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SURVEY OF RELIGIONS & CULTS
LECTURE 1 b
BUDDHISM
The following are excerpts from Encyclopedia of World Religions, Cults and the Occult
Buddhism is explained to be a way of living based on the teachings of Siddartha Gautama, the Buddha. Buddhism
focuses on personal spiritual development. Buddhists strive for a deep insight into the true nature of life. They do not
worship gods or deities.
The essence of Buddhism may be summarized in its: Three Jewels; Four Noble Truths; The Noble Eightfold Paths; and
The Ten Precepts. Here are some examples of these:
I go to the Buddha for refuge (3 Jewels); To stop suffering one must stop desiring (4 Noble Truths); Right Intention,
Right Concentration (8-Fold Path); I observe the precept not to enjoy any dancing, singing or playing of musical
instruments, I observe the precept not to indulge in the use of flowers, perfumes, or any other cosmetics (10 Precepts).
The path to Enlightenment or Buddhahood is through the practice and development of morality, meditation, and wisdom.
Buddhism is a philosophy of life expounded by Gautama Buddha (“Buddha” means “Enlightened One”), who lived and
taught in northern India in the sixth century BC. He is also know as ‘Siddhartha’ (parents named him this). The Buddha
was not a god and Buddhism does not embrace a theistic worldview. Buddha’s teachings aim to liberate us from
suffering.
Guatama grew up in a wealthy family, living in a palace.
‘One day, as he rode though the park that surrounded his palace, he saw a man who was covered with terrible sores, a
man who tottered with age, a corpse being carried to its grave and a begging monk who appeared to be peaceful and
happy. That night he began to think about the look of peace on the face of the monk. He began to wonder if there was
more to life than the luxuries of his palace. He took a last look at his sleeping wife and child, and then left the palace
forever. Gautama, now 29 years old, was determined to solve the riddle of life. He shaved his head, put on a yellow robe
and wandered the countryside as a beggar monk. He sat under a tree for 40 days and nights. He swore that he would not
move until he found what he was searching for. During this time, an evil demon, tried to make him give up his quest. At
the end of the 40 days, he experienced the highest degree of God-consciousness (called nirvana). Through this
experience, Gautama felt he had found "salvation." From then on, he was known as Buddha or the "enlightened one."
After his life-changing experience, Gautama Buddha went back to the world of man and began to preach and teach about
the meaning of life and his way to nirvana.’ (www.biblebc.com)
For the next forty-four years Buddha traveled throughout India as a wandering teacher. The movement grew rapidly.
During the rainy season, he and his followers would stay in the town parks, where halls were specially built for him.
Buddha died suddenly, when he was eighty, in the town of Kushinagara.
Buddha taught: ‘These two extremes, O monks, should not be practiced by one who has gone forth [from the household
life]. What are the two?
1. That which is linked with sensual desires, which is low, vulgar, common, unworthy, and useless,
2. and that which is linked with self-torture, which is painful, unworthy, and useless.
By avoiding these two extremes (sensual desire, self-torture) the Tathagata [Buddha] has gained the knowledge of the
middle path which gives vision and knowledge, and leads to calm, to clairvoyances, to enlightenment, to Nirvana.
O monks, what is the middle path, which gives vision . . . ? It is the noble eightfold path: right views, right
intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This, O
monks, is the middle path, which gives vision.’
“And what, sirs, is right concentration? Sirs, a monk, who is indifferent to sense pleasures, indifferent to
non-virtuous mental states, enters into and abides in the first concentration, which is conceptual and analytical, arises
from indifference, and is joyful and blissful. Due to decreasing conceptuality and analysis, with the mind subjectively
pacified and focused on one point, one enters into and abides in the second concentration, which is non-conceptual
and non-analytical, arises from concentration, and is joyful and blissful. Due to eliminating bliss, one enters into and
abides in the third concentration, the fourth concentration: this, sirs, is called right concentration. This, sirs, is called
the noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering.”
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The ‘Pali Canon’, aka ‘The Tripitaka’, is Buddhism’s holy scriptures. Most popular part of this book is the
Dhammapada – the sayings of Buddha. Buddhists do not think of their scriptures as an infallible guide. They do not seek
to carry out every instruction in it to the last letter. They go to the Tripitaka for advice, instruction, and encouragement.
FACTS AND FIGURES
The countries with the highest proportion of Buddhists are as follows:
Thailand
Cambodia
Myanmar
Bhutan
Sri Lanka
Tibet
Laos
Vietnam
Japan
Macau
Taiwan
95%
90%
89%
74%
70%
66%
60%
55%
50%
46%
42%
The countries with the largest Buddhist populations are China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar (Burma).
China
Japan
Thailand
Vietnam
Myanmar
Sri Lanka
South Korea
Taiwan
Cambodia
India
1,002,000,000
90,000,000
58,000,000
50,000,000
43,000,000
15,000,000
12,000,000
10,000,000
9,000,000
8,000,000
Here is a listing of standard Buddhist practices: Venerating Buddha (images of Buddha), Monastaries (monks),
Meditation, Vegetarianism, and Magic (the supernatural).
Buddhism’s beliefs are mainly found in these 6 entities: Suffering, The 4 Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, Karma,
Reincarnation, and Nirvana. Here is a summary of these beliefs:
Suffering - Gautama Buddha taught that everything in life is impermanent. So any attachment to the idea of an enduring
self is an illusion. That attachment is the main reason for our suffering.
Buddha said, “I teach suffering, its origin, cessation and path. That’s all I teach.”
The 4 Noble Truths - There is suffering. Suffering has a cause. Suffering has an end. There is a path that leads to the
end of suffering. This path is the Eightfold Path. The Four Noble Truths are the fundamental teachings of the Buddha.
The Eightfold Path - The Eightfold Path consists of: Perfect Understanding; Perfect Thought; Perfect Speech;
Perfect Action; Perfect Livelihood; Perfect Effort; Perfect Mindfulness; and Perfect Concentration. This last ‘path’
involves meditating in order to achieve a higher state of consciousness.
Buddhist practice consists in practicing these eight things until they become more complete.
Karma - Like Hindu teaching, Buddhist teaching is based on belief in the law of karma. This states that for every event
that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was caused by the first. This second event will be pleasant if
its cause was skillful (no desires or delusions), and unpleasant if its cause was unskillful.
Reincarnation - Buddhists believe in rebirth and reincarnation. Buddhism teaches that consciousness continues after
death, and finds expression in a future life. Buddha preached that the soul goes through many incarnations before it
finally sheds all its karma and is reunited to its pure state. Buddha called this state Nirvana.
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Nirvana - Nirvana is the highest happiness. The Dhammapada 204: “Nirvana is beyond time, so there is no movement
and so no aging or dying there. It is the state that all Buddhists aspire to, where one is completely free from suffering.”
Buddhism does not teach the concept of a personal creator or God. Buddha did not deny God’s existence, and he did
teach that the universe is governed by a Supreme Power. Buddha said that this Supreme Power did not have a name or
form. He said that there was no need to believe in God. The Buddha believed that religious ideas and especially belief in
a God have their origin in fear. Buddhism aims to overcome fear and suffering, and so has no need for any belief in God.
Buddhism practices its ‘worship’ involving the following: Temples (In a temple, worshipers sit on the floor barefoot
facing an image of Buddha and chant); Stupas (shrines); Festivals (Wesak celebrates Buddha’s birthday); and
Pilgrimages (4 shrines).
Groupings within Buddhism
Theravada Buddhism (‘Southern Buddhism’; focuses on meditation and the monastic life)
Mahayana Buddhism (‘more liberal’; a Bodhisattva focuses on helping others, even if it postpones Nirvana)
Vajrayana Buddhism (‘Tantric Buddhism’,i.e. reliance on sacred texts; can reach Nirvana in one lifetime; use of magic)
Pure Land Buddhism (‘Western Buddhism’; chant mantra for Amitabha Buddha; trust for rebirth in the Pure Land)
Tibetan Buddhism
(Dalai Lama leads it; meditation as goal to release all people from suffering)
Zen (‘Mystical Buddhism’; Zen Master helps alter student’s way of thinking; lotus positioned meditation; all are Buddha;
tries to help the student find his own meaning of life.
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