Download Buddhism Leo R. Sandy 6-1-12 Buddhism is said to be the most

Buddhism
Leo R. Sandy
6-1-12
Buddhism is said to be the most peaceful of all religions yet the other major religions
have peaceful elements in them such as Christian nonviolence that was practiced en
masse before Roman Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the official religion of
Rome. I am dismayed that so many adherents to these religions twist them to their own
purposes forgetting the lessons they have to teach us.
Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the son of an Indian warrior-king
around 460 BC. In his older years, he gave up his royal identity and became a monk with
the name of Buddha or the “emlightened one”.
The major tenets of Buddhism are called the four noble truths. The first is the truth of
suffering from which there is no escape as aging, sickness and death come to all. The
second is the cause of suffering which are desire and ignorance and involve craving for
pleasure, material goods and immortality. Greed, hatred, anger and envy are the products
of ignorance and these can be countered by mental concentration and insight. The third
noble truth is the end of suffering through physical death or Nirvana, a transcendent state
free from suffering. The fourth noble truth spells out the ways to mitigate suffering. This
is a Noble Eightfold Path that includes Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right
Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right
Concentration. The three themes reflected in the path encompass good moral conduct
(Understanding, Thought, Speech); meditation and mental development (Action,
Livelihood, Effort), and wisdom or insight (Mindfulness and Concentration).
Another important component of Buddhism is karma (what goes around, comes around)
that can be bad (lying, stealing, killing) or good (generosity, righteousness and
meditation). The strength of karma depends on frequency, determination, intentionality,
regret, action against extraordinary persons and action toward those who have helped one
in the past (http://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm.
Buddhism also offers specific suggestions about what to believe and not believe:
"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.
Do not believe in traditions simply because they have been handed down for many
generations.
But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is
conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it."
(http://www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism.htm )
One prominent Buddhist is Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, who is a
teacher, author, poet and peace activist living in exile in France. He was a strong
opponent of the war in Vietnam, studied at Princeton University and lectured at Cornell
and Columbia University. He urged Martin Luther King Jr. to oppose the Vietnam War,
and King later nominated Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize. Hanh promoted the idea of
engaged Buddhism whereby monks would take an active role in working for peace and
justice in the community rather than just praying behind the walls of the abbey. This is
similar to Catholic Liberation Theology. There are fourteen principles of engaged
Buddhism. These are as follows:
1. Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even
Buddhist ones.
2. Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid
being narrow minded and bound to present views…be open to receive others' viewpoints.
Be ready to learn throughout your entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the
world at all times.
3. Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your
views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or even education. However,
through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrowmindedness.
4. Do not avoid suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of
the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are
suffering, including personal contact, visits, images and sounds. By such means, awaken
yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world.
5. Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take as the aim of your
life fame, profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure. Live simply and share time, energy, and
material resources with those who are in need.
6. Do not maintain anger or hatred. Learn to penetrate and transform them when they are
still seeds in your consciousness. As soon as they arise, turn your attention to your breath
in order to see and understand the nature of your hatred.
7. Be in touch with what is wondrous, refreshing, and healing both inside and around
you. Plant seeds of joy, peace, and understanding in yourself.
8. Do not utter words that can create discord and cause the community to break. Make
every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
9. Do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people. Do
not utter words that cause division and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know
to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things of which you are not sure. Always
speak truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of
injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own safety.
10. Do not use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit, or transform your
community into a political party. A religious community, however, should take a clear
stand against oppression and injustice and should strive to change the situation without
engaging in partisan conflicts.
11. Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in
companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation that helps realise
your ideal of compassion.
12. Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life and
prevent war.
13. Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others, but
prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on
Earth.
14. Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Sexual expression should
not take place without love and commitment. In sexual relations, be aware of future
suffering that may be caused. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives
into the world. (From the book 'Interbeing': Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism,
revised edition: Oct. l993 by Thich Nhat Hanh, published by Parallax Press, Berkeley,
California)
As I ponder these 14 percepts, I realize not only how much I need to accept these
challenges but also celebrate my successes. In this regard, Thich Nhat Hanh advises that
"We have to continue to learn. We have to be open. And we have to be ready to release
our knowledge in order to come to a higher understanding of reality"
(http://www.oprah.com/spirit/12-Inspiring-Quotes-From-Thich-NhatHanh#ixzz1w7KckC4D)
"We have to continue to learn. We have to be open. And we have to be ready to release
our knowledge in order to come to a higher understanding of reality." ~
Read more: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/12-Inspiring-Quotes-From-Thich-NhatHanh#ixzz1w7KckC4D