Gerard
IP: 68.52.89.165
May 27, 07 - 5:31 AM |
The Path to a Harmonious Life
Both Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell were greatly influenced by Buddhism as a psychological tool to living a balanced and harmonious life. Too few Westerners understand the concepts of Buddhism. Whereas the biblical 10 commandments tends to place a guilt trip on the individual {Thou Shalt Not}, the way to enlightenment prescribed in Buddhism is a discipline of psychological requirements.
The following is the path Buddhism lays out for the individual to find within themselves the guiding light within.
To live means to suffer, because the human nature is not perfect and neither is the world we live in. During our lifetime,
we inevitably have to endure physical suffering such as pain, sickness, injury, tiredness, old age, and eventually death;
and we have to endure psychological suffering like sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression. Although
there are different degrees of suffering and there are also positive experiences in life that we perceive as the opposite
of suffering, such as ease, comfort and happiness, life in its totality is imperfect and incomplete, because our world
is subject to impermanence. This means we are never able to keep permanently what we strive for, and just as happy moments
pass by, we ourselves and our loved ones will pass away one day, too.
The origin of suffering is attachment to transient things and the ignorance
thereof. Transient things do not only include the physical objects that surround
us, but also ideas, and -in a greater sense- all objects of our perception.
Ignorance is the lack of understanding of how our mind is attached to impermanent
things. The reasons for suffering are desire, passion, ardour, pursue of wealth
and prestige, striving for fame and popularity, or in short: craving and
clinging. Because the objects of our attachment are transient, their
loss is inevitable, thus suffering will necessarily follow. Objects of attachment
also include the idea of a "self" which is a delusion, because
there is no abiding self. What we call "self" is just an imagined
entity, and we are merely a part of the ceaseless becoming of the universe.
The cessation of suffering can be attained through nirodha. Nirodha
means the unmaking of sensual craving and conceptual attachment. The third
noble truth expresses the idea that suffering can be ended by attaining dispassion.
Nirodha extinguishes all forms of clinging and attachment. This means that
suffering can be overcome through human activity, simply by removing the cause
of suffering. Attaining and perfecting dispassion is a process of many levels
that ultimately results in the state of Nirvana. Nirvana means freedom
from all worries, troubles, complexes, fabrications and ideas. Nirvana is
not comprehensible for those who have not attained it.
There is a path to the end of suffering - a gradual path of self-improvement, which is described more detailed in the
Eightfold Path. It is the middle way between the two extremes of excessive self-indulgence
(hedonism) and excessive self-mortification (asceticism); and it leads to the end of the cycle of rebirth. The latter
quality discerns it from other paths which are merely "wandering on the wheel of becoming", because these do
not have a final object. The path to the end of suffering can extend over many lifetimes, throughout which every individual
rebirth is subject to karmic conditioning. Craving, ignorance, delusions, and its effects will disappear gradually, as
progress is made on the path.
The Noble Eightfold Path
The Noble Eightfold Path describes the way to the end of suffering, as it was laid out by Siddhartha Gautama. It is
a practical guideline to ethical and mental development with the goal of freeing the individual from attachments and delusions;
and it finally leads to understanding the truth about all things. Together with the Four Noble
Truths it constitutes the gist of Buddhism. Great emphasis is put on the practical aspect, because it is only through
practice that one can attain a higher level of existence and finally reach Nirvana. The eight aspects of the path are
not to be understood as a sequence of single steps, instead they are highly interdependent principles that have to be
seen in relationship with each other.
Right view is the beginning and the end of the path, it simply means to see and to understand things as they really
are and to realise the Four Noble Truth. As such, right view is the cognitive aspect of wisdom. It means to see things
through, to grasp the impermanent and imperfect nature of worldly objects and ideas, and to understand the law of karma
and karmic conditioning. Right view is not necessarily an intellectual capacity, just as wisdom is not just a matter of
intelligence. Instead, right view is attained, sustained, and enhanced through all capacities of mind. It begins with
the intuitive insight that all beings are subject to suffering and it ends with complete understanding of the true nature
of all things. Since our view of the world forms our thoughts and our actions, right view yields right thoughts and right
actions.
While right view refers to the cognitive aspect of wisdom, right intention refers to the volitional aspect, i.e. the
kind of mental energy that controls our actions. Right intention can be described best as commitment to ethical
and mental self-improvement. Buddha distinguishes three types of right intentions: 1. the intention of renunciation, which
means resistance to the pull of desire, 2. the intention of good will, meaning resistance to feelings of anger and aversion,
and 3. the intention of harmlessness, meaning not to think or act cruelly, violently, or aggressively, and to develop
compassion.
Right speech is the first principle of ethical conduct in the eightfold path. Ethical conduct is viewed as a guideline
to moral discipline, which supports the other principles of the path. This aspect is not self-sufficient, however,
essential, because mental purification can only be achieved through the cultivation of ethical conduct. The importance
of speech in the context of Buddhist ethics is obvious: words can break or save lives, make enemies or friends, start
war or create peace. Buddha explained right speech as follows: 1. to abstain from false speech, especially not to tell
deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully, 2. to abstain from slanderous speech and not to use words maliciously against
others, 3. to abstain from harsh words that offend or hurt others, and 4. to abstain from idle chatter that lacks purpose
or depth. Positively phrased, this means to tell the truth, to speak friendly, warm, and gently and to talk only when
necessary.
The second ethical principle, right action, involves the body as natural means of expression, as it refers to deeds
that involve bodily actions. Unwholesome actions lead to unsound states of mind, while wholesome actions lead to sound
states of mind. Again, the principle is explained in terms of abstinence: right action means 1. to abstain from harming
sentient beings, especially to abstain from taking life (including suicide) and doing harm intentionally or delinquently,
2. to abstain from taking what is not given, which includes stealing, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty, and
3. to abstain from sexual misconduct. Positively formulated, right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to
be honest, to respect the belongings of others, and to keep sexual relationships harmless to others. Further details regarding
the concrete meaning of right action can be found in the Precepts.
Right livelihood means that one should earn one's living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally
and peacefully. The Buddha mentions four specific activities that harm other beings and that one should avoid for this
reason: 1. dealing in weapons, 2. dealing in living beings (including raising animals for slaughter as well as slave trade
and prostitution), 3. working in meat production and butchery, and 4. selling intoxicants and poisons, such as alcohol
and drugs. Furthermore any other occupation that would violate the principles of right speech and right action should
be avoided.
Right effort can be seen as a prerequisite for the other principles of the path. Without effort, which is in itself
an act of will, nothing can be achieved, whereas misguided effort distracts the mind from its task, and confusion will
be the consequence. Mental energy is the force behind right effort; it can occur in either wholesome or unwholesome states.
The same type of energy that fuels desire, envy, aggression, and violence can on the other side fuel self-discipline,
honesty, benevolence, and kindness. Right effort is detailed in four types of endeavours that rank in ascending order of
perfection: 1. to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states, 2. to abandon unwholesome states that have already
arisen, 3. to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen, and 4. to maintain and perfect wholesome states already
arisen.
Right mindfulness is the controlled and perfected faculty of cognition. It is the mental ability to see things as they
are, with clear consciousness. Usually, the cognitive process begins with an impression induced by perception, or by a
thought, but then it does not stay with the mere impression. Instead, we almost always conceptualise sense impressions
and thoughts immediately. We interpret them and set them in relation to other thoughts and experiences, which naturally
go beyond the facticity of the original impression. The mind then posits concepts, joins concepts into constructs, and
weaves those constructs into complex interpretative schemes. All this happens only half consciously, and as a result we
often see things obscured. Right mindfulness is anchored in clear perception and it penetrates impressions without getting
carried away. Right mindfulness enables us to be aware of the process of conceptualisation in a way that we actively observe
and control the way our thoughts go. Buddha accounted for this as the four foundations of mindfulness: 1. contemplation
of the body, 2. contemplation of feeling (repulsive, attractive, or neutral), 3. contemplation of the state of mind, and
4. contemplation of the phenomena.
The eighth principle of the path, right concentration, refers to the development of a mental force that occurs in natural
consciousness, although at a relatively low level of intensity, namely concentration. Concentration in this context is
described as one-pointedness of mind, meaning a state where all mental faculties are unified and directed onto one particular
object. Right concentration for the purpose of the eightfold path means wholesome concentration, i.e. concentration
on wholesome thoughts and actions. The Buddhist method of choice to develop right concentration is through the practice
of meditation. The meditating mind focuses on a selected object. It first directs itself onto it, then sustains concentration,
and finally intensifies concentration step by step. Through this practice it becomes natural to apply elevated levels
concentration also in everyday situations.
Gerard  
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Paul
IP: 75.144.52.30
May 29th, 2007 - 2:46 PM |
Re: The Path to a Harmonious Life
I read your brief on harmonious/balanced living. I have just recently began reading information on Jung and did not realize that he was the creator of the basis for the Meyers-Briggs tests. I have been working on a personal philosophy that bridges the many religious and spiritual philosophies. I find great interest in discovering the basis of human behavior and as such in both psychology and philosophy. The concepts of mind and body, conscious and unconscious behavior, natural human tendencies and desires are quite deterministic.
All humans are born with natural tendencies based on a number of factors, most prominantly in our genetics. Eastern philosophies speak of "the way" while western philosophies speak of free will and choice. Many prophets have delivered "messages" to man, and the underlying principles from each of them are the same. If you look at the totality of all these messages they lead you to a common basis or theme for humans. The basic concepts are all related to man's natural existence, his equality, his faith and his need to follow positive paths, creating positive influences in our existence. Each was expressed in terms that "fit" the existing cultures at the time they were delivered and to some extent, due to the lack of communication capabilities of man, underwent many interpretations and modifications during the sometimes centuries it took to prepare the formal documentation of the original messages. Meanings were construed to adhere to existing SP (Social Philosophies) so they would be accepted. Man is inherently resistent to change, as such finds difficulty in accepting new ideas and principles. Man finds comfort zones and to change them is quite difficult.
As these SP's developed in various isolated regions of the world, they were eventually adopted and only because of the interpretations did they create clashes in beliefs. Wars, persecution and many other forms of dominance and control arose as the world SP's began to interact. Unfortunately these were simply attempts at power and control, narcissistic tendencies of those who leaders at the time. And since man is so easily controlled and manipulated, the masses, under severe influence, followed the "way" of their leaders.
All of this is well documented in history and need not be recanted here. My purpose here is to advance the understanding of the underlying meaning behind all of the existing SP's we find today. They all have purpose and meaning, and because people are inherently driven by the myriad of natural tendencies, naturally gravitate to the beliefs that best fit into their own IP (individual philosophy).
Every human has their unique IP, created by their DNA and influenced by their environment. As such it is a very deterministic evolution. Humans want desperately to make sense of their existence by believing in control and free will, but in reality there is none. That is the essence of the messages from the prophets. That is what truly makes all humans equal. That is why when you look at the paths to Nirvana or Self awareness or inner peace, or every other term that each SP has named that state of mind where all is clear and peaceful, you find the idea of acceptance buried within the concepts. Man has never been able to accept that fact and is still not ready for this truth. Look at any religious doctrine or any psychological theory and at the heart of them all you will find that basis.
Humans are driven by natural tendencies and desires. Many are genetically encoded, influenced by the natural order of the universe. From birth we are guided by our environment, gaining knowledge through experiences and events in our lives. Especially at the early ages most of these experiences are uncontrollable. Even as adults the majority of our experiences are unplanned and as you state in your blog, change is inevitable. Hanging in our comfort zones creates internal issues within our IP. As humans continue to develop, they are naturally influenced along specific random paths, gaining new knowledge that either fits into their existing beliefs or not, being kept and influenced by that knowledge, or not. From our beliefs, and influenced by our genetics and natural tendencies, we create priorities. Priorities are how we react to situations. Given a specific set of circumstances, we weigh the knowledge of the experience against our beliefs and based on our set of priorities we react. Now most reactions are unconscious reactions to events, but some situations will require more conscious thought processes, the weighing of alternatives to find the best fit. Praying is an example of how man searches for answers internally to decisions with major conflicts. These conflicts in our IP is what is refered to as voids. Knowledge creates or fills voids. An IP with no voids is at peace within itself, it has reached the state of Nirvana.
But you speak in terms that we have control over our search for nirvana, but in reality it is mostly a game of chance. Without proper knowledge or influence, most people will never even understand that concept exists. It is only through the paths that we are led, our experiences, and the composition of our genetics, that we have any hope of reaching that state.
I spoke of acceptance as being a key ingredient to this path to enlightenment. It is very much related to the concepts you spoke of. In other terms, it is the acceptance of the fact that we have no control that allows us to accept our fellow man as equals, to free ourselves from revenge, hatred, remorse, guilt, etc. The buddhists have come to this realization, although I stil unsure of their attitude on free will and determinism. It is the faith that our paths are guided, our IP's are free to roam where they lead and only through the proper influences will our IP's come to this understanding. That is why so many people remain lost. They have yet to recieve the proper influences to guide them to these conclusions, or they have the lack of genetics to grasp the concept even if presented. It takes the proper combination of genetics and environment to achieve this understanding. We are naturally born with this concept, but due to the influences of our environment, most humans will never understand this path, and as such will never attain this level of peace. They struggle with the voids and conflicts within their IP, not knowing how to resolve the conflicts, or even understand the meaning behind their conflicts.
It has taken several years of guidance along this path, a very open mind regarding human nature and the acceptance of both the natural evolutionary concepts along with all the influences of SP to reach this conclusion. This very brief discussion does not do the concept justice, but behind this is a wealth of supporting evidence. I am working on formalizing this concept for open presentation to the public. This is only the second time I have introduced this concept. The first with another philosopher who is attempting to bridge the gaps of other historical philosophies. We have had much debate over my deterministic concepts and he agrees with everything I have presented except for the lack of free will in man. He believes that outside of the IP I describe is another force that allows man to act outside of his IP, but biologically I find a huge problem with that. Man is simple a piece of the whole universal evolutionary process. Lucky are those who have the experienced and accepted the knowledge that allows for a peaceful existence.
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