The Four Truths Of Buddhism
Human life has suffering.
The cause of suffering is greed.
There is an end to suffering.
The way to end suffering is to follow the Middle Path.
Buddha had some very simple lessons, and perhaps the most important was that he taught people not to worship him as a God.
He taught that people should take responsibility for their own lives and actions.
He taught that The Middle Way was the way.
The Middle Way, in it’s simplest terms, means not leading a life of luxury and indulgence, but also not leading one with too much fasting or hardship.
To pursue The Middle Way is not a compromise. It is to navigate life’s challenges while summoning the strength and wisdom of Buddha from within one’s life to create harmony.
The vision is that individuals committed to a sustained effort to orient their lives in a positive direction will inevitably begin to move society itself in the direction of happiness and harmonious co-existence. The Middle Way is a process of living and making one’s mark on society, while constantly evaluating one’s own actions to ensure that they are in accord with the path of humanity.
The Middle Way fosters reverence for the dignity and sanctity of life, making the welfare of people and the planet the starting point and final goal of every human endeavour.
All of the above make it the go-to belief system for me.
There are eight guides for following The Middle path.
The Eightfold Path
- Understanding and viewpoint. The Four Noble Truths.
- Values and attitude. Compassion rather than selfishness.
- Speech. Tell the truth. Avoid harsh, abusive speech. Avoid gossip.
- Actions. Help others. Live honestly. Don’t harm living things. Take care of the environment.
- Work. Do something useful. Avoid jobs which harm others.
- Effort. Encourage good, helpful thoughts. Discourage unwholesome destructive thoughts.
- Mindfulness. Be aware of what you feel, think and do.
- Meditation. Calm your mind. Practice some form of meditation. Mine is running daily.
I intend to continue evolving in my life and now that we are just beginning to travel more, I also hope to have the opportunity to spend some time within a Buddhist-based country such as Thailand or Bali.
I am interested in experiencing the regions of the world where Buddhism is a central belief within a country rather than Christianity, Catholicism or variations along those two religions. I think mostly, I’d like to see how that fundamental belief in Buddhism is reflected within the local community.
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