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The lute’s sound
In the simile, a ruler hears a lute and wants the sound alone. He is told that it depends on the instrument’s components and the musician’s activity.
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Stories and traditions in images
Buddhism
Buddhism encompasses diverse traditions arising from teachings attributed to the Buddha and developed across many regions of Asia.
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The end of hostility
The fifth verse of the Dhammapada says that hostility is not brought to an end by further hostility. It comes to an end through non-hostility. The text presents this as an ancient and enduring teaching.
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The second arrow
In the Sallatha Sutta, the Buddha distinguishes a painful sensation from the mental distress that may be added to it. He describes a person struck by one arrow and then another: the uninstructed person experiences physical pain and mental anguish. The instructed disciple still feels physical pain but does not add the same mental reaction. The discourse also addresses responses to pleasant and neutral feelings.
Read the full storyPausing to observe
An important part of Buddhist teachings invites us to recognise suffering and understand its causes rather than pretend it does not exist.
The Four Noble Truths, central to many Buddhist traditions, address this theme and point towards a path of practice and understanding.
