Truth Index

Table of Contents Part 6 – The path to life Dangers on the path of life The teachings about vices Eight virtues Eight steps according to Buddha's teaching The succession of Christi Goal of the journey of life Literature

"Teach me the way I should go,
for to thee I lift up my soul"
(Psalms 143, 8).

"It is the LORD who goes before you;
he will be with you,
he will not fail you or forsake you;
do not fear or be dismayed"
(5 Moses / Deuteronomy 31, 8).

"Rather, speaking the truth in love,
we are to grow up in every way into him
who is the head, into Christ"
(Ephesian 4, 15).

dependency on man
idolatry of man
fear of man

"Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm,
whose heart turns away from the LORD."

"You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20, 3).

"Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12, 2).

"I will never fail you nor forsake you."

"The LORD is my helper,
I will not be afraid;
what can man do to me?"
(Hebrews 13, 5 - 6)

dependency on man,
idolatry of man, and
fear of man

a) to love God with all your heart, soul, and will and
b) to love your neighbour as yourself.

gluttony, laziness,
sexual lust,
vanity, anger,
greed, envy.

1. things,
the events in the world and

2. through thoughts and
fantasy.

a) through his words      b) through his posture     c) through his conduct

the talking the posture the behaviour

Feelings

Greed

Indifference or mollycoddling

to what kind of persons or events

1. lack of restraint or excessiveness,

2. to do the right thing at the wrong time and for this reason it becomes wrong,

3. to cause strife among brothers and

4. flight into illness.

1. how one can own things,

2. what pleasure they can give and

3. whether you can gain fame from them.

1. gluttony 2. lust 3. greed 4 . sadness 5. anger 6. apathy (acadia) 7. to seek fame 8. pride

covetous part emotional part spiritual part

in a high age,
the inability to work,
coming famines and sickness,
the bitterness of poverty
and what disgrace it means, to get the essential from others.

it can change into resentment,
into an unsatisfied annoying mood,
or into sadness.

despair,
discouragement,
bad mood / temper,
bitterness,
apathy; lack of concern,
sleepiness,
boredom,
flight before one self,
nausea,
curiosity,
diversion in gossip,
unrest of the spirit and the body,
vacillating,
haste and
irresolution

selfishness

1. abstinence
2. chastity
3. without possession
4. delight
5. indifference
6. patience
7. modesty
8. humility

1. you need to know yourself.
This requires watchful self observation.

2. you need to know the dangers, which originate of the vices
like anger, greed, etc.

external things or objects,
events, and
people.

It is not the fault of a fellow man,
when we are angry,
instead it is something in us,
which causes in us anger
as a result of another person and
his troublesome behaviour.

depression,
obsession,
schizophrenia,
insanity and
hysteria?

1. to register our conduct / thoughts,
2. to examine the preceding events

a) spacial temporal circumstances,
b) social conditions,
c) the behaviour of other people and
d) the own thoughts

3. to analyse subsequently the situation and
4. to evaluate our deeds / thoughts for example, name the vice

"Sit down, recall everything, what happened,
how did it start,
how did it continue,
where were you overcome by the vice of sexual lust,
anger or sadness,
and how did everything happen,
and explore it precisely,
and keep it in your memory,
so that you can unmask the thought,
when it reappears"
(Grün, 1979: 46)

a thought,
an intention,
a feeling,
a passion,

registrate your behaviour and thougths
examine preceding events
analyse a situation subsequently
evaluate your action / thoughts

1. the intellectual understanding of the vices,

2. the use of feelings to overcome the vices,

3. an appropriate word out of the Bible.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want"
(Psalms 23, 1).

" Depart from me, all you workers of evil;
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my supplication"
(Psalms 6, 9 f).

"... you shall open your hand to him (your poor brother)
and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be."
(Deuteronomy 15, 17).

" for the Lord your God is a merciful God;
he will not fail you or destroy you"
(Deuteronomy 4, 31).

"Be angry but do not sin;
do not let the sun go down on your anger, ..."
(Epheser 4, 20 f).

"Trust in the Lord, and do good ... "
(Psalms 37, 3).

"Do not speak in the hearing of a fool"
(Proverbs 23, 9).

"He who walks with wise men becomes wise"
(Proverbs 13, 20).

1. Life is sorrowful.
2. Causes of our sufferings are the incessant pushing cravings and wishes.
3. When we recognize that we can free ourselves from suffering.
4. You can achieve it by following the eightfold path.

the knowledge of the 4 noble truths
with the eightfold path and
the 5 laws or precepts.

our cravings and wishes

of suffering,
the origin of suffering,
the extinction of suffering and
the path to the extinction of suffering

Know about the evil,
about future evil,
know about how to stop the evil,
Know about the path which leads to the end of the evil.

peaceable nature / behaviour,
to be free from hate, and
contempt or disdain of worldly goods

to strive for renunciation, self-denial,
to strive for goodness,
to strive for kindness

not to lie,
not to denounce,
not to scold and curse
not to foolishly chatter

Abstention from lies,
slander,
insult and
futile talk.

not to kill,
not to steal,
not to whore.

not to kill,
not to take, what isn't given,
not to surrender to carnal desires or pleasures.

to do business with weapons, living creatures, flesh,
poison, and intoxicating drinks.
In addition don't strive for profit and don't cheat.

The student of the noble path has stopped
the wrong manner, to earn his livelihood.

1. step right knowledge
2. step right attitude
3. step right speaking
4. step right doing
5. step right striving

1. the law of not to kill
2. the law of not to steal
3. the law of not to lie
4. the law of not to whore
5. the law of not to drink intoxicating drinks.

1. not to allow evil thoughts and wishes,
2. to extinguish evil drives of which you are conscious,
3. to develop innate good inclinations,
4. to bring existing good dispositions to fruition.

may remain,
may not be darkened,
may multiply,
overflow,
develop and
become perfect,

he uses his will,
makes an effort,
employs his energy,
harnesses and masters his mind and spirit.

1. body observation,
2. observation of feelings
3. mind observation and
4. mind object observation.

1. the step of silence of mind
2. the meditating person reaches the so called clear gaze
3. the step of equanimity-feeling of happiness
4. the fourth step consists of absolute serenity
5. with this step the meditating person enters the infinity of space
6. the infinity of consciousness
7. the realm of not being
8. neither-perception-nor-not perception
9. the "Nirvana" is reached.

6. right effort
7. right watchfulness         training of mind
8. right meditation

the 9th law       Look up the Ten Commandments in 2. Moses / Exodus 20, 2 - 17.

the 6th, 7th, and 8th law

You shall not covet.

which gives him light on his way,
and through the truth leads to life.

requires of man to turn to God by means of prayers,
and to practise the succession of Jesus Christ.

1 Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.
2 O my soul, you have said to the LORD,
"You are my Lord,
My goodness is nothing apart from you."

3 As for the saints who are on the earth,
They are the excellent ones,
in "whom is all my delight."
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied,
who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer;
Nor take up their names on my lips.

5 O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.

7 I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

8 I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.

10 For You will not leave my flesh in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

I am the Light I am the Path I am the Truth I am Life I go before you I am your God

you don't see me. you don't walk it. you don't seek me. you don't want me. you don't follow me. you don't pray.

"I am the light of the world.
He who follows Me,
shall not walk in darkness,
but have the light of life"
(John 8, 12).

"If you abide in My word,
you are My disciples indeed.

And you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free"
(John 8, 31 - 32).

"But he who does the truth comes to the light;
that his deeds may be clearly seen,
that they have been done in God"
(John 3, 21).

"I am the way,
the truth,
and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me"
(John 14, 6).

freedom, light, life

"And the world is passing away,
and the lust of it.

But he
who does the will of God
abides forever"
(1. John 2, 17).

drives,
covetous wishes,
excessive needs,
desire for power,
negative emotions, which make us blind for reality,
violent affects, which confuse us and hinder our view for God.

to the narrow gate and to peace,
as well as the experienced


dangers,
difficulty and
acquaintances.

drives,
covetous wishes,
excessive needs,
desire for power,
negative emotions, which make us blind for reality,
violent affects, which confuse us and hinder our view for God.

Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (1982)
Einheitsübersetzung der Bibel (1978)
Die Elberfelder Bibel (1975)
Die Jerusalemer Bibel (1980)
Die Luther Bibel (1984)