Buddhism...Why Is This Relevant Here?

I didn't know that yoga came from Hinduism & Buddhism until I did my yoga teacher training. During my Hakomi training, mindfulness is one of the key guiding principles and they are transparent in that it came from Buddhism. By the third time Buddhism surfaced in my awareness was during my iRest yoga nidra teacher training. I decided if this underlying "religion" was going to influence my work as both a therapist and a yogi, I had to know more. I was raised Greek Orthodox and even exploring other religions was frowned upon. I had no idea what Buddhism was, I simply categorized it as another religion.

Buddhism is nontheist, meaning there is no godhead, the Buddha is NOT worshipped. If you want a sweet little origin story, I love Herman Hesse's Siddhartha. In fact, Buddha means Awakened One or Enlightment. In the process of awakening, it is important to acknowledge that life is suffering, which is the first of the 4 noble truths (universal thruths about being human). Really, this first truth sounds a little bleak when the common translation is used. Much like many things, the subtlty gets lost in translation. The more accurate translation is more like stating that life is stressful, which I think most people can agree on. The 2nd truth is why we suffer is because of desire, craving, or attachment. The 3rd truth gives us hope by stating that there can be an end to suffering by releasing attachment and overcoming desire. Then 4th and final noble truth is that by following the 8-Fold path, life can be filled with contentment and happiness, rather than greed and sorrow.

Okay, so what is the 8-Fold path? Buddhism teaches mindfulness and compassion using the 8-fold path as a way to liberate oneself from suffering. These 8 elements are:

1. Right View

2. Right Intention

3. Right Speech

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Concentration

(Imagine my surprise when I realized what I had learned in nursing school

sooooo long ago was actually "borrowed" from Buddhism. We learned that

we had to check the right patient, right medication, right route, right dose,

right time, and right reason for giving the med.)

So, let's break it down just a little. What does the right view mean? Seeing that life is suffering and that by following the 8-fold path, we can find ease. The right intention means cultivating kind and compassionate thoughts and perhaps letting go of negative and/or destructive thoughts. When we speak truthfully and with kindness, we are engagaing in the right speech. Right speech also means not saying ugly things. How we live with the right action is by living an ethical life, avoiding harm, and basically abiding by what most religions and philosophies agree to be a just moral code.When we earn a living in a way that aligns with our values and causes no harm to anyone else, we are following the right livlihood. Right effort is kind-of like the right intention in that rather than ruminating on thoughts that don't really do anything except worry, take all of that energy and channel it into positive actions. Right mindfulness is probably one of the hardest for us living in a Western culture. It means to be in the present moment, like really be present and aware of thoughts, emotions, sensations even if they are difficult to stay present with. Finally, the right concentration simply means to develop focus and mental clarity.

So now that you know a little bit of the basics, what do you think? A religion or more o a philosophy and maybe even a roadmap for awakening?

O’Brien, B. (2019). What Are the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism? Learn Religions.

https://www.learnreligions.com/the-four-noble-truths-450095