Chapter 6: Buddhism Section 3 - Beliefs & Practices Page 251-257 4th Period Matthew Appleby Adrian Ballesteros Luc Ghaleb Patrick Tovar

Introduction The center of Buddhism contains the Four Noble Truths To Buddhists there are two paths concerning these truths The first is that either one does not follow them and is stuck in Samsara The other path states that if one follows the truths, they will in turn be led to the Noble Eightfold Path or the Middle Way This is a way of life that teaches one to avoid extremes on both sides of the spectrum

Four Noble Truths

Short Video on the Four Noble Truths

The Four Noble Truths The center of all Buddhist beliefs Derived from Siddhartha Gautama’s earliest sermons Understanding and accepting the Four Noble Truths will lead you to the Noble Eightfold Path Reminds you to avoid extremes and to take everything in moderation If one is ignorant of the Four Noble Truths they will remain in an endless cycle of samsara

The First Noble Truth Life is filled with suffering Both physical and mental suffering that comes from facing traumas of life We begin our lives with birth trauma and then endure physical, mental and emotional pain, illness, injury, old age, and fear of death This cycle of suffering is perpetuated by samsara, the endless cycle of suffering through death and rebirth Suffering also goes beyond life’s physical and mental pains We suffer because of concepts of impermanence (not permanent), incompleteness, imperfections, and discontent

Life’s Impermanence All life is impermanent All physical beings are constantly changing Humans age, wood rots, stars collapse Our feelings and thoughts are also impermanent

Anatma The Buddhist doctrine of anatma states that an unchanging and independent person does not exist Anatma means “no soul” or “not self” Ignorance of anatma causes suffering While Hindus taught that the soul is God (atman), Siddhartha Gautama taught that if the soul is purely God, then it is not a soul Therefore it is “no soul”

The Second Noble Truth The cause of suffering is desire Humans constantly want things When we don't get what they want, they are frustrated or disappointed Even when we do get what we want we are filled with impermanent happiness Believing that we are permanent & unchanging is the fundamental cause of suffering

Third Noble Truth To cease suffering one must cease desiring To end suffering is to end samsara and achieve Nirvana The only thing permanent and real is the end of suffering Suffering ceases when we free ourselves of the bondage of desires and cravings and stop believing that our individual self is real This freedom brings people happiness and contentment Nirvana is the “extinction” of that suffering through the endless cycles of rebirth

Fourth Noble Truth The path to the end of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path This is the Middle Way between indulgence and self-denial The Noble Eightfold Path is the moral standard of Buddhism

Samsara in Buddhism & Hinduism Both Buddhists & Hindus believe in Samsara Their concepts of samsara differ greatly For Hindus, the end of samsara is moksha Moksha is the realization that the individual self is one with Brahman (Ultimate Reality) For Buddhists, the end of samsara is Nirvana This means that we “extinguish” our desires, cravings and passions

Nirvana For Buddhists, Nirvana is neither a positive experience nor negative experience Nirvana is One is awakened to the reality of the human condition, no longer ignorant or delusional

The Noble Eightfold Path

The Noble Eightfold Path Similar to the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path is a central practice of Buddhism When one has perfected these practices, they are enlightened and attain Nirvana

First Step of Noble Eightfold Path Right Understanding One sees things as they really are Right understanding is the understanding of the causes of suffering, the end of suffering, and the way one endures suffering This step summarizes the Four Noble Truths

Second Step of Noble Eightfold Path Right Thought The mind must be purified of all that moves it away from enlightenment It is not just getting rid of wrong thoughts It is replacing wrong thoughts with right thoughts of kindness and renunciation Right thought can be equated with the Christian beatitude of single-heartedness

Third Step of the Noble Eightfold Path Right speech All forms of lying, slandering, gossiping, and using harsh words must be eliminated A person must speak truthfully and kindfully about others

Fourth Step of the Noble Eightfold Path Right Conduct Right conduct calls on people not to cheat, steal, murder, or engage in any kind of sexual misconduct

Fifth Step of the Noble Eightfold Path Right Livelihood This path calls upon people not to earn a living through actions that would harm other living things Ex: No hunting, no using any weapons, or no manufacturing or selling intoxicants

Sixth Step of the Noble Eightfold Path Right Effort This has to do with a person’s thoughts He/she must be diligent in getting rid of bad or delusional thoughts, while cultivating good, wholesome thoughts

Seventh Step of the Noble Eightfold Path Right Mindfulness A person is to be aware of everything he or she is thinking and doing Right mindfulness is being aware of thoughts, feelings, and actions at all times Right mindfulness means knowing oneself

The Eighth Step of the Noble Eightfold Path Right Concentration A form of meditation in which a person concentrates on one object In order to give full attention to the object and dispel other distractions This is the type of concentration that enables a person to see things as they really are and thus gain enlightenment

Noble Eightfold Path The Noble Eightfold Path is categorized by three main practices: Morality Meditation Wisdom Morality brings about Meditation, Meditation brings about Wisdom, and, after completing the circle, Wisdom gives rise to Good Actions

Community

Sangha Traditionally, one would associate Sangha with either monks or nuns It is believed that only people living in a monastic lifestyle could truly practice the teachings of the Buddha Lay people would perform and take care of material and everyday needs of the monks and nuns in exchange for merit towards rebirth These days, sangha has expanded to the lay people too

Three Jewels of Buddhism The three Jewels of Buddhism are: Sangha The Buddha Dharma The three jewels are considered the core of Buddhism and when one becomes a Buddhist, he or she proclaims refuge to these jewels

I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the Dharma. I take refuge in the Sangha.

Lay People and Monks Lay people and monks are interconnected in their everyday lives even though they might seem different The monks provide the spiritual aspect of life to lay people while the lay people provide monks with the physical aspects of life (Ex. food)

Theravada Buddhism An important goal of a buddhist is to reach nirvana Theravada Buddhists call people who reach nirvana arhat. For one to be an arhat in Theravada Buddhism, he or she must have heard the teachings of Buddha

Mahayana Buddhism Mahayana Buddhists also accept arhat as the ultimate goal for buddhists However, the name of an exemplar person in Mahayana Buddhism is bodhisattva A bodhisattva is one who has chosen to defer full enlightenment until all other humans have first reached nirvana Essentially, they pass on their spiritual merit to others so that they can reach nirvana before them

Mahayana Buddhism Mahayana Monks follow the same rules as Theravada monks but add more to them They follow Siddhartha Gautama, his way of life, and his attitudes of peace and compassion to others For example, the Japanese Sect of Mahayana Buddhism (called zen) make their own livelihood Another Japanese sect known as shin allows monks to have a family.

Section Review ■ The foundations for Buddhist teachings are the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. ■ Sangha is the Buddhist community of monks and lay people. ■ The Three Jewels are considered the core of Buddhism. ■ Monastic and lay lifestyles are different but dependent on one another.

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