Noble Eightfold Path

In the religion of Buddhism, there are stories that range from life lessons to the way the Buddha achieved the “Middle Way.” Although the stories differ in the lessons and plot, they all share the same gendered protagonist who obtains enlightenment- a male. The males play the key role in the stories as they are the ones who search for enlightenment, leave their old ways and life behind, and achieve liberation from saṃsāra ( ).Women who practice Buddhism are not perceived as the great Buddha or…

On Sunday, October 9, I visited Dawn Mountain, a Buddhist temple. I chose to go to Dawn Mountain because I have always been interested in Buddhism while studying World History. While I was driving to Dawn Mountain, I was expecting a traditional Buddhist temple that portrays ancient Chinese and Indian architecture styles. In my mind, I thought Dawn Mountain would have monks wearing orange and red robes. I did not expect to have a different perspective on Buddhism after my visit, I thought it…

When one clears the mind, one can achieve that perfect shot, dance freely, and achieve national titles. When one aspires to reach nirvana through meditation we must take into consideration of the Buddha’s method of doing so taught through the Eightfold Path. Mainly focusing on right effort and concentration. First, right effort, in the Dhammaphada, translated by Eknath Easwaran, right effort as taught by the Buddha is, “Right effort is the constant endeavor to train oneself in thought, word,…

The Buddha is a symbol that most of the western world is familiar with in some way or another. The overweight man smiling and sitting crisscross waiting to grant you luck when you rub his belly. Though this is not Buddhism, not its entirety, this is a small form of Buddhism syncretism at work. Some Buddhist practiced the worship of Bodhisattva Budai in hopes of relaxation and correct learnedness of worldly pleasures. So the laughing Buddha is a small example of how Buddhism’s great influence has…

The Ubermensch should be the evolutionary goal of humanity. Nietzsche explains the path to become the Ubermensch one has to undergo three metamorphoses of the spirit. The first stage is the assimilation of the past and the assimilation of knowledge given by the society and tradition. This stage is predominantly about memory and dependence…

Throughout the years, there have been many religions which have dominated different parts of the world. Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism are the names of just a few. Buddhism was a religion that initially began in India some 2,500 years ago, and it remains to be one of the most dominant religions in the world. Buddhism was initially founded by Siddhartha Gautama, or the Buddha, who lived around 500 BCE. “The word Buddha literally means ‘the enlightened and awakened one’” (Hansen and…

all suffering. The Buddha, also referred to as the Enlightened One, took no interest in worshiping a God, the nature of the world, or an afterlife, but instead focused on the four noble truths and creating a life that leads to the Eightfold Path. The ultimate goal in Buddhism…

Buddhism is recognized as the nation religion of Thailand, with over 90% of the population identifying themselves as a Buddhist. Although the government never officially declared Buddhism to be the national religion, the king is required to be Buddhist. Buddhism in Thailand is modeled after the Theravada school of Buddhism and incorporates ideals from Mahayana Buddhism, Hinduism, and the old folk religion of the people. Buddhism originated in India and since then has spread all over the world,…

Buddha and his teachings. Some of Buddha’s teaching was split into three sections. The three sections are the Four Noble Truths, Noble Eightfold Path, and Three Signs of Being. What are the Four Noble Truths? The Four Noble Truths says that suffering exists, there is a cause for suffering, There is an end to suffering, and in order to end suffering, you must follow the Noble Eightfold Path. The first truth is that life is suffering.Suffering is created from desire is the second truth. The…

enlightened one, or Buddha.” In this religion, they believe that people can overcome the misery of the world and reach their own “Buddha status by a process of mental and moral purification. They believe through the Eightfold path they will be able to truly reach enlightenment. The eightfold path is divided…