-~.The Four Boundless States.~-
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Kindness
Near Enemy: Conniving
Far Enemy: Hatred
To be kind from the heard is true kindness. To show kindness from intent on gaining something is conniving.
To abolish hatred, learn to be kind and to understand that to greet evil with a smile is showing superiority and wisdom over even the most vile of ogres.
Compassion
Near Enemy: Pity
Far Enemy: Apathy
Pity can sometimes be mistaken with Compassion because both are similar. But compassion is the understanding and caring of another's feelings. Pity is similar by being a temporary feeling of wanting to relieve anothers's pains, or a small quantity of empathy.
Apathy can be dessimated by Compassion because if you care about something, you
Sympathetic Joy
Near Enemy: Obligated
Far Enemy: Envy
Feeling obligated to share one's feelings is considered a false sympathy. If you have a friend, and they are joyous on an occaision which you may not be happy, yet the feeling of having a joyous friend makes you warm inside thus being joyous with them.
Envy may be abolished by realizing you should, instead of wallow in your misfortunes and envy a friend's happiness, simply put your misfortunes away and share happiness with them. In the end you will feel better as being happy for a friend brings joy out from inside, whilst being envious and complaining only adds to your problems.
Equanimity
Near Enemy: Laziness
Far Enemy: Apprenhensive
Sometimes a person without many duties seems peacefull, but someone with true tranquility will shine like the sun and bring peace to others as well.
Nervousness, Anxiety, and Aprehensiveness are evils which may be destroyed by training the mind to be peacefull. (By following the Eightfold Path for instance.)
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-~.The Ten Fetters of Existence.~-
Self-delusion -
When one lies to others, they (unbeknownst to them) deceive themselves
more than they deceive others. When one feels the need to be dishonest,
unjustly angry, vengefull, and narcistic, they lose sight on who they are
thus creating a cloud of "Self Delusion." When this arises, you are corrupted
and it is very difficult to clean yourself of this. By practicing steps like
The Eightfold Path, a monk can steer away from this constricting evil.
Doubt -
When one is doubtful of his/her actions, they are unsure of themselves and
their own abilities. With someone who is unsure of their abilities, they will
start lacking in their skills. Stand resolute, and have no doubt of yourself
or else you will fall trapped to the clouds of delusion.
To learn to be resolute and not to falter, a Monk should practice understanding
the nature of all things. Then train the mind to form a quick decision without
dwelling on it yet retaining ethics, logic, and rationale.
Clinging to Ritual
Changes inevitably arise all the time. With someone who is enveloped
in everyday traditions, they will not be prepared for change and it
will cause unneeded stress. It is wise to always be aware of change and be
mindfull that lives undoubtedly are disrupted everyday. If you are prepared
to accept the fact of change, then you shouldn't have much trouble adapting.
Sensuous Lust
Lusting for sexual encounters distracts a person from many things. One who
walks the Monk Path cannot be distracted by such petty things. They will
fuel greed and taint one's noble ambitions. To not give into temptation
is a hard lesson, but monks must keep their mind clear and be mindful of
their thoughts and feelings.
Ill Will
As soon as someone wishes misfortune on another, they forfeit themself to the
blunt side of Karma. Doing so envelopes one's mind with distractions and they
lose sight on what their goals are. A monk should try and retain a
peacefull and compassionate mind to stay away from this evil.
Tangible Greed
Having greed for tangible items; money, riches, land, food, and possessions,
can take hold and corrupt the mind easily. A monk should not carry attachments
to the physical possessions, and strive to be pure, because you cannot take
possessions with you to the afterlife. To avoid this evil, monks should
constantly study and practice following The Eightfold Path.
Intangible Greed
Lusting over power and status is a prime evil. True power is wisdom, and
sharing the wisdom for the benefit of people. If people respect you, and
adore you because of your benevolence and generousity, then this is more
power than any ammount of money, fear, or deceit can gain. If a monk
realizes this, he should not need to have geed for such things.
Conceit
Narcisism is quite a grand way to attain those nasty clouds of delusion.
A monk should always be humble and stay clear of this evil. Humility
is a very important aspect of attaining wisdom and enlightenment.
Restlessness
Being anxious and impatient is not a very endearing trait to hold.
When walking the Monk path, practicing patience is a way to attain
self-discipline. There are many who cannot be patient for very long,
but practice makes perfect.
Ignorance
Ignorance is quite the center of many conflicts. A monk should be
open-minded and should always listen to things in third person.
Gaining wisdom is a lengthy process, and ignorance is a surefire way
to set you behind. To avoid the pressure of ignorance, one must be
willing to accept knowledge and appreciate advice and opinions.
Remember, one can always learn from another's opinions even if you do
not agree.
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-~.The Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Noble Path.~-
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-Four Noble Truths-
1. There is always going to be suffering in life.
2. Suffering is due to geed and selfishness.
3. Through letting go of greed and living a selfless live, one can attain nirvana.
4. The Eightfold Path is a way to shed selfishness and greed, therefore attaining buddhahood.
-The Eightfold Path-
1. Right Views: When we understand and practice the teachings, it will become part of us.
2. Right Thinking: By purifying ourselves of the clouds of delusion I previously explained, we can be free of distractions and progress towards enlightement.
3. Right Speech: By not being niave and submitting to lies and rumors, we can become more understanding.
4. Right Action: By understanding your actions, and living peacefull and kind way, you will bring joy to people instead of bringing strife.
5. Right Way of Life: By living for the benifit of others, the community, and the environment, one can bring joy to oneself and others; thus moving towards enlightement.
6. Right Endeavor: By understanding our actions and integrating our thoughts in harmony with them, we will remove doubt and other evils like it.
7. Right Mindfulness: By honing our perception and understanding will bring us at peace as well as keeping us away from self-delusions.
8. Right Meditation: By constant concentrating on bettering ourselves, and seeking wisdom, we will grow quickly like a tree reaching the heavens, and find inner peace and enlightenment.
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