The Basic Concepts of Buddhism

Think like this for a second. It is true that we feel happy because of the affectionate and soothing things that exist in this world. Though, can you keep those things with you forever? You cannot at least keep the happiness for as long as you wish in your own lifetime. If you are blinded by these temporary things and attached in desire, then you will become sad and unhappy when you lose those. Thus, that happiness will not last forever. A long time ago, there was a king called Mundarµaja. He married a queen who had a beautiful figure that [...]

We learnt what the Buddha taught us about the suffering in question number two discussed earlier. We are victims of sickness, aging, death, departure from the loved ones, union with the dislike ones and objects, and not getting or loosing what we wished for. These things make us feel pain, sorrow, and suffering. Even with tremendous amount of money, having high ranks, or becoming famous, we cannot overcome these circumstances. Everyone who is born become victims of this suffering. Therefore, we need to identify the cause for such suffering, and then only we can conquer it. Let us consider an oil [...]

Think insightfully about the points mentioned above in question number two and try to correlate these facts to your life. Isn’t your life filled with those things that bring suffering? In other words, the Supreme Buddha taught us the real facts about the suffering that each and every one face. This is why it is not an ominous approach to think about the suffering to understand it. In Buddhism, one thinks about the suffering in a way to help comprehend it, but not as to make it worse. Thus, you will be able to recognize that thinking about suffering to realize [...]

Have you thought of an answer to the question ‘what is suffering’ before? It was the Gautama Buddha who found a complete answer to this question. In the Buddha’s first sermon, which is called ‘Dhamma Chakkha Pavattana Sutta,’ he gave a brief description to the suffering as follows. “Birth is a suffering, aging is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, leaving loved ones is suffering, unification with dislikes is suffering, and missing what is wished for is suffering. In summary, all five attachments or clinging (Pancha Upadanaskanda), objects (rupa), feelings (vedana), recognitions (sangna), deeds/or aims (sanskara), and explicit recognitions (viññana) [...]

What the Buddha taught us was the Four Noble Truths. All of the Buddha’s teachings including every skill correspond to good deeds and insightful information consisted of these four noble truths. It is like the foot print of the largest elephant in the forest. Foot prints all other animals can be fitted into that elephant’s foot print.