Experiencing the World’s Religions – Repasando ideologías, revalorizando tradiciones

Comenté en el post anterior, The Longman Anthology of World Literature que me llamó mucho la atención cuanto de la literatura antigua es de una u otra forma texto religioso, atrapó mi interés entender que en el mundo antiguo la religión impregnaba todos los aspectos de la cultura.

"The most beautiful and deepest experience a man can have is the sense of the mysterious. It is the underlying principle of religion as well as all serious endeavour in art and science. He who never had this experience seems to me, if not dead, the at least blind. To sense that behind anything that can be experienced there is a something that our mind cannot grasp and whose beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly and as a feeble reflection, this is religiousness. In this sense I am religious. To me it suffices to wonder at these secrets and to attempt humbly to grasp with my mind a mere image of the lofty structure of all that there is." Einstein

Experiencing the World's Religions expone las principales religiones globales, sus creencias, un breve relato sobre su historia y sus desafíos para el futuro. Mucha pinta de manual para mi gusto, pero en general me pareció una buena fuente para introducirse en el tema.

“Religion is the substance of culture, and culture the form of religion.” Paul Tillich

Así que, por curiosidad, me puse a leerlo en paralelo. ¿Para qué estudiar las religiones? El libro propone dos respuestas complementarias a la curiosidad:

• Tolerancia y apreciación de las diferencias: en un mundo multicultural, es valioso aprender a tolerar las diferencias, y mejor aún valorar y disfrutarlas. La variedad es un hecho de la naturaleza, y aquellos que pueden apreciarla no corren el riesgo de aburrirse de la vida.
• Ayuda en la búsqueda religiosa: Muchas personas no son explícitamente religiosas, pero pueden tener un sentido de lo sagrado y un fuerte deseo de sentirse parte del universo. Para cualquiera que se encuentre en la búsqueda de un camino espiritual, el estudio de las religiones es muy útil.

Personalmente me consideré Agnóstico durante mucho, y me sume al dualismo racionalismo-religión. Después de todo somos seres racionales, y desde Philosophiæ naturalis principia mathematica en adelante, no existe mejor forma de tratar de entender el universo y su funcionamiento que a través de la ciencia. La ciencia organiza el conocimiento utilizando explicaciones y predicciones demostrables, y lo mejor de todo si uno tiene 20 años y vivió la adolescencia en la década de los 90, la ciencia es falible y no me impone un código de ética (a los generación X generalmente no nos gusta que nos digan lo que tenemos que hacer).

Ésta falacia de creerse enteramente racional es sostenible por un tiempo, pero tarde o temprano hay que responder por las emociones, y en mi opinión, primero que nada por el dolor y el sufrimiento.

"In this world

Hate never yet dispelled hate.

Only love dispel hate.

This is the law,

Ancient and inexhaustible." - The Dhammapada “We are what we think”

Así que seguí el camino de la filosofía occidental, aunque con un vuelco hacia la literatura. Y dejé de ser un Racionalista Agnóstico y pasé a ser un Existencialista Agnóstico de la mano de Camus y sus novelas (algo que hasta se puede comprobar en este blog).

El Existencialismo tiene una visión del mundo bastante pesimista, y si bien da mucha fortaleza para encarar la vida (en muchos aspectos se parece al Estoicismo), la verdad es que puede ser emocionalmente agotador, y es algo que va operando sigilosamente por dentro…

Para mí, durante mucho tiempo las emociones representaron algo relativamente primitivo, lo importante en mi concepción del mundo era la racionalidad como única herramienta del hombre para distinguirse del resto del universo conocido. En todo ese tiempo, no me di cuenta del modo en que la música y la ficción funcionaban cómo válvula de escape emocional, es un poder increíble el que tienen las historias y la música de movernos, escapismo o terapia, nos permiten canalizar toda esa energía que a veces obstruimos.

Re-pensando esto, solemos creer que el ser humano es ser racional por excelencia, pero pasamos muy poco tiempo de nuestra vida siendo puramente racionales, tampoco pasamos la mayor parte de nuestras vidas siendo puramente emocionales. Para mí el ser humano es ser consciente por excelencia, y es característico de este alto nivel de consciencia la capacidad de la racionalidad y un abanico emocional mucho más amplio que el del resto del mundo animal.

A gigantic black figure

"About this time I had a dream which both frightened and encouraged me. It was night in some unknown place, and I was making slow and painful headway against a mighty wind. Dense fog was flying along everywhere. I had my hands cupped around a tiny light which threatened to go out at any moment. Everything depended on my keeping this little light alive. Suddenly I had the feeling that something was coming up behind me. I looked back, and saw a gigantic black figure following me. But at the same moment I was conscious, in spite of my terror, that I must keep my little light going through night and wind, regardless of all dangers.

When I awoke I realized at once that the figure was a "specter of the Brocken," my own shadow on the swirling mists, brought into being by the little light I was carrying. I knew, too, that this little light was my consciousness, the only light I have. My own understanding is the sole treasure I possess, and the greatest. Though infinitely small and fragile in comparison with the powers of darkness, it is still a light, my only light." Jung's Dream («Memories, Dreams, Reflections»)

La búsqueda espiritual responde mayormente a nuestras necesidades emocionales, pero no es enteramente irracional, el problema es la carga peyorativa que existe sobre la palabra espíritu en el contexto de una sociedad moderna e industrializada.

Búsqueda espiritual es buscar una visión del mundo que le dé un sentido en el que podamos y queramos creer, es buscar un lugar en ese mundo, es buscarle un sentido o un propósito a nuestra breve estadía en el universo. Todas las culturas plantearon respuestas posibles a estas preguntas, a esta construcción cultural realizada en la antigüedad se la conoce cómo religión, o cómo dice el libro; ¿a que llamamos religiones? Ordinariamente llamamos religiones una manifestación cultural que presenta en mayor o menor medida los siguientes elementos:

1. Sistema de creencias o Visión del mundo: Un gran número de creencias se combinan para formar una interpretación sistemática del universo, donde el ser humano tiene un lugar específico.
2. Comunidad: La visión del mundo es compartida y sus ideales practicados por un grupo de personas
3. Mitos centrales: Historias que expresan las creencias religiosas de un grupo son contadas y a menudo recreadas. A modo de ejemplo, la vida del dios Hindú Krishna, el momento de iluminación del Buda, el éxodo del pueble israelí, la muerte y resurrección de Jesús, o la fuga de Mohamed de la Meca hacia Medina.
4. Ritual: A través de la ceremonia, el ritual convierte la representación de un acto en el acto representado.
5. Ética: Se establecen reglas sobre el comportamiento. Generalmente son presentadas como “revelación” proveniente del más allá, pero también puede verse como guías de convivencia.
6. Experiencias emocionales características: Hay experiencias características que suelen ser asociadas con la religión, cómo la culpa, el misterio, el temor, la devoción, el renacimiento, el estasis, la iluminación, el despertar, la dicha y la paz interior.
7. Expresiones materiales: Las religiones usan una increíble variedad de elementos físicos como ayuda para generar el ambiente propicio a las emociones buscadas, estatuas, pinturas, instrumentos musicales, flores, inciensos, vestimenta, arquitectura, etc.
8. Lo sagrado: Se hace distinción entre lo sagrado y lo ordinario, se suele usar ceremonias para dar énfasis a esta distinción, utilizando un lenguaje distintivo, ropa específica, en lugares significativos.

Estos son los “componentes” compartidos por muchas de las religiones. No hay que perder de vista que la religión como categoría separa de la cultura y de la sociedad es una construcción bastante moderna, útil para el estudio intercultural y comparativo.

Casi con la sola excepción de “Lo sagrado”, todo –ismo (doctrina, teoría, sistema, ideología), presenta todos los demás elementos. Y es posible que lo sagrado esté encubierto u oculto y no necesariamente que no exista. Comunismo, Cristianismo, Budismo, Capitalismo, Mercantilismo, Islamismo, Jainismo, Nacionalismo, etc. Todos tienen una visión del mundo compartida, mitos centrales, rituales, etc.

En definitiva, me doy cuenta que la “fobia” por lo dogmático que se tiene por la religión, esta crítica desde una cultura post-positivista, es un exceso. Un exceso que primero fue practicado desde la religión institucionalizada, que como toda institución, una vez que adquiere poder, se reúsa a perderlo. En el caso particular de la iglesia cristiana, eran dueños de la verdad en un tema tan central como el de explicar origen y funcionamiento del mundo. Cuando desde la ciencia se empezaron a proponer hipótesis que contradecían estas verdades, se desato una guerra cultural colosal, que dejó como resultado una iglesia debilitada, y un paradigma cultural pro-ciencia y bastante escéptico en todo lo religioso. Pero la ciencia no puede proponer una visión del mundo, ni darle un sentido al hombre, y no hay –ismos que sean intrínsecamente mejores por tomar premisas de la ciencia en lugar de tomarlos de la tradición (la visión del mundo del capitalismo o del comunismo no es mejor ni más válida que la del cristianismo o del budismo).

Patterns among religions:

First Pattern: Focus of Beliefs and Practices- When we look at the world’s dominant religions, we see three basic orientations in their conception and location of the sacred.

- Sacramental Orientation - The sacramental orientation emphasizes carrying out rituals and ceremonies regularly and correctly as the path to salvation. All religions have some degree of ritual, but the ceremonial tendency is predominant in most tribal religions, in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, in Vedic Hinduism, and in Tibetan Buddhism. (Rituals and Ceremonies)

- Prophetic orientation- Stresses that contact with the sacred is ensured by proper belief and by adherence to moral rules. This orientation also implies that a human being may be an important intermediary between the believer and the sacred. (Prophet)

- Mystical orientation- seeks union with a reality greater than oneself, such as with God, the process of nature, the universe, or reality as a whole. There are often techniques (such as seated meditation) for lessening the sense of one’s individual identity to help the individual experience a greater unity. The mystical orientation is more common in religions that stress the immanence of the sacred or that are nontheistic.

Second Pattern: Views of the World and Life:

Religions must provide answers to the great questions that people ask. How did the universe come into existence, does it have a purpose, and will it end? What is time, and how should we make use of it? What should be our relationship to the world of nature? Why do human beings exist? How do we reach fulfillment, transformation, or salvation? Why is there suffering in the world, and how should we deal with it? What happens when we die? What should we hold as sacred? The questions do not vary, but the answers do.

- The nature of sacred reality- Some religions speak of the sacred as transcendent, existing primarily in a realm beyond the everyday world. In other religions, though, sacred is spoken of as being immanent; that is, it is within nature and human beings and can be experienced as energy or holiness. Sometimes the sacred is viewed as having personal attributes, while elsewhere it is seen as an impersonal entity. And in certain religious traditions, particularly in some forms of Buddhism, it is hard to point to a sacred reality at all.

- The nature of the universe- Some religions see the universe as having been begun by an intelligent, personal Creator who continues to guide the universe according to a cosmic plan. Other religions view the universe as being eternal, that is, having no beginning or end. The implications of these two positions are quite important to what is central in a religion and to how the human being acts in regard to this central belief. If the universe is created, especially by a transcendent deity, the center of sacredness is the Creator rather than the universe, but human beings imitate the Creator by changing and perfecting the world. If, however, the universe is eternal, the material universe itself is sacred and perfect and requires no change.

- The human attitude towards nature. At one end of the spectrum, some religions see nature as the realm of evil forces that must be overcome. For them, nature is gross and contaminating, existing in opposition to the nonmaterial world of the spirit -a view, known as dualism, held by some forms of Christianity, Jainism, and Hinduism. At the other end of the spectrum, as in Daoism and Shinto, nature is considered to be sacred and need no alteration. Other religions, such as Judaism and Islam, take a middle ground, holding that the natural world originated from a divine action but that human beings are called upon to continue to shape it.

- Time: Religions that emphasize a creation, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, tend to see time as being linear, moving in a straight line from the beginning of the universe to its end. Being limited and unrepeatable, time is important. In some other religions, such as Buddhism, however, time is cyclical. The universe simply moves through endless changes, wich repeat themselves over grand periods of time. In such a religion, time is not as crucial or “real” because, ultimately, the universe is not moving to some final point; consequently, appreciating the present may be more important than being oriented to the future.

- Human Purpose: In some religions, human beings are part of a great divine plan, and although each person is unique, individual meaning comes also from the cosmic plan. Some religions do not see human life in such dramatic way as Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and the individual is only part of a much larger realities. In Daoism and Shinto, a human being is a small part of the natural universe, and in Confucianism, an individual is part of the family and of society. Such religions place less emphasis on individual rights and more emphasis on how the individual can maintain harmony with the whole.

- Words and scriptures: In some religions, the sacred is to be found in written and spoken words, and for those religions that use writing and create scriptures, reading, copying, and using sacred words in music or art are important. Other religions -such as Daoism and Zen Buddhism, which show a certain mistrust of words- value silence and wordless meditation. Although Zen and Daoism utilize language in their practices and have produced significant literature, each of these religions finds language limited in expressing the richness or totality of reality.

Exclusiveness and inclusiveness: Some religions emphasize that the sacred is distinct from the world and that order must be imposed by separating good from bad, true from false. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are among the religions that have been generally exclusive, making it impossible to belong to more than one religion at the same time. In contrast, other religions have stressed inclusiveness. Frequently, such religions also have emphasized social harmony, the inadequacy of language, or the relativity of truth, and they have accepted belief in many deities (Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism).

Ya conté de mi paso de Racionalista Agnóstico a Existencialista Agnóstico, después de leer algunos textos Budistas descarto el existencialismo, la misma inquietud que me llevó por esa ruta tenía respuestas mucho más interesantes y razonables casi 2000 años antes.

Brevemente se podría decir que el Budismo resume su visión del mundo en los siguientes preceptos: El universo está en constante cambio, No existe una identidad permanente, Existe sufrimiento y pena. Desde este último precepto deduce: La causa del sufrimiento y de la pena es el deseo, para eliminar el sufrimiento hay que eliminar el deseo… “eliminar el deseo” es muy amplio, creo que una visión más moderada sería, cambiar la forma de ver el mundo y limitar el deseo a lo que verdaderamente nos importa y podemos conseguir. Una herramienta fundamental del Budismo para conseguir esto es la meditación, sobre todo el mindfulness, que ayuda a entender nuestras emociones, y ver cuando estamos enroscándonos en cosas que no tienen mucho sentido, esto último un habito exclusivo del ser humano.

¿Eso quiere decir que ahora soy Budista? No, o por lo menos no más de lo que en algún momento fuí Cristiano… no adhiero a los rituales ni me sumo a las comunidades de ninguno de los dos, pero tengo un profundo respeto por la figura histórica de Jesús y de Siddhartha (aunque no necesariamente creo en el Cristo y el Buda) y creo que predicaron un mensaje muy valioso para la humanidad. Igual que Sócrates, y a diferencia de Mahoma, ninguno de los dos escribió nada y todo lo que sabemos de sus enseñanzas es la decantación que hicieron seguidores de sus seguidores siglos después de su muerte. Diferentes fuentes confirman la existencia de la figura histórica de ambos, y aunque estas fuentes dejan lugar a ciertas interpretaciones, el mensaje básico de ambos es claro.

Perhaps Jesus’ most impressive characteristic was his emphasis on universal love -not just love for the members of one’s own family, ethnic group, or religion. He preached love in many forms: compassion, tolerance, forgiveness, acceptance, helpfulness, generosity, gratitude. When asked if a person should forgive up to seven times, he answered that people should forgive seventy times seven times (Matt. 18:22)- in other words, endlessly. He rejected all vengeance and even asked forgiveness for those who killed him (Luke 23:34). He recommended that we respond to violence with nonviolence. “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on one cheek, let him hit the other too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well. Give to everyone who asks you for something, and when someone takes what is yours, do not ask for it back. Do for others just what you want them to do for you” (Like 6:27-31).

Although Jesus’ nonviolent, loving message has often been neglected over the centuries, it is spelled out clearly in the Sermon on the Mount section of the New Testament (Matt. 5-7, Luke 6). In the world of Jesus’ day, which esteemed force and exacted vengeance, his message must have been shocking.

Do not judge others, and God will not judge you; do not condemn others, and God will not condemn you; forgive others, and God will forgive you. Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands -all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you. - Luke 6:37-38

El mensaje básico de la mayoría de las grandes religiones globales es el mismo, en marcos culturales muy diferentes adhieren a una vida simple de amor al prójimo. Una vida simple entendida en términos Budistas es restringir el deseo, en términos cristianos es evitar los pecados capitales. Predicar el amor parece trivial, pero esto se debe a que el último predicador del amor fue Hollywood y el significado que tomó fue el de enamoramiento, sentimentalidad, pasión desmedida, diversión y descontrol. En términos Budistas amar es evitar causar daño físico o emocional a otros, en términos cristianos es compasión, tolerancia, perdón, aceptación, caridad, generosidad y gratitud.

Como casi siempre, si me quedo con algo de esta lectura, es con la idea de que se puede vivir de otra manera y aspirar a otras cosas. Con la idea de que hay algunas “verdades” implícitas en nuestra cultura que causan más dolor que placer, más sufrimiento que felicidad. Perseguimos el sueño de la fama y la riqueza, vemos en high definition la ostentación de los opulentos, la exhibición sin límites. Las revistas se convierten en manual de etiqueta, las redes sociales son vidriera del límite de nuestra banalidad. El único motor de la vida es el deseo sin restricción, el anhelo voraz por acumular, la premisa económica básica de más es mejor. El resto es mediocridad, estancamiento, fracaso… O por ahí no, simplemente dejamos que los medios se conviertan en fines en sí mismo, y basta un momento de reflexión para ordenar nuestras emociones. Dejemos de querer ser lo que el ruido blanco quiere que queramos ser, y empecemos a querer ser lo que queremos ser.

The Basic teachings of Buddhism:

It is impossible to know exactly what the Buddha taught, He did not write down his teachings, nor did his early disciples. The only written versions were recorded several hundred years after his death, following centuries of being passed on orally -and of being interpreted in multiple ways. We must rely on the basic trustworthiness of both the oral traditions and the many written texts that pass on his teachings.

At the core of what is generally regarded as basic Buddhism are the Three Jewels (Sanskrit: Triratna; Pali: Tiratana) -that is, the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The Buddha is thought of as an ideal human being whom other human beings should imitate; the image of him, seated in meditation, is a constant model of self-control and mindfulness. He is not usually thought of as being dead, but instead as existing in a timeless dimension beyond the world. The Dharma (Sanskrit), or Dhamma (Pali), means the sum total of Buddhist teachings about how to view the world and how to live properly. The Sangha is the community of monks and nuns.

Surrounded in the India of his day by every kind of speculation about the afterlife, the nature of the divine, and other difficult questions, the Buddha concentrated on what was useful. He refused to talk about anything else- a benign neglect that has been called his noble silence. He said that a person who speculated about unanswerable questions was like a man who had been wounded by an arrow but refused to pull it out until he knew everything about the arrow and the person who shot it. The wounded man would die before he could get all the information he wanted.The Buddha wished to concentrate on the two most important questions about existence: How can we minimize suffering -both our own and that of other? And how can we attain inner peace? The Buddha’s conclusions are not just intellectual solutions. They are also recommendations for a practical way of living. Buddhist doctrines are not meant to be accepted on blind faith; rather, it is up to each individual to experience them first as truths before accepting them.

The Three Marks of Reality:

Common to all forms of Buddhism is a way of looking at the world. Although this view may seem pessimistic at first, it is meant to be a realistic assessment of existence that, when understood, ultimately helps lead a person to inner peace and even joy. According to this view, reality manifests three characteristics: constant change, a lack of permanent identity, and the existence of suffering. This view is the foundation for the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.

Change: Life is constant change, or impermanence (Pali: anichcha; Sanskrit: anitya). We are often surprised by change -and pained by it- because we do not expect it, but the fact is that nothing we experience in life ever remains the same.

When we truly experience impermanence, we see that all of reality is in motion all the time, that the universe is in flux. As the Buddha taught, the wise person expects change, accepts it, and even savors it. The wise person might also reflect that just as pleasure do not last forever, neither do sorrows.

No permanent Identity: We know that the Buddha urged people to abandon egotism and a fixation on material objects. Related to this, he denied the existence of the permanent identity of anything. There is “no permanent soul” or “no self.” The Pali term is anatta; in Sanskrit it is anatman (“no Atman”) because of the Buddha’s refusal to accept the Hindu notion of timeless, unchanging reality (Atman) underlying everything -people, things, essences, and gods.

Each human being, though called by a single name, is actually made up of organs, body parts, instincts, memories, ideas, and hopes -all of which are constantly changing.

Suffering: The third characteristic of reality, known as dukkha (Pali), or duhkha (Sanskrit), is usually translated as “suffering” or “sorrow”, but it also means “dissatisfaction” or “dis-ease.” It refers to the fact that life, when lived conventionally, can never be fully satisfying because of its inescapable change. Even in the midst of pleasure, we often recognize that pleasure is fleeting. Try as we might to put everything in our lives in order, disorder soon reasserts itself. In the midst of happy experiences, we may worry about the people we love. And there are times when ever-changing life brings misery: the death of a parent, spouse or child, divorce, sickness, fire, flood, earthquake, war, the loss of job or home.

Dukkha encompasses the whole range, from horrible suffering to everyday frustration.

The Buddha concluded that to live means inescapably to experience sorrow and dissatisfaction. But he analyzed the nature and causes of suffering much like a doctor would diagnose an illness -in order to understand and overcome them. No one can escape suffering, but each person can  decide how to respond to it, as indicated in the Four Noble Truths.

The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path:

The Four Noble Truths are a linked chain of truths about life: (1) suffering exists; (2) it has a cause; (3) it has an end; and (4) there is a way to attain release from suffering -namely, by following the Noble Eightfold Path.

1.    To live is to suffer: “birth is attended with pain, decay is painful, disease is painful, death is painful.” Having a body means that we can be tired and sick. Having a mind means that we can be troubled and discouraged. We have so many daily duties that our lives become a long list of things-to-do, and we feel like jugglers trying to keep to many balls spinning in the air. To live is to experience anxiety, loss, and sometimes even anguish. In other words, “living means sorrow.” Although the message sounds dark, this truth urges us to be realistic, not melancholy; it is also hopeful in the sense that if we recognize why suffering comes about, then we can lessen it.

2.    Suffering Comes from Desire: When he analyzed suffering, the Buddha saw that it comes from wanting what we cannot have and from never being satisfied with what we do have. The word trishna (Sanskrit), or tanha (Pali), which is often translated as “desire,” might better be translated as “thirst”; it can also be translated as “craving,” suggesting both an addiction and a fear of loss. We all have desires, and because life around us is always changing, no matter how much we acquire we cannot be permanently satisfied. Desire is insatiable, and the result is discontent, dissatisfaction, and sometimes misery.

3.    To End Suffering, End Desire: It is hard to argue with the reasonableness of this truth, yet it goes against modern Western notions. The Western tendency is to strain to achieve every imaginable desire. This tendency seems to thrive in cultures -such as many modern ones- that emphasize individual legal and moral rights, competition between individuals, and individual success in school, in one’s job, and in sports. Belief in a distinct and permanent self or an immortal soul may be the origin of such individualism. To our modern way of thinking, the Buddha’s recommendations may seem rather stark. Nevertheless, he himself left home and family and possessions because he believed -and taught- that any kind of attachment will bring inevitable suffering.

Buddhists themselves recognize, though, that not everyone can be a monk. Consequently, this third truth is moderated for laypeople. It is commonly interpreted as a recommendation that everyone accept peacefully whatever occurs, aiming less for happiness and more for inner peace. The individual should concentrate on the present moment, not on the past or the future or one’s desires for them.

Ultimately much of life simply has to be accepted -and appreciated when possible.

The essence of the Third Noble Truth is this: I cannot change the outside world, but I can change myself and the way I experience the world.

4.    Release from Suffering Is Possible and Can Be Attained by Following the Noble Eightfold Path: The ultimate goal of Buddhism is nirvana. (The term is Sanskrit; the equivalent in Pali is nibbana.) The term suggests many things: end of suffering, inner peace, and liberation from the limitations of the world. The word nirvana “blown out,” or “cool,” suggests that the fires of desire have been extinguished. Upon attaining nirvana, the individual has self-control and is no longer driven from inside by raging emotional forces or from outside by the unpredictable events of life.

Nirvana is also believed to end karma and rebirth after the present life. To reach nirvana, Buddhism recommends following the Noble Eightfold Path.

The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to Inner Peace:

They describe three main goals: to face life objectively, to live kindly, and to cultivate inner peace. Keep in mind that the word right in the following list is a translation of a word that might better be translated as “correct” or “complete.”

1. Right understanding - I recognize the impermanence of life, the mechanism of desire, and the cause of suffering.
2. Right intention - My thoughts and motives are pure, not tainted by my emotions and selfish desires.
3. Right speech - I speak honestly and kindly, in positive ways, avoiding lies, exaggeration, harsh words.
4. Right action - My actions do not hurt any other being that can feel hurt, including animals; I avoid stealing and sexual conduct that would bring hurt.
5. Right work - My job does no harm to myself or others.
6. Right effort - With moderation, I consistently strive to improve.
7. Right meditation (right mindfulness) - I use the disciplines of meditation (dhyana) and focused awareness to contemplate the nature of reality more deeply.
8. Right contemplation - I cultivate states of blissful inner peace (samadhi).