These 6 Simple Buddhist Principals That, if Practiced Regularly, Can Change Your Life:

1. Consume mindfully.

Eat with awareness and gratitude.
Pause before buying and see if breathing is enough.
Pay attention to the effects of media you consume.

2. Pause. Breathe. Listen.

When you feel compelled to speak in a meeting or conversation, pause.
Breathe before entering your home, place of work, or school.
Listen to the people you encounter. They are Buddhas.

3. Practice gratitude.

Notice what you have.
Be equally grateful for opportunities and challenges.
Share joy, not negativity.

4. Cultivate compassion and loving kindness.

Notice where help is needed and be quick to help
Consider others’ perspectives deeply.
Work for peace at many levels.

5. Discover wisdom.

Cultivate “don’t know” mind (= curiosity).
Find connections between Buddhist teachings and your life.
Be open to what arises in every moment.

6. Accept constant change.

Source:
http://www.thewisdomawakened.com/2017/02/a-2-minute-guide-to-6-simple-buddhist.html

10 Simple Sayings From BUDDHA That Will Change Your Life.

Buddha gained a huge amount of fame during his lifetime for simply offering basic advice for everyday living.

Far removed from the priests that believed they were “chosen”, Buddha was accessible to anyone who lived nearby.

Peasants, government officials, and kings were all treated with the same amount of respect and advice.

To him, there was no difference between them.

That’s why when we read Buddha’s words, we’re actually getting his unfiltered view of what he thought about happiness, simple living, and finding peace.

Here are 10 quotes from him that will change your perspective on life- and show you a new way of thinking and being.

1. Find Your Purpose

“Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.”

2. Let Go of Anger

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

3. Take Action

“I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.”

4. Be Resilient

“Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.”

5. Share Your Happiness

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

6. Look Within

“Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts. But once mastered, no one can help you as much.”

7. Be Compassionate

“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”

8. Have No Fear

“Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.”

9. Help Someone

“If you light a lamp for someone else it will also brighten your path.”

10. Do Not Judge

“In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.”

source: blog.sivanaspirit.com

What Happens When We Die. Here's What Buddhism Says!

The Buddha’s teachings offer the most satisfactory explanation of where man came from and where he is going. When we die, the mind, with all the tendencies, preferences, abilities and characteristics that have been developed and conditioned in this life, re-establishes itself in a new being. Thus the new individual grows and develops a personality conditioned both by the mental characteristics that have been carried over from the previous life and by the new environment. The personality will change and be modified by conscious effort and conditioning factors like education, parental influence and society but once again at death, it will re-establish itself as life in a new being. This process of dying and being reborn will continue until the conditions that cause it, the mental factors of craving and ignorance, cease. When they do, instead of being reborn, the mind attains a state called Nirvana.

How does the mind go from one body to another?

When a person is dying, he begins to lose conscious control of his mental processes. There comes a time when his actions and habits locked away in his memories are released. In many instances, there arises in his mind a mental image. This image is totally involuntarily and is produced by his karma or past actions. Thus depending upon the nature of the particular karma that produces this image, the person may see dark shadowy figures, frightening images, or he may see his relatives or perhaps visions of scenic beauty. Quite often, he will cry out at these visions or remark about them to his visitors. Even though the physical body may be weak these thought units are very strong as death approaches. When the body finally breaks down at the point of death these energies are released as mental energy. As energy cannot be destroyed they have to re-establish themselves in a new body thus causing the phenomenon of rebirth.

Think of it being like radio waves which are not made up of words and music but energy at different frequencies, which are transmitted, travel instantaneously through space, are picked up by the receiver from where the radio produces them as words and music. It is the same with the mind. At death, mental energy travels through space, is picked up by the fertilized egg of the future mother, is reborn as a new being and manifests as a new personality.

Thus it is important that a dying person is comforted and reminded of his good deeds. He should not be made confused and visitors should not overtly grieve in his presence. Neither should unfamiliar ideas like a new religion be introduced to him. The Buddha advises that when one is fearful, he should recall minding the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha.

Is one always reborn as a human being?

No, there are several realms into which one can be reborn. Some people are reborn in heavenly planes, some are reborn in hell planes, and some may be reborn as ghosts and as animals. Heaven is not a place but a state of existence where one has a subtle body and where the mind experiences mainly pleasure. Some religions strive very hard to be reborn in a heavenly existence mistakenly believing it to be a permanent state. But it is not. Like all conditioned states, heaven is impermanent and when one’s life span there is finished, one could well be reborn again as a human. Hell, likewise, is not a place but a state of existence where one has a subtle body and where the mind experiences mainly anxiety and distress. Being a ghost, again, is a state of existence where the body is subtle and where the mind is continually plagued by longing and dissatisfaction. So heavenly beings experience mainly pleasure, hell beings and ghosts experience mainly pain and human beings experience usually a mixture of both. So the main difference between the human realm and other realms is the body type and the quality of experience.

“Those who imagine evil where there is none, and do not see evil where it is — upholding false views, they go to states of woe. Those who discern the wrong as wrong and the right as right — upholding right views, they go to realms of bliss.
~ Dhammapada 318, 319”

What decides where we will be reborn?

The most important factor, but not the only one, influencing where we will be reborn and what sort of life we shall have, is karma. The word karma means ‘action’ and refers to our intentional mental actions. In other words, what we are is determined very much by how we have thought and acted in the past. Likewise, how we think and act now will influence how we will be in the future. Just as radio waves will be picked up by a radio tuned to its particular frequency, the mental energies released at the time of death will naturally be re-established in a new material body that most suits it. Thus, the gentle, loving type of person shall be reborn in a heavenly realm or as a human being in a comfortable environment. The anxious, worried or extremely cruel type of person is reborn in a hell realm, or as an animal, or as a human being born in extremely difficult environment.


Not only is there scientific evidence to support the phenomena of rebirth, it is the only after-life theory that has any evidence to support it. During the last 30 years parapsychologists have been studying reports that some people have vivid memories of their former lives. Professor Ian Stevenson of the University of Virginia’s Department of Psychology has described dozens of cases of this type in his books. He is an accredited scientist whose 25 year study of people who remember former lives is very strong evidence for rebirth

Source: www.e-buddhism.com

Read more at http://www.theinfopost.org/2016/08/what-happens-when-we-die-heres-what

The Buddhist Eightfold Path for Modern Times.

Buddhism is a non-theistic religion based upon the teachings of Buddha, a sage who lived in India sometime between the fourth and sixth century BCE.

The Eightfold Path is the fourth of the Four Noble Truths. No matter what your religion (or even if you do not follow any religion), you will find the teachings of Buddha relevant to your life today.

The Eightfold Path

The dharmachakra wheel typically is used to illustrate the eightfold path.

Source: By Krisse (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons (modified)

What are the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path?

Buddha’s teachings are based upon the teachings of others who preceded him. He aimed to teach his disciples how to live an enlightened life and how to minimize human suffering.

The Four Noble Truths are:

• The truth of suffering
• The truth of the cause of suffering
• The truth of the end of suffering
• The truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering

The Eightfold Path is part of the fourth noble truth which is the path that leads to the end of suffering. Buddha taught that the way to achieve enlightenment and to minimize human suffering was to live an ethical life.

Buddha placed all human behavior into one of eight categories or paths. Each path as designated by the term “right” meaning ethical or moral. He then described the types of behavior that were right for each of these categories.

The eightfold path has three main groups: two paths of wisdom (how we understand), three paths of conduct (how we act) and three paths of concentration (how we think).

The Two Paths of Wisdom

The two paths of wisdom on the Buddhist dharma wheel.

Source: Catherine Giordano (Public Domain image, modified)

What are the two paths of wisdom in Buddhism?

The two paths of wisdom are “Right View” and “Right Intention.”

“Right view” is sometimes called “right understanding.” It means to see things are they really are which means seeing them objectively and completely and understanding them fully. This requires accurate observation followed by study. In other words we must think about what we have observed. Only then can we have “right understanding.”

“Right Intention” is sometimes called ”right thought.” It means that we must not see things through the lens of negative emotions. We must free our selves of desire, greed, hatred, anger, and other negative emotions that can cloud our judgment. Only then can we have “right thought.”

The Three Paths of Conduct

The three paths of conduct on the Buddhist dharma wheel.

Source: Catherine Giordano (Public Domain image, modified)

What are the three paths of conduct in Buddhism?

“Right speech” means that we must have respect for the truth. We must not lie; we must not slander;we must not gossip; we must not speak ill of other people. We must avoid harsh or cruel words which will lead to hurt feelings or quarrels. In essence, it means to treat others with respect when we speak and to consider the consequences of our words.

“Right Action” means beings respectful of all life and maintaining good relationships with others. We should not intentionally kill any living thing; not even a mosquito. We should not steal. (Stealing means we should not take anything that is not freely given; it includes not defrauding or tricking someone.) We should not “use” other people for our own benefit. We should not engage in sexual misconduct or adultery.

Right action means living in harmony with all the other aspects of the Buddha’s teachings.

“Right Livelihood” is an extension of “‘right action,” but the focus is on how we earn our living. We should not do work that involves killing (including the slaughtering animals) or dealing in slaves, weapons, poisons, or intoxicants (drug or alcohol).

This one may require some modification for modern times. If you do not wish to be a vegetarian, you should try to only eat meat from animals that have been humanely raised and slaughtered. Actual slavery has been abolished in most of the world, so we should take this rule to mean that we should not have “wage slaves.” Employees should be treated fairly and paid a living wage. We should be honest and ethical in how we treat our employees, our customers, our employers, and our competitors.

The prohibition of poisons and intoxicants I will adapt to mean that we must not be involved in the production of products that are harmful to human life and health or engage in practices that are harmful to the health of our planet. Further, we must not support people or companies that violate these precepts. Violations of this principle are so widespread, I fear that it is almost impossible to be 100% moral in this area. Perhaps the best we can do is to be aware of these violations, to help make others aware of them, and be careful not to vote for people who support immoral practices and businesses.

You can read more about this is Right Livelihood: The Quest for Ethical Work

The Three Paths of Concentration

The three paths of concentration on the Buddhist dharma wheel.

Source: Catherine Giordano (Public Domain image, modified)

What are the three paths of concentration in Buddhism?

“Right Effort” means keeping a positive attitude and approaching tasks with enthusiasm and cheerful determination. We must avoid becoming too intense in our work; but also avoid slacking off.

It also means avoiding unwholesome thoughts. It is “right action” for the mind.

“Right Mindfulness” means we should have awareness and focus as we go through our day. We should avoid having a distracted or confused state of mind. It means being able to focus on the task at hand with a calm mind without our mind wandering off or worries intruding.

It is not meditation, but like meditation it asks us to be aware of what we are doing physically and mentally. It means being aware of what we are doing, what we are feeling, and what are we thinking.

Have you ever been driving and you suddenly realize that you are at your exit and you don’t know how you got there? The monotony of highway driving can cause us to lose mindfulness. I have been making a conscious effort to keep my mind on the road.

Another example is eating in front of the TV. Have you ever done this and suddenly noticed that your plate is empty, but you don’t remember eating? Mindful eating is important to good health.

“Right Meditation” means practicing meditation. This produces an inner tranquility and sharpens awareness at the same time. It is hard to do right and it requires faithful practice. It requires “emptying the mind” to achieve a total stillness of mind and body.

I attended a Buddhist meditation class, and I had great luck the first session. I was able to quiet my mind. When I left and drove home, I felt like I was “fully awake” in a way I had never been before. I was hyper aware of everything I was seeing and hearing and feeling, and I felt like I was actually driving the car. Usually, driving is so automatic, if feels like the car is driving me. (This may sound crazy unless you have experienced the diffeence yourself.)

A depiction of Buddha

Thee are 488 million Buddhists in the world, 7% of the world's population.

Source: By Appaji (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

What is the Eightfold Path of Buddhism in a nutshell?

The most important thing to remember if you wish to follow the eightfold path is to be ethical in word, deed, and thought. Be a good, kind, positive, and moral person. Banish negativity and bring focus to all your activities.

You will be happier and more productive for having done so. The eightfold path may not be the path most travelled, but it is the one that is most likely to get you to where you want to go.

Learn more about Buddhism at About Buddhism

Source - catherinegiordano.hubpages.com

http://www.religiousmind.com/2015/06/the-buddhist-eightfold-path-for-modern.html

What Buddha Accepted?

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1. The first distinguishing feature of his teachings lay in the recognition of the mind as the centre of everything.

2. Mind precedes things, dominates them, creates them. If mind is comprehended, all things are comprehended.

3. Mind is the leader of all its faculties. Mind is the chief of all its faculties. The very mind is made up of those faculties.

4. The first thing to attend to is the culture of the mind.

5. The second distinguishing feature of his teachings is that mind is the fount of all the good and evil that arises within, and befalls us from without.

6. Whatsoever there is of evil, connected with evil, belonging to evil–that issues from the mind. Whatsoever there is of good, connected with good, belonging to good–all issues from mind.

7. If one speaks or acts with a pounded [=polluted?] mind, then affliction follows him as the wheels of the cart follow the feet of the bullocks who pull the cart. The cleaning of the mind is, therefore, the essence of religion.

8. The third distinguishing feature of his teachings is the avoidance of all sinful acts.

9. The fourth distinguishing feature of his teaching is that real religion lies not in the books of religion, but in the observance of the tenets of the religion.

10. Can anyone say that the Buddha’s religion was not his own creation?

Source: http://www.bbncommunity.com/what-buddha-accepted/

The meaning of the OM symbol.

Before the beginning, the Brahman (absolute reality) was one and non-dual. It thought, “I am only one — may I become many.” This caused a vibration which eventually became sound, and this sound was Om. Creation itself was set in motion by the vibration of Om. The closest approach to Brahman is that first sound, Om. Thus, this sacred symbol has become emblematic of Brahman just as images are emblematic of material objects.

The vibration produced by chanting Om in the physical universe corresponds to the original vibration that first arose at the time of creation. The sound of Om is also called Pranava, meaning that it sustains life and runs through Prana or breath. Om also represents the four states of the Supreme Being. The three sounds in Om (AUM) represent the waking, dream and deep sleep states and the silence which surrounds Om represents the “Turiya” state.

Because the first of the three states of consciousness is the waking state, it is represented by the sound “A” pronounced like “A” in accounting. Because the dream state of consciousness lies between the waking and the deep sleep states, it is represented by theletter “U” which lies between the “A” and “M”. This “U” is pronounced like the “U” in would. The last state of consciousness is the deep sleep state and is represented by “M” pronounced as in “sum.”

This closes the pronunciation of Om just as deep sleep is the final stage of the mind at rest. Whenever Om is recited in succession there is an inevitable period of silence between two successive Oms. This silence represents the “fourth state” known as “Turiya” which is the state of perfect bliss when the individual self recognizes his identity with the supreme.

The Symbol Om:

Just as the sound of Om represents the four states of Brahman, the symbol Om written in Sanskrit also represents everything. The material world of the waking state is symbolized by the large lower curve. The deep sleep state is represented by the upper left curve.

The dream state, lying between the waking state below and the deep sleep state above, emanates from the confluence of the two. The point and semicircle are separate from the rest and rule the whole. The point represents the turiya state of absolute consciousness. The open semicircle is symbolic of the infinite and the fact that the meaning of the point can not be grasped if one limits oneself to finite thinking.

The Power of Chanting Om:

1. The chanting of Om drives away all worldly thoughts and removes distraction and infuses new vigour in the body.
2. When you feel depressed, chant Om fifty times and you will be filled with new vigour and strength. The chanting of Om is a powerful tonic. When you chant Om, you feel you are the pure, all pervading light and consciousness.
3. Those who chant Om will have a powerful, sweet voice. Whenever you take a stroll, you can chant Om. You can also sing Om in a beautiful way. The rythmic pronunciation of Om makes the mind serene and pointed, and infuses the spiritual qualifications which ensure self-realization.

Meditation on Om:

Retire to a quite place, sit down, close your eyes and completely relax your muscles and nerves. Concentrate on the space between your eyebrows and quieten and silence the conscious mind. Begin to repeat “Om” mentally while associating the ideas of infinity, eternity, immortality, etc. You must repeat Om with the feeling that you are the infinite and all-pervading. Mere repetition of Om will not bring the desired result.

Keep the meaning of Om always at heart. Feal Om. Feel that you are the pure, perfect, all-knowing, eternal, free, Brahman. Feel that you are absolute consciousness and the infinite, unchanging existence.

Every part of your body should powerfully vibrate with these ideas. This feeling should be kept up all day long. Practice regularly and steadily with sincerity, faith, perseverance and enthusiasm in the morning, midday and evening.

By: Naveen Kumar

The Age of Enlightenment

Source:

http://thespiritscience.net/2015/08/20/the-meaning-of-the-om-symbol/

A Brief Summary of the Buddha’s Teachings

Shortly after his Awakening, the Buddha delivered his first sermon, in which he laid out the essential framework upon which all his later teachings were based. This framework consists of the Four Noble Truths, four fundamental principles of nature (Dhamma) that emerged from the Buddha’s radically honest and penetrating assessment of the human condition. He taught these truths not as metaphysical theories or as articles of faith, but as categories by which we should frame our direct experience in a way that conduces to Awakening:

Dukkha: suffering, unsatisfactoriness, discontent, stress;

The cause of dukkha: the cause of this dissatisfaction is craving (tanha) for sensuality, for states of becoming, and states of no becoming;
The cessation of dukkha: the relinquishment of that craving;

The path of practice leading to the cessation of dukkha: the Noble Eightfold Path of right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

Because of our ignorance (avijja) of these Noble Truths, because of our inexperience in framing the world in their terms, we remain bound to samsara, the wearisome cycle of birth, aging, illness, death, and rebirth. Craving propels this process onward, from one moment to the next and over the course of countless lifetimes, in accordance with kamma (Skt. karma), the universal law of cause and effect. According to this immutable law, every action that one performs in the present moment — whether by body, speech, or mind itself — eventually bears fruit according to its skillfulness: act in unskillful and harmful ways and unhappiness is bound to follow; act skillfully and happiness will ultimately ensue.[13] As long as one remains ignorant of this principle, one is doomed to an aimless existence: happy one moment, in despair the next; enjoying one lifetime in heaven, the next in hell.

The Buddha discovered that gaining release from samsara requires assigning to each of the Noble Truths a specific task: the first Noble Truth is to be comprehended; the second, abandoned; the third, realized; the fourth, developed. The full realization of the third Noble Truth paves the way for Awakening: the end of ignorance, craving, suffering, and kamma itself; the direct penetration to the transcendent freedom and supreme happiness that stands as the final goal of all the Buddha’s teachings; the Unconditioned, the Deathless, Unbinding — Nibbana (Skt. Nirvana).

THE EIGHTFOLD PATH AND THE PRACTICE OF DHAMMA

Because the roots of ignorance are so intimately entwined with the fabric of the psyche, the unawakened mind is capable of deceiving itself with breathtaking ingenuity. The solution therefore requires more than simply being kind, loving, and mindful in the present moment. The practitioner must equip him- or herself with the expertise to use a range of tools to outwit, outlast, and eventually uproot the mind’s unskillful tendencies. For example, the practice of generosity (dana) erodes the heart’s habitual tendencies towards craving and teaches valuable lessons about the motivations behind, and the results of, skillful action. The practice of virtue (sila) guards one against straying wildly off-course and into harm’s way. The cultivation of goodwill (metta) helps to undermine anger’s seductive grasp. The ten recollections offer ways to alleviate doubt, bear physical pain with composure, maintain a healthy sense of self-respect, overcome laziness and complacency, and restrain oneself from unbridled lust. And there are many more skills to learn.

The good qualities that emerge and mature from these practices not only smooth the way for the journey to Nibbana; over time they have the effect of transforming the practitioner into a more generous, loving, compassionate, peaceful, and clear-headed member of society. The individual’s sincere pursuit of Awakening is thus a priceless and timely gift to a world in desperate need of help.

Discernment (pañña)

The Eightfold Path is best understood as a collection of personal qualities to be developed, rather than as a sequence of steps along a linear path. The development of right view and right resolve (the factors classically identified with wisdom and discernment) facilitates the development of right speech, action, and livelihood (the factors identified with virtue). As virtue develops so do the factors identified with concentration (right effort, mindfulness, and concentration). Likewise, as concentration matures, discernment evolves to a still deeper level. And so the process unfolds: development of one factor fosters development of the next, lifting the practitioner in an upward spiral of spiritual maturity that eventually culminates in Awakening.

The long journey to Awakening begins in earnest with the first tentative stirrings of right view — the discernment by which one recognizes the validity of the four Noble Truths and the principle of kamma. One begins to see that one’s future well-being is neither predestined by fate, nor left to the whims of a divine being or random chance. The responsibility for one’s happiness rests squarely on one’s own shoulders. Seeing this, one’s spiritual aims become suddenly clear: to relinquish the habitual unskillful tendencies of the mind in favor of skillful ones. As this right resolve grows stronger, so does the heartfelt desire to live a morally upright life, to choose one’s actions with care.

At this point many followers make the inward commitment to take the Buddha’s teachings to heart, to become “Buddhist” through the act of taking refuge in the Triple Gem: the Buddha (both the historical Buddha and one’s own innate potential for Awakening), the Dhamma (both the Buddha’s teachings and the ultimate Truth towards which they point), and the Sangha (both the unbroken monastic lineage that has preserved the teachings since the Buddha’s day, and all those who have achieved at least some degree of Awakening). With one’s feet thus planted on solid ground, and with the help of an admirable friend or teacher (kalyanamitta) to guide the way, one is now well-equipped to proceed down the Path, following in the footsteps left by the Buddha himself.

Virtue (sila)

Right view and right resolve continue to mature through the development of the path factors associated with sila, or virtue — namely, right speech, right action, and right livelihood. These are condensed into a very practical form in the five precepts, the basic code of ethical conduct to which every practicing Buddhist subscribes: refraining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and using intoxicants. Even the monks’ complex code of 227 rules and the nuns’ 311 ultimately have these five basic precepts at their core.

Concentration (samadhi)

Having gained a foothold in the purification of one’s outward behavior through the practice of sila, the essential groundwork has been laid for delving into the most subtle and transformative aspect of the path: meditation and the development of samadhi, or concentration. This is spelled out in detail in the final three path factors: right effort, by which one learns how to favor skillful qualities of mind over unskillful ones; right mindfulness, by which one learns to keep one’s attention continually grounded in the present moment of experience; and right concentration, by which one learns to immerse the mind so thoroughly and unwaveringly in its meditation object that it enters jhana, a series of progressively deeper states of mental and physical tranquillity.

Right mindfulness and right concentration are developed in tandem through satipatthana (“frames of reference” or “foundations of mindfulness”), a systematic approach to meditation practice that embraces a wide range of skills and techniques. Of these practices, mindfulness of the body (especially mindfulness of breathing) is particularly effective at bringing into balance the twin qualities of tranquillity (samatha) and insight (vipassana), or clear-seeing. Through persistent practice, the meditator becomes more adept at bringing the combined powers of samatha-vipassana to bear in an exploration of the fundamental nature of mind and body.[14] As the meditator masters the ability to frame his immediate experience in terms of anicca (inconstancy), dukkha, and anatta (not-self), even the subtlest manifestations of these three characteristics of experience are brought into exquisitely sharp focus. At the same time, the root cause of dukkha — craving — is relentlessly exposed to the light of awareness. Eventually craving is left with no place to hide, the entire karmic process that fabricates dukkha unravels, the eightfold path reaches its noble climax, and the meditator gains, at long last, his or her first unmistakable glimpse of the Unconditioned — Nibbana.

Awakening

This first enlightenment experience, known as stream-entry (sotapatti), is the first of four progressive stages of Awakening, each of which entails the irreversible shedding or weakening of several fetters (samyojana), the manifestations of ignorance that bind a person to the cycle of birth and death. Stream-entry marks an unprecedented and radical turning point both in the practitioner’s current life and in the entirety of his or her long journey in samsara. For it is at this point that any lingering doubts about the truth of the Buddha’s teachings disappear; it is at this point that any belief in the purifying efficacy of rites and rituals evaporates; and it is at this point that the long-cherished notion of an abiding personal “self” falls away. The stream-enterer is said to be assured of no more than seven future rebirths (all of them favorable) before eventually attaining full Awakening.

But full Awakening is still a long way off. As the practitioner presses on with renewed diligence, he or she passes through two more significant landmarks: once-returning (sakadagati), which is accompanied by the weakening of the fetters of sensual desire and ill-will, and non-returning (agati), in which these two fetters are uprooted altogether. The final stage of Awakening — arahatta — occurs when even the most refined and subtle levels of craving and conceit are irrevocably extinguished. At this point the practitioner — now an arahant, or “worthy one” — arrives at the end-point of the Buddha’s teaching. With ignorance, suffering, stress, and rebirth having all come to their end, the arahant at last can utter the victory cry first proclaimed by the Buddha upon his Awakening:

“Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done! There is nothing further for the sake of this world.”

— MN 36

The arahant lives out the remainder of his or her life inwardly enjoying the bliss of Nibbana, secure at last from the possibility of any future rebirth. When the arahant’s aeons-long trail of past kamma eventually unwinds to its end, the arahant dies and he or she enters into parinibbana — total Unbinding. Although language utterly fails at describing this extraordinary event, the Buddha likened it to what happens when a fire finally burns up all its fuel.

“The serious pursuit of happiness”
Buddhism is sometimes naïvely criticized as a “negative” or “pessimistic” religion and philosophy. Surely life is not all misery and disappointment: it offers many kinds of happiness and sublime joy. Why then this dreary Buddhist obsession with unsatisfactoriness and suffering?

The Buddha based his teachings on a frank assessment of our plight as humans: there is unsatisfactoriness and suffering in the world. No one can argue this fact. Dukkha lurks behind even the highest forms of worldly pleasure and joy, for, sooner or later, as surely as night follows day, that happiness must come to an end. Were the Buddha’s teachings to stop there, we might indeed regard them as pessimistic and life as utterly hopeless. But, like a doctor who prescribes a remedy for an illness, the Buddha offers both a hope (the third Noble Truth) and a cure (the fourth). The Buddha’s teachings thus give cause for unparalleled optimism and joy. The teachings offer as their reward the noblest, truest kind of happiness, and give profound value and meaning to an otherwise grim existence. One modern teacher summed it up well: “Buddhism is the serious pursuit of happiness.”

Theravada Comes West

Until the late 19th century, the teachings of Theravada were little known outside of southern Asia, where they had flourished for some two and one-half millennia. In the past century, however, the West has begun to take notice of Theravada’s unique spiritual legacy in its teachings of Awakening. In recent decades this interest has swelled, with the monastic Sangha from various schools within Theravada establishing dozens of monasteries across Europe and North America. Increasing numbers of lay meditation centers, founded and operated independently of the monastic Sangha, strain to meet the demands of lay men and women — Buddhist and otherwise — seeking to learn selected aspects of the Buddha’s teachings.

The turn of the 21st century presents both opportunities and dangers for Theravada in the West: Will the Buddha’s teachings be patiently studied and put into practice, and allowed to establish deep roots in Western soil, for the benefit of many generations to come? Will the current popular Western climate of “openness” and cross-fertilization between spiritual traditions lead to the emergence of a strong new form of Buddhist practice unique to the modern era, or will it simply lead to confusion and the dilution of these priceless teachings? These are open questions; only time will tell.

Spiritual teachings of every description inundate the media and the marketplace today. Many of today’s popular spiritual teachings borrow liberally from the Buddha, though only rarely do they place the Buddha’s words in their true context. Earnest seekers of truth are therefore often faced with the unsavory task of wading through fragmentary teachings of dubious accuracy. How are we to make sense of it all?

Fortunately the Buddha left us with some simple guidelines to help us navigate through this bewildering flood. Whenever you find yourself questioning the authenticity of a particular teaching, heed well the Buddha’s advice to his stepmother:

[The teachings that promote] the qualities of which you may know, ‘These qualities lead to passion, not to dispassion; to being fettered, not to being unfettered; to accumulating, not to shedding; to self-aggrandizement, not to modesty; to discontent, not to contentment; to entanglement, not to seclusion; to laziness, not to aroused persistence; to being burdensome, not to being unburdensome': You may categorically hold, ‘This is not the Dhamma, this is not the Vinaya, this is not the Teacher’s instruction.’

[As for the teachings that promote] the qualities of which you may know, ‘These qualities lead to dispassion, not to passion; to being unfettered, not to being fettered; to shedding, not to accumulating; to modesty, not to self-aggrandizement; to contentment, not to discontent; to seclusion, not to entanglement; to aroused persistence, not to laziness; to being unburdensome, not to being burdensome': You may categorically hold, ‘This is the Dhamma, this is the Vinaya, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’

Source | Via: postshare.net

http://www.bbncommunity.com/a-brief-summary-of-the-buddhas-teachings/

The real version of Karma you might not know about.

AUGUST 20, 2015 ARJUN WALIA

Originally posted by Collective Evolution. Posted here with their permission.

Karma is a concept taught by various cultures throughout human history, and is an idea that dates back thousands of years. Despite its proliferance, the idea of karma seems to be generally misunderstood and  frequently tossed around without any real understanding of its true meaning.

What is Karma?

In the Bhagavad Gita (one text out of many from multiple cultures that speak of karma), there are constant dialogues about how to attain what’s referred to as “moksha”.  Moksha is the release from the cycle of rebirth; a sort of transcendent state or freedom from the world we currently know – a world in which our senses deceive us. It’s a state of bliss that can only be attained when we have freed ourselves from the web of Karma. Once we reach that point our soul is ready to move on to another experience that goes beyond rebirth.

According to Hindu philosophy, the only “higher” activity one can engage in other than performing selfless, fruitful action is the quest and cultivation of spiritual knowledge, contemplation and truth.

Let’s take a look at what karma really means:

“The Principle of Karma requires that the experiences of the individual being, based on his actions during the lifetime, are imprinted in the subtle body, which will therefore have to possess some organized structure of fine matter as mental state within it, and will accordingly be impelled to move to specific locations for rebirth. The principle of Karma is fundamentally based on this very concept that the deeds of today shape the future events for man – the most intelligent of beings is gifted with the discriminating ability in addition to the instinctive habits that all other creatures possess.” – Paramahamsa Tewari (source)

The general idea is that every time we perform an action a cause is created that will have corresponding effects.  Again, Karma literally translates to “action” or “deed” and included within that action are your thoughts and intentions. The karma principle makes it clear that the universe will respond to you in this life and/or the next. Actions have “consequences,” and thoughts do as well.

I personally like to leave out “good” and “bad” when it comes to the consequences of our actions. For example, a human being can have what we call a “good” experience or what is perceived as a “bad” experience. The truth of the matter is that they are experiences, regardless of how we perceive them and choose to label them. We can either choose to grow from these experiences and learn from others, untangling ourselves from the web of karma, or we can continue viewing them as “bad” (for example) and prevent ourselves from moving forward.

According to some Indian philosophies, like Jainism, Karmas are invisible particles of matter existing all around us. Our souls attract these karmas through various actions. For example, every time we get angry we attract karmas, just as when we are deceitful or greedy. Likewise, every time we kill or hurt someone we attract karmas. According to Janism these karmas form layers upon layers over our souls and keep us from realizing our true potential and our ability to hear our soul’s voice.

I find it very interesting that the philosophy and concept of karma is discussed in various ways by multiple cultures, religions and philosophers over a period spanning thousands of years.

Karma Yoga

Again, karma is all about action. In Hindu philosophy, it’s believed that purified minds will be the ones to partake in jinana yoga, what is also known as the yoga of knowledge. As mentioned earlier, this quest for truth and contemplation was believed to be a superior act of being as opposed to performing karma yoga (good deeds without care for their rewards or consequences, selfless acts), but both are paths to the same destination.

Performing karma yoga is all about performing acts that can benefit the planet(s), acts that stem from the heart’s intent strictly for  the benefit of the world(s) or others.  This is important to remember, because many can perform good deeds in order to benefit themselves, reap the rewards, get to a specific destination or to “look good” in the eyes of others.

Performing acts from an incorrect place within your heart is not  “doing your karma,” but rather, performing a selfish act in the disguise of good deeds – something that might actually cause you to accumulate more karma instead. Karma is all about the place you are coming from within, which brings me to my next point.

 The Difference Between Karma and the Mainstream Idea of It

When I refer to the “mainstream idea of karma” I am more so referring to the idea and energy behind the statement “they’ll get what’s coming to them” as well as the idea that performing good deeds will provide you with good rewards.

Although “good” deeds might come full circle and have positive fruition, just as “bad” deeds do,  karma has absolutely nothing to do with people “getting what’s coming to them” as a result of their “bad” actions. It’s about learning from your experiences, not about receiving the consequence of your negative action for the sake of receiving it. The focus needs to be on achieving personal growth as a result of your deeds; even if we are not consciously aware of it, there is growth occurring at the soul level.

Karma is an opportunity to move forward. If you see somebody hurting another person and then you see that aggressor hurt or suffer afterwards, it’s not your place to point your finger and say “karma,” or “they got what was coming to them.” Karma is accumulated so we can eventually rid ourselves of it, learn what we need to learn from this human experience, and move on. It has nothing to do with the energy of judgement and blame.

Furthermore, if you do good deeds while under the belief that good deeds will be reciprocated, you are completely contradicting the idea of Karma. Why? Because performing karma is all about action that comes from a selfless place within your heart, for no reward, for the good of the world.

If you have the idea in your head that you will somehow be rewarded, or you are engaging in acts of good will for others to see, or trying to move forward in your career or other aspects of your life, you might in fact be wrapping yourself up in even more karma. The most important thing to consider is the intent and the reasons behind your actions.

“Actions performed without desire for rewards with spiritual consciousness contribute to the fulfillment of liberation. When fulfillment is achieved one attains the ultimate consciousness and liberation is automatically included. By performing actions in this manner a living being becomes verily a being of non-action. Renunciation is relinquishing the desire for rewards attached to appropriate actions. Performing actions in spiritual consciousness without desire leads to liberation.” (source)

There is a quote I saw that was floating around the internet not long ago that stated:

“Karma, no need for revenge. Just sit back & wait, those who hurt you will eventually screw up themselves & if you’re lucky, God will let you watch.”

The idea that one can take joy in another persons misery is not at all indicative of the theory of karma. Judgement has no place with regards to the theory of karma. It’s all about lessons and opportunities for spiritual growth.

Collective Karma

“The universe that we inhabit and our shared perception of it are the results of a common karma. Likewise, the places that we will experience in future rebirths will be the outcome of the karma that we share with the other beings living there. The actions of each of us, human or nonhuman, have contributed to the world in which we live. We all have a common responsibility for our world and are connected with everything in it.” – The 14th Dalai Lama

Just as we accumulate karma as individuals, we do it on a collective level. Our actions as one giant human race will have consequences, and we’ve seen that time and time again. One of the biggest examples is how we are operating here on planet Earth, as well as our relationship with the environment and other life forms that share the planet with us.

I think it’s important to question what exactly we are doing here – what we are thinking and how we are acting, and to then examine what type of reality we are manifesting as a result of those thoughts and actions. After all, quantum physics is shedding light on just how important human consciousness is, and how factors associated with consciousness are affecting our physical material world. You can read more about that here.

I will leave you with this quote, as it is a completely separate topic yet still related to the idea of karma in some way.

“Broadly speaking, although there are some differences, I think Buddhist philosophy and Quantum Mechanics can shake hands on their view of the world. We can see in these great examples the fruits of human thinking. Regardless of the admiration we feel for these great thinkers, we should not lose sight of the fact that they were human beings just as we are.” – Dalai Lama (source)

**This is a very brief, condensed explanation of Karma according to Hindu Philosophy. Please keep in mind that the idea of Karma is present in various ancient cultures that have roamed the Earth through various stages of human history.

Source: http://thespiritscience.net/2015/08/20/the-real-version-of-karma-you-might-not-know-about-2/