Buddhist
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Dhammapada Verses 54 & 55: Against The Wind by Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu
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The Meaning of Life – Peace of Mind – Ajahn Brahm
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Present moment – retreat talk Ajahn Brahm
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What is the meaning of the lotus flower in Buddhism?
The lotus is one of the most well-known symbols of Buddhism. The
lotus flower is one of the “Eight Auspicious Symbols” in the religion,
and is one of the most important images in the faith. The roots of a
lotus flower extend into the mud and the stem grows up through the water
and the flower blossoms above the surface.
In Buddhist thought, this pattern of growth signifies the progress
of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of
experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment. Though there
are other water plants that bloom above the water, it is only the lotus
which, owing to the strength of its stem, regularly rises eight to
twelve inches above the surface.
According to the Buddhist scholar Lalitavistara,
“The spirit of the best of men is spotless, like the lotus in the muddy water which does not adhere to it.”
According to another scholar,
“In
esoteric Buddhism, the heart of the beings is like an unopened lotus:
when the virtues of the Buddha develop therein, the lotus blossoms; that
is why the Buddha sits on a lotus bloom.”
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How To Be Positive | by Ajahn Brahm
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Buddhism
Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Buddha. The general creed of Buddhism is based on the “four noble truths” and the “eightfold path.”
The truths are:
- Life’s a bitch.
- The reason life’s a bitch is that people are attached to material things.
- Life doesn’t always have to be a bitch. You can achieve nirvana.
- The way to achieve nirvana is by following the eightfold path.
Naturally, when you hear about these truths, you’re going to be curious about the eightfold path, which consists of:
- Right views, i.e., smarten up.
- Right intentions. Once you’re smart, try to do the right thing.
- Right speech. Say the right thing.
- Right action. Knowing and saying the right thing isn’t good enough, you have to actually do the right thing.
- Right livelihood. Make your living in an honorable way, i.e., don’t work for Halliburton.
- Right effort. All of the above doesn’t just happen on its own. You have to work at it.
- Right mindfulness. Once you’ve beaten your physical self into
submission, you have to start working on your mental state, seeking the
ability to think clearly and see things as they really are. - Right concentration. Focus, focus, focus! The path is only
complete when you have refined your mind into a state of total focus on
reality, which is generally thought to be accomplished by the process of
meditation.
Following the eightfold path is key to Buddhism’s system of spiritual
advancement, in which doing the right thing (as outlined above) earns
you karma, metaphysical bonus points which can be exchanged for only one
fabulous prize, Nirvana. In order to make the trade, however, you have
to accumulate an unspecified number of karma points, a process which
usually takes several lifetimes. (Your karma points roll over when
you’re reincarnated.) Alternatively, you can lose karma points by
engaging in wrong views, wrong intentions, wrong speech, wrong actions,
and so on.
The Buddhist concept of karma comes from Hinduism, and some Buddhists
revere Hindu deities. Buddhists also believe in yin and yang, which is
drawn from Taoism.