THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
* All composite things and experiences are marked by suffering/disharmony/frustration (DUKKHA)
* The arising of "dukkha" comes from desire, grasping, and clinging (craving).
* To achieve the cessation of pain, let go of craving.
* The way to let go and achieve that cessation of pain is the Noble Eightfold Path.
THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH
* RIGHT UNDERSTANDING
- of the truth of suffering... (The Four Noble Truths);
- everything is radically impermanent and passing away;
- there is no self (separate from conditions); it is an illusion.
* RIGHT DETERMINATION
- to give up what is painful and harmful;
- undertake what is good and peaceful;
- abandon thoughts that have to do with bringing suffering to others; cultivate thoughts of loving kindness, full of compassion for others' suffering, with sympathetic joy in their happiness.
* RIGHT SPEECH
- Abstain from deception.
- Abstain from talk that brings harm to others (e.g., slander) or divisive talk that creates disharmony or animosity between individuals or groups.
- Abstain from untimely, impolite, malicious, or abusive language.
- Abstain from idle, useless, or foolish babble.
- Abstain from harsh speech - practice kind speech.
- Abstain from frivolous speech - practice meaningful speech.
- Abstain from slanderous speech - practice harmonious speech.
- Speak the truth if it is beneficial, non-hypocritical, and timely. A famous Zen one liner runs, "Be quiet unless you can improve on silence." Let your speech be filled with loving-kindness. Speak what alleviates suffering, craving, anger, and/or ignorance.
* RIGHT ACTION
- Peaceful, honorable conduct; abstain from dishonest dealings; take concrete steps necessary to foster what is beneficial.
- Do things that are virtuous, honest, alleviate suffering, and benefit oneself and others, avoiding what brings suffering to oneself or others.
* RIGHT LIVELIHOOD
- Abstain from making a living from any occupation that brings harm or suffering to others (human or animal) or that diminishes their well-being. This includes activities that directly or indirectly harm sentient beings (dealing in weapons, slaves, poisons, drugs, animals.
* Right Effort
- Foster what is beneficial and prevent what is harmful to oneself and others;
- Work on yourself-be engaged in appropriate self-improvement. The essence of right effort is that everything must be done with a sense of proper balance that fits the situation. Effort should be properly balanced between trying too hard and not trying hard enough. For example, strike the balance between excessive fasting and over-indulgence in food. Trying hard to progress too rapidly gets poor results, as does not trying hard enough.
* RIGHT MINDFULNESS (Wakefulness)
- Foster right attention (bare without adding or taking away from experience).
- Avoid whatever clouds awareness (e.g., drugs, distractedness, anger, etc.).
- Systematically and intentionally develop mindfulness (such as the 14 exercises explained in the discourse on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness).
* Right Concentration
- Develop the practice of meditation, mental focusing on the present. Meditation that leads to enlightenment is done while continuously wakeful, lucid, and clearly comprehending (building momentum and strength as distractions subside), working on these four categories of objects: body, sensations, mind, and mental-objects (these are very specific).
THE FIVE PRECEPTS
* Abstain from taking the lives of living beings (from killing) - practice compassion.
* Abstain from taking what is not given (from stealing) - practice giving.
* Abstain from sexual misconduct - practice contentment.
* Abstain from false speech (from lying) - practice truthfulness.
* Abstain from taking intoxicants - practice clarity.
THE BUDDHA'S ADVICE
"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. Do not believe anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is written in religious texts. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of teachers and elders. But if after observation and analysis you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and the benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it (Kalama Sutra"," AN 3.65).
WORDS ATTRIBUTED TO THE BUDDHA
("Succinctly expressing an enlightened view of the world")
- THE DHAMMAPADA
- I consider the positions of kings and rulers as that of dust motes.
- I see treasures of gold and gems as so many bricks and pebbles.
- I look upon the finest silken robes as tattered rags.
- I see the myriad worlds of the universe as small seeds of fruit...
- I regard the teachings of the world as the illusions of magicians.
- I perceive meditation as a mountain, nirvana [as its summit].
- I look upon praise and blame as the serpentine dance of a dragon, the rise and fall of belief as traces left by the seasons.
* THAILAND OFFERS TOURISTS FREE INSURANCE
(AP) BANGKOK - Thailand is continuing to offer insurance coverage worth $10,000 to anyone harmed in riots and demonstrations as it seeks to attract tourists scared off by political turmoil, officials say.
* UPROAR IN NEPAL MEDIA OVER ATTACKS ON FRATERNITY
KATHMANDU, Nepal - Media associations and organizations across Nepal have expressed outrage against frequent attacks on the fraternity including murders of two prominent media barons in the past month. Editors of 13 important Nepali and English newspapers condemned the attacks in a statement carried prominently in their publications on Wednesday under the heading "Violence can't deter the pen."
* 11th Panchen Lama debuts in China's political arena
BEIJING, China - The 11th Panchen Lama made his debut in China's political arena as a political advisor at the ongoing annual session of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in the capital. * CHINA SENDS RELIEF SUPPLIES TO CHILE
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