American song-writer, Dolly Parton, once stated "if you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one." Life is full of roads. The number of possible options in life can be seen as both a blessing and a curse. In many cases people have the choice to pursue their passions. When presented with a plethora of options, one's ability to choose becomes more difficult. Life's choices can sometimes be compared to looking at a restaurant menu. All the food looks so good that you don't know which entree to order. In order to aid in the decision making process people will often seek help from mentors, their intuition, or even religious faith. In regards to religious faiths, I believe that Buddhism takes a very practical approach to finding the right path. To those whom practice Buddhism seek the right path through use of right view and right thinking.Right view, as stated in The Heart of Buddha's Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh, can be described as "the ability to distinguish wholesome roots from unwholesome roots"(Hanh Chapter 9). This statement implies that within everyone there are both wholesome roots and unwholesome roots. For example even though someone is a generous person, they also have the capacity to be a selfish person. The reason that they are generous is because this characteristic was nurtured more by their environment. This relates to choosing the right path in life because if you can properly nurture wholesome qualities within yourself, then you can live on the right path. The nurturing of wholesome qualities within oneself is also known as selective touching. Right view also deals with the ability to know the source of our perceptions. It is stated in The Heart of Buddha's Teachings is the idea that "where there is perception, there is deception"(Hanh Chapter 9). In many cases suffering stems from wrong perceptions, therefore we must know the source of our perceptions in order to transform our suffering. Looking at the root of our perceptions allows us to understand them. Once we understand our perceptions we can be free from them. Wrong views and perceptions stem from not understanding our perceptions. Right view is vital to finding the right path because right view will allow one to see the truth clearly.
Right thinking is also essential to finding the right path. Thoughts are very powerful because often times thoughts become actions. In this case right thinking can become right actions. This means that one will make the right choices in order to reach the right path. In order to have the right mindset one must remain in the moment so that the past and future have been released. This allows you to find your true presence in the moment. Thich Nhat Hanh wrote, "wrong thinking causes us to see in an upside-down way"(Hanh Chapter 10). Wrong views can also come about when our mind and body are not unified. One way to unify the mind and the body is through conscious breathing. This unification allows us to become whole beings again.
One example of how I've had wrong views in my life is through my experience with a former professor. This professor was often passive-aggressive, and seemed to experience mood swings. This professor also seemed to take his frustration out on students when they were experiencing unhappiness. Initially I would condemn this professor as an unprofessional jerk. However after reading about Buddhism, I learned that our perception is what ultimately decides how we feel. I therefore took it upon myself to attempt to understand the motives and suffering of the professor. After further analysis I realized that the professor was so passionate about our learning, that they came off as a jerk. I also put into perspective how the professor felt under-paid and over-worked. Although I don't agree with the professor's style, I at least understand this professor's actions and behavior. I learned that it is not reasonable to write off people simply due to their actions. People must try to understand other people's motives and behaviors rather than attempting to put them into categories and groups. According to Buddha, in order to see the truth we must get rid of our notions. This means to truly see things and people for what they are rather than what we perceive them to be. Even though someone may be loud and aggressive, does not make them an asshole just because some people that are loud and aggressive are assholes.Another example of how I've had wrong views in my life is the fact that I do not always enjoy to attend certain classes. The reason this is a wrong view is because good and bad are not separate, but rather inseparable according to Buddhism. In order to correct this wrong view, I simply need to focus on the positive aspect of the class I'm going to attend. By using selective touching, I can make my life more wholesome. I can focus on learning, and experiencing new things, rather than focusing on how boring a class may be.
In conclusion in order to find the right path according to Buddhism, one needs to use right view, and right thinking. Regardless of your religion these and many other Buddhist principles can be used in daily life due to their practicality.
Sources
Nhá̂t, Hạnh. The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy & Liberation. New York: Broadway, 1999. Online.
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