August 2010 Archives
The Buddha’s Eight-Fold Path
Throughout my spiritual journey I have been subjected to the opinion and judgment of others with regard to The Buddha. Many Christians would like to equate him with evil. I once gave my former secretary a statue of the laughing Buddha, which represents good fortune (and why you see him in many Asian establishments), and her father, who was an Episcopalian minister, in his spiritual ignorance, made her throw it away. In spite of all of the heat I have taken about The Buddha, I will stand strong in support of him as much as I do in Jesus of Nazareth. If those that judged really took the time to explore The Buddha’s philosophy, they would realize that these two spiritual masters taught the same thing. One thing I do know for sure, is that followers of The Buddha would never be found standing on a street corner protesting Proposition 8, which is probably why I personally gravitate to this Eastern philosophy more than traditional Western philosophy even though I was raised a very strict Catholic. So for those who are interested in why I love The Buddha as much as I do, here is an abbreviated version of a paper I did for a philosophy class a few years back.
Let’s start with a little bit of history. The Buddha was born, according to scholars, around 563 B.C.C., as Siddhartha Gautama in a small kingdom called Kapilavastu in India, which today would be in southern Nepal. The king knew Siddhartha was unusual and because of this the king consulted an astrologer to predict Siddhartha’s future. He was told that Siddhartha would be a great renunciate or Buddha. So to protect his son from this destiny his father gave Siddhartha many riches in the form of three palaces, all the material possessions he could ever want, and beautiful women. He had everything a man could ever want, yet he was still curious about the outside world. So at the age of 29 he took a chariot ride through the city, and after exploring the city several times, he eventually left the palace, his family, and everything he owned, and wandered in the forest for six years. He joined a band of ascetics and survived on one grain of rice per day, all in order to seek enlightenment which he finally accomplished one day under a Bodhi tree. This is when he became The Buddha, which means The Awakened One, and it is also why the Bodhi Tree became known as the Tree of Enlightenment.
The D’harma is a collection of The Buddha’s teachings which was written down many years after he passed in 486 B.C. His 45 years of teachings were meant to be read, recited, copied, and explained to others. One of his teachings, known as the EIGHTFOLD PATH, was an outline for others to be able to attain happiness through the elimination of suffering. Although it was written 2,500 years ago, this path can still be used as a guideline for spiritual growth today. These are the eight parts of The Buddha’s Eightfold Path:
- Right View or Understanding speaks to seeing things as they really are in order to be set free from the cycle of pain and suffering. We are the only one in control of our thoughts and our behavior, so if we choose to think negatively, or we choose to behave negatively, then we have no one to blame but ourselves for the suffering we feel which may be in the form of hurt feelings, sadness, loneliness, or loss. If we change the way we think about a situation, or the way we react to a situation, we can put an end to our own self-inflicted suffering.
- Right Thought or Purpose speaks to freeing ourselves from attachment as well as hatred. Being attached to someone else in a toxic way is not healthy for us or the other individual. People sometimes feel they cannot survive without the other. This kind of attachment is what causes jealousy if someone else gets too close to someone we love (that we think we own), and it also perpetuates the fear of losing that person as well. Hatred is negative in any form whether it’s toward someone we love or someone we don’t even know. It causes a negative vibration that flows outward into the universe and causes others to withdraw from us as well as returns back to us in another form (this is what is referred to as karma….which can be both negative and positive).
- Right Speech speaks to abstaining from lying, idle gossiping, slanderous talk, harsh, rude, impolite, malicious, or abusive language. If we speak with kindness to others as well as about others we will be respected and trusted. This is probably one of the hardest guidelines to follow in the eightfold path because it encompasses swearing and being verbally unkind to others. We all feel the need to let off steam now and then, present company included. I personally know only one person that I can put into the category of speaking to others with kindness at all times. This spiritual practice requires a great deal of awareness and discipline to master but it can be done.
- Right Behavior or Conduct speaks to reflecting on what we do or how we behave as well as our intentions behind our actions. The Buddha outlined five precepts for us to follow which was no killing or inuring of another living creature, no stealing, no lying, no unclean or excessive sex, and no drinking of intoxicants. Thou shalt not kill and thou shalt not steal are both part of the Christian-based Ten Commandments and probably not a surprise to anyone. However, I believe The Buddha was including animals when he spoke of killing others. Although many would say we don’t personally “kill” animals in order to eat them (someone else does) we are participating in this negative act by the purchasing of the meat that we bring to our dinner table. The meat industry is extremely violent in nature and many I feel certain, if they took the time to watch films or read books that have exposed this industry, would modify their food choices. With regard to excessive sex, The Buddha was not stating that we should not have pre-marital sex, as many religions teach, but more that one should not be promiscuous or obsessive about sex because that is when it transforms from being a beautiful spiritual act to an act based in primal need and impulsive desires. Although prohibiting the drinking of intoxicants may seem a bit archaic, I believe The Buddha set this guideline forth because of its addictive quality and the detrimental deterioration of the body when one consumes excessive alcohol. One of the more subtle parts of this guideline is intention. Sometimes people do good things for others because they want something or expect something in return. It is important to examine our intentions closely to assure that they are pure and that we are not attempting to manipulate or take advantage of another because of the power we may hold or because they have something that we want.
- Right Livelihood speaks to choosing a profession that does not harm or hurt others or take advantage of others for our own personal gain. It means making a living through honest, ethical choices. This guideline has surely gotten lost over the last 2,500 years as we have engaged more in consumerism and corporate greed. What about our military? These jobs require their enlisted to kill others in the name of war which at times is corrupted at its roots. What about selling cigarettes or alcohol? These are products that definitely harm the health and well-being of others yet if there is money involved, people will participate in the production and promotion of these products. A prime example of a good profession would be to become a teacher where one can serve others in a positive way.
- Right Effort speaks to having a strong will and abandoning negative thoughts such as greed, anger, selfishness, lust, or delusion which are unloving. The objective is to focus on our good qualities and nurture them so that we are doing our best at all times and having good will toward others rather than wasting our effort on things that harm ourselves as well as others. These negative emotions are not only toxic to us and our bodies, but to those in our environment as well. It is not to say that we should never be angry. This is one of the most common myths about being a religious or spiritual person (that you shouldn’t get angry). Anger is a normal human emotion that we are born with because in a flight or fight situation we may need to use it. It is what the everyday person does with their anger that becomes destructive whether it be vindictiveness, blaming others, or abusing others in a physical or verbal manner causing harm to them. Anger, if used positively, will help us to draw boundaries for others so as not to place ourselves in a situation where we can be harmed. There are times when we need to be selfish like when we need to take care of ourselves physically or emotionally. The type of selfishness that becomes destructive is when we have little to no regard for others in order to obtain what it is we are after.
- Right Mindfulness speaks to focusing on one’s body, feelings, and thoughts much like an athlete in training. The objective is to become aware of our negative thoughts and then learn how to restrain and control the mind so we can overcome hatred and ignorance. Being mindful is all about being in the moment, as opposed to your mind being caught thinking about your past and what you did right or wrong, as well as being caught up thinking about your future conversations, actions, wants, needs, or desires. Spiritual teachers stress living in the moment because if we are caught up in the past or the future, we cannot enjoy the present moment and that part of our spiritual journey.
- Right Concentration speaks to meditation which is a trance state that prepares the mind for understanding. As we quiet the mind negative thoughts are discarded and replaced with positive thoughts as well as awareness, detachment, and peace of mind. Meditation is not only a trance state, it can be practiced in a variety of ways, but the end results are the same. It can be done sitting quietly as we stare into the flame of a candle or a fireplace, or it can be done while we’re walking through the park breathing in the fresh air and taking in the beautiful blue sky and the lush green grass with flowers of all colors along our path. It is only when we quiet our mind that we can really become aware of our innermost feelings and the truth of who we are.
The Eightfold Path is a process of spiritual purification and following it can be compared to the nurturing of a garden. The mind is the ground and the thoughts are seeds. Positive thoughts and good deeds are like water and fertilizer and the best way to care for a garden. Negative thoughts and negative deeds are like weeds that we need to pull out much in the same way that we do in our garden. In the end, harvesting our spiritual growth is the only real path to inner peace and lasting happiness.
EAT PRAY LOVE
Last night I ventured to the movies to watch the highly anticipated EAT PRAY LOVE starring Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem.
I actually remember the first time I was exposed to Elizabeth Gilbert’s story. She was on Oprah when her book Eat Pray Love was soon to be released in 2006. I had drifted from my spiritual path because recent life events had been extremely unkind. But I also know without challenges we would never grow as human beings. I recognize now it was just cynicism at its best, but I distinctly remember thinking “Oh just what we need, another book about spirituality. So what she had a spiritual awakening? So what she found herself through her spiritual journey? Some of us found ourselves back in the 80’s.” However, once my spirit had time to catch up to my cynical mind I realized that everything happens for a reason and there must be some reason why someone of Oprah’s caliber was endorsing this book. That endorsement still wasn’t enough for me to run out and buy the book at that time, but it was always in the back of my mind that someday I might.
In 2008 I knew I’d be riding the commuter train to work and was looking for things to read for the 40 minute ride to and from. THAT is when I finally picked up a copy of this book and read it. Mind you, I’ve read zillions of spiritual books by some of the best authors on the planet – Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Neal Donald-Walsch, Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Jack Canfield, Gary Zukov, and many many MANY more. However, right into the first chapter I realized that Elizabeth Gilbert had a style of writing that was quite unique and fresh compared to everything I had read previously. Her authentic self intertwined through her hilarious sense of humor about her very personal and poignant spiritual journey, kept me captivated from beginning to end. It still took me a long time to finish this book because my eyes have grown weary over the years, and between working on a computer all day and then having to read textbooks for school, I rarely have the inclination to read a regular book if at all. If I do read a book I do so by purchasing the audio version so I can listen while driving. You also cannot read as many spiritual books as I have and not find the redundancy of concepts a bit disappointing. For the most part if I buy a book it sits on my bookshelf unread indefinitely and 95% of the time when I begin reading a book I never finish it. That was not the case with Eat Pray Love. It took me 18 months but I finally finished it and when I was done I still wanted to read more. Truly, it was one of the best books I have ever read.
Needless to say, as an actor, a spiritual seeker, and spiritual advisor, the release of the film version of this book excited me. I was even more excited when I entered the theater last night and saw how many people were in attendance. I’m sure the casting of Julia Roberts had a lot to do with its box office success, but you could hear a pin drop during this film. I do believe everyone was as enthralled with it as I was. Every frame was beautifully done and the film captured the essence of the book and Elizabeth’s compelling spiritual story. In interviews Elizabeth would remark that this was “everyone’s story” and I have to agree. How she found herself, through the pain of several relationships, is familiar to many of us. However, very few of us have traveled to Italy, India, and Bali to expedite our healing process the way that she did. She learned in one year what it took me 10 years to learn and that is what is so different about her story.
The actors in the film, Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem, did not disappoint, and Richard Jenkins also deserves an honorable mention for his work in this film as well. I believe the true success of a film has to do with how it makes us feel as the viewer. In my opinion, if a film can make us feel, laugh, cry, and more importantly, think, then it has surpassed mediocrity in its purpose. Eat Pray Love is the best spiritual film I’ve seen since Avatar and definitely one I would see again, which is not something I can say about most films these days. I’m sure this is the reason why Brad Pitt signed on as executive producer. As one of the more “evolved” celebrities in Hollywood, he was fully aware of its powerful message.
If you haven’t seen the film yet do so. If you haven’t read the book yet, do so, even if you’ve seen the film. There is obviously so much more to Elizabeth’s story that cannot be captured in two and a half hours so it is still worth the read. I take my hat off to Elizabeth Gilbert and I sincerely apologize for judging her book by its cover. It’s just another lesson in humility for me and one that I graciously honor and accept.
My next read, without a doubt, will be Elizabeth’s latest book COMMITTED – A SKEPTIC MAKES PEACE WITH MARRIAGE. The title alone makes me feel like she may have written this personally for me.
