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It is immediately worth noting the following: neither before nor now there was no Buddhism at all, Buddhism as such did not exist and does not exist. In fact, Buddhism is only a name to designate numerous movements and directions that consider themselves Buddhist. However, there are a number of ideas that are common to all areas of Buddhism. It is this circle of basic ideas that can be called the fundamentals of teaching. These foundations include the so-called Four Noble Truths and the Great Middle Path.

The teaching revealed to Siddhartha Gautama was expounded by his followers in a special collection of texts - sutras, in the form of reasoning - darshan - of the Buddha himself. And although the understanding of Buddhism is different even among the Buddhists themselves, since not all of them see the source of salvation in Buddha Shakyamuni, so Prince Siddhartha Gautama began to be called, but also in other Buddhas, nevertheless, the Four Noble Truths and the Great Middle One (aka the Eightfold ) The Path is recognized and revered by all Buddhists without exception.

The Buddha turns to the concept of the Four Noble Truths and the Middle Path already in his first discourse, embodied in the Buddhist canon. This is the most important, unshakable part of Buddhist teaching, which can be reduced to one concept - dukkha or suffering.

The Four Noble Truths formulated by the Buddha are as follows:

The first Truth is dukkha: “Life is suffering.”

The Second Truth is Samudaya: “The Source of Suffering.”

The third Truth is nirodha: “The cessation of suffering.”

The Fourth Truth is Magga: “The path leading to the cessation of suffering.”

Let's try to consider what these truths are, which billions (!) of people around the world have been talking about for thousands of years.

First of all, let's think about what human life really is?

According to the Buddha, life is suffering. This statement is the First Noble Truth of Buddhism. Understanding that we all suffer is the starting point of all Buddhist teaching. After all, if this were not so, the heart of Prince Siddhartha Gautama would not have languished, he would not have known what it means to sympathize, since, in fact, there would be no one to sympathize. He would have lived the rest of his days in joy and prosperity in the palace, in the circle of a loving family, and would not have exchanged all this for the robe of a poor hermit in order to help living beings get out of the quagmire into which samsara dragged them.

Of course, we cannot say that our life consists entirely of misfortunes, just as it does not consist of only happy events. The statement “Life is suffering” implies that human life as a whole is imperfect and many, too many things in it cause us pain. And first of all – our own desires.

Desires... Even before a person begins to realize that he is a living being, he begins to desire. At first these are unconscious, so-called instinctive desires, such as the desire for food and warmth. The goal of such desires is simple and clear - survival. But the older a person gets, the more desires, often not at all related to the necessities of life, he has. People want everything: inexhaustible material wealth, indestructible health, dizzying love, passionate sex, a brilliant career, a variety of entertainment, and so on and so forth. However, the essence of life is such that we do not have the opportunity to realize our desires to the fullest. This does not mean that all of our goals, without exception, are unattainable. The point is that what we strive for either does not bring us the expected happiness, joy and satisfaction, or quickly “bores”, or remains unfulfilled. And - the most terrible and inevitable thing - everything that we achieve, we will lose sooner or later. No matter how much success we achieve, no matter what benefits we achieve, no matter how much money we accumulate, no matter how close a circle of friends or loving relatives we gather around us, the day will come when we we'll lose everything, as well as your life, and understanding this moment makes staying in samsara truly painful.

A person constantly strives for stability, tries to keep things and people near him, but he fails. Everything changes: people, feelings, thoughts, relationships. And nothing can be done about it. The impermanence, variability and unpredictability of the world is the cause of dukkha.

The entire teaching of the Buddha is built on the basic premise that dukkha is the most important problem of humanity: because of the way we live, life is dukkha for us.

Dukkha is:

Birth, aging, illness, death;

Sadness, lamentation, pain, grief, despair;

Contact or association with an undesirable person;

Parting with what you want;

The desire to receive and the failure to receive it.

And as a generalization, we can say that all five aggregates of clinging (body and mind) are dukkha. All this, of course, is life itself.

Many young healthy people are trying to protest against the First Truth. However, it becomes obvious to everyone the moment a person realizes that he is mortal. Often this happens when a person becomes seriously ill or experiences some other powerful cataclysm that instantly destroys the illusory happy world he has created in his imagination, or simply grows old.

The Second Noble Truth of Buddhism talks about the cause of suffering. In this regard, it is important to understand the following: Buddhist teachings assert that human life should not be as it is. It should not constantly balance between desire, satiety or disappointment, and should not be as unstable as this material world. And a person must be able to stop identifying himself with a bunch of endless “I want” that fills his consciousness, with a concentrate of constantly changing emotions that he is used to perceiving as his own “I”. And here we should return again to our desires, desires, the purpose of which would most correctly be called desire enjoy.

Whatever a person does, whatever he seeks, the goal of all his actions, in essence, comes down to the same thing - to receive pleasure. The state of constant pleasure is called happiness. A person devotes his life to the pursuit of this state. However, as we already know, in the world of samsara there is nothing permanent. In order to somehow smooth out the bitterness of disappointment, the pain of loss, a person begins to set new goals for himself, the essence of which is still the same - the desire to receive pleasure, the desire to fill his life with “pleasant” things to the maximum and an attempt to protect yourself from the “unpleasant”. The result of such aspirations is predictable. As a result, a vicious circle is formed. But, most importantly, it is not only the unstable world that we are accustomed to perceive as that is to blame for this state of affairs. the world around us, although in reality he is an integral part of ourselves. The culprit here is mainly the “I,” who is always thirsty for happiness and satisfaction, which we, aware of the instability of the world, for some reason strive to perceive as something stable. An attempt to isolate one’s own “I” as a certain separate unit, a separate “soul” from a single living organism, clouded by the veil of maya of the world of samsara, is the very obstacle that makes achieving happiness and satisfaction impossible.

And this happens thanks to such a phenomenon as “attachment”. We've been taught to view attachment states generally in a positive light. In Buddhism everything is different. Our attachment to anything in this world - be it a sandwich with butter or a living being - is suffering. If we can free ourselves from attachments, we will stop suffering. Even in this life.

And here it would be appropriate to finally formulate the thought to which the previous two paragraphs led us: Buddhism denies the human soul. At the same time, he argues that an individual is just a set of ever-changing sets of energies or elements. There are five such elements, skandhas: eyes, ears, nose, tongue and intellect.

To better understand this point, Buddhism gives the example of the chariot. What is a chariot? Is this a frame? No... Are these wheels? No... Are these shafts? Is it a collar or a whip? No. All this in itself is not a chariot. Only the totality of all the listed elements is a chariot. In the same way, a person is just a collection of skandhas, that’s all. Thanks to them, dukkha arises.

But why does this happen? Thanks to our senses, we receive certain sensations. In fact, these sensations are illusory, they are only a consequence of the action of maya, which does not allow us to see the true essence of things, however, we, captured by this illusion, begin to attach incredibly great importance to them. We see the world, we hear sounds, smell, taste, touch, think, in the end. We divide all these sensations into pleasant and unpleasant. We strive to repeat and strengthen pleasant sensations, despite the fact that this is not always achievable, and to get rid of unpleasant ones, which is also sometimes very problematic. This is how attachment arises. Attachment to the “pleasant” and rejection of the “unpleasant” (and rejection is also a kind of attachment, even with a “minus” sign) in an ever-changing world gives rise to suffering.

Thus, from a Buddhist point of view, we can say that any attachment in this world is delusion. The main delusion of a person - and, accordingly, the source of his greatest suffering - is his attachment to his own non-existent “I”.

Here the reader may ask the question: if there is no “I”, what is the value of human life? And why then the so-called moral behavior? Live as you want, do whatever you want, because, in fact, there is no one to ask. However, not all so simple. It turns out that reasoning in this way is a big and dangerous mistake, and here we come close to what is commonly called the law of karma.

The word "karma" means "action" and implies the following. While in the material world, a living being, one way or another, performs certain actions. Every action entails certain consequences: good actions, good actions - good consequences, evil actions - negative consequences. Example: you slapped someone. According to the law of karma, now you yourself must receive this slap in the face. And you will definitely receive it, in one form or another, depending on how you behave further. Moreover, the one who gives it to you will fulfill your karma, but will immediately worsen his own, also getting bogged down in this gloomy quagmire, from which it is very difficult to get out.

Following generally accepted logic, it may seem that a person who does good is simply obliged to live well, and a scoundrel and a scoundrel, accordingly, live poorly. However, in real life we ​​often see something completely different. And we, indignant at the injustice of life, ask ourselves: why? And we begin to look for the answer.

For example, the Christian religion answers this question as follows: life on Earth is influenced by the devil. As a result of this, good people suffer, and, naturally, they suffer more often and more severely than evil people.

Atheists say: chance, bad luck, and so on.

But in India this question is answered differently: karma. The reason for human successes, as well as failures, is usually sought here in past lives, and not necessarily in the previous incarnation. Not everyone needs one life to make amends for past guilt. Therefore, working out old sins can last for countless incarnations. Coincidence, as well as injustice (in the karmic sense), cannot exist in principle.

But the reader may ask: “Where is the justice? Why can’t you answer slap in the face immediately, while the offender at least remembers why he is being beaten?” The inhabitants of India found the answer to this question: the Cosmic Law of Absolute Justice gives a living being time to think, because his choice must be more or less independent and conscious. If a child, for example, is beaten on the wrist every time for pulling a kitten’s tail or senselessly breaking tree branches, tearing up grass and flowers - and so on over and over again, then he certainly would not do this. But for the Cosmic Law this would apparently be too simple...

Thus, Buddhists believe that if a person suffers, it means that in his past lives he committed many negative actions. Good deeds create positive karma. For example, it is believed that a person born into a wealthy family, the family of a leader, a king, a president, and so on, has positive karma. And the fact that among the mentioned persons there are persons who are clearly far from philanthropy, morality and compassion, the Indians were also able to explain: a person living in luxury very quickly loses goodness, for, as is known, luxury has the property of corrupting. It follows from this that one should not envy wealthy people: it is extremely difficult for them to resist the numerous temptations of samsara. Accordingly, their chance to incarnate in the next life as a beggar, a slave or even an animal, or even end up on a hellish planet, where there is nothing at all except terrible suffering, is truly great.

Thus, our current, even relatively prosperous, existence, according to Buddhism, is completely devalued by future adversities, which will undoubtedly be the result of our unseemly actions and passionate desires that we cannot control. A life full of hardships and adversity (within reasonable limits, of course) is valuable because it makes you think and start looking for ways to escape suffering. And such a search, quite likely, can lead to the path of spiritual development with subsequent growth and, ultimately, final liberation.

The Buddha noted the presence of three so-called poisons that chain a person to the Wheel of Rebirth, or, as it is commonly called, the Wheel of Formation. These poisons are: greed or passionate desire, ignorance and hatred. On the one hand, they are the product of human thought, on the other, they poison our consciousness. A poisoned consciousness is incapable of seeing the truth. And when we do not see the truth as it is, we begin to invent something for ourselves that, as it seems to us, is similar to this very truth. For example, the myth of the immortal individual soul. We become more and more mired in delusions, which closes off the possibility of changing our destiny.

Thus, through our own wrong behavior and wrong thoughts, we “accrue” an increasing number of karmic debts that will need to be worked off. Therefore, the painful cycle of reincarnation becomes the only available way of existence for us.

However, it would be a delusion to think that so-called “good” actions and “good” desires will give us the opportunity to escape from this harmful cycle. Why? First, not everything we consider “good” actually is. Everyone knows examples. No wonder there is a saying: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Secondly, the very division into “good” and “bad” is part of the effects of maya. Truly good deeds will certainly improve karma and ensure the next birth in better conditions, but just like “bad” ones, they will not allow one to escape from the wheel of samsara. Well, we already know about desires.

The only desire that does not bring suffering, does not cause a karmic reaction that binds us to this world, goes beyond the boundaries of the material world - this is the desire for complete liberation, the desire for nirvana. By sincerely putting this desire at the forefront and living with true love and compassion for all living beings without exception - be it a mosquito or a person, it doesn’t matter - we can say goodbye to the vicious circle into which samsara has sucked us, even during the time of a single human life. life.

Why do we emphasize the word “human”? Because it is believed: of all the creatures of the material world - gods, demons, hungry ghosts, the population of hellish planets, animals and people - only people have the opportunity to liberate themselves. The gods will certainly fall as a result of their own pride. Demons - this form of life is neither good nor bad, it is simply the way it is - due to a negative state of mind. Hungry ghosts are unable to think about anything other than the need to satisfy their hunger (remember that in Christianity, gluttony is a serious sin!). Perhaps these are the creatures that gluttons are embodied in? The consciousness of beings in hell is filled with pain. Animals are driven by instincts. But people... Buddhist sages say that the incarnation of a being into a human being is incredibly valuable precisely because this form of life is extremely rare! – gives a chance to break out of the shackles of the material world. And deliberately missing such a chance is hopeless stupidity. That is why Buddhism, which (let us remember those who professed Zen - one of the varieties of Buddhism, which we will discuss in detail below - the Japanese samurai and the ritual suicide accepted among them) in principle does not prohibit suicide in certain situations (suicide is not murder), does not recommends shortening your eyelids. What is the point of suicide if after it you will again be reincarnated in the world of samsara, and it is possible that in a worse form and in worse conditions.

However, the problem with man is that he is so absorbed in the satisfaction of his illusory desires, so mired in his worthless daily affairs, which he mistakenly considers to be something incredibly important, that he wastes his time in a precious incarnation.

As for reincarnation itself, I would like to draw attention to the following point: the Buddhist theory of reincarnation is fundamentally different from the same theory in Hinduism. The essence of this difference is that Buddhism does not recognize in principle any series of “births” and “deaths,” contrary to the prevailing widespread misconception. And all for the same reason: no human “I”, no separate soul exists. And if there is no human “I,” then there is simply no one to die, as well as to be born. But what then happens to a set of five elements, that is, a human being, when it appears in this world, supposedly exists in it, and leaves this world? And the following happens. Imagine a kaleidoscope. The colored pieces of glass in it are always the same, which can serve as a clear example of the law that says that nothing comes from nowhere and disappears to nowhere. Rotate the kaleidoscope - and a completely different picture is formed from the same pieces of glass. These pieces of glass are sets of elements that crumble and fold again with every turn of the kaleidoscope of the samsaric world. Or here is another example, perhaps even more understandable for some. Imagine a wave that, among other things, moves in a circle, with only one difference - this wave consists not of water, but of energy. Moreover, the energy is pulsating, pulsating incessantly, every moment. It is precisely these energy impulses that constitute everything in the world of samsara. And you and I included. Each impulse is the emergence of a new entity, which will be replaced by the next new entity followed by a new impulse. This point in Buddhism is indeed difficult to understand, but it is worth understanding it if only to stop being mistaken about one’s own eternity and immutability, one of the main and dangerous misconceptions of the human being.

Well, the reader will say, but why then does the impulse, which we mistakenly take for our own “I” and which is new every moment, feel like it existed yesterday, and a month, and years ago?

Buddhism also answered this question: this happens due to two phenomena - memory and karma. Memory and karma are what connect a series of impulses in samsara, making them feel like something single, indivisible and permanent.

Based on all of the above, two important conclusions can be drawn. Firstly, the result of our unseemly actions and passionate desires will be degradation, resulting in incarnation into a being with a lower level of development. Secondly, in this world everything is not forever. There was a funny story about this. One day a man came to the sage and began to complain about his fate. Everything was so bad for him! His house burned down, he was fired from his job, his health was not going well, his wife left him, his son was a slob! The man asked the sage for advice on what to do. The sage recommended that this man make a sign out of the board and write on it: “This is not forever!” – and hang the sign in the most visible place. The man did just that. Six months have passed. The man came to the sage again. He said that, indeed, everything in his life had improved. He found a new job, renovated his house, his health improved, his wife returned, his son came to his senses, he himself became a respected person! He asked the sage how he could thank him? The sage sighed and replied: “I don’t need any gratitude. Just don’t take down the sign..."

Nirodha - The Third Noble Truth, revealed by the Buddha, explains how suffering can be stopped.

The word nirodha means control. In this case, control over passionate desires and attachments (remember: to everything and everyone in this material world). You can extinguish the fire of desires by eradicating attachments. The one who succeeds will achieve a state called nirvana.

Since the Buddha did not give a specific definition of this state, Buddhists believe that there is no need to puzzle over what it is like, since a person who has entered nirvana will definitely understand that this has happened to him.

It is impossible to describe the state of nirvana because, firstly, it is something completely opposite to dukkha, but it is not a generally accepted paradise for any particular soul. And secondly, nirvana entails the cessation of everything known in the world of samsara. That is, it is not even the opposite of samsara (as the opposition between good and evil), but something completely different.

In this regard, some people may consider nirvana something negative, because it denies everything that is so dear to the hearts of most of the inhabitants of this world. But Buddhism claims that a person who has achieved nirvana is the happiest creature in the world. Already during his lifetime, he gets rid of illusions and delusions and the suffering associated with them. He learns the truth and is freed from everything that oppressed him before: from worries and restlessness, from complexes and obsessions, from selfish desires, hatred, complacency and pride, from an oppressive sense of duty. He is freed from the desire to receive something, he does not accumulate anything - neither physical nor spiritual - because he understands that everything that samsara can offer us is deception and nonsense; does not strive for so-called self-realization associated with the illusion of one’s own “I”. He does not regret the past, does not hope for the future, living one day at a time. He does not think about himself, he is filled with universal love, compassion, kindness and tolerance. Realizing that his life is suffering, such a person, nevertheless, thinks positively. But this positivity is fundamentally different from the one that an ordinary person can experience, enjoying a “beautiful and amazing” life (until troubles broke out for him personally), while at the same time, consciously or subconsciously pushing out thoughts about realities from his mind the world around him. For example, about the inevitability of death of the people he loves, as well as about his own. Such positivity, from a Buddhist point of view, costs nothing. Moreover, it is dangerous because it cultivates illusions.

But a person who has come into contact with nirvana is salvation for the world. He does not rebel in fruitless attempts to change a world that cannot be changed. He strives to change himself in order to get rid of the web of samsara once and for all. He is calm and satisfied. He is happy even while in samsara. He has come to terms with the fact that he is forced to stay here for some time, and all his thoughts and actions are aimed at only one thing: liberation. And this is beneficial for all living beings.

Here the reader may ask the question: “Isn’t the desire for personal liberation an egoistic aspiration?” Banal egoism, which Buddhism so protests against? After all, even if we are all a single organism, then when one specific set of five elements (that is, a human being) goes into nirvana or parinirvana, all the others, unfortunately, do not go after it. Buddhism gives a negative answer to this question. Because the desire for liberation is not controlled by the ego. If it were otherwise, all attempts to escape from the wheel of samsara would be in vain. But that's not true. The ego requires constant self-affirmation, constant support and recognition from other people. When we are praised, we are proud and joyful. When we are judged, we get angry or nervous. When someone else is praised in front of us, we feel hostility and envy towards this person. Everything described is the result of a negative state of mind, concentrated on one’s own illusory “I”. In this state of affairs, with such hopeless dependence on someone’s subjective opinion and on our own emotions, we cannot be considered free, happy, or capable of giving without demanding anything in return. Achieving nirvana eliminates needs of this kind. Thus, no one who has not eradicated egoistic aspirations in himself is able to achieve the mentioned state. Accordingly, the one who has achieved it is a being independent and free. But that's not all - he is able to see the needs of other people, is able to share other people's pain, help others live, and not worry solely about his own well-being.

Here you can pay attention to another complexity of Buddhist teachings. If, for example, Christianity openly says that our world is a world of evil and all possible benefits associated with the concept of “happiness” can await us only after the so-called Armageddon in a new, fair world, the transition to which for the majority is even righteous inhabitants of the Earth will take place only after their death, Buddhism offers to find happiness already during this life. And this despite the fact that any applicant for this very happiness must first learn compassion, in other words, develop the ability feel someone else's pain as if it were your own. Anyone who has felt what it is like at least once in their life will tell you how painful such a condition is. To feel such pain and be happy at the same time - apparently, you need to become truly enlightened in order to understand how this is possible...

Buddhism formulated the concept of “five hindrances” that lie on the path to achieving nirvana. These are the hindrances (nivarana): sensuality, weakness of will, laziness, anxiety, doubt. A person who learns to overcome obstacles achieves an understanding of the truth.

On the other hand, Buddhist sages recommend considering your own feelings that interfere with life - lust (passionate desire for someone or something), fear, greed, envy, laziness, as well as hunger and thirst - as your teachers. After all, it is thanks to the problems that they give us that we learn to think correctly, as a result of which many people have their eyes opened to what is really happening in this world.

Unfortunately, many inhabitants of samsara put momentary pleasures above everything else. So high that even the very thought of somehow limiting themselves - for example, in sexual pleasures, gambling, consumption of alcohol and nicotine, feasts, mindless watching of TV shows, and so on and so forth - is wild for them . And no calls to morality, no “fairy tales” about an “afterlife” existence will help them change. Buddhism claims that one can only feel sorry for such people, because their present is meaningless, and their future is obvious.

We now turn to consider the Fourth Noble Truth formulated by the Buddha. It's about morality. The Fourth Noble Truth, or the path to liberation from suffering, is actually the same Middle Path discovered by Siddhartha Gautama, which is also known as the Noble Eightfold Path of the Buddha.

The Eightfold Path can be conventionally considered a kind of cure for illness - suffering, the diagnosis, causes and method of treatment of which are described in detail in the first three Noble Truths. After all, it was not for nothing that the Buddha compared himself to a doctor who heals living beings from the most serious of existing ailments - from dukkha.

The eight limbs of the Eightfold Path represent the three aspects of Buddhist practice, including prajna - wisdom, sila - moral behavior and samadhi - mental discipline.

Wisdom combines two stages: correct understanding - samma ditthi and correct intention - samma sankappa. Moral behavior - three more steps - right speech (samma vaca), right actions (samma kammanta), right lifestyle (samma adshiva).

Mind discipline also includes three stages: right effort - samma vyamana, rightly directed thoughts - samma sati, right concentration - samma samadhi.

All the stages of the Eightfold Path are closely intertwined, so they should not be numbered in any order. The Buddha argued that progress on the spiritual path can be achieved only by mastering through personal experience each of the mentioned categories in unity with all the others. For example, one who leads a correct lifestyle is wise, i.e., maintaining a correct lifestyle is wisdom.

Having carefully examined the components of the Eightfold Path, we can understand that a person who has entered the path of Buddhist teaching and strives for liberation acts differently than a person who has surrendered to the cycle of samsara. Seeing in the teachings of the Buddha an opportunity to improve the present life and forever part with the painful series of births and deaths (for many, even one death - a loved one - is enough to understand that human life is hell and that it should not be like that), he checks all his thoughts and actions against the eight steps of the Great Middle Way. He tries to act morally and with love for all living things, because there is no other way to change anything.

Wisdom lies in the ability to give the right direction to your thoughts; the correct understanding of what is happening and your own correct intentions depend on this. Wisdom is not outstanding intellectual abilities, which, like any other abilities of the mind, are karmic properties. Intelligence can help in acquiring wisdom, it can help dispel delusions, but it can also contribute to self-deception.

We can also say that wisdom is the result of what has already been tested by practice, the cornerstone of which was placed on correct understanding and correct intentions.

Moral behavior means developing compassion, kindness, love, generosity and the ability to forgive. All of the above is manifested in how and what we do in this world. Are we saying the right things, are we doing the right things, are we leading the right way of life? Through this way of life, we will be able to reduce the suffering of many people and our own, clear our minds and open the path to complete liberation.

It is worth paying special attention to the fact that moral behavior should not be perceived by a person as some kind of heavy duty and should not be burdensome. It should be sincere and natural, and not bear the imprint of gloomy determination. Otherwise it will be of little use.

Now let's talk about the three stages of moral behavior. Let's start with the right speech. This is the ability not to lie, not to slander and, most importantly, not to bear false witness. Perjury is a greater sin than lying, because it is always directed against another person. A person with correct speech should not use swear words, should not gossip and indulge in gossip and discord in general.

The next step is doing the right thing. It is aimed at not hurting other people. Here Buddhism has gone further than Christianity with its call to humility in the form of the well-known proposal to turn the other cheek. Buddhism presupposes the possibility of not causing harm to others even if these others kill or rape you... It is not entirely clear how militant Buddhist monks connect with this slogan... But first things first.

And the third stage of moral behavior is the correct way of life, which recommends that a person not earn a living by activities that can cause harm to other living beings. Such businesses include trafficking in weapons and alcohol, slaughtering animals, and fraud in all its forms.

It is very simple to explain the need for moral behavior even without involving any religious doctrines. If a person is offended, rage flares up in him and the desire to repay his offender. It is human nature to act under the influence of emotions and random impulses, without thinking about the consequences. Revenge is often much more cruel than the insult caused. But even if not, what will the world become when the number of such conflict situations increases? Let us remember the countless wars, the bloody trail of which stretches almost from the very beginning of human history. Let us remember the custom of blood feud that exists among some peoples and what this leads to! Or another striking example is the Old Testament, in which the call “an eye for an eye” sounded. Some researchers explain this as a call for revenge, as a result of which a new Messiah was forced to come - Christ with a new law of love for one's neighbor in order to stop the bloodshed. Others, on the contrary, speak not of a call for revenge, but of an attempt limit revenge, to convince people driven by emotions to balance the crime with the punishment, not to take a life because someone stepped on your foot.

Looking around, we can see that similar phenomena, unfortunately, occur in the modern world.

Buddhists see the reason for the processes occurring in the world in the very structure of the world of samsara as a world of suffering and, in addition, of course, in karmic conditioning, which ensures the maintenance of samsara unchanged. Once a mistake is made, it entails a corresponding negative reaction, an incorrect response to this reaction leads to a new reaction, and so on. The only way to change the situation is to take responsibility for it personally and make a categorical decision never to participate in it again. Few people are capable of this. But there is no other way. Because in the world it's simple No there is no other authority other than ourselves where we can turn for help.

So, we have found out that without morality nothing can be achieved. But let us remind the reader that the stages of Buddhist teaching cannot be considered without connection with each other. Therefore, the doctrine of morality cannot be comprehended without wisdom and discipline of the mind. As well as vice versa.

The correct effort included in the process of disciplining the mind prevents and stops evil impulses and contributes to the formation of a good state of consciousness. Without the right effort, without willpower, it is very easy to go astray, succumbing to the many temptations of samsara. By the way, the position in which a person decides to “go with the flow”, allowing everything to take its course, is also an example of deviation from the right path.

Rightly directed thoughts are the basis for right effort. According to Buddhists, in the absence the right direction of thought efforts will be impulsive, blind and useless, and in the absence correct effort thoughts will be empty and meaningless. But without mental disciplines in general, morality will become only a painful obligation, and not a natural state of consciousness.

In order for thoughts to always go in the right direction, it is necessary to practice correct concentration. Concentration, also known as concentration, is very important in Buddhism in general and in the practice of meditation in particular. Right concentration is believed to be the basis of all dharma teachings. A properly focused person has the ability to keep his consciousness in a stable state and not be distracted by momentary interests, not to succumb to emotional impulses, feelings and desires.

Different movements of Buddhism carry out the practice of teaching in different ways, but they all agree on the importance of its three components and the eight steps of the Eightfold Path, which for each and every one will end in the same thing - the mystery of death. The Buddha said that one who, before death, managed to destroy the three main dependencies - craving, envy and selfish attachment to existence - should not fear either this moment or what awaits beyond it. Such a person will no longer suffer. His mind will be included in a higher existence, in the world of eternal peace and eternal bliss - the world of nirvana.

in the teachings of Buddhism - the path that leads to the cessation of suffering and consists of right vision, right thought, right speech, right action, right lifestyle, right effort, right attention, right concentration. V.P. “frees” a person from a number of this-worldly dependencies (ambitious pride, hatred, sensual passions, irrepressible desires, etc.). Principle V.P. recommends that people avoid any extremes - both sensual pleasures, on the one hand, and the absolute suppression of interest in them, sometimes reaching the point of conscious self-torture, on the other. V.P. in its original foundations it not only limited, but also in a number of aspects denied the behavioral repertoires of asceticism.

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THE EIGHT FOUND PATH

Skt. astangikamarga) is a doctrine of Buddhism that constitutes the content of the fourth of the four noble truths. The Eightfold Path is right views, right intentions, right speech, right actions, right livelihood, right effort, right awareness and right concentration. Thus, the eightfold path includes three main components: the “culture of behavior” (right thought, word, action), the “culture of meditation” (right awareness and concentration) and the “culture of wisdom” (right views). “Culture of behavior” is the five (or ten) basic commandments (pancasila): do not kill, do not take someone else’s property, do not lie, do not intoxicate yourself, do not commit adultery, as well as the virtues of generosity, good behavior, humility, purification, etc. “ The Culture of Meditation" is a system of exercises leading to the achievement of inner peace, detachment from the world and curbing passions. "Culture of Wisdom" - knowledge of the four noble truths. Following only a culture of behavior will lead, according to the Buddha, only to temporary relief of fate. Only the implementation of the eightfold path in full can ensure a way out of the cycle of rebirth (samsara) and the achievement of liberation (nirvana). Of all the four noble truths in the Eightfold Path, the Buddha not only states the possibility of liberation, but indicates a practical way to become a Buddha yourself, without outside help.

The Eightfold Path (astàngikamarga in Sanskrit) is one of the main foundations of the teachings. The Enlightened One proclaimed it already in the first sermon on the Wheel of the Law, explaining the path to the cessation of suffering and to self-awakening. This path is also called noble, but also middle, since it lies in the middle between two extreme Buddhist doctrines in relation to passions that torment the soul and lead to suffering: complete indulgence in them and extreme asceticism, leading to self-torture and mortification of the flesh.

The path that Gautama Buddha proclaimed consists of a gradual departure from the “three roots of vice” (malice, ignorance and craving) and a gradual approach to insight into the true reality of all things and, thus, to liberation and enlightenment, that is, true Salvation.

In Buddhist symbolism, the Eightfold Path is often depicted as a wheel with eight spokes, each of which represents one of its elements. At the same time, this path is the last of the four truths called noble truths.

What do these eight spokes mean, thanks to which the path proclaimed by the Buddha is called eightfold?

This is, firstly, correct views, that is, knowledge of the four noble truths.

Secondly, the right intentions, that is, the true desire to follow them.

The Eightfold Path can be divided into three main components that lead a human being to salvation in steps: the culture of behavior, the culture of meditation and the culture of wisdom.

Includes correct thoughts, words and actions. They constitute the main ones for believers - a kind of analogue of the Christian decalogue: do not kill, do not take what is not yours, do not tell lies, do not commit adultery, do not “get drunk” with pride, and also contain a list of true virtues: generosity, humility, good morals, purification and others.

If you follow only the correct culture of behavior, this will only lead to temporary relief of karma, but will not free you from samsara (the cycle of rebirth).

The culture of meditation includes true awareness of the world and oneself, complete concentration of thoughts. In essence, this is a system of special exercises with which you can achieve inner peace, distance yourself from the bustle of the world and curb your passions.

But without a culture of behavior and a culture of wisdom, the culture of meditation will turn into just gymnastics, capable only of improving the well-being of the body.

The culture of wisdom is the correct views and intentions, knowledge about the noble truths of Buddhism.

But, as they say, the one who walks can master the road, and therefore simply having the right knowledge is not enough to find yourself at the end of the path of Salvation. Breaking the chain of samsara and achieving nirvana, that is, complete liberation from samsara and true enlightenment, is possible only when you fully follow all the elements of the eightfold path. By following this ancient path, which is not for nothing called the “true path,” you can yourself, without outside help, achieve Enlightenment and become a Buddha.

This is how Buddha Gautama himself describes this path of Salvation - the eightfold path: “And I saw the ancient path along which the truly self-awakened of ancient times walked... And when I walked this road, I comprehended the true knowledge of aging and death (that is, suffering), the true knowledge of the origin of aging and death (i.e. desire), true knowledge of the cessation of aging and death (i.e. renunciation of desires) and true knowledge of the path that leads to the cessation of aging and death (i.e. the path to nirvana)... Having received this, I revealed he showed this path to monks, nuns and secular people...”

The Eightfold Noble Path in Buddhism is one of the teachings of the Buddha. It involves cleansing the soul and body from suffering. Buddha himself walked this road in his time, and now it is an example for inheritance, which monks and ordinary lay people look up to. By stepping on it, people achieve insight and real awareness of the nature of all things, get rid of three vicious qualities of character: ignorance, thirst and anger. A person needs to master eight rules, which is why the path is called eightfold. Its symbol is a steering wheel, which has the same number of branches, each of which symbolizes one of the truths (more about). The person is presented as the captain of a ship, following a pious route towards his goal.

Correct behavior

It lies in the deeds and actions of a person, his attitude towards other people. It should not bring harm to society as a whole and its individual members. There are five mandatory commandments that every layman must adhere to. This is abstinence from adultery and debauchery, drunkenness, lying, theft and theft and murder. By observing them, a person gains harmony at all levels of life: karmic, contemplative, psychological and even social. Moral discipline is the basis for other steps leading to wisdom.

Right way of life

The Eightfold Path also provides for this rule, which states: one should give up a profession that causes harm to any living being. That is, it is strictly prohibited:

1. Trade animals and people. Engage in or cover up prostitution.
2. Manufacture, order, transport, sell or use weapons. At the same time, military service is permitted, as it is associated with protection from external aggression, maintaining peace in one’s land and protecting family and friends.
3. Work in meat departments, on farms where livestock is cut.
4. Production and trade in drugs, alcohol and other intoxicating drugs.
5. Work the purpose of which is deception and fraud, the accumulation of gold and money through criminal means.

A correct lifestyle also includes avoiding the accumulation of cash reserves, excessive luxury and wealth. Only in this case can one get rid of envious people and their hatred, as well as the suffering associated with them, which is provided for by the Eightfold Path and its main canons.

Right Awareness

This refers to continuous work on one’s inner world, curbing wicked desires, and controlling bad deeds. Vigilance and mindfulness, turning away from craving and worry towards peace is the path followed by all Buddhist monks. At the same time, the mind must be clear and calm, assessing the internal state and directing energy in the right pious direction.

Correct speech

Of course, this is abstaining from coarse, indecent words. The Eightfold Path is impossible without refusing to spread slander and rumors, stupidity and insults. You cannot sow discord among people, which leads to enmity and hatred. The correct speech instead is as follows:

• It is necessary to speak soft and kind words, to be polite and sensitive.
• You can't be an empty talker. Each phrase must be presented at the right moment, carrying a semantic load.
• Tell the truth, present the truth.

This is the only way to find inner harmony and take the path of virtue. Correct speech is important not only in dialogues with others, but also in internal monologues.

The Right Effort

All your efforts should be aimed at observing the basic rules that the Buddha preaches. The Eightfold Path is difficult, so diligence and will will help you not to stumble and continue to walk on your chosen path. In this matter, confidence is also important, which fuels the effort and gives it a new impetus. You can develop willpower through special exercises, refusing to eat, for example. Only by curbing physical desires can you work on your inner peace.

Correct Concentration

This is meditation. Every person who sets foot on the Eightfold Path must learn to concentrate. Throwing aside all worldly problems, immersing himself in himself - only in this way can a layman achieve self-control, contemplation, analysis, and, as a result, freedom. Meditation in Buddhism is a very important thing, which will allow a person to open up, rise above his carnal needs and gain complete mental balance, calmness and independence.

Right View

This is an understanding of the law of kamma, the ability to draw a parallel between the cause of an action and its consequence. This is constant learning, knowledge of the Eightfold Path and. The latter are as follows:

• The truth about suffering. They are the eternal companions of any living creature. No matter where we are, no matter how we live, suffering still lurks. Helpless old age and death are encountered at every step and encounters with them cannot be avoided. Unpleasant situations and pain accompany a person throughout his life.
• Causes of suffering. The main ones are the desires and passions of living beings. Satisfaction goes in parallel with dissatisfaction, receiving something pleasant comes with disappointment. Having received what they want, people usually get fed up with it or lose it. And having not received it, they suffer from the inability to comprehend it.
• The ability to end suffering. This truth shows a state freed from any unpleasant sensations and pain, physical and mental. “Nibbana” is what the Buddha called him.
• The path to ending suffering. To achieve “nibbana”, to find harmony, happiness, balance and well-being, you need to choose the Eightfold Path and follow it until the end of your days.

This right view is one of the fundamental foundations of your path to nirvana. Having refused and managed to overcome worldly passions, a person becomes taller and stronger, reaching the pinnacle of spiritual development.

Right Intention

Even while still in infancy, a person must strive for this path. Parents, true Buddhists, are obliged to raise their children in such a spirit that they do not go astray from the right path. By instilling in them kindness towards people and animals, politeness, nobility and honesty, you give your kids a start in life. Having matured, a Buddhist no longer sees any other path, and continues to follow the right one, developing and improving all the good qualities of character.

Every person who chooses the Eightfold Path must make seven donations. It is not necessary to have wealth and money, because the tribute presented by you does not depend on a bank deposit and the availability of gold reserves. These donations are:

1. Physical. It lies in work and labor. Its highest form is self-sacrifice.
2. Spiritual. Kindness, sensitivity and attention towards others.
3. Sacrifice of the eyes - a meek, modest and affectionate look.
4. A soft face means a sincere smile.
5. Words - to be sympathetic to others, to be able to calm people down, to guide them on the true path.
6. Sacrifice of place - to be able to sacrifice one’s neighbor in everything and always.
7. A sacrifice of a home is to give a place to stay for the night to someone who requires it.

All these simple truths should be observed in a spiral: moving from the simpler to the more complex, while observing the canons of the already mastered stages and embodying them in every act of your life. The Eightfold Path and its rules make every person more kind, caring, sympathetic, conscientious, responsible, honest, and humble. His actions make the world a better place. And he himself is on the path to improvement, which, as we know, has no limit.

From the position of secular, that is, practical Buddhism.

• Why do we do all this: meditate, practice mindfulness, study canonical literature, seek enlightenment?
• Why do we strive for love, self-discovery and a conscious lifestyle?
• Well, or very mundanely, why do we need coffee, movies, music, going to cafes, etc.?

As a guess: then, to feel happier or, if on the contrary, to eliminate dissatisfaction and suffering from life, as Buddhists say.

According to Buddhism, the absolute elimination of suffering from life is possible, and it is achieved through the realization of enlightenment experiences. Step by step, step by step, until complete enlightenment.

The tools leading to enlightenment are meditation practices, teaching and mentors - as translators of teaching.

The entire complex of modern practices for developing mindfulness and meditation mostly have Buddhist roots. And Buddhist practices themselves are inextricably linked with three key Buddhist themes:

1. Four Noble Truths.
2. Eightfold Path.
3. Dependent Origination.

About the first two in this article.

4 noble truths

Or 4 noble truths, that is, those who realized these truths.

Buddhism is a very practical religion that prioritizes the elimination of suffering from life.

4 truths sound like this:

1. There is suffering.
2. There is a reason for suffering.
3. The truth about ending suffering.
4. A practical way to end suffering.

1. There is suffering.

Our whole life is permeated with a kind of race for money, security, a better life, knowledge, spirituality, enlightenment, entertainment, and we can continue ad infinitum. The main thing in this race is that the objects of aspiration are somewhere “out there”, and not in the “here and now”.

In this endless race for happiness “tomorrow”, in the whirlpool of thoughts about the past, the future, about ourselves, we miss the real happiness that is right under our noses, in this very moment.

At the same time, every time we lose something, do not receive something, receive something unwanted, we experience suffering and its lighter forms in the form of dissatisfaction.

In the canonical texts it is formulated as follows:

• Loss of what you want;
• Not getting what you want;
• Getting what you don't want.

All this leads to suffering.

Moreover, obtaining the “desired” also subsequently leads to suffering, since sooner or later we lose the “desired”, and the pleasure itself is fleeting. This also applies to the joy of a new car, a vacation, a new relationship, etc. Impermanence itself already contains the seed of suffering.

With the understanding of this truth, the search begins, the Path begins. We realize that a new car, a new job, a new partner, a trip to a restaurant, money and all the like do not lead to “happiness”.

There is a reason for suffering.

The cause of suffering is passionate desire. This is our eternal desire for something or a form of repulsion from something. You can call this a rejection of reality, a rejection of ourselves as we are.

With each experience of enlightenment, an avalanche-like weakening of the power of passionate desire occurs. This changes the life of the bearer of such experience phenomenally. Buddhism divides enlightenment into a gradual process consisting of 4 steps. The last stage represents complete liberation from suffering.

1. About ending suffering.

This truth says that it is possible to exist outside of suffering. That is, life without passionate desire.

The path to eliminating suffering.

Eightfold Path. The so-called middle path, a path without extremes, accessible to any person.

Eightfold Path

The entire path is formulated in 8 points.

1. Right Views;
2. Right Aspiration;
3. Correct Speech;
4. Right Action;
5. Right Livelihood;
6. Right Effort;
7. Right Mindfulness;
8. Correct Focus of Mind.

Some of the points relate to morality, some to practices of working with the mind and consciousness, and some to understanding the teaching.

1. Correct views.

"...And what, friends, is right view? Knowledge of suffering, knowledge of the source of suffering, knowledge of the cessation of suffering, knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of suffering. This is called right view" (text from the Buddhist suttas).

That is, knowledge and understanding of the four noble truths is the main driver on the path to awakening.

1. Correct aspiration.

"...And what, friends, is right aspiration? The aspiration for renunciation, the aspiration for non-ill-will, the aspiration for non-cruelty. This is called the right aspiration" (text from the Buddhist suttas).

This refers to the desire to reduce vanity, material accumulation and increase attention to the spiritual path.

The idea of ​​the eightfold path is to bring the mind and consciousness into a state of equanimity, non-grasping, and surrender of control.

Malice and cruelty are conditions in which the possibility of moving along the spiritual path is practically excluded, especially in terms of practice.

Speaking in “technical” language, the experience of awakening is preceded by a state called nirodha, cessation, and until a person’s mind reaches a state of equanimity and serenity, it is simply impossible to enter this state. Therefore, they say that the experience of enlightenment Nibbana (Nirvana) cannot be obtained or achieved, but conditions can be created under which this experience becomes possible.

A person who experiences unkindness and cruelty in life simply will not be able to calm his mind and go into a state of mental cessation, nirodha.

1. Correct speech.

"...And what, friends, is right speech? Abstaining from lying, refraining from malicious speech, refraining from rude speech, refraining from empty chatter. This is called right speech" (text from the Buddhist suttas).

This and the next two points relate to morality.

This point also has a very practical purpose - to keep the mind calm. The most significant influence on the state of mind is our contacts with other people. Lies, quarrels - all this resonates in our mind for a very long time and has a negative impact on practice.

And if the conversations are idle, then they are somehow connected with passionate desire. The kindling of passionate desire, according to Dependent Origination, subsequently leads to suffering (not getting what you want, losing what you want, and getting what you don’t want). At the very least, it simply pops up in meditations as anxiety, interference and distraction.

1. Correct actions.

"...And what, friends, is right action? Abstinence from killing living beings, abstaining from taking what is not given, abstaining from unvirtuous behavior in sensual pleasures. This is called right action" (text from the Buddhist suttas).

In Buddhist teachings, for ordinary people, a code of 5 precepts is assumed, which in essence is the content of points 3, 4, 5 of the morality section. There are similar instructions in many other faiths, and behind them there is a deep and important meaning for life.

Prescriptions:

1. Do not take the life of a living creature;
2. Do not take what was not given;
3. Not commit adultery (meaning a sexual act that could cause pain to someone);
4. Do not lie or slander;
5. Do not take mind-numbing substances.

Prescriptions are a kind of instructions for a happy life. Even without the experience of enlightenment, simply following these rules leads to a significant improvement in relationships with yourself, the people around you, and an improvement in the quality of life in general.

However, the purpose of following the regulations is primarily mental hygiene. Compliance with the precepts greatly influences the state of mind, and therefore the formal practice itself.

1. Right means of living.

“... And what, friends, is the right means of living? Here is a disciple of the Noble Ones, having abandoned the wrong means of life, makes a living by the right means. This is called the right means of life” (text from the Buddhist suttas).

Buddhism has a formulated list of professions that should not be engaged in, but let's look at this from the perspective of practice and progress along the Path.

The experience of awakening becomes possible when the consciousness is in a state of serenity, in a state of surrendering control, in complete peace. If our way of earning a living satisfies us and does not cause anyone anything for which we can reproach ourselves, we quickly move along the Path. If our relationships, work and other most important areas of life flood our minds with worry and self-reproach, then we can practice for years, but progress will be very slow.

If you are in such a situation, then the solution may be to go to a retreat, where, in complete silence and separation from life’s problems, it becomes possible to go as deep as possible into yourself.

1. The right effort.

"...And what is, friends, the right effort? Here a monk makes an effort for the sake of the non-arising of unarisen evil states. He makes an effort, generates zeal, directs his mind to it, tries. He makes an effort to stop the arising evil states. He makes an effort, generates zeal , directs the mind to this, tries. He makes efforts for the sake of the emergence of unarisen beneficial states. He makes an effort, generates zeal, directs the mind towards this, tries. He makes an effort, generates zeal, directs his mind towards it, tries” (text from Buddhist suttas).

This point was implemented technically by the Buddhist monk Bhante Vimalaramsi in the form of the 6P tool.

This point also includes the practice of metta, which significantly reprograms our mind by helping us spend more and more time in “beneficial” states of consciousness and in the “here and now.”

1. Correct awareness.

"...And what, friends, is right mindfulness? Here a monk abides in contemplation of the body as a body, being resolute, alert, aware, having eliminated greed for the world and sorrow for its temptations. He abides in contemplation of feelings as feelings, being resolute, alert, conscious, having eliminated greed for the world and sorrow for its temptations. He abides in contemplation of the mind as mind, being determined, alert, aware, having eliminated greed for the world and sorrow for its temptations. He abides in contemplation of mental objects as mental objects, being determined. alert, mindful, eliminating greed for the world and sorrow for its temptations. This is called right mindfulness" (text from the Buddhist suttas).

Mindfulness is a key factor on the path to a happy and conscious life.

The original wording goes like this:

Mindfulness is the mindfulness of observing the movement of the mind's attention from object to object.

Where the formal practice of sitting meditation ends, the practice of mindfulness begins. Essentially this is the same process. Spending even just ten minutes a day in the “here and now” significantly develops awareness. However, while this factor is poorly developed, it is very difficult to notice how the mind diverts attention to the past, future, and endless thoughts about oneself. Tool 6P to help.

1. Correct concentration of mind.

"...And what, monks, is the noble right composure of the mind with its supports and auxiliaries, namely, right views, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right way of life, right effort and right awareness? The unity of mind endowed with these seven factors, is called noble correct composure of the mind with its supports and auxiliaries" (text from the Buddhist suttas).

This point is usually translated as “Correct concentration,” but practice shows that the meaning of composure is closer than concentration. This is a kind of fruit from following the previous points of the Eightfold Path.

In meditation, composure of the mind is expressed as a particularly pure state of consciousness, against the background of which even the most subtle movements and tensions of the mind are visible. Their observation and use of the “7 Factors of Enlightenment” tool ultimately leads to a complete stoppage of the mind, nirodha. This is not Nibbana yet, but already a “waiting room”.

The Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path and their corollary, insight into Dependent Origination, are the three pillars of Buddhist teaching.

But we are talking here about practical steps towards a happy and conscious life, towards awakening, then I will paraphrase: The Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path and, their consequence - insight into Dependent Origination - are the road map on the path to the experience of awakening. Moreover, it is not at all necessary to become a Buddhist for this. That is, it doesn’t matter who you are, what religion you are, or where you are now.

And another important point, the desire for spirituality, for the benefits that enlightenment gives - this is also a form of passionate desire, the same materialism, only spiritual. All this is good for convincing your mind and starting to Follow the Path, but then it is important to simply forget about it.

The article reflects a private view of the main Buddhist themes, passed through the prism of practical experience.

The text uses fragments of suttas of the Pali Canon Majjhima Nikaya translated by Oleg Pavlov.

Bright Path to everyone!

This article is related to the article "Dependent Origination and the Causes of Suffering."