20110326 four noble truths

Updated Mar 2010

加拿大佛教會湛山精舍　

禪修學佛入門 Introduction to

Buddhism and Meditation2011/03/26

Buddhist Association of CanadaCham Shan Temple

Updated Mar 2010

Buddhist Association of CanadaCham Shan Temple

ná mó fó tuó南無佛陀

Namo Buddha

ná mó dá mó 南無達摩

Namo Dharma

ná mó sēng qié南無僧伽

Namo Sangha

加拿大佛教會 © 2006 Buddhist Association of Canada

Buddhist Association of Canada

Towards a

Liberated and

Enlightened Life

煩惱輕智慧長

Meditation禪修

1 Take refuge in the Three Treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

2 Earnestly cultivate the Three Perfections of Morality, Calmness, and Wisdom.

3 Shed the Three Poisons of Greed, Anger and Delusion.

4 Purify the Three Karmas of Action, Speech and Thought.

Buddhist Practice and Cultivation in Four Lines

Basic Terms 5 aggregates (skandhas) 4 elements 6 sense organs, 6 sense objects, 6 sense consciousness 12 links of causation (nidāna) 4 noble truths and 8 fold path 6 paramitas 4 persuasions 3 / 5 vehicles 10 realms



Walking Meditation

1. Being mindful on Steps, Breathing, Counting or Smiling.

2. Choosing an object of attention3. Using a phrase or mantra as an object of

attantion e.g. “Namo Amituofo ”4. Walking to feel appreciation5. Walking to find peace6. Walking to experience miracle7. Walking to see Four Noble Truths8. Walking to understand suffering9. Walking to cultivate compassion10. Walking to exercise compassion like an

enlightened one



1. Regulating Body, Breathing and Mind2. Counting breaths3. Following breaths4. Focusing on one point 5. Sustained attention on the present

moment – Don’t let your mind fall into the future (expectations) or the past (experiences).

6. Silent awareness of the present moment – Stop inner commentaries, judgements.

7. Letting go of diversity, desires, experiences, commentaries by focusing on breathing.

8. Count your breaths from 1-10, 10 times.

Sitting Meditation

The Four Noble Truths

I. The Noble Truth of Suffering

II. The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering

III. The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

IV. The Noble Truth of the Way to the Cessation of Suffering

I. The Noble Truth of Suffering (Dukkha)

All humans experience:

• Birth• Old Age• Sickness• Death

II. The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering

The second noble truth is the truth of the origin or cause of suffering, and here the Buddha states that craving is the origin of suffering.

This craving can be understood as the cause of suffering at two different levels, one psychological, the other ‘existential’.

III. The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

If craving is the cause of suffering, then the way to eliminate suffering is to eliminate craving.

The cessation of suffering is ‘Nirvana’

Two levels: Psychological & Existential

IV. The Noble Truth of the Way to the Cessation of Suffering

Prescribes how the cure can be accomplished.

The overcoming of tanha (craving & attachment) , the way out of our captivity is

through the Noble Eightfold Path.

The Noble Eightfold Path: Right view, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood,

Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration



The Noble Eightfold Path

Wisdom: Right View and Right Intention are the wisdom path. Right View is not about believing in doctrine, but in perceiving the true nature of ourselves and the world around us. Right Intention refers to the energy and commitment one needs to be fully engaged in Buddhist practice.

Ethical Conduct: Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood are the ethical conduct path. This calls us to take care in our speech, our actions, and our daily lives to do no harm to others and to cultivate wholesomeness in ourselves. This part of the path ties into the Precepts.

Mental Discipline: Through Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration we develop the mental discipline to cut through delusion. Many schools of Buddhism encourage seekers to meditate to achieve clarity and focus of mind.



Chapters Nine and TenFour Great Mountains in China

1. Match the followings in pairs:Wu Tai Shan KshitagarbhaJiu Hua Shan AvalokitesvaraPu Tuo Shan SamantabhadraEmei Shan Manjusri

2. What are these Bodhisattvas representing in Buddhism?

3. Which mountain is the most popular wayplace for Chinese and Tebetan Buddhists practicing together?

4. Where is Buddha’s Sarira kept in Wu Tai Shan?

5. Which mountain is famous in having corporeal bodies of monks and nuns?

6. Why did a Japanese monk build a temple at Putuo Shan?

7. What are the key senic sites at Emei Shan?



Chan Master Wu Xia 無暇禪師

The Corporeal Body Hall houses the skeleton of Monk Wu Xia has been well preserved for more than 350 years. Wu Xia once wrote sutras with a mixture of gold powder and his own blood in a cave of Mt. Jiuhua during Ming Dynasty. After hard practice of sutras for a hundred year in Mt. Jiuhua, Wu Xia passed away at the age of 126. His body was found in the cave three years after his death. Monks on the mountain believed Wu Xia was the reincarnation of Bodhisattva. From then on, Buddhist believers have been keen to visit the mountain to pay homage to the monk.



Chan Master Wu Xia 無暇禪師

无暇禅师又名海玉和尚，顺天苑平人（今北京卢沟桥），此僧历游五台峨眉等山，于万历年间来九华山东崖峰结茅，名摘星亭，用功苦修，隔绝尘世，饥食野果，渴饮山泉，耗用 28 年时间，以指血调研银珠濡笔恭书《大方广佛华严经》一部，共八十一卷，天启三年（ 16 23 ）寿 124 岁，临终口占一偈：“老叟形骸百有余，幻身枯瘦法身肥。岸头迹失魔边事，洞口言来格外机。天上星辰高可摘，世间人境运相远。客来问我向何处，腊去春回又见春。”话音刚落，随即往生，众徒将其形骸置于缸中，天启四年（ 1624 ）钦差王大人来九华山摘星亭敬香，夜见置缸处屡放光霞，异香不散，视为神奇，三年启缸，颜面如生，装金龛供奉并奏闻朝庭，天启六年（ 1626 ）明思宗朱由俭尊无暇禅师为“应身菩萨” , 现供奉于九华山百岁宫 .



www.ChamShanTemple.org

www.shengguangshi.blogspot.com

[email protected] Shi 釋聖光Tom Cheung 張相棠Kam Cheung 張仁勤Dennis Yap 葉普智

Questions and Comments 討論



yuàn xiāo sān zhàng zhū fán năo

願消三障諸煩惱We wish to rid ourselves of the three hindrances and all klesas.

yuàn dé zhì huì zhēn míng lĭao

願得智慧真明了We wish to gain wisdom and real understanding.

pŭ yuàn zuì zhàng xī xiāo chú

普願罪障悉消除 We wish all sinful hindrances to be totally eradicated.

shì shì cháng xíng pú sà dào

世世常行菩薩道In one life after another we always follow Bodhisattvas’ paths.

回向Parinamana (Transfer of Merit)

20110326 four noble truths

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