Hinduism and Buddhism Hinduism and Buddhism

What do people want What do people want anyway?anyway?

• Hinduism tells you that… Hinduism tells you that… – YOU CAN HAVE WHAT YOU WANT!!!YOU CAN HAVE WHAT YOU WANT!!!

• Here is the catchHere is the catch– What do you want anyway?What do you want anyway?

• All people want four things All people want four things

Desire One: PleasureDesire One: Pleasure

• Seek it intelligently Seek it intelligently • World is full of beauty and enjoyments World is full of beauty and enjoyments • KierkegardKierkegard

– ““In the bottomless ocean of pleasure I have In the bottomless ocean of pleasure I have sounded in vain for a spot to cast anchor. I sounded in vain for a spot to cast anchor. I have felt the almost irresistible power with have felt the almost irresistible power with which one pleasure drags another after it, the which one pleasure drags another after it, the kind of adulterated enthusiasm which it is kind of adulterated enthusiasm which it is capable of producing, the boredom, the capable of producing, the boredom, the torment which follows.”torment which follows.”

• Solitary EnjoymentSolitary Enjoyment

Desire Two: Worldly SuccessDesire Two: Worldly Success

• Enjoyment lasts longer Enjoyment lasts longer because it is a social because it is a social achievement to be shared achievement to be shared with others but still not with others but still not permanent permanent

• Exclusive goals make them Exclusive goals make them precariousprecarious

• ““To try to extinguish the To try to extinguish the drive for riches with money drive for riches with money is like trying to quench a is like trying to quench a fire by pouring butter over fire by pouring butter over it.”it.”

• Achievements are Achievements are ephemeral ephemeral

Fame Power

Wealth

Worldly Success

PathwaysPathways

• Path of DesirePath of Desire– Previous two desires represent this pathPrevious two desires represent this path– Not to be looked down upon Not to be looked down upon – Necessary parts of the journey to find Necessary parts of the journey to find

• Path of Renunciation Path of Renunciation – Looking beyond oneself and worldly Looking beyond oneself and worldly

things for greater understandings of things for greater understandings of meaning and being meaning and being

RenunciationRenunciation

• Duty and serving others the first stop Duty and serving others the first stop along the path along the path

• Finding meaning in the community Finding meaning in the community

• Working for the preservation and Working for the preservation and success of something greater than success of something greater than ones self ones self

RenunciationRenunciation

• Still there comes a time when this is not Still there comes a time when this is not enough… enough…

• Three desires Three desires – Being Being – To know To know – To experience joy (different from pleasure)To experience joy (different from pleasure)

• These are what people truly wanted all These are what people truly wanted all along along

• People truly desire Moksha People truly desire Moksha – Liberation Liberation – Infinite being, knowledge, and bliss Infinite being, knowledge, and bliss

Hinduism and Attainment Hinduism and Attainment

• People have the capacity to want People have the capacity to want infinitely infinitely

• When people finally reach the last When people finally reach the last stage of wanting the “right” things it stage of wanting the “right” things it seems a dead end seems a dead end – But remember… Hinduism states you But remember… Hinduism states you

can have what you want can have what you want

• People already posses infinite being, People already posses infinite being, knowledge, and bliss!knowledge, and bliss!

Eternal Being Eternal Being

• All people posses an eternal part All people posses an eternal part called the Atman (similar to the called the Atman (similar to the Christian concept of soul)Christian concept of soul)– Infinite center of life Infinite center of life

Four Pathways to Discovering Four Pathways to Discovering the Beyond Within ……. YOGAthe Beyond Within ……. YOGA

• Methods of training designed to lead to Methods of training designed to lead to integration or union integration or union

• More than one path because we are all More than one path because we are all starting from different places starting from different places

• All four begin with moral preliminaries All four begin with moral preliminaries – Aim of all is to render the surface self Aim of all is to render the surface self

transparent to its underlying divinity transparent to its underlying divinity – First must cleanse First must cleanse

• Non-injury, truthfulness, non-stealing, self-control, Non-injury, truthfulness, non-stealing, self-control, cleanliness, contentment, self-discipline cleanliness, contentment, self-discipline

Four PathwaysFour Pathways• Knowledge Knowledge

– Requires a combination of rationality and spiritualism Requires a combination of rationality and spiritualism – Fastest way to realization but also the hardest Fastest way to realization but also the hardest

• Love Love – Most common way and most followed Most common way and most followed – Everyone can relateEveryone can relate– Hindus consider Christianity one of these paths Hindus consider Christianity one of these paths

• Work Work – Every action performed leaves a lasting mark Every action performed leaves a lasting mark – Selfless acts bring people closer to the divine Selfless acts bring people closer to the divine

• Psychophysical Exercises Psychophysical Exercises – ““Royal road to reintegration”Royal road to reintegration”– Scientific peopleScientific people– Experiments on ones self – mind not bodyExperiments on ones self – mind not body

• Was Buddha doing something Was Buddha doing something different than Hinduism already different than Hinduism already prescribed? Can you trace the prescribed? Can you trace the Hinduistic cycle throughout his Hinduistic cycle throughout his lifetime? Why do you think he lifetime? Why do you think he became the leader of a new religion became the leader of a new religion rather than just another Guru?rather than just another Guru?