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  • Essay / How Buddhism Teaches Anger and Forgiveness - 1880

    Buddhism offers many perspectives on the topic of anger and forgiveness. Buddhist teachings suggest peaceful, non-violent ways to prevent suffering and anger. The Eightfold Path teaches ways to relieve suffering and anger. Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh preaches compassion as a way to fully understand forgiveness. The Buddhist path offers many ways to show compassion towards other people, the earth, as well as daily conflicts. One of the characteristics of Buddhist reality is “dukkha,” which translates to suffering. The Buddhist understanding of suffering is more of a dissatisfaction or unease with life. This is due to the constant change that accompanies life in the physical world. Even when we experience a pleasant moment, we are dissatisfied because the moment is fleeting. For example, when an assignment is completed, we know that there will be another one soon. People try to organize their lives, but unpredictable events such as death and natural disasters return life to a state of disorganization. These things are all examples of dukkha (Ellwood, McGraw, 121-123). The Buddha said that to live means to inevitably experience sorrow and dissatisfaction. Each new obstacle must be analyzed and understood in order to find a solution. Suffering cannot be avoided, but the Four Noble Truths indicate how each person can respond to it (Ellwood, McGraw, 121). The first noble truth states that to live is to suffer (Ellwood, McGraw, 122). With the body come decay and suffering, and with the mind come trouble and discouragement. Every day requires us to decide what to do with our lives and what we need to do to achieve happiness. Daily life becomes a to-do list that can lead to frustration...... middle of paper ......the Buddhist principles of non-violence, compassion and understanding. His work earned him a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. A lifetime of following the Eightfold Path and practicing Ahimsa taught him the true meaning of compassion and forgiveness. Thanks to this, he was able to help thousands of people and show them the true meaning of life. His knowledge of suffering and understanding of human nature allowed him to be patient and make changes peacefully. Not only did he work to fix things in Vietnam, but he touched many lives and because of that, his work will continue to be done by others. Works Cited Doblmeier, Martin. “Compassion, the antidote”. Travelers. March 22, 2010Ellwood, Robert and Barbara McGraw. Many peoples, many beliefs. New Jersey: PearsonEducation, Inc.., 2009.