A question for buddhists?

Question

I've started to apply the teachings to my everyday life; I stopped drinking and drugs, I try to remember the noble eightfold path:

Right actions, right speach, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

I started exercising
I started watching the way i talk to people and stop judging them without knowing them.

What are more ways i can incorporate the buddha's teachings into my life?

Answer 1

remember to live joyfully, deeply, mindfully and freely...

Answer 2

The Noble Eightfold Path is a complete path in itself. If you think about it over and over again, and become thoroughly familiarized with it and develop each of the steps to your utmost ability, you will, no doubt, be a better person for it. Take refuge in the Three Jewels and practice the Noble Eightfold Path - and learn more about the Four Noble Truths - and you are on your way to liberation. Take refuge in the Triple Gem, practice the Noble Eightfold Path, study the Four Noble Truths and generate bodhicitta and find a Teacher who can answer your questions and you are on a path most pleasing to all the Buddhas of the three times in the ten directions. Take it slow, but don't stop, and you can achieve your wish!

Answer 3

You have begun a Path which will encourage others to follow and you have begun enacting Positive Actions which by their very nature will engender Positive Consequence and therefore Positive Karma. You are a Stream Enterer, one of the eight Noble Beings I bow to your intuitive insight and personal committment.

These things you are doing will change the way you see and perceive Life and it will change you and those with which you interact everyday.

Be mindful of other's perceptions. Our perceptions guide our thinking and therefore guide our Actions through our thought process and this applies to others too. We should try to become aware of this process. To do this we need to understand the concept of "Dependent Arising" whereby Actions arise or are dependent on our clinging attitudes to self serving desires, thoughts and things. This means basically that if we have a "way" of doing things for example, even if it be a "wrong" way, we tend to cling to it and continue to do it. Bad habits such as those you've mentioned drugs and drinking (actually the same thing in reality) are examples of this concept.

By doing the things that you are now doing, this Dependent Arising will diminish over time because those thought processes which make them start or originate, are changing for the better. My only thought would be to understand this concept as Knowing is to Understand and to Understand is to encourage Skillful as opposed to Unskillful Actions.

According to the Lord Buddha, to not know is to invite or encourage Dependent Arising this is known as Unskillful Action and will cause suffering. These concepts and teachings are all part of the First Noble Truth, to me the most important of the Four, for to understand Dependent Arising is to understand not only suffering but also the cause of suffering.

With this understanding and a full understanding of the Eightfold Noble Path you will have the knowledge and the insight necessary to fully awaken your newfound awareness and with practise and dilligence in doing the things that you are already doing you will begin to fully appreciate that which you have begun. For this will aid you in understanding other's suffering and the Dependent Arising which caused it and give you pause to show compassion rather than judgement for all.

I offer this small insight for your encouragement and hope that you find it useful. Allow me a smile for a good question well posited and another for your well being.

Peace from a Buddhist...

Answer 4

It's not about what you know or how you pretend to act. If you just study Buddhism and make yourself follow guidelines, you are still going to be the same person, just with more dogma to interfere with being the normal person you are. Being the normal person that you are is what makes a person "Buddhist".

It's good to read Buddhist writings, so that your conscious mind can become aware of what it has been to busy to notice. Don't use the writings as a guideline, you might as well be Catholic if that's how you approach Buddhism. Dogma is dogma. Buddhist dogma, Catholic dogma-same thing.

Being Buddhist is just being who you are. It takes effort and strength to be who you are. You need to discipline your mind so that it's not constantly yakking away. If you discipline your mind to just be quiet and ordinary, then you can be the ordinary person that you are. It doesn't matter how you act, as long as you are you.

How do you become you? You have to do zazen (sitting meditation). Doing zazen IS Buddhist practice. This is the simple truth. Do zazen, don't be lazy. The answer to your question is simple-do zazen.

Answer 5

~~~ Lover ,,,, Just remember these minimalist techniques,,,, follow The Golden Rule,,,, Don't allow a Situation or Person to control you by not Controlling Your-self,,,, Try practicing Anonymous Altruism.,,,, and just as importantly,,,,Keep Perspective !!! Watch your back without being Paranoid, as there are still Predators in this world completely unaware of the "GentlePerson" which makes you such Easy Prey for them. Maintaining this balance of awareness is part of The Tai Chi (yin-yang),,,, or the Duality of The Universe,,,, in Harmony. From your question, this is what you seek.

Answer 6

The goal for normal person to reach after 8 is 5, but do not force yourself since everything is backfired if you're forced yourself beyond your limit:
1) be merciful: like when you see a bug get lost in your house, help it and free it
2) be generous: when you see someone is in difficulties - pray for them and help them as you can
3) forgiving: forgive people's faults wihthout keeping it in your mind
4) relaxing: do not feel angry when things happen outside of your plan; do not be too joyful since you get something good
5) loving: love every llving things around you, live in harmony with them.
Normal people cannot success 8 completly please do not try to perfect 5 since your conscience may not catch up with your will

Answer 7

Whatever ways you want... it's not about forcing yourself into doing anything, it's about taking the Dharma and applying it however you can, according to your ability to understand and apply it.

If you want, study more... whatever... I don't know what version of Buddhism you like but if you like reading teachings from Mahayana teachers, check out the LamaYeshe Wisdom Archive or FPMT.org or their link to Lama Zopa Rinpoche's teachings... lots of good advice given to people who asked direct questions about Buddhism, etc.

Edit/addition... Geoffry... I'm NO expert... far from it friend.

_()_

Answer 8

vinslave is the local expert on this but I would add try looking into sitting zazen or doing vipassna.

Answer 9

this may help

http://www.11meditation.co.nr

it's a basic of theravada Buddhist religion

Answer 10

compassion. go out of your way to do things for other people and make their lives better.