Do not dwell in the past. Do not dream of the future. Concentrate the mind on the present moment. ~Buddha
Many centuries ago in India, Siddhartha Gautama, a.k.a. the Buddha, discovered these Four Noble Truths:
1. Life is suffering.
2. Attachment is the cause of suffering.
3. There is a way to end suffering.
4. That way is the eightfold path. (Right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration)
As the Buddha was dying, his student Ananda asked who would be their teacher after death. He replied to his disciple:
“Be lamps unto yourselves.
Be refuges unto yourselves.
Take yourself no external refuge.
Hold fast to the truth as a lamp.
Hold fast to the truth as a refuge.
Look not for a refuge in anyone besides yourselves.”
Buddhism is characterized by the practice of meditation. Buddhism teaches that by meditating and learning to disengage from the constant cycle of attachment and aversion, the practitioner can achieve enlightenment, which is actually just totally embodying the present moment, dropping labels and conditioning, as well as concerns about the past or future.
