Buddhism: The Way of Life

1
Program

• What is Buddhism talk slide show (10 mins)
• Musical instrument demo (10 mins)
• Mindfulness practice through meditation key
  points and pureland meditation (20 mins)

2
Buddhism The Way of Life- Pureland Victoria
www.pureland-victoria.org - June 16, 2004
Photo sourcehttp//www.onmarkproductions.com/html
/bibliography.shtml
3
What is Buddhism?

• Buddhism is a systematic education. It teaches
  us
• to understand ourselves, our mind, our life and
  our environment
• to escape from suffering and attain happiness

4
What is Buddhism?

• Aim to break through delusion, attain peace of
  mind and joy
• Delusion means having improper thoughts, speech
  and action.
• Delusion leads us to problems, worries and
  unhappiness.
• Eg. A harsh word spoken impulsively can cause us
  a good friend.

5
What is Buddhism?

• Our teacher
• Buddha Sakyamuni used his life experience as a
  teaching example. 
• He was born into a life of luxury. Spent his
  early years as a spoilt and sheltered son of a
  king. 

Photo sauce http//www.chuavietnam.com/bstory/pag
e5.html
6
What is Buddhism?

• When he saw the three sights of suffering old
  age, illness and death, he realised his youth,
  health and life would one day leave him.
• He realised the impermanence of all phenomena.
• On his fourth trip out he saw a shaven headed
  man, a hermit, someone that had gone forth to
  religious life.

Photo sourcehttp//www.buddhamind.info/leftside/a
rty/requiz/b-youth.htm
7
What is Buddhism?

• He went forth to seek an understanding of life
  and sufferings.
• He spent six years searching for the truth.
• Different teachers taught him different methods,
  none would end his sufferings and pain.
• He had gone through the ascetic way by
  starving himself. But in vain.

Photo source http//www.chuavietnam.com/bstory/pa
ge15.html
8
What is Buddhism?

• At this point, he realised the middle path
  indulge in extreme pleasure or extreme pain led
  us to nowhere.
• Finally, under the bodhi tree, he sat in deep
  meditation for 9 hours, and attained
  enlightenment.
•  
• He could then see the world with great clarity
  and knowledge.

Photo source http//www.indolink.com/Kidz/buddha.
html
9
What is Buddhism? Buddha Enlightenment

• We call an enlightened being the Buddha.
• An enlightened person
• understands the truth of life and the universe
• is free from suffering
• has attained eternal happiness

10
What is Buddhism? Truth Dharma

• What is the truth (Dharma)?
• Everyone has perfect wisdom and virtues within
  ourselves.
• But they are temporarily covered by greed, anger
  and ignorance.
• We can learn to eliminate greed, anger and
  ignorance through the study of sutras and
  meditation.
• We are bound by the Law of Cause and Effect.

11
What is Buddhism? The Law of Cause and Effect
Karma

• The Law of Cause and Effect Whatever we do have
  consequences.
• Wholesome deeds result in good return
• Bad conducts result in misfortune

12
What is Buddhism? The Law of Cause and Effect
Karma

• Karma means action. There is good karma, bad
  karma, and Pure Karma.
• Pure karma deeds that are performed out of
  perfect wisdom and virtues
• Our karma resulted in six realms
• Heaven
• Asura
• Human
• Animal
• Hungry Ghost
• Hell

Photo source http//www.onmarkproductions.com/htm
l/kannon.shtml
13
What is Buddhism? The Law of Cause and Effect
Karma
What is Buddhism? The Law of Cause and Effect
Karma

• If we are not mindful of our karma, we will move
  within the Six Realms based on our deeds.
• This is the cycle of rebirth
• There is no infinite happiness in the Six Realms

Photo source http//www.onmarkproductions.com/htm
l/six-states.shtml
14
What is Buddhism? The Law of Cause and Effect
Karma

• If we have performed many good deeds, that is, we
  have accumulated a lot of good karma, we will be
  reborn in the upper levels of the six realms and
  vice versa.
• There is more suffering than happiness in the
  lower realms.
• There is mixed happiness and suffering in the
  human realm.
• There is much enjoyment in the Heaven and Ausura
  realms. But, the enjoyment is not infinite.
  Suffering will arise when the accumulated good
  karma is used up.
• Only pure karma can help us escape the Six Realms.

15
What is Buddhism? The Law of Cause and Effect
Karma

• Buddha taught us to cultivate our mind through
  meditation so that we can regain our perfect
  wisdom and compassion. Then, our every thought,
  speech and action will result in pure karma.
• The Buddha Remembrance meditation method is the
  easiest way to achieve happiness and wisdom, and
  to attain enlightenment.
• We will have a short meditation exercise later
  in this session.

Photo source http//www.ammusart.com/html/small_b
uddha.html
16
What is Buddhism? Teaching Aids

• Buddha used many teaching aids
• Images
• Objects
• Sounds and music
• Architecture

17
Teaching Aids Images Amitabha Buddha

• In many occasion, Shakyamuni Buddha spoke of
  another Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, who lived on
  earth countless aeons ago.
• Amitabha Infinite life and
• infinite light, that is,
• infinite in everything
• Famous for his Great Vows that
• created Western Pure Land Paradise,
• a place of eternal happiness

18
Teaching Aids Images Sakyamuni Buddha

• Sakya kindness to others
• Muni stillness and purity
• within ourselves
• Three fingers - three poisons
• Greed
• Anger
• Ignorance

19
Teaching Aids Images Di Zhang Bodhisattva

• Di Zhang Mother Earth
• He reminds us of
• Filial Piety
• Love and care for our parents
• Respect for our teachers
• These are the foundation of life
• We depend on them to conduct
• our lives
• Just like we depends
• on the earth for survival

20
Teaching Aids Images Guan Yin Bodhisattva

• Symbol of compassion
• Guan observe
• Yin voice of suffering
• Thousands hands and
• eyes to answer all
• calls of help

Photo source http//www.onmarkproductions.com/htm
l/kannon.shtml
21
Teaching Aids Images Laughing Buddha

• Smiling face brings other happiness
• Big belly Broad mindedness
• Sac Unconditional help
• Let Go
• Serve others

Photo source http//www.onmarkproductions.com/htm
l/hotei.shtml
22
Teaching Aids - Objects Offering Table

• On the offering table we will see
• several objects. They are teaching
• aids, not objects of worship.
• A glass of water Pure mind
• Flowers - cause
• Fruits effect
• Lamps wisdom and brightness
• Incense
• Concentration
• Giving ourselves to serve others

23
Conclusion

• The essence of Buddhas teachings
• Avoid all evil
• Embrace all goodness
• Purify ones own mind

Photo source http//www.onmarkproductions.com/htm
l/calligraphy1.shtml
24

• Left Blank

25
Water Crystals ExperimentEffects of Purity of
Water on Crystal Formations

Photo source http//www.life-enthusiast.com/twili
ght/research_emoto.htm
26
Water Crystals ExperimentEffects of Prayers on
Crystal Formations
Photo source http//www.life-enthusiast.com/twili
ght/research_emoto.htm
27
Water Crystals ExperimentEffects of Music on
Crystal Formations
Photo source http//www.life-enthusiast.com/twili
ght/research_emoto.htm
28
Water Crystals ExperimentEffects of Words on
Crystal Formations
You made me sick, I want to kill
you! Soul Thank you
Photo source http//www.life-enthusiast.com/twili
ght/research_emoto.htm
29
Water Crystals ExperimentEffects of People on
Crystal Formations
Photo source http//www.life-enthusiast.com/twili
ght/research_emoto.htm
30

• Left Blank

31
Meditation Text

• ? ? ? ? ? ?
• Xi fang ji le shi jie
• ? ? ? ?
• Da ci da bei
• ? ? ? ?
• a mi tuo fo

The great compassion of Amitaba Buddha from
the Western Pure Land Paradise
32

• The End