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Which Buddhist teaching have you found most helpful?

Rick O'Shez

Rick O'Shez

Irishman bouncing off walls
I'm torn between anicca ( transience ) and pratityasamutpada ( conditionality ).

How about you? Which Buddhist teaching have you found most helpful?
 
YmirGF

YmirGF

Bodhisattva in Recovery
*Looks at the Buddhism DIR sign flapping lightly in the breeze*

For me, as I move forward, perhaps the greatest asset I have stolen from Buddhism is that of "mindfulness". I really cannot stress how liberating being mindful can be when integrated into the individual's every breath, movement and action especially when dove-tailed to the knowledge that each breath, movement and action could be ones last in this often charming world.

It is my hope that that does not upset any resident Buddhist's understanding.
 
U

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Rick O'Shez said:
I'm torn between anicca ( transience ) and pratityasamutpada ( conditionality ).

How about you? Which Buddhist teaching have you found most helpful?
Click to expand...

I like The Burning House in the Lotus Sutra. The parable talks about a father with I think three kids. The father saw the house his kids in was burning and he kept erging them to come from the home. He had an idea of what they liked, so since they didn't listen, he told them there were jewels and gold outside for them to play with. They ran out but found nothing. (Teaching: the ways of the Bodhisattva)

The analogy meant that The Buddha shares his Dharma in the manner most appropriate to whomever he speaks with. So, talking about mindfulness may work for one person while with my friends, we find our center around the Dharma/Gohonzon (Lotus Sutra).

I have a book with a lot of The Buddha's suttas and keep double crossing them with the Lotus Sutra. There are too many teachings but I love the one about The Practice of Loving-Kindness.

All the suttas/sutras help with practice. There literally are too many to mention. :confused:
 
Rick O'Shez

Rick O'Shez

Irishman bouncing off walls
YmirGF said:
For me, as I move forward, perhaps the greatest asset I have stolen from Buddhism is that of "mindfulness". I really cannot stress how liberating being mindful can be when integrated into the individual's every breath, movement and action especially when dove-tailed to the knowledge that each breath, movement and action could be ones last in this often charming world.
Click to expand...

Yes, mindfulness is a pivotal Buddhist practice. It enriches the present moment and reveals much about it.
 
U

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Rick O'Shez said:
Yes, there are a vast number of Budddhist texts, much to read and savour. My favourites are The Heart Sutra and some of the pithy texts in the Pali Canon.
Click to expand...

I have yet to read The Heart Sutra and I don't think it's that long. I went to a nearby university library and they had a good encyclopedia-like row of suttas on two shelves. If you'd seen it, you'd probably say, "uh, where do I start?"
 
loverofhumanity

loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
My favourite saying of all is this one:

Verse 103. Self-Conquest Is The Highest Victory

Though thousand times a thousand
in battle one may conquer,
yet should one conquer just oneself
one is the greatest conqueror.
 
A

ak.yonathan

Active Member
The Four Noble Truths, which when summed up basically teaches that the root of all suffering is ignorance. For someone who doesn't know this it's like them chasing a mirage, they won't find water at the other end even though they think they will. It's the same way in life, there are illusions everywhere, the person who doesn't realize this is doomed.
 
E

Ethics Gradient

New Member
Rick O'Shez said:
I'm torn between anicca ( transience ) and pratityasamutpada ( conditionality ).

How about you? Which Buddhist teaching have you found most helpful?
Click to expand...

It's hard to pick one as the most helpful but I do like the one about that monk who comes home to find his cave full of demons, gets rid of most by making them welcoming them and finally defeats the last one by putting his head into it's mouth. Good way of explaining how best to deal with your emotions and particularly those fears which can be hard to deal with.
 
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