BuddhismBuddhism

“ “What are you?”What are you?”

““I am awake.”I am awake.”

Buddha (-563 - -483)Buddha (-563 - -483)

Four Passing SightsFour Passing Sights

Old ageOld age

DiseaseDisease

DeathDeath

MonkMonk

Quest for fulfillmentQuest for fulfillment

Self-indulgence (path of desire)Self-indulgence (path of desire) Asceticism (path of renunciation)Asceticism (path of renunciation)

No SelfNo Self

There is no self to fulfillThere is no self to fulfill No-self (No-self (anatman, anattaanatman, anatta): there is no self): there is no self Idea of self —> desire —> sufferingIdea of self —> desire —> suffering

Absent selfAbsent self

Introspect: what do you see?Introspect: what do you see? Thoughts, feelings, perceptions. . . .Thoughts, feelings, perceptions. . . . You don’t find anything elseYou don’t find anything else You don’t find yourselfYou don’t find yourself There is no self or soulThere is no self or soul A person is just a bundle of thoughts. . . .A person is just a bundle of thoughts. . . .

Absent SelfAbsent Self

Self-knowledge?Self-knowledge? Knowledge of others?Knowledge of others? No self: no essence No self: no essence

within me to knowwithin me to know The best I can do is The best I can do is

understand patterns understand patterns in bundle of thoughtsin bundle of thoughts

Buddhaghosa (-400)Buddhaghosa (-400)

There are 89 kinds of There are 89 kinds of consciousnessconsciousness

Nothing unifies themNothing unifies them There are only There are only

streams of streams of consciousnessconsciousness

Nothing unites past, Nothing unites past, present, and futurepresent, and future

BuddhaghosaBuddhaghosa

A living being lasts A living being lasts only as long as one only as long as one thoughtthought

People, minds, People, minds, objects are only ways objects are only ways of speakingof speaking

People and passengersPeople and passengers

Jane flies from Austin to Houston and Jane flies from Austin to Houston and back <———————————>back <———————————>

She is one personShe is one person She is two passengersShe is two passengers ‘‘Passenger’ is just a way of countingPassenger’ is just a way of counting Buddhaghosa: every noun is like Buddhaghosa: every noun is like

‘passenger’‘passenger’

Questions to King MilindaQuestions to King Milinda

““there is no ego here to be found”there is no ego here to be found” ““there is no chariot here to be found”there is no chariot here to be found” No one element is the wholeNo one element is the whole The combination isn’t the whole; parts The combination isn’t the whole; parts

could change while object remains the could change while object remains the samesame

Reincarnation?Reincarnation?

There is no soul to There is no soul to occupy a different occupy a different mind or bodymind or body

But there is a cycle of But there is a cycle of birth and deathbirth and death

Reincarnation?Reincarnation?

There are There are connections between connections between lives through cause lives through cause and effect, similarity, and effect, similarity, etc.etc.

We construct people We construct people (like “passengers”)— (like “passengers”)— we can do so across we can do so across bounds of deathbounds of death

Buddhist selfBuddhist self

Consciousness-onlyConsciousness-only

Vasubandhu’s idealism Vasubandhu’s idealism —> Dharmapala —> —> Dharmapala —> Xuanzong (596-664)Xuanzong (596-664)

Idealism:Idealism: Everything Everything depends on minddepends on mind

No-self:No-self: There is no mind There is no mind

Xuanzong’s mindXuanzong’s mind Five sensesFive senses

SightSight HearingHearing TouchTouch TasteTaste SmellSmell

Sense-center consciousnessSense-center consciousness Thought-center Thought-center

consciousnessconsciousness Storehouse consciousnessStorehouse consciousness

Arguments vs. unified selfArguments vs. unified self

Universal, “extensive as Universal, “extensive as empty space”empty space” PerceptionPerception: How can it be : How can it be

happy or suffer?happy or suffer? MentalMental causationcausation: How : How

can it cause the body to can it cause the body to act?act?

IndividuationIndividuation: How can : How can you and I differ?you and I differ?

Arguments vs. unified selfArguments vs. unified self

Coextensive with the Coextensive with the bodybody If I gain weight, does If I gain weight, does

my soul expand?my soul expand? If I cut my hair, do I If I cut my hair, do I

lose part of my self?lose part of my self? Inside the bodyInside the body

Then the self is neither Then the self is neither one nor eternalone nor eternal

Arguments vs. aggregate selfArguments vs. aggregate self

The self is neither one nor eternalThe self is neither one nor eternal An aggregate of what?An aggregate of what?

Thoughts, feelings, etc.? But these can Thoughts, feelings, etc.? But these can change while I remain myselfchange while I remain myself

Matter? Matter? But thoughts are But thoughts are intentionalintentional: they are about things. : they are about things. Matter isn’t about anything.Matter isn’t about anything. So, thoughts aren’t matter.So, thoughts aren’t matter.

David Hume (1711-1776)David Hume (1711-1776)

Hume’s Argument vs. SelfHume’s Argument vs. Self

Source of idea of self?Source of idea of self?

We do not find it in We do not find it in experienceexperience

All identity through change is All identity through change is imposed by us, not there in imposed by us, not there in the worldthe world

HeraclitusHeraclitus

Example: Example: Heraclitus: can’t Heraclitus: can’t step in same river step in same river twicetwice

Example: ship of Example: ship of TheseusTheseus

Imposed identityImposed identity

Mental states link to other mental states: Mental states link to other mental states: memory, intention, desire, similaritiesmemory, intention, desire, similarities

We construct the idea of selfWe construct the idea of self

Self as CommonwealthSelf as Commonwealth

Self is not a unified thing— best compared to a Self is not a unified thing— best compared to a commonwealthcommonwealth

Questions about identity aren’t about the world, Questions about identity aren’t about the world, but about languagebut about language

Buddhist ethicsBuddhist ethics

Four noble truths: 1Four noble truths: 1

Life is painful (Life is painful (dukkhadukkha))

““Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of pain: Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of pain: birth is painful, old age is painful, sickness is birth is painful, old age is painful, sickness is painful, death is painful, sorrow, lamentation, painful, death is painful, sorrow, lamentation, dejection, and despair are painful. Contact dejection, and despair are painful. Contact with unpleasant things is painful, not getting with unpleasant things is painful, not getting what one wishes is painful. In short the five what one wishes is painful. In short the five khandhaskhandhas of grasping are painful.” of grasping are painful.”

Four Noble Truths: 2Four Noble Truths: 2

Desire (Desire (tanhatanha) causes pain) causes pain

““Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of the cause of pain: that craving which the cause of pain: that craving which leads to rebirth, combined with pleasure leads to rebirth, combined with pleasure and lust, finding pleasure here and and lust, finding pleasure here and there, namely, the craving for passion, there, namely, the craving for passion, the craving for existence, the craving for the craving for existence, the craving for non-existence.”non-existence.”

Four Noble Truths: 3Four Noble Truths: 3

Eliminating desire can eliminate painEliminating desire can eliminate pain

““Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of Now this, O monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of pain: the cessation the cessation of pain: the cessation without a remainder of that craving, without a remainder of that craving, abandonment, forsaking, release, abandonment, forsaking, release, nonattachment.”nonattachment.”

Four Noble Truths: 4Four Noble Truths: 4

The Eightfold Noble Path (the The Eightfold Noble Path (the Middle Way) eliminates desire: Middle Way) eliminates desire: RightRight ThoughtThought IntentionIntention SpeechSpeech ConductConduct LivelihoodLivelihood EffortEffort ConcentrationConcentration MeditationMeditation

Right Thought, IntentionRight Thought, Intention

Right Thought:Right Thought: DhammapadaDhammapada: “Everything : “Everything

you are is the result of what you are is the result of what you have thought.”you have thought.”

You must know the Four You must know the Four Noble TruthsNoble Truths

You must avoid harmful You must avoid harmful thoughtsthoughts

Right Intention:Right Intention: You must try to eliminate You must try to eliminate

selfish desireselfish desire

Right Speech, ConductRight Speech, Conduct

Right SpeechRight Speech Avoid saying harmful Avoid saying harmful

thingsthings Right ConductRight Conduct

Avoid harming othersAvoid harming others Obey the five restraintsObey the five restraints

Ethical restraintsEthical restraints

Do not killDo not kill Do not stealDo not steal Do not lieDo not lie Do not be Do not be

unchasteunchaste Do not ingest Do not ingest

intoxicantsintoxicants

Right Livelihood, Effort Right Livelihood, Effort

Right LivelihoodRight Livelihood You must enter the right You must enter the right

careercareer Avoid what requires you, Avoid what requires you,

or even tempts you, to or even tempts you, to harm othersharm others

Right EffortRight Effort You must work constantly You must work constantly

to avoid selfish desireto avoid selfish desire

Right Concentration, MeditationRight Concentration, Meditation

Right ConcentrationRight Concentration You must develop mental You must develop mental

powers to avoid desirepowers to avoid desire ““binding mind to a single binding mind to a single

spot”, as in Hindu meditationspot”, as in Hindu meditation Right MeditationRight Meditation

Like Hindu meditationLike Hindu meditation cessation of fluctuationscessation of fluctuations illumination of object as illumination of object as

object, empty of what it isobject, empty of what it is

Two kinds of BuddhismTwo kinds of Buddhism

Theravada Theravada BuddhismBuddhism Southern Canon, Southern Canon,

early writingsearly writings Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia Ideal: Ideal: arhatarhat

Mahayana BuddhismMahayana Buddhism

Northern Canon, Northern Canon, later writingslater writings

China, Korea, China, Korea, JapanJapan

Ideal: Ideal: bodhisattvabodhisattva

Two idealsTwo ideals

ArhatArhat: saint who attains enlightenment, : saint who attains enlightenment, experiences experiences nirvananirvana. Chief virtue: wisdom. Chief virtue: wisdom

Mahayana IdealMahayana Ideal

BodhisattvaBodhisattva: one who postpones his/her own : one who postpones his/her own enlightenment to promote the enlightenment of enlightenment to promote the enlightenment of others. Chief virtue: compassionothers. Chief virtue: compassion

Six perfections of the Six perfections of the bodhisattvabodhisattva

CharityCharity Good moral character Good moral character

(concern for others)(concern for others) PatiencePatience EnergyEnergy Deep concentrationDeep concentration WisdomWisdom

Arguments for the Arguments for the arhatarhat ideal ideal

The goal is to eliminate suffering; the The goal is to eliminate suffering; the means, enlightenmentmeans, enlightenment

If If bodhisattvasbodhisattvas help others to help others to enlightenment, they help them become enlightenment, they help them become arhatsarhats

If it is good to help others to If it is good to help others to enlightenment, it is because enlightenment, it is because enlightenment is the goalenlightenment is the goal

Theravada Temple, LaosTheravada Temple, Laos

Theravada temple, BurmaTheravada temple, Burma

Theravada temple, MandalayTheravada temple, Mandalay

Temples, Bagan, BurmaTemples, Bagan, Burma

Theravada temple, ThailandTheravada temple, Thailand

Arguments for the Arguments for the bodhisattvabodhisattva ideal ideal

If your ideal is the If your ideal is the arhatarhat, you seek your , you seek your own enlightenmentown enlightenment

That is a selfish desire; it leads to sufferingThat is a selfish desire; it leads to suffering Concern for self presupposes that you Concern for self presupposes that you

have a separate selfhave a separate self Only Only bodhisattvabodhisattva ideal leads you beyond ideal leads you beyond

yourselfyourself

Mahayana templesMahayana temples

Mahayana TemplesMahayana Temples