Sundays With Buddha

To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.

                                                                                                  --Buddha

Week 43

Though the Buddha lived and taught around 500 years before Christ, there are many similarities between the Buddha's teachings and the Bible. The idea of "idle hands" from Christianity is very similar to the lesson taught here. This is not a religious discussion, however; I am merely pointing out another similarity between the two in hopes that more understanding is felt and that there is no "right and wrong" way to becoming a more divine and loving being. 

My words are never meant to anger anyone; on the contrary it is to hopefully unite us all by teaching compassion and respect for each other and our beliefs. If we are all longing to meet at the same destination, what does it matter which path we take as long as we all take the high road? 

That being said, the lesson here is clear to me, just as the lessons in the Bible also imply in Proverbs 10:4 "Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring riches", 1 Timothy 5:13 "Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not" and 1 Thessalonians 5:14 "And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all". 

This sounds like a calling for us to be diligent in helping others to succeed while it is also a warning that idle hands and idle minds are more apt to create trouble. Foolish idle people who don't care to busy themselves with matters of doing good such as helping others, creating joy around them for the sake of themselves and others, praying or meditating, taking care of their bodies, minds and finances, and tending to their own personal business, like the diligent person does, often give themselves over to mischief, gossip, laziness, and other non productive idle thoughts and actions. 

What I believe this lesson to be teaching for our modern world is that it's just as important in this time to mind our own business while still maintaining the charitable heart towards others and to pay attention to how we live our lives and each day try to do good for ourselves as well as all beings, so that we do not fall victim of our idle minds.

As I have written about before, it is definitely hard to break habits that we have perfected for most of our lives. Our ways are ingrained in us and it will take hard work, diligent work, to change. But becoming better, at least trying to put forth the effort to be better, for the sake of bettering the world, even if just your circle of it...is that not worth the effort? 

I hope you believe it is. Because that means someone else believes it is. And your effort will shine through and encourage the next, and their's will, and so on. 

Diligence.  

Thanks for reading today.

Namaste

Nanette

Sundays With Buddha

                         








He who for the sake of happiness hurts others who also want happiness,  shall not hereafter find happiness.  
                                                                                                 --Buddha

Week 42

I think someone who would sacrifice another being's happiness for their own could never truly find happiness. It may seem like the 'happiness' they feel is true, but the moral ramifications will eventually hinder it. What could it possibly mean to "hurt others for the sake of happiness"?

Have you ever seen someone willingly sabotage someone else to get what they want? In the workplace, for instance, when someone takes credit for work that he or she did not do just to promote themselves, while leaving their co-worker behind is one common example. They did so to create a level of happiness for themselves, at the sake of another's 'happiness'. This could be as little a thing as taking a parking space that you could have given to someone else that had been waiting before you. Ring a bell?

It may may seem that some people, no matter what, have it all together. You know the ones: people that seem to always get everything they want no matter how they act. You've probably even said to yourself at least once or twice "why do good things always happen to not so good people?"

You wonder this with a bit of disdain, probably because you know you are a relatively good person, yet "bad" things seem to always come your way. What you have to remember is:

1. You are not with these people all of the time. You are only seeing a glimpse into their lives; often only what they want us to see. We don't really know what is happening within their lives if we aren't there to experience it all.

2. Often, with arrogance, comes confidence. Yes, it can certainly be opposite that, too, as we often observe those with the least confidence deep down having the most arrogance up front, but when someone believes they deserve the best things and are missing that fear of never getting what they want, their vibration is tuned to receiving.
Just keep in mind...you will eventually receive what you ask for, good or bad.

3. The happiness one may gain from the many methods they use to get it will, undoubtedly, never be fully enjoyed, no matter how callous and selfish they seem. The Universe seems to work on a system of checks and balances, and "stealing from the rich to give to the poor", or, in this case, crushing someone else's happiness for their own gain, will disrupt that balance.

If you take away someone's happiness just to make yourself happy-are you ever truly happy? Hopefully the balance will happen by the taker realizing the immorality of such an act and changing how they conduct themselves. We have choices on how to balance out our lives. It's nice to be able to do it ourselves, but, either way, the balance will happen; the lessons will come.

Is it not just easier to allow others their own happiness? Maybe even try to go a little bit out of our way to bestow upon another a bit of happiness and in turn, gift yourself. I'd much rather be rewarded in that way.

It certainly feels better to me than trying to gain through a selfish act.


Thank you so much for taking the time to read today.

Namaste

Nanette

Sundays With Buddha

Just as a solid rock is not shaken by the storm, even so the wise are not affected by praise or blame.
                                                                                                                  --Buddha

Week 41

"The Wise", or a variation of it, is used in many of these teachings. It sounds quite mystical and majestic but I really do believe it refers to anyone who has come to terms with who they are and the reality and nature of life. This can be anyone who understands the importance of following any noble path and practices a life of noble actions. What exactly are 'noble actions'? What is it to be noble? Does it require going way above and beyond our meager human ability?

Well, first of all, there is nothing meager about our abilities.  We all just very often do not realize how amazing we are. We doubt more than we believe. We shirk more than we accept. But, the answer is 'no'. We don't need to go above and beyond our abilities. Start with what is considered noble to you. Maybe it means a life of kindness and generosity or always trying to be truthful and compassionate. You don't have to join a monastery to become a noble person.

So, how does one become the 'wise' of which the Buddha speaks? According to what I have learned over time, and this is just my experience and oppinion mind you, when you get to a point in your studies, your faith or your life, when the ego, or the "I" that you identify with based on your belief of who you are as told to you by you and your 'story', has dropped away so much that you are not affected so deeply by either loss or gain, praise or blame, you have started to rise above the external things that we often associate with who we are.

When you are no longer crushed by or feel a terrible loss as a person for 'screwing up' or making mistakes and you are no longer basing your worth on feeling exalted, self-important or prideful over praise or honor, and are also not shaken when you experience loss or gain alike, you have dropped the ego and have stopped identifying with your losses or accomplishments.

The 'wise' are those who realize that all things come and go and that to identify who you ultimately are with these things is futile. They do not feel overwhelming loss when they have loss, nor do they feel overwhelming pride at any one gain. They realize that losses and gains are cyclic, moving in and out of the open doors and windows of their lives, and should not be counted on for their happiness. They are content, day by day, with their life; centered and present, like a solid rock that can withstand any storm.

This may seem like a dramatic feat; unattainable,  even. I don't write these posts to express how you should be, or even how I am everyday of my life. I use what I have learned from various teachings, and now from these wisdoms from the Buddha, to try to make sense of my life and to learn what I can do to get the best experiences from it. We all live with and through so much pain; pain that is not always necessary.  I'm just taking in these lessons to learn how to live joyfully, and share joy. Life is a learning process and a hands-on experience. One of those lessons is that we are supposed to live with joy and spread joy. If continuing to work towards attaining your goals and dreams makes you happy, then pursue your dreams. Just learn to stay unattached so that it is not undone by sorrow.

Be the rock of your own life. If you can weather the storm that life dishes out, you'll be around for a while.  More importantly,  you'll enjoy it.

Thank you so much for being here today. I truly appreciate you spending time here.

Namaste

Nanette