The Application of Traditional Disciplines to Solve the Ecological Crisis

Population Growth is an issue that exists in today’s world that needs to be confronted before it becomes out of hand. The population itself has reached overwhelming numbers making it a problem that could turn to be dangerous. The amount of humans that the earth can support or the carrying capacity is slowly rising but at a much slower rate than the population growth rate. The increasing growth rate has its negative effects environmentally, agriculturally, socially, and economically and also has its positive effects nationally, and economically. The government is brainstorming and trying to come up with ways to decrease

Today’s society is filled with suffering, whether it is at experienced at home, or abroad. Some might look to ancient text for help and guidance, which can lead some to the teachings of the Buddha, almost 2500 years ago. His teachings might be ancient, but they can still apply to aspects of today’s society, such as in our ethics, economics, and everyday lives.

Even when we are presented with answers or guides to the many questions we have about life and to how we should live, as inquisitive animals, we strive to enhance our understanding and so begin to learn that perhaps, ultimately, the answers don’t simply come from outside but also from within us. This is then perhaps the greatest implication of this paper, finding new ways in understanding what the true way of life is for human beings and what the true way of life is for ourselves. In the discussion of Zen Buddhism, William A. Young’s framework’s itself must first be explained and understood.

This piece represents the very tenets of Buddhism at its most extreme. Those that wish to evade the suffering of the human existence should remove themselves from the materialism of it to the fullest extent possible. This is one of the

The central problems plaguing existence, according to the Buddha, are outlined in the three marks of existence. The three marks of existence that apply to all existing beings are impermanence, suffering, and non-self (Hayes 2017-10-5). Humans are subject to ignorance about the three marks of existence, which is a central theme of the Buddha’s teachings. This ignorance results in suffering, and the removal of this ignorance results in the end of suffering (Hayes 2017-10-5). Therefore, ignorance of the three marks of existence can be regarded as the first link in the overall cycle of suffering, in which one must repeatedly live. Eliminating that ignorance through insight into the three marks will bring an end to this suffering, which can be achieved by following the Eightfold Path (Hayes 2017-10-10). Despite these instructions concerning the overarching problems of existence and the clear path to eliminating this suffering, the Buddha encourages one to accept his teachings only after thorough investigation, as understanding is the most important aspect of Buddhism. Thus, it is clear that the lack of ignorance is in many ways the answer to the end of the cycle of suffering and the achievement of nirvana, which is the ultimate goal of Buddhism.

It is easier now than ever to become lost in the cycle of life. Every day, we face a plethora of distractions: cell-phones, social media, jobs we hate, and time spent doing things that we do not want to. We spend so much time reminiscing about the “good ol’” days or dreading the future that we forget to live in the now. With all the noise that surrounds us—not to mention the looming threat of ill health and, eventually, death—how do we free ourselves from the chains of suffering and live in the moment? The Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, went in search of an answer to this question, and his answer is still relevant for modern society; we can avoid suffering if we follow the Middle Way.

In The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, Thich Nhat Hanh provides a citation from the Buddha, which gives insight into the cure of our distress. “I teach only suffering and the transformation of suffering” (Thich Nhat

(Harvey ) It promotes the idea of becoming self-aware and leading a simplistic life. The main principles of Buddhism teach people to follow the 4 noble truths and use the 8 fold path as a guide to nirvana (freedom and liberation).(Harvey 31) The First noble truth is that suffering exists, it is part of life. The second noble truth states that the cause of suffering is craving. (Harvey 33)This is a very important concept to understand, as humans tend to long for more materialistic things. In this particular case the government craves for more money and economic benefits. Since America is a capitalist society it functions on the whole basis of consumerism which as a result causes suffering. (Harvey 222 ) Furthermore people are unaware that this thirst for more is causing suffering. (Harvey 33) The third noble truth, states that there is a cessation of suffering and the fourth noble gives the 8 step process to cease suffering.(Harvey

All life is full of suffering. This fateful verity is expressed in the foundational scriptures of the Buddhist religion, and it continues to redefine the promises of alternative religions that argue life is an undeniably joyous privilege. By denying optimism and revealing the true brutality that life has to offer, the morals behind the east Asian religion known as Buddhism, and the Four Noble Truths it is centered around, strike its followers with dread and dejection. These so called “truths” serve as structure for the spiritual beliefs of people who follow Buddhism, as well as a scapegoat that can easily be condemned in a time of misfortune or when one is faced with adversity. These primitive beliefs are reflected through the eyes of many

When examining the foundation in which all the Buddha’s teachings are built upon, the Four Noble Truths, there is a tendency to become fixated on only the first that can be encompassed by the phrase “life is suffering”. Clinging to this simple phrase rather than seeing the whole picture painted by the Buddha is the downfall and where the idea of pessimism is born. Instead the Buddha is seen as an embodiment of joy, compassion and happiness, traits that are a far cry from a true pessimist. The Buddha’s real strength lies in his ability to be neither pessimistic nor optimistic, instead he was realistic in his views of the world by acknowledging the existence of suffering while also identifying a path to a cure.

As a result of asceticism and hedonism being deemed irrational, Buddhism was born, the middle way between the two. Siddhartha Gautama (later known as the Buddha) is the rishi (founder) of Buddhism which is built on the doctrine that humans are forever burdened with suffering or dukkha. The teachings of Buddha serve as a tool to overcome desire, which is the root of all suffering. In this paper, the nature of the Buddhist’s claim of suffering will be dissected and further examined along with the idea of the noble eightfold path, otherwise known as the solution to all suffering.

Four noble truths exist within Buddhism – all revolving around suffering (Duhka). ‘Duhka’ is a term commonly translated as ‘suffering’ in Buddhist terminology. The term can mean ‘pain’, ‘unease’ or the ‘ultimate unsatisfactoriness’ of moments within human life (Kelly, 2008). Buddha preached that life is full of suffering, there is a cause of the suffering, it is possible to stop suffering and there is a way to extinguish suffering (Aich, 2013). Kelly (2008) describes the cause of suffering as a result of craving something missing from our lives (also translated as ‘grasping’ or ‘attachment’). An earlier description of the four noble truths was proposed by Mikulas (1978), suggesting suffering is caused by attachment, delusions or hatred and

Finally, an additional vital feature of Japanese Buddhism is the act of ridding away from the Self. Individualism and self-identity is the only thing people have to not be categorized into their cultures. Of course, in Buddhism, the way to end one’s suffering is by being detached from the Self. The concept is a stage to reach ultimate consciousness in Buddhism, nevertheless one could wonder how determined the Japanese population is because of the percentage that do not in actuality, identify with Buddhism. In the book, Inner Peace, World Peace: Essays on Buddhism and Nonviolence, Sulak Sivaraksa’s chapter, “Buddhism and Contemporary International Trends,” discusses the fact, “one of the largest obstacles to the implementation of religious principles

In order to let go of suffering, one first needs to be able to recognize the presence of suffering. However, one of the major concerns that contradicts the ideology that there is suffering in all aspects of life, is the problem of happiness. How can one accomplish the feeling or emotion of joy, if it is, in fact, a form of suffering? Buddhism, as a religion, doesn’t reject happiness in the world. Rather, it focuses on the impermanence of the happiness, and this impermanence can be a cause of suffering, dukkha (Sumedho, 1992). Whilst the First Noble Truth is concerned with the way things are in our “selves” and the world and how they ought to be seen, the second Noble Truth focuses on the cause of this First Truth.

On June 11th, 1963, the world watched as the Buddhist monk, Thích Quảng Đức self-immolated in protest of the political oppression of the Diệm government in South Vietnam. In recent years, Buddhists in Tibet have also been engaging in self-immolation in order to protest the Chinese rule. Those who choose to self-immolate do so in an attempt at regaining control over a situation in which the individual or group has little to no power. Due to the extreme nature of this phenomenon, it is imperative to investigate how this violent act of protest corresponds with Buddhist teachings on non-violence. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that the act of self-immolation is not compatible with Buddhist teachings regarding non-violence. To accomplish this, the teachings of ahimsa will be analyzed, Subsequently, self-immolation will be applied to the four noble truths and the ways in which they contrast will be examined. Following, the way in which self-immolation contradicts the Buddhist teachings regarding the middle way will be explored.