Personal Response to Buddhism Buddha\'s

Personal Response to Buddhism

Buddha's Analysis of the Human Condition

In the most general sense, Buddhism teaches the importance of living a moral life, of being mindful and aware of internal thoughts and external behavior, and of striving toward wisdom and understanding. More specifically, Buddhism promotes those values and principles through the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.

According to the First Noble Truth, life is synonymous with suffering in many respects because all living things experience some form of suffering, frustration of desires, and loneliness. The Second Noble Truth teaches that the greatest sources of suffering in human beings are functions of desires and wants; according to that principle, the key to contentment in life is not the achievement of what is desired but the reduction or elimination of needs. The Third Noble Truth teaches that happiness is possible but only through relinquishing desires, especially those related to material needs. In that regard, happiness is a function of living day-to-day in the now rather than according to long-term goals. The Fourth Noble Truth is merely the proposition that the path to contentment is through the Noble Eight-Fold Path.

The Noble Eight-Fold Path provides guidelines for making sure that our actions, words, means of earning a livelihood are moral; it also teaches us to become fully aware of our thoughts and actions and to develop wisdom through upholding the Four Noble Truths and by being compassionate and just toward others. The code of morality referred to by the Noble Eight-Fold Path is defined by the Five Precepts of respecting life, respecting the rights of others, avoiding sexual misconduct and other superficial overindulgences, refraining from untrue speech, and preserving mindfulness by avoiding intoxication and other indulgences that interfere with mindfulness.

The Accuracy and Usefulness of Buddha's Analysis of the Human Condition

In principle, Buddha's analysis of the human condition (particularly in wealthier human societies) is tremendously accurate. In the U.S., for example, even a very modest income provides a standard of living that is more comfortable, privileged, easier, and luxurious than the vast majority of human beings living on the planet. However, because human nature is to continually judge one's contentment in relation to what others may have, few people are truly content or satisfied with their respective situation in life. Middle class people envy upper middle class people, upper middle class people envy the comparatively wealthy, and even the very wealthy covet the homes, possessions, and status of the immensely wealthy. In that respect, the Buddha's analysis of the human condition would be tremendously useful in connection with the importance of realizing that seeking contentment through the accumulation of material possessions or achievement of social status is analogous to trying to fill a cup full of holes.