Buddhism: The Path to Peace from Within.
Buddhism: The Path to Peace from Within
When everyday life feels even busier than the last and the concept of inner peace seems almost fictional—and rightfully so, it's easy to buy into the hype. With anxiety at an all-time high and people scrolling, multi-tasking, and dedicating their time and resources to goals and ambitions, an intersectional form of approch to inner peace sounds too good to be true. But what if a path exists, walked upon by millions over the course of thousands of years, gently leading people home to themselves? Buddhism is arguably one of the oldest yet still practiced worldwide spiritual traditions, and it holds a scientific approach, relative to anyone potential inner peace gains from learning its ethics and values—even those who do not convert.
The Founder of Buddhism and His Peaceful Transformational Approach
Buddhism's founder presents the philosophy behind an approach to inner peace. Siddhartha Gotama was a prince born in Nepal, who relatively welcomed new life over 2,500 years ago. Where Siddhartha had the advantages to take great benefits from life—as a wealthy prince turning into king—when he found out about human suffering at the age of 29, his life would forever change. First, he saw an elderly, crippled man and felt his heart break; next, he saw a sick individual; again he became downtrodden; finally, he approached a decaying corpse and wanted to do nothing more than transform himself to understand the source of such suffering and bring it to an end. Ultimately, over the course of his 80-year life, he dedicated every moment to serving humankind, but only after casting aside his materialistic intentions (for true peace) could he discover the means to help everyone else along the journey. Thus, he sought enlightenment, leaving behind the extremes of a princes' lifestyle and deprivation to adopt a regiment of meditation. Ultimately, Buddha found enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, realizing that life is dukkha—but the way to liberation from it exists.
The Four Noble Truths: The Understanding that Leads to Peace
The Four Noble Truths are the driving force of Buddhism. They are not philosophical tenets but an awareness of one's situation to intentionally move toward peace: 1. Dukkha: An acknowledgment of suffering exists—whether it be physical pain, psychological discomfort, anxiety, depression, death, change, and loss.
Samudaya: There is a cause for suffering—we crave and grasp—we desire for things to be different, for us to possess, to have control, to remove, to push away.
Nirodha: There is an end to suffering—liberation from desire/cravings and attachments.
Magga: The way to freedom from suffering is the Eightfold Path.
This does not assume one can avoid pain… nor does it suggest that one should live their lives as if discomfort was never felt. It pushes one toward clarity through fearlessness without delusion while asserting that liberation is possible.
The Noble Eightfold Path: The Prescription for Action
But how? The answer lies within the Eightfold Path that provides an essential framework through action for Buddhists to exist in the world with awareness, ethical living, and compassionate comprehension. This is not a play for faith, but a prescriptive solution for life: 1. Right Understanding: Understanding the world in which we live—as good exists, so does evil.
2. Right Intention: Compassionate intentions free from cruelty and harm.
Right Speech: Truthful, harmonious and non-malicious communication.
Right Action: Conduct that does not result in killing oneself or others.
Right Livelihood: A livelihood that is not of harm to oneself and others.
Right Effort: Needed energy and decisive attention that is not harsh or lazy.
Right Mindfulness: Awareness of one's mind and body in the present moment.
Right Concentration: Cultivating the mind through meditation.
The Noble Eightfold Path is not an absolute requirement—it's a recommended path/frequency through life—so many find success with just one of the Eightfold Paths, such as greater awareness of breath or speech, relieving much of the internal struggle.
Samudaya: There is a cause for suffering—we crave and grasp—we desire for things to be different, for us to possess, to have control, to remove, to push away.
Nirodha: There is an end to suffering—liberation from desire/cravings and attachments.
Magga: The way to freedom from suffering is the Eightfold Path.
This does not assume one can avoid pain… nor does it suggest that one should live their lives as if discomfort was never felt. It pushes one toward clarity through fearlessness without delusion while asserting that liberation is possible.
The Noble Eightfold Path: The Prescription for Action
But how? The answer lies within the Eightfold Path that provides an essential framework through action for Buddhists to exist in the world with awareness, ethical living, and compassionate comprehension. This is not a play for faith, but a prescriptive solution for life: 1. Right Understanding: Understanding the world in which we live—as good exists, so does evil.
2. Right Intention: Compassionate intentions free from cruelty and harm.
Right Speech: Truthful, harmonious and non-malicious communication.
Right Action: Conduct that does not result in killing oneself or others.
Right Livelihood: A livelihood that is not of harm to oneself and others.
Right Effort: Needed energy and decisive attention that is not harsh or lazy.
Right Mindfulness: Awareness of one's mind and body in the present moment.
Right Concentration: Cultivating the mind through meditation.
The Noble Eightfold Path is not an absolute requirement—it's a recommended path/frequency through life—so many find success with just one of the Eightfold Paths, such as greater awareness of breath or speech, relieving much of the internal struggle.
Meditation: Learning to Return Home
Perhaps the most common element of Buddhism that people request is meditation—when people have been overwhelmed for so long, the idea of stepping back makes sense.
Mindfulness meditation (Vipassana) is the most commonly taught and practiced way of meditating in Buddhism; it encourages a practitioner to sit and formulate awareness of thoughts, feelings and sensations without judgment. It is an extreme acceptance; instead of trying to fight anxiety or depression, one learns to view it like clouds passing through the sky.
While studies find the overall concept of mindfulness meditation to be accurate that it reduces stress, increases attention, creates neuroplasticity in the brain towards resilience, the best part—acknowledged by millions of practitioners—is a quiet sense of ok-ness while going through everything else as the reality of internal peace becomes known without external attachment.
Compassion: Peace Beyond Me
Buddhism isn't exclusively focused on one's own peace. One of the most beautiful lessons is that peaceful existence comes only with compassion for others. The Buddha taught that if want to be happy and want to be free from suffering, so should all sentient beings.
Metta (Loving-kindness) is a meditation where one sits in silence and first wishes oneself peace, then one's friends and family, then acquaintances and enemies, and ultimately all sentient beings. Studies have shown that this increases empathetic ability, decreases anger and increases social connectedness.
This shift from me to us often allows one's peace to become more than just a fragile state of personal peace.
Practical Buddhist Application: How To Integrate Buddhism to your Life Today
You don't need to practice Buddhism in a cave, nor are monks the only ones who should practice on mountains. Apply and integrate into your life today:
—Breath focus. Take a few breaths before meetings or meals. Focus on breath certainly before confrontations. This centers you in the moment and calms racing thoughts.
—Identify wants and don't- wants. When you find yourself craving something or think you don't want something, breathe and express, internally or externally either "Wanting" or "Not Liking"—and watch it come and go.
Be kind. Intentionally. Speak and do with intention. The little things—listening, gently holding a door—can inspire a pro-social cascade.
Make peace with impermanence. Emotions are temporary; successes and failures are temporary. Hold such temporary things in your life a little more lightly.
Meditate for five minutes. Five minutes a day does more than one hour a week. The effects are cumulative, often imperceptible, over time.
Compassionate Justification from a Modern Skeptic's Point of View
Why, many people wonder, can't Buddhism fix what ails us now? So much of what we know prevents us from getting work done or singing along to a song stuck in traffic. But Buddhism isn't about ignoring what's wrong—it provides you tools to approach the situation with a calm, focused mind. It's not about denying desire, drive, and feeling—it's about changing the relationship to those things so the peaks and valleys don't overtake you time and time again.
Perhaps the most common element of Buddhism that people request is meditation—when people have been overwhelmed for so long, the idea of stepping back makes sense.
Mindfulness meditation (Vipassana) is the most commonly taught and practiced way of meditating in Buddhism; it encourages a practitioner to sit and formulate awareness of thoughts, feelings and sensations without judgment. It is an extreme acceptance; instead of trying to fight anxiety or depression, one learns to view it like clouds passing through the sky.
While studies find the overall concept of mindfulness meditation to be accurate that it reduces stress, increases attention, creates neuroplasticity in the brain towards resilience, the best part—acknowledged by millions of practitioners—is a quiet sense of ok-ness while going through everything else as the reality of internal peace becomes known without external attachment.
Compassion: Peace Beyond Me
Buddhism isn't exclusively focused on one's own peace. One of the most beautiful lessons is that peaceful existence comes only with compassion for others. The Buddha taught that if want to be happy and want to be free from suffering, so should all sentient beings.
Metta (Loving-kindness) is a meditation where one sits in silence and first wishes oneself peace, then one's friends and family, then acquaintances and enemies, and ultimately all sentient beings. Studies have shown that this increases empathetic ability, decreases anger and increases social connectedness.
This shift from me to us often allows one's peace to become more than just a fragile state of personal peace.
Practical Buddhist Application: How To Integrate Buddhism to your Life Today
You don't need to practice Buddhism in a cave, nor are monks the only ones who should practice on mountains. Apply and integrate into your life today:
—Breath focus. Take a few breaths before meetings or meals. Focus on breath certainly before confrontations. This centers you in the moment and calms racing thoughts.
—Identify wants and don't- wants. When you find yourself craving something or think you don't want something, breathe and express, internally or externally either "Wanting" or "Not Liking"—and watch it come and go.
Be kind. Intentionally. Speak and do with intention. The little things—listening, gently holding a door—can inspire a pro-social cascade.
Make peace with impermanence. Emotions are temporary; successes and failures are temporary. Hold such temporary things in your life a little more lightly.
Meditate for five minutes. Five minutes a day does more than one hour a week. The effects are cumulative, often imperceptible, over time.
Compassionate Justification from a Modern Skeptic's Point of View
Why, many people wonder, can't Buddhism fix what ails us now? So much of what we know prevents us from getting work done or singing along to a song stuck in traffic. But Buddhism isn't about ignoring what's wrong—it provides you tools to approach the situation with a calm, focused mind. It's not about denying desire, drive, and feeling—it's about changing the relationship to those things so the peaks and valleys don't overtake you time and time again.
Compassionate Confirmation from a Scientific Perspective
It's fascinating how many things science has proven Buddhists have known for centuries. For example, studies show that regular practice of mindfulness and compassion can:
Decrease anxiety and depression symptoms
Increase aggression and immune responses
Allow one to manage emotional reactions
Facilitate relationship building.
Thus, psychologists and physicians use mindfulness in their approach to trauma, addiction, stress, etc. One doesn't have to "believe" in Buddhism; one needs to "do" to see the practical results.
Is Buddhism a Religion or Philosophy?
This is a common question, and the answer is yes. Or no. To those who deem it a religion, it means spirituality, the esoteric, and maybe a bit of faith. As a philosophy, it dismisses spiritual transformation, relies on self-labeling and acceptance, and views Buddhism as an always applicable practice to eliminate suffering because none of this makes any sense if teachings are just disregarded.
A Final Note: The Greatest Gift is Peace Within.
We will never escape the storms of life, but we can learn to sit at the eye of the storm without disrupting our peace. The principles of Buddhism are fragile yet strong—mindful yet compassionate—truthful yet non-judgmental. These are not gifts given often in the whirlwind chapters of modern-day existence. We're taught that peace, when found in the externalized world, will shout out its existence. But Buddhism teaches differently—that peace is here, inside each of us, if only we access it one moment at a time.
Therefore you already exist as a Buddhist; whether you take five minutes a day to meditate, recreationally read a fable from time to time, or simply strive for just a little more compassion and presence each day. After all, the Buddha himself said: "Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without."
So start small. Breathe. Listen. Everything you ever need is already there, and your journey to peace begins with little moments.
If you liked this post, please comment below with your thoughts and current practices of Buddhism! Also, for more wonderful hints about mindfulness, meditation, and spiritual/living, subscribe to our blog!
It's fascinating how many things science has proven Buddhists have known for centuries. For example, studies show that regular practice of mindfulness and compassion can:
Decrease anxiety and depression symptoms
Increase aggression and immune responses
Allow one to manage emotional reactions
Facilitate relationship building.
Thus, psychologists and physicians use mindfulness in their approach to trauma, addiction, stress, etc. One doesn't have to "believe" in Buddhism; one needs to "do" to see the practical results.
Is Buddhism a Religion or Philosophy?
This is a common question, and the answer is yes. Or no. To those who deem it a religion, it means spirituality, the esoteric, and maybe a bit of faith. As a philosophy, it dismisses spiritual transformation, relies on self-labeling and acceptance, and views Buddhism as an always applicable practice to eliminate suffering because none of this makes any sense if teachings are just disregarded.
A Final Note: The Greatest Gift is Peace Within.
We will never escape the storms of life, but we can learn to sit at the eye of the storm without disrupting our peace. The principles of Buddhism are fragile yet strong—mindful yet compassionate—truthful yet non-judgmental. These are not gifts given often in the whirlwind chapters of modern-day existence. We're taught that peace, when found in the externalized world, will shout out its existence. But Buddhism teaches differently—that peace is here, inside each of us, if only we access it one moment at a time.
Therefore you already exist as a Buddhist; whether you take five minutes a day to meditate, recreationally read a fable from time to time, or simply strive for just a little more compassion and presence each day. After all, the Buddha himself said: "Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without."
So start small. Breathe. Listen. Everything you ever need is already there, and your journey to peace begins with little moments.
If you liked this post, please comment below with your thoughts and current practices of Buddhism! Also, for more wonderful hints about mindfulness, meditation, and spiritual/living, subscribe to our blog!
Budha's Philosophy is an unique approach to achieve inner peace.
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