Hi,
I'm Hugh Byrne and I'm a Buddhist meditation teacher here on Insight Timer.
If you're interested in knowing more about the Buddha's teachings or Buddhist meditation,
I wanted to share with you three gifts of Buddhism that I find inspiring and that you may too.
First.
The Buddha's teachings don't ask you to believe anything.
The Buddha taught his followers and anyone who was interested in his teachings to see for yourself.
To test the teachings and practices through your own experience.
And if they seem helpful,
Then dig more deeply.
And if they don't,
You can always try something else.
Each one of us.
Has to find and walk our own path.
Even the wisest and most compassionate teachers.
Only point the way.
The second gift.
Of Buddhist teachings is to know that we can always begin again by coming back to our present moment experience.
Even if you feel you've made bad mistakes or you've lost your way.
Or if you've spent most of your time in meditation lost in thought,
You can always begin again and find the freedom that is available right here,
Right now,
By saying yes to your present moment experience.
The third priceless gift of the Buddha's teachings is to know that you have the capacity to wake up to the deepest freedom possible in this life.
Each one of us has the potential to awaken and live a life free of suffering.
Our potential to realize this freedom depends significantly on our own efforts to abandon unwholesome states such as greed and hatred,
Anger,
Jealousy,
And to cultivate beneficial qualities like generosity,
Gratitude,
Compassion and insight.
As the Buddha himself said.
Come and see for yourself.
