Tibetan BuddhismByWes Mouser

What is Buddhism?• Buddhism is a religion practiced by over 300 million

people around the world.

• There are different regional “versions” of Buddhism. Tibetan, Shin, etc.

• In a nutshell, Buddhism is about self awareness and the reduction of suffering. This includes being able to:

• (1) lead a moral life,(2) be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and(3) develop wisdom and understanding.

Buddhism’s Roots• It was introduced roughly 2,500 years ago when

Siddhartha Gautama (The 1st Buddha) was awakened (or enlightened) after years of diligent practice.

• He became The Buddha, or “The Awakened One” after 49 days of meditation under the Bodhi Tree in Bodhi Gaya, India.

• Siddhartha Gautama (ca. 430 B.C.E.)

Siddhartha Gautama• Born a prince in the Sayka Republic, Himalayas

• Left his life of privilege at age 29

•Wandered and studied for six years, trying to find ways to ease suffering.

Religion or Philosophy?• Though classically viewed as a worldwide religion,

Buddhism can be thought of as more of as a philosophy.

• Buddhism is a practice of contemplation and inquiry that doesn't depend on belief in God or a soul or anything supernatural.

A Little Background• Buddhism is a holistic way of living one’s life.

• Science, mathematics and the arts are treated just as importantly to the path of enlightenment of a person as prayer, ceremonies or anything else considered “religious”.

• The Tibetan view regarding Buddhism is that the path to enlightenment is singular. Each individual must come to their own conclusions. No one “enlightens” another in that sense.

Buddhism’s Tenets• The main tenets of

Buddhism include The Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path and The Five Precepts.

The Dharma Wheel

The Four Noble Truths• These are beliefs that underlay most of the Buddhist

philosophy; one must strive to end suffering:

• 1) The nature of suffering: Birth, aging, illness and death are suffering, as is attachment and aversion.

• 2) The origin of suffering: craving for things we think will bring us pleasure.

• 3) The cessation of suffering: freedom from attachment and aversion.

• 4) The way leading to the cessation of suffering, which leads to The Eightfold Path.

The Eightfold Path• The Eightfold Path is a life plan put forth by the

Buddha that consists of eight “steps” to liberate oneself from the suffering of the world and a general guide to living one’s life.

• One does not have to master each item before going on to the next.

• One could potentially start in the middle and work their way out, or work on all of them at the same time.

1) Right View• Right view occurs when one sees things simply, as

they are.

• It is an open and accommodating attitude.

• Hope and fear is abandoned. Joy is taken in a simple and straight-forward manner.

2) Right Intention• One acts with pure intentions.

• Preconceived notions of how a situation “should be” are shed.

• A person works with what is available and true at that time, they do not try to be manipulative.

3) Right Speech• Once a person’s intentions are pure, they may

speak freely without having to worry about what they say.

• They are no longer trying to manipulate situations, so they do not have to embellish facts or speak with a false confidence.

• What needs to be said, is said in a simple and genuine manner.

4) Right Action• Practice living life simply.

• Abandon complications regarding all aspects of life.

• Have straight-forward relationships with everything in this world: people, one’s job, food, animals, etc.

5) Right Livelihood• One’s living should be earned in a righteous,

honest way.

• Wealth should be gained legally and without violating the other steps of the path.

• As with Right Action, one must keep a simple relationship with their job. Perform the tasks well and pay attention to detail.

6) Right Effort• Avoiding wrong effort is key.

• Internal conflicts need not exist if one is following the steps of the Eightfold Path.

• Things are approached simply, as they are. Effort is not wasted trying to complicate situations.

• Aggression is absent and problems are solved as straight-forward and gently as possible.

7) Right Concentration• Right concentration directs one’s concentration

toward wholesome thoughts and actions in the context of the Eightfold Path.

• Meditation is the key to unlocking right concentration and shedding unnecessary distractions.

8) Right Mindfulness• This step revolves around total mindfulness about

every aspect of life. How one speaks, posture, attitude, every detail regarding one’s life.

• Being mindful involves being aware of even the tiniest aspect of life.

The Five Precepts

This is a moral code within Buddhism.

1. Do not take the life of anything living.2. Do not take anything not freely given.3. Abstain from sexual misconduct and sensual

overindulgence.4. Refrain from untrue speech.5. Avoid intoxication (loss of mindfulness).

Karma• The idea of karma is important to Buddhist

philosophy.

• Karma simply means “action”.

• These actions can be of the body, speech or actions of the mind.

• The accumulation of karma is a driving force behind the actions of Buddhists.

More on Karma• Karma does not exist as a parallel to something like “sin”.

• “Good” karma comes from following the Eightfold Path and other teachings, keeping “positive or right” behaviors.

• “Bad” karma comes from violating those principles and/or doing harm to others.

• There is also “Neutral” karma, which comes from breathing, eating, sleeping, etc. Neutral Karma does not weigh for or against you.

• Buddhists believe that this karma follows them from life to life.

Rebirth• The idea of that imprint of karma carrying over

from different lives reinforces the concept that Buddhists believe in rebirth.

• Rebirth is not the same as reincarnation.

• Reincarnation assumes that the whole identity of a person moves on from life to life, while the concept of rebirth just has the karma flowing from life to life.

Buddhism’s Place• Buddhism has a special place in the world, not only as a

religion for millions, but also as an academic institution.

• Many Tibetan Buddhists study for decades on matters of science, math, and every other discipline under the sun to try and gain a better understanding of the world in which we live.

• The art of scholarly debate is paramount to further the understanding of the world in which we live.

• Over 90% of the studies, findings and research done by Tibetan Buddhists has not been distributed to the rest of the world due to the lack of translation of the material.

To Sum Up• Buddhism is unique in that the idea of enlightenment comes

from within.

• To truly reach enlightenment, it is not up to anyone else but the individual who is seeking it.

• The Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, The Five Precepts and any other Buddhist teachings are meant to be used by individuals to find their way, but may also be used to instruct the masses.

• The “right” actions, thoughts and beliefs of the individual affect their path to enlightenment, not the thoughts, actions and beliefs of others.

Misconceptions• All Buddhists must wear robes.• Not so! Buddhists may generally wear whatever they

wish. However, monks that wish to try and follow in the footsteps of The Buddha will wear robes, as will most monks and priests. Some Buddhists believe in being completely nude, some wear a simple white robe and others wear the traditional red garb.

• Buddha was a god.• Siddhartha Gautama, the 1st Buddha, never claimed to be

a god. He was simply a man who reached enlightenment through his own efforts. He beseeched his followers to not deify him.

Misconceptions• All Buddhists are vegetarians• Some Buddhists are vegetarians, but some are not. It

depends on the sect of Buddhism that you follow. The Buddha said that meat can only be eaten if you do not see it or hear it being killed, and if it is not killed for you.

Acknowledgements• The Interfaith Symposium team:

Rafael Valentin, Farah Abu-Safe, Drew Tennant, Kaylee Nivens, Aaron Kindle, Tristan Sullins, Luis Ramirez, Timothy Yang and myself, Wes Mouser.• A special thank you to Geshe-la Thupten Dorjee.

Without his level of caring, knowledge and dedication, my study of Buddhism would have been clinical at best. He took time out of his busy life to personally teach me some of the core ideas of Buddhism and gave me insight that I could not have gotten any other way.

• Also, thanks to Dr. Chris Huggard for getting me interested in a higher level of learning, pushing the expectations I have of myself and for helping all of us throughout the project.