Suffering is often a barrier to peace. Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest, teacher, author, and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, teaches that if we don’t transform our suffering, we will transmit it. We can see the truth of this all around us every day.

Twin Roots of Suffering: Separation & Fear

What is the root cause of all this suffering? For me, the simplest answer is lack of love; love for self, love for others, love for the planet, love for the sacred. And the powers that rule the institutions that affect us (governments, religions, educational systems) have effectively used fear to keep love at bay and to keep us believing in our separateness. Belief in our separateness intensifies our suffering.

In the Buddhist tradition, the cause of suffering is desire, the attachment to things or relationships that disturb our equanimity and prevent enlightenment. Could this be just another iteration of fear and separation? Observing Buddhist practices that guide a person on the ethical path toward wholeness and enlightenment, we can see that those practices are a version of loving self, another, the planet, and living in a way that I would define as love for the sacred.

This Truth revealed in Buddhism is the same sacred Truth I learned as a child, yet it is expressed in a tradition so different from my own. These differences can create unnecessary separation. Divine Truth is truth no matter who expresses it. In reality, we are all one.

For example, one truth Buddhism teaches is that compassion and wisdom should be developed in equal measure in order to move to a state of wholeness or perfection. To develop these qualities, the Buddha taught his disciples the Four Noble Truths: (1) there is suffering; (2) there is a way of life that perpetuates that suffering; (3) it is possible to find healing by living life as it is; (4) it is possible to achieve full awakening to life as it really is by following an eight-fold path of “right practices” that liberate us from suffering.

These practices have much in common with the teachings of Jesus which tell Christians to love our neighbors as ourselves. The Buddha and Jesus would have been fast friends, I think. Jesus would have recognized and appreciated the Buddha’s wisdom in the practices of the Eightfold Path.

The Eight-Fold Path

1.     Right understanding (complete vision, seeing the world as it is)

2.     Right thinking (perfected emotion or aspiration, proper intent)

3.     Right speech (clear, uplifting, truthful, speech; no gossip, slander, or hurtful words)

4.     Right action (integral, ethical action)

5.     Right livelihood (work with a respect for all living beings and all life)

6.     Right effort (enthusiasm, vitality, energy, positive attitude)

7.     Right mindfulness (complete or thorough awareness of the present moment)

8.     Right concentration (full consciousness often achieved through meditation)

Adhering to these right practices is not unlike adhering to the Ten Commandments or living the Beatitudes. All goodness reflects God. God is within all awakenings.

Waking up by becoming conscious not only of our actions but our thoughts, intentions, and mental disciplines using the Ten Commandments or Beatitudes, or Four Noble Truths can all lead to the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Questions for Reflection & Meditation

The full list of questions for meditation and reflection are in the Novena for Peace Ritual, Questions, & Prayers.

Today I suggest we reflect for a few moments on one or all of the “right practices” to discern which ones we might take in to our hearts to relieve our suffering or the suffering of others. And in this way create a bit more peace in the world today.