The Four Noble Truths are the essence of Buddhism which teaches how to deal with suffering in human life. This truth states that life is full of suffering, suffering has a cause and an end, and every human being can attain nirvana by ending suffering. The Noble Eightfold Path describes the way to go to experience nirvana in everyday life. The Four Truths Begin to reveal things that are the source of suffering and the Noble Eightfold Path is the recipe for overcoming suffering. Understanding the truth and applying the methods described in this article makes life peaceful and happy.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Applying the Noble Eightfold Path
Step 1. Do meditation regularly
Meditation is a way of changing your mindset and helping you reach nirvana. Meditation should be practiced as part of the daily routine. Although meditation can be learned on your own, it's a good idea to practice meditation with a teacher because he or she can guide and teach you the correct technique. You can meditate alone, but it is more beneficial to meditate with other people under the guidance of a teacher.
You can't live life the right way without meditating. Meditation helps you better understand yourself and others
Step 2. Have the right view
Buddhism (eg the Four Noble Truths) are views that shape your perspective on life. You cannot apply the next step if you reject this teaching. Right view and right understanding are the foundation for living a right life. Form a correct understanding of life, not the way you want it to be. Try to understand reality as a whole by thinking objectively. For that, you have to do research, study and study.
- The Four Noble Truths are the basis of right understanding. In order to reach nirvana, you have to believe that the truth explains things as they really are.
- Realize that nothing in this world is perfect or permanent. Get in the habit of critical thinking when dealing with problems, instead of involving personal feelings, desires, and interests.
Step 3. Have the right intentions
Make a commitment to yourself to behave in harmony with your beliefs. Uphold equality. Remember that everyone deserves to be loved and loved. This applies to yourself and others. Reject selfish, evil, and hateful thoughts. Love and nonviolence must be the principle of life.
Respect all living things (plants, animals and humans) regardless of their status. For example, show equal respect for the rich and the poor. Respect everyone by upholding equality despite different backgrounds, age groups, races, ethnicities, economic strata
Step 4. Say the correct words
The third step is speaking the truth. Instead of lying, slandering, gossiping, or swearing, you have to say something nice and true. Make sure your words make the other person feel appreciated and motivated. Knowing when to shut up and delay speaking is also very helpful.
You have to speak the truth every day
Step 5. Take the right action
Actions show what's in the heart and mind. Treat yourself and others well. Don't kill or steal. Live a peaceful life and help others to live a peaceful life. Be honest with others. For example, don't cheat or lie to get or get what you want.
Demonstrate positive behaviors and attitudes that can improve the lives of others and society
Step 6. Choose the right livelihood
Choose a profession according to your beliefs. Do not do work that harms others, kills animals, or cheats. Being a gun dealer, drug dealer, and butcher is not a good job. Whatever profession you choose, make sure you demonstrate integrity.
For example, if you work as a salesperson, don't cheat or trick customers into buying the products you offer
Step 7. Make the right effort
You will achieve success if you put a lot of effort into doing something. Get rid of negative thoughts and get into the habit of positive thinking. Show enthusiasm for everything you do, such as going to school, your career, making friends, enjoying hobbies, and so on. Positive thinking skills need to be trained consistently because this does not form by itself. This step is useful in preparing the mind for mindfulness meditation. The four principles of right effort are:
- Prevent the emergence of evil and negative things (sexual desire, envy, anxiety, doubt, worry).
- Free yourself from evil and negative things that have arisen by forming positive thoughts, diverting attention, confronting negative thoughts, and investigating the source of these thoughts.
- Do good and be wise
- Maintaining and perfecting virtue and wisdom
Step 8. Practice focusing attention
This exercise helps you see reality for what it is. The practice of focusing attention is done by observing 4 aspects, namely the body, feelings, state of mind, and phenomena. When the mind is focused, you live in the present and are fully aware of everything that is happening. You will focus on the current situation, rather than on things that haven't or have happened. Focus on your body, feelings, thoughts, ideas, and everything around you.
- Living in the present makes you free from the past and the future.
- Focusing also means paying attention to other people's feelings, emotions, and physique.
Step 9. Focus your thoughts
Concentrating well means being able to focus one's mind on a particular object and not be distracted by external influences. Applying all the steps above properly will allow you to concentrate. The mind will be focused and free from stress and anxiety. You are able to establish good relationships with yourself and others. Concentrating properly helps you understand things that are happening clearly and as they are.
Concentration is the same as focusing, but when you concentrate, you are not aware of the various sensations and feelings that arise. For example, when you concentrate on exam questions, you focus solely on answering the questions. If you pay attention while taking an exam, you may notice how you feel during the exam, the behavior of other people around you, or the way you sit when you answer an exam question
Part 2 of 3: Experiencing Nirvana in Daily Life
Step 1. Practice loving-kindness meditation (metta bhavana)
Metta means unromantic love, kindness, and friendship. This love comes from the heart, must be developed, and trained. The practice of cultivating metta usually takes place in 5 stages. For beginners, do each step for 5 minutes.
- Stage 1: feel metta for yourself. Focus on feeling peace, calm, strength, and confidence. Repeat the phrase "May I be healthy and happy" to yourself.
- Stage 2: think of a friend and the things you like about him or her. Repeat the phrase "May he be well. May he be happy".
- Stage 3: think of someone who is neutral (the relationship with him is free from likes or dislikes). Remember his kindness and send metta to him.
- Stage 4: think of someone who is unpleasant. Instead of thinking about why you don't like him and hate him, send him metta.
- Stage 5: think of everyone including yourself. Send metta to them, the people of your city, your province, your country, and all over the world.
Step 2. Practice focusing on the breath
This meditation helps you concentrate and focus your mind. If you do it regularly, you will be able to focus, relax, and relieve anxiety. Sit in a quiet place with your back straight. Pull your shoulders back a little and then lower them to feel more relaxed. Support your palms with a small pillow or place them in your lap. After finding a comfortable sitting posture, do the stages of meditation according to the following instructions. Try to go through each stage for at least 5 minutes.
- Step 1: Count in your heart each time you inhale and exhale (inhale, exhale, inhale 1, exhale 2, and so on until 10). Repeat from 1 when you reach a count of 10. Focus on the sensations that occur when you inhale and exhale. Once the mind is distracted, direct it again to the breath.
- Stage 2: Breathe in while counting to 10, but this time, count before inhaling (1 inhale, exhale; 2 inhale, exhale; 3 inhale, exhale; and so on). Focus on the sensations you feel each time you inhale.
- Stage 3: inhale and exhale without counting. Observe the breath as a continuous process, rather than simply inhaling and exhaling.
- Stage 4: now, focus on the sensations you feel as you inhale and exhale by paying attention to the air flowing through your nose or upper lip.
Step 3. Respect and encourage others
The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to attain inner peace and then share this experience with others. Achieving nirvana is not only for self-interest, but for others as well. Be a giver of encouragement and support for others, for example by hugging a friend who is grieving. Share how you feel with someone who is important to you or has helped you. Show that you are grateful and appreciate it. Set aside time to listen to the complaints of someone who is upset.
Step 4. Treat others with love
Your happiness is directly related to the happiness of others. Others will feel happy if you love them, for example by:
- Keep your phone when hanging out with friends and family members.
- Make eye contact when someone is talking to you and listen without interrupting the conversation.
- Volunteer in the community.
- Open doors for others.
- Show empathy for others. For example, when you meet a friend who is upset, try to understand his feelings. Ask him why he is upset and if he needs help. Listen carefully as he talks to show empathy for him.
Step 5. Try to focus
While in mindfulness meditation, pay attention to what you are thinking and feeling. This needs to be done not only while meditating, but during daily life, for example by focusing on eating, bathing, or getting dressed in the morning. To start, choose an activity and focus on feeling the physical sensations that arise when you do the activity while breathing calmly and regularly.
- To focus attention while eating, observe the taste, texture, and aroma of the food being eaten.
- When washing dishes, pay attention to the temperature of the water, the physical sensation you feel in your hands when soaping dishes or rinsing dishes with water.
- Instead of getting ready for the office while listening to music or watching TV, do so in silence and observe how you feel. Are you still sleepy or feel refreshed when you wake up in the morning? How does it feel on your skin when you put on your clothes or take a shower in the shower?
Part 3 of 3: Applying the Four Noble Truths
Step 1. Understand the meaning of suffering
The description of suffering according to Buddhism is different from what many people think. Suffering is unavoidable and a part of everyday life. Dukkha is the truth which states that all beings are not free from suffering. Apart from describing various unpleasant things, such as illness, aging, accidents, physical problems, and emotional disturbances, the Buddha considered desires (especially unfulfilled desires) and lusts as suffering. Both are sources of suffering because humans are almost never satisfied or fulfilled. After one wish is fulfilled, another will arise. This is called a vicious circle.
Dukkha means "something hard to bear". Suffering covers a very broad aspect including big and small things
Step 2. Determine the cause of suffering
Desire and ignorance are the source of suffering. Unfulfilled desires are the greatest source of suffering. For example, when you are sick, you suffer and want to get well soon. Suffering because the desire to heal is not fulfilled is greater than suffering because of illness. Every time you want something, an opportunity, someone, or an achievement, but it doesn't materialize, you suffer.
- What all humans must experience is aging, disease, and death.
- Desire cannot be satisfied. After achieving or getting something you want, you want something else. The desire that keeps popping up makes you unable to feel true happiness.
Step 3. Work on ending suffering in your life
The Four Noble Truths are the stepping stones to free oneself from suffering. If all human beings suffer and suffering arises because of desire, the only way to end suffering is to eliminate desire. Believe that you don't have to suffer and that you are capable of ending suffering. For that, you have to change your perception and learn to control your desires.
The ability to control desires and passions makes you live in freedom and happiness
Step 4. Experience the ending of suffering in your life
The cessation of suffering can be achieved by applying the Beginning Eightfold Path. The journey to nirvana can be grouped into 3 aspects. First, you must have the right intentions and mindset. Second, you have to live your daily life with the right intentions. Third, you must understand the true reality and have true beliefs about all things.
- The Noble Eightfold Path can be divided into 3 categories: wisdom (right view, right thought), manners (right speech, right action, right livelihood), and mental training (right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration).
- This path is a guide that shows how to live everyday life.
Tips
- Achieving nirvana is not easy and takes a long time. Do not give up even if this seems impossible to achieve. The Noble Eightfold Path is not simply a sequential step that must be taken to attain nirvana, but should be a way of living daily life.
- You can self-taught Buddhism, but it will be more beneficial if you come to the temple to study under the guidance of a teacher. Do not immediately join the group or choose a teacher. Listen to your heart and think carefully before deciding. Many teachers are good, but some are not. Use the internet to find information about monasteries/communities/teachers, opposing opinions, and Buddhist worship rituals.
- Everyone's journey to enlightenment is different from one another as snowflakes travel a unique route from the sky. Choose a way of practicing that is fun/feels comfortable/according to your beliefs.
- Meditate in various ways. The various ways of practicing are just the means and methods that can be used to meditate. Sometimes, meditating in a different way is more beneficial under certain conditions. Find out a way of meditating that you enjoy and set aside time to practice.
- Nirvana is achieved when the wrong understanding of the existence of self (and others) ends for good. This condition can occur in various ways, but there is no right or wrong way, good or bad. Nirvana can be experienced spontaneously, it can also be due to diligent effort. After all, the person seeking and the nirvana to be attained should be ignored.
- Only you know the best way for yourself (remember the snowflake analogy above) so no one has the right to suggest that you join a particular group. Many teachers/traditions/sects hold fast to the formula for attaining enlightenment, whereas attachment to opinions/views is one of the main obstacles to enlightenment. Do not let you experience this irony during the journey to reach nirvana.
- Practicing meditation independently plays an important role in achieving nirvana. The teacher's role is to help you develop yourself and have independent spiritual abilities. Teachers should not make students experience dependence and setbacks, but this happens very often. Use the internet to find people who meditate regularly and are highly spiritually aware. They are ready to help you.
- Do not give up. Reflect on the benefits you get even if they seem insignificant. Keep the experience in mind as a source of motivation. During practice, try to prove yourself the doubtful things. Focusing on practice helps you find the goals you want to achieve. However, the practice will stop if you only focus on the goal.
- Spiritual awareness may be lost, but the understanding gained will not be lost. Maintaining spiritual awareness makes understanding stronger. This often happens when a person has serious personal problems.
- Nirvana can be achieved through the spiritual life of all religions, as long as the adherents believe that nirvana really exists. Many people from various religions have experienced this, for example Christians who have a certain view of what/who God is because of experiencing spiritual awareness.
