THE BASICS OF BUDDHISM

Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha = “Enlightened One”)

• Thought of himself as a Hindu– Maintained Hindu beliefs such as

individual self, karma and dharma– HOWEVER,

• Denied the existence of gods• Taught priests were not

necessary • Caste system should be

abolished– Established monasteries and

convents …for what?

• Understood the cause of human suffering – and its cure!

“One thing I teach: suffering and the end of suffering.

It is just ill and the ceasing of ill that I proclaim.” -- The Buddha

The Teaching:The Four Noble Truths• The Noble Truth of Suffering• The Noble Truth of the Cause of

Suffering• The Noble Truth of the End of

Suffering• The Noble Truth of the Path (dharma)

Beyond this…?

• Buddha intentionally left no central authority, structure, and writings

• This led to a VARIETY of schools of thought and adaptations found in various cultures

Theravada & Mahayana• Buddhist beliefs vary significantly, but all share an

admiration for the figure of the Buddha and the goal of ending suffering and the cycle of rebirth.

• Theravada Buddhism– Prominent in Southeast Asia– Atheistic and philosophical in nature – Focuses on the monastic life and meditation as means to liberation

Theravada & Mahayana

• Mahayana Buddhism– Prominent in China and Japan– Incorporates several deities, celestial beings, and other traditional

religious elements. – Path to liberation may include religious ritual, devotion, meditation,

or a combination of these elements– Zen, Nichiren, Tendai, and Pure Land are the major forms

The Noble Truth of Suffering

• Suffering is UNIVERSAL• Everyone experiences suffering, sickness, pain,

unhappiness and death• Although there are passing pleasures, they

vanish in time

The Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering (Attachment)

• DESIRE is the cause of suffering• People suffer because they desire things, crave

something more, and cling to their thoughts– People are attached to SELF and this can never be

satisfied– Even pleasure causes suffering, because pleasure

must end

The Noble Truth of the End of Suffering (Liberation)

• It is possible to end suffering if one is aware of his or her own desires, thoughts, self-attachment and no longer clings to them.

• As a living being, one will always desire things like air, water, comfort, kindness, etc. However, one should not be controlled by desires.

• If one can be freed from being controlled by desires then NIRVANA can be achieved.– Nirvana is the condition of wanting nothing– Some interpretations that it is freedom from the cycle of birth & death

The Noble Truth of the Path

• By changing one’s thinking and behavior (to no longer be ruled by desires), one can be awoken

• This way of thinking and behaving is called the Middle Way and can be pursued through the practice of following the Eightfold Path

Following the Middle Path:The practice of the Eightfold Path• Wisdom

– Right View or Undersanding (1)– Right Thought (2)

• Ethics– Right Speech (3)– Right Action (4)– Right Work or Livelihood (5)

• Meditation– Right Effort (6)– Right Mindfulness (7)– Right Concentration (8)

The Eightfold Path: Wisdom

• Right View or Understanding– Strive to clearly understand (internalize) the Four

Noble Truths– Strive to clearly understand the workings of one’s

own mind• Right Thought– Strive to have the right sense of motive, intention,

attitude, mind-set and commitment (Remember Karma!)– Avoid dwelling on the past or the future (Be in the

Present), avoid thoughts of greed, ill will or fear

The Eightfold Path: Ethics• Right Speech– Strive to speak kindly and thoughtfully– Avoid lies, slander, harsh words and frivolous speech

• Right Action– Strive to act morally towards all living things (Karma!)– Live in the moment, do each thing fully without attachment to

the results

• Right Work or Livelihood– Have a vocation that does not harm the others (people,

nature, ecosystem etc.)

The Eightfold Path: Meditation• Right Effort– Seek enlightenment with practice, determination and follow-

through

• Right Mindfulness– Be fully aware and conscious of your body, feelings, and mind

« Awareness of pure awareness is…a taste of nirvana »

• Right Concentration– Focus attention; strive to become one with the object of your

mind

The Three Jewels

• Over time the “Three Jewels” provided the loose structure of Buddhism– The Buddha– The Dharma– The Sangha

“The Buddha’s like the doctor; the Dharma, his medicine; and the Sangha, the hospital staff. You

can put your life in their hands.”

The Buddha

• From the Sanskrit root budh meaning ‘to awaken’

• Title given to Siddhartha because he attained enlightenment

• More generally it refers to any self-realized or enlightened person

The Dharma

• Sanskrit referring to virtue, law, cosmic process, discipline , reality or truth

• Refers to the teachings of Buddha• More generally it refers to all that leads to the

truth

The Sangha

• Sanskrit for gathering or assembly• Refers to the monastic order

established by the Buddha• More generally it refers to any lay

(non-priest) followers or communities of practice

• What is the purpose of the Eightfold Path?

• What is the purpose of the Three Jewels of Buddhism?

Check for Understanding