Buddhism: Basic Beliefs How did Buddhism begin?

About 2500 years ago, a prince named Siddhartha Gautama began to question his sheltered, luxurious life in the palace. He left the palace and sa four sights! a sic" man, an old man, a dead man and a mon". #hese sights are said to ha$e sho n him that e$en a prince cannot escape illness, suffering and death. #he sight of the mon" told Siddhartha to lea$e his life as a prince and become a andering holy man, see"ing the ans ers to questions li"e %&hy must people suffer'% %&hat is the cause of suffering'% Siddartha spent many years doing many religious practices such as praying, meditating, and fasting until he finally understood the basic truths of life. #his reali(ation occurred after sitting under a )oplar*figtree in +odh Gaya, ,ndia for many days, in deep meditation. He gained enlightenment, or nir$ana, and as gi$en the title of +uddha, hich means -nlightened .ne. What did Buddha teach? +uddha disco$ered #hree /ni$ersal #ruths and 0our 1oble #ruths, hich he then taught to the people for the next 25 years. Three Universal Truths 3. -$erything in life is impermanent and al ays changing. 2. +ecause nothing is permanent, a life based on possessing things or persons doesn4t ma"e you happy. 5. #here is no eternal, unchanging soul and %self% is 6ust a collection of changing characteristics or attributes. Four Noble Truths 3. Human life has a lot of suffering. 2. #he cause of suffering is greed. 5. #here is an end to suffering. 2. #he ay to end suffering is to follo the 7iddle )ath. +uddha then taught people not to orship him as a god. He said they should ta"e responsibility for their o n li$es and actions. He taught that the 7iddle &ay as the ay to nir$ana. #he 7iddle &ay meant not leading a life of luxury and indulgence but also not one of too much fasting and hardship. #here are eight guides for follo ing the 7iddle path. The Eightfold Path 3. 8ight understanding and $ie point 9based on the 0our 1oble #ruths:. 2. 8ight $alues and attitude 9compassion rather than selfishness:.

5. 8ight speech 9don4t tell lies, a$oid harsh, abusi$e speech, a$oid gossip:. 2. 8ight action 9help others, li$e honestly, don4t harm li$ing things, ta"e care of the en$ironment:. 5. 8ight or" 9do something useful, a$oid 6obs hich harm others:. ;. 8ight effort 9encourage good, helpful thoughts, discourage un holesome destructi$e thoughts:. <. 8ight mindfulness 9be a are of hat you feel, thin" and do:. =. 8ight meditation 9calm mind, practice meditation hich leads to nir$ana:. What is meditation? 7editation is an essential practice to most +uddhists. +uddhists loo" ithin themsel$es for the truth and understanding of +uddha4s teachings. #hey see" enlightenment, or nir$ana, this ay. 1ir$ana is freedom from needless suffering and being fully ali$e and present in one4s life. ,t is not a state that can really be described in ords ** it goes beyond ords. 7editation means focusing the mind to achie$e an inner stillness that leads to a state of enlightenment. 7editation ta"es many forms. ,t can be sitting quietly beside a beautiful arrangement of roc"s, contemplating beauty. ,t can be practicing a martial art such as "arate or ai"ido since they require mental and physical control and strong concentration. ,t can mean focusing on a riddle such as %&hat is the sound of one hand clapping'% ,t can be contemplating a hai"u or short poem that captures a moment in time. ,t can be in a meditation room of a monastery. ,t can in$ol$e chanting. ,t can in$ol$e the use of a mandala to focus attention to the in$isible point at the center of interloc"ing triangles. ,t can in$ol$e quietly noticing one4s breath as it goes in and out ,t can happen any here at any time. Where are Buddha s words written down? After +uddha died, his teachings ere gradually ritten do n from hat people remembered. #he ripita"a, or #he #hree +as"ets, is a collection of +uddha4s sayings, his thoughts about them, and rules for +uddhists mon"s. #he 8ipita"a as first ritten on palm lea$es hich ere collected together in bas"ets.

!f Buddhism began in !ndia" wh# is it all over some man# eastern countries? #here are o$er 500 million +uddhists today. After +uddha4s death, some of his follo ers had some differences of opinion hich e$entually led to their brea"ing a ay and forming separate "inds of +uddhism. #here are t o main types, #hera$ada, hich spread to Sri >an"a, 7yanmar, #hailand, ?ambodia and >aos, and 7ahayana hich spread to 1epal, @iet 1am, ?hina, Aorea and Bapan. 7ahayana too" on aspects of the cultures here it as practiced and became three distinct branches! @a6rayana +uddhism or #ibetan +uddhism, )ure >and +uddhism and Cen +uddhism. The Five Prece$ts -$en though each form of +uddhism too" on its o n identity, all +uddhists follo a set of guidelines for daily life called the 0i$e )recepts. #hese are! 3. Do not harm or "ill li$ing things. 2. Do not ta"e things unless they are freely gi$en. 5. >ead a decent life. 2. Do not spea" un"indly or tell lies. 5. Do not abuse drugs or drin" alcohol.

%& 'E%TH !( )E*T%!N 3. #here is no possible ay to escape death. 1o*one e$er has, not e$en Besus, +uddha, etc. .f the current orld population of o$er 5 billion people, almost none ill be ali$e in 300 years time. 2. >ife has a definite, inflexible limit and each moment brings us closer to the finality of this life. &e are dying from the moment e are born. 5. Death comes in a moment and its time is unexpected. All that separates us from the next life is one breath. ?on$iction! #o practise the spiritual path and ripen our inner potential by culti$ating positi$e mental qualities and abandoning disturbing mental qualities. B& THE T!+E ,F 'E%TH !( UN)E*T%!N 2. #he duration of our lifespan is uncertain. #he young can die before the old, the healthy before the sic", etc. 5. #here are many causes and circumstances that lead to death, but fe that fa$our the sustenance of life. -$en things that sustain life can "ill us, for example food, motor $ehicles, property. ;. #he ea"ness and fragility of one4s physical body contribute to life4s uncertainty. #he body can be easily destroyed by disease or accident, for example cancer, A,DS, $ehicle accidents, other disasters.

?on$iction! #o ripen our inner potential no , ithout delay. )& THE ,N-. TH!N/ TH%T )%N HE-P U( %T THE T!+E ,F 'E%TH !( ,U* +ENT%-0(P!*!TU%- 'E1E-,P+ENT 9because all that goes on to the next life is our mind ith its "armic 9positi$e or negati$e: imprints.: <. &orldly possessions such as ealth, position, money can4t help =. 8elati$es and friends can neither pre$ent death nor go ith us. E. -$en our o n precious body is of no help to us. &e ha$e to lea$e it behind li"e a shell, an empty hus", an o$ercoat. ?on$iction! #o ripen our inner potential purely, ithout staining our efforts ith attachment to orldly concerns. #he second meditation simulates or rehearses the actual death process. Ano ledge of this process is particularly important because ad$anced practitioners can engage in a series of yogas that are modelled on death, intermediate state 9#ibetan! bar*do: and rebirth until they gain such control o$er them that they are no longer sub6ect to ordinary uncontrolled death and rebirth.

)H%*T 2: F!*(T ).)-E ,F (!+U-T%NE,U( '!((,-UT!,N Factor dissolving earth element aggregate of forms E3ternal sign body becomes $ery thin, limbs looseF sense that body is sin"ing under the earth limbs become smaller, body becomes ea" and po erless !nternal sign

basic mirror*li"e isdom 9our ordinary consciousness that clearly sight becomes unclear and dar" appearance of mirages percei$es many ob6ects simultaneously: eye sense colours and shapes one cannot open or close eyes lustre of body diminishesF one4s strength is consumed

. )H%*T 4: (E),N' ).)-E ,F (!+U-T%NE,U( '!((,-UT!,N Factor dissolving ater element E3ternal sign sali$a, s eat, urine, blood and regenerati$e fluid dry greatly body consciousness can no longer experience the three types of feelings that accompany sense consciousnesses !nternal sign

aggregate of feelings 9pleasure, pain and neutrality:

basic isdom of equality 9our ordinary consciousness mindful of pleasure, pain and neutral feelings as feelings: ear sense

one is no longer mindful of the feelings accompanying the appearance of smo"e mental consciousness

one no longer hears external or internal sounds 4ur4 sound in ears no longer arises

sounds .

)H%*T 5: TH!*' ).)-E ,F (!+U-T%NE,U( '!((,-UT!,N Factor dissolving fire element aggregate of discrimination basic isdom of analysis 9our ordinary consciousness mindful of the indi$idual names, purposes and so forth of E3ternal sign one cannot digest food or drin" one is no longer mindful of affairs of close persons one can no longer remember the names of close persons appearance of fireflies or spar"s ithin smo"e !nternal sign

close persons: nose sense odours . )H%*T 6: F,U*TH ).)-E ,F (!+U-T%NE,U( '!((,-UT!,N Factor dissolving ind element E3ternal sign the ten inds mo$e to heartF inhalation and exhalation ceases !nternal sign inhalation ea", exhalation strong and lengthy one cannot smell

aggregate of compositional one cannot perform physical factors actions basic isdom of achie$ing acti$ities 9our ordinary one is no longer mindful of consciousness mindful of external orldly acti$ities, external acti$ities, purposes purposes and so forth and so forth: tongue becomes thic" and shortF root of tongue becomes blue one cannot experience tastes one cannot experience smoothness or roughness

appearance of a sputtering butter*lamp about to go out

tongue sense

tastes body sense and tangible ob6ects .

)H%*T 7: F!FTH T, E!/TH ).)-E( ,F '!((,-UT!,N Factor dissolving F!FTH ).)-E eighty conceptions inds in right and left channels at first, burning butter* )ause of a$$earance !nternal sign

abo$e heart enter central channel at top of head (!8TH ).)-E mind of hite appearance

lampF then, clear $acuity filled ith hite light

inds in right and left channels $ery clear $acuity filled belo heart enter central ith red light channel at base of spine

(E1ENTH ).)-E mind of red increase at first, $acuity filled upper and lo er inds gather at ith thic" dar"nessF heartF then inds enter drop at then as if s ooning heart unconsciously

E!/HTH ).)-E mind of blac" near* attainment $ery clear $acuity free all inds dissol$e into the $ery of the hite, red and subtle life*bearing ind in the blac" appearances * the indestructible drop at the heart mind of clear light of death

Buddhist !nfluences on 9a$anese )ulture Buddhism in 'ail# -ife +uddhism as a li$ing religion is not a system of dogma or temple buildings, but a ay of life. ,t is not a mystical or speculati$e experience hich only qualified persons can acquire but a spontaneous experience manifested in daily life and accessible to anyone, regardless of sex, position, ideology, or character. ,n this sense, e can see the +uddhist influence among the Bapanese people in $arious aspects of their ay of life. #he follo ing are some of the examples hich can be singled out in daily life as distinctly +uddhist. a) Grace at Meals Almost all Bapanese express their than"fulness hen they ta"e meals. GItadakimasu is the ord spo"en before meals, meaning G&ith than"fulness, , accept this meal by reflecting on my o n or", to see hether , deser$e it.H After meals, one says

Ggochisosama, hich means G7ay this offering be ell recei$ed to "eep my body in good health and to fulfill the good ishes of all beings.H Although the original meaning is completely lost and such ords are automatically uttered, they con$ey the profound +uddhist teaching of than"fulness to all beings ho gi$e them life in this orld. &hen ardent +uddhists say these ords, they put their hands together in prayer called gassho. b) Daily Greetings #he Bapanese often express their gratitude by saying Garigato hich literally means G, am obligedH and express their regret by saying Gsumimasen hich means Gexcuse me!I .ne might say sumimasen ha$ing 6ust had oneIs cigarette lit by a stranger, instead of Garigato. >ogic tells us that there is no need to feel sorry for getting hat one ants, but the Bapanese feel $ery strongly about obligations to others, and this feeling permeates their $ocabulary. +y saying Gsumimasen, one ac"no ledges that one has not yet properly reciprocated the otherIs "indness. 0oreigners ill encounter this sort of politeness and thoughtfulness often hen they meet Bapanese people. c) The Game of 9an:en (Scissors, Paper, Rock) Janken is perhaps the most popular game hich the Bapanese, young and old, play hen deciding a tri$ial issue. ,t is played by thrusting forth the right hand simultaneously ith the other player and extending or curling the fingers and thumb to represent the shape of scissors, paper, or roc". Scissors defeat paper because a pair of scissors can cut paperF roc" beats scissors because scissors cannot cut roc"F and paper defeats roc" because it can be rapped around a roc". #his game con$eys the profound +uddhist teaching of interdependence and relati$eness. d) Furoshi:i (Japanese rapping !loth) Furoshiki, a handy piece of cloth for rapping up and carrying almost anything, is used by the Bapanese in their e$eryday life. A square piece of any fabric ill ma"e a furoshiki hich can be folded up and put into oneIs poc"et or bag hen not in use. ,t can also be used as a rope hen t isted. >i"e ise, Bapanese soc"s, obi aist sashes, "imono, ooden clogs, or slippers ha$e flexible usage and can be made to fit almost anyone. Such multipurposefulness of things Bapanese reminds one of the 7ahayana +uddhist teaching of no outer*limitation or extension. e) Dar"ma Dolls #he Bapanese are $ery fond of the stout and round Daruma dolls hich al ays rebound upright. #hese Daruma dolls are symbols of good luc" and are usually purchased during the 1e JearIs festi$al ith their eyes not yet painted in. .ne eye is painted at the time of praying for a particular ish and if the ish comes true, the second eye is painted in.

'aruma 'olls serve as good luc: charms ,n this ay, the DarumaIs eyes are finally opened. #he dolls come in all si(es and are made after the famous ,ndian +uddhist mon", +odhidharma, the founder of Cen +uddhism in ?hina ho is reputed to ha$e lost his legs after sitting for eight years in meditation. #he popular saying, Gstumbling se$en times and righting oneself eight li"e DarumaFH is attributed to the legend of +odhidharma, ho endured all "inds of hardships and ne$er ga$e up. f) ,rigami (#olding Paper #ig"res) /nli"e Bapanese painting, gardens, or flo er arrangement, origami follo s a precise and determined pattern go$erned by the mechanics of folding and by the shape hich is to be constructed.

!n ,rigami man# sha$es can be made with a single sheet of $a$er @arious paper models of cranes, boats, flo ers, des"s, boxes, and trays can be made by folding colored paper. #he design deri$es from the intricate pattern of lines and paper surfaces meeting at $arious angles to form an ob6ect. Although paper itself is perishable, the idea of immortali(ing such an ephemeral substance by uni$ersali(ing its shape is distinctly +uddhist. g) Furo (The Japanese $ath) )erhaps no other people are as fond of ta"ing baths as the Bapanese. #hey ta"e a bath at least once a day, usually right before going to bed. &hile the custom of ta"ing a bath properly started early in Bapanese history for reasons of health and sanitation, it as gi$en additional impetus after the introduction of +uddhism in the sixth century. ,n +uddhism, cleanliness is next to godliness, hich connected bathing ith ablution and purification. ,t is no doubt that the abundance of hot springs in the $olcanic islands of Bapan encouraged this custom of ta"ing baths.