Buddhism

Profound Differences

Christianity Buddhism• Human Person

– Eternal, enduring, substantial soul

• Final Destination– Heaven or Hell: Final

Judgment

• Method to Achieving Goal – Accepting of revealed

doctrinal Truths of Bible: Love of God, Neighbor, Self

• Human Person– Illusionary, temporary

collection of 6 aggregates, empty: marked by Annica (impermanence), and dukkha (suffering)

• Final Destination– Nirvana: an extinguishing of

consciousness: non-existent union with the All

• Method to Achieving Goal– Achieve wisdom through

meditation and non-attachment

A. Introduction

• Began in Northern India (Nepal) around 530 BCE

• A reaction to Hinduism – Polytheism– Corruption of the caste system

• Buddhism stems from "Buddha", meaning he who is awake, who "woke up“, “the Awakened One”

B. Siddhartha, the prince• Born in Nepal (566-486 BCE)

• Born to King Suddhodhana and Queen Mahamaya

• Tradition: Siddhartha’s father given prophecy: son would be mighty ruler OR enlightened ascetic leading others to enlightenment

• Father driven to make sure his son would become his successor

• Refused to expose Siddhartha to life’s miseries

• Sid eventually married (16) and had a son

1. The Four Passing Sights

• While on a pleasure excursion, Siddhartha notices an 1) an old man; 2) a diseased man; 3) burial of corpse; 4) wandering ascetic or holy man

• Sid questions servant, Channa, who exposes Sid to the truths and realities of life denied him

• Sid is reduced to tears and suffering

• Sid finally feels the pains of life and develops huge compassion for all humans

• Sees wandering ascetic and wonders

• Should he abandon…

• Luxury?

• Power?

• Family?

2. The Great Going Forth

• At 29, leaves everything to become a ‘forest dweller’

• Joined five other ascetics

• For six years; slept on ground, ate only enough to live

ASCETICISM

Spirit Body

SpiritBody

•Assumption: embrace the physical, lose soul•Deny body: save soul; very dualistic

3. Doctrine of the Middle Way

• Sid. realized an unhealthy body not conducive to spiritual development

BodySpirit

4. Buddha’s Enlightenment

• Sitting under a fig tree (Bo Tree, from “bodhi”: wisdom)

• Experiences enlightenment; sees true nature of his existence

• Buddha rejects Hindu teaching of Atman (the eternal, True-Self);

• develops doctrine of No-Self, or Anatman

• Anatman: idea that nothing has a permanent, unchanging character.

• Everything in constant state of flux or change (no-self)

• More one realizes no-self, the more connected, the more interrelated you become to all others, and all things.

• Doctrine of the Middle Way, or Middle Path is key to achieving no-self

• Essentially a psychological training and discipline of mind and body

Buddha’s Enlightenment

• Realized his existence was a temporary collection of mental and physical sensations

• Experienced pleasure when needs were met; pain when they were not

• Practice of mindfulness: a self-analysis• rather than subduing his sensory or mental

experiences, simply sat and watched them arise and fall

C. The Dharma (Teaching: Doctrines)

• Four Noble Truths

• Eightfold Path

• Five Precepts

• Three Marks of Existence

• Nirvana

1. The Four Noble Truths

• 1) Dukkha: reality of suffering: dis-ease of life

• 2) Tanha: desire, or attachment, as root cause of Dukkha

• 3) Nirodha: ending of suffering possible

• 4) Magga (the cure) The Eightfold Path is the Path to Enlightenment

2. The Eightfold Path: A Course of Treatment for

Life’s ills

1. Right Intentions

2. Right Speech

3. Right Views

4. Right Conduct

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Meditation

Three Main Practices

• No strict categories: Main idea is that the inner life influences the outer life

• 1.) Morality: moral action brings about Meditation

• 2) Meditation: brings about wisdom• 3) Wisdom: gives rise to right moral

actions• How might the Eightfold Path be

categorized by these three practices?

3. The Five Precepts

All lay Buddhists (Sangha, or community) are to refrain from…

• Destroying life

• Stealing

• Sexual misconduct: monastics abstain

• Untrue, deceitful speech

• Using intoxicants

4. The Three Marks of Existence

• Dukkha (suffering)–Life has become disordered

• Anicca (impermanence)–The realization of change

• Anatta (no-self)–Since all things change, including the

Self, there cannot be a permanent Self

5. Nirvana• What is the difference between Moksha

and Nirvana?• Nirvana: literally to “blow out”…the flames of

desire

• possible to achieve in this lifetime• Selfish desire brings bad karma, keeping

individual in samsara• A bodhisattva (Buddha in the making)

who achieves nirvana before physical death reaches parinirvana

Sacred Places and Spaces

• Temples: (Therevadas)– places of communal meditation and offerings– Monks perform religious rites– Stupas: relics of Buddha or his followers– Mahayana temples: images of many other

enlightened individuals (buddhas)

• Pagodas: large stupas: :usually decorated domes

Places of Pilgrimages

• Lumbini Gardens– Birth of Siddartha

• Bodh Gaya– Bodhi tree where Buddha achieved

enlightenment

• Sarnath– Deer Park where the Buddha gave first sermon

• Kushinara– Traditional death of the Buddha

D. The “Rafts” (Sects)

1. Mahayana

a. Vajrayana / Tibetan

b. Ch’an / Zen

2. Hinayana / Theravada

1. Mahayana “Great Raft”

• Largest group…began in 200 BCE• Claims to follow the example of the

Buddha• Salvation is granted through grace• Ultimate virtue is compassion• Ideal person is bodhisattva “one whose

essence is perfect wisdom” b/c they have attained nirvana and guide others

• Practice centers on ritual & meditation

2. Hinayana / Theravada• Hinayana “small raft”…Theravada “Way of

the Elders”• Claims to hold onto the original doctrines

of the Buddha• Salvation is purely up to the individual• The ultimate virtue is wisdom (bodhi)• The ideal person: Arhat (saint) who

attains parinirvana• Practice centers on monasticism and

meditation

Theravadan Monks atop a monastery

Mahayana Monks

2a. Tibetan / Vajrayana• “Vehicle of the Diamond”• Dates back to 200 CE in Tibet• Has an official hierarchy: lamas “teachers”• Dalai Lama “ocean of wisdom”• Goal is to fight selfish desires by focusing on

good desires –Mantras: monotonous, hypnotic, repeated

phrases–Mudras: choreographed hand movements –Mandalas and thangkas: artistic symbols

used to excite the senses

The Dalai Lama…the 14th reincarnation of the Bodhisattva

of Compassion, Avilokiteshvara

A thangka or yantra

A mandala

2b. Zen / Ch’an Buddhism

• “Quietude”

• Began in China in 520 BCE with the monk, Bodhidharma

• Preaches acceptance of the world as it is, w/ no preconceived notions

• Focuses on a unique type of silent meditation (wui-we)

• Represents an artistic blending of the sacred and the ordinary

• Has been described as the art of living well