Wisdom From Afar
The world is full of suffering. Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, sickness and death are sufferings. To meet a man whom one hates is suffering, to be vainly struggling to satisfy one's needs is suffering. In fact, life that is not free from desire and passion is always involved with distress. This is called the Truth of Suffering.
The cause of human suffering is undoubtedly found in the thirsts of the physical body and in the illusions of worldly passion. If theses thirsts and illusions are traced to their source, they are found to be rooted in the intense desires of physical instincts. Thus, desire, having a strong will-to-live as its basis, seeks that which it feels desirable, even if it is sometimes death. This is called the Truth of the Cause of Suffering.
If desire, which lies as the root of all human passion, can be removed, then passion will die out and all human suffering will be ended. This is called the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering.
In order to enter into a state where there is no desire and no suffering, one must follow a certain Path. The stages of this Noble Eightfold Path are: Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Behavior, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and right Concentration. This is called the Truth of the Noble Path to the Cessation of the Cause of Suffering.
The Fourfold Noble Truths, as listed in The Teachings of Buddha (Circulated by Bukkya Dendo Kyokai)
I've read the Bible through going on five times now, and there is no passage that explains things as blundly and as concrete as this. It has been watered down by internal conflicts and dogmas and individual beliefs for thousands of years, and yet these four simple Truths have stood the test of time for two and a half millenia. It's remarkable. Small wonder the Asians are starting to blow us away on so many fields...if the rest of their philosophy is as concise and as practical as this I am going to have to get my hands on some more.
We beat Kalani last week 50-0, and this week we play Waipahu...big road trip around the harbor. I hope we win, and I hope the band kicks much ass.
The cause of human suffering is undoubtedly found in the thirsts of the physical body and in the illusions of worldly passion. If theses thirsts and illusions are traced to their source, they are found to be rooted in the intense desires of physical instincts. Thus, desire, having a strong will-to-live as its basis, seeks that which it feels desirable, even if it is sometimes death. This is called the Truth of the Cause of Suffering.
If desire, which lies as the root of all human passion, can be removed, then passion will die out and all human suffering will be ended. This is called the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering.
In order to enter into a state where there is no desire and no suffering, one must follow a certain Path. The stages of this Noble Eightfold Path are: Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Behavior, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and right Concentration. This is called the Truth of the Noble Path to the Cessation of the Cause of Suffering.
The Fourfold Noble Truths, as listed in The Teachings of Buddha (Circulated by Bukkya Dendo Kyokai)
I've read the Bible through going on five times now, and there is no passage that explains things as blundly and as concrete as this. It has been watered down by internal conflicts and dogmas and individual beliefs for thousands of years, and yet these four simple Truths have stood the test of time for two and a half millenia. It's remarkable. Small wonder the Asians are starting to blow us away on so many fields...if the rest of their philosophy is as concise and as practical as this I am going to have to get my hands on some more.
We beat Kalani last week 50-0, and this week we play Waipahu...big road trip around the harbor. I hope we win, and I hope the band kicks much ass.