Buddha's Truths:

The Four Noble Truths:

1. Life means suffering.

2. The origin of suffering is attachment.

3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.

4. The path to the cessation of suffering.

The foundation beliefs of Buddhism are the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. These were taught by the Buddha (a word which means The Enlightened One) about 2500 years ago. They are essentially the same through every sect and tradition of Buddhism. They are:

1. All life knows suffering. Nobody gets what they want out of life.
2. The cause of suffering is ignorance and clinging. Wanting it is the problem.
3. There is a way to end suffering. By learning not to want it.
4. This is the way to end suffering: The Eightfold Path.
   1. Right Understanding Learning the nature of reality and the truth about life.
   2. Right Aspiration Making the commitment to living in such a way that our suffering can end.
   3. Right Effort Just Do It. No Excuses.
   4. Right Speech Speaking the truth in a helpful and compassionate way.
   5. Right Conduct Living a life consistent with our values.
   6. Right Livelihood Earning a living in a way that doesn’t hurt others.
   7. Right Mindfulness Recognizing the value of the moment; living where we are.
   8. Right Concentration Expanding our consciousness through meditation.

Beyond this, Buddhism is a mixture of monastic tradition and folklore. Some of it is helpful to me; much of it I reject as silly. I don’t believe in reincarnation or in deities. I do believe Buddha had the human condition figured out.

Don’t be in a hurry to embrace Buddhism. It will be here waiting for you when you’re ready. It took me 20 years of living to come to understand that the truth doesn’t have to be sold. It’s all around us, accessible as soon as we’re open to it. Yana Davis, a friend in our group, calls Buddhism “profound common sense.” That’s all it is.

"The well-taught noble disciple...discerns what ideas are fit for attention, and what ideas are unfit for attention. This being so, he does not attend to ideas unfit for attention, and attends (instead) to ideas fit for attention.... He attends appropriately, This is stress...This is the origin of stress...This is the stopping of stress...This is the way leading to the stopping of stress. As he attends appropriately in this way, three fetters are abandoned in him: identity-view, doubt, and grasping at precepts & practices."