The concept of Inner Peace may carry a completely different meaning for everyone. However, the discovery or even the journey to the discovery of inner peace in itself can be daunting and can be an arduous task. The teachings of Buddha, inscribed within Buddhism can be a wonderful trailblazer for an individual to find tranquillity within themselves. These teachings offer a roadmap to the question of how to guide ourselves in the journey of finding our inner peace and finding ourselves in our mere mortal lives. Through this article, we will explore deep into 9 major teachings imparted by Buddha that would aid one in their journey to attain innate peace.
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1. An Acceptance of Reality
Buddha identifies the acceptance of one’s reality as one of the most inevitable factors that would lead an individual to attain inner peace. However, this does not mean that the person should not strive to change the circumstances for their betterment. All they should be equipped with is the ability and the mindset to accept whatever there is. Individuals should understand the eternal fact that life is never perfect and is filled with a plethora of imperfections, change and uncertainty.
Every individual should be aware that their life will mostly never unfold the way they would wish it to and, hence acceptance of the potential ups and downs in one’s life would gift them the inner peace they want to attain. It is all about acknowledging every aspect of life as it is and avoiding any attempt to strive for impossible perfection.
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2. Be compassionate
Compassion remains an inevitable and central tenet in Buddhist teachings. Buddha’s teachings about compassion do not just propagate mere sympathy towards other individuals, rather they involve being genuinely inflicted by others’ pain which consequently translates into a desire to ease them off of their pain. Buddhist teachings have forever, pondered over and taught to millions the power of compassion. Neuroscience researchers have concluded that if an individual acts out of compassion towards others, the brain produces hormones like oxytocin and endorphins. Buddha, hence, identifies compassion as a major catalyst that would aid one in attaining inner peace.
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3. Forgiveness is the key
Buddha believed that holding onto one’s resentment without seeking a way to resolve the issue would be just like holding onto a hot piece of coal that is burning, the person who holds onto it for the longest time, is indeed the one who gets burnt. It could even translate into nurturing resentment towards one’s own life. Troublesome incidents in our lives weigh heavy in our hearts and have the potential to rob our lives of happiness and authenticity. Buddha propagates the ideal of forgiveness with the belief that it is the only catalyst that would aid an individual to lighten the burden within them and gain happiness, peace, and freedom.
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4. Comprehension of fear
One of the major obstructions that comes in the way of gaining inner transcendent peace is the idea of fear. Fear is mostly triggered by our awareness that our existence is temporary and everything around us is impermanent. People fear the loss of their worldly lives, status, and achievements. Buddha imparted multiple ways through which one can view and comprehend one’s fears and further propagates methods to manage and eliminate them.
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5. Meditation
The majority of individuals nowadays are nervous or stressed out. According to a recent study, 30% of Americans believe that anxiety and stress are detrimental to their physical and mental health. However, our modernised systems do not generate tension. It has always existed since time immemorial. Nearly 2500 years ago, Buddha taught strategies for controlling the “monkey mind”. Meditation can help one overcome their monkey mind. When your mind is quiet, stress and anxiety will automatically subside.
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6. Belief in your wholeness
Many people experience hollowness in their hearts. Buddha taught that everyone possesses Buddha Nature – everything they require to achieve inner serenity and, eventually, spiritual realizations. Buddha demonstrated how valuable our human birth is, and how fortunate we are to be born with Buddha potential. It is up to us to recognize our potential and realize our ideal completeness.
7. Gratitude
Gratitude is one of the most wonderful themes that Buddhist teachings propagate. He underlined the inevitability of realizing and appreciating what we have, instead of continuously chasing our lackings. In a world that is frequently focused on scarcity, cultivating gratitude can be an effective strategy to reframe our perspective. It encourages us to focus on abundance, which can lead to a sense of fulfilment and tranquillity.
8. The Art of Letting Go
Buddha believes that learning how to let go is one of the most crucial aspects of our road to peace. The attachments we form with other people or worldly motifs can be a big source of pain and misery. When we insist on our ideal outcome, we set ourselves up for disappointment and heartache. The art of letting go does not imply that we are unconcerned with people or objects. It requires accepting that clinging to them is not advantageous in the long run.
9. Introspection
According to Buddha, finding tranquillity in life requires introspection rather than relying on external factors. It entails distancing oneself from the chaos of the world and being able to remain with oneself when necessary. One must train oneself to investigate their inner self, comprehend and be in tune with their ideas, emotions, and sensations.
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The Buddha’s teachings are based on a deep truth: inner serenity is a journey with no fixed goal. It can only be earned from within, not through external means. These lessons do not promise an overnight transformation. They should never be considered as one-stop stores that provide quick serenity. Instead, they provide a way of life that might lead to a more peaceful and calm existence.
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References +
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16300723/
- https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/53737/1/how-toxic-positivity-took-over-the-internet
- https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/toxic-positivity.html
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2023/07/17/the-negative-impact-of-toxic-positivity-in-the-workplace/?sh=7c16a7b23f30
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