Buddhist TeachingBuddhist Teaching

World ReligionsChapter 4

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The Practice of BuddhismThe Practice of BuddhismMost Buddhists revere Gautama Buddha, but it is his teachings that are core of Buddhist belief and practice.

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The collection of Buddhist teaching is called the Dharma.

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The challenge of understanding Buddhist teaching is that they presuppose a deep experience of meditation.

Buddha himself seemed to think that only a few would be fit for the task.

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Buddhist teaching is unique. Buddhist teaching is unique. Dharma, Buddha’s teachings, are the reflections

of a human being – and are not dependent on divine revelation.

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It does not depend heavily on faith – but but on gained wisdom and practice.on gained wisdom and practice.

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Buddhism and HinduismBuddhism and HinduismAlthough Buddhism

shares many ideas with Hinduism, much of the Buddha’s teaching was a response to what he saw as

the excesses of Hindu religion in his day.

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Some similarities:Some similarities: Cosmology – Both religions share

the idea that the universe is eternal, and that time is cyclical. The universe is created and destroyed over and over.

For Buddhists, Gautama is not the first or last Buddha – He is one among many.

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Samsara:Both traditions believe

in the “wheel of rebirth”, and that people can only escape once they have achieved enlightenment – moksha in Hinduism and nirvana in Buddhism.

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Nirvana means literallyTo blow out, as a candle is extinguished.

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Buddha’s reactions to the Hinduism of his day were prompted by his rejection of Brahmin rituals and speculative theology – which he thought were useless for attaining enlightenment.

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He also rejected the He also rejected the caste systemcaste system..Anyone was welcome to join his community.

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While the priests kept the sacred texts While the priests kept the sacred texts secret in Sanskrit, Buddha made sure his secret in Sanskrit, Buddha made sure his teachings were available in teachings were available in PaliPali – – aa local dialect spoken by the local dialect spoken by the common people.common people.

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Buddhist TeachingBuddhist Teaching

The teachings of the Buddha focus on the predicament of individuals

and their destiny.

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The Buddha searched deep inside himself, and what he found may be confusing for us at first.

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In his exploration into the realm of the self, he realized that there is no self.

The self does not exist.

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How is this different from the Hinduism view of ‘self’?

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The core of the Buddha’s discoveryThe core of the Buddha’s discoveryIs that the reality of existence is change.

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Three Marks of ExistenceThree Marks of Existence

1. Rather than finding the Atman within, the Buddha discovered the no-self. This is called AnattaAnatta.

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The essence of Buddhism is that there is no essence.

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2) 2) AniccaAniccaRefers to the

impermanence of all things.

“You can never enter the same river twice.”

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All things are always changing, and even though they appear to be real and changeless, they are not.

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3)3)DukkhaDukkhameans “suffering”.

This is the result of anatta and anicca.

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KarmaKarmaBuddhist and

Hindu understanding of karmakarma are generally the same.

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Since Buddhism does not hold there is an eternal Atman, they use the analogy of a flame passing from candle to candle – the life is different but the energy is the same. The energy is what is transferred.

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One’s life is entirely determined by karma – by the energy that is passed on from the moral decisions made in a previous life.

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The Five PreceptsThe Five PreceptsBecause karma is so

important, morality is key for Buddhists.

Moral life requires following the Five Precepts:

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These five apply to all Buddhists:These five apply to all Buddhists:1) Do not take life2) Do not take what

is not given3) Do not engage in

sensuous misconduct

4) Do not use false speech

5) Do not drink intoxicants

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And the following apply to

monks and nuns: Do not eat after noon Do not watch dancing

or shows Do not use garlands,

perfumes, or ornaments

Do not use a high or soft bed

Do not accept gold or silver

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Buddhist morality emphasizes Buddhist morality emphasizes intention.intention.The degree of immorality of an action depends on the intention of the

actor, and not the outcome.Right intention is primary.

**Some systems of morality emphasize the intention of an action; others emphasize the outcome of an action. Which do you think has greater moral significance: intention or outcome? Explain.

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The Four Noble TruthsThe Four Noble TruthsDuring the Third Watch

of the night of his enlightenment, Gautama perceived the 4 Noble Truths.

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1) To live is to suffer

1) Suffering is caused by desire (tanha)

1) Suffering can be brought to a cessation (end)

2) The solution to suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path

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The Diagnosis of the ProblemThe Diagnosis of the ProblemThe name of the first

noble truth is dukkha,

translated as suffering, frustration, dislocation, or discomfort.

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The Buddha taught that all of life is suffused with dukkha. Birth, old age, disease, and death are filled with suffering,

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but so are experiences of joy,because they are

not lasting and will never be as good as they could be.

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Joy always leaves us longing for more,and it is our

attachment to joy that causes us to suffer.

We suffer because when we don’t have these things, we are disappointed, and we are hurt.

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Dukkha seems to be unavoidable.Because all of life is

finite and changing,

there is nothing enduring that we can hold on to.

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Buddha moves from the diagnosis of the problem to the cause of the problem – tanha – which is translated as desire, thirst, or craving.

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What is the Cause of Suffering?What is the Cause of Suffering?

How can one avoid How can one avoid desiring things for oneself?desiring things for oneself?Happiness…success…a family….are these wrong?

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Buddha taught that the desire for these things will cause suffering, and that individuals cannot avoid desiring these things, because this is what it means to be an individual.

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Recall what the Buddha taught about individuality:The self does not

exist.

While we are attached to doing things for ourselves,

we will suffer.

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Is Buddha pessimistic?Or merely realistic?

What do you think?

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Buddha believes that there is a cure for this – that suffering and desire can be rooted out.

His prognosis is the Noble

Eightfold Path.

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The Noble Eightfold PathThe Noble Eightfold PathIt is very comprehensive – covers all the

aspects of life – because suffering covers all the aspects of life.

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1) Right view2) Right intention3) Right speech4) Right conduct5) Right livelihood6) Right effort7) Right mindfulness8) Right meditation

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The first two deal with wisdom.The first two deal with wisdom.Right View means

seeing things as they really are. One must integrate the 4 Noble Truths.

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     “People usually consider walking on water

or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk

either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth.

Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white

clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes.

All is a miracle.”- Thich Nhat Hanh

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Right Intention Right Intention means to abandon evil

attitudes like greed, hatred, and revenge, and to develop good attitudes like generosity, friendship, and insight.

One must renounce all desire, seek good will, avoid anger, and develop compassion for all things.

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“If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

The next three deal with action.

Right speech means to only use speech that heals and is compassionate. One must avoid all lying, all gossip, all abusive and idle talk.

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“In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change.”

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Right conductRight conductis to live morally by

obeying the 5 precepts.

This means to act honestly and kindly, to respect others’ possessions, and to keep sexual relationships from being harmful.

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Right LivelihoodRight LivelihoodOne cannot earn

a living from things that harm other humans and living beings – selling weapons, liquor, being a butcher, or being a soldier.

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The last three have to do with mental practice.

Right effort means the mental alertness

to control senses.

One must control and focus one’s energy, senses, and keep alert.

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Right MindfulnessRight Mindfulness

means to be in complete control of one’s mental faculty;

to be aware of how we think, how we judge, and to strive to be mindful always of our thoughts;

to see without judging.

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“The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.”

Right meditationRight meditationis the practice of

meditation that leads one to a point of prefect tranquility – when the individual self has been abandoned.

The goal is nirvana.

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Any thoughts on the Noble Eightfold Path? In your mind, is it a sufficient path to follow to avoid suffering?

Buddhists look forward to the final experience of nirvana, when one is freed from this existence,

like the Buddha.

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But, it is possible to live in this existence as an awakened “saint,”An arhat.

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The arhat has fully let go of the individual self,

and is free to act with compassion toward all things in the world.

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The Buddha did not say whether or not there is life after death.The most we can say is that nirvana is the

complete cessation of suffering, and is absolute peace.

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