Not much has changed really since about 1 BCE. I mean, yes, technologically man has advanced in quantum leaps but spiritually, and may we say esoterically…not so much.

The Six Perfections established in the earliest beginnings of Buddhism were true then and are true now. Let’s review:

Generosity - yes, very important. Generosity of spirit is paramount to contentment. When one is genuinely generous the world is a better place for oneself and others. Our outlook is positive. It is a state where giving is part of our nature. And generosity’s sister is gratitude.

Self-Discipline - It can’t happen unless you put your heart and mind to it. Set those intentions.

Patience - it is complex yet simple. A benevolent state or one of total anguish. Developing patience is a virtue, a life-long skill, and shows infinite kindness and wisdom.

Joyous Effort - when you do something you love, you do it well. However, at times, we are called to do things we dislike, but they need to get done in order for us to get from point A to point B. If we do those tasks with joy in our hearts and focus in our minds, great results happen.

Meditation - this is probably the hardest now vs then. Even though man had to work much harder in the past, the world was not so noisy. By noisy, I don’t mean it entirely literally, I mean that we are now so bombarded by innumerable stimuli, that finding a time and a place to simply be is quite difficult. Without time for meditation, or reflection, we simply operate on auto-pilot. Life passes us by.

Wisdom - we would all like to be known as wise. Yes, there are those, even children, that within certain contexts are inherently wise. However, true wisdom, the wisdom that is deeply rooted, in my opinion, comes from experience. Learning is a component of wisdom, and it is through actually experiencing something that we learn the best.