Introduction
The Buddha was a philosopher, meditator, spiritual teacher, and religious leader who is credited as the founder of Buddhism. He was born as Siddhartha Gautama in India in 566 BC into an aristocratic family and when he was twenty-nine years old, he left the comforts of his home to seek the meaning of the suffering he saw around him. After six years of arduous yogic training, he abandoned the way of self-mortification and instead sat in mindful meditation beneath a bodhi tree. On the full moon of May, with the rising of the morning star, Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha, the awakened one.
The Buddha wandered the plains of northeastern India for 45 years more, teaching the path or Dharma he had realized at that moment. Around him developed a community of people, drawn from every tribe and caste, devoted to practicing this path. Nowadays, he is worshiped by most Buddhist schools as the enlightened one who has escaped the cycle of birth and rebirth, transcending Karma.
Their main teachings focus on their insight into dukkha meaning “suffering” and into Nirvana, which means the end of suffering. He had a huge influence not only in Asia, but all around the world, and so here are the 5 life lessons we can learn from Buddha: Practice the Middle Way.
The Buddha says, “The root of suffering is desire.” Siddharta Gautama spent the rest of their lives reflecting on the Four Noble Truths:
1. There is suffering.
2. The cause of suffering is our desires.
3. The solution to our suffering, then, is to release ourselves from our desires.
4. The Noble Eightfold Path that leads to our release from suffering.
He realized that life was far from perfect and people often try to distract themselves from realities by seeking material attachments like wealth, fame, and honor. He had the chance to experience this first hand, being born in a very wealthy family. Before his enlightenment, he walked out of their palace for the first time and saw the three harsh realities - poverty, sickness, and death. Embracing asceticism, he later tried to escape the internal sufferings by depriving himself of any material comfort and need. With this, he grew very ill and realized that their asceticism did not spare him from their desires and suffering. Hence, he tells us that we must strive for the “Middle Way” - the life between luxury and extreme poverty, a balance between overindulging and depriving ourselves of the things we desire.
Six Things You Must Control in LIfe
One day a man came to Buddha and asked, "I am unable to control myself. My mind goes on to every bad thing. Eyes search to see bad things. Hands want to do wrong things. Legs want to go to bad places. The body is lazy. And my ego is overcoming me. What should I do to live a self-regulated life? Please help me.
Buddha said to the man, "If I give you a task, will you do it? The man replied, "Yes, please. Tell me what I have to do?" Then the Buddha said, climb up that mountain. And at the top of the mountain, you will find my disciple meditating there. Tell him all your problems, and he will help you.
The man climbed up the mountain and at the top he found the disciple meditating. He asked the disciple, “What are you doing here alone in such a solitude place?” To which he replied: “I have lots of work !”“And how can you have so much work? I don’t see anything around you here?”
“I have to train two hawks and two eagles, assure two rabbits, discipline one snake, motivate a donkey and tame a lion” And, where have they gone that I don’t see them?” “I have them all inside here within me.
The hawks stare at everything that is presented to me, good or bad, I have to work on them to see only good things. They are my eyes.
The two eagles with their claws hurt and destroy, I have to train them not to hurt. They are my hands.
Rabbits want to go where they want, at the same time they do not want to face difficult situations, I have to teach them to be calm even if there is suffering or stumbling. They are my feet.
The donkey is always tired, stubborn, and does not want to carry the load each time I walk. That is my body!
The most difficult to tame is the “snake.” Although it is locked in a strong cage with 32 bars, it is always ready to sting, bite and poison anyone nearby.
I have to discipline it that’s my tongue. I also have one Lion. Oh … how proud, vain, he thinks that “he is the king.” I have to tame him. And that’s my ego. So you see, my friend, I have lots of work.
“We all may have the same — Lots to work on ourselves! The man said, Dear friend, I came to you with my problems and you solved all my problems without asking. Thank you. But I did not understand one thing, why did Buddha send me to you? He could have also solved my problems, why did he make me climb the mountain? The disciple replied Friend, controlling the mind and body is not an easy task. It is like climbing a mountain, very hard. You have to work hard, discipline yourself, and meditate. To make you realize this, Buddha made you climb the mountain." I hope you learn, God bless you all
You must be logged in to post a comment.