“The mind is like water. When it's turbulent, it's hard to see. When there is calm everything becomes clear." These words spoken by Siddhartha Gautama give great insight into what his teachings were about. Many of us spend so much time and energy on a mission to find pure happiness and a solution to our problems. Many of our problems are created by our uncontrolled mind, but when we absorb ourselves in the practice of dharma, we can learn to calm and control our mind and discover pure happiness. In the first chapter of “Roots of Wisdom,” we are asked what truly makes us happy. The practice of Buddhism struck me the most in this chapter because it is full of positivity, emotional encouragement, and self-love. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The essential idea that compassion and kindness are positive choices we can make and skills we can develop through practice is very appealing. For many, Buddhism is more of a way of life, or a philosophy, rather than a religion. Buddhists practice meditation, which allows the mind to be in a positive state of understanding, concentration and tranquility. These meditations help you have a better understanding of yourself, others and life. No person or thing, the Buddha implies, can ever bring us true happiness, whether we are happy within ourselves or not at all. “The only way to avoid the terrors of aging, illness and death is to withdraw our anxieties about them, and this is achieved by seeing that sensual pleasures, money and power do not bring lasting joy.” Buddhism is a very interesting and attractive religion for me because it is rational and simple. It's easy to have destructive thoughts and let the stress of life get to you, but we can't change the past. The Buddha advises us to let go of what we cannot change and not to be prisoners of those things we cannot control. It is very easy for us to make excuses for poor behavior or actions based on negative experiences from our past, but it is inspiring to read the beliefs of Buddhism's central idea of ​​letting go of any of those harmful past experiences and becoming a better version. of yourself by spreading love and positivity. The essential principles of Buddhism are the Fourth Noble Truths. These Four Truths include the presence of suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path. Buddhism recognizes that everyone suffers. He suggests it to stop suffering; we must stop gluttony and ignorance and live more naturally and peacefully. Since self-centered desires are the ceiling of anguish, when these desires are not satisfied, we are filled with anger. By changing the way we think and perceive the world mentally, we experience less suffering. The mind has great potential, but if not trained it is like a wild horse; difficult to stay tamed and jump from one thought to another. It's easy to let our minds dwell on things out of our control and have anxiety-filled thoughts and fears. The practice of Buddhism teaches us to train our mind to release all pessimism and to practice meditations to calm our thoughts and enter a peaceful state. I was raised Catholic and as I learn more about Buddhism, I can see both the similarities and differences of these two religions. When it comes to the core values ​​of both of these religions, I think they teach many similar principles. There are five precepts of Buddhism that could be compared to the Ten Commandments ofChristianity. These Five Precepts can be compared to the last five Commandments as they include; no murder, no theft, no sexual misconduct, no lying, and no intoxicants. Both religions teach us to immerse ourselves in spiritual meditation or prayer, to act peacefully, not to harm others, and to be a compassionate all-round person. However, with these similarities, there are differences that call into question my religion of Catholicism. One of the key differences that challenged my beliefs is that Buddhism has no God. For Christians, God represents not only the father of the savior Jesus Christ, but also the symbolic leader of the Christian family. Being our hasty father, everything he represents is right and good and is the symbol of our faith. Buddhists also believe that when one's life comes to an end, one will go through a process called samsara, which means one can be reborn into anything else depending on one's thoughts and actions during one's life. This challenges Christianity greatly because Christians believe in heaven and that when someone dies they will join God and their loved ones for eternity. Christians also believe in hell, a place of suffering where sinners are punished, which can be compared to the Buddhist belief in Karma. Buddhism also addresses all people, regardless of race, sexuality, gender or nationality. In the traditional Catholic Church, judgment is passed on those who choose to live their lives away from the teachings of the church. “When the Buddha spoke, it was to offer suggestions for living life less painfully. Unlike religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in which the rules of life are established by a superior being who demands obedience and judges disobedience, in Buddhism there is only the invitation to wake up and see the things as they are." There are many ways I would like to incorporate Buddhism into my daily life. It's easy to wake up in the morning and immediately feel stressed thinking about all the things you have to do. It's easy to have your mind full of negative thoughts without even realizing it. Instead of waking up with negative thoughts, I can fill my mind with positive motivation. By starting my day more productively and peacefully, I'm working my way toward a truly happier self. Instead of spending more time watching television or browsing social media, I could spend more time meditating or praying. There are so many benefits to meditation. There are positive benefits to deep breathing as it helps calm our distracted thoughts and clear the mind. When our mind calms down, deep happiness and contentment arise from within. If I could learn to fully accept the past and accept the things I cannot change, I would become a healthier and happier person. Karma is another important piece of Buddhism that is helpful to apply to my daily life. It is the principle that all actions operate according to laws and have a cause and an effect. Basically, whatever you do to others, you are doing to yourself. I think this precept is a key element in extending goodwill and presents us with a pay-as-you-go mentality that can only benefit everyone. Would you ever knowingly inflict harm on others if you knew you would ultimately harm yourself? Instead of feeling anger towards someone and internalizing all the negative energy that accompanies it, one should release the negativity and allow karma to be the arbiter of justice. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get,.