THE TAO OF ME:
Eastern Religion
in the
Western World
BUDDHISM
I read three books:Buddha, a Short Introduction by Michael Carrithers and; Buddhist Ethics, and Buddhism, a Very Short Introduction by Damien Keown. These books explained Buddhism’s fundamentals and beliefs. Buddhism shares many fundamental beliefs with Taoism and Confucianism. However, at its core, Buddhism’s main belief is that we must detach ourselves from interaction with suffering so we can avoid it. Buddhism is the middle way, the idea when you don't have happiness you can't lose it; when you can’t lose it, you can’t miss it.
Buddhism prescribes four noble truths and the eightfold path, all of which I will explain as simply as possible.
One, The truth of suffering(dukkha), which simply put, means life sucks.
Two, the truth of the cause of suffering(samudaya), means we suffer because we get attached to the ideas of ego and think that makes us special.
Three, the truth of the end of suffering (Nirodha sacca), means there is a way to not be affected by the suffering.
Four, The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga), means that if we open our eyes and follow the eightfold path, we can be freed from letting the suffering affect us.
When I heard the four noble truths for the first time, it sounded like an infomercial trying to sell me something very expensive. It basically states that the state of the world with perpetually make us suffer and the only way to avoid the suffering is to follow Buddha’s eightfold path.
The eightfold path is as follows: One, Right Understanding (Samma ditthi), we must understand that the Four Noble Truths are noble and true. Two, Right Thought (Samma sankappa), we must be determined and resolved in order to practice the Buddhist faith. Three, Right Speech (Samma vaca), we must avoid slander, gossip, lying, and all forms of untrue and abusive speech. Four, Right Action (Samma kammanta), we must adhere to the idea of nonviolence, as well as refrain from any form of stealing or sexual deviancy. Five, Right Livelihood (Samma ajiva), we must live honestly and avoid doing work that would harm another human being in any way. Six, Right Effort (Samma vayama), we must have the right mental attitude and avoid negative thoughts and emotions, such as anger and jealousy. Seven, Right Mindfulness (Samma sati), we must have a clear sense of not only our own, but everyone’s mental state and bodily health and feelings. Eight, Right Concentration (Samma samadhi), by detaching ourselves through meditation we will achieve the highest level of enlightenment, nirvana.
I respect Buddhism. Complex philosophies aren't created over night. They are immensely sophisticated and ancient religions. My main issue with Buddhism is the rigidness and pessimism it prescribes to living. Although it's an oversimplification to say that Buddhism is a large group of robed monks feeling bad about life.
Buddhism and Taoism are different in many ways.
Buddhism is the closest to a formal religion among the Eastern religions. Classical Buddhism has many doctrines and paths which must be rigidly followed, with the ultimate goal being to achieve Nirvana. However, with the introduction Buddhism to the West, more relaxed approaches were created.
Zen Buddhism is the Buddhist tradition which shares the most with Taoism. Taoism and Zen each had a marked influence on the development of the other; textual evidence suggests that Buddha was initially viewed in China as being a foreigner which had achieved some sort of Taoist immortality. Zen places less emphasis on doctrine and more on meditation and individual direct insight, which is usually achieved through breath control and mindfulness, which is closely related to Taoist meditation and breathing exercises.