Whenever I reflect on the fact that I was able to earn a Ph.D. in Buddhist studies, living in England and India along the way and later teaching in the US and Hong Kong, I cannot help but feel incredibly fortunate. There was a time when I really thought Buddhism was the best religion (or philosophy, psychology, or way of life) out there. But over the years I have also come to deeply appreciate other religions and ways of life. I think we all can learn a great deal, both intellectually and practically, from any number of traditions.
Today, I want to dive with you into Buddhism: some of the central insights that I think can help you, even if you have no intention of becoming a Buddhist or even a religious person. These ideas and realizations can serve as markers on the paths of our own lives, steering us away from suffering and toward greater joy. These insights can be found in greater depth in Steve Hagen’s book, Buddhism: Plain and Simple.
Insight One: Things Change
Central to the philosophy of Buddhism is that the world around us is in constant flux. We might agree with this on one level, but we still want lots of things to stay the same. For instance, we get upset when our favorite blue plate breaks or—as just happened to me—our precious internet connection is lost. Since everything changes, some of the things we have today will be gone tomorrow. Again, this makes sense, but then think of the fact that we might lose a pet, a friend, or a loved one.
Such losses are hard to think about. And so most of the time, we just avoid the topic. But Buddhist teachings ask us to look into this topic, gently, in order to familiarize ourselves with this aspect of reality. Otherwise, we will be caught off guard when loss occurs, which is even more painful.
By thinking about change and loss a little each day, we become better at coping when things don’t go our way. We also hold our dear ones and items more kindly, knowing that we should not take them for granted.
Insight Two: 8 Practices for Peace of Mind
The Buddha offered 8 practices, or categories of practice, for developing a peaceful mind and life. These are listed as developing right: view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and meditation. To give the shortest possible summary of these, we might say: our actions and habits matter, our mind can direct us toward good or bad deeds, our words should be kind and true, our deeds should bring joy and peace, our job matters here too, we cannot afford to be lazy, being present is key, and mind-training can tie it all together.
Right view points us to seeing the world as in flux, over and over. As mentioned already, we tend to slip into fixed views of people and things. More importantly, we might think that we are fixed and unchangeable. This can be disastrous when we think we are stuck in a terrible rut or that we are fundamentally broken. We might even give up trying to do good in the world or find joy in our lives. For the Buddha, any kind of fatalism or determinism is a wrong view.
Right intention is the resolve to try again and again. When it’s easier to distract ourselves with games or romance novels or superficial relationships, we might give up on the work of seeing ourselves and the world in flux. With right intention, we can turn every frustration into a moment to be present and observe the flux. Every calm moment, every moment of boredom, every moment of fear can likewise be turned into a moment of opportunity.
Skipping ahead to right effort, the Buddha advised us to be like a musician of a stringed instrument: carefully tightening the strings to just the right degree. Too tight, and they might snap. Too lose, and they don’t really function. Similarly, we might oscillate from overly lax and lazy periods to thinking we need to work extra hard to catch up. Then we burn out or get frustrated with our own practice of self-development and give up, starting the cycle all over again. For Buddhists, self-cultivation is not a sprint and it is not about self-denial or harsh asceticism.
Last (to be covered today) is right mindfulness, which is the practice of coming back to the present moment again and again. This is a place of calm—even if it is in a sea of chaos. From here we can think through our action instead of simply reacting to everything around us. Think of a time when you or a friend literally had to take a few deep breaths to calm down. This was a practice of mindfulness. The thing is, most of us don’t practice this often, so we’re not great at it. Sometimes, in a moment of panic, we don’t breathe and instead act rashly, maybe hurting ourselves or someone else.
Insight Three: Practicing One Step at a Time
Seeing eight things that we are supposed to get “right” can make the process of cultivation seem daunting. However, we can start with just one practice. Just one small thing. After all, each thing we do matters. Examining our views, generating kindness and patience, aiming toward a livelihood that actively helps others: these are all important steps forward.
Whenever we feel overwhelmed with it all, we can remember the wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh, who advised us to “start where we are at.” Whatever our current situation allows and calls for: work on that. The journey itself may be long, but every journey starts with a single step.
Justin Whitaker, Ph.D., holds a doctorate in Buddhist ethics from the University of London. He has given lectures, and taught Buddhist studies and Philosophy at Oxford University, the University of Hong Kong, the University of Montana, and at Antioch University’s intensive study-abroad program in India. A certified meditation teacher, he is a regular contributor to Patheos.com, and Senior Correspondent for Buddhistdoor Global. Justin is the official blog writer for Sunflower Counseling MT in Missoula, Butte, Kalispell, Billings, and surrounding areas. He lives in Missoula with his family.