Key to inner peace

Challenges confront us daily.  Getting to work safely is a job in itself, due to the vehicular congestion we encounter.  If we live in remote areas, we face the difficulties of searching provisions and amenities in other locales.  Stress defines the age.

According to His Holiness, there are ways to be stress free.  He has said, “Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment and taught in India over two thousand years ago, yet his teaching remains refreshing and relevant today. No matter who we are or where we live, we all want happiness and dislike suffering. The Buddha recommended that in working to overcome suffering we should help others as much as we can. He further advised that if we cannot actually be of help, we should at least be careful not to do anyone harm.”
Time is needed to practice overcoming suffering.  We will not be calm by wishing for it; we must invest in the result.  This calls for sacrificing some things such as TV watching or unnecessary chatting on phone and internet.

The Bodhisattwa of Compassion mentioned, “Part of Buddhist practice involves training our minds through meditation. But if our training in calming our minds, developing qualities like love, compassion, generosity and patience, is to be effective, we must put them into practice in day-to-day life. Being more concerned for the suffering of others instead of your own is truly to follow the spirit of all the great religions including Buddhism.”

 It is not necessary to become a Buddhist to incorporate Buddha’s teachings into our lives.  Dalai Lama has consistently taught that practicing your own religion is best; following its tenets will ennoble you.

He explained, “The purpose of Buddhism is to serve and benefit all sentient beings, including human beings.   And therefore it is more important to think of what contribution we Buddhists can make to human society according to our own ideas rather than trying to convert other people to Buddhism.   The Buddha gave us an example of contentment and tolerance, through serving others unselfishly.”

Is such a simple way to eliminate stress possible?  For example, how do we find the people to serve?  Actually, many of those in need are right in our own homes, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, and in our centers of worship.  However, we must be alert to the signs of pain in our fellows.

Tenzin Gyatso, the monk from Amdo, who became an international leader, and who has lived more than half his life as a refugee in India has never given up hope for humanity. He said, “Like all religions, Buddhism deals with basic human problems. The key is inner peace. If we have that, we can face difficulties with calm and reason, while keeping our inner happiness.