BUDDHISM

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BUDDHISM

• Buddhism begins with a man.
• Not Who are you? but rather What are you?
• 3. Are you a god? No.
• 4. An Angel? No.
• 5. A saint? No.
• 6 Then what are you?
• 7. Iam awake.

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His Answer Became His Title

• Sanskrit root budh denotes both to wake up and to
  know.
• Buddha, then, means The Enlightened One or The
  Awakened One.
• He awoke from the vagaries of ordinary awareness.

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Legend of Buddha

• Worlds flooded with light at his birth
• Blind received sight
• The deaf and mute conversed in ecstasy of the
  things that were to come.
• Crooked became straight
• The lame walked.
• Prisoners were freed from their chains
• Fires of hell were quenched
• Cries of beasts were hushed as peace encircled
  the earth.
• Only the evil one Mara did not rejoice

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Historical Facts

• He was born 563 B.C. in what is now Nepal near
  the Indian border.
• Full name Siddhartha Gautama of the Sakyas
• His father was a king (one of many on the
  subcontinent of India).
• His upbringing was luxurious I wore garments
  of silk and my attendants held a white umbrella
  over me. My unguents (ointments) were always from
  Banaras.
• He was exceptionally handsome.
• At 16 married a neighboring princess Yasodhara
• Son whom they called Rahula
• He had everything and was destined for fame and
  power.

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The Four Passing Sights

• When Siddhartha was born, his father wanted
  fortunetellers to find out what his future held
  for his heir.
• His career was crossed with ambiguity.
• If he stayed with the world he would unify India
  and become a great conqueror (Universal King)
• If he forsook the world he would not become a
  world conqueror but a world redeemer.
• His father was determined to steer him to the
  former.
• No effort was spared to keep the prince attached
  to the world.
• 3 palaces
• 40,000 dancing women
• Strict orders were given that no ugliness intrude
  upon courtly pleasures.
• Was to be shielded from contact with sickness,
  decrepitude, and death. Even when he went out
  runners went ahead of him and cleared the roads
  of these sights.
• One day, an old man was overlooked.
• A man decrepit, broken toothed, gray haired,
  crooked, bent, leaning on a staff, trembling.
  That day Siddhartha learned the fact of old age.
• On a second ride, Siddhartha encountered a body
  racked with disease.
• Third journey, a corpse.
• Finally on a fourth occasion he saw a monk with a
  shaven head, ochre robe, and bowl and on that day
  he learned the of the life of withdrawal from the
  world.

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2 Schools of Buddhism1. Theraveda Buddhism
Independent PeopleA. By ourselves is evil
done,By ourselves we pain endure,By ourselves
we cease from wrongBy ourselves become we
pure.No one saves us but ourselves, No one can
and noe mayWe ourselves must tread the
pathBuddhas only show the wayB. Monks Key
virtue is wisdom2. Mahayana Interdependent
PeopleA. Lay people Key virtue is
compassionB. Divided into a number of schools -
Zen Buddhism (Japanese)
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An Important Truth

• That it was the bodys inescapable involvement
  with disease, decrepitude, and death that made
  him despair of finding fulfillment on the
  physical plane.
• Life is subject to age and death.
• Where is the realm of life in which there is
  neither age nor death?
• Everything his father had done to shield him from
  the world had lost its meaning.
• I have come to understand suffering.

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The Great Going Forth

• At the age of 29 he makes a break for it.
• He plunged into the forest in search of
  enlightenment.
• 6 years
• 3 phases
• Sought out the two foremost Hindu masters. He
  learned a great deal about Raja Yoga.
• Joined a band of Ascetics. Lived an austere life.
  Ate 6 grains of rice/day.
• He had not attained enlightenment yet. He learned
  the principal of the Middle Way.
• C. Final Phase rigorous thought and mystic
  concentration.

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The Immovable Spot1. Buddha sensing that a break
through was near, sat down under peepul tree (Bo
Tree) and didnt move until enlightenment was
his.
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Night of Temptation1. The Evil One, sensing
enlightenment was near, rushed in to disrupt his
concentration. 2. Kama, the god of desire, 3
voluptuous women3. Mara, the lord of death,
assailed with hurricanes, tornados, torrential
rain, and flaming rock. (Weapons turned to flower
pedals)4. Mara challenged his right to do attain
enlightenment.
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New Being1. His mind pierced the last bubble of
the universe. 2. The Great Awakening had taken
place. 3. He had emerged as the great Buddha.4.
The event was of cosmic importance5. 10,000
galaxies shuddered in awe as lotuses bloomed on
every tree. 6. Turning the entire universe into
a bouquet of flowers whirling through the
air.7. For 49 days he was lost in rapture.
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One Last Temptation1. Mara appealed to his
reasonwhy bother? Nobody will get it.2. There
will be some that will understand.
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Tenants1. Hinduism was becoming corrupt2.
Buddha preached a religion devoid of
authority.3. He wanted to break the monopolistic
grip of the Brahmin class.4. Buddha challenged
individuals to do his/her own religious seeking
and not rely on the Brahmins. 5. Be Lamps unto
yourself.6. He preached against ritual. 7.
Religion devoid of tradition.8. Preached against
reincarnation. Whatever your caste you can make
it in this lifetime.10. Devoid of the
supernatural
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4 Noble Truths1. Dukkha Life is dislocated
(friction)2. Tanha desire 3. Overcoming4.
Eightfold Path
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Eightfold Path1. Right Views Blueprint2.
Right Intent Persistence 3.Right Speech Be
aware of the motives that prompt unkind
speech.4. Right Conduct 5 PreceptsA. Do not
killB. Do not stealC. Do not lieD. Do not be
unchasteE. Do not drink intoxicants5. Right
Livelihood Occupations that promote life
instead of destroying it.6. Right Effort
Virtues to be developed, passions to be curbed,
and destructive mind states to be expunged so
compassion and detachment can have a chance.7
Right Mindfulness All we are is the result of
what we thought. all things can be mastered by
mindfulness.8. Right Concentration Using the
techniques encountered in Raja Yoga
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Nirvana1. A state of no wind burning
cigarettes of desire are snuffed out.2. Beyond
the limitations of body, mind, thoughts,
feelings.3. There is no definition of it.
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Next 50 Years1. Found an order of monks2.
Challenged the deadness of Brahmin society3.
Trained monks4. Counseled people5. Advised and
encouraged and comforted.
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Buddha Dies1. At age 802. In the year 483
B.C.3. Died of dysentery from eating dried boar
flesh in the house of Cunda the smith. 4. He
thanks Cunda