“The mind is like water. When it's turbulent, it's hard to see. When it’s calm, everything becomes clear.” These words spoken by Siddhartha Gautama provide excellent insight into the nature of his teachings. Many of us devote much of our time and energy to a mission to find pure happiness and a solution to our struggles. Many of our problems are created by our uncontrolled mind, but when we absorb ourselves in dharma practice, we can learn to calm and control our mind and discover pure happiness. In the first chapter of “Roots of Wisdom,” we are asked what truly makes us happy. The practice of Buddhism stood out to me the most in this chapter because it is full of positivity, emotional encouragement, and self-love. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The essential idea that compassion and kindness are the positive choices we can make and the skills we can develop through practice is very captivating. For many, Buddhism is more of a way of life or a philosophy than a religion. Buddhists practice meditation, which allows the mind to be in a positive state of understanding, concentration and tranquility. These meditations help you better understand yourself, others and life. No person or thing, the Buddha implies, can ever bring us true happiness; either we are happy within ourselves or we are not happy at all. “The only way to avoid the terrors of aging, illness and death is to remove our worries about them, and this is done by realizing that sensual pleasures, money and power do not bring lasting joy.” Buddhism is a very interesting and attractive religion for me because it is rational and simple. It's easy to think destructive thoughts and get caught up in the stresses of life, but we can't change the past. Buddha advises us to let go of what we cannot change and not to be a prisoner of those things we cannot control. It is very easy for us to make excuses for bad behavior or actions based on negative experiences from our past, but it is inspiring to read about the beliefs of Buddhism's central idea of ​​letting go of all those harmful past experiences and to become a better version. of yourself by spreading love and positivity. The essential principles of Buddhism are the Fourth Noble Truths. These Four Truths include the presence of suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path. Buddhism recognizes that everyone suffers. He suggests this to stop suffering; we must stop gluttony and ignorance and live in a more natural and peaceful way. Since self-centered desires are the roof of distress, when these desires are not satisfied, we are filled with anger. By changing the way we think and mentally perceive the world, we experience less suffering. The mind has great potential, but if it is not trained it is like a wild horse; it is difficult to stay tame and jump from thought to thought. It's easy to let our minds dwell on things beyond our control and have anxiety-filled thoughts and fears. Practicing Buddhism teaches us to train our minds to get rid of pessimism and practice meditations to calm our thoughts and enter a state of peace. I was raised Catholic and as I learned more about theBuddhism, I can see both the similarities and differences of these two religions. When it comes to the core values ​​of these two religions, I think they teach many similar principles. There are five precepts of Buddhism that could be compared to the Ten Commandments of Christianity. These five precepts can be compared to the last five commandments because they include: no murder, no theft, no sexual misconduct, no lying, and no intoxicants. Both religions teach us to immerse ourselves in meditation or spiritual prayer, to act peacefully, not to harm others, and to show compassion to all people. However, with these similarities there are differences that challenge my Catholic religion. One of the main differences that challenged my beliefs is that Buddhism does not have a God. For Christians, God represents not only the father of the savior Jesus Christ, but also the figurative head of the Christian family. As a superficial father, everything he stands for is right and good and is the symbol of our faith. Buddhists also believe that when life comes to an end, a person goes through a process called samsara, meaning one can be reborn into anything else depending on one's thoughts and actions during of his life. This poses a major challenge to Christianity because Christians believe in heaven and believe that when a person dies, they will join God and their loved ones for eternity. Christians also believe in hell, a place of suffering where sinners are punished, which can be compared to Buddhists' belief in Karma. Buddhism is equally for everyone, regardless of race, sexuality, gender or nationality. In the traditional Catholic Church, judgment is placed on those who choose to live their lives far from the teachings of the Church. “When the Buddha spoke, it was to offer suggestions for living life in a less painful way. Unlike religions like Judaism, Christianity and Islam in which the rules of life are established by a superior being who demands obedience and judges disobedience, in Buddhism there is only an invitation to wake up and see things as they are. ways I would like to integrate Buddhism into my daily life. It's easy to wake up in the morning and immediately become stressed thinking about everything you need to do. It's easy to have our minds filled with negative thoughts without even realizing it. Instead of waking up with negative thoughts, I can fill my mind with positive motivation. By starting my day more productively and peacefully, I am moving toward becoming a truly happier person. Instead of spending more time watching TV or scrolling through social media, I could spend more time meditating or praying. There are so many benefits to meditation. Deep breathing has positive benefits because it helps quiet our distracted thoughts and clears the mind. When our mind becomes still, deep happiness and contentment arises from within. If I can learn to fully accept the past and the things I cannot change, I will become a healthier and happier person. Karma is another important element of Buddhism that is beneficial to apply to my daily life. It is the principle that all actions operate according to laws and have a cause and effect. Basically, everything you do to others, you do to yourself. I believe this precept is a key element in spreading goodwill and introduces us to a pay-it-forward mentality that can only be,.