The Four Noble Truths
Like a good doctor, He diagnoses the illness, finds out what has caused it & decides the cure.
Finally, He prescribes the medicine or gives the treatment that will make the patient well again.
1. There is Suffering. Suffering is common to all.
2. Cause of Suffering We are the cause of our suffering.
3. End of Suffering Stop doing what causes suffering.
4. Path to end Suffering Everyone can be enlightened.
During his enlightenment, the Buddha discovered three great truths:
1. Nothing is lost in the universe
The first truth is that nothing is lost in the universe. Matter turns into energy, energy turns into matter. A dead leaf turns into soil, a seed sprouts and becomes a new plant. Old solar systems disintegrate and turn into cosmic rays.
We are born of our parents; our children are born of us. We are the same as plants, as trees, as other people, as the rain that falls. We consist of that which is around us; we are the same as everything.
If we destroy something around us, we destroy ourselves. If we cheat another, we cheat ourselves. Understanding this truth, the Buddha and his disciples never killed any animal.
2. Everything Changes
The second universal truth of the Buddha is that everything is continuously changing. Life is like a river flowing on and on, ever-changing. Sometimes it flows slowly and sometimes swiftly.
It is smooth and gentle in some places, but later on snags and rocks crop up out of nowhere. As soon as we think we are safe, something unexpected happens. Once dinosaurs, mammoths and saber-toothed tigers roamed this earth and they all died out, yet this was not the end of life.
Other life forms appeared and eventually humans, too. Now we can even see the Earth from space and understand the changes that have taken place on this planet. Our ideas about life also change. People once believed that the world was flat, but now we know that it is round.
3. Law of Cause and Effect
The third universal truth explained by the Buddha is that there are continuous changes due to the law of cause and effect. This is the same law of cause and effect found in every modern science textbook.
In this way, science and Buddhism are alike. The law of cause and effect is known as karma. Nothing ever happens to us unless we deserve it. We receive exactly what we earn, whether it is good or bad.
We are the way we are now due to the things we have done in the past. Our thoughts and actions determine the kind of life we can have. If we do good things, in the future good things will happen to us.
If we do bad things, in the future bad things will happen to us. Every moment we create new karma by what we say, do, and think. If we understand this, we do not need to fear karma.
Three questions that Siddhattha Gotama asked:
1) Why do we get old?
2) Why do we get sick?
3) Why do we die?
At that time no one can answer him.
“He could be the greatest king to His country but He ended up being the greatest king of the universe.”
And all of THEM sit down & discuss what is actually going on with our world today.
What would THEY say?
I know what would we say?
As for Muslim, there are no other God but Allah..
As for Buddhist, some of us believe Buddha is a teacher & some of us believe He is God..
As for Christian, there are divided into few types..
And for other Gods that some of us believe & worship..
All the religions in the world have ONE common teaching & understanding.. That is the teaching & understanding of LOVE..
No other religion that I heard of do not speak the language of LOVE..
Yet we are still fighting to proof that one of our religion is TRUE..
Many still believe WAR is the answer to PEACE..
And yet many does not want to BELIEVE through PEACE we can avoid WAR..
I am not on any side of religions..
I just want all of you know that in the end, we all will become dust to dust, ashes to ashes..
And we will meet our maker..
Until then I hope, wish & pray that we would LOVE each other irregardless of what religions are you & me from..
We should help each other to reach ENLIGHTMENT, where we can go to HEAVEN OR NIRVANA..
Not by KILLing each other..
Not by HURTing each other..
Not by ACCUSE each other..
Not by GREED..
Not by POWER..
Let us pray to our God that we shall LIVE together on this planet Earth as one family until the day we meet Him again!
Amen..
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