The DharmaThe Dharma The BuddhaThe Buddha’’s s

Enlightenment Enlightenment led to the led to the formation of the formation of the Dharma:Dharma:– Enlightenment Enlightenment

was a result of was a result of meditation and meditation and during his during his meditation, meditation, Sakyamuni sawSakyamuni saw the following:the following:

– Previous lives as animals of all kinds

– Rebirths in infinite times

– Deeds of beings affect their rebirths: Karma

– Karma arises from craving and ignorance

– Chain of Causation occurs: dependent origination

Wheel of Life• What were all types of lives that

the Buddha claimed he had seen?• Three Spheres:

– Sphere of Formlessness– Sphere of Pure Form– Sphere of Sense-desires

• Sphere of Sense-desires– Six Realms or Six Paths

• Gods• Asuras (demi-gods,Titans)• Humans• Ghosts• Animals• Hell

Buddhist World Systems:Buddhist World Systems:

Physical Universe:Physical Universe:– formed by the interaction of the 5 formed by the interaction of the 5

elementselementsearth, water, fire, air, spaceearth, water, fire, air, space

– world systems emerge and undergo world systems emerge and undergo cycles of evolutioncycles of evolution

Formation: come into being Formation: come into being Growth: endure for a period of timeGrowth: endure for a period of timeDecay: slow disintegrationDecay: slow disintegrationPerishing: destruction and extinctionPerishing: destruction and extinction

–

– these world cycles are kalpas: small, these world cycles are kalpas: small, medium, and largemedium, and large

Small kalpa: 16 million years, kalpa Small kalpa: 16 million years, kalpa 336 million years, mahakalpa 1.3 336 million years, mahakalpa 1.3 billion yearsbillion years

– human lives and lives of other human lives and lives of other beings undergo the same cycles: beings undergo the same cycles: samsarasamsara

Six paths/realms in which beings Six paths/realms in which beings inhabited and into which beings would inhabited and into which beings would be rebornbe reborn

Wheel of Life

Good/Bad Karma

• Good, positive karma– Good Deeds:

• Based on good intentions, good motivations, and right actions

– non-attachment– benevolence – understanding

• Bad, negative karma:– Bad deeds

• motivated by greed, hatred, and delusion (three poisons)

Karma and Rebirth• Karma and Rebirth

– What is karma?• Moral deeds• what determines circumstance of future rebirth

– The sufferings that beset humans– The happiness that humans enjoy, despite its transient nature

• Karma is interconnected with rebirth and reincarnation

• Good, positive karma leads to good rebirth, enlightenment• Good, positive karma comes from right actions performed

with good (right) intentions• Right intentions, right actions are constituent elements of

the Four Noble Truths

How Karma Functions?How Karma Functions? Some expositions of how karma functions: Some expositions of how karma functions:

Each act/deed one performs is like planting a karmic seedEach act/deed one performs is like planting a karmic seed Some karmic seeds may bear fruit soon, while others may Some karmic seeds may bear fruit soon, while others may

be preserved prior to bearing fruit (maturation of the be preserved prior to bearing fruit (maturation of the karmic act), which may occur for aeons in the futurekarmic act), which may occur for aeons in the future

Some deeds create individual experiencesSome deeds create individual experiencesAn individual performs a causative deed (creates a karmic seed) , An individual performs a causative deed (creates a karmic seed) ,

which bears an effect (fruit) or consequence of the deedwhich bears an effect (fruit) or consequence of the deed Other deeds create an environmentOther deeds create an environment Some have both a primary effect and a residual effectSome have both a primary effect and a residual effect

A murderer reborn in hell may have a short life when eventually A murderer reborn in hell may have a short life when eventually reborn as a humanreborn as a human

Good or bad deeds are closely related to Good or bad deeds are closely related to centanā centanā (volition or intention)(volition or intention)

The Four Noble TruthsThe Four Noble Truths

The First: The Truth of SufferingThe First: The Truth of SufferingThe Second: The Truth of ArisingThe Second: The Truth of ArisingThe Third: The Truth of CessationThe Third: The Truth of CessationThe Fourth: The Truth of the PathThe Fourth: The Truth of the Path

The Truth of Suffering (The Truth of Suffering (DuhkhaDuhkha) )

birth, sickness, old age, death, pain, grief, sorrow, birth, sickness, old age, death, pain, grief, sorrow, lamentation, despair—three categorieslamentation, despair—three categories

Suffering due to biological causes (physical)Suffering due to biological causes (physical) association with what is unpleasantassociation with what is unpleasant

Suffering due to change (psychological and emotional)Suffering due to change (psychological and emotional) dissociation from what is pleasant; dissociation from what is pleasant; Inability to get what one wants; happiness cannot endureInability to get what one wants; happiness cannot endure Things are impermanent and constantly changingThings are impermanent and constantly changing

Suffering due to aggregationSuffering due to aggregation Everything will fall apart and become component parts of the Everything will fall apart and become component parts of the

integral thingsintegral things the five factors of individuality are sufferingthe five factors of individuality are suffering

ĀtmanĀtman (self) or (self) or Anātman Anātman (no (no self)self)

Five Factors (Five Aggregates)Five Factors (Five Aggregates)Body or form (Body or form (sèsè))Feelings (sensation kind) (Feelings (sensation kind) (shòushòu))Perceptions or Cognitions (Perceptions or Cognitions (xixiăăngng))Mental formations (character traits and disposition) Mental formations (character traits and disposition)

((xíngxíng))Consciousness or sentiency (Consciousness or sentiency (shìshì))

The Truth of Arising (The Truth of Arising (trşnātrşnā))

The thirst or craving gives rise to The thirst or craving gives rise to rebirth, which is bound up with rebirth, which is bound up with passionate delight and which seeks passionate delight and which seeks fresh pleasure in the form of fresh pleasure in the form of perverted desires (things of an perverted desires (things of an excessive, selfish, or morbid nature):excessive, selfish, or morbid nature):

The cause of suffering include the The cause of suffering include the following:following:– Greed (Greed (rāga, rāga, Chin. Chin. 貪 貪 tān tān ))– Hatred (Hatred (dvesa, dvesa, ChinChin. . 嗔 嗔 chēn )chēn )

– Delusion (moha, Chin. Delusion (moha, Chin. 癡 癡 chīchī )) These are regarded as major These are regarded as major

components of cravingcomponents of craving Other craving includes the thirst as Other craving includes the thirst as

follows:follows:

– thirst for sensual pleasure (five senses)thirst for sensual pleasure (five senses) desire to experience pleasant tastes, sensations, odors, desire to experience pleasant tastes, sensations, odors,

sightssights– thirst for existencethirst for existence

desire to possessdesire to possess desire to have new possessions, new experiences in livesdesire to have new possessions, new experiences in lives

– thirst for non-existencethirst for non-existence desire to destroydesire to destroy desire to negate, deny, and reject the unpleasant and the desire to negate, deny, and reject the unpleasant and the

unwelcomeunwelcome self-denying, self-negating, self-harmingself-denying, self-negating, self-harming self-destructionself-destruction

The Truth of Cessation• the utter cessation of that craving • the withdrawal from it• the renouncing of it• the rejection of it• liberation from it• non-attachment to it• Remove craving by cultivating positive states of

mind and undergoing a spiritual transformation

The Truth of the Path (mārga)• Known as “middle way”, the Path leads

to the cessation of suffering and the transition from samsara to [final] nirvana

• The Eightfold Path:• Wisdom: right view (understanding), right

resolve• Morality: right speech, right action, right

livelihood• Meditation: right effort, right

mindfulness, right meditation

Right View and Right Resolve• Right view:

• Believe in karma• Respect parents and religious teachers• Pursue spiritual progress

• Right resolve:• Develop right attitudes: cut desires, nurture

friendliness and compassion• Know contentment, free from sensual desires,

abandon hatred, abstain from harming others

Right speech, action, livelihood

• Right speech:• Not telling lies, avoid “divisive” and harsh speech,

frivolous talk (e.g., gossip, idle chatter)

• Right action:• Abstain from wrongful conduct such as killing, stealing,

….

• Right livelihood:• Engage in an occupation which causes no harm to

others, whether humans or animals (e.g., be honest, no cheating, don’t get involved in trade in weapons. drugs…

Right effort and right mindfulness

• Right effort:– Develop one’s mind in a wholesome way by

practicing mindfulness and meditation– Transform one’s mind by replacing negative thoughts

with positive ones• Right mindfulness: develop awareness of

– Interconnectedness of body, feelings, mood, and thoughts

– Eliminate “five hindrances” • Desire for sensual pleasure, ill-will, sloth and drowsiness,

worry and agitation, and nagging doubts

Right meditation• Concentrating the mind through meditational exercises to– Develop clarity and

mental calm– Reach a state of self-

integration – Attain awakening and

self-transformation or enlightenment