Buddhism

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Buddhism
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Profound Differences

• Christianity

• Buddhism

• Human Person
• Eternal, enduring, substantial soul
• Final Destination
• Heaven or Hell Final Judgment
• Method to Achieving Goal
• Accepting of revealed doctrinal Truths of Bible
  Love of God, Neighbor, Self

• Human Person
• Illusionary, temporary collection of 6
  aggregates, empty marked by Annica
  (impermanence), and dukkha (suffering)
• Final Destination
• Nirvana an extinguishing of consciousness
  non-existent union with the All
• Method to Achieving Goal
• Achieve wisdom through meditation and
  non-attachment

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A. Introduction

• Began in Northern India (Nepal) around 530 BCE
• A reaction to Hinduism
• Polytheism
• Corruption of the caste system
• Buddhism stems from "Buddha", meaning he who is
  awake, who "woke up, the Awakened One

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B. Siddhartha, the prince

• Born in Nepal (566-486 BCE)
• Born to King Suddhodhana and Queen Mahamaya
• Tradition Siddharthas father given prophecy
  son would be mighty ruler OR enlightened ascetic
  leading others to enlightenment

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• Father driven to make sure his son would become
  his successor
• Refused to expose Siddhartha to lifes miseries
• Sid eventually married (16) and had a son

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1. The Four Passing Sights

• While on a pleasure excursion, Siddhartha notices
  an 1) an old man 2) a diseased man 3) burial of
  corpse 4) wandering ascetic or holy man
• Sid questions servant, Channa, who exposes Sid to
  the truths and realities of life denied him
• Sid is reduced to tears and suffering

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• Sid finally feels the pains of life and develops
  huge compassion for all humans
• Sees wandering ascetic and wonders
• Should he abandon
• Luxury?
• Power?
• Family?

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2. The Great Going Forth

• At 29, leaves everything to become a forest
  dweller
• Joined five other ascetics
• For six years slept on ground, ate only enough
  to live

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ASCETICISM

• Assumption embrace the physical, lose soul
• Deny body save soul very dualistic

Spirit
Body
Body
Spirit
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3. Doctrine of the Middle Way

• Sid. realized an unhealthy body not conducive to
  spiritual development

Body
Spirit
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4. Buddhas Enlightenment

• Sitting under a fig tree (Bo Tree, from bodhi
  wisdom)
• Experiences enlightenment sees true nature of
  his existence
• Buddha rejects Hindu teaching of Atman (the
  eternal, True-Self)
• develops doctrine of No-Self, or Anatman

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• Anatman idea that nothing has a permanent,
  unchanging character.
• Everything in constant state of flux or change
  (no-self)
• More one realizes no-self, the more connected,
  the more interrelated you become to all others,
  and all things.
• Doctrine of the Middle Way, or Middle Path is key
  to achieving no-self
• Essentially a psychological training and
  discipline of mind and body

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Buddhas Enlightenment

• Realized his existence was a temporary collection
  of mental and physical sensations
• Experienced pleasure when needs were met pain
  when they were not
• Practice of mindfulness a self-analysis
• rather than subduing his sensory or mental
  experiences, simply sat and watched them arise
  and fall

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C. The Dharma (Teaching Doctrines)

• Four Noble Truths
• Eightfold Path
• Five Precepts
• Three Marks of Existence
• Nirvana

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1. The Four Noble Truths

• 1) Dukkha reality of suffering dis-ease of life
• 2) Tanha desire, or attachment, as root cause of
  Dukkha
• 3) Nirodha ending of suffering is possible
• 4) Magga (the cure) The Eightfold Path is the
  Path to Enlightenment

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Three Categories/Practices of Eightfold Path

• Not very strict categories Main idea is that
  the inner life influences the outer life
• 1.) Morality moral action brings about good
  Meditation
• 2) Meditation brings about wisdom
• 3) Wisdom gives rise to right moral actions

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2. The Eightfold Path A Course of Treatment for
Lifes ills

1. Right Intentions
2. Right Speech
3. Right Views
4. Right Conduct

1. Right Livelihood
2. Right Effort
3. Right Mindfulness
4. Right Meditation

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For Now.

• How might the Eightfold Path be categorized by
  these three practices?
• Morality Meditation Wisdom

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3. The Five Precepts

• Buddhist Morality All lay Buddhists (Sangha, or
  community) are to refrain from
• Destroying life
• Stealing
• Sexual misconduct monastics abstain
• Untrue, deceitful speech
• Using intoxicants

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4. The Three Marks of Existence

• Dukkha (suffering)
• Life has become disordered
• Anicca (impermanence)
• The realization of change
• Anatta (no-self)
• Since all things change, including the Self,
  there cannot be a permanent Self

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5. Nirvana

• Nirvana literally to blow outthe flames of
  desire
• possible to achieve in this lifetime
• Selfish desire brings bad karma, keeping
  individual in samsara
• A bodhisattva (Buddha in the making) enlightened
  teacher who vows to lead all others to
  enlightenment key ethic of compassion

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Sacred Places and Spaces

• Temples (Therevadas)
• places of communal meditation and offerings
• Monks perform religious rites
• Stupas relics of Buddha or his followers
• Mahayana temples images of many other
  enlightened individuals (buddhas)
• Pagodas large stupas usually decorated domes

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Places of Pilgrimages

• Lumbini Gardens
• Birth of Siddartha
• Bodh Gaya
• Bodhi tree where Buddha achieved enlightenment
• Sarnath
• Deer Park where the Buddha gave first sermon
• Kushinara
• Traditional death of the Buddha

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D. The Rafts (Sects)

• Mahayana
• Vajrayana / Tibetan
• Chan / Zen
• Hinayana / Theravada

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Theravadan Monks atop a monastery
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Mahayana Monks
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2a. Tibetan / Vajrayana

• Vehicle of the Diamond
• Dates back to 200 CE in Tibet
• Has an official hierarchy lamas teachers
• Dalai Lama ocean of wisdom
• Goal is to fight selfish desires by focusing on
  good desires
• Mantras monotonous, hypnotic, repeated phrases
• Mudras choreographed hand movements
• Mandalas and thangkas artistic symbols used to
  excite the senses

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The Dalai Lamathe 14th reincarnation of the
Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avilokiteshvara
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A thangka or yantra
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A mandala