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EP 72 - On Noble Truths & Paths
13 Plays15 days ago
A review of these core tenets of Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. How can we apply their wisdom to daily life, even if we don’t devote ourselves to deep study and meditation on them?
For more info & to download a free PDF of today's episode notes, visit: http://www.chriskreuter.com/CDWI
Join the Kreuter Studios mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/810367311f3d/ksb
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Transcript
Clearing Roadblocks
00:00:08
Speaker
On Chris deals with it, I talk about the frameworks and methods I use to clear personal, creative, and professional roadblocks. My goal is to help others bridge the gap between where they're at now and what they want to achieve. If you're new to the show, I'm an engineer, writer, parent, game designer, leader, and reader who leverages that experience to develop creative solutions to problems.
00:00:30
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an AI statement that all elements of this episode are products of the author, Chris Kreuter, and made without the use of any AI tools.
Buddhism's Teachings Applied
00:00:38
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Welcome to Episode 72 of Chris deals with it on Noble Truths and Paths. So today is going to be a review of the core tenets of Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. How can we apply their wisdom to daily life even if we don't devote ourselves to the deep study and meditation on them?
00:00:56
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So the four noble truths. One, our current existence is temporary and the nature of it is suffering. Two, this temporary world and its pain come with an attachment to this existence.
00:01:09
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3. This attachment can be severed or contained by confining or letting go of this craving. 4. The Noble Eightfold Path is the path to sever this attachment and are released from suffering. So let's talk about this Noble Eightfold Path.
Understanding the Eightfold Path
00:01:25
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This is a summary of the Buddhist practices that are leading to liberation or nirvana.
00:01:29
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One, right view. Two, right resolve. Three, right speech. Four, right conduct. Five, right livelihood. Six, right effort. Seven, right mindfulness. And eight, right meditative awareness.
00:01:45
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So let's go into a little more detail on each of these. Number one, right view. Remain mindful of the four noble truths, understanding that death is not an end. Our karma, or actions and beliefs, have consequences after death. In Buddhism, it's believed that there is a successful path out of this world with karma leading to rebirth. I also consider this to mean that there is a successful path through this world, that we can orient ourselves better towards the reality of our existence.
Karma and Moral Foundations
00:02:12
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Number two is right resolve. To have the right thoughts, aspirations, and motivations towards nonviolence, avoiding hateful conduct and elements of the worldly life that divert us from the Buddhist path. For me, this also means maintaining strong moral and ethical underpinnings that drive our desires and our conduct. I resolve to approach differences in situations nonviolently. Number three, right speech.
00:02:36
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Avoiding idle chatter, lying, or rude speech. Do not cause discord or harm in the relationships of others. This is a pretty straightforward reminder that our words have the power to affect others. We should use them responsibly, to help, to heal, and to inspire as much as possible. And when we do lack the words, avoid filling that void with our uncertainties.
00:02:57
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Four, right conduct.
Responsible Communication
00:02:59
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Don't kill, injure, or steal. Avoid sexual misconduct and material desires. All of these things lead to disharmony for ourselves and those impacted. In hurting others or being selfish in our desires, we cause great imbalances in our own lives. This path identifies that we should remain vigilant for our cravings and desires that arise, which can lead to improper conduct.
00:03:21
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Five, write livelihood. Don't make a living by trading in weapons, living beings, meat, liquor, or poisons. More broadly, I take this to mean avoiding doing business and trades that result in active harm to other beings. While the Buddhist definition is more detailed in Meat and Booze, for example, I feel a general point is applicable to all, is the work that we do in this world resulting in a net benefit for society.
Wholesome Living and Presence
00:03:45
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Number six, right effort, putting ourselves to the task of generating wholesome states, accomplishing this through the restraint of our senses, concentration of our energy, and the cultivation of enlightenment factors. These enlightenment factors are pretty interesting. um In Buddhism, these are referred to as the seven factors of awakening. These are mindfulness, maintaining awareness of truth and reality, or as they put it, the Dharma.
00:04:08
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investigation on the nature of reality, energy, which is determination or effort, joy and rapture, relaxation and tranquility of both body and mind, concentration, a calm, one-pointed state of mind, and equanimity, accepting reality as it is without craving or aversion. These factors of awakening lay out a pretty solid list of wholesome efforts that can help anyone orient their efforts towards creating a better world.
00:04:35
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7. Write Mindfulness Maintain qualities that guard and strengthen the mind. We can unwholesome states of mind that risk dominating our thoughts, words, and actions. Avoid being absent-minded, encouraging conscious awareness. Understand that our bodies, feelings, and our minds are impermanent and fallible. Being thoughtful and aware, keeping strong qualities in our mind, is great advice regardless of the religious aspects.
00:05:00
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Now Buddhism loves its lists and provides several for guidance on this topic. I'll put some links to these in the show notes, but I'm not gonna get into them here.
Mindfulness and Meditation
00:05:08
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ah Number eight on the Noble Eightfold Path is right meditative awareness. This is meditating with the goal of insight, equanimity, and mindfulness. Its concentration or one-pointedness of the mind. For those who don't meditate, this can feel like one to gloss over, but there is a lot of wisdom to be had in cultivating focus in our life, to be aware of the direction of our mind, and orienting our thoughts and feelings towards positivity and goals that support the other elements of our paths through life.
00:05:36
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All right, so list aside, what are some of the applications of these philosophies for daily life? One, it's a path, not a destination. Walking down a path is different than going all the way down it. One philosophy, discovering one philosophy can lead to a journey of exploring others, and you get to chart your own course towards a framework that's gonna work best for you.
00:05:57
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It's important to have a concept of our capacity, our potential for liberation or enlightenment. We all have the capacity for change and growth. By exploring paths, we're accepting the fact that who we are tomorrow can be different than who we are today. Who are we when we sit in a space between actions? Can we define ourselves as someone or something separate from our accomplishments, perceptions, relationships, and the material world around us?
00:06:22
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Is this where we form the basis for right thought and action for which we interact with all that? It's important to give ourselves regular opportunities to have that space to contemplate our lives away from distractions.
Applying the Four Noble Truths
00:06:34
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Number two, but the problem-solving framework. I find the framing of the four noble truths really interesting. I mean, they're a great example of how to address an issue. First, it presents an issue. Our existence is temporary and it involves suffering.
00:06:49
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Then it identifies the source of that issue, our attachment to existence. Next, it teaches us that there's a solution to that source, confining or letting go of that attachment. And finally, it provides us a method to achieve that solution.
00:07:03
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Now we face many issues, problems, and opportunities in our lives. Not all of them are existential moments, but this framework can still help. To address these more tractable issues in our lives, a great start is clearly identifying and presenting the issue in as straightforward a way as possible. Then by fully exploring the issue, we can uncover sources, root causes, and conditions that have caused that to exist, some of which may not have been obvious at the start.
00:07:30
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Only then, when the issue has been fully defined and its cause is known, does it make sense to develop a solution to the issue? And it's not enough to just identify that solution, you should come up with a tractable plan to achieve that outcome. Not every issue or problem necessarily needs a long, drawn-out analysis, but there's plenty of wisdom in such a problem-solving framework. There's another popular framework, which is the OODA Loop, which is Observe, Orient, Decide, Act, which has some similarities with the process followed by the Four Noble Truths.
00:08:01
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Number three, everything is changing all the time, including ourselves. The present moment is a pivot point between our past memories or actions and the path we're taking going forward. We can get too focused on narrow slices of who we are since we're multifaceted beings. Right now, I'm Chris the Podcaster, but I can also be the hockey player, the father, the employee, the boss, the husband, the game player, the writer, the thinker, the citizen, the brother, et cetera.
00:08:28
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Who is this criss integrated with or underneath all of these facets? Who balances these roles, their impact on the world, and the people or communities that interact with in within each of these facets? Applying the advice of the Noble Eightfold Path is an excellent way to bring all of your facets into better balance.
00:08:47
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Now, others may have control over things that impact ourselves externally, but only we have control over our internal world. Embrace how much is out of your control by maintaining awareness of our internal mindset, thoughts, and feelings. And be open to external experiences that can help us transcend awe, flow, inspiration, and gratitude.
Finding Balance and Wisdom
00:09:08
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Now I mentioned before that Buddhist love lists. One I like lists the five spiritual faculties that we all possess and have the capacity to develop throughout our lives. One, faith, conviction and belief. Two, energy, persistence and perseverance. Three, mindfulness and memory. Four, concentration and stillness. And five, wisdom, understanding and comprehension.
00:09:34
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Number four, there's no scoreboard. Nowhere in these noble truths and eightfold path is there anything to compare oneself against. Life isn't something that's won or lost where a score is kept. This doesn't mean we can't play the game well. We get to choose the manner in which we interact with this rat race or whatever you want to call it, or just the the nature of our lives.
00:09:53
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We get to choose the scoreboards that matter. Wealth, experiences, fame, impact, likes, quality of thoughts, arts created, awards, commitments upheld, people help, et cetera. You can't take your wealth and material positions with you when you die. These are tools. They're not deserving of all of our focus or obsession. They are attachments to the reality of our existence. Therefore, they lead to varying degrees of suffering. Recognizing this can help us set realistic goals and expectations from our stuff.
00:10:23
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Consider what others are going to reflect on when you leave this world. Were they loving? Caring? How did they impact our lives? What was the quality of their character?
Daily Improvement and Support
00:10:33
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Now, there's no shortage of suitable quotes to end an episode like this, so I wanted something simple and practical that reflected my approach of continuous improvement in life, and Ralph Waldo Emerson doesn't disappoint with this gem.
00:10:46
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Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. Begin it well and serenely, and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. And with that, have a great day.
00:11:11
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If you feel that Chris dealt with it, I'd appreciate your support of the show by sharing it with someone who might benefit. Ratings on your favorite podcast player are also helpful in growing the audience. Visit chriscroiter.com for free downloadable PDFs with notes and resources from today's episode, sign up for the CDWY mailing list, or to send in your problems or requests for future shows, that's C-H-R-I-S-K-R-E-U-T-E-R dot.com, or use the link in the show notes.