Buddha's 4NT-8FP -A Life Problem Solving Technique (quote)

[Continuum]

The Buddha's 4NT-8FP is a very sophisticated generic Life Problem-Solving-Technique.
By going through the process systematically and diligently, one would be able to modulate and mitigate any mental problems (btw not physical or those that need serious psychiatric treatments) and live one's life optimally.

The Four Noble Truths (4NT) can be summarized as follows:
1.The truth of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, stress)
2.The truth of the origin of dukkha
3.The truth of the cessation of dukkha
4.The truth of the path leading to the cessation of dukkha -8FP*

*8FP = Noble Eightfold Paths

The Basic Problem Solving Technique
1. Defining the problem.
2. Generating alternatives.
3. Evaluating and selecting alternatives.
4. Implementing solutions.
5.Feedback and Control

The 4NT-8FP when transposed as a conventional problem solving technique is as follows;

1. Defining the problem.
NT1 -The truth of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, stress)
NT2 -The truth of the origin of dukkha -12 Nidanas

2. Generating alternatives.
NT3 -The truth of the cessation of dukkha -Reverse 12 Nidanas

3. Evaluating and selecting alternatives.
NT4 -The truth of the path leading to the cessation of dukkha -8FP

4. Implementing solutions.
8FP -Right View, Intention, Speech, Action, Livelihood, Effort, Concentration, Mindfulness

F5. Feedback and Control
Right View - Is the problem resolved?
Yes, -seek improvement
No, -Check 1 and repeat process

The above is just a model.
Plus point is, it is an objective model and it provide a framework as a guide for anyone to work on.
To put into actual effective practice, it will entail complex, many processes and detail work. The details can be found within the various sutras from the various Buddhist schools. What is needed is to compile the various sets of practices from different schools into one common practice.

The above model works best when the Buddha story is deemed as a myth, where one's effort is focus on the model and the Buddha's core principles.
IMO, the above model with its complex details will also facilitate the weaning off the religious trimmings of Buddhism in the near future or ASAP.

Views?

[Continuum]

Views?

Does the above make sense?

[ukrkoz]

It's very nice. Intellectual effort. Well arranged.
Would have been nice for that to actually work.
Problem is, no methods or theories or ideas or arrangements or anything else - works.

Bahauddin once was approached by a scholar with lots of knowledge on any philosophies and teachings.
Scholar bagged Bahauddin to "teach him more".
Instead, Bahauddin asked him to join for a cup of tea.
Cattle was filled with water, water boiled, tea was placed into tea cup and scholar was holding it in his hands, while Bahaudding started pouring boiling water into the cup.
He kept pouring and soon water filled the cup and started pouring into the sourcer. As Bahauddin kept pouring steaming fluid, scholar shouted - Stop! What are you doing? A drop more and you'll burn my hands!
Bahauddin chuckled and said - you are that cup. You are overfilled with useless knowledge and want to pour more into yourself while, in reality, you have no more space left in you. So go and release yourself from this burden, empty yourself, then come back and I'll teach you.
Humans are filled, like that scholar, with all kinds of "knowledge". They develop gracious schematics on how to become enlightened. They come up with religions and rites. Or, "simple" schemes for a child mind to follow.
But what they forget is that - there is no mind. There is nothing to fill and nothing to learn. Only one that completely empties himself from anything world may possibly offer, will attain.
So yes, it's a gracious scheme. But what use is it? It only destructs Seeker from its path, that path being - LET GO of everything.

Namaste

[Continuum]

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

It's very nice. Intellectual effort. Well arranged.
Would have been nice for that to actually work.
Problem is, no methods or theories or ideas or arrangements or anything else - works.

Namaste

This is based on a generic problem solving model that is supposed to be used in any effective problem solving exercise.

It will definitely work.
Even if it does not resolve the problem immediately, this model will definitely take one closer to the solution than before. In addition it will identify and expose the bottlenecks and outstanding issues that need to be attended to.

When one keep cycling one's problem continuously through the model, there will definitely be continuous improvements and progress.

Try it.
It will not fail if you persist.

If you have problem with doubts of the model, cycling through the model, your bottleneck or problematic point could be any of this; i.e.

8FP -Right View, Intention, Speech, Action, Livelihood, Effort, Concentration, Mindfulness

It is probably because you do not have the Right View/Understanding via right effort from right concentration and right mindfulness of the model itself.

The strategy is whenever one has a problem [that is likely to induce sufferings] one must look at every node of the variables and the 4NT & 8FP involved like an Indra Net.

This [Indra Net] metaphor plays an essential role in the Chinese Huayan school,[6] where it is used to describe the interpenetration of microcosmos and macrocosmos.[7]
Fazang (643–712) used the golden statue of a lion to demonstrate the Huayan vision of interpenetration to empress Wu:[8]

In each of the lion's eyes, in its ears, limbs, and so forth, down to each and every single hair, there is a golden lion. All the lions embraced by each and every hair simultaneously and instantaneously enter into one single hair. Thus, in each and every hair there are an infinite number of lions... The progression is infinite, like the jewels of Celestial Lord Indra's Net: a realm-embracing-realm ad infinitum is thus established, and is called the realm of Indra's Net. -wiki

When we input the variables from the full spectrum of Buddhist sutras that is quite a mass to deal with. Then we will have to use the model to optimize within the existing constraints surrounding the problem.

[Continuum]

Since the above is a generic problem-solving technique, there is no basis to abandon it less one is not interested in resolving life's problem, the main ones listed in the Buddha Story, i.e. fear of old age, illness and death.

[ukrkoz]

All problem solving techniques, including some for health, are in Vigyan Bhairam Tantra. It precedes Gautam by thousands of years and was used in his upayas and, by Himself, a lot. Simply go for the root, why be blinded by the branches and trunk.

[Mahayana]

A fuller version than the outline in the OP is found in this classic small compilation, first done into English in 1907. The Four Truths and Eightfold path as explained by Buddha in his suttas are given.

http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/wordofbuddha.pdf