What Does Buddhism Teach & How you can learn from it

Enlightenment

Buddhism sees life as a process of constant change, and its practices aim to take advantage of this fact. It means that one can change for the better. The decisive factor in changing oneself is the mind, and Buddhism has developed many methods for working on the mind. Most importantly, Buddhists practice meditation, which is a way of developing more positive states of mind that are characterized by calm, concentration, awareness, and emotions such as friendliness. Using the awareness developed in meditation it is possible to have a fuller understanding of oneself, other people, and of life itself. Buddhists do not seek to ‘evangelize’ or coerce other people to adopt their religion, but they do seek to make its teachings available to whoever is interested, and people are free to take.

Soon after his Enlightenment the Buddha had a vision in which he saw the human race as a bed of lotus flowers. Some of the lotuses were still enamored in the mud, others were just emerging from it, and others again were on the point of blooming. In other words, all people had the ability to unfold their potential and some needed just a little help to do so. So the Buddha decided to teach, and all of the teachings of Buddhism may be seen as attempts to fulfil this vision — to help people grow towards Enlightenment.

   

                                                         Lotus Flower Symbolism

The Lotus plant is associated with purity, rebirth, beauty and divinity. The Lotus flower is also known to symbolize purity of speech, of the body, and of the mind. It is fabled that Gautama Buddha, whose teaching Buddhism is founded upon, left a trail of Lotus Flowers in his wake with every step that he took. Perhaps the major Lotus Flower. Symbolism with spiritual awakening or enlightenment.

                                                                    White Lotus Flower

                                                                        Pink Lotus Flower

                                                                  Blue Lotus Water Lily

A person's path in life is said to be similar to that of the Lotus. Starting at the seed stage, early in the karmic cycle, through to the bud emerging from the dirty water, representing a person following the path of spirituality and leaving attachment behind, and blossoming, this is when a person has become fully awakened and has achieved nirvana. Which is another word for liberation or salvation. To be free from those bonds that enslaves us. It is a state of profound peace and great wisdom. It is the ultimate happiness that comes when we are liberated from finding pain or pleasure in transitory objects. In Buddhism and Hinduism, nirvana is the highest state that someone can attain, a state of enlightenment, meaning a person's individual desires and suffering go away. So what I learned and took from this when we lose someone in our country we grieve for months, and so on and so on, we are sad, we get depressed because we don't understand why. When in fact we should be happy and celebrate life in a good way to know that they have reached the highest state in life.

                                                                  

I read that nirvana also can be known in English " Heaven" should not be thought of as a place. Instead, it is a state of consciousness which is above all others. It is the opposite of ignorance, greed, hatred and defilements which cloud our minds and make us do stupid things. Buddha taught that Nirvana was the ultimate goal of humans, and urged his followers to strive toward it. Yet while the Buddha urged his followers on to the path of Nirvana, he did not spend a lot of time describing what it actually was. The Buddha felt that the limits of language and human understanding prevented a clear definition of the concept, and perhaps most notably, the Buddha defined Nirvana by what it WASN'T;

                                                               Nirvana

Note that sometimes when the Buddha was asked to describe Nirvana to his followers, he chose to remain silent. Nor did the Buddha claim to his followers to be in a state of Nirvana, but did note that those who attained Nirvana were an�Arihant. {The one who has conquered all the inner enemies of anger, pride, deceit, greed, attachment and hatred.} 

Nirvana is coolness; a coolness that continues on and on. A coolness in the heart. For when we know that forever our hearts will not be hot [with defilement], that coolness is Nirvana. Or whatever you do, act correctly so that the hotness of defilements do not arise, that coolness is Nirvana." "You have to condition your heart always - don't let the defilements arise, and you will discover the coolness of Nirvana."

"Nirvana doesn't mean 'The Death of an Arihant'. �Nirvana means 'coolness' because one is free from defilements. It is not required to die (to reach Nirvana). So we should understand correctly that Nirvana is not related to death, but is related to coolness. If you are dead already, how cool are you going to feel? How will those who have died feel either cool or hot? It means coolness as it is felt by those who are able to still feel, and those are people who have not died.