Page 166 - Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated) and Symbols
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He declared that those who wish to lead a pure life should
avoid the two extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification.
Self-indulgence is the constant attachment to sensual pleasures
which the Buddha described as “low, vulgar, ignoble, harmful
and profitless”, which surely retards one’s spiritual progress. Self-
mortification or self-torture of the body for the sake of religious
belief, which is not usually practised by the ordinary person, is
“painful, ignoble, harmful and profitless”, which weakens one’s
intellect.
e Buddha himself had gone through both these extremes in
His search for enlightenment and said that “He (the Tathagata)
realising the error of both these two extremes, followed a middle
way.” He therefore asked His followers to take the Middle Way
which opens the eyes and bestows understanding, which leads to
peace of mind, to higher wisdom, and to full enlightenment.
e Buddha then expounded the Four Noble Truths:
1. Life is subject to all kinds of Suffering (Dukkha).
2. is Suffering is caused by Ignorance which results
in Desire.
3. is Suffering can be eliminated by the elimination
of Desire.
4. e Way to eliminate Desire and attachment.
e Buddha discovered these truths and revealed them to the ig-
norant world. We can, therefore, put an end to sorrow by adopt-
ing the Middle Way which, to all Buddhists, is the philosophy
