An article to read when you want to change your current self. How to change your life by learning from Buddhist teachings and success philosophy
"My current workplace and relationships are painful..." "I'm working as hard as I can, but I'm not getting the results I want."
Have you ever worried about wanting to change your current circumstances or fate like that?
In fact, the Buddha (Shakyamuni) from over 2,500 years ago taught that there are only two ways to change our circumstances.
In this article, I will explain the fundamental teachings of Buddhism in an easy-to-understand way and share concrete strategies to move your life in a better direction. If you want to take a step forward from your current situation, please be sure to read until the end!
All events are made of 'causes' and 'conditions'
In Buddhist scriptures, there is a saying,"All phenomena arise from causes and conditions."
All phenomena (Issai-ho): All the events and results that happen to us
Cause (In): The direct cause (seed)
Condition (En): The environment or circumstances
In other words, all the results we are currently receiving—our reputation, income, relationships, and state of mind (kaho/retribution)—are born from the combination of 'causes' and 'conditions'.
Let's use rice farming as an example
Let's consider the example of 'Uonuma Koshihikari,' known as high-quality rice.
Good 'cause': The wonderful rice seed (seed) known as Koshihikari
Good 'condition': The environment of clean air, water, and rich soil in the Uonuma region of Niigata Prefecture
Only when these two are present can you harvest delicious, top-quality rice (result).
No matter how good the seed (cause) is, it will not grow in an environment like a desert or Siberia (bad condition). Conversely, even with the best environment (good condition), if the seed (cause) is not good, you will not get delicious rice.
Life is exactly the same. When you want to change your current circumstances, there are only two ways:change the 'cause' (your own actions) or change the 'condition' (the environment).
[What is the principle of cause, condition, and effect?]
Method 1: Try changing the 'condition' (environment)
The first method is to change the 'environment' (condition) that surrounds you.
Management consultant Kenichi Ohmae also states that 'there are only three ways to change yourself,' and all of these mean changing your 'environment (conditions/en).'
1. Change your time allocation
Review your daily schedule and how you spend your time.
The key is to decide on specific action times, such as cutting one hour of TV time to dedicate to self-investment or the gym.
2. Change where you live
Move to a new place and refresh your living environment.
Moving from the city to the countryside, or vice versa, or going abroad to study or travel can greatly broaden your perspective.
3. Change the people you associate with
Review the relationships you spend your time with.
By associating with people who stimulate you and with whom you can learn from each other, your own potential and the speed of your growth will change significantly.
Method 2: Try changing the 'cause (your own actions)'
Have you ever had the experience of changing your environment (conditions) by changing jobs or moving, yet for some reason, your situation did not improve?
This state of constantly searching for the perfect workplace or partner who will appreciate you is sometimes called the 'Blue Bird of Happiness Syndrome,' after the fairy tale.
Is the cause 'pride (arrogance)' within your heart?
For example, if there are 30 people in your workplace and not a single one recognizes your abilities or efforts, it may not be that those around you lack discernment, but rather that your own skills or efforts are insufficient.
In Buddhism, one of the major human delusions is cited as 'Man (pride/arrogance)'.
[What is pride?]
With a heart of 'pride,' you overestimate your own abilities by two or three times.
Conversely, you underestimate the abilities of others by half or a third.
Because admitting the 'inconvenient truth' of your own lack of ability is painful, it is easy to blame others' lack of discernment or your environment.
However, you cannot improve yourself by simply blaming your environment and criticizing others.Only when you reflect on your own actions (cause) after experiencing self-reflection or setbacks can you truly grow significantly.
4. Summary
As the Buddha taught, there are only two ways to change your life's circumstances or destiny:either "change your environment (conditions)" or "change your own actions (cause)."
Is it time to change your environment, or is it time to re-examine your own actions and efforts? I hope you can identify the step you need to take right now and start taking action, little by little.
I hope this article serves as a small catalyst for improving your current situation!
If you enjoyed this article, please be sure to "Like" and "Follow"! It will be a great encouragement for my future writing.
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