135
suggests that there are ways or
conditions under which it could
be minimized. Buddha explained
what these were in the teachings
that became known as the Four
Noble Truths and the Noble
Eightfold Path (pp.136–43).
Applying the Middle Way
to daily life
In many practical ways, the
spirit of the Middle Way shapes
Buddhist practice. For example,
some branches of Buddhism
emphasize the value of the
monastic life, but vows are not
taken for life, and many of those
who spend either a few months or
years as a monk or nun later return
to family life (p.145). Similarly, in
order not to cause unnecessary
suffering, Buddhists aim to be
vegetarian. But if it is difficult
to obtain a vegetarian diet, or
medical conditions suggest that a
carnivorous diet is necessary, meat-
eating is acceptable. Monks, who
rely on gifts of food, are expected to
eat whatever they are given. None
of this is a matter of compromise; it
is the recognition that everything
depends on prevailing conditions.
The Middle Way also has profound
implications for our general
understanding of religion, ethics,
and philosophy. In practical terms,
it argues that the reality of life,
with its constant change and the
inevitability of old age and death,
cannot be permanently avoided
either by material security or self-
denial. Taken into a person’s heart,
this view can shape that person’s
values and ethics, and affect how
they choose to live their life.A flexible philosophy
In terms of religion, Buddhism’s
denial of the unchanging, eternal
self as defined in the Hindu
Upanishads was revolutionary.
It suggested that life cannot be
understood, or its suffering avoided,
by conventional religious beliefs.
Buddhism—if seen as a religion
rather than an ethical philosophy—
does not deny the existence of
gods, or some form of an eternal
soul, but regards them as an
unnecessary distraction. When
asked if the world was eternal, or
whether an enlightened personBUDDHISM
lived on after death—questions
that are often seen to be at the
heart of religious belief—Buddha
refused to answer. In terms of
philosophy, Buddhism argues that
knowledge starts from an analysis
of experience, rather than abstract
speculation. This meant that
Buddhism was able to remain
undogmatic, flexible, and open
to new cultural ideas, while
retaining its basic insight. The
interconnectedness of all things,
experienced in the balance
between continuity and change,
is the basis upon which Buddhist
philosophy is built.
Buddhism’s concepts also had
psychological significance. By
suggesting that the self was not
simple and eternal, but complex
and subject to change, it became
possible for people to explore the
self as a non-fixed entity. Moreover,
Buddha’s invitation to follow
the Middle Way was open to all,
making Buddhism, despite its
lack of interest in a god or gods, an
attractive proposition in a society
bound by convention and ritual. ■Just as a flower lives and then dies, Buddha’s
universal marks of existence hold that everything
is impermanent and subject to change (anicca).
Building upon this idea is anata: nothing has a
fixed essence, because everything is in constant flux.When this exists, that
comes to be; with the
arising of this, that arises.
When this does not exist,
that does not come to
be; with the cessation of
this, that ceases.
Buddha