Buddhism

Story

Early Life

Buddha was the son of a wealthy king. Soon after his birth eight wise scholars predicted his future, all giving the same prediction: that the baby
would either become a great king or a great holy man.

Four sights

At the age of 29 Siddhartha left his palace to meet his subjects. Despite

his father's efforts to hide from him the sick, aged and suffering,

Siddhartha was said to have seen an old man. When his charioteer Channa

explained to him that all people grew old, the prince went on further trips

beyond the palace. On these he encountered a diseased man, a decaying

corpse, and an ascetic (known as The Four Sights)

Life of an Ascetic

Siddhartha gave up his princely life, renouncing both his family and his
wealth. Buddha then lived the life of a beggar

They tried to find enlightenment through deprivation of worldly goods,

including food, practising self-mortification. After nearly starving himself

to death by restricting his food intake to around a leaf or nut per day, he

collapsed in a river while bathing and almost drowned. Siddhartha began to

reconsider his path.

Awakening

After realizing that meditative dhyana was the right path to awakening, but

that extreme asceticism didn't work, Gautama discovered what Buddhists

call the Middle Way a path of moderation away from the extremes of selfindulgence and self-mortification, or the Noble Eightfold Path. He sat

beneath the Bodhi Tree and vowed never to arise until he had found the

truth. After a reputed 49 days of meditation, at the age of 35, he is said to

have attained Enlightenment.

Symbols

Dharma Wheel

Features 8 Spokes to represent The Noble Eightfold Path.

The Buddha is known as the Wheel-Turner: he who sets a

new cycle of teachings in motion and in consequence

changes the course of destiny.

The three Jewels

The Buddha – The Historical Buddha, Cosmic Buddhas or inner BuddhaNature (depending on Tradition)

The Dharma – The Teachings of The Buddha, The Way, The Path

The Sangha – The Buddhist Community (Lay and Monastic)

3 poisons

The root cause of human suffering, usuall seen in the center

of ‘The Wheel of Life’ art:

Greed or Attachment (Lobha) [The Cockrel]

Anger or Aversion (Dosa) [The Snake]

Delusion (Moha) [The Pig]

The Lotus

Grows in the filth of muddy

water (the world) yet flowers

towards the heavens: the

lotus symbolises the spiritual

path and the capacity for all

beings to reach nibbana.

The Conch

which is also used as a horn,

symbolises the deep, far

reaching and melodious sound

of the Buddha’s teachings: it

awakens all who hear it from

the slumber of ignorance.

The endless Knot

(shrivatsa) symbolises the

nature of reality where

everything is interrelated

and only exists as part of

an endless web of karma

and its effect.

Beliefs

Humans can end their suffering by attaining Nibbana (enlightenment)

Nibbana means liberation from samsara: the endless process of death, suffering and rebirth.

The Four Noble Truths teach that suffering (dukkha) is caused by desire, clining and

atachment.

Annica (impermanence) – All conditioned things change, nothing lasts forever. Avoid attachment.

5 Anatta (no-self) – People are not what they think they are: there is no soul or fixed self.

6 The Four Noble Truths teach that following The Eightfold Path will end suffering.

7 Ignorance is one of ‘The Three Poisons, Buddhists are dedicated to pursuit of ultimate Truth.

8 Moral conduct is essential to ending one’s own suffering: Buddhists live by The Five Precepts

9 Dependant Origination (nothing exists independently of other things) and Sunyatta (Empiness)

10 It is best to aboid extremes and extreme views by sticking to The Middle Path

Teachings

The four Noble Truths

Life is suffering

The First Noble Truth often is translated as "Life is suffering." Many people new to Buddhism

tune out as soon as they hear this. But the Pali word dukkha also refers to anything that is

temporary, conditional, or compounded of other things. Even something precious and enjoyable is

dukkha, because it will end. Related to the nature of life is the nature of self. Are we not also

temporary, conditional and compounded of many parts? We can understand that life is

impermanent but are we, also, impermanent? The Buddha taught that before we can understand

life and death we must understand the self.

The Cause of suffering is want

The Second Noble Truth teaches that the cause of suffering is craving or thirst (tanha). We

continually search for something outside ourselves to make us happy. But no matter how

successful we are, we never remain satisfied. The Buddha taught that this thirst grows from

ignorance of the self. We go through life grabbing one thing after another to get a sense of

security about ourselves.

We attach not only to physical things, but also to ideas and opinions about ourselves and the

world around us. Then we grow frustrated when the world doesn't behave the way we think it

should and our lives don't conform to our expectations. The Buddha's teachings on karma and

rebirth are closely related to the Second Noble Truth.

Suffering Can End

The Buddha's teachings on the Four Noble Truths are sometimes compared to a physician

diagnosing an illness and prescribing a treatment. The first truth tells us what the illness is, and

the second truth tells us what causes the illness. The Third Noble Truth holds out hope for a

cure. The Buddha taught that through diligent practice, we can put an end to craving. Ending the

hamster-wheel chase after satisfaction is enlightenment (bodhi, "awakened"). The enlightened

being exists in a state called Nirvana.

Anyone can overcome Suffering

In the Fourth Noble Truth, the Buddha as physician prescribes the

treatment for our illness: The Eightfold Path. Unlike in many other

religions, in Buddhism there is no particular benefit to merely believing in a

doctrine. Instead, the emphasis is on living the doctrine and walking the

path. S

The Eight Fold Path

Right Veiw

Right Resolve

Right Meditation

Right Speech

Right Mindfulness

Right Conduct

Right Effort

Right Livelihood

The 12 Nidanas

Ignorance

Mental

Status consciousness

"Name" and "Form"

The six senses

Contact

Feelings

Cravings/longings/desires

Clinging to

Generation of factors for Rebirth

Birth

All the sufferings

Due to ignorance (of underlying realities of existence) we
process/ferment what comes to our mind.

This processing/fermentation causes karma to form and mould
the status consciousness (vinyana).

The functioning/existence of the status consciousness has a
close association with regards to sustaining life (one's existence)

"Name" and "Form" describes the non-material and material components of one's existence. "Name" are the constituents one's mind, consciousness and ideas... "Form" (material) are the constituents of the body (made of solids, liquids, gasses...).

The six sense bases of perception are composed of "Name" (the mind/vinyana...components) and "Form" (the solids, liquids, gasses... components)

When the six sense bases of perception comes in contact with entities (ex. eye with external world, nose with fragrances, mind with thoughts/memories...), they generate feelings (in the mind).

When the six sense bases of perception comes in contact with entities (ex. eye with external world, nose with fragrances, mind with thoughts/memories...), they generate feelings (in the mind).

Next we generate/get desires for these feelings.

These desires makes one "cling onto" them (wanting more...).

10, 11. This clinging causes the generation of causations/factors (karma) that causes/leads/drags one into future births, so that such accumulated karma can take effect, can materialise... (The generation of sankhara /karma due to attachments, desires, longings, cravings... or due to the aversions, angers, hates. generated during the cause of such quests/pursuits will lead

generated during the cause of such quests/pursuits... will lead one through eternal samsara resulting in the generation of yet further causations/karma, requiring further... Thus bonding one into this eternal journey...)

Then once one gets into a birth, one undergoes/endures all
the sufferings associated with such

Types of Buddhism

Zen Buddhism (Mahayana)

Pure Land Buddhism (Mahayana)

Tibetan Buddhism (Mahayana)

Theravada Buddhism

Zazen: usually with open or half-closed eyes

Meditation plays a more central role in this form of Buddhism than any other.

Mindfulness

Inaction, “Just sitting”

Not using visualisations

Letting go of thoughts and beliefs, not engaging in philosophical speculation

Present moment awareness

Acceptance of what is given in the moment

Silence, less use of chanting

Emphasis on realisation of Buddha-Nature, discovery of ‘Original Mind’

Chanting

Chanting the name of Amitahba Buddha

 Visualising Amitahba Buddha in his Buddhafield/Pure Land

Visualising The Pure Land

Aiming to be reborn in The Pure Land

Uses a greater variety of medittion techniques than other forms of Buddhism

Mindfulness of Breathing exercises

Metta meditation to foster loving-kindness

Visualisation exercises for healing the body and mind

Use of chanting (Om Mani Padme Hum)

Vipassana meditation

Mindfulness of breath is a central focus.

Metta meditation is common, especially in the Thai Forrest Tradition

Rules

10 Precepts

Refrain from killing living creatures.

Refrain from stealing.

Refrain from unchastity (sensuality, sexuality, lust).

Refrain from incorrect speech.

Refrain from taking intoxicants.

Refrain from taking food at inappropriate times (after noon).

Refrain from singing, dancing, playing music or attending

entertainment programs (performances).

Refrain from wearing perfume, cosmetics

and garlands (decorative accessories).

Refrain from sitting on high chairs and sleeping on luxurious,

soft beds.

Refrain from accepting money.