WORLD RELIGIONS: Buddhism

Buddhism
What is Buddhism?
Ø 5th largest religion in the world
o Religion of about 300 million people around the world
Ø Word comes from “Bhudi”--- “to awaken”
Ø Origins about 2,500 years ago
o When Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) was himself awaken (enlighten) at the age of 35.
o Older than Christianity and Slam
o Founded in 563 B.C
o Began to spread round 230 B.C:
§ Siri Lanka (Ceylon)
§ 600- 700 A.D- South Asia, China, Korea
§ 6th Century- Japan
Ø There are different types of Buddhism:
§ Therevada, Mahayana, Zen, Pure Land, Vajrayana, Tibetan
· Why are there different types of Buddhism?
o Because each country establishes their belief system to what the Buddha offered.
Buddhism a Religion?
Ø Is more of a philosophy than a way of life
Ø Buddhist path can be summed up as:
o Lead a Moral Life
o Be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions
o Develop wisdom and understanding
Ø Buddhism explain a purpose of life
o Explain apparent in justice and inequality around the world
o Provides a code of practice that lead to true happiness.
Ø Buddha was not a God
o He considered himself a man who taught a path to enlightenment from his own experience
o The buddha’s image is respected but not in worship nor to ask for favors.
o Buddhism is more of an understanding than Faith
o Buddhism was summed up into 4 noble of truths and the noble eight path
Ø Buddha taught that all individuals have the potential to seek the truth on their own.
Ø Buddha teaches that an individual to seek the truth on their own
Ø An individual have the power to liberate themselves from bondage through his own personal efforts and intelligence
o Our salvation from suffering lies only in our own efforts
o This is difficult to understand for the western religion because they stress community and direction from the clergy

Ø Buddhism challenge individuals to do their own religious seeking
Ø “Buddhism deals more with humanism and the arts of living daily life than with supernatural authority or metaphysical Conjectures” (pg.141)
Ø “Buddha made no cosmic speculations about heaven and hell, death, or how the world was created--- instead he offered his followers a way to understand and cope with their present existence.” (p. 141)
4 Noble Truth
Ø The core of belief, and practice every type of Buddhism adhere
Ø Each one flows after the other
o 1st noble truth: (Dukkha)
§ Life is suffering
§ “birth is suffering, aging is suffering, craving is suffering, envy is suffering” (p. 141-132)
o 2nd Noble of truth: (tanha)
§ Concerns with the origin of suffering
§ Suffering that is caused by craving, self-desire, envy, greed, ignorance
· Could also come from seeking great wealth and Status
§ By developing the mind, thinking carefully and meditation--- will help to get rid of suffering, reach happiness, and Enlightenment.
o 3rd Noble of truth:
§ Refer to as the end of suffering
· By removing the unhappiness caused by craving. Seeing clearly the truth of yourself and lack of permanent self—can put an end to the suffering.
· Getting rid of suffering is possible.
o 4th Nonle of truth
§ “The remedy” (accomplished by following the eight fold path
§ By following this path, you not only remove suffering but can also achieve nirvana.
§ NIRVANA: the perfect, peaceful, and enlighten state of transformed consciousness in which passion and ignorance extinguish.
· Freedom of unhappiness

4 Noble of truth: Deals with the 4 symptoms that creates unhappiness and suffering

Eight fold Path: Is the antidote—Are seen as steps that are fuse together, learned, practiced simultaneously.


1. Right View
Wisdom
2. Right Intention
3. Right Speech
Ethical Conduct
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
Mental Development
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration
Eightfold path:
1st - Right View: the beginning and the end of the path, it simply means to see and to understand things as they really are and to realize the Four Noble Truth
2nd -Right Intention: commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement. Buddha distinguishes three types of right intentions: 1. the intention of renunciation, which means resistance to the pull of desire
2. the intention of good will, meaning resistance to feelings of anger and aversion.

3. the intention of harmlessness, meaning not to think or act cruelly, violently, or aggressively, and to develop compassion.
3rd- Right Speech: (Samma Vaca): Right speech is the first principle of ethical conduct in the eightfold path. Ethical conduct is viewed as a guideline to moral discipline, which supports the other principles of the path. words can break or save lives, make enemies or friends, start war or create peace. Buddha explained right speech as follows: 1. to abstain from false speech, especially not to tell deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully, 2. to abstain from slanderous speech and not to use words maliciously against others, 3. to abstain from harsh words that offend or hurt others, and 4. to abstain from idle chatter that lacks purpose or depth. Positively phrased, this means to tell the truth, to speak friendly, warm, and gently and to talk only when necessary
4th -Right Action--- The second ethical principle, right action, involves the body as natural means of expression, as it refers to deeds that involve bodily actions. Unwholesome actions lead to unsound states of mind, while wholesome actions lead to sound states of mind.
5th-Right Livelihood--- Right livelihood means that one should earn one's living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally and peacefully---- 1. dealing in weapons, 2. dealing in living beings (including raising animals for slaughter as well as slave trade and prostitution), 3. working in meat production and butchery, and 4. selling intoxicants and poisons, such as alcohol and drugs. Furthermore any other occupation that would violate the principles of right speech and right action should be avoided.
6th-Right Effort--- Without effort, which is in itself an act of will, nothing can be achieved, whereas misguided effort distracts the mind from its task, and confusion will be the consequence.
7th - Right Mindfulness--- It is the mental ability to see things as they are, with clear consciousness
8th- Right Concentration---The eighth principle of the path, right concentration, refers to the development of a mental force that occurs in natural consciousness, the Buddhist method of choice to develop right concentration is through the practice of meditation.

Karma:
Ø People make choices, and those choices have consequences.
Ø People have the potential to change their own karma.
o Hence the Buddha rejects the notion of divination and appealing to a higher source of good Karma
o Good Deeds- Good Rebirth Reincarnation
o Bad Deeds – Bad Rebirth
Notion of Death:
Ø Death = Karma
Ø A person can be born in different times and forms



Primary Message System:
Interaction:
Ø when it comes to the interaction with others---- because of the eightfold path, they are very careful with what they say, how they interact, and only talk the necessary. (not every Buddhist--- it is important to understand that every Buddhist is different, they come from different countries therefore different backgrounds, cultures--- there are also different types of Buddhism).
Ø Keep a lot to themselves---- lot of meditation

Subsistence:
Ø They Follow “5 contemplations while eating”
§ What
§ Why
§ Where
§ When
§ How
o If you fail to follow it, it will harm others, and nature you might ruin the chance to born human again
Ø Ingredients forbidden:
o Meat, fish, onion, garlic (known as the 5 Pungent spices)
Ø So Buddhist are Vegan
Ø Buddha recommended to avoid eating the following meat:
o Humans, elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions, tigers, hyenas.
Ø Monks fast at new moon and full moon each lunar month.
Ø Avoid eating any solid food after noon (means of purification)
Ø Will eat any food given to them as offering
Ø Some will eat any meat as long as they did not kill the animal themselves.
Territory:
Ø Buddhist are detach of everything.
Ø There has never been a war caused by Buddhist for possessions.
Ø Everything is temporary. We do not owe anything.
Gender Roles:
Ø Accept the biological and physical differences between the two sexes
Ø Considers men and woman equal usual to society
Ø Women: Wife, Good Mother--- (making family life a success)
Ø Husband/wife--- expected to share equal responsibility when discharge their duties with equal decision.
Ø Daughters are good as sons
Ø A man has to consider women as friends, companion, and a partner.
Ø Women should substitute men when they were not around.
Ø Women should be involved in the business
Ø Wife occupies same position as husband
Ø Does not restrict Buddhist education from women.
Ø
Buddhist New Year:
Ø 1st full moon in January
Ø In other places such as Thailand siri lanka- 1st fool moon in April.
Ø Tend to celebrate the Buddha’s birthday, enlightenment, death (Vesak)