Buddha Teachings In Brief

The Buddha teachings focus on the Universe within and the awakening of the human mind which is the same as saying the “end of suffering.”

Buddha showed his followers how to come to terms with their own mind. There is a raw desire in all human hearts but we need to learn to control it or at least be smart about it, because the craving and clinging to those desires are the roots of universal dissatisfaction.

Our Mind is Like a Wild Monkey:

The Buddha teachings refer to the mind as a wild monkey. A monkey that is compulsively jumping from one branch to another all the time.

We do not control our thoughts. One moment we are here and the next we are assuming dreadful things about the future or completely immersed in the past... We think we control our mind but the truth is that we are the ones controlled by it.

Buddhism is about becoming mindful (aware of our thoughts) and therefore in control of our emotions.

At the core of the Buddha teachings we find the idea of balance. A middle way, as the Buddha himself calls it, between the extremes of self indulgence (pleasure) and self mortification (deprivation).

To find the middle way, also means to find equanimity (calm temperament, composure, self control).

How do we achieve that? By going deeply within ourselves and tapping the inner peace that is already within us at all times. This state of inner peace, no-mind or stillness is actually our natural state, but happens to be obscured by mind noise (the mental chatter).

Accessing that inner peace makes us serene when we are twisted by our emotions. This would be “the college” of life whereas where we are right now is like kindergarten! In ordinary life, we are completely twisted by our emotions.

The Present Moment:

At some point we all are going to die, all things will cease to exist, that is a fact. We have to make peace with that fact and not live in a continuous fear of it. What the Buddha said was simple; instead of living in the fear of facing death and decay, see the life that is now!

Life is blissful, there is joy everywhere… Open yourself to the beauty and the miracle of impermanence... If you look at a flower, knowing that that flower will be there only for few days, you will enjoy every minute of it. Every minute with it is precious…

Every day all the life around us is already so implausible, so miraculous that if we were able to be present enough to feel that life around us and feel a part of it, there would be no need to be anything different than what we already are.

About Compassion:

Compassion comes from understanding impermanence, transience and flow.

Everything and everyone is connected... All forms and all beings are aspects of the One Life that underlies everything. Once you recognize yourself within that wholeness and stop centering the feelings on yourself alone, then what naturally arises is compassion.

Aside from compassion as a central concept in the Buddha teachings, we also find the idea of the three poisons that keep us blind and bound:

• Greed

• Anger

• Ignorance

The Buddha said that our job is not to deny them. Instead, we have the power to turn them around into their opposites. Each time we recognize them arising in our mind, it is an opportunity to transform them. Instead of greed we can have generosity, instead of anger, compassion, and wisdom instead of ignorance.

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Buddha Quotes:

Best Buddha Quotes (Part 1), (Part 2) and (Part 3)
Beautiful quotes by Buddha that are all about understanding that the source of all love, happiness and wisdom is within our self.


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