Lesson One:
This week, the daily snippets will be about the Buddha - some of his teachings, some of the things I find interesting about his life and practice, and how we might use his teaching in our practice, whether or not we identify as Buddhists. Many of the Buddhist teachings are so delightfully packaged into brief bullet points or numbered lists.
Today, the Four Sights and the Four Noble Truths:
The Buddha was very sheltered as a child, as his father wanted to ensure that he would become a great and powerful king and not an enlightened one. The sages had predicted that the child would grow up to be one or the other. The Buddha grew up enjoying every luxury and distraction that his parent's wealth could buy. When he finally was able to escape this cloistering, he saw four things that he had been protected from: an old man (revealing the suffering of age), a sick person (revealing the suffering of sickness), a dead body (revealing both suffering an the impermanence of all things), and an ascetic (revealing that there were those who were searching for ways to end suffering). These sights led the Buddha to his search for a path to end suffering, and his realization of
The Four Noble Truths:
1. Life brings about suffering. (To quote The Princess Bride, "Life is Pain.")
2. The origin of suffering is attachment or desire.
3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.
4. The way of cessation is by following the Eightfold Path.
This week, the daily snippets will be about the Buddha - some of his teachings, some of the things I find interesting about his life and practice, and how we might use his teaching in our practice, whether or not we identify as Buddhists. Many of the Buddhist teachings are so delightfully packaged into brief bullet points or numbered lists.
Today, the Four Sights and the Four Noble Truths:
The Buddha was very sheltered as a child, as his father wanted to ensure that he would become a great and powerful king and not an enlightened one. The sages had predicted that the child would grow up to be one or the other. The Buddha grew up enjoying every luxury and distraction that his parent's wealth could buy. When he finally was able to escape this cloistering, he saw four things that he had been protected from: an old man (revealing the suffering of age), a sick person (revealing the suffering of sickness), a dead body (revealing both suffering an the impermanence of all things), and an ascetic (revealing that there were those who were searching for ways to end suffering). These sights led the Buddha to his search for a path to end suffering, and his realization of
The Four Noble Truths:
1. Life brings about suffering. (To quote The Princess Bride, "Life is Pain.")
2. The origin of suffering is attachment or desire.
3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.
4. The way of cessation is by following the Eightfold Path.
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