Living an Authentic Life from the Buddhist Perspective

Authenticity is a word often used but what is it? The dictionary describes it as this:
au•then•tic –adjective
1. not false or copied; genuine; real: an authentic antique.
2. having the origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified.
3. entitled to acceptance or belief because of agreement with known facts or experience; reliable; trustworthy.

This definition begs the questions; what is my real, true and genuine life? What is reliable and trustworthy? In Buddhism the state of pure, awakened consciousness is the only reality. Everything else is in a state of flux, struggle and contrast, which the Buddha simply called ‘suffering’. The awakened state of consciousness is the liberation from the identification of what we call ‘my’ life and you instead become the witness to this life unfolding.

A visual way of looking at it might be by taking the example of a car to represent your mind. Imagine all your life you’ve been driving and living in this car. It’s a great car and it really gets you places but you’ve never been able to get out of your car. You can read maps and figure out where to go, step on the gas and you’ll get there. You can take pictures and see other cars around you but you never leave your car. You never even knew you could. Your car is as much a part of you as your legs. Then, one day you get thrown out of it and land on the ground. Everything looks and feels different, spacious, grounded and, well…real. Finally you very carefully get back in your car but it’s different now. It’s not ‘you’. It’s just a vehicle to get you around. You can get out of the car and feel the grass under your feet and smell the flowers anytime. This now becomes your authentic life. Your car (your mind) becomes your tool and not your identity.

The Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path is a user’s manual with instructions for how to extricate yourself from your identity with your mind. The first step is understanding that the only thing the mind can do is rehash the past or worry/fascinate itself with labels, visions, ideas and anticipations. All of this is just the endless firing of neurons between the two ears; an evolutionary tool for functioning in the world. In Buddhism, the erroneous preoccupation and identification with past and future is the illusion. That is to say it’s the car not your true being.

But the mind cannot function in the split, razor’s edge of time we call ‘now’. To train your focus on the present moment the mind stops, we step out of our car and experience life as it is; the breath, the bird chirping, cold feet, blue sky. But even labeling these things as “bird chirping”, “cold feet”, “blue sky” is more mental activity. Focus more deeply and there will just be vibration on your ear, sensation in your feet, energy in your eyes. This is authentic life. This is the experience of mindfulness.

The first six steps of the Noble Eightfold Path, which is our user’s guide to authentic living, are all about how to begin calming the mind down in order to make it easier to extricate your deeply-knitted personal investment in your thoughts and emotions. Much of it has simply to do with living a moral and ethical life to minimize conflicting thoughts and fears around guilt, shame, defensiveness and regret.

As we begin taking steps in this direction the unexpected bonus is that as the mind clams down so does our life. We sleep better, our relationships improve, suddenly there’s more space in the day where there seemed like none before. Even the old irritating friends and acquaintances seem to slip quietly away. At last life begins to feel more real. The mind continues to grab at us and lure us back in again and again but, just like the car, once you have stepped out of it you realize it’s not you. You may continue to drive it but you can never be completely identified with it again. You are beginning to live mindfully and authentically.

The eighth step is concentration, which is a much deeper state of sitting meditation. This is where everything reveals itself and beyond the scope of this short article. For now, strive to live authentically. The rest will follow.

The Noble Eightfold Path
1. Right Understanding
2. Right Intention
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration

Suggested reading:

Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana

Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness by Bhante Gunaratana