buddha rising

a colleague at work tole me the other day tat i need to start to learn to say 'no', and certain events last fri (which i'm still sorting out in my head to properly log as another entry), i guess she's very rite.  so while i'm pondering over... 'stuff', i'll type this article out for posterity, and to whack my wandering mind into perspective once in a while :p

Buddha Rising
Perry Garfinkel
National Geographic 

( out of the monastery, into the living room )

His ideas were based not on faith, as in other religions, but on empirical observation, starting with his own outside the palace.  He arrived at Four Noble Truths:
1. There is suffering in the world, whether mental or physical.
2. Suffering occurs because of too great an attachment to one's desires.
3. By eliminating the cause -- attachment -- you can eliminate suffering.
4. There is a method to eliminating the cause, called the Eightfold Path, a guide to "right" behaviour and thoughts.  

( The Eightfold Path is a moral compass leading to a life of wisdom (right views, right intent), virtue (right speech, conduct, livelihood), and mental discipline (effort, mindfulness, concentration). )