Download A Stoic Look at Buddhism - San Diego Stoics 2015-06-20

A Stoic Look at Buddhism
Saturday, June 20, 2015
10:00 AM
Galileo's Cafe
1875 El Prado , San Diego, CA (edit map)
We will meet for about a half hour outside the café, and get the discussion started after everyone
has had a chance to get their drink or snack. Once everyone has arrived and people have had a
chance to finish any drink or snack, we may decide to continue the discussion on a walk around
Balboa Park. Balboa Park's El Prado has some stoa-like walkways we might pass through. Please
let us know if you will be arriving late in case we decide to start the walk. I suggest that if the walk
hasn't started already, that we at least go for a short walk after the discussion.
After the discussion and walk, some may decide to find a place in Balboa Park to have lunch
together, but it will be optional for this meeting if you have somewhere else to be.
The topic of focus for this meeting will be Buddhism, looked at from a Stoic perspective. Stoicism
has been called the Buddhism of the West. I have noted some parallels between the “The DOE” (an
extreme synthesis of the Discourses of Epictetus) from The Stoic Handbook by by Erik Wiegardt)
and the Buddhist Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. (See below.)
The following is excerpted and slightly interpreted by me from What the Buddha Taught, by Walpola
Rahula). I have included links to some Wikipedia articles in the text.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths
The Buddhist Four Noble Truths
1. "Dukkha" [is a part of life, or the essence of ordinary life], which is often translated as
"suffering" but could also be interpreted as unhappiness. The Buddhist use of it "also includes
deeper ideas such as 'imperfection', 'impermanence', 'emptiness', 'insubstantialilty'"
2. "Samudaya, the arising or origin of dukkha.", which is, as the primary or root cause, "'thirst',
desire, greed, craving, manifesting itself in various ways".
3. "Nirodha, the cessation of dukkha." [by eliminating its main root cause - "thirst".], which
attained is to arrive at Reality and Truth itself, Nirvana, "extinction of thirst".
4. "Magga, the way leading to the cessation of dukkha", Nirvana [summarized by the eightfold
path].
The Buddhist Eightfold Path
Wisdom
1. Right Understanding
2. Right Thought
Ethical Conduct
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
Mental Discipline
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration
The Doctrine of No-Soul (Anattā)
"... the idea of a [permanent, enduring] self [or soul] is an imaginary, false belief which has no
corresponding reality, and it procures harmful thoughts of 'me' and 'mine', selfish desire, carving,
attachment, hatred, ill-will, conceit, pride, egoism, and other defilements, impurities, and
problems."
'Meditation', or Mental Culture (Bhavana)
"The Buddha's teaching, particularly his way of 'meditation', aims at producing a state of perfect
mental health, equilibrium and tranquillity." It is often misunderstood as an escape, or mystical
trance, or an attempt to obtain superpowers. The two forms of mediation are 1) "the development
of mental concentration, of one-pointedness of mind, by various methods ... leading up to the
highest mystic states..." This type preceded Buddhism and is not purely Buddhist, but has also
been included as part of Buddhist practice, yet the Buddha explained that they are "mind-created,
mind-produced, conditioned [and] have nothing to do with Reality, Truth, that is, Nirvana." The
second, uniquely Buddhist [originally, at least] form of meditation is vipassanā, or 'Insight'
mediation. It is done to achieve "'Insight' into the nature of things, leading to complete liberation
of mind, to the realization of the Ultimate Truth, Nirvana." It is the"essentially Buddhist
'meditation', Buddhist mental culture. "It is an analytical method based on mindfulness, awareness,
vigilance, observation." It can involve the body, our feelings, and the mind.
"One of the most well-known, popular and practical examples of 'meditation' connected with the
body, is called 'The Mindfulness or Awareness of in-and-out breathing (anapanasati).
Other Buddhist Beliefs
Buddhism traditionally also includes belief about past lives and rebirth as well as some beliefs about
apparently supernatural phenomena.
A Stoic Look
There is so much more to Buddhism than this, but there is also so much to Stoicism as well with
which it can be put in dialog, compared, and contrasted. This description will not provide any
summaries of Stoicism, but you can refer to widely available sources from books or the Internet.
As a start, I suggest we look at the Stoic views: 1) of change, 2) that we should focus on what good
one can do with one's will in the present, 3) that we should understand how our judgements create
so much of our problems with emotions that we have, 4) that we should accept and live with and
according to Nature, and 2) to seek tranquillity of mind, etc. Please bring your unique perspectives
and thoughts.
We can also consider 1) the Stoic emphasis on reason, 2) apatheia, 3) theistic, pantheistic and
naturalist tendencies in Stoicism, especially considering the roots of ancient Stoicism, 4) Stoic views
of the person or self in relation to the others, society, and the world, and 5) The Stoic view of free
will and determinism, along with the importance of good residing in will and virtue.
I look forward to having a mutually beneficial discussion with all of you who attend.
Regards,
Mike Dorais
Similarities between “The DOE” and the Buddhist Four Noble
Truths
“The DOE”
Buddhist Four Noble Truths
An extreme synthesis of the Discourses of
Epictetus, from The Stoic Handbook, by
Erik Wiegardt
http://collegeofstoicphilosophers.org/show_book/
books/01_Handbook
One rule to unite us live in agreement with
No strong relationship to the Four Noble Truths, but
Nature.
there is some similarity to other Buddhist discussion on
acceptance of reality.
Two maxims to guide us:
Good is virtue that evil lacks; all the rest is I. Dukkha – Suffering, unhappiness, imperfection,
indifferent.
impermanence, emptiness, insubstatiality exist in life.
(some similarity to Stoic discussion of evil.)
II. Sumudaya – Dukka has its cause in craving, thirst,
desire. ( some similarity to Stoic discussion of
indifferents).
Good and evil are in the will; only will is in III. Nirodha – Since Dukkha has a cause it can be
our power.
ceased by eliminating the cause. (some similarity Stoic
discussion of mind and will)
IV Eightfold Path
Three studies abide us:
Judgments and the inner discourse,
IV Eightfold Path: 1. Right Understanding, 2. Right
Thought
Desires and the rising passions,
Actions and the noble duties.
IV Eightfold Path: 3. Right Speech, 4. Right Action, 5.
Right Livelihood
Hear the sage inside us:
practice, practice, practice, practice.
IV Eightfold Path: 6. Right Effort. 7. Right Mindfulness, 8.
Right Concentration