Do the Right Thing

The Four Noble Truths

1. Suffering Exists. Feelings of unhappiness and dissatisfaction are a natural part of the human condition.
2. There is a cause of Suffering: 1) The Buddha says that the cause of suffering is Desire (unhealthy thoughts and feelings about things we cannot or should not have or do). Clearly the Buddha is focused here on the suffering we heap upon ourselves, and a typical modern example would be our obsessive accumulation of unnecessary goods and services that do not automatically result in happiness and fulfillment. 2) As noted elsewhere by the Buddha and many others, we also need to consider the suffering that we can and often do inflict on others as a result of our intentional or thoughtless hatred, fear, or disregard of others.
3. There is a Cure: 1) Ceasing to Desire will end self-imposed Suffering. We can simply choose to accept that the subject of our craving is not going to happen, that we do not need to have and do everything within our reach, and that spending time thinking about the subject of our desire only leads to more suffering. 2) We need to understand that "What goes around, comes around." When we cause others to suffer, we encourage them to fight back and that puts us at risk of more suffering. Furthermore, hurting others harms our Noble Nature. We simply cannot be a good person while being bad to others.
4. The Noble Path leads to the Cessation of Suffering, to True Enlightenment, and to Real Fulfillment in life.

The Noble Path

1. Right View: Realize and accept reality as it is. Beware of beliefs that can result in needless harm to any sentient being (ourselves and others). Choose to only have faith in those ideas that are well supported by an abundance of objective and independent evidences. It is human nature to want to be right and as a result we tend to quickly see evidence that supports our beliefs and to ignore evidence that calls our beliefs into question. A wise person understands to err is human. Consider all the facts, both contrary and supportive evidence; and when presented with new information, a wise person uses that to correct, refine and enhance their understanding of reality.
2. Right Intention: Commit to renounce desire and to only have goodwill toward self and others. Be aware that our Words and Deeds have consequences.
3. Right Speech: Do not lie or bear false witness. Do not use harsh or idle (careless or insincere) words.
4. Right Action: Do not harm any conscious being (all people and animals). Do whatever is best for all concerned now and in the future.
5. Right Livelihood: Only engage in honorable and mutually beneficial enterprises.
6. Right Effort: Devote mental and physical energy towards wholesome goals and activities. Be supportive, compassionate, and forgiving. Seek wisdom, peace, and prosperity for all.
7. Right Mindfulness: Be calm. Live in the moment. Don't worry about the past or future. (Simply accept and learn from the past. It's good to plan, but not to obsess over the possibilities. A little preparation for likely alternatives is good enough.) Take a moment to appreciate life's little pleasures that are available in the moment.
8. Right Concentration: Be positive and methodically determined to achieve your goals. Use patience and persistence, with an attention to detail. It's okay to rest, but never give up. Practice meditation, and when thoughts turn to counter-productive feeling, focus on the calming breath and/or contemplate on this wisdom and have faith that things are likely to be okay when we do the Right thing.

True Enlightenment and Real Fulfillment

Enlightenment and Fulfillment comes from Objectively Seeing Reality, being willing to Accept the Things We Cannot Change and having the Wisdom and Willpower to Change the Things that We Can and Should for the Betterment of All, and by choosing to Make the Best of the Life we get to live. True enlightenment and fulfillment naturally comes when we choose to walk The Noble Path.

Stan Benson