#sarahae

[mahayanapilgrim]

Stoicism and Buddhism: A Comparative Analysis

Attraction to those close to you catches you in its currents; Aversion to those who oppose you burns inside; Indifference that ignores what needs to be done is a black hole. Leave your homeland — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

Cato hated excess. He hated finery. He hated luxury. He thought to indulge such things was weakness and stupidity. And so what did Cato think of his brother who was far less strict about these things? He loved him. In fact, he worshiped him.

It’s important to remember: The Stoic has strict standards. We have strong opinions on what’s right and what isn’t. But…and this is a big but…we have to be understanding and forgiving of those who have been, as Marcus Aurelius writes, cut off from truth.

Stoicism and Buddhism are two ancient philosophical nd spiritual traditions that have captivated the minds of countless individuals over centuries. While they have distinct cultural origins and historical backgrounds, a closer examination reveals intriguing similarities and differences in their core principles and approaches to life. In this essay, we will explore these two philosophies and shed light on their fundamental ideas, ultimately highlighting the common ground and disparities that define them.

**Stoicism:**

Stoicism, originating in ancient Greece, is a philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium around 300 BCE. It places a significant emphasis on rationality and virtue as the means to attain a tranquil and content life. Several fundamental tenets characterize Stoicism:

1. **Virtue as the Highest Good:** Stoics believe that the highest good is living in accordance with virtue. The four cardinal virtues of wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance are essential in guiding human actions.

2. **Acceptance of What Is Beyond Control:** A core Stoic teaching is the acceptance of things that are beyond one's control. Stoics argue that inner peace is achieved by recognizing and accepting that external events are beyond one's power, while one can control their own thoughts and actions.

3. **Emotional Resilience:** Stoics advocate for emotional resilience through reason and self-discipline. They view destructive emotions, such as anger and fear, as hindrances to a tranquil life and emphasize the importance of maintaining emotional equilibrium.

4. **Detachment from Material Possessions:** Stoicism encourages individuals to detach themselves from material possessions and not be attached to external outcomes or circumstances.

5. **Compassion and Justice:** While Stoics maintain strict standards and opinions about what is right, they also promote the development of a rational and compassionate attitude towards others, placing a strong emphasis on justice and fairness.

**Buddhism:**

Buddhism, founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, in ancient India, is both a spiritual and moral philosophy that aims to address the problem of suffering and guide individuals toward enlightenment and liberation from suffering. Buddhism's key principles include:

1. **The Four Noble Truths:** Central to Buddhism is the recognition of suffering as an inherent aspect of human existence. The Four Noble Truths acknowledge the existence of suffering, identify its cause as attachment and desire, propose the possibility of cessation, and outline the Eightfold Path as the means to achieve liberation from suffering.

2. **Detachment from Desires:** Buddhism places a strong emphasis on detachment from desires and attachments as the primary source of suffering. By letting go of attachment to material possessions and craving, individuals can attain a state of equanimity.

3. **Mindfulness and Meditation:** Buddhism teaches the practice of mindfulness and meditation as essential tools for gaining insight into one's own mind and emotions. These practices help individuals transcend attachment to emotions and desires.

4. **Compassion and Loving-Kindness:** Buddhism promotes compassion (karuna) and loving-kindness (metta) as crucial virtues, encouraging the alleviation of suffering not only in oneself but also in all sentient beings.

5. **Karma and Rebirth:** Buddhism emphasizes the concept of karma, which suggests that one's actions have consequences. While Stoicism focuses on the present moment, Buddhism is concerned with the accumulation of good or bad karma, leading to different states of existence in the cycle of birth and death (samsara).

**Comparative Analysis:**

Both Stoicism and Buddhism share some fundamental principles despite their differing cultural origins. Notable points of comparison include:

1. **Emotional Control:** Both philosophies advocate for control over one's emotions. Stoics aim for emotional resilience through reason and self-discipline, while Buddhism teaches mindfulness and meditation to gain insight into and transcend emotions.

2. **Detachment:** Both philosophies emphasize detachment, whether from material possessions (Stoicism) or desires and attachments (Buddhism) as a means to find inner peace.

3. **Compassion:** While Stoics emphasize rational and compassionate attitudes toward others, Buddhism places significant importance on compassion and loving-kindness as virtues to alleviate suffering.

4. **Acceptance:** Stoicism teaches the acceptance of things beyond one's control, whereas Buddhism extends this idea to include the acceptance of the impermanence of all things.

However, they also differ in key ways:

1. **Virtue vs. Enlightenment:** Stoicism centers on the pursuit of virtue and living in accordance with it, while Buddhism is primarily concerned with attaining enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of suffering.

2. **Karma and Rebirth:** Buddhism incorporates the concepts of karma and rebirth, which Stoicism does not address.

3. **The Role of Desire:** Stoicism acknowledges the importance of controlling desires, while Buddhism posits that desires are the root cause of suffering.

**Conclusion:**

In conclusion, Stoicism and Buddhism are two profound philosophical and spiritual traditions that offer valuable insights into human existence, the pursuit of inner peace, and the cultivation of virtues. While they have distinct philosophical and cultural backgrounds, their shared emphasis on emotional control, detachment, and compassion reveals common threads in their teachings. By understanding and appreciating the principles of both Stoicism and Buddhism, individuals can draw upon a broader range of wisdom to navigate the complexities of life, seeking personal growth, self-awareness, and a path toward a more fulfilling and meaningful existence. These philosophies continue to inspire and guide individuals in their quest for a balanced and harmonious life.

[deepinsamsara]

"Those who believe in reality may be dumb as oxen. But those who believe in non-reality are far more dumb." - Saraha

[bettyweir]

[dearly]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 4x04, Fear Itself

[the-witch-of-woods-beyond]

okay cause cheating is wrong, obviously. but some people are really out here going, no it’s okay that they’re a murderer who killed your family and ruined your life and straight up abused you and also is significantly older than, no that’s okay they had a secret reason they never told you about and a tragic backstory - oh wait they cheated??? how dare they!!!!!

like i’m sorry but cheating is not the worst thing in the world compared to what i listed above and sometimes in media it can actually be understandable why a character cheats but everyone calls them a monster - which yeah cheating sucks - but then turn around and in the same breath go, oh that terrible abusive piece of shit that’s hot and has a villain aesthetic but does shitty things for shitty reasons?? they’re my faveee how dare you hate them for valid reasons??

[soundgrammar]

Listen/purchase: Long Hypnosis by Azu Tiwaline

[incorrectlooneytunesquotes]

I'm the kind of woman about whom people say, 'Who was that woman?

Lola Bunny

[melis-ash]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Black Sails, 18th Century CE RPF Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Eleanor Guthrie/Woodes Rogers, Eleanor Guthrie/Max (mentioned), Eleanor Guthrie & Richard Guthrie, Sarah Whetstone Rogers/Woodes Rogers, Eleanor Guthrie/Charles Vane (mentioned) Characters: Woodes Rogers, Eleanor Guthrie, Samuel Buck, William Dampier, Thomas Dover, Stephen Courthney, Joseph Guthrie (mentioned), Thomas Rogers (mentioned), Sarah Whetstone Rogers Additional Tags: WTF Kombat 2023, Don't copy to another site, Drama, Romance, Historical Inaccuracy, Nightmares, Canon-Typical Violence (mentioned), Dead People, Flashbacks, Blood and Gore Summary:

Дурное дело видеть смысл в чьей-то смерти, но раз уж так случилось, думает Вудс, нельзя допустить, чтобы все было зазря.

[lespuni]

The way media functions around cheating is very voyeuristic and the way that people suggest we deal with it (here) is very Christian. Surely nothing bad can ever happen with that mix. Surely that number 1 tag in Tumblr's search page isn't inane

[shi1498912]

How Do Religions Use Art?: Crash Course Art History #8 | Sarah Urist Green

[elhocyn]

Wet

[mahayanapilgrim]

The root of everything in existence and beyond is - oh yes it is - it is mind.

When you realize this there is no meditation to do, just relax, take it easy, let it go.

Resting in what you are - why look for something else - that would be a foolish thing to do.

No thinking "it is like this", no thinking "it ain't like that", everything is great in the native state.

- Saraha

[grecoromanyaoi]

whats really funny abt the whole 'you should ~speak up~ on everything all the time or ur a ~bad person~' (asides from being just bait for ppl w ocd) is that it makes ppl feel responsible to voice their opinions abt global issues they have minimal to zero knowledge on. girl you dont know wtf is going on in like. the western saraha or whatever and nobody cares what you have to say

[ask-grian]

Then how did you get Griande to participate in the Saraha journal??? And we have clips of you saying Poultry man was a friend of yours...very sus!

Uh. We spent all our budget on booking her. Also, I'm 95% sure being friends with womeone doesn't exactly mean I'm affiliated with them! We just both like eggs.

[alittleplaytime]

hii! im trying to get over my phobia of bugs, so i decided i would try and see the good side of them :]

if its okay, could you share with me some of your favourite facts about bugs, and/or some cool images of bugs? no pressure, though! ^_^

oh, i'm so happy and proud of you anon! as a very avid bug lover, i always love hearing people try to be more open to them, even just slightly!!

a few fun facts:

a single dung beetle can move about 1141 times it's own weight! it's like if a human pulled SIX double decker buses, all on their own!

male stoneflies are like, the gym guy of the bug world - sometimes they'll do pushups as a way to impress a potential mate!

male giraffe weevils use their looong necks to fight eachother, much like actual giraffes!

some tarantulas have been found to essentially keep frogs as pets! the spider will offer safety and protection to frogs while a frog will eat any insects that may try and attack the spiders eggs!! (this habit has also been seen in some other spider species too!)

and here's some photos!!

rosy maple moth (dryocampa rubicunda), also known as the great silk moth! this species is a small north american moth. it's recently surged in popularity due to it's adorable colours and tiny size, even having plushies made after it!

sources: image one, image two

humming bird hawk moth (macroglossum stellatarum) is named for it's resemblance to the humming bird as they feed on the nectar of tube shaped flowers using their long proboscis while staying in the air. this species is found across temperate areas of eurasia such as portugal, japan and spain!

sources: image one, image two

cecropia moth (hyalophora cecropia), aka a giant silk moth is the largest native moth found in north america! their wing can even span up to five-seven inches (13-18 centimeters) wide!

source: image one, image two

the peacock spider (maratus volans) is a jumping spider native to australia (my country!!) with only one species residing in china! much like the bird they're named after, peacock spiders will display their bright feathers as a mating technique, paired with a dance! it is widely believed that females will kill a male if they find their dance unsatisfactory but this is fortunately, for the men, untrue! she will instead ignore him or move her abdomen side to side to display her disinterest. the maratus sarahae (first image) is one of the largest species! image two is a maratus azureus!

source: image one, image two

sabertooth longhorn beetle (macrodontia cervicornis) are some of the largest beetles in the world! it spends most of it's life in a larval stage which can last up to 10 years!! after which it will only live a few more months in which it will reproduce. sabertooth larvae are planted under the bark of dead or dying softwood trees as they will burrowing inside it!

source: image one, image two

i hope this was enjoyable!! i had a lot of fun doing this hehe

[marginal-culture]

"(...) As armas nucleares que hoje proliferam pelo mundo e que tanto nos aterrorizam são apenas um fraco reflexo externo dos instrumentos internos de destruição que trazemos no coração. Se fôssemos sábios deveríamos nos aterrorizar como as bombas nucleares internas de ilusões estocados em nós mesmos. Precisamos nos perguntar honestamente: o que motivou a sociedade moderna a criar armas nucleares capazes de destruir todos os seres vivos do planeta ? Quem ou o quê realmente tememos? Quem é o nosso verdadeiro inimigo? Temos que descobrir como desarmar os instrumentos mortais suicidas da raiva, inveja, orgulho, ganância, instabilidade mental, desejo e ignorância em nosso coração. Primeiro precisamos reconhecer que possuímos um precioso corpo humano, um veículo que nos permite fazer o que quisermos nesta vida. Possuir um corpo humano como o nosso é, nos níveis externo, interno e secreto, uma oportunidade fantástica, que não deve ser desperdiçada. Se soubermos usá-la de uma forma positiva poderíamos praticar a Autocura Tântrica Ngalso momento após momento, e chegar à autocura completa - o estado de Buda - no curto período de uma vida. No entanto, se usarmos este corpo de uma forma negativa, trilhando o caminho da escuridão interna, cada momento poderá contribuir para nosso suicídio pessoal e planetário. Podemos escolher NGAL - ir da escuridão para a escuridão e da luz para a escuridão - ou SO - da escuridão para a luz o da luz para a luz. A decisão é nossa. Ao compreendermos a preciosidade de nosso veículo físico, deixaremos espontaneamente de tratá-lo como uma máquina e desenvolveremos um Genuíno interesse por cuidar dele e começar a aprender a usá-lo de uma forma positiva. Como disse, no século X, o mahasiddha budista indiano Saraha:

"Neste corpo estão os rios sagrados, o sol, a lua e os lugares de peregrinação. Nunca encontrei outro templo tão pleno de bem-aventurança quanto meu próprio corpo. "

(Lama Gangchen Rinpoche)