Journey to Liberation

One could say the fundamental teaching of Buddhism is that what we are looking for is not outside ourselves, but within. Each of us wants to be happy, satisfied and free from pain. We keep making the mistake, however, of seeking this happiness in external things. According to Buddhism, only our own mind has the power to deliver us freedom from our hurt and craving. And so, to get what we truly want, we turn within to train the mind.

There are many 3’s among the tenets of Buddhism. There are the 3 steps to dharma, (1) not engaging in wrong actions, (2) engaging in meritorious actions, and (3) training the mind. There is the 3-fold path of ethics, meditation and wisdom, a triad of teachings that leads us to awakening. And then there are the 3 jewels of Buddha, dharma and sangha. When we take refuge in the three jewels we are committing to the 3 steps to dharma and the 3-fold path.

In his first teaching after realizing enlightenment, the Buddha taught the four noble truths and eightfold path. The eightfold path describes the 8 actions of those who are free from their pain and suffering. By acting the same way, we too can be free from our discontentment.

The noble eightfold path helps end suffering by offering us a clear example of how the noble, or wise ones, act. When we act in this same manner, we create the karma and merit necessary to realize our own liberation. Among the principles of Buddhism is that our own actions of body, speech and mind are what creates our reality. Thus, act as a noble one and we too can see reality from the perspective of an enlightened being.