The Four Noble Truths

[nenkohai]

Ya know, I try to say it without being obvious. I try to bring my experience to this table at DU. But the core of my recovery and management path comes by way of Buddha's teaching called "The Four Noble Truths."

I really do believe that no one here could read the short paragraph of the 4NTs and not identify with it.

And after reading it, I'm sure the question will arise "its all well and good, but HOW?"

With work and practice. And help.

I encourage you to a bit of research: "The Four Noble Truths."

And, while, yes, Buddhism IS a religion (2500 years old), the teaching need not be ABOUT religion. Its certainly not about the guy (Buddha). Its all about the message.

[Frame]

The kernel I take away from the 4NT's is that pain is mandatory but suffering is optional. In a community full of self righteous people that message is easily forgotten by me. In a world speeding out of control it's hard for me not to constantly be in reaction mode.

[nenkohai]

What community is that, Frame?

[Frame]

I've lived most of my life in semi-rural areas; places where the sounds of farm tractors are as common as cars. But the last twenty some-odd years I've been in a mid-sized city and in the last six I've worked in the center of the city. The community I speak of is one of densely packed people. The less space people live in the more they naturally come to rely on social mores, conformist pantomimes, and urban rituals; I'm not saying this is bad, I think it's necessary.

The longer people live under these conditions, the more (in my opinion) they come to see them as universal and simply the way everyone should live (of course now, I'm speaking of a fairly closed minded person. My apologies for stereo types.) And the more successful these people become at this culture game (generally linked to affluence) the more righteous they become about their views (again here I'm stereo typing, now a rich closed minded person; not all rich people; not all people.)

So here now we have a portrait of a community of people who make there own rules, convince themselves they are right, and like to punish the rest of the world for breaking those rules. That's the self righteous community I'm referencing. It's not everyone, in every community, buts tends to make up the most prominent groups.

It is also a group (at very least a conceptual figment) that seems satisfied enough with their lives that they don't see the signs of world problems emerging and will themselves not to care about other peoples suffering. I feel like I'm in the middle of this community (but not part of it) trying not to get stepped on. It gets increasingly difficult to take a breath and think before reacting. And it's in the thoughtless reacting that suffering is created.