Buddhism

Buddhism

1.) The First Noble Truth - 'Dukkha'

A.) The First Noble Truth seems to be an intrinsic understanding that all

things are impermanent. This impermanence causes us to feel

frustrated when we can't hold on to people or things we think we

need. This need helps us feel wanted and/or important.

Dukkha can also be described as the suffering we experience

and see in our lives. Unpleasant conditions such as being sick,

seeing our loved ones get sick and die, getting aggravated over things

our children do, losing a job, etc. cause us to experience Dukkha.

The Buddha felt that this suffering was brought on by our attachment

to people and things. Only by detachment and selfless acts can we

become free from the unpleasantness of Dukkha.

        Another aspect of Dukkha deals with the belief in the                         importance of oneself. The Five Aggregates are the foundation of this

aspect. The 'I' saying 'I' creates the illusion of 'I' which consists of

matter, sensations, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness.

These five items produce the compound being that experiences Dukkha.        ÂÂ

B.) I Believe I give significance to things or events that aren't intentionally

producing Dukkha. I'm leaving my house to go to work and I happen

to leave a couple of minutes late knowing that there is a possibility that

I might be late. As I'm driving someone pulls in front of me and is

maybe doing the speed limit. I immediately go into reaction mode.

This is where I have to realize that the person in front of me is not intentionally trying to make me late for work. (not until I flash my highbeams or honk my horn)

Looking at situations objectively and being more proactive can help us deal with Dukkha better. I believe the...