Synthesis

The end result of a relatively productive discussion to synthesize the posts from the last few weeks:

         Buddhism, seemingly is a religion put in very simple terms. There are very few rules and regulations, giving the practicer incredible flexibility and yet, so few practice Buddhism compared to other religions, much less reach Nirvana. 

     At its most basic level, the purpose of the practice is relieving the mind and body of suffering. The question that is much harder to answer is what is the source of our suffering? Suffering does not simply come about when we desire something, desire could lead to very positive and beneficial results. The practice of Buddhism fills the desire to reach the ultimate peace that is Nirvana. The suffering comes about when we desire what we know is an impossibility, giving ourselves a burden which we know we cannot alleviate, therefore adding to our suffering. Of course, desire is not the sole cause of suffering and there are many more reasons that warrant exploration.

      Isaac Newton states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction in his third Law of Motion. This is how the universe works, it's an indisputable law of nature. Albeit these actions can neither be inherently good or bad, and neither are their reactions. All actions, when it comes to Buddhism, have neither been defined as inherently good or bad, although that has not stop society from doing so. Yet, in its essence, once an action has been carried out, it is metwith its opposite and equal reaction which could them be classified as good or bad. This is the idea of karma. Karma, however, does not manifests itself immediately, but in the long run can reduce or add to suffering. Of course, it is humankind's natural inclination to decide whether actions in themselves are good or bad and expect rewards or punishments accordingly. 

There is more to come.