Yoga, tai chi, Christianity, Cognitive therapy, Analytical psychology
Enough of an understanding of what suffering is that you can appreciate why and how all of these other approaches are helpful.
Four Noble Truths – Wikipedia
The First Noble Truth: Life is full of suffering. suffering (dukkha)
Dukkha is sometimes translated – dis – ease – uncomfortableness.
The Second Noble Truth: There is a cause for suffering. The cause of suffering is desire and illusions that are based on ignorance. Pali: tanha
Cause has also been interpreted as attachment, clinging or the inability to accept impermanence
The Third Noble Truth: By stopping the cravings, the suffering is stopped.
Stan’s interpretation of the first 3 Noble truths
Suffering is NOT circumstances. Stopping desire and clinging will not stop us from bad things happening to us. We will have tragedies befall us, we will make mistakes, we will fail, will see loved ones die, will get sick, be rejected and insulted and humiliated
The suffering we can change is the mental agony we do to ourselves. The labeling and Judging, blaming, emotions (hatred, anger, guilt and shame) – The never ending woe as me story that goes on in our minds.
A senior monk and junior monk are on a journey. Senior monk carries a woman across the river. The junior monk spends all day thinking questioning senior monk’s behavior. When confronted senior monk says, I left the woman down on the other side of the river, you have been carrying her all day.
We carry our negative thoughts with us all of the time.
Traditional Buddhism – the underlying cause is we see ourselves as separate – and we become ego centric creatures.
Stan’s view – Who are we? Are we the:
Ideal person we want to be – our persona
The worst or the best actions? Our failures or our successes?
What other people think we are?
What we think we are?
Negative circumstances shatter our self-image. When the self-image is shattered we resist – blame – hatred anger guilt shame woe is me.
Our self-image is always built upon UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.
The Fourth Noble Truth: There is a way to end suffering. To end suffering we must end our cravings. The way to ending cravings is the Eightfold Path
Insight – Wisdom – understanding our cravings
Right view – very broad
Right intention
(Stan’s summary – Our expectations of life are unrealistic due to socialization. We need to accept reality as it is and make the most of what we have. Socialization can lead to egotism which makes life a battle against others. )
Compassion – Loving Kindness – Ethical conduct
Right speech
Right action
Right livelihood
(Stan’s summary – Our happiness depends upon our relationship with others. If we can treat them with respect with our words and actions our life will be much better. Others have a persona and they want to be valued and appreciated. To the extent we honor them they will respect us)
Mental Discipline – Concentration
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right concentration
Stan’s summary –
You cannot change your socialization if you are not mindful (conscious) of what you are doing.
Prolonged periods of meditation alter body chemistry, hard rate and blood pressure and enables
