In Singapore on today Vesak Day, Buddhists commemorate the birth, enlightenment and parinirvana of Gautama Buddha. The compassionate and kind Buddha had spent 49 years teaching the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold path to end suffering. Buddhism or Buddha's teaching is not about pessimism. There is a way to end suffering and that is to follow the Noble Eightfold path which helps to end rebirth.
Before enlightenment, Buddha spent 6 long years practicing asceticism and long fasting, causing his body to be weakened. One day, he heard someone playing a string instrument and came to the realisation that the Middle Path is the way for achieving the liberation of body and mind.
"Cultivation is like playing a musical string instrument. The string will snap if it is too tight, or not make any sound if it is too loose. Indulgence in sensual pleasure or extreme penance are attachments. The Middle Path is the way for achieving the liberation of body and mind."
After attaining enlightening, Buddha had compassionately taught sentient being the Four Noble Truths. He reminded us to think and investigate his or others' teaching before accepting it.
On the night of enlightenment, Buddha attained the ability to recollect his past lives at dusk. In late night, Buddha attained the second knowledge which is the passing away and rebirth of beings according to their actions and closer to dawn, Buddha attained the knowledge of the destruction of mental defilements and came to be the fully self-awaked Buddha. Buddha had compassionately spent the next 49 years teaching sentients being the path to end suffering with the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold path. More than 2500 years later, with the advance of technology and past lives regression, it verified what Buddha had taught about rebirths and karma- cause and effect. If you want to read about rebirths, you can read Dr Brian Weiss's book like Many Lives, Many Masters which touched on individual and collective karma and rebirths.
The Four Noble Truths are
1) The truth of suffering. Like it or not, both rich and poor go through suffering. The suffering of old age, not getting what you want, separation, sickness.
2) The truth of the cause of suffering (craving, anger and delusion)
3) The truth of the end of suffering. (There is a way to end suffering)
4) The truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering is the Noble Eightfold paths.
The Noble Eightfold paths which helps to develop Sila (ethical conduct), samadhi (mental discipline or meditation) and panna (wisdom) are as follows
1) Right thought
2) Right understanding
3) Right Speech (Refrain from lying, gossip, idle, harsh speech. If one has nothing helpful to say, be silent)
4) Right action (moral, honorable and peaceful conduct)
5) Right livelihood (Honest living, Refrain from making a living that harm others like selling weapons, intoxicating drinks and toxins)
6) Right effort (prevent unwholesome state of mind)
7) Right mindfulness (be aware and mindful of one's thoughts and feelings
8) Right concentration (meditation)
By the way this year Vesak Day is very special to our family as my 3rd young brother is married to his beloved wife. I forgot about one of the five precepts. I took a glass of red wine. At the end of the wedding, I just had a short meditation.
One must be mindful and consistently practise and reflect on Buddha's teaching.
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