Buddhism
By Doug Spear
Renshi: Shin Sei Kan
Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people around the world. The word comes from 'budhi', 'to awaken'. It has its origins about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gotama, known as the Buddha, was himself awakened (enlightened) at the age of 35.
Buddhism goes beyond religion and is more of a philosophy or 'way of life'. Its teachings are on a life of peace, loving and kindness and wisdom and to rid the mind from a negative state of thought. It is a philosophy because philosophy 'means love of wisdom' and the Buddhist path can be summed up as:
•
To lead a moral life
To lead a moral life•To be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and
To be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and•To develop wisdom and understanding
To develop wisdom and understandingMeditation is at the heart of the Buddhist way of life. It is essentially a method for understanding and working on our own mind. We first learn to identify our different negative mental states known as ‘delusions’, and learn how to develop peaceful and positive mental states or ‘virtuous minds’.
The Buddha’s enlightenment (around 2500 years ago) has been described as involving the deepest understanding of the Four Noble Truths. He devoted the rest of his life (45 years) to teaching this “Way to the cessation of suffering” to wanderers and ordinary householders.
The Four Noble Truths
1. Dukkhā (suffering, stress, unsatisfactoriness, unfulfilment) exists
2. The origin of suffering is tahā (craving, thirst, attachment, emotional investment in desire satisfaction)
3. The cessation of dukkhā lies in cessation of tahā. The cessation of dukkhā involves Nibbāna (the extinction of defilements that spring from tahā and the ‘uncovering’ of the unconditioned mind).
4. There is a Path to the cessation of dukkhā (and hence to Nibbāna) – the Noble Eightfold Path, which involves virtue (silā), meditation (samādhi) and insight-wisdom (paññā).
Four Noble Truths in more Detail
1.Reality of Suffering: 3 levels
Reality of Suffering: 3 levels•Overt physical/mental pain
Overt physical/mental pain•Change (e.g. suffering in anticipation of pleasurable experience ending)
Change (e.g. suffering in anticipation of pleasurable experience ending)•Conditions (The Buddha said everything is dukkhā – i.e. unsatisfactory. That is, every facet of the conditioned world is impermanent (aniccā) - including our psycho-physical constitution – so is an unworthy source of permanent peace of mind and happiness)
Conditions (The Buddha said everything is dukkhā – i.e. unsatisfactory. That is, every facet of the conditioned world is impermanent (aniccā) - including our psycho-physical constitution – so is an unworthy source of permanent peace of mind and happiness)Through seeing this First Noble Truth in depth, the aspirant becomes deeply disenchanted with the conditioned world as a source for real happiness.
2. Origin of Suffering: Tahā
•Unquenchable thirst: tahā - relentless. The Buddha mentioned three objects of tahā: Tahā for objects of sense desire; Tahā for existence; Tahā for non-existence.
Unquenchable thirst: tahā - relentless. The Buddha mentioned three objects of tahā: Tahā for objects of sense desire; Tahā for existence; Tahā for non-existence.•Psychologically, the tahā is manifested in three main defilements of the mind: Greed; Aversion; Delusion.
Psychologically, the tahā is manifested in three main defilements of the mind: Greed; Aversion; Delusion. •Greed for objects of sense desire: leads to clinging and attachment, wanting to possess them. Leads to suffering since the (impermanent) object of desire will either not be gained; or will be gained and lost; or the (impermanent) mind-state, having gained the object, will become dissatisfied and look for satisfaction elsewhere.
Greed for objects of sense desire: leads to clinging and attachment, wanting to possess them. Leads to suffering since the (impermanent) object of desire will either not be gained; or will be gained and lost; or the (impermanent) mind-state, having gained the object, will become dissatisfied and look for satisfaction elsewhere. •Greed for existence: the urge to exist, to be a particular kind of person, to be wanted, accepted and respected, to live forever. Leads to suffering, since death is certain, and rejection, at some time, is inevitable.
Greed for existence: the urge to exist, to be a particular kind of person, to be wanted, accepted and respected, to live forever. Leads to suffering, since death is certain, and rejection, at some time, is inevitable.•Aversion: towards unpleasant sensations. Leads to suffering since the world will inevitably bring one in contact with unpleasant sensations. Aversion can develop towards one’s general existence if desires are frustrated often enough, creating states of depression, suicidal tendencies; hence the tahā for non-existence.
Aversion: towards unpleasant sensations. Leads to suffering since the world will inevitably bring one in contact with unpleasant sensations. Aversion can develop towards one’s general existence if desires are frustrated often enough, creating states of depression, suicidal tendencies; hence the tahā for non-existence. •Delusion: greed and aversion are symptomatic of a failure to see things the way they really are: namely, that since the nature of things in the world are impermanent, craving will never find in them lasting satisfaction, so suffering will continue on indefinitely. Through not seeing this clearly, we continue to look for lasting satisfaction in what can never produce lasting satisfaction. Intellectual recognition of such facts is still bound up with delusion, so long as tahā continues.
Delusion: greed and aversion are symptomatic of a failure to see things the way they really are: namely, that since the nature of things in the world are impermanent, craving will never find in them lasting satisfaction, so suffering will continue on indefinitely. Through not seeing this clearly, we continue to look for lasting satisfaction in what can never produce lasting satisfaction. Intellectual recognition of such facts is still bound up with delusion, so long as tahā continues. •Tahā binds a person (a bundle of processes) to the cycle of Dependent Arising for countless rebirths.
Tahā binds a person (a bundle of processes) to the cycle of Dependent Arising for countless rebirths.3. Cessation of Suffering: Nibbāna.
•If tahā is the source of suffering, then the cessation of tahā will lead to the cessation of suffering. Seeing this third Noble Truth with maximal clarity entails release from the bondage of existence and suffering: Nibbāna.
If tahā is the source of suffering, then the cessation of tahā will lead to the cessation of suffering. Seeing this third Noble Truth with maximal clarity entails release from the bondage of existence and suffering: Nibbāna. •‘Nibbāna’ literally means “blowing out” or “extinguishing”, and is thus, in this context, suggestive of an event. What is extinguished? The fires of greed, aversion and delusion.
‘Nibbāna’ literally means “blowing out” or “extinguishing”, and is thus, in this context, suggestive of an event. What is extinguished? The fires of greed, aversion and delusion. •Nibanna has also been characterized more positively as “the unconditioned”. There are passages in the suttas to suggest that Nibbāna is unconditioned by limitations, such as space and time, that govern the conditioned world. There are also passages to suggest that Nibbāna, although an exalted ‘experience’ is beyond description, so cannot be captured by words or imagined by reference to ordinary experience.
Nibanna has also been characterized more positively as “the unconditioned”. There are passages in the suttas to suggest that Nibbāna is unconditioned by limitations, such as space and time, that govern the conditioned world. There are also passages to suggest that Nibbāna, although an exalted ‘experience’ is beyond description, so cannot be captured by words or imagined by reference to ordinary experience. •The awakened person who has attained Nibbāna (termed an Arahant) is motivated by generosity, friendliness, compassion and wisdom. Every trace of greed, aversion and delusion has been eliminated from their mind (in a dispositional as well as occurant sense).
The awakened person who has attained Nibbāna (termed an Arahant) is motivated by generosity, friendliness, compassion and wisdom. Every trace of greed, aversion and delusion has been eliminated from their mind (in a dispositional as well as occurant sense).•An Arahant is not re-born into the cycle of Dependent Arising. What happens to the Arahant after death? This was a question the Buddha refused to discuss, although see Thanissaro Bhikkhu on the analogy of fire in The Mind Like Fire Unbound (on reading list).
An Arahant is not re-born into the cycle of Dependent Arising. What happens to the Arahant after death? This was a question the Buddha refused to discuss, although see Thanissaro Bhikkhu on the analogy of fire in The Mind Like Fire Unbound (on reading list). 4. The Noble Eightfold Path to the Cessation of Suffering
(Adapted from Rupert Gethin, The Foundations of Buddhism)
Right View
- Understanding the Four Noble Truths
- Wisdom
Right Intention
- Non-attachment
- Good will/loving-kindness
- Compassion
- Wisdom
Right Speech
- Refraining from false speech
- Refraining from derisive speech
- Refraining from hurtful speech
- Refraining from idle chatter
- Virtue
Right Action
- Refraining from harming living beings
- Refraining from takings what’s not given
- Refraining from sexual misconduct
- Virtue
Right Livelihood
- Not based on wrong speech and action
- Virtue
Right Effort
- To prevent unarisen unwholesome states
- To abandon arisen unwholesome states
- To arouse unarisen wholesome states
- To develop arisen wholesome states
- Meditation
Right Mindfulness
- Contemplation of body
- Contemplation of feeling
- Contemplation of mind
- Contemplation of dhammā
- Meditation
Right Concentration
- Practice of the four jhānās
- Meditation
