Download The Story of Kisagotami

Intermediate 1 & 2. Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies
World Religions
BUDDHISM
R.M.P.S. Department
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Larbert High School
Faculty of Humanities
What will I be learning about?
You will be learning all about the religion called BUDDHISM.
This will include learning about the BELIEFS and PRACTICES of
Buddhists, and their SACRED WRITINGS and SYMBOLS.
You will also learn what Buddhists believe about;
THE HUMAN CONDITION
* What people are really like and why they behave the way they
do.
THE GOALS IN LIFE
* What the point of life is, the aims and goals in life.
THE MEANS
* How these goals can be achieved.
Homework
You will be given homework assignments and tasks as part of the
course to help with your understanding of Buddhism.
Assessments
Unit Assessment
This will be completed in the class under test conditions and will
involve answering a set of questions over a period of about 1 hour.
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COURSE CONTENT
What topics will I be studying?
The following is a brief outline of the main topics you will be
learning about. Don’t worry if some of the words and phrases are
new to you. All will become clear as you work through the course.
Samsara – The
cycle of rebirth.
The wheel of
life.
No belief in
God.
The three
marks of
existence.
The Human
Condition
The First
Noble truth.
The Second
Noble truth.
The early life
of the Buddha.
The 4 Sights
The story of
Kisagotami.
The Law of
Karma
( Kamma )
He Third Noble
Truth.
The
Goals
Nirvana
( Nibbana )
Enlightenment
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The Four Noble
Truths
The Noble
Eightfold Path
The Means
The Five
Precepts
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Meditation and
Worship
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What is Buddhism?
Buddhism is named after the title given to its founder, Siddhata
Guatama – The Buddha ( enlightened one ). Siddhata was born in
Lumbini in North India in about 563 BCE ( Before Common Era )
and died at the age of 80 in about 483 BCE. The exact dates are
unknown to us, but all we need to know is that he lived for about
eighty years sometime between the 6th and 8th centuries BCE.
BCE??????
Over the following centuries Buddhism
BCE means the number
spread to Thailand, Burma, Cambodia,
of years before Jesus
Vietnam, Sri Lanka and many other
was born.
BEFORE
countries in South East Asia. Two main
COMMON
types of Buddhism called Theravada and
(CHRISTIAN)
Mahayana emerged. In more recent times
ERA
Buddhism has spread to many other
countries around the world including
Britain and America. Scotland has the largest Buddhist temple
in Western Europe, and there is estimated to be 130,000
Buddhists living in Britain with more than 327 million Buddhists
worldwide.
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The Early Life of the Buddha
Siddhata Guatama was an Indian prince. He lived in an area of Northern
India that is now called Nepal. The stories say that when Siddhata was born
his father ( The King ) asked some wise men what he would become. All of
them agreed that he would be a great man, but they said that if he ever saw
suffering he would become a great religious leader rather than a great King.
Siddhata’s father wanted him to become a great and powerful ruler like he
was. Therefore he knew what he had to do.
He ordered that Siddhata should remain in the palace grounds, and no one
who was sick or old should be allowed near the prince. Servants were
replaced with young and healthy people if they become old or sick. Even
flowers in the palace were removed just before they began to wilt. Siddhata
grew up to be handsome and clever. When he was sixteen he married a
beautiful girl and they had a son. He was rich, powerful, handsome, clever
and spent his days playing games and being with friends in the palace
grounds.
It seemed that Siddhata had everything he could want in life.
* WATCH THE FILM ‘LITTLE BUDDHA’ *
( his birth and early life in the palace )
TASK 1
Do you have everything you could want in your life?
Make a top ten list of things you could possibly want for yourself in life.
If you had all of these things, what things would still make you
unhappy?
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KEY
REVISION
POINT
At the age of 29, Siddhata grew dissatisfied with his life of
leisure in the palace and began to think seriously about life and
what it meant. On an excursion from the palace with his
charioteer Channa, Siddhata saw 4 sights or signs which
changed his life. He saw an old man, a sick person, a corpse and
a holy man. These 4 sights distressed him deeply, especially
the content face of the holy man. This led to his decision to
leave the palace and become a wandering holy man.
SIDDHATA NOW REALISED FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT LIFE WAS
TEMPORARY,AND FULL OF SUFFERING. HE HAD TO FIND A WAY TO OVERCOME
THIS TERRIBLE SITUATION.
**********************************************************************
* WATCH THE FILM ‘LITTLE BUDDHA’ *
( his first trip outside the palace and leaving the palace )
There were many teachers at the time claiming to have the answers to questions in life and
methods for achieving peace of mind. At first Siddhata trained in meditation, but he became
dissatisfied with this; it did not offer the complete release he was looking for.
He then began to follow an extremely ascetic life.
He spent long periods of time standing or sitting in
the same position, in solitude, without food and
without washing. While all these things helped him
to develop greater self-control, to conquer feelings
of fear, desire and disgust, and to have greater
mental control, they still however did not
answer his questions about life.
Ascetic
A holy person ( usually a monk ) who lives a simple life,
giving up possessions and avoids becoming attached to
the material things in the world in order to progress
towards spiritual perfection.
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Siddhata almost starved himself to death in his quest. In the end he gave up this austere
way of life. He rejected the idea of a strictly ascetic life just as he had rejected the rich,
luxurious and indulgent one. By the age of 35 Siddhata had experienced 2 extremes of
lifestyle and had still not found satisfaction in his quest. Determined to fulfill this he sat
under a Bo tree and vowed to meditate until he achieved enlightenment.
* WATCH THE FILM ‘LITTLE BUDDHA’ *
( his life with the ascetics and achieving enlightenment )
After Siddhata became enlightened he became known as The Buddha ( awakened one ) and
he was now able to help others towards enlightenment by teaching the DHAMMA. He
decided he would do this for the 5 ascetics that he had lived with the year before. His first
sermon is known as THE SERMON OF BENARES. It was given at the deer park at Sarnath
by the Varanasi (once called Benares.) His first sermon is also known as the DEER PARK
SERMON or the SETTING IN MOTION THE WHEEL OF THE LAW, in which he explained
the 4 noble truths.
For the next 45 years, or the remainder of his life, the Buddha traveled around India
teaching people from all walks of life. Buddhists take refuge in the Buddha to recognize not
only that he was a historical person but also to recognize the possibility of their own
enlightenment.
Enlightenment means
understanding the truth about the
way things are. Buddhists believe
that by following the Buddha’s
teachings everyone can
eventually achieve
enlightenment.
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TASK 2
1. Give a brief account of Buddha’s life. Include his early life, the 4 sights, leaving the
palace, life with the ascetics and enlightenment.
2. What things happened ( in and outside the palace ) that made Siddhata realize life
was not permanent?
3. Explain how Siddhata felt about these events.
4. Why do you think he felt this way?
5. What did Siddhata decide to do because of these events?
THE MIDDLE WAY
The Middle Way ( or Middle Path ) was one of the Buddha’s first teachings and was
the reason he decided to leave the ascetic lifestyle that he had lived for so long
with the holy men. When Siddhata witnessed old age, sickness and death for the
first time he realised that life was full of suffering. He wanted to find a way to
overcome or avoid suffering as much as possible so that people could lead happier
lives.
The Middle way teaches that if people avoid extreme ways of living and follow a
lifestyle which is a middle path between the extremes in life then people will avoid
suffering and therefore be happier.
For example if I eat too much food I will get ill. I also know that I will get ill if I
don’t eat enough food. Eating too much or too little food are opposite extremes.
The Buddha would say we should live in the Middle Path between the extremes and
therefore eat enough food to be healthy, but not so much that you become
unhealthy.
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TASK 3
Draw the table below in your jotters.
Complete the table by listing as many opposite extremes
in life as you can, and the ‘Middle Way’ between them
EXTREME
MIDDLE WAY
EXTREME
Not eating enough
Eating just enough
Eating too much
Getting enough sleep
If you tighten the string too much
it will snap, and if you leave it too
slack it will not play.
What do you think these words mean?
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The Four Noble Truths
Soon after the Buddha achieved enlightenment he began to teach people about The
Four Noble Truths.
The first noble truth
The second noble truth
All living beings
suffer – DUKKHA.
This suffering is caused
by craving and
attachment to things –
TANHA.
The third noble truth
The fourth noble
truth
Suffering can be
overcome –
NIBBANA.
The way to achieve this
is by following the
NOBLE EIGHTFOLD
PATH – MAGGA.
An easy way to explain this is to use a common analogy often used in Buddhism. A doctor
identifies the illness, diagnoses why the patient has the illness and then offers a cure by
prescribing a medicine. Lets look at it another way:




Buddha is the doctor who makes the diagnosis – DUKKHA
The illness is craving or TANHA
The cure is NIBBANA
The prescription is the NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH.
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Faculty of Humanities
TASK 4
Copy the four noble truths into your jotter
DUKKHA
Dukkha is the first noble truth. Dukkha means suffering and Buddhists
believe it is important to realise that all living beings suffer. In fact,
Buddhist believe all life is suffering and that no one can escape dukkha. This
is because Buddhist believe in a cycle of rebirth, or reincarnation, which
means living beings are destined to be reborn and suffer in life over and
over again. This will go on until we can break free from the cycle of rebirth.
Dukkha is more than just physical
suffering. It is also emotional or
mental suffering. It can be a negative
emotion, anxiety or dissatisfaction. It
can be a sense of discontent when
things change in your life. It is any
situation that is unsatisfactory.
Even the Buddha suffered when he became dissatisfied with life in the
palace, when he saw the four sights, and when he was an ascetic.
KEY REVISION
POINT
Task 5
(a)
(b)
(c)
R.M.P.S. Department
Write down and underline the
heading- DUKKHA. Copy the key
revision point about Dukkha into
your jotter.
Now write down five examples of
physical suffering and five
examples of mental suffering.
Do you agree with the Buddhist
view that life is all about
suffering? Give reasons for your
answer.
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TANHA
Tanha is the second noble truth. Tanha is craving or desire. It also
describes the greed and selfishness which results in suffering and
attachment to things in life.
KEY REVISION
POINT
Buddhists believe that the first noble
truth, Dukkha ( suffering ), is caused by
the second noble truth, Tanha ( craving /
desire ). Desire and craving causes us to be
trapped in the cycle of rebirth ( Samsara ).
Desire causes attachment to things which
cause us to suffer when they don’t last.
Can Tanha ( craving or desire ) really cause us to suffer???
Firstly, Buddhists believe that when our minds or bodies desire something
that we don’t have we suffer because of this. If you want something it must
mean that the situation you are in just now is not ideal. Not what you want it
to be. It is less than perfect and unsatisfactory. For example, the screaming
child is suffering because his Mum won’t buy him the ice cream cone that he
is craving for. The girl ends up with a terrible haircut from the new
hairstylist. She is distressed and suffering because she desires to go back
to get her hair styled the way she wants it. When we are suffering from
hunger it is because our body wants food.
If your life situation is not 100% perfect right now then you must be
suffering to some degree. Do you have a cold? Do you feel tired?
Is craving or desire causing you to suffer??
My desire to kill my
hairdresser is getting
me stressed. I am
therefore suffering.
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The following passage is from the Buddhist scriptures called the
DHAMMAPADA.
What do you think these verses are saying about the connection between
suffering ( Dukkha ) and craving ( Tanaha )?
Look at this mind-created image, a compounded heap of sores,
diseased, with many plans, which does not have any permanence
or stability. Decayed is this body, a frail nest of diseases.
This foul mass breaks up. Indeed, the life ends in death.
Those gray bones, thrown away like pumpkins in fall.
Seeing them, what love can there be?
There is a city made of bones, plastered with flesh and blood,
where there are deposited old age, death, conceit and hypocrisy.
Beautiful king's chariots wear out. And also the body gets old.
But the teaching of the good ones does not get old. The good
ones teach it to each other.
The person without learning grows old like an ox. His flesh grows;
his wisdom does not.
Through many rounds of rebirth have I ran, looking for the
house-builder, but not finding him. Painful is repeated rebirth.
Oh, house-builder, you are seen! You will not build this house
again! All your ribs are broken; the roof is destroyed.
My mind is dissolute; I have attained the end of all cravings.
Those, who have not led the holy life, and have not obtained
wealth while young, ponder just like old herons in the lake
without fish.
Those, who have not led the holy life, and have not obtained
wealth while young, lie just like arrows shot from a bow, moaning
over the past.
Dhammapada 147-156
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TASK 6
Draw the table below in your jotter. Complete the table by giving
examples of craving (TANHA) which lead to the type of suffering
(Dukkha).
HOW DESIRE ( WANTING SOMETHING ) CAN
CAUSE PEOPLE TO SUFFER.
Desiring your friend’s new computer game that you
don’t have yet.
TYPE OF SUFFERING
Jealousy
Grief
Being out of breath
Frustration
Confusion
The body wanting water.
Thirst
Discussion point
Can you think of a form of suffering ( DUKKHA ) which does not have desire
or craving ( TANHA) as a first cause? Explain your answer.
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We all get attached to things in life. This could be clothes, toys, pets, or
people. We even get attached to feelings and emotions. These could be in
the form of happy memories, romantic feelings, or even sadness. Buddhists
believe that attachment leads to suffering. This is because things are not
permanent, they change over time. Moods change, people change and even
objects change. If we become attached to things we will only be
disappointed and suffer when they eventually change. Our desire for things
to remain the way we would like them to leads us to suffer when they don’t.
Leads to
Being trapped in the cycle of
rebirth ( Samsara ).
TANHA
(craving)
Leads to
DUKKHA
(suffering)
Leads to
ATTACHMENT
Things don’t last
TASK 7
Copy the diagram above into your jotter
ANICCA
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Anicca is impermanence. It is the belief that nothing lasts and
everything constantly changes. People, plants, even things like mountains are
changing all the time. Some things are in a constant state of change. The
weather is a good example of this, particularly in Scotland. Other things
change more slowly. The height of the school building. Building blocks erode
over time.
It is not just objects which are impermanent. Are you the same shape and
size as you were five years ago? Our likes and dislikes change. Do you like
the same music or clothes as you did when you were ten years old? How many
times do your moods change in one day, or one hour?
Discussion point
Can you think of anything that is permanent and never changes? Explain
your answer.
ANICCA AND SUFFERING
Buddhists believe that failure to recognise
anicca leads us to imagine that things are
permanent. This is closely related to the idea
of attachment. Holding on to, or attachment
to impermanent things leads us to crave and
desire things that we can no longer have
because they have now changed. This in turn
leads to suffering because we are separate
from our desires. Even happiness can lead to
suffering because of its impermanence.
KEY
REVISION
POINT
Therefore for Buddhists, accepting anicca
and thus not becoming attached to things will
mean suffering can be avoided.
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The Story of Kisagotami
Dhammapada Verse 114
Kisagotami was married to a rich young man and a son was born to them. The
boy died when he was just a toddler and Kisagotami was stricken with grief.
Her family now rejected her because without a son she was no longer
important to them. Carrying the dead body of her son, she went about asking
for medicine that would restore her son to life from everyone she happened
to meet. People began to think that she had gone mad. But a wise man seeing
her condition thought that he should be of some help to her. So, he said to
her, "The Buddha is the person you should approach, he has the medicine
you want; go to him." Thus, she went to the Buddha and asked him to give
her the medicine that would restore her dead son to life.
The Buddha told her to get some mustard seeds from a house where there
had been no death. Carrying her dead child in her bosom, Kisagotami went
from house to house, with the request for some mustard seeds. Everyone was
willing to help her, but she could not find a single house where death had not
occurred.
Then, she realised that hers was not the only family that had faced death
and that there were more people dead than living. As soon as she realised
this, her attitude towards her dead son changed; she was no longer attached
to the dead body of her son.
She left the corpse in the jungle and returned to the Buddha and reported
that she could find no house where death had not occurred. Then the Buddha
said,
"Gotami, you thought that you were the only one who had lost a Son. As
you have now realised, death comes to all beings; before their desires are
satisfied death takes them away."
On hearing this, Kisagotami fully realised that everything is Anicca
(impermanent) and suffering and death were facts of life and part of
everyones lives. She now knew that she could not hold on to what she
could not change, and therefore accepted the injustice of the death of
her son and could move on. She realised that attachment to the memory
of her son was holding her back in grief and therefore suffering.
Soon afterwards, Kisagotami became a bhikkhuni ( a Buddhist Nun) and went
on to become an enlightened being.
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The Story of Kisagotami - Questions
1. Why was kisagotami stricken with grief?
2. Why did kisagotami want medicine?
3. Who did the wise man say she should go to for the medicine?
4. What did the Buddha instruct her to do?
5. Why could Kisagotami not complete her task?
6. Write down three things that Kisagotami now realised or knew
because of the Buddha’s teaching.
7. Do you think kisagotami could have completely dealt with her
suffering caused by the death of her child?
( Answer this question as fully as you can ).
8. From a Buddhist point of view, why did kisagotami suffer so
much over the death of her baby? Give reasons for your answer.
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TASK 8
ON YOUR OWN THINK ABOUT AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
QUESTIONS IN YOUR JOTTER
1. Where does human life come from?
2. What different things make up a human being?
3. What makes human life happy and enjoyable?
4. What makes human life unhappy and difficult?
5. What do human beings need for survival?
Using your answers to the above questions complete the following:
a) Circle all the ideas that you think help to describe what it is
like to be a human being.
b) Use these ideas to help you make up your own profile of a
human being. Draw a diagram like the one below in your jotters.
At the end of each arrow write down a description of what it is
like to be a human.
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ANATTA
Anatta means ‘no soul’. Buddhist believe that there is nothing which can be
called the soul, spirit or permanent self. This is related to the idea of
impermanence ( anicca ). If there is a soul it is generally understood that it would be
a core part of our being which travels through the journey of life with us, and then
beyond. However because Buddhists believe that everything is constantly changing
and nothing is permanent, there can be no fixed centre or soul within humans.
Think of it this way. Is there such a thing as a guitar, or is it just a collection of
strings, pick ups, frets, wood and plastic? If all these parts are replaced over the
years is it still the same guitar?
Instead the Buddha taught that people are made up of five parts (Skandhas) which
are constantly changing. They have a body, they can feel things, they have ideas,
they can think and they can be aware of things going on around them. These five
things make up each person. However, there is nothing existing in people which
carries on into another life.
FEELINGS
BODY
IDEAS
THOUGHTS
AWARENESS
The Buddha taught that people are made up of five parts
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The Three Marks of Existence
Dukkha, Anicca and Anatta are known to Buddhists as the Three
Marks of Existence, or Three Universal Truths. Buddhists believe that
they describe the human condition. This means that they describe what
people are really like and why they behave the way they do.
Dukkha
All life is suffering.
Everything in life is
unsatisfactory and
tends toward
suffering.
Anicca
Nothing in life lasts.
Everything is
impermanent and
changes.
Anatta
We have no soul or
permanent self.
TASK 9
1. Copy the drawing of the Buddha and the speech bubbles
describing the three marks of existence.
2. Do you agree or disagree with each of the three marks of
existence? Give reasons for your answers.
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Belief in God?
Buddhists do not have a belief in God in the same way that many other
religions have. Many of the worlds religions have followers who worship
and pray to a God or Gods and try to discover what God is like. Christians
and Muslims for example believe that God has particular qualities. God
may be all powerful, all knowing, and all good. Furthermore, many religious
people believe that humans can have a personal relationship with a God in
their religious, spiritual and everyday lives.
Many Buddhists believe that there is no God. Many more believe that
there may be a God but whether one exists or not is not really
important, or that there is a realm of the Gods included in the cycle
of rebirth but that trying to discover what God is like is really a
waste of time.
The following Buddhist story attempts to explain why Buddhists feel this
way.
Once a man was hit in the chest by an arrow and collapsed.
Gravely wounded, he is on the brink of death, so a doctor is
summoned to remove the arrowhead. But the man will not let
him do this. First, he wants to know from what kind of wood
the arrow shaft is made; then he wants to find out what sort of
poison had been put on its tip; and what kind of feathers were
attached to its end - were they goose feathers or hawk feathers?
He wants to know what the arrowhead was made of, and who
shot the arrow at him, and from what distance, and why?
Naturally, by the time he finds all that out he dies.
Discussion Point
Does this story explain why Buddhists hold the view they do about belief
in God?
If so, in what way?
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Nibbana
Nibbana ( or Nirvana) is the third noble truth. This is about the belief that
suffering can be overcome when craving and attachment are stopped. When that
suffering is overcome enlightenment and Nibbana can be achieved, and you can then
see things as they really are. When you no longer want anything, when you can see
beyond yourself, you can leave suffering behind. A Buddhist believes that you can only
do this by breaking out of the rebirth cycle. This freedom is Nibbana.
KEY
REVISION
POINT
*Nibbana is the ultimate and final goal for Buddhists.
*It literally means ‘blown out’ because the fires of
desire are extinguished.
*It is hard to describe using words.
* It is not a place but a state of mind.
*It is like the wind because it can’t be explained, only
experienced.
It is almost impossible for Buddhists to explain what Nibbana is. In fact, it is some
times easier to explain what it is not. The Buddha’s story about the turtle and the fish
help to explain this point.
The story of the Turtle and the Fish
There was once a turtle who lived in a
lake with a group of fish. One day the
turtle went for a walk on dry land. He
was away from the lake for a few weeks.
When he returned he met some of the
fish. The fish asked him, "Mister turtle,
hello! How are you? We have not seen
you for a few weeks. Where have you
been? The turtle said, "I was up on the land, I have been spending some time on
dry land." The fish were a little puzzled and they said, "Up on dry land? What are
you talking about? What is this dry land? Is it wet?" The turtle said "No, it is not,"
"Is it cool and refreshing?" "No it is not", "Does it have waves and ripples?" "No, it
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does not have waves and ripples." "Can you swim
in it?" "No you can't" So the fish said, "it is not wet,
it is not cool there are no waves, you can’t swim in
it. So this dry land of yours must be completely
non-existent, just an imaginary thing, nothing real
at all." The turtle said that "Well may be so" and
he left the fish and went for another walk on dry
land.
TASK 10
* Read the story of the Turtle and the Fish and answer
the following questions in sentences in your jotter.
1. Why can the fish not understand what the turtle
means by dry land?
2. What do you think dry land represents for Buddhists
in this story? Give a reason for your answer.
3. What four examples does the fish use when trying to
compare dry land to something? Why do you think he
chooses these examples?
4. Why does the fish come to the conclusion that dry
land does not exist? Explain your answer.
5. Imagine that you and a friend had been wearing blue
tinted sunglasses since the day you were born and
had never taken them off. Then one day, you remove
them. Could you explain the colours you see to your
friend? Explain your answer.
6. Write down something you can think of that would
have to be experienced before it could be fully
understood.
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THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH
The Noble Eightfold path is the fourth noble truth. It is a set of recommendations on how
to live. By following it, Buddhists believe that they are on the path which will remove
suffering and set them on the road to enlightenment. It is the middle path between a life of
self-indulgence and a life of self-denial. It is a practical path and Buddhists follow it as a
whole way of life. It is represented by the symbol of Buddhism; A wheel with eight spokes.
It is made up of the following:








RIGHT VIEW
RIGHT INTENTION
RIGHT SPEECH
RIGHT CONDUCT
RIGHT LIVLIHOOD
RIGHT EFFORT
RIGHT MINDFULNESS
RIGHT CONCENTRATION
These 8 steps may be further sub-divided into 3 sections:


RIGHT VIEW
RIGHT INTENTION
WISDOM (PRAJNA)



RIGHT SPEECH
RIGHT CONDUCT
RIGHT LIVELIHOOD
MORALITY (SILA)



RIGHT EFFORT
RIGHT MINDFULNESS
RIGHT CONCENTRATION
R.M.P.S. Department
MEDITATION
(SAMADHI)
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The Five Precepts
THE FIVE PRECEPTS are guidelines which help a Buddhist become a good person in
society. They are about how we behave ( our moral conduct ) and if followed, are
believed to reduce suffering and increase happiness in society. Happiness is one of the
main aims in life for Buddhists.
Following the Five Precepts will help a Buddhist along the middle path which leads to
enlightenment and Nibbana.
The Five Precepts are linked to the NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH because they are
examples of the eight steps when put into practice.
THE FIVE PRECEPTS
1. No
2. No
3. No
4. No
5. No
harming of any living being.
stealing.
sexual misconduct.
false speech.
intoxicants which damage the mind.
No harming of any living being.
This is not just against murder, but of all kinds of
violence against human beings and animals. Whilst
killing animals is considered not as bad as killing
human beings (because animals have a less developed
consciousness and because killing a person requires
more deliberate will and effort), Buddhists believe we
still have a responsibility to limit the killing and other
violence inflicted on animals as far as possible.
Buddhists should also avoid actions which indirectly
support violence, e.g. trading in arms. An important
aspect of Right Livelihood (one of the steps of the
Noble Eightfold Path) is that one's job should not cause suffering as far as possible.
Buddhists try to eat organic food and many are vegetarians. However, some monks will
eat whatever lay Buddhists give them, even meat, as it would be wasteful and
ungrateful not to eat it. Killing is the expression of a mental state rooted in greed,
hatred, and delusion.
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No stealing
The second precept involves undertaking not to take things that belong to others, unless these
have been freely given. This is seen as a form of violence. This precept relates to Right
Conduct in the Noble Eightfold path.
No sexual misconduct
This means the avoidance of rape, abduction and adultery. So if one is married (and in the
modern West, this is often taken to mean in any kind of settled sexual relationship) it would be
a breach of the precept to have sex outside that relationship, or to have sex which involved
violence. Again, this precept is about right conduct. Buddhist monks, nuns and some lay
people live without sex so that they can focus on the spiritual path in an undistracted
way.
No false speech
No false speech can be viewed as avoiding lying to people in general. Lies usually end up
harming people in the long term. However some Buddhists would agree that there are times
when a ‘white lie’ may be the correct thing to do. For example, if a known bully asks you if
their victim is in the common room, and you tell the bully that the person they want to bully is
not in the room when in fact they are, is this lie wrong? Buddhists might say that your intention
was to avoid someone being hurt and in this case the lie was acceptable.
No intoxicants which damage the mind
This precept is generally seen as an aid to
mindfulness. Intoxicants are to be avoided
partly because of their effects on one’s state of
mind, but also because in an intoxicated state
one is more likely to break the other precepts.
Intoxicants may also have psychologically (or
sometimes physically) addictive effects, leading
to a cycle of craving. This precept particularly
refers to alcoholic drink, but is often interpreted
to refer to recreational drugs as well, or most
broadly to the taking of any substance which
can have an intoxicating effect. Some Buddhists
have taken it to include smoking as well.
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TASK 11
1. Write down the heading THE FIVE PRECEPTS in your jotter.
2. List the five precepts under the heading.
3. Give an example of an action a Buddhist monk or Lay ( ordinary )
Buddhist might perform to fulfil each of the five precepts.
4. Choose two of the precepts and explain how they relate to a step
in the eightfold path.
5. Which precept do you think would be the most difficult to follow?
Give a reason for your answer.
KAMMA
Buddhists believe in the cycle of rebirth. The name for this repeated cycle of birth,
death and rebirth is called SAMSARA. This means that a person could have had
thousands of previous lives. Furthermore, these previous lives could have been in the
form of a man, woman, horse, spider, tree or even a blade of grass. In fact, Buddhists
believe that every time a living creature dies, it will be reborn as another living
creature.
Wait a minute……… If a person is reborn, what part of the person is it that is reborn?
Buddhist have already claimed that there is no self or soul ( Anatta ) and that we are
simply made up of five parts that don’t carry on to another life. This is where
KAMMA, or Karma as it is sometimes known comes in.
Kamma means ‘ action’ and is the life force that
carries on from one life to the next. It works like cause
and effect. The force created in one life effects the
next life. In a similar way, If someone stands a row of
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dominoes on their ends then pushes the first one over, the rest will each be
effected by the force of the previous one.
According to Buddhists, the type of kamma that you create is determined by your
actions and thoughts. Your actions and thoughts can create good or bad kamma and
this in turn will have an effect on your next rebirth.
For example a compassionate act, ( a skilful action ) like giving to charity or hoping
that a friend passes their exam will cause good kamma. Fighting or wishing someone
harm will generate bad Kamma. Things that result in bad kamma show a lack of
compassion for others and are seen as violent or unskilled actions. The force of
kamma as cause and effect can therefore have positive or negative effects in the
world around us.
If enough bad kamma is created then a human may be reborn as a spider or some
other lower form of life. If enough good kamma is created an animal may be reborn as
a human, or a persons next life as a human will have less suffering in it.
One of the goals for Buddhist is to eventually leave the cycle of samsara forever,
never to be reborn again. This can only be done after many lifetimes and once enough
good Kamma is generated because it is the consequences of our actions that lead to
attachment to this world and keeps the cycle of rebirth going. When a human
becomes a Buddhist monk and becomes enlightened they can escape the cycle of
samsara and reach Nibbana.
Compassion
To care for and show compassion towards others is
very important for Buddhists. To be motivated to
show compassion for others will increase happiness
and decrease suffering in the lives of people.
Compassion helps Buddhists to get rid of bad or
negative thoughts and thus progress further on
the Buddhist path. Furthermore, helping others
will help you get good kamma.
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KEY REVISION
POINT
Larbert High School
Faculty of Humanities
Good kamma is a very difficult thing for Buddhists to achieve. Think of how often in
one week that you feel anger, frustration, hatred, jealousy or any other
negative emotion. These feelings create bad kamma but are very difficult to avoid.
Some say that it is simply human nature ( the way human beings are ) that these types
of feelings come to the surface, and that they can’t be avoided no matter how we try
to control them. The modern world with all its temptations and material goods can also
make it even more difficult to control emotions such as greed and jealousy. When
people tend to value individual success, power and wealth instead of compassion then
achieving good kamma becomes even more difficult.
TASK 12
COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING TASKS IN YOUR JOTTER
1. Describe Kamma in as much detail as you can.
2. Explain what is meant by good kamma and bad kamma.
3. What according to Buddhists causes people to be trapped in the cycle
of samsara?
4. Give three examples of your own skilful actions in the last week that
could have created good kamma, and three unskilful actions that could
have created bad kamma.
5. Explain what Buddhists mean by compassion. Why is compassion
important when thinking about kamma?
6. Why might good kamma be difficult to gain? Give as many reasons as
you can for your answer.
7. Do you think that the modern world values success, power and wealth
more than compassion? Fully explain your answer.
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HOW DO BUDDHISTS PICTURE SAMSARA?
Tibetan Buddhists represent life in the world of Samsara in the-
Wheel of Life
Read the textbook ‘BUDDHISM : A NEW APPROACH’ pages 24 – 26.
Complete the ‘TEST YOURSELF’ tasks from page 26 in your jotter.
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MEDITATION
Meditation is often seen as central to Buddhism because
only through the training of the mind can you begin to see
the world and yourself as they really are; only then can you
stop craving and follow the path that leads to
enlightenment – NIBBANA. Remember that it was as a
direct result of meditation that Buddha gained
enlightenment.
KEY REVISION
POINT
Meditation also forms one-third of the Noble Eightfold
Path – right effort, right mindfulness and right
concentration.
Meditation allows the person to get rid of thoughts and feelings that are motivated by the
three poisons of greed, hatred and ignorance and to replace them with calm, peaceful and
loving thoughts and feelings. It allows control of the mind and desires.
Samatha Meditation is suitable for everyone and begins with the development of mindfulness
where the person meditating becomes mindful of the current state of the SKANDHAS ( the
five parts that make up a human ). For example, in mindful breathing the meditator
concentrates on the action of breathing in and out so that they are able to detach themselves
from the everyday concerns of the world and concentrate on the impermanence of existence.
The Lotus position is the most common position for many types of meditation; in this position as
your body is relaxed but upright and alert. However, Samatha meditation can also be performed
whilst walking. Although Buddhism is concerned with personal transformation, this is too narrow
a description of meditation. Personal transformation is necessary and you will see it in the
person’s relationship with others.
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It is not only Buddhist monks that meditate. Even Lay Buddhists ( those who are not
monks ) meditate regularly. By doing this Buddhists are progressing towards Nibbana
because the effects of meditation ( calming the mind etc ) makes it easier to gain good
kamma and achieve enlightenment / Nibbana.
Meditation may not always
be so important when trying
to achieve Nibbana.
Merit is insight, power or the
energy that can help Buddhists
achieve Nibbana. Merit can be
gained in a number of ways. It is
merit that accumulates as a result of
good deeds, acts or thoughts and that
carries over to later in life or to a
person's next birth. Such merit
contributes to a person's growth
towards Nibbana. In addition, one
can "transfer" the merit of an act they
have performed to a deceased loved
one in order to diminish the
deceased's suffering in their new
existence.
Meditation is not the only way that Lay
Buddhists can make progress towards
achieving
Nibbana.
In
Therevada
Buddhism, lay Buddhists can gain merit by
giving donations to monks ( bhikkhus ).
By giving in this way they can also transfer
merit to a dead relative. A boy will gain
merit by becoming a monk, and his mother
will share the merit with him.
Progress towards achieving Nibbana can also be made by following aspects of the Eightfold Path
which are not directly linked to meditation. For example, Right Action and Right Speech.
The transference of merit = karmic rewards for good actions
TASK 13
Give two reasons why meditation might help Buddhists achieve Enlightenment /
Nibbana, and two reasons why progress can be made without meditation.
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GLOSSARY OF BUDDHIST TERMS
Ahimsa: (Pali) Non-harming or not hurting; gentleness to all forms of life.
Anagarika: (Pali/Sanskrit) 'Homeless one'. One who enters the homeless life without formally joining the
Sangha.
Ananda: One of the Shakyamuni Buddha's Ten Great Disciples, and the Buddha's cousin. He was first in
hearing the Buddha's words. As he had excellent memory, he memorized the Buddha's sermons, which were
later recorded as sutras. He was also the cousin of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Anapana-sati: (Pali) 'Mindfulness on In-and-out breathing', is one of the most important exercises for reaching
mental concentration and the four absorbtions (jhanas).
Anathapindika: A name given to Sudatta, meant one who gives to the needy. He was a wealthy merchant of
Savatthi in ancient India who bought the land from Prince Jeta with as much gold as would cover the ground
for the construction of Jetavanna Grove - one of the great monastery or Bodhimandala of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Anatta: (Pali) Anatman (Sanskrit) No-soul non-self teaching of Buddhism.
Anicca: (Skt./Pali) 'Impermanence', one of the three essential characteristics of existence, along with Anicca
and Dukkha.
Arahat: (Pali) The perfected disciple; one who has completed the discipline required to attain liberation.
Arahant: (Pali) A "worthy one" or "pure one;" a person whose mind is free of defilement and thus is not
destined for further rebirth. A title for the Buddha and the highest level of his noble disciples.
Arhat: (Sanskrit) The perfected disciple; one who has completed the discipline required to attain liberation.
Ashoka: A Buddhist monarch of 300 B.C., the third emperor of the Mauryan Dynasty, who unified most of
India under his rule and fostered the dissemination of Buddhism. It is said that the Third Council was held
during his reign. Ashoka set the model for many other rulers who sought to govern in accordance with Buddhist
philosophy.
Asura: (Ashura in Sanskrit, Asura in Pali). It is a peculiar path in the Six Paths. They are the enemies of the
devas, and are the mightest of all demons. In terms of material enjoyment and psychic power, it is similar to
Deva. However, in some aspects, it is even worse than the Human Path. The male Asura is extremely ugly and
furious, and they always fight with each other. The female Asura is as beautiful as an angel. .
Bhikkhu: (Pali) Alms mendicant; the term for a monk, who lives on alms and abides by training precepts which
define a life of renunciation and morality.
Bhikkhuni: (Pali) Nun.
Bodhisatta: "A being (striving) for Awakening;" a term used to describe the Buddha before he actually became
Buddha, from his first aspiration to Buddhahood until the time of his full Awakening. Sanskrit form: Bodhisattva.
Bodhisattva: One moved by compassionate zeal to aid fellow beings, hence willing to postpone his or her own
entrance into Nirvana to this end.
Bodhisattva: One whose 'being' or 'essence' (sattva) is Bodhi.
Bodhi tree: Sacred fig tree (Ficus religiosa), under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.
Bo-tree: Sacred fig tree (Ficus religiosa), under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.
Buddha: The Illumined One. The main title of the founder of Buddhism after his Enlightenment.
Buddha: fully "enlightened one," a historical person in the Theravada view; one of innumerable beings in
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Mahayana view because each person is a potential Buddha.
Buddha Rupa: an image of the Buddha.
Channa: The young Buddha's charioteer and personal attendant.
Compassion: To vibrate in sympathy with others.
Contemplation: Abstract contemplation. There are four levels through which the mind frees itself from all
subjects and objective hindrances and reaches a state of absolute indifference and annihilation of thought,
perception, and will. See also Meditation.
Cyclic Existence: The cycle of death and rebirth, fraught with suffering and dissatisfaction, that arises from
ignorance of the true nature of reality.
Dalai Lama: Head of Tibetan Sangha and the former ruler of Tibet.
Dana: (Sanskrit and Pali) giving assistance physically, mentally or verbally. Gift, Offering or Donation.
Dhamma (Pali) Sanskrit form: Dharma: The Universal Truth; The Teachings and the inner practice of the
Teachings of Buddha; Essential quality and factual reality.
Dhammapada: (Dhammapada in Pali, Dharmapada in Sanskrit). A sutra consisting of two sections and 39
chapters, with 423 short verses of the Buddha, teachings given at various times and places. It is regarded as
the "original" teaching of the Buddha, which can be used for reference, moral instruction and inspiration.
Dukkha: (Pali) Suffering, stress, pain, misery, sorrow, unhappiness, dissatisfaction with the way things are, a
central factor in the human condition, one of the "three marks" of existence.
Eightfold Path: The path that leads to liberation, consisting of right understanding, right aim, right speech,
right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
Emptiness: (Skt. Shunyata) (Pali, Sunyata) The actual way in which all things exist, the absence of the
apparent inherent existence of things.
Enlightenment: Complete elimination of all negative aspects of the mind & perfection of all positive qualities.
Five Precepts: or Five Training Rules:
(1) Undertaking the precept not to kill;
(2) Undertaking the precept not to steal;
(3) Undertaking the precept not to be involved in sexual misconduct;
(4) Undertaking the precept not to have false speech;
(5) Undertaking the precept not to indulge in intoxicants, that cloud the mind.
Five Khandas (Pali) (Skr. Skandhas): or Five Aggregates, that is, the five components of an intelligent being,
or psychological analysis of the mind:
Four Noble Truths:
Fact of suffering - suffering is a necessary attribute of sentient existence
Cause of suffering is caused by passions (Cause of Suffering)
Cessation of suffering or extinction of passion (Effect of Happiness)
The Path leading to the extinction of passion (Cause of Happiness); i.e. Eightfold Path.
Hinayana: "Inferior Vehicle," a pejorative term, coined by a group who called themselves followers of the
Mahayana, the "Great Vehicle," to denote the path of practice of those who adhered only to the earliest
discourses as the word of the Buddha.
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Jataka Tales: Stories or legends about Buddha's birth or previous forms of existence.
Kamma: (Pali) The principle of causality in moral experience, "action or volitional activities" the cosmic law of
cause and effect: every physical or spiritual deed has its long-range consequences as determined by the
agent's intention. Sanskrit form: karma.
Kendo: (Japanese) The way of the swordsman; Japanese fencing.
Lama: (Tibetan) Spiritual teacher or senior monk.
Law of Causal Condition: The fundamental doctrine of Buddhism that all phenomena in the universe are
produced by causation. Since all phenomena result from the complicated causes and effects, all existing things
in the universe are inter-dependent, i.e., no self nature or existence on its own. Moreover, all phenomena and
things are impermanent (i.e. changing constantly). It was to this law that Shakyamuni was awakened when he
attained enlightenment.
Law of Cause and Effect: The Law of Cause and Effect treats of the Law of Causal Condition as it relates to
an individual.
Law of Dependent Origination: (Paticcasamuppada) It states that all phenomena arise depending upon a
number of causal factors. In other words, it exists in condition that the others exist; it has in condition that
others have; it extinguishes in condition that others extinguish; it has not in condition that others have not.
Law of Kamma: The results of actions, which produce effects that may be either good or bad. It is derived
from the Law of Causal Condition (Law of Cause and Effect).
Liberation: The state of complete personal freedom from suffering and its causes (delusion and kamma).
Lobha: (Sanskrit and Pali) Covetousness or greed.
Magga: Path, as in The Eight-fold Path (atthangika-magga).
Maha: Great.
Mahatma: The highest principle in man; a great sage.
Mahayana: (Skt) The greater vehicle; one of the two major divisions of Buddhism, as in China, Korea,
Vietnam, Tibet and Japan.
Mandala: Microcosmic diagram, used as a power circle and object of contemplation in the rituals of Tantric
Buddhism.
Mantra: (Skt) Sacred word or formula repeated often of only one or two syllables, used in certain Buddhist
rituals.
Mara: The personification of evil and temptation.
Meditation: The process of becoming deeply acquainted with one's own mind. see Bhavana.
Meditational Deity: A visualized figure, used in meditation, representing a specific aspect of the fully
enlightened mind; for example, Tara and Avalokiteshvara.
Merit: Insight, power or energy bestowed on the mind when one performs virtuous actions.
Moksha: Ultimate release or liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
Nibbana (Pali) Nirvana (Sanskrit): Literally, the "unbinding" of the mind from passion, aversion, and delusion,
and from the entire round of death and rebirth. This term also denotes the extinguishing of a fire, it carries
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connotations of stilling, cooling, and peace.
Pali: The canon of texts preserved by the Theravada school and, by extension, the language in which those
texts are composed. An early language of Buddhism.
Parinirvana: Beyond Nirvana, the state into which one who has attained Nirvana passes at death.
Pitaka: (Pali) Lit: 'basket'. The three Pitakas are the main divisions of the Pali Canon, the Sutta Pitaka or
Sermons, the Vinaya Pitaka or Rules of the Order (Sangha), and the Abhidhamma Pitaka.
Prayer Wheel: (Tibetan) Wheel or cylinder with written prayers on or in it.
Puja: (Sanskrit) A gesture of worship or respect, usually that of raising the hands, palms together, the height of
the hands indicating the degree of reverence.
Rebirth: The corollary of karma. The doctrine that each individual is born into the world again and again to
inherit the effects of his deeds, or rather, that by action in this life the individual creates a fresh personality for
himself in order that the results of his actions may be fulfilled in a future life.
Renunciation: The attitude of complete detachment from the experiences of samsara, seeing that there is no
true pleasure or satisfaction to be found within it.
Samatha: (Pali) 'Tranquillity', is a symtom of samadhi (concentration). It is one of the mental factors in
wholesome consciousness.
Samsara: (Sanskrit and Pali) The world of appearances and endless flux, including all aspects of becoming
and death; cycles of birth and rebirth.
Sangha: (Pali) On the conventional (sammati) level, this term denotes the communities of Buddhist monks and
nuns; on the ideal (ariya) level, it denotes those followers of the Buddha, lay or ordained, who have attained at
least stream-entry.
Sanskrit: The classical Aryan language of ancient India, systematized by scholars. With the exception of a few
ancient translations probably from Pali versions, most of the original texts in Buddhism used in China were
Sanskrit.
Skandha: (Sanskrit) "aggregate," one of the five constituents of the construct called "personality."
Stupa: (Sanskrit) Originally, a tumulus or burial mound enshrining relics of a holy person - such as the Buddha
- or object associated with his life. Over the centuries this has developed into the tall, spired monuments
familiar in temples in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Burma; and into the pagodas of China, Korea, and Japan.
Tanha: (Pali) Lit. 'thirst': 'Craving' is the chief root of suffering, and of the ever continuing cycle of rebirths.
Tantra: (Sanskrit) Any text from a group of later mystical writings.
Theravada: (Pali) The "Teachings of the Elders" - the only one of the early schools of Buddhism to have
survived into the present; currently the dominant form of Buddhism in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Burma.
The Three Jewels: Or the Triple Gem, i.e. the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, which are the three
essential components of Buddhism. They are the objects of veneration. Buddhists take refuge in them by
pronouncing the threefold refuge formula, thus acknowledging themselves to be Buddhists.
Venerable: An honorific, title of respect for a Buddhist monk or nun.
Vesak: In Buddhist tradition it is the date not only of the Buddha's birth, but also of his Enlightenment and
death. The full moon day of the month corresponding to May in our calendar.
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