Summary of Bhante Gunaratana's Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The Buddha’s message was simple but profound. He taught us to avoid the two extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification, and to follow a middle path that leads to peace of mind, wisdom, and complete liberation from the dissatisfactions of life.

#2 The basis of Buddhist morality is that acting in unskillful ways leads to unhappy results, and acting in skillful ways leads to happy results. Everything we think, say, and do is a cause that leads to some effect. We must recognize that causes always lead to results, and then choose to act accordingly.

#3 The first principle of Buddhist morality is that actions have consequences. You must be lying to yourself about causes and effects to act wrongfully. The worse your behavior, the bigger your lie has to be.

#4 The Buddha taught four ideas: dissatisfaction, cause, end, and path. He explained that dissatisfaction with the suffering of life is a burden, and that we cause our dissatisfaction by taking up the burden. We end it by putting the burden down.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jun 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822509481

IRB Media

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Insights on Bhante Henepola Gunaratana's Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The Buddha’s message was simple but profound. He taught us to avoid the two extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification, and to follow a middle path that leads to peace of mind, wisdom, and complete liberation from the dissatisfactions of life.

#2

The basis of Buddhist morality is that acting in unskillful ways leads to unhappy results, and acting in skillful ways leads to happy results. Everything we think, say, and do is a cause that leads to some effect. We must recognize that causes always lead to results, and then choose to act accordingly.

#3

The first principle of Buddhist morality is that actions have consequences. You must be lying to yourself about causes and effects to act wrongfully. The worse your behavior, the bigger your lie has to be.

#4

The Buddha taught four ideas: dissatisfaction, cause, end, and path. He explained that dissatisfaction with the suffering of life is a burden, and that we cause our dissatisfaction by taking up the burden. We end it by putting the burden down.

#5

The first truth of the Buddha is that dissatisfaction is unavoidable. We may call it any number of names depending on the situation: suffering, stress, fear, tension, anxiety, worry, depression, disappointment, anger, jealousy, abandonment, nervousness, or pain.

#6

The human life cycle, with its inevitable round of birth, aging, sickness, and death, gives rise to dissatisfaction. As we grow, we cry for more milk, food, clothes, and land to house and provide for our needs.

#7

The fourth form of suffering in the life cycle is death. We all fear death and worry about how and when we might die. We also know that when we die, we will have to leave everything behind. Can we bear that.

#8

Everything in the world exists as the result of a cause. Everything is impermanent, unsatisfactory, and selfless. Impermanence is easy to understand. The problem is our attachment to people and things, which makes us unhappy.

#9

The Buddha taught that the things and beings of this world are selfless or soulless because they are always changing.