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What is Buddhism? Buddha under Bodhi Tree, Sri Lanka 1993 CHICAGO PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD RELIGIONS “The Buddha was not God or a god. He was a human being who attained full enlightenment…Like the worshippers of God who believe that salvation is available to all through confession of sin and a life a prayer, we Buddhists believe that salvation and enlightenment are available to all through the removal of delusion and a life of meditation. However, unlike those who believe in God who is separate from us, Buddhists believe that Buddha, which means ‘one who is awake and enlightened’ is inherent in us all as Buddhanature or Buddhamind.” 2 Buddhism is… a path of practice and spiritual development leading to Insight into the true nature of life A way of life, a philosophy of BECOMING/AWAKENING What Gods do Buddhists worship? Buddhism does not include the idea of worshipping a creator god; some people do not see it as a religion in the normal, Western sense. No creator, no god. Followers There are around 350 million Buddhists and a growing number of them are Westerners. They follow many different forms of Buddhism, but all traditions are characterized by non- violence, lack of dogma, tolerance of differences, and, usually, by the practice of meditation. Who is the Buddha? The word ‘Buddha’ is a title, which means ‘one who is awake’ — in the sense of having ‘woken up to reality’ His story is interesting The Buddha was born as Siddhartha (“he who achieves his aim”) Gautama in Nepal around 2,500 years ago. He did not claim to be a god or a prophet. He was a human being who became Enlightened, understanding life in the deepest way possible. The Story of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) was born into the royal family of a small kingdom on the Indian-Nepalese border. According to the traditional story he had a privileged upbringing, but was jolted out of his sheltered life on realizing that life includes the harsh facts of old age, sickness, and death. Pipal Tree The Story of the Buddha This prompted him to puzzle over the meaning of life. Eventually he left his palace at age 29 and to follow the traditional Indian path of the wandering holy man, a seeker after Truth. He took up ascetic practices. This was based on the belief that one could free the spirit by denying the flesh. He practiced austerities so determinedly that he almost starved to death. But he still hadn’t solved the mystery of life and death. True understanding seemed as far away as ever. So he abandoned this way and looked into his own heart and mind; he decided to trust his intuition and learn from direct experience. He sat down beneath a pipal tree and vowed to stay there until he’d gained Enlightenment. After 49 days, on the full moon in May, Siddhartha finally attained ultimate Freedom. Four Noble Truths The Four Aryan (or Noble) Truths are perhaps the most basic formulation of the Buddha's teaching. Defining the Four Noble Truths In Buddhism, the precepts that are the essence of the Buddha's teaching: that life is suffering, that desires cause suffering, that the annihilation of desires can relieve suffering, that the way to do this is by following the Eightfold Path FIRST NOBLE TRUTH: LIFE INEVITABLY INVOLVES SUFFERING: - Imperfect - Illness - Hateful - Separation SECOND NOBLE TRUTH: THE ORIGIN OF SUFFERING IS OUR DESIRES: - Grasping for pleasure - Grasping for becoming - Grasping for sensual delight - Grasping for what we don’t have THIRD NOBLE TRUTH: SUFFERING WILL STOP WHEN DESIRES ARE STOPPED: - When the ‘grasping’ stops - Elimination of passions FOURTH NOBLE TRUTH: THERE IS A WAY TO GET TO THIS POINT: THE EIGHTFOLD PATH 1) RIGHT VIEW/UNDERSTANDING Understanding reality of the imperfect nature through the Four Noble Truths Seeing through illusions 2) RIGHT THOUGHT/MOTIVES Uncover ‘unwholesome’ emotional roots that guide our thinking Commit to ethical and mental selfimprovement Only then do we become free from selfcentredness 3) RIGHT SPEECH Abstain from vain talk, gossip, harsh/hurtful words, lying Communication must further truth and harmony Avoid critical ‘self-talk’: “You’re such an idiot,” or “I always mess things up” and replace with positive self-talk 4) RIGHT ACTION FIVE RULES OF MORAL CONDUCT: 1) 2) 3) 4) DO NOT DESTROY LIFE DO NOT STEAL AVOID SEXUAL MISCONDUCT DO NOT USE INTOXICANTS ABOVE ALL: ALL ACTIONS SHOULD BE BASED ON CLEAR UNDERSTANDING MONKEYS TAKE CARE OF THE TREES, STORY The Monkey King and the Mangoes Once upon a time, the Buddha came into the world as a Monkey King and ruled over 80,000 monkeys. He was very tall and strong and had wisdom like the sun. In his kingdom on the banks of the Ganges River, there was a mango tree as big as the moon. The 80,000 monkeys jumped from branch to branch chattering and eating the lovely fruit that was big and sweet and delicious. Sometimes a ripe mango fell into the river. One day, the Monkey King strolled downstream and came upon a river palace where a human king lived. "Soon danger will come if the mangoes float downstream," he told the monkeys. "Pick all the mangoes and flowers on the trees and take them deep into the forest." But one mango, hidden by a bird's nest, was left unseen by the 80,000 monkeys. When it was large and ripe, it fell into the river and floated downstream where the human king was bathing. The human king, who was very curious, tasted the beautiful mango. "This is delicious!' he exclaimed. "I must have more. Servants, find all the mangoes and bring them to me at once!" 30 Deep in the forest, the servants found hundreds of mango trees. In the trees were the 80,000 monkeys. When the human king heard about the monkeys, he was very angry, "The monkeys are eating my mangoes. Kill them all!" he ordered his archers. "Very well," said the archers and chased the monkeys to the edge of the forest where they came to a deep cliff. There was no way for the monkeys to escape. Shivering with fright, they ran to the Monkey King asked, "What shall we do?" "Don't be afraid. I will save you," said their king. Quickly, he stretched his huge body as far as possible and made a bridge over the cliff to a bamboo grove on the other side. "Come monkeys, run across my back to the bamboo grove," he called. And so the 80,000 monkeys escaped. The human king watched all that happened. He was amazed, "This Monkey King has risked his life to save his whole troop! And all I'm doing is being selfish. I have learned a great lesson." Then he called to his archers, "Put down your bows. It isn't right to kill this King of Monkeys." Forgetting about the mangoes, the human king went back to his palace by the river and ruled kindly and wisely for the rest of his life. 5) RIGHT LIVELIHOOD One should earn a living a righteous and peaceful way One’s work should not harm others No weapons, no slaughter/butchery, no selling of intoxicants and poisons 6) RIGHT EFFORT Without effort, an act of the will, none of this can be achieved. Refers to the constant effort that must be put into achieving these wholesome goals and preventing unwholesome ones. IT TAKES EFFORT! 7) RIGHT MINDFULNESS Mental ability to see things as they are with a clear consciousness. The way to liberation is through the mind Practice meditation “CHECK YOUR MIND BE ON GUARD PULL YOURSELF OUT LIKE AN ELEPHANT FROM THE MUD.” The Parable of Pavaraka The parable that best shows the Buddha’s teaching on mindfulness is the story of Pavaraka, a powerful elephant belonging to King Kosol. King Kosol was famous as the conqueror of a small Indian country during the Buddha’s lifetime. Pavaraka had helped the king to win many wars, but now he was getting old, and his strength was getting less and less. One day, as Pavaraka was looking for food in the jungle, he fell into a mud hole and could not get out. The king ordered Pavaraka’s trainer to rescue the elephant. Concerned about the difficulty of the job, the trainer called the king’s soldiers to help him. He ordered the soldiers to act as if they were going to attack. Frightened by the sounds of battle, Pavaraka could not stand still. In an attempt to protect himself, the elephant used all his strength and courage to run away from the oncoming army. Empowered by his increased inner strength caused by fear, Pavaraka was able to pull himself free from the mud-hole trap. Their interest attracted by the story, the bhikkhus asked the Buddha what lesson they should draw for their own lives. The Buddha answered that the elephant fell into the mud hole because he was not mindful of what he was doing. Similarly, bhikkhus can be captured by defilements if they are not constantly careful and attentive. Bhikkhus must follow the elephant’s example and work hard to free themselves from the chains of the defilements. When bhikkhus become free from the defilements, they are no longer open to temptation by thoughts of ill will, greed, hatred, and delusion. The Buddha’s warning is directed in particular at bhikkhus, especially those who live in monasteries, because if they are negligent, they risk damaging relationships with their associates and their followers. Like the elephant, bhikkhus must use all their strength and courage to be good disciples and good spiritual 35 leaders for their communities. 8) RIGHT MEDITATION/ CONCENTRATION Applying mental discipline to quiet the mind, and unify the mind to wholesome thoughts and actions. THE MIND IS SUBTLE, INVISIBLE, AND TREACHEROUS USE SKILLFUL MEANS TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND ITS NATURE Meditation Buddhist practices such as meditation are means of changing oneself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom. 10 PRECEPTS (often compared to 10 commandments, but they are not commandments – more like recommendations) Refrain from… 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) …taking/harming life …taking things not freely given …sexual misconduct …false speech (lies) …intoxicating drinks and drugs …untimely meals and over eating …dancing, singling, public spectacles …garlands, perfumes, ornaments to body …high seats and high beds …accepting gold or silver MONASTICS VS LAY PEOPLE ONLY FIRST FIVE PRECEPTS FOR BUDDHIST FOLLOWERS ALL TEN FOR THOSE MONKS/NUNS IN PREPARATION FOR A MONASTIC LIFE Hermann Hesse (Copy to your white Notes handout) Background on Hermann Hesse 1877-1962 German descent, Christian background Rebelled against parents (left seminary) Traveled and searched for answers (Italy, India) Witnessed WWI devastation Pacifist – wrote antiwar essays (hated by German government) Wanted escape from death and savagery Naturalized as Swiss citizen (and is buried there) The Chinese Buddha Themes Quest Asceticism Meditation Autonomy Self-Esteem Contentment Alienation Materialism Rediscovery Loss Harmony