Prepare For A Golden Age With The Buddha
On this Website we will feature the lives of Earth's Great Avatars, who are now Ascended Masters. We have begun with two of the World's Greatest Avatars: Gautama Buddha and Jesus. The reader will see that, although the Teachings are ancient, they still apply today. Furthermore, both of these Teachings translate very well into each other because both have their roots in the Mystery, Mystical Teachings from the Ancient of Days.
In our Home Page, we briefly explained the Coming Golden Age of Aquarius and what was needed to prepare for it. On this page we offer Buddha's instructions on how to begin, endure and progress to a hightened level of Consciousness...a transformed Consciousness. It is imperative, to this Golden Age, that we engage fully into the Ways the Ascended Masters teach us.
THE WAY OF THE BUDDHA
The Buddha's basic teachings are very concrete and personally applicable. They address issues of life and choices of conduct as the Correct or Rightful way to take control of these issues and transform oneself. His Way is called the "Middle Way" because he coaches one to live a balanced life; between self-indulgence on one side and extreme asceticsm on the other. Buddha's Way leads the individual's Soul to the ultimate freedom from the "wheel" of birth, death, and rebirth.
We cherish the Buddha's Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path because one can quickly come to under-stand the Hightest Virtures and Values to apply in one's life. Please, be reminded, what we have here are only the top pearls of Buddhism. Do not assume that this can replace the richness, the history, and the volumes that have been written of one of the World's Major Religions.
A Basic Background
Born of Royalty, Gautama left his confining palace of riches to find the reason for mankind's suffering, unhappiness and disease. He discovered the depraved conditions after secretely leaving the palace one day, to see what was outside of it.
He spent many years searching for the answers. Finally, he decide to subject himself to a 40-day fast and meditation...resolving to stay in that state until the answer should come to him. There he sat under the notorious Boddhi Tree for 40 days. After this meditation, Gautama attained Enlightenment...it is said he saw all of his 2000 lives. An Enlightened Soul is one who has entered into a Realm of Divine Perception and Truth. All individuals have this capability, if they wish to begin a rightful spiritual path.
It was this major shift in learning about the Soul's Journey, Death, and Rebirth which clarified and explained why people found themselves in the dilemma of "Suffering." They were their own cause of it and all other conditions, good or bad. Gautama contemplated teaching what he saw, but became skeptical as to whether it could be taught. At first he decided he would be silent about.
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Moved by his great compassion, he set forth to formulate a Teaching that could be easily applied and practiced. In his wisdom and keeness of mind and heart, the Buddha gave the world what is, even today, a means by which to identify the conditions of "suffering," to eliminate them permanently and to attain Enlightenment.
When questioned by a monk as to why he left out the answers to metaphysical questions about Self, God, the Soul, Reincarnation or Eternal Life, etc., the Buddha answered that those questions were beside the point...! Textbooks have this story which illustrates what he meant. It goes like this: Take a man who is wounded with a poisonous arrow. Imagine his asking where the arrow came from, what was it made from, the type of poison that was used, who shot it, and on and on. Well, the man would die before he got the whole truth to his inquiry.
People's need to eliminate the conditions for suffering was as urgent a matter as the wound. Between "Suffering" and "Enlightenment" are numerous stages and steps within the stages. Metaphysical questions may be intriguing to the mind, and many may take a long time to resolve. In other words, by the time people tried to gain understanding of metaphysics, their suffering will have taken its toll upon them. They needed a path, according to the Buddha, that would address the immediate causes for their suffering and also avoid the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification, and learn how to follow the Middle Way.
The Path of Gautama Buddha
The Four Noble Truths
1. Right View - the accurate (earnest and honest) view of man's state of existence is some form of suffering.
2. Right Livelihood - emotional and financial stability become tainted with suffering when greed, selfishness and possessiveness take over.
3. Right Effort - individuals must strive to change through discipline, learning and overcoming, in order to uproot all suffering.
4. Right Mindfulness - a happier state of mind and heart is cultivated by the practice of "The Eightfold Path."
The Eightfold Path
1. Right View - Analyze the nature of one's suffering. See and understand clearly what is wrong or ill in oneself.
2. Right Purpose/Intent - Analyze what conditions give rise to wrong purpose, intent or desire. Decide to heal. Learn to heal what "grasping" or attachment one has to these things. Do this until until this tendency is eliminated or transformed. Develop compassion.
3. Right Speech - Speak as if you would be cured of suffering. Speak well of oneself, others, situa- tions or things. Speak the truth, speak kindly, say only what is necessary.
4. Right Action - All actions should reflect well-being of oneself and others. Behave as if one is healed of all Suffering.
5. Right Vocation - Earn a living that does not conflict with the Noble Truths & Eightfold Path.
6. Right Effort - Develop a strong Will and resolve to apply this Path. Have perseverance till one attains freedom from Suffering.
7. Right Awareness - Another way to practice Mindfulness; be aware of self at all levels. Think, see, hear, speak and choose according to the Spiritual Precepts at all times. Adjust accor- dingly...and continuously.
8. Right Meditation or Transcendence - Go within the heart and commune with the Fount of Knowl- edge. Meditate on the depths of existence (reality) where Truth is inherent. Live in the moment until One's day of Enlightenment.
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Some Elaborations on The Noble Truths
The book cover you see on the right is one that will guide the reader further into the Heart and Mind of the Buddha; his love and further instructions come directly from him as dictated to the Messenger. Here one also has The Ten Perfections and how to put them to practice in daily life....plus some of his poetry to the World Mother....truly a beautiful book!
Noble Truth # 1- Suffering must be eliminated in order to be happy. This is not to be confused with the pain-pleasure theory of modern psychology; where to eliminate pain one just increases the pleasure or the attaining of the things of pleasure. This starts and re-inforces bad habits. It also is a form of self-indulgence, and the practce of spiritual principles is the practice of self-mastery. Right View is having the true perception as to how we were instrumental in bringing about any suffering.
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Noble Truth #2 - To attain the right career or craft is to attain happiness. Our Western Culture raises us to want more and more things. What are these things that bind us and that the Buddha calls "grasping?" Beside the common cultural leanings, we each have our own reasons why we become attached or possessive. Let us figure this out for ourselves before exercising Right Livelihood. Most of the time they could be immaterial and satisfy perhaps an emotional need, or an image of self apart from who we truly are.
Noble Truth # 3 - Application of these truths is indespensable. Effort speaks for itself. We either apply Right Effort and combine it with perseverance or we can stop at some point only to give in to some unwanted state of consciousness and unpleasant state of affairs.
Noble Truth # 4 - becoming aware of self in all instances. Thoughtfulness, compassion toward self and others and the practice of the Eightfold Path will develop in the individual the Right Mindfullness for a healthy and happy life. The alternative is to have a state of Consciousness that lives for the "grasping" and attachments of those desires that enslave the Soul. The former is developed through self-discipline which builds toward freedom from unhappiness. The latter continues in ignorance of self and self's motives; no growth is possible, and no insight into one's unhappiness is possible.
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Final Notes To the Buddha, ignorance was not merely the absence of knowledge, but also the absence of ethical values regarding self and others. So, the Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path replace these absent areas in one's consciousness and fills them with the tools necessary to be more of who we truly are and to be free from that which tears down who we truly are. A Golden Age certainly needs citizens with higher standards of conduct to be the heirs of an Enlightened Age.
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