Buddhist Teaching World Religions Chapter 4 1

The Practice of Buddhism Most Buddhists revere Gautama Buddha, but it is his teachings that are core of Buddhist belief and practice. 2

The collection of Buddhist teaching is called the Dharma. 3

The challenge of understanding Buddhist teaching is that they presuppose a deep experience of meditation. Buddha himself seemed to think that only a few would be fit for the task. 4

Buddhist teaching is unique. Dharma, Buddha’s teachings, are the reflections of a human being – and are not dependent on divine revelation. 5

but on gained wisdom and practice. It does not depend heavily on faith – but on gained wisdom and practice. 6

Buddhism and Hinduism Although Buddhism shares many ideas with Hinduism, much of the Buddha’s teaching was a response to what he saw as the excesses of Hindu religion in his day. 7

Some similarities: Cosmology – Both religions share the idea that the universe is eternal, and that time is cyclical. The universe is created and destroyed over and over. For Buddhists, Gautama is not the first or last Buddha – He is one among many. 8

Samsara: Both traditions believe in the “wheel of rebirth”, and that people can only escape once they have achieved enlightenment – moksha in Hinduism and nirvana in Buddhism. 9

Nirvana means literally To blow out, as a candle is extinguished. 10

Buddha’s reactions to the Hinduism of his day were prompted by his rejection of Brahmin rituals and speculative theology – which he thought were useless for attaining enlightenment. 11

He also rejected the caste system. Anyone was welcome to join his community. 12

While the priests kept the sacred texts secret in Sanskrit, Buddha made sure his teachings were available in Pali – a local dialect spoken by the common people. 13

Buddhist Teaching The teachings of the Buddha focus on the predicament of individuals and their destiny. 14

The Buddha searched deep inside himself, and what he found may be confusing for us at first. 15

In his exploration into the realm of the self, he realized that there is no self. The self does not exist. 16

How is this different from the Hinduism view of ‘self’? 17

The core of the Buddha’s discovery Is that the reality of existence is change. 18

Three Marks of Existence Anatta 1. Rather than finding the Atman within, the Buddha discovered the no-self. This is called Anatta. 19

The essence of Buddhism is that there is no essence. 20

2) Anicca Refers to the impermanence of all things. “You can never enter the same river twice.” 21

All things are always changing, and even though they appear to be real and changeless, they are not. 22

3)Dukkha means “suffering”. This is the result of anatta and anicca. 23

Karma karma Buddhist and Hindu understanding of karma are generally the same. 24

Since Buddhism does not hold there is an eternal Atman, they use the analogy of a flame passing from candle to candle – the life is different but the energy is the same. The energy is what is transferred. 25

One’s life is entirely determined by karma – by the energy that is passed on from the moral decisions made in a previous life. 26

The Five Precepts Because karma is so important, morality is key for Buddhists. Moral life requires following the Five Precepts: 27

These five apply to all Buddhists: 1) Do not take life 2) Do not take what is not given 3) Do not engage in sensuous misconduct 4) Do not use false speech 5) Do not drink intoxicants 28

And the following apply to monks and nuns: Do not eat after noon Do not watch dancing or shows Do not use garlands, perfumes, or ornaments Do not use a high or soft bed Do not accept gold or silver 29

Buddhist morality emphasizes intention. The degree of immorality of an action depends on the intention of the actor, and not the outcome. Right intention is primary. **Some systems of morality emphasize the intention of an action; others emphasize the outcome of an action. Which do you think has greater moral significance: intention or outcome? Explain. 30

The Four Noble Truths During the Third Watch of the night of his enlightenment, Gautama perceived the 4 Noble Truths. 31

1) To live is to suffer 1) Suffering is caused by desire (tanha) 1) Suffering can be brought to a cessation (end) 2) The solution to suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path 32

The Diagnosis of the Problem The name of the first noble truth is dukkha, translated as suffering, frustration, dislocation, or discomfort. 33

The Buddha taught that all of life is suffused with dukkha. Birth, old age, disease, and death are filled with suffering, 34

but so are experiences of joy, because they are not lasting and will never be as good as they could be. 35

Joy always leaves us longing for more, and it is our attachment to joy that causes us to suffer. We suffer because when we don’t have these things, we are disappointed, and we are hurt. 36

Dukkha seems to be unavoidable. Because all of life is finite and changing, there is nothing enduring that we can hold on to. 37

Buddha moves from the diagnosis of the problem to the cause of the problem – tanha – which is translated as desire, thirst, or craving. 38 What is the Cause of Suffering?

How can one avoid desiring things for oneself? Happiness…success…a family….are these wrong? 39

Buddha taught that the desire for these things will cause suffering, and that individuals cannot avoid desiring these things, because this is what it means to be an individual. 40

Recall what the Buddha taught about individuality: The self does not exist. While we are attached to doing things for ourselves, we will suffer. 41

Is Buddha pessimistic? Or merely realistic? What do you think? 42

Buddha believes that there is a cure for this – that suffering and desire can be rooted out. His prognosis is the Noble Eightfold Path. 43

The Noble Eightfold Path It is very comprehensive – covers all the aspects of life – because suffering covers all the aspects of life. 44

1) Right view 2) Right intention 3) Right speech 4) Right conduct 5) Right livelihood 6) Right effort 7) Right mindfulness 8) Right meditation 45

The first two deal with wisdom. Right View means seeing things as they really are. One must integrate the 4 Noble Truths. 46

“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” - Thich Nhat Hanh 47

Right Intention Right Intention means to abandon evil attitudes like greed, hatred, and revenge, and to develop good attitudes like generosity, friendship, and insight. One must renounce all desire, seek good will, avoid anger, and develop compassion for all things. 48 “If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love.” Thich Nhat Hanh

The next three deal with action. Right speech means to only use speech that heals and is compassionate. One must avoid all lying, all gossip, all abusive and idle talk. 49 “In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

Right conduct is to live morally by obeying the 5 precepts. This means to act honestly and kindly, to respect others’ possessions, and to keep sexual relationships from being harmful. 50

Right Livelihood One cannot earn a living from things that harm other humans and living beings – selling weapons, liquor, being a butcher, or being a soldier. 51

The last three have to do with mental practice. Right effort means the mental alertness to control senses. One must control and focus one’s energy, senses, and keep alert. 52

Right Mindfulness means to be in complete control of one’s mental faculty; to be aware of how we think, how we judge, and to strive to be mindful always of our thoughts; to see without judging. 53 “The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.”

Right meditation is the practice of meditation that leads one to a point of prefect tranquility – when the individual self has been abandoned. The goal is nirvana. 54 Any thoughts on the Noble Eightfold Path? In your mind, is it a sufficient path to follow to avoid suffering?

Buddhists look forward to the final experience of nirvana, when one is freed from this existence, like the Buddha. 55

But, it is possible to live in this existence as an awakened “saint,” An arhat. 56

The arhat has fully let go of the individual self, and is free to act with compassion toward all things in the world. 57

The Buddha did not say whether or not there is life after death. The most we can say is that nirvana is the complete cessation of suffering, and is absolute peace. 58