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| Kamakura Daibutsu,
Kōtoku-in, Kamakura, Japan. |
Buddhism
Buddhism originated in India, based on the teachings, of
Siddhartha Gautama, later known as Gautama Buddha. A
Buddha is one who is said to be awake to the truth of
life.
Over the centuries his teachings spread from Nepal to
Central Asia, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, China,
Mongolia, Korea, Japan, and now Europe and North and
South America. Theravada Buddhism is most common in
South Asia; Mahayana further north. Buddhism exists in
many different strands today, but all schools and sects
share basic ideas. About seven percent of the people of
the world are Buddhist.
While many people see Buddhism as a religion, others see
it as a philosophy, and others as a way of finding
reality. |
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Background and Buddhist
concepts
Siddhartha Gautama (563–483 BC) began life as the infant
prince of a small kingdom in what is now the southern
part of Nepal. As an adult he left wealth and status
behind to search for truth. Enlightened at the age of
35, the Buddha spent the next 45 years of his life
traveling and teaching in the northern part of India. He
died at the age of 80.
The Buddha focused much of his teaching on how to
overcome suffering. He saw that all living things suffer
in being born, in getting sick, in growing old, and in
facing death. By overcoming suffering, he taught, a
person will be truly happy.
Early teaching. His first lesson after becoming
enlightened was to other seekers who had also renounced
the world. This was a group of holy men or monks with
whom the Buddha had studied for five or more years. To
them he first presented what he saw as the Four Noble
Truths of life and the Eightfold Noble Path (see below).
These teachings identify the causes of suffering and
their cure.
Three marks of existence. The Buddha taught that life is
best understood as being impermanent (everything
changes), unsatisfactory (left on our own we are never
truly happy), and interdependent (all things are linked,
even to the degree that the self is better understood as
an illusion).
The middle way. Buddhism teaches non-harm and moderation
or balance, not going too far one way or the other. This
is called the Middle Way, and encourages people to live
in balance.
Meditation. The Buddha recommended meditation as a way
to discipline the mind and see the world as it is.
Buddhists may meditate while sitting in a special or
specific way. Standing and walking meditation are other
styles.
Three poisons. In discussing suffering, the Buddha
identified the three poisons of desire, anger and
stupidity, and he showed that we could end our suffering
by letting go of desires and overcoming anger and
stupidity.
Nirvana. The complete letting go of negative influences
is called Nirvana, meaning "to extinguish," like putting
out the flame of a candle. This end of suffering is also
called Enlightenment. In Buddhism, Enlightenment and
Nirvana often mean the same thing.
Do Buddhists believe in god or gods? The Buddha would
not say if gods exist or not, although gods play a part
in some Buddhist stories. If someone asked the Buddha,
"Do gods exist?" he maintained a noble silence. That is,
he would not confirm or deny. Buddhists do not believe
that people should look to gods to save them or bring
them enlightenment. Rather individuals should work out
their own path the best they can.
Other basic teachings. Many of the Buddha's ideas are
found in other Indian religions, especially Hinduism. |
- Karma. Karma refers to actions, and
the Buddha taught that actions have consequences for
good or ill. If people make good decisions they will be
happier and have more peace of mind.
- To avoid all evil
- To do good.
- To purify one's mind:
- Speaking in a kind way, free from
lies and angry words.
- Reincarnation. The Buddha taught
about reincarnation, the idea that after we die we are
likely to be reborn in this world and face the same kind
of suffering as in the past life. The ultimate goal of a
Buddhist is to find enlightenment (Nirvana) which places
us beyond endless reincarnation and suffering. Some
Buddhists understand the idea in a poetic way, and not a
literal one.
|
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Who is Buddha?
Buddha is a Pali word which means "The awakened one".
Someone who has woken up to the truth of the mind and
suffering and teaches the truth to others is called a
Buddha. The word "Buddha" often means the historical
Buddha named Buddha Shakyamuni (Siddhartha Gautama).
Buddhists do not believe that a Buddha is a god, but
that he is a human being who has woken up and can see
the true way the mind works. They believe this knowledge
totally changes the person. This person can help others
become enlightened too. Enlightened people are beyond
birth, death, and rebirth.
Who was the first Buddha?
According to Buddhism, there were countless Buddhas
before Gautama Buddha and there will be many Buddhas
after him.
In Pali texts, the first Buddha in Buddhavamsa sutta was
Taṇhaṅkara Buddha. The Mahapadana sutta says the
earliest Buddha of the recent seven buddhas was Vipassi
Buddha (But sutta is not saying that Vipassi is first
Buddha). Counting from the present kalpa (the beginning
of our present world (Earth)) Gautama Buddha is
considered the fourth Buddha. In this telling, the first
is Kakusandho Buddha, second Konakamano Buddha, and the
third Kassapo Buddha. The last Buddha of this kalpa will
be Maitreya Buddha. Then the world (Earth) will renew
itself and from then begins a new kalpa. |
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Beliefs of Buddhism
The three jewels |
- Buddhists respect and treasure
the Three Jewels, which are the Buddha, the Dharma,
and the Sangha.
- The Buddha refers to the
awakened one, the Dharma to the Buddha's teachings,
and the Sangha to the people who follow the Buddha
and his teachings.
- Buddhists say "I take refuge in
the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha." They find
comfort in these jewels or treasures.
|
Four noble Truths
The Buddha's first and most important teachings are the Four
Noble Truths. |
- Life is suffering.
- The reason for this suffering is
that we want things to be a certain way.
- The way to cure suffering is to rise
above this desire.
- The way to rise above desire is to
follow the Noble Eightfold Path, practices which help us
change our minds and understanding.
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Noble Eightfold Path
The Buddha told people to follow a special way of life
called the Noble Eightfold Path if they want to understand
the Four Noble Truths. These are: |
- Appropriate views. Know and
understand the Four Noble Truths
- Appropriate thought. Turn your mind
away from the world and towards the Dharma
- Appropriate speech. Tell the truth,
don't gossip, and don't talk badly about others
- Appropriate conduct. Don't commit
evil acts, like killing, stealing, or living an unclean
life
- Appropriate livelihood. Earn your
money in a way that doesn't harm anyone
- Appropriate effort. Work to make
your mind more good and less evil
- Appropriate mindfulness. Remember
the Dharma and apply it all the time
- Appropriate meditation. Practice
meditation as a way of understanding reality
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Five precepts
Buddhists are encouraged to follow five precepts, or
guidelines. The Buddha taught that killing, stealing, having
sex in a harmful way, and lying are not signs of skill. |
- I will not hurt a person or animal
that is alive.
- I will not take something if it was
not given to me.
- I will not engage in sexual
misconduct.
- I will not lie or say things that
hurt people.
- I will not take intoxicants, like
alcohol or drugs, causing heedlessness.
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If a person wants to be a monk or nun, he or she will follow
other precepts as well.
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 Kiddle: Buddhism
Wikipedia: Buddhism |
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