We are many people who have as a reference the phrases of Buddha; we see Buddhism rather as a philosophy of life than as a religion. The reason is that few spiritual doctrines have captivated us in this way, few ancestral practices have generated so many individual transformations and in turn, created such positive changes of consciousness.
The reason why Buddhism has so many followers is due to its simplicity. To how those messages so full of wisdom are transmitted that encourage us to improve our quality of life. Thus, and from a psychological point of view, it can be said that its impact on our emotional well-being is immense. Not only does it encourage us to regulate our states of stress and anxiety. Also, it favours that inner journey through which to work on self-knowledge, personal fulfilment. To benefit from its principles, it is only necessary to open our hearts. Carry out a mental opening with enthusiasm to get into this kind of philosophy. Therefore, nothing better than reflecting on these phrases of Buddha.
Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.
Let’s think for a moment about the essence of this message. The first question we ask ourselves may be the following: what is the difference between pain and suffering? Well, we must, first of all, understand that pain is something genuine and legitimate. If they hit me or hurt me, I will feel pain. If my partner leaves me, I will inevitably feel pain from that absence.
However, suffering refers to that negative emotional charge that we carry in our backpack for an excessive time. I can, for example, suffer from that separation or abandonment for a limited time: the one that lasts the process of grieving for the abandonment of my partner. If I extend it beyond that period, I will be losing the quality of life.
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Likewise, and taking into account that people can only harm what we give importance to, avoiding useless suffering can consist of stepping back, emotionally detaching themselves and seeing things from another perspective. Pain is something physical and inevitable, but suffering is a choice, it depends on us, on our thoughts and emotions.
Every place is here and every moment is now.
Our mind loves to feed on the past, lives on nostalgia, what could not be. Also, another of its shortcomings is to anticipate futures, worry about aspects that have not yet happened. This leads us to not live in the moment and for our lives to pass by without being aware. Buddhism teaches us to focus on the here and now. Therefore, we must learn to be present to enjoy each moment as if it were the last one.
The richest man is not he who has the most, but he who needs the least.
Our desire to have more, both materially and emotionally, is the primary source of all our worries and despair. Its maxim is based on learning to live with little and accepting everything that life gives us in its moment. This will lead us to a more balanced life, reducing stress and many internal tensions.
Desiring more things often indicates a lack of security. It denotes that we feel alone and need to fill those gaps. Feeling comfortable with ourselves allows us to leave behind the need to have nothing to prove. Possessions do not lead us to happiness. Happiness is an attitude, and therefore it is something that is cultivated from within.
It’s easier to put on slippers than to carpet the whole world.
Not all the roads that we will travel in this life will be carpeted. Not all options will be simple, nor will we find a bridge in every difficulty. Often, in our day to day, we will find very rugged and steep trails, where there are no amenities. Hence we must be prepared, with our footwear and our resources.
This is undoubtedly one of the most interesting Buddha phrases, where it encourages us to be aware that living demands to overcome potholes. So nothing better than to be prepared.
Your worst enemy cannot hurt you as much as your own thoughts, when you haven’t mastered them.
Our happiness lies in the quality of our inner life. It is our thoughts that create our reality. Take care of the quality of your thoughts, and you will be taking care of yourself and your life.
The mind is everything. What you think you become.
This is related to the previous sentence, we are the fruit of our inner world, of our beliefs, of our thoughts. The mind is everything.
You decide whether to get carried away by your patterns and automatic responses or if you consciously use the power of your mind to become what you want to be.
Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.
True peace is born within you; it has not been found anywhere else or comes from the hand of any person or thing. Peace is in you.
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