An Introduction to Buddhism by willy ruin and sonephavanh liemphachanh

BUDDHISMBUDDHISM

BuddhismPAF 204

ETHICS in Public Affairs

Prepared by: SONEPHAVANH LIEMPHACHANH

WILLY RUIN

11 October 2014

Outline of PresentationOutline of Presentation

Overview of the religion

Life of Buddha

Sects of Buddhism

Practices and Belief of Four Noble Truth

Karma

Ethical principle

Case study

Overview of BuddhismOverview of Buddhism

Buddhism of the World Religion

India 2500 years ago

Followers are widely known in ASIA

In India influenced by Hinduism

Spreads of BuddhismSpreads of Buddhism

Prince Shotoku of Japan (572-622) desired to learn Buddhism from China in Dang dynasty to encourage his people to become strong

The Buddhism then widely spread in Asia

Prince Shotoku of Japan (572-622) desired to learn Buddhism from China in Dang dynasty to encourage his people to become strong

The Buddhism then widely spread in Asia

Buddhism Spreads to AsiaBuddhism Spreads to Asia

The Life of BuddhaThe Life of Buddha

Prince Siddhardtha Guatamafounder of Buddhism 2500 years ago

He is the son of King Suddhodana and Queen Mahamaya

He saw people outside the palace crying, aging, sick and dead

Age 29 , left palace to find the truth of life

Prince Siddhardtha Guatamafounder of Buddhism 2500 years ago

He is the son of King Suddhodana and Queen Mahamaya

He saw people outside the palace crying, aging, sick and dead

Age 29 , left palace to find the truth of life

Mahayana and HinayanaMahayana and Hinayana

THE TWO SECTS OF BUDDHISM:

Mahayana: more interpretative, believe in deity, (China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea)

Hinayana (Theravada): monk chanting PaliCanon dialect in temple, do not believe in god (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka)

Noble TruthNoble Truth

Four Noble Truth that are stated in the concepts of Buddhism:Noble truth of Sufferings: birth, decay (aging), disease and death are sufferings. There are 3 types of sufferings:

Basic or ordinary suffering (physical and mental);

Due to changes; andDue to poor condition and belongs to

the hardship states.

Noble TruthsNoble Truths

Noble truth of origin of sufferings: is carving “Tanha” for:

sensual pleasures (greedy and attachment);

existence (anger); and

carving for non-existence (madness, give up with right desire)

Noble TruthsNoble Truths

The Noble Truth of the way to the cessation of Suffering:

To avoid sufferings is to realize the Eight Path. Categorized in 3 major parts:

Wisdom

Morality

Meditation/Concentration

The Noble Truth of the way to the cessation of Suffering:The Noble Truth of the way to the cessation of Suffering:

Wisdom1. Right view and understanding (Karma, ten

subjects of believing and 4 noble truth)

2. Right thoughts: Right thoughts of Sacrifice to fight with greediness and sensual desire, benevolence for welfare of all being and fight bad works, harmlessness to fight with cruelty and selfishness)


Morality3. Right speech – Avoid false speech, insultingspeech, harsh words and abusive language, idlechatter and frivolous talks (speech should always be moral benefit to all)

4. Right actions – Avoid killing and injuring, taking things without owner permission (stealing), sexual misconduct and abuse of sense


Morality (cont.)5. Right livelihood

Avoid dealing in weapons and arms;

Avoid dealing sexual relations and human trafficking (e.g prostitution and slavery);

Avoid abusing human and animals (e.g hitting people, playing with animals)

Avoid dealing in alcoholic drinks, additive drugs; and

Avoid dealing in poison.


Morality (cont.)6. Right efforts Effort to prevent damages from health, things

and states; Effort to avoid (solve) damages of life, things and

states; Effort to develelope stronger state, things and

healthier life; and Effort to appreciate and promote stronger

state/things and healthier life.


Morality (cont.)7. Right mindfulness

Keep well the 4 foundation of mindfulness: -mindfulness of

Body (physical act. and exercises);

Feelings (be fair with feelings);

Consciousness (know what you are thinking);

Mental objects and phenomena (observing what are happing allows to be well prepared)


8. Right meditation (concentration)

Effort of meditation effectively develops mindfulness in item (7), and the efforts item number (1-6)

will be steadily enhanced

KarmaKarma

Karma is “course of actions”

Kusala Karma (good karma) is wholesome course of actions, leads life beautiful, pure, clear, happy and peaceful

Akusala Karma (bad karma) is unwholesome course of actions leads life with worries, pain, depressions, anxious and insecurity

Kusala KarmaKusala Karma

1. be generous as usual, 2. be moral as usual, 3. meditate for wisdom, 4. reverence or respect others, 5. services and offer helps, 6. regards to of relative’s merit, 7. rejoicing in other merits which means appreciating people’s

good deeds, 8. understand Dhamma doctrine, 9. Explain the Dhamma doctrine clearly, and 10. strengthening oneself and each other’s view.

Do it in right time, place, situation, and person.

Akusala KarmaAkusala Karma

(1) Killing;

(2) Stealing;

(3) sexual misconduct and abuse of the senses (drugs);

(4) Lying and slandering (insulting), harsh speech, frivolous talk;

(5) Greediness;

(6) bad works and

(7) false views (cause and effects)

Buddhist TraditionBuddhist Tradition

New year

Alms giving on important day

Offering foods to monk in temple

Buddhist Chanting

Meditation and Yoka

What The Buddha told his people before his Nirvana?What The Buddha told his people before his Nirvana?

“Don't blindly believe what I say. Don't believe me because others convince you of my words. Don't believe anything you see, read, or hear from others, whether of authority, religious

teachers or texts.“

“Find out for yourself what is truth, what is real. Discover that there are virtuous things and there are non-virtuous things. Once you have discovered for yourself give up the bad and

embrace the good.“

~ The Buddhawww.noble-buddhism-beliefs.com

Buddhist SymbolsBuddhist Symbols

Morality and EthicsMorality and Ethics

Founded on the unchanging laws of nature and the unchanging law of kamma or cause and effect its principles are useful and acceptable up to the current world

Essentially practical in that it is only a mean leading to the final goal of ultimate happiness

Each individual is expected to work on his own deliverance by his understanding and effort salvation is the result of one’s own moral development


Morality in all Buddhist precepts can be summarized in three simple principles: to avoid evil

to do good – non-harming attitude towards self, other people and all living things

to purify the mind meditate


Good vs Bad: Is based primarily on karma (force) and

rebirth (fact); without these concepts there could be no concept of good and bad.

Everything we are is the result of our past, and how we have dealt with or failed to deal with that determines our state of mind.

Buddhist views the teachings as a form of therapy for impure minds.


Good vs Bad: Actions that have their roots in greed,

hatred and delusion that spring from selfishness foster the harmful delusion of selfhood; these actions are demeritorious or unskillfull or bad called Akusala Kamma;

All actions rooted in the virtues of generosity, love, and wisdom are meritorious called Kusala Kamma


Good vs Bad: based on volition Volition is the intentions of actions All actions originally are considered

neither good or bad but only the intentions and thought make them so.

This doesn’t mean the religion encourages to commit the conventionally regarded sins, e.g. to commit murder with a good heart; killing is mind dominated by greed or hatred


Recognizes the objectivity of moral values; the consequences of actions occur in accordance with the natural laws, regardless of the attitude of the individual towards the act.

While ethical relativism is recognized in Buddhism, it doesn’t suggest undermining the objectivity of values.

Ethical Dilemmas Ethical Dilemmas

Punishment Fundamentally believes in the cycle of birth and

re-birth (Samsara) and teaches that if capital punishment is administered it will have compromising effects on the souls of both offender and the punisher in future incarnationsinhumane treatment of an offender does not solve their misdeeds or those of humanity in general

Best approach to an offender is reformatory if the crime is particularly serious, the person

may be banished from the community or country


Euthanasia and Suicide Voluntary euthanasia is wrong, because it

demonstrates that one's mind is in a bad state and that one has allowed physical suffering to cause mental suffering; also, those who administer euthanasia may likely develop bad mental state, which should be avoided.

Buddhist regard death as transition, if the next life is even worse, it is wrong on a utilitarian basis to permit euthanasia, as it shortens the present bad state for an even worse one.

Suicide, which is use as a political weapon, is allowed to monks who already have achieved enlightenment


Treatment on Animals Buddhism is an animal-friendly religion.

However, they have the belief that there exist as non-human animals which is a result of past misdeeds thru rebirth. Because of the misdeeds, they were spiritually inferior to human beings and so were entitled to fewer rights than human beings; some used this belief as an excuse for the exploitation and mistreatment of animals.


Contraception Acceptable if it prevents conception;

but not those that work by stopping development of fertilized egg

Buddhists actively seeking enlightenment should not use birth control in order to pursue sexual pleasure.


War

Precept: “avoid killing, or harming any living thing.”

However, it may be allowed if it is intended to punish those who disturb the public order.

Buddhism and the Ethical TheoriesBuddhism and the Ethical Theories

Utilitarian Focuses on the consequences of actions taken

by an individual whether it has elements of GOOD or the right things to do; if we do the right we must maximize its utility

Although Buddhism advocates pursuit for the right actions for good life, it contradicts this theory per its principle of the “middle way” or the path of moderation


Deontological States that the “intentions” of an individual’s

actions suggested whether the deed is morally good or not.

Buddhism believes that all actions originally is neither good or bad, what makes it so is the primary intentions of the doer. However, this theory is strict in its motivation in doing what is right based on the moral law even in the expense of something. This is in great contrary with Buddhism who considers ethical relativism


Contractarian Dealt on the “hypothetical contract” under the

veil of ignorance. Buddhism is founded on the unchanging laws of

nature and the unchanging law of cause and effect.This theory contradicts in such that realities of a person is already rooted from the previous life and probably this religion may not have the principle of the original position. E.g. a newly born is already previously identified

his/her future per the karmic seed planted by his/her previous life.


Virtue Emphasizes the role of one's character and the virtues

that one's character embodies for determining or evaluating ethical behavior.

Layperson is a non-ordained member of the church. Being inside the temple they are required to do set of virtues: places the Dhamma first, enjoys giving, disregards beliefs in superstitions and omens, wont accept any other teacher, guards his deeds and words, not envious or jealous, doesn’t live a Buddhist live by deception, and has gone for refuge to the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha


Feminism Speaks about equality with women and

voiced a set of rules to morality which understands different realities of men and women; valuing equality and quality of opportunities.

Buddhism though generally practices equality as it promoted deeds without bearing to class and gender, Buddhist nations tend to, due to tradition, see women lower than that of men.


Rationale Morality (whatever is harmful to self and

other is morally bad) The most fundamental characteristics of

Buddhism are to be calming, generous thru wise giving (to suffering people), overcome problems with deep concentration, not mood.

Winning is for all and oneself not for one or for few groups.


Rationale Non-violence is used to solve problems, real

Buddhists are to solve problems by techniques (tactics), calming and goodness

Offerings helps thru giving necessary basic livings to suffered people; respective (monks as a teachers, parents, grandparents, relatives and heroes)

Giving things or helping people to do bad things means to commit with sin.

Critics / ObservationsCritics / Observations

Most of the Buddhist monks do not translate chants being narrated in temples to common languages easily understandable by the temple goers. The tendency is to leave the temple without understanding.

There is no teaching about how to equally treat women in Buddhism. This consequently resulted to a generally lower disposition of women in the community. One reason for this is due to tradition. This conflicts the concept of equanimity.

Self Immolation Self Immolation

Case Study Refers to killing oneself as a

sacrifice. While usage since the 1960s has typically referred only to setting oneself on fire, the term historically

Historically refers to a much wider range of suicidal options, such as leaping off a cliff, starvation

Self immolation is often used as a form of protest for the purposes of martyrdom..

An Introduction to Buddhism by willy ruin and sonephavanh liemphachanh

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Transcript of An Introduction to Buddhism by willy ruin and sonephavanh liemphachanh