the desolate towards the divine. Augustine believed that we enter this world fallen, with a sinful nature, embodying the old will. The old will representing temptation; temptation of flesh, of secular pleasure. I became to myself a wasteland as he describes his wicked nature. Augustine maintained that an individual accepting the old will, will eventually become entangled in the iron chain. Attachment to flesh will lead to lust; the lust to habit; and habit to necessity. To lead a good life is to strive for the new will. The new will, or the will of spirit and continence offers faith in God as the true revelation. In a sense, finding the new will is finding Enlightenment.The simple parallel between the two explanations of these religions would discover that they both condemn concern with notions such as pleasure, flesh, and materialistic wants. While this is true, there exists a much more complex and intricate relationship. Both of these religions offer a similar meaning of life, a similar end to a means. They do not plainly list a number of fables that supposed to embody certain morals. But both of these religions describe a journey, a personal transcendence as the ultimate goal. Each goal might differ, yet the idea of the journey is of vital importance. Fundamentally, the journey is the meaning of life.Buddhism encourages personal poverty, moderation, frugality, restraint, gentleness, non-harming, simplicity and charity for all its believers rather than wealth, indulgence, complexity or cruelty. Buddhism also asserts very strongly that people should work through their own past and on their own psychology, seeking to improve one's own behavior and speech, constantly retraining oneself to become a better person than one has been before, analyzing one's thoughts, words and deeds and working constantly to improve one's ethical conduct and general attitudes to self and others. Indeed, 'self-purification' in its various forms...
