Buddha's Principle of Relativity: Mind Body Stress

By Don G. Athukorala

Why not try for yourself Buddhas Code of Practice The Path to Purification for better health, peace and happiness
Wouldnt you rather try out now than wait until it is too late? The sooner the better
I exposed this ancient teaching of the Buddha that lay unheard and unsung for over 1500 years to reveal that psychological aspects can have their physical effects mind, body and stress.
Dont leave for tomorrow what you can do for yourself today
* * *
At the end of the twentieth century many neuroscientists are still arguing on questions like; what is this aspect of intellect and consciousness we call the mind, to produce a combination of thought, memory and emotion, to name just a few?
This book is a bold attempt to throw some light into solving this mystery. As a person with interest in Science and Technology it appeals to me as a very fruitful effort. Please enjoy reading; you will find it enlightening!
Professor Lakshman Jayatilleke
Chancellor, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka
Former Chairman, National Education Commission of Sri Lanka

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Jun 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456782405

Don G. Athukorala

Born to a Buddhist family the author was introduced to the principles of Theravada Buddhist Philosophy from his early childhood. Was educated as a Civil Engineer, qualifications: (1) Bachelor of Science (Engineering) University of London, (2) Member of Institute of Civil Engineers (London), until his retirement as a practicing Civil Engineer (3) Honorary Life Fellow - Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka, (4) Chartered Engineer Employment Chairman, State Engineering Corporation of Sri Lanka, a State sponsored organization to function as consultants in the planning, investigating, designing and construction of industrial and engineering projects Director Head works, Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka: a UN sponsored multipurpose river diversion project for the development of irrigation, and hydro power After retirement, he migrated Down Under with his wife to call Australia his home. Studied Buddhist philosophy, - the higher teachings of the Buddha. He uncovered a hidden philosophy that was unexplained for over 1500 years and authored a book titled `Buddha's Principle of Relativity'. Explained its benefits to the Sri Lankan and Australian public on several of his talks

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© 2011 by Don G. Athukorala. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted

by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 05/26/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4567-8241-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4567-8240-5 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

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Contents

INTRODUCTION

Acknowledgements

Prologue

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTERTEN

Name of author and background

Don G Athukorala

B. Sc. (Engineering) London, Hon: Life Fellow Institution of Engineers (Sri Lanka), Former MICE (London), C. Eng Chairman, State Engineering Corporation of Sri Lanka (1977 - 1981)

Director, Mahaweli Head works - Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka (1984- 1990)

Dedication

To my parents Don Hendrick Athukorala and Dona Carolina Athukorala for the guidance afforded me to practice Buddhism and in particular Buddha’s doctrine of Paticcasamuppada.

INTRODUCTION

Buddha’s Principle of Relativity - (Mind - Body - Stress)

What is the author trying to convey?

I request you, valued reader to understand Buddha’s philosophy according to the Theravada tradition. I will be dealing with the scientific awareness of Eastern philosophy of 2500 years.

A theory not too complex to understand

You will undoubtedly be bumping into the most philosophical of Buddha’s teachings. The Principle of Relativity was one of His first set of guidelines for freedom from suffering. Buddha found a cure for mental disorder and decided to pass on the therapy to others.

He was far ahead of the times.

This Principle is explained in the deeply complex teachings of the Buddha - in the Abhidhamma. The details were far too difficult for most average people to understand, but fortunately the discussions, clarifications, and examples mentioned in the Sutras made it possible to practice His teachings and attain

Nirvana - the ultimate aim of Buddha’s philosophy. So that did not pose a problem.

The theory remained puzzling for the past 1500 years or even more. However, after years of study, I think I have an answer - a scientific explanation. Eureka - I have found it. Buddha’s philosophy is scientific, analytical and stands to reason. In this book is an interpretation based on my knowledge of science. It reveals that we are the architects of our own problems - we created them. Find out how they can be destroyed.

The Buddha Image

Walk into almost any plant nursery today and you will find both on display and tucked away in various strategic points among the leaves and flowers, statues of The Buddha. You know the one. Turn back the clock fifty years and these statues were rare indeed. Now you see them everywhere. You find them in gardens, in townhouses, on the verandas in units. They sell them in K-mart! Sell them in all manner of stores all over the world - millions of ‘em!

Why is this so? Why, of all the garden monuments, statues and the like has the Buddha’s image become so symbolic? It isn’t that the people who are buying them are all Buddhists. No, I think it is because there is something about a man sitting quietly, eyes closed and in peaceful repose, a figure representing peace and tranquility, that captures the attention of those of us

who so desire peace and quality in our own lives. We sense the serenity, the unbespoken blessings in the ambience that a garden-statue of the Buddha provides.

You see, we all want peace. We all want - at some subtle level- to know what the Buddha knew. Maybe, in reading through this book, you will come somewhat closer to that knowledge.

Now I want you to imagine a state of mind wherein you’re always happy, always peaceful, focused: a state wherein you have no worries. You are free of stress, craving or heartache. Here depression is simply an abstract concept, and here both it and dementia are things that can never happen - to you, anyway. In this mind-set all is beautiful, tranquil, and serene. Also in this state, children would have no troublesome problems, no ‘attention deficit syndromes.’ For they, too, would always be happy, joyfully focused, free of behavioural troubles and filled with a wholesome zest for living. That would indeed be ideal - wouldn’t it?

But we know that, by and large, in the majority of adults and children, this is not the case. Such an idealist dream is not realized. Stress, tension, anxiety, worry, inability to concentrate, and fears of all manner, are extant in the world. Anger is rampant. This is the way it is.

Is there a way out? Is there a way through? Can we really attain to the dream mentioned above?

Yes, we can.

The point to be remembered is that if these states can be created, they can be undone. We brought them into existence. We can reverse the process. The stresses that seemingly ruin our happiness and health can be rendered harmless. Stress can be reversed by a systematic means of amelioration, attenuation, until it no longer plays a deleterious part in our lives. Stresses we then do encounter will be good stresses. The bad ones will have gone away.

The negative, stressful mental states mentioned above are worrying, but there are solutions. Our ‘thought processes’ are the psychosomatic cause that contributes, indeed, creates these effects. Mind is the key here - control of the mind.

The theory behind changing those thought processes is not too difficult to understand. However, what you will need is the will, the desire to succeed in becoming stress free. Your determination, coupled with what you’ll learn here, is all you’ll really need. But reading about it is not enough. You must practice what is being taught. Practical application is essential if you are to attain to that desired goal: a peaceful, tranquil, and stress-free life, because, as far as I know, there is no other way. Keeping the brain active increases brain cell connections helping to keep you mentally sharp. You will be healthier; lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia and many more.

In this book I shall endeavour to tell you how this can be done.

The Principle of Relativity (Dependent Arising) is a theory that underlines the phenomenon of how our mind/ body combination works, and the basic mechanism how learning occurs, so we can realize a happy lifestyle. It deals with control of our stress levels. It enables us to enjoy success and contentment in this world. Stress is the direct outcome of a special brand of feelings. The destructive ones, the negative emotions, bring about a touch of terror setting the heart to beat with suspense. These, if properly handled, can prevent stress associated disease. It is a matter of knowing how.

Stress in itself is not harmful. Everyone needs goals and challenges, and stress plays a significant part in many of these. But too much stress is damaging. As in the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang, the mind-body must be balanced, that is: kept in harmony.

This book provides a structured and detailed answer to the complexities that confront us. In this work I will analyse the mind, detailing mental procedures and functions. This I shall do in accordance with the principles of Gautama the Buddha’s Principle of Relativity also referred to as Dependent Arising or Dependent Origination. But I’ll keep it simple, avoiding as much as practicable, any words or phrases of bygone days. We will use modern English here.

Also, provided will be an explanation of how to perceive differently so as to change our attitudes and behaviour.

To shed light on this principle, I have drawn from certain aspects of modern science and the biological processes that are involved. I am convinced that this book can be of huge benefit regardless of your spiritual beliefs. My focus here is on a theory based on Buddhist philosophy. It is not necessarily Buddhism’s religious aspects. People of all faiths or no religion at all can benefit from what is described here.

Belief Systems

We will speak of key concepts known broadly as ‘belief systems’; ways of thinking that have intrigued Western thinkers and scientists throughout the ages. Eastern Philosophies have their own belief systems where contemplation and self-examination play a significant part. I will be dealing herein with the structure of the mind, as it was explained by The Buddha. Also, how wrong understanding can result in emotional pain and stress.

Belief systems rule the world we live in. Our opinions dictate how we react to events and new information in order to fashion our own way of life. I assure you that each one of us is capable of changing them if we want to. Do you want to make your world a pleasant place to live in? You do? Then your destiny is in your hands. A small effort on your part will help not only you, but to the

many that surround you, in an enormous and beneficial way.

Psychosomatic illness

Mental illness is the study of the changing pattern of human mental processes and behaviours. Its goal is to understand attitudes and behaviours associated with deteriorating mental health and bodily stress not associated with normal development. There are plenty of theories associated with psychosomatic illness that has been developed and explained in great detail, but this Principle of the Buddha discloses a cure. Try it out - it is a DIY technique.

Pleasure and Happiness

Pleasure and happiness are not the same; they are the outcome of two different kinds of mental states. It behoves you to know the difference. Happy people have younger hearts and recover quicker from surgery, cope better with pain and have a longer life expectancy.

Pleasure derives from material possessions, victories and triumphs are things of the material world. That is for sure. Sudden and unexpected monetary gain, for example, can make you ecstatic, but that happiness is temporary and prone to stress if not properly handled. Today, for example, the rich and prosperous nations of the world are facing a financial crisis. Some of the rich and wealthy are depressed and mentally sick as they face

bankruptcy, while some others have even contemplated suicide. But happiness is something else again. It stems from the heart and is not reliant on outward, worldly happenings. Happiness, joy, is our natural inner state when the stresses interpreted by erroneous thinking are no longer there.

We are aware that life expectancy is on the increase. We are aware that by the turn of the century there will be as many senior citizens as there are adults and children. Do we want the human population to be healthy and happy in the generations to come? If we’re not, chances are we will be a species headed for destruction.

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and lose sight of what makes you happy - really happy.

This book comes in three parts:

Part One - Mind

This first part is devoted to introducing The Principle of Relativity in a manner not too difficult to grasp. I begin by explaining some psychological phenomena, such as sensory information, feelings, consciousness, perception and a few others. These interrelated mental states form a cluster for yet another occurrence: the mind, that works in synchronization with the body to bring about changes, and of course, these changes result in beneficial outcomes. Little did we realise, that these outcomes could sometimes be the actual cause of a number of our mental and physical problems.

Part Two - Mind /Body

From Part two onwards is a biological approach to the theory involving feedback systems that match up to modern physiological principles. I have made references to these processes from - ‘Principles of Anatomy and Physiology’ by G.J Tortora and S.R Grabowski (10th Edition, 2003), and ‚Textbook on Medical Physiology‘ by A.C Guyton (6th Edition, 1981) and other publications.

Part Three - Mind -Body-Stress

Part three explains how mental states can, under certain circumstances be the cause of dissatisfaction, stress and, stress related disease. Eastern philosophy has parallels with present day knowledge of Psychosomatics, Social Engineering, and Behavioural Sciences. Also included here is my belief that brain waves can under very special circumstances turn into inherited memories and later into genes, that will be part of our chromosomes.

Included is a chapter on how Positive Thinking can cause changes in our attitudes and behaviour, and how to rid us of its dreadful effects.

Lastly, is a conclusion Chapter, pulling together all the different themes explored.

This book deals with sensory experiences that affect us in a personal way, such as morality, attitudes and behaviour. It also explains how they could be modified where necessary. It is each and every person’s duty to bring about compassionate changes within him. This is because a good society can best be shaped from participating individuals and not simply from the teachings of religious leaders.

Siddhartha Gautama - the research Scholar

Prince Siddhartha, realising the worthlessness of sensual pleasures, renounced his claim to the throne and decided to leave the world in search of truth and eternal peace. In his 29th year he made the historic journey. Acetic Siddhartha studied under several masters and by his own efforts and innovation achieved his goal by finding a cure for mental disorder. He is known as the Buddha - the Enlightened One. He founded the world religion of Buddhism and taught his disciples for over forty years. He passed away at ripe old age of eighty.

During His lecturing years, the Buddha is reported to have taught at the ancient University of Nalanda on many occasions. This University is an ancient centre of higher learning in the Indian state of Bihar. Nalanda became a Buddhist centre of learning from 427 to 1197 CE. It is known as one of the first great universities in recorded history.

There He would introduce His