Buddha

Buddha

In trying to alleviate dukkha, or suffering, Sidhartha Gautama readily known as the Buddha, experimented many ways to achieve this feeling of enlightenment. He developed what is known as the middle path. Known in this way because it avoids two extremes, the search for happiness through pleasures and the other is by self-mortification. Suffering comes in many different forms, aging, birth, poverty, etc.

Causes for these can include the following: Craving, Desire, Thirst, Ignorance, Anger and Greed. To become liberated from dukkha, the feeling of enlightenment or "Nirvana" must be achieved. To do this the Fourth Noble truth must be considered. This step consists of many different categories, primarily eight. This is why it is called the Noble Eightfold Path. All of these categories can be seen as a single step toward enlightenment, but should in fact be grouped into three different categories: Ethical Conduct, Mental Discipline and Wisdom.

Ethical Conduct is built on the idea of universal love and compassion for all living things. Three of the eight fit into this category, though; I believe that only two seem helpful. Right Action and Right Speech are the two I see as the most desirable. In directing yourself from telling lies, slander and gossip one can help to alleviate pain in his own life and for others as well. I have found that there is always one person in a group of individuals that fits this perspective. It is also that one person that usually causes the most pain for the others in the group. A relationship with another person such as in marriage can also benefit from this type of practice. Right Livelihood, though, is not something that is easily followed. In practicing this step one must abstain from drinking, trading in arms or the design of weapons. I have found personally that this is a hard practice to follow. When trying to acquire a job through the Navy I tell them that I will not use my education to develop weapons of destruction. When one is...