The Buddha

In turbulent times, in moments when my mind is spiralling and raging with angry and negative thoughts, when my mind is almost constantly fuelled with repetitions of past events, hurtful words people have uttered, and future uncertainties, I found refuge once again in the life and teachings of the Buddha.

Wise was he! So wise that he saw through the way things are and saw that this world is full of pain and full of suffering. The Buddha underlines the reason behind that suffering... it is planted within us all, in our tenacity to cling on, in the desire of every living being to resist change and transition, in the fear of every living creature for old age, sickness and death.  Save for those fleeting moments when our lusts are satisfied, life is a constant separation from our wants and desires, and suffering arises in our never ending quest to fulfil our wants and desires.

But there is a way out of this suffering... There is a way to live  in this imperfect world full of cuts and bruises, there is a way to live peacefully in this world full of roughness and unpleasantness. There is a way to see beauty, to see miracles and to live wonders in every single moment, in every single place, in every single person and being. It does not rely on placing all hope and prayer in a supreme being. It does not rest on going through extremities of self-mutilation or indulgence in sensual and worldly pleasures. Freedom from suffering lies in the mind. 

Free the mind, clear it of clutter, of the past and the future. Investigate the mind, in this moment, and observe the emotions, thoughts, aversions and cravings that constantly come and come, come and go. There is peace is calmness. There is bliss in being able to be in the present moment and to stopping mind-boggling and heart-wrenching feelings and thoughts that make you feel so unstable and so ill toward yourself, and toward the rest of the world. It's all in the mind. Anger, frustration, agony, pain... they're all in the mind, and subject to appear and disappear as quickly and as forcefully as joy, elation, liking and feelings of pleasantness.

The Buddha said that we all have the Buddha nature. There is a Buddha within us all waiting to be enlightened, waiting to be discovered, only if we will take the time and make the effort to calm the mind that is restlessly infused with sounds, thoughts, sights and sensations. Walk around, and everywhere you look, every one you see, every being you may encounter may be a Buddha. It takes a change of mindset, a shift in what motivates and drives most people in life, and it is a lonely path that no one can walk on except for yourself...

Starting is the hardest bit of all.