Cliff notes from Sylvia Boorstien's book "It's easier than you think"

 

I made these cliff notes a couple of years ago as part of my morning reflections and meditation. I highly recommend reading her book in order to get an even deeper meaning of living.

The Four Noble Truths

1. Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
2. The cause of suffering is craving. Craving anything is suffering.
3. Liberation is possible. The end of suffering is possible.
4. Freedom from suffering is through the Eightfold Circle

The Eightfold Circle

1. Right Understanding
2. Right Aspiration
3. Right Action
4. Right Speech
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Concentration
8. Right Mindfulness

1. Right Understanding
~Means believing, even a little bit, that even though life is inevitably disappointing it is still possible to be happy.
~What ever we are feeling and experiencing at the moment is impermanent. That doesn't diminish the experience, it enhances it.
~All things are transient

2. Right Aspiration
~ Choice is possible i.e. happiness or sadness
~Daily action:
    Behave in a way that stretches the limits of conditioned responses.
    Every situation is an opportunity to practice.
~Buddhists call this cultivation of non-hatred, non-greed and non-delusion.
~Everything is transitory so why not aspire to joy?

3. Right Action
~Every single act we do has the potential of causing pain, and every single thing we do has consequences that echo way beyond what we can imagine.
~Act carefully
~Everything matters.

4. Right Speech
~People can make suggestions and observations in a way the other person can hear and use them without feeling diminished. (e.i. NVC)
~Intention: Why am I saying this?
~Pause before speaking,
~60 second pause.
~Think think think.
~The Seven T's -- Take Time To Think The Thing Through.

5. Right Livelihood
~Organizing one's financial support so that it's non-abusive, non-exploitive, and non-harming.

6. Right Effort
~Practice wholesome feelings (friendliness, compassion, generosity, empathy, etc.) and encourage them to grow.
~Notice unwholesome feelings and discourage them.
~We have a choice about our mind states.
~Every mind moment conditions the next.
~Discourage or replace unwholesomeness with wholesomeness

7. Right Concentration
~The ability to let the attention become absorbed in one single thing.
~A sense of ease, balance, and relaxation.
~Concentration practice strengthens and softens the mind.

8. Right Mindfulness
~The aware balanced acceptance of present experience.
~Practice each minute to remain calm and alert throughout the whole range of body and mind states that present themselves--all the while not doing anything to change the experience but rather discovering that experience is bearable.



Develop a mind that clings to nothing. -- Diamond Sutra

It is not a matter of can or cannot; it's a mater of will or will not. Everything is a choice. Choose wisely.