10 Powerful Lessons from Stoicism and Buddhism to Achieve Inner Peace
Reading time: 7 minutes
Check out and subscribe to our YouTube channel here.
Introduction
Stoicism and Buddhism share several core principles despite originating in different cultures and times. Both philosophies aim to guide individuals towards the attainment of tranquility, virtue, and a deeper understanding of ourselves. They provide a different set of tools and approaches to achieve lasting inner peace and cultivate a calm, focused mind, which ultimately help to navigate life’s everyday challenges.
In today’s post, we provide 10 similarities from both philosophies that can enable us to discover a more joyous life and to experience less negative emotions in our day-to-day, leading us to achieve a higher degree of inner peace in our life. Key insights from Professor William B. Irvine’s 'A Guide to the Good Life' and the Dalai Lama’s and Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s 'The Book of Joy' form the basis of this comparison.
10 Powerful Lessons from Stoicism and Buddhism for Inner Peace and a Fulfilling Life
1. Embrace Impermanence for Inner Peace
Both stress the importance of contemplating the transitory nature or impermanence of the world around us. Seneca reminds us that “all human things are short-lived and perishable”, while Marcus Aurelius says that the things we treasure are like leaves on a tree, ready to drop as soon as the breeze blows. Buddhism also insists strongly on impermanence throughout its philosophy. Emotions, experiences, and physical forms are transient and therefore subject to change. Embracing impermanence cultivates a profound understanding of life, empowering individuals to fully live in the present moment.
2. Let Go of the Past to Live in the Present Moment
Stoicism and Buddhism propose we let go of the past. Stoicism argues to adopt a degree of “fatalism” with respect to the past, since it is a waste of time and energy to ponder on how things could have been different. Furthermore, if we spend our day wishing for the present to be different, we will display constant reactiveness and become deeply dissatisfied with life. Similarly, Buddhism teaches mindfulness and letting go of the past as crucial steps to attain inner peace and emotional well-being. Holding onto past events leads to unnecessary suffering and blocks the ability to live mindfully in the present moment.
3. Focus on What You Can Control for Mental Clarity
Stoicism and Buddhism advocate letting go of things beyond our control as a path to inner peace. Stoicism focuses on the dichotomy of control, encouraging individuals to accept and release control over external circumstances for greater mental clarity and peace while prioritizing internal growth, virtues, and mental resilience. Similarly, Buddhism emphasizes the impermanence of all things and teaches acceptance of what cannot be controlled, encouraging individuals to relinquish attachment to transient phenomena. Both philosophies advocate for embracing the present moment and directing one's efforts and attention towards what can be influenced, fostering a sense of tranquility by releasing the grip on what lies outside of our personal agency.
The 14th Dalai Lama and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Tenzin Gyatso. Photo from Jan Michael Ihl on Flickr.
4. Master Desire Through Mindfulness and Self-Denial
Both stress importance of mastering desire and propose strategies to achieve it. Stoics advocated practicing “self-denial” to deal with the darker sides of pleasure. The did so not to punish themselves, but rather to increase their enjoyment of life. By periodically practicing self-denial, including “practicing poverty”, they hardened themselves against future misfortunes, and became confident they could withstand major setbacks when these did eventually arrive. Small, voluntary acts of discomfort–for example, periodically allowing themselves to go hungry, thirsty, cold, or to practice poverty–allowed them to fully appreciate what they already had. On the other hand, Buddhism teaches that mastering desire involves understanding the root of suffering, which often stems from craving and attachment. Both Buddhism and Stoicism teach how to develop a balanced relationship with desires by cultivating mindfulness and detachment, leading to lasting inner peace. Through mindful practices such as meditation, breathwork, and heightened self-awareness, Buddhism encourages moderation and the development of a balanced relationship with desires to attain inner peace and liberation from suffering.
5. Achieve Lasting Inner Peace Through Emotional Mastery
Stoicism and Buddhism advise pursuing inner peace and provide advice on how to attain and maintain it. Both Buddhism and Stoicism prioritize emotional mastery and self-control, helping individuals maintain inner peace during life's challenges. Both philosophies advocate mastering emotions and building emotional resilience to face life's unpredictability, detachment from external circumstances, and the cultivation of virtues for a balanced and peaceful life. However, their approaches differ: Stoicism emphasizes acceptance of the present moment and the development of rationality and virtue to navigate life's trials without being disturbed by external events. Buddhism, on the other hand, focuses on understanding the nature of suffering, aiming for liberation from it through practices like mindfulness and compassion.
6. Practice Meditation to Cultivate Mindfulness and Virtue
Both philosophies advise practicing meditation, though they come in very different forms. On the one hand, Stoics emphasize a more rational reflection on how they respond to events in relation to the four Stoic virtues of justice, courage, temperance, and wisdom. It is more a matter of reviewing events daily and assessing how we responded to them and whether our behaviour was aligned with these Stoic principles. In addition, they also recommend that we simultaneously play the role of actor and Stoic observer as we go about our day, again reminding ourselves whether our conduct is appropriate and whether we are practicing some of the techniques recommended by Stoicism. In contrast, Buddhist meditation emphasizes mindfulness, self-awareness, and cultivating mental clarity through focused breathing and sensations to achieve insight into the nature of existence and alleviate suffering. While both aim for inner peace, Buddhist meditation leans toward understanding the nature of the mind and emotions, while Stoic meditation emphasizes maintaining a rational, virtuous mindset in the face of challenges.
7. Develop Emotional Resilience Through Non-Attachment
Stoicism and Buddhism advocate for a non-attached approach to events and contend that we have a lot of control over emotions such as fear, anger, or grief. Stoicism encourages a mindset of accepting events beyond one's control with equanimity, focusing on internal virtues rather than external circumstances. Epictetus conveyed the idea that it's not the events themselves that cause our emotional reactions, but rather our judgments or interpretations of those events. Similarly, Buddhism emphasizes non-attachment to outcomes, teaching that clinging to events leads to suffering and promoting a mindset of acceptance and detachment from transient experiences. It promotes recognizing and processing emotions without judgment, a key principle in emotional intelligence, fostering self-compassion, and cultivating practices like meditation to develop emotional resilience and a balanced, compassionate response to challenging feelings.
Seneca committing suicide with his foot in a bath. Coloured engraving by B. Ravenet after R. Earlom after Luca Giordano. Wikipedia.
8. Detach from Material Desires to Foster Freedom and Contentment
Stoicism and Buddhism share similarities in their approach toward luxury, advocating moderation and detachment from material desires. Stoicism teaches freedom from material attachments, helping individuals break free from consumerism and dependency, suggesting that luxury can lead to dependency and weaken one's inner resilience. Similarly, Buddhism warns against attachment to material wealth, teaching that the pursuit of luxury often fuels craving and dissatisfaction, a concept both philosophies warn against. Stoicism allows for enjoying comforts without becoming dependent, and indeed most famous Stoics were very wealthy. Although it is also permissible to be wealthy too under Buddhism, it tends to emphasize renunciation of material desires as a means to minimize suffering and attachment.
9. Recognize Interconnectedness to Promote Compassion and Justice
Both Stoicism and Buddhism acknowledge our interconnectedness and emphasize social harmony. Stoicism highlights the importance of fulfilling our social duty and reminds us of our obligations towards others. After all, one of the four main Stoic virtues is justice or social wisdom. Buddhism emphasizes compassion and kindness toward all sentient beings, urges us to be less self-centered and to concern ourselves instead with the wellbeing of others, guided by the principle of interconnectedness and the alleviation of suffering.
10. Look to Role Models for Guidance on Virtue and Compassion
Both Stoicism and Buddhism present role models as embodiments of ideals to emulate - the Stoic sage and the Buddha, respectively. Though being a sage or becoming as enlightened as the Buddha is impossible in reality, contemplating these role models might nonetheless assist adherents of these ideologies in becoming somewhat wiser or more enlightened.The Stoic sage, a person who responds to everyday circumstances in accordance with the four Stoic virtues, serves as an idealised figure for Stoics in their quest of peace and virtue. Similarly, the Buddha represents the personification of compassion, wisdom, and the way to be freed from suffering.
Enjoyed this post? Don’t miss Bertrand Russel’s explanation of why humans are unhappy or Seneca’s timeless Stoic wisdom for leading a meaningful life.
