Trial And Error Persistence Successful Marketing
He goes through the Pali Canon and separates what was new to the Buddha and what was also held in Indian philosophy before the Buddha. He can then pinpoint what's unique to Buddhism. So he doubts rebirth and different realms of existence. He pinpoints as distinctively Buddhist: dependent origination; the practice of mindful awareness, being focused on the totality of what is happening in our moment to moment experience; the Four Noble Truths & the Eight Fold Path; the principle of self-reliance, not to be dependent on some authority figure.
The Noble Truth of Suffering: Refers to a short-lived happiness that we experience through life, which is plagued with inevitable factors, such as sickness and old age. Death cannot be avoided and we all eventually experience sorrow, pain and grief.
This information is nothing new. The Buddha knew this more than 2,500 years ago when, after much diligence, he successfully found lasting happiness by extinguishing the root of all suffering within himself. The Buddha then dedicated the rest of his life to teaching and spreading a non-dogmatic, systematic method to inner liberation, which he called Vipassana Meditation (Vipassana means "Insight" in Pali, the canonical language of Southeast Asia's theravada Buddhism). During the time since, this method has since proliferated drastically; today its presence spans around the world.
BN: Yes, but that awareness that is aware of objects shares the same qualities of its objects. It too is impermanent and without a self, subject to suffering. Some may consider that awareness, that luminescent presence, to be unconditional, but that is not the teaching of the Buddha, and that's not my experience.
Even if one does not turn to meditation for self-realization, the practice holds innumerable benefits. Meditation can reduce stress and therefore fortify the immune system. It also improves mental concentration and memory. In addition, one may notice an increased capacity to stay calm, peaceful, relaxed for oneself and others, even under trying circumstances. With practice, one attains a balance of mind to face the ups and downs of life with ever-increasing skillfullness. We all want to be happy and to reduce suffering. Over time, one discovers that meditation makes this possible.
He goes through the Pali Canon and separates what was new to the Buddha and what was also held in Indian philosophy before the Buddha. He can then pinpoint what's unique to Buddhism. So he doubts rebirth and different realms of existence. He pinpoints as distinctively Buddhist: dependent origination; the practice of mindful awareness, being focused on the totality of what is happening in our moment to moment experience; the Four Noble Truths & the Eight Fold Path; the principle of self-reliance, not to be dependent on some authority figure.
I decided that if I want to go deeper into Buddhism, I need to be ordained a monk; I wanted to dedicate my life to it. So I ordained in 1991 and spent five years with my preceptor. We started coming to Mexico and started this monastery in 1999.
Notice how your arms swing as you walk along. Feel how you hold your head and neck, is it rigid and tense or fluid and moving? Switch your attention to different body parts as you are walking and you may be surprised at what you find. Do you feel the air brushing onto your skin, the warmth of the sun? Can you feel your heartbeat, or notice blinking?
