Buddhini Karunathilaka

Zen Buddhism: The Art of Simple Living Zen Buddhism is one of the branches of Mahayana Buddhism. Zen Buddhist schools of thought were originated in china and it is called as chān Buddhism. The term ‘chān’ means the Sanskrit term ‘dyāna’. In other words, Zen Buddhism emphasizes the value of meditation to attain nibbana. Bhikku Bodhidharma introduced Buddhism to china. Mahayana Buddhism in china has its practical and theoretical aspects in both Zen and Hua-Yen Buddhism, which means Zen Buddhism is considered the practical aspect of Chinese Hua-Yen Buddhism. The goal In Zen Buddhism is to achieve sudden awareness or the pure awareness (Satori). Satori means the immediate experience of meditation. There are two forms of Zen practices. They are, Rinzai – tries to break through everyday thinking via Koans. (Koans are the riddles in the form of questions) Sato Zen – a slower approach to enlightenment through meditation Zen Buddhism could give the real understanding of life directly as it wo

In life, people live with hopes for tomorrow and for future. The way that people live shows that they are intentionally forget about the death, which is certain in life. When we go through the moments in our lives, people are not aware that they are approaching the death day-by-day. Chapter two describes the way in which the absurd man live. He presents a set of examples of the absurdity of life. Camus tries to introduce his definition of absurdity and the strategies that people can use when living with absurdity. Absurd is interpreted as the meaninglessness of life. Nevertheless, it is the argument between man’s desire for meaning, order, and the world’s inability to satisfy that desire. The character of Sisyphus represents the struggle human beings make to go with the flow of absurdity of life. Sisyphus comes as a figure in Greek Mythology. He was condemned to repeatedly perform the same task of pushing a boulder up to a mountain, which is obviously meaningless, to see it roll down

The Golden Mean or the Golden Middle way of Aristotle can be defined as the enviable middle between two extremes. The following are the virtues and their accompanying virtues (Table 1). Too Little Virtuous Mean Too Much Humbleness High-mindedness Vainglory Lack of Purpose Right Ambition Over-ambition Spiritlessness Good Temper Irascibility Rudeness Civility Obsequiousness Cowardice Courage Rashness Insensibility Self-control Intemperance Sarcasm Sincerity Boastfulness Boorishness Humour Buffoonery Shamelessness Modesty Shyness Callousness Just resentment Spitefulness Pettiness Generosity Vulgarity Meanness liberty Wastefulness People would blame you if you take money that is not yours. In the same way, if one does something virtuous, then the world will praise them. According to Aristotle, only if a person acts voluntarily, then only that particular person deserves blame or praise because then only that person can take the responsibility for what he has done. For

Buddhism has usually regarded as a teaching, which is based on non-violence and peace. This article examines the fundamental principle of the Buddha, which can be used to peace-building and peace-keeping. Need for security is one of the fundamental psychological drives. The Buddhist doctrine of non-violence (ahimsā) is used in this study in order to highlight what the Buddha emphasized instead of violence. The Buddha denounced violence and asked his followers to cultivate and practice non-violence towards all the sentient beings. This sublime principle is accompanied with two other principles. They are loving-kindness (mettā) and compassion (karunā). The Buddha he himself exemplary showed how to spread peace and good-will among all the beings without any discrimination. He also stated that one becomes a noble person only when he becomes a person who is harmless to all the beings. In the KosambiyaSutta, the Buddha has mentioned about quarrelling, throwing sharp words at each other, dis

Albert Camus was born in 7, November 1913 in Mondovi, French Algeria. He belongs to the 20th century philosophical era. He is a French philosopher, novelist, journalist, and an author. He was best known for his winning of the ‘Nobel Prize in Literature’ in 1957. The Outsider, The Myth of the Sisyphus, The Fall, The Rebel, and The Plague are some of the notable works of Albert Camus. His views on absurdity highly contributed to its emergence in the context of philosophy. He refused to accept the categorization of him as an existentialist in several occasions. His works are belong to the schools of continental philosophy, existentialism, Absurd and Anarchism.

Courage The true meaning of courage is the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. There are Four Types of Everyday Courage. Moral Courage- Moral Courage is the courage to stand up for one’s beliefs in the face of overwhelming opposition. Intellectual Courage- Intellectual Courage is the courage to challenge old assumptions and understandings and act on new understandings and insights gleaned from experience and/or educational research. Disciplined Courage- Disciplined Courage is the courage to be reflective, strategic and focused in the face of constant distractions and opposition. Empathetic Courage- The courage to open and feel deeply for others. https://www.tepsa.org/resource/the-courage-to-lead-activating-four-types-of-courage-for-success/

Everything begins in the heart and mind. Every great achievement began in the mind of one person. They dared to dream, to believe that it was possible. Take some time to allow yourself to ask “What if?” Think big. Don’t let negative thinking discourage you. You want to be a “dreamer.” Dream of the possibilities for yourself, your family and for others. If you had a dream that you let grow cold, re-ignite the dream! Fan the flames. Life is too short to let it go. Your dream needs to be big. It needs to be something that is seemingly beyond your capabilities. But it also must be believable. You must be able to say that if certain things take place, if others help, if you work hard enough, though it is a big dream, it can still be done. For further reading: https://www.success.com/7-steps-to-achieve-your-dream/

As Aristotle has mentioned it, the ultimate goal of human life is about happiness. Therefore, ethics is categorized as the science of achieving happiness. Contemplation is the highest completion the nature of human beings as rational beings, ‘the connection between the human function and human happiness implies that contemplation is a supremely important element in happiness’ (Craig, Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy 1998, 429). The highest good is defined in terms of happiness. Aristotle emphasizes a different opinion of the notion of happiness. Happiness cannot be merely categorized into pleasure. You do not need rational capabilities to feel pleasure. Even animals do have pleasure because pleasure can be derived even from wicked behaviour. However, to feel happiness one needs to have rational capabilities. That is where humans are animals become different. Aristotle says, ‘A Virtuous person makes a decision (Prohairesis) to do the virtuous action for its own sake’ (Craig, Routl

Nichomac hean Ethics is one of the most important books of Aristotle. This work consists of 10 books. The object of inquiry of the book signifies its value which is to inquire how men should best live. For Aristotle, ethics is more practical than a theoretical one. It studies how the individuals should best live. Ethics is not totally theoretical or intellectual which gives understanding about what it means to live a better life. One should use it as a way to become better. One could live better life if he is raised well by cultivating virtuous habits. Aristotle begins with the synopsis, which says that the highest good for humans is happiness or well-being. People would blame you if you take money that is not yours. In the same way, if one does something virtuous, then the world will praise them. According to Aristotle, only if a person acts voluntarily, then only that particular person deserves blame or praise because then only that person can take the responsibility for what he has

Buddhist ethics can be classified into several categories. They are,  Religious ethics Social ethics Political ethics Economical ethics Buddhist religious ethics teaches people to live without having conflicts. It is mentioned as ‘na kenaci loke viggaiha titthati’. It improves the values and leads people towards a virtuous life. Buddhist ethics encourage people to use ethical ways to develop their life. It can be categorized under several sub sections as purisakāra which means human effort, attakāra which means personal effort, purisāthāma which means human strength, purisa vīriya which means human courage, purisa parakkama which means human adventure and purisa dhoraiha which means human responsibilities. Furthermore, the main thing in Buddhist ethics is it respects all the other religions and the leaders of those religions. Buddhism was aimed to develop wisdom of the people in accordance with the morality. Therefore, they could understand what to believe by themselves. It is stated i

Buddhism has usually regarded as a teaching, which is based on non-violence and peace. This article examines the fundamental principle of the Buddha, which can be used to peace-building and peace-keeping. Need for security is one of the fundamental psychological drives. The Buddhist doctrine of non-violence (ahimsā) is used in this study in order to highlight what the Buddha emphasized instead of violence. The Buddha denounced violence and asked his followers to cultivate and practice non-violence towards all the sentient beings. This sublime principle is accompanied with two other principles. They are loving-kindness (mettā) and compassion (karunā). The Buddha he himself exemplary showed how to spread peace and good-will among all the beings without any discrimination. He also stated that one becomes a noble person only when he becomes a person who is harmless to all the beings.  In the KosambiyaSutta, the Buddha has mentioned about quarrelling, throwing sharp words at each other, dis

   Anything which is directed to the welfare of the individual is considered as morally good whereas everything injuries is considered as morally bad. The study of ethics has become the foundation of Islam. The practices of Muhammad and the interpretations of Qur’an have codified the foundation source of Islamic ethics. Muslims believe that Muhammad was sent by the God in order to remind the moral responsibility that people have. There is a motive force in the ethical principles of Islamic ethics command the good and forbid the evil which is common to many religious ethical principles. There is set of commandments on ethical behaviour of the people in Islamic ethics. Some of them are listed in the below. . Worship God BE kind, honorable and humble top parents Be neither misery nor wasteful in one’s expenses  Do not engage in mercy killings Be honest  Keep promises Muslims are asked not to attach the ephemeral pleasure in the world and to control their passions and desires.  

  Christian theology can be defined as the theology of the believes, and practices of Christian People. Christian ethics is one of the main branches that come under Christian Theology. The behaviour of the people is defined through a Christian perspective in order to define virtuous and wrong behaviour. Systematic theology (moral theology) is the discipline that defines Christian theology in an orderly rational manner. The virtues are the traits or qualities which organize people to conduct them in a morally high-quality manner. The virtues in Christian theology are divided into two main categories. Cardinal virtues Theological virtues  Cardinal virtues are the basic virtues required to have a virtuous life. Ambrose who was a theologian used these cardinal virtues in the Commentary on Luke. Cardinal virtues questions about the way in which the rich should act towards the poor, women are to be treated and the morality of war. There are four cardinal virtues.  Prudence/ wisdom Fortitude/

   People who were trapped in the world are the cave people who represent the ordinary human beings of the world. Shadows represent worldly things, such as money, love, fame, education, ethical and cultural norms. People tend to believe these things merely, only because of the consensus of the majority of the society. Unless and until you get out of the cave, you will never know what the outside of the cave holds. You will never explore things that the outside world consists of other than the mere shadows in the cave.  There are people in this world, who always think out of the box. These types of people do something different from others by creating their own strengths. It is only these types of people could change the world. For instance, have a look at the lives of Martin Luther King, Mark Zuckerberg, Isaac Newton, Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates etc. they have escaped from the cave and uncovered the sunshine in order to find the true reality.  Most of the people in the contemporary soci

Camus believed that the Myth of Sisyphus as a good metaphor for our daily life. The lives of workers of the contemporary society are similar as that of Sisyphus. Their fate is no less absurd than of Sisyphus’. People repeat the process of working from Monday to Sunday continuously. They start Monday by knowing that the busy lives would last another seven days. The cyclical progression emphasize that the fundamental absurdity of human life is similar to that of Sisyphus.  Absurdity teaches us that the struggle for life is a never ending quest. Human life in the modern societies is similar as that of Sisyphus. It is true that we all are in a process of rolling the stone over the week by knowing that it will fall back and we will have to repeat the process again. You have to trust the process towards your goal in order to reach your goal. For that, you can divide your path towards success into achievable steps. When you want to succeed in your life or when you need to achieve a particular

  Plato sees the phenomenal world as a copy of the reality. The original one is in the world of forms. This interpretation would add a different meaning to life. They always watched these shadows as real. For them, the shadows represent the reality. They have not exposed to the outside of the cave. Nevertheless, one person was able to escape from the cave and to see the sun (the real Forms). Plato presents the allegory of the cave in The Republic. It was written as a dialogue between Glaucon and Socrates. It has described that a group of people have lived in a cave chained to one of the wall in the cave. The wall was totally blank. There was a fire behind them and those people only saw the shadows projected from the objects passing by on the blank wall. They knew only about the shadows and identified the shadows seem to appear. The reality for those prisoners were the shadows they seen in the blank wall. Nevertheless, they were not real. According to Plato, there are three higher level

Living a balanced life means determining what is most important to you and expending your time and energy accordingly. According to the dictionary, balance is defined as: : a means of judging or deciding : a counterbalancing weight, force, or influence : mental and emotional steadiness.  Once we determine what it is that we want MORE of in our life, then we also have to commit to giving LESS to other areas. Balance will not look the same for everyone. Finding YOUR unique life balance will simplify your life in a way that brings freedom and peace of mind. https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/the-meaning-of-balance/

  Imagine a perfect life which goes right all the time, you achieve your dreams and goals and your life is just going well. That would be the perfect life one could ever dream. Such a great feeling! But what if it goes other way around? Sometimes life is not that perfect. Not even close. One small thing could change your whole life upside down. For instance,a major health problem, not having a job or money would make you feel that you have such an imperfect life. But you have to find the little energy within you to go through with such situations in life. Remember that the imperfections that you have make you a unique person. Therefore, Don't strive for perfection...aim for wonderful instead. Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful! https://www.sparklesintheeveryday.com/2018/10/life-not-perfect-but-wonderful.html

Overthinking is not about past events but about the future too. You'll worry about the things happened in the past, things happen in the present and the things that'll happen in the future. I could definitely destroy your peace of mind and happiness. Overthinking is also often associated with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and  personality disorders. take note of what triggers your overthinking. It might stem from a past trauma, or something in your life that's currently a source of stress. Once you identify those triggers,  you can start finding ways to overcome them. Any time you find yourself doubting or feeling stressed or anxious, step back and look at the situation and how you're responding.Don't think of what can go wrong, but what can go right.No one can predict the future; all we have is now. Spending time on the future is simply not productive. Spend that time instead on things that give you joy. References https://www

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." Dale Carnegie Don't fear failure because failure teaches you how to not take things for granted. When we have everything in life – resources like money, houses, education, it's easy to take things for granted and let the little things get to us. When we fail in life, we realize that we have something that we don't have yet. After all, Confucius, a renowned Chinese philosopher has rightly said,  “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.” So doing the same thing over and over again will surely lead you through a safe journey, but it won’t lead to any breakthroughs. So don’t worry, Don t be afraid of failure it is only natural to have an occasional hiccup, It all works for the best in the end! Mistakes are not a problem, but not taking the opportunity to learn from them is. W

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” -Buddha Living in the present moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means enjoying what’s happening now and living for today. Removing items associated with past memories frees you and allows you to stop living in the past. Keep your attitude optimistic and expectant. Dream big. Set goals and plans for the future. But working hard today is always the first step towards realizing your dreams tomorrow. Your goals cannot be accomplished until and unless you work for it. Make strategies to go through with all the things that life gives you. If you are still talking about what you did yesterday, you haven’t done much today.It will destroy your time today. Past is not a good place to stay. Focus on Solutions Instead of Problems. Identify Obstacles to Living in the Moment Practice Mi

  1. Make Yourself a Priority  First  you should  feel good about yourself. " Look after yourself and make it a habit to do those little self-care things that make you feel good. It’ll make a big difference in the way you carry yourself." Satisfy you, for being you, before you go to satisfy others.  2. Use Positive Words "Saying, I’m grateful for…, I am willing to..., I’d love to learn..., etc. will take you a long way."How we communicate with others matters a lot. Therefore, "The way we communicate directly impacts the energy we give off, so using words like love, solution, happy, secure, etc", will help you find the energy that you need to energize yourself. 3. Live in the Moment Put your phone away when you’re having lunch with a friend, or turn the TV off when you’re talking with your loved ones. "Distractions prevent us from living in the moment and savoring even the most seemingly mundane tasks." If we live in the moment, then we'll be

  1. Growth isn’t always linear "Often the adage two steps forward and one step back is a fairly accurate description of the change process. No one is constantly moving forward." It's ok to keep your path moving slowly. Speed doesn't matter, but the final result of achieving your goals matters. Keep your path moving slowly when it is needed. 2. Set realistic expectations.  Unrealistic expectations are a quick path to frustration and hopelessness. Your expectations need to be realistic so that you'll get motivated more than ever before. Try it. 3. Ask for help.  "Having supportive, positive people to cheer you on is key to staying motivated and being able to push through obstacles." If you have such a supportive person, then you're lucky, go ahead! But if you don't have such a person, then you can be your own hero and you'll be able to guide yourself through all the ups and downs. 4. Be honest and accountable.  "Real change requires us to

 “Stand tall, stand proud. Know that you are unique and magnificent. You do not need the approval of others.” – Jonathan Lockwood  There are times in our lives where the life seems challenging to us. You might feel it differently. But the consequences looks similar. It depends on your choice, which is to face the challenges or to give up the whole thing. Your future is in your hands. There's nothing to do with your past or your future. What matters is being in the present. What you're doing in the present decides what you contribute to your future. "Life is a true miracle. Life is a gift and many other things but it is not easy. There will be times when you’ll feel like all hope is lost and that giving up is the only right thing to do. T here will be times when you’ll wish you could rewind the past and do things differently or when you’ll feel completely helpless or devastated. If this is how you’ve been feeling lately or how you’re feeling today, fear not! Life is a mirac

1) Remove Distractions 2) Write down what you want to accomplish, both long term and short term. 3) When you set a goal, figure out how you are going to quantify success. 4. Feed Your Brain- Read the success stories for motivation, and read the downfalls for perspective. 5.  Exercise 6. Meditate Take some time in the morning and at night before bed to quiet your mind and let the creativity come to you — instead of you relentlessly chasing it.It doesn’t take much.Just allow yourself to sit in silence for 5–10 minutes. https://nicolascole77.medium.com/10-ways-i-stay-ridiculously-focused-on-my-goals-686e2e39b0e2

Kālāma Sutta, is a discourse of the Buddha contained in the Ańguttara Nikaya of the Tipitaka  It is often cited by those of the Theravada and Mahayana traditions alike as the Buddha's "charter of free inquiry. It states that, Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing (anussava), nor upon tradition (paramparā), nor upon rumor (itikirā), nor upon what is in a scripture (piṭaka-sampadāna) nor upon surmise (takka-hetu), nor upon an axiom (naya-hetu), nor upon specious reasoning (ākāra-parivitakka), nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over (diṭṭhi-nijjhān-akkh-antiyā), nor upon another's seeming ability (bhabba-rūpatāya), nor upon the consideration, The monk is our teacher (samaṇo no garū) For instance, when you believe everything you hear, if what you hear is not true and you react to it, then you're misguided.  The Buddha said,  Kalamas, when you yourselves know: "These things are good; these things are not blamable; these things a

Machiavelli has stated “it is necessary for a prince to have the people friendly; otherwise he has no security in adversity” (Machiavelli, 1992, p. 45). According to him, it is a requirement not to reveal the real intentions of the prince to the citizens. He should appear as a virtuous person while doing its opposition. He should pretend as a ruler who wants the betterment of the people in the kingdom. Thus, it is stated in The Prince that a prince should “be a constant inquirer, and afterwards a patient listener concerning the things of which he inquired” (Machiavelli, 1992, p. 110). However, the prince should hide his real objectives on spreading power over the men and pretend to be a virtuous person. But he should not be a virtuous person in real.  Furthermore, Machiavelli has explained about the characteristics of human beings from a naked eye. According to him, human being are naturally acquisitive and appetitive. Thus, they crave for the things that they do not have as they like

The scope of ethics in Kantian ethics and Bhagavat Gītā is based on deontological foundation that can be emphasized as doing ones duty without considering about its results. Both Kantian ethics and the ethical concepts in Bhagavat Gītā emphasize the value of doing ‘the duty for the sake of duty’. In the critique of practical reason, it is mentioned that do duty for the sake of duty because only if ones action is motivated by a moral duty, then it has a moral value. According to Kant, moral duties are generate through moral laws. It is immoral to lie. Kant distinguishes two types of duties; perfect duties and imperfect duties. Perfect duties can be consider as the duties that one should do all the time. To illustrate, although in some situations people suggest it is moral to lie or steal by taking into consideration about the results of the particular action and other consequences according to Kant stealing and lying promise is immoral. When dealing with a murder people cannot lie, even

  Virginia Woolf was an English writer who is considered as one of the most important modern novelist and a short story writer in the 20th century. The Voyage Out (1915), Mrs Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927) and The Waves (1931) are some of her fiction. She inspired feminism through her works. She was a pioneer in her use of stream of consciousness and her narrative device.  She is also identified as a precursor of postmodernism as she has presented postmodern features in her novel The Waves. The Waves, which has written in 1931, can be recognized as the greatest novel that she has written which is formally and thematically different from her other literature works. Although this novel is composed in the modern period, it includes postmodern features.  The Waves is composed in 1931 and it can be considered as Woolf’s most experimental work.  In the incidents in The Waves have gone through six different characters; three men (Bernard, Neville and Louis) and three women (Jinny,

  Mindfulness is the quality of being present and fully engaged with whatever we’re doing at the moment — free from distraction or judgment, and aware of our thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them.Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment.  The effectiveness of meditation for various conditions, including: Stress Anxiety Pain Depression Insomnia High blood pressure (hypertension) There are many simple ways to practice mindfulness. Some examples include: Pay attention Live in the moment Accept yourself Focus on your breathing. When you have negative thoughts, try to sit down, take a deep breath and close your eyes. Focus on your breath  https://www.headspace.com/mindfulness https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356

   “You don’t overcome challenges by making them smaller but by making yourself bigger.” – John C. Maxwell Motivation might be extrinsic, whereby a person is inspired by outside forces—other people or events that transpire. Motivation can also be intrinsic, whereby the inspiration comes from within a person—the desire to improve at a certain activity. Intrinsic motivation tends to push people more forcefully, and the accomplishments are more fulfilling.According to Maslow, humans are inherently motivated to better themselves and move toward expressing their full potential—self-actualization—by progressively encountering and satisfying several levels of need from the most fundamental, such as for food and safety, to higher-order needs for love, belonging, and self-esteem. Without motivation in life, it’s hard to strive for success and achieve internal happiness. How can you pass your exam if you aren’t motivated to study. The first step to set specific, achievable objectives.Divide the

  1) Focus on one thing “Don’t do any task in order to get it over with. Resolve to do each job in a relaxed way, with all your attention. Enjoy and be one with your work.” – Thich Nhat Hanh focus on the task at hand without getting distracted. Whatever is in your presence at that moment, dedicate your attention to it fully. 2) Focus on the present moment “When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.” – Thich Nhat Hanh To do something with every pulse of your being means to be fully concentrated on the present moment. 3) Let go of what you can’t control “You can only lose what you cling to.” — Buddha. When you realize the impermanence of everything around you, you begin to let go and enjoy the world for what it is. 4) Own only what you need According to Buddhist philosophy, it can be harmful to desire superficial objects. It doesn’t lead to much meaning in lif

 The Buddha’s use of Language Language is the prominent achievement of human thinking process. According to the Lord Buddha, language does not merely use to communicate with the other human beings, but also for gaining the perceptual knowledge, conceptual analysis and for freedom of thinking. Lord Buddha has used Māgadhiya language or in other words, Pāli language was prominent at that time than the other languages. For that, Pāli language is used when composing Dammapada, which consist the lord Buddha’s teachings. In Buddhism, Sanskrit language has widely used along with Pāli language. Mainly, the Buddha has used a wide range of terms in order to describe language in a general sense. The Buddha used various types of terms to highlight different functions of language “as sound (sadda), word (akkhara, vacana), concept (saṅkhā, paññatti, dhammā), synonym (adhivacana, vevacana), name (nāma), term (pada) and grammar (ākāra, veyyākarana)”.  The lord Buddha has explained the way to use langu