For Buddhism, the main goal is to end suffering. There is a particular form of suffering that afflicts most people at some point in their lives: anxiety. In this video, I will explore what we can learn from Buddhism regarding the fight against this destructive emotion. Anxiety and panic disorders are very common lately. They are basically manifestations of uncontrolled anxiety. For most people, the first reaction to anxiety is to try to fight it, but according to Buddhism, an important step in combating anxiety is not to fight. The Buddha's teachings are oriented towards acceptance. Fighting anxiety will lead to even more anxiety because you are resisting something that already exists, which is somewhat foolish if you think about it. So, what can Buddhism offer to alleviate anxiety? To answer this question, let's understand what anxiety actually is. We live in a fear-based society. We are never safe enough, so we obey laws that restrict our freedom, promising that we will be safer. We are never beautiful enough, so we spend a fortune on liposuction, Botox, and steroids. We are never rich enough, so we neglect our physical and mental health to pursue money. A phenomenon known as the desire for status, widely discussed by the British philosopher Alain de Botton, keeps us constantly worried about our jobs, bank accounts.

And showing others that we have something. We also need to keep an eye on our followers on Instagram, our likes on Facebook, and yes, the statistics of our YouTube channel. With all these things to worry about, we constantly feel anxious. Common ways to deal with anxiety are: alcohol, drugs, pornography, food, and different forms of entertainment. We want to escape the suffering caused by anxiety and end up numbing our minds. This phenomenon already suggests that it is not the external world, but the mind that produces anxiety. Anxiety and panic both start in the mind that engages in excessive thinking to the point that physical symptoms of anxiety arise. Buddhists refer to patterns of excessive thinking as the monkey mind. I made a video about the dangers of excessive thinking, which you can find below in the description. A big mistake we make as human beings is that we are easily deceived by our minds. We believe in the mind, but the mind is a great creator of fantasies about the future, lies about the present, and nonsense about the past. Often our mind is not our friend at all, so we should not believe everything the mind shows us. Especially when there is a great flood of negativity. And when we believe, the monkey mind generates all the anxiety. What often happens when we feel the discomfort of anxiety is that we start to worry about it. And by worrying about it, we fall into a vicious cycle.

Buddhism offers the wisdom and practice to alleviate anxiety. Wisdom means understanding what anxiety is, where it comes from, and how to deal with it. A simple yet effective lesson from the Buddhists is that worrying is pointless. The 8th-century Buddhist monk named Shantideva talks about it: If a problem can be solved, why worry? If a problem cannot be solved, worrying will not do any good. Close quotes. If you have a problem that can be solved, either focus entirely on that problem in the present moment or not. If you cannot solve it, let it go. Many things we worry about are beyond our control, and it is entirely useless to spend our time and energy thinking about them. Unfortunately, our monkey mind loves to worry, probably because it loves to solve puzzles, but most of the puzzles our minds invent do not need to be solved because they are based on irrational fears, fantasies, and pure nonsense. When it comes to overthinking, we should focus on dissolving instead of solving. This is where the practice comes in. The Buddhist method to achieve this is called meditation. Meditation is a way to focus on the present moment and watch your thoughts pass like clouds in the sky, instead of engaging with them. This practice calms the monkey mind, not through struggle, but with acceptance. There are many different forms of meditation. I made a video about the effect.

Meditative cleaning, which you can see below in the description. Let me know if you are interested in me making more videos about the different forms of meditation or what Buddhism can do to provide a happier life, and I will see what I can do. Thank you for watching!

Buddhism | The Cure For Anxiety?

Buddhism | The Cure For Anxiety?