Introduction to Philosophy

Achieve Test Prep: Philosophy

• Yoga practices: Spiritual seekers are generally encouraged to engage in disciplines that clear the mind and support a state of balance, purity, and peacefulness of mind is described as sattvic, in contrast with active restless states or lethargic dull states. The practices for increasing sattvic qualities are known as yoga. Yoga is a systematic approach to spiritual realization one of the major Hindu philosophical systems. There are eight limbs to the yogic path to making the mind absolutely clear and increasing the body’s supply of life energy: moral codes and observances; physical conditioning through yoga postures; mindful breathing; turning inward; concentration; meditation; and a state of peaceful spiritual absorption. • Fire sacrifices: Ritual animal sacrifices around a fire were an essential part of ancient Sanatana Dharma practice. The practice of the fire ritual is based on the idea the generous offerings to a deity will be rewarded by some specific results. Over time, elaborate fore sacrifice rituals were created controlled by Brahmins (priests) involving mantras (sacred chants) and sacred actions. The purpose of these actions was to invoke breath behind all of the existence, the absolute, the supreme reality. Buddhism: Buddhism is a non-theist religion that does not believe in a supernatural God or Creator. Instead, the ultimate transformation to which the Buddhists aspire is to escape the world of suffering through our own efforts until we finally achieve Nirvana (the ultimate egoless state of bliss in Buddhism the extinction of the self). The originator of Buddhism embarked on a spiritual quest that would transform him into a Buddha, an enlightened being. This spiritual epiphany led to his developing the core beliefs on which Buddhism is founded: the Four Noble Truths about suffering; the Eightfold Path for liberation from suffering; the Wheel of Birth and Death; and Nirvana. Gautama, who was the founder of Buddhism, began a wandering ministry gathering disciples (the sangha, the spiritual community of followers of the Buddha) and teaching the truths of reality (the dharma, the doctrine or law; also refers to the correct conduct for each person according to his or her level of awareness), which revealed the path for each person’s state of spiritual condition. The foundation for Buddha’s religious philosophy is contained in the Four Noble Truths, from which all other dimensions of his thinking flow: • Life inevitably involves suffering, is imperfect, and unsatisfactory. Suffering and frustration (dukkha) is an unavoidable part of living: physical pain, sickness, grief, unfulfilled desires, and ultimately death. Dukkha means a central fact of human life, variously translated as discomfort, suffering, frustration, or lack of harmony with the environment. Happiness is fleeting, with unhappiness as its constant shadow. • Suffering originates in our desires. Desires are wishes for things to be different than they are. We wish for good health, riches and fame, eternal life, perpetual happiness, and many other things. But none of these wishes can be achieved in a permanent fashion because life and the universe are essentially impermanent and because our wishes are continually thwarted and events in our world are beyond our control, frustration and suffering are unavoidable. • Suffering will cease if all desires cease. The only certain and final way to escape from suffering is by removing desire. This can be achieved only by realizing and accepting the fact that there is no unique, separate, permanent, immortal self. Once we understand that our self is

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