What is a Buddha?
A Buddha is an enlightened human being. This means someone who has come to understand the true nature of life.
*many people believe that their life has a meaning and a purpose
*someone who has a deep understanding of these things is said to be enlightened: a buddha
*From this two things follow:
1-First, each of us has the capacity or potential to discover the truth about life and be a buddha
2-Secondly, if anyone can become a buddha then presumably there were buddhas in the past and there will be buddhas in the future
Who was the person known as the Buddha?
The Buddha is known as Siddhartha Guatama, the first buddha in history to have his life and teachings recorded. He lived around 563 to 483BCE, in northern India.
Buddhist Religious Concepts
The Three Universal Truths
Annica: all things are impermanent; everything changes.
Annata: because everything changes and because all things are interdependent, nothing has a fixed or permanent identity. The word 'annata' means 'no soul'.
Dukkha: usually translated as 'suffering' (like old age, sickness, and death) but it also refers to the general fact that things tend not to go the way we want them to. Dukkha encompasses the idea of 'unsatisfactoriness'.
The basic message is to accept change or you accept things the way they are, and let them develop as they will, then you can enjoy life to the full.
The Four Noble Truths
The method used to overcome the unsatisfactoriness of life can be set out in four stages
*The problem.
*The cause of the problem.
*The way to overcome the problem.
*Strategies to overcome the problem.
1) All life involves suffering (dhukka)
-Buddhism does not claim to be able to prevent suffering
-Buddhism can help prevent you from suffering from dissatisfaction with life.
2) The cause of suffering (dhukka) is craving (tanha)
-we suffer because we rely on things to make us happy. In other words we measure our happiness
or our experience of pleasure by relying on things.
-Tanha refers to this relationship of reliance, of attachment.
-It means desire, wanting, or craving.
-Tanha will cause us dhukka because our actions are dominated by the Three Poisons:
a) greed: refers to our desire to possess things in an effort to improve our lives. b) hatred: a powerful emotion that ties us unhappily to others.
c) stupidity: refers to our ignorance or illusion about the way things really are.
3) The way to overcome dhukka is to overcome tanha.
-if our desire for things causes frustration with life then we must overcome our desires, and once that occurs then we can overcome our frustration.
-emotionally empty people will want to grasp.
-therefore, to stop craving we must discover inner satisfaction, and as a result cease to grasp outward for satisfaction.
4) The way to overcome tanha is the Middle Way.
-a life of luxury is one of attachment which leads to dissatisfaction.
-a life of hardship will cause us to crave and want things.
-therefore, the Middle Way, between the extremes of luxury and hardship, will overcome tanha.
The point at which all cravings cease, a point of peace is achieved, called Nibbana.
-a person can continue to live, eat, and have relationships but because his or her actions would be done from a selfless motive, not the Three Poisons, then no further suffering will occur.
-Nibbana describes a state of peace and happiness caused by the extinguishment of tanha.
-those who have achieved Nibbana do not respond pain or pleasure in the same way.
How do you live in the Middle Way?
The Noble Eightfold Path---the path refers more to stages than an actual direction
Three Stages
1) The way of wisdom (prajna)
2) The way of morality (sila)
3) The way of mental training (samadhi)
Dhamma:
1) the universal law of life.
2) the teachings of the Buddha
The Way of Wisdom
-true insight and deep understanding of life
*Right (or Perfect) View
-the right view of life is, therefore, the Dhamma itself.
*Right (or Perfect) Intention
-the motivation to follow the Buddhist path should be based on a person's own freedom and eventual enlightenment as well as unselfish love for all beings.
The Way of Morality
-the general way human beings should behave towards other people and the environment.
*Right (or Perfect) Speech
-avoid telling lies
-spreading gossip
-speaking harshly
-wasting time with idle chatter
Instead Buddhists should:
-be sincere, careful, and accurate in what is said
-speak in ways that promote harmony
-be kind and gentle when speaking to others
-value silence when there is nothing useful to say
*Right (or Perfect) Action
Buddhists should follow a set of guidelines known as the Five Precepts for living.
-not to destroy or harm life
-not to take what is not given
-not to misuse sex
-not to lie
-not to cloud the mind with drugs or alcohol
*Right (or Perfect) Livlihood
-essentially to earn a living that does not violate Buddhist principles and harm others
The Way of Mental Training
-these are the spiritual practices so that Buddhists
can reach Nibbana.
*Right (or Perfect) Effort
-set aside negative thoughts and replace with positive ones
-always try to see the best in others
*Right (or Perfect) Mindfulness
-this is to help people become more aware of themselves and everything around them
-people cannot control their lives if they are unaware of these things
-it also means starting to recognise unconscious motives and impulses as well as observing and responding to the needs of others
*Right (or Perfect) Concentration
-mental training through meditation
-Buddhists believe that meditation enables the mind to become calm, to develop loving kindness, and also to gain insights into the truths of life.
Kamma
-the word means 'action'
-kamma is also known as the Law of Kamma
-it can best be summed up as 'actions have consequences
-our lives today are, therefore, a result of our past actions, and our past lives. Once the actions is made the effect is determined
Action=Effect
*positive action=positive effect
*negative action=negative effect
Where does kamma go?
-to understand where kamma goes one has to understand the belief of samsara
-samsara basically describes the world as a great wheel of life and death, with creatures constantly being born, growing old, dying, and being born again
-the teaching of Buddha determined that annata (no fixed self, no soul), would have 're-birth' because a person's actions and words spoken produce a great deal of kamma that has not yet produced results. This kamma, a buddhist would say, goes on to be worked out in our future lives.
Therefore, a person's kamma is the accumulated effects of his or her actions, thoughts, and feelings, which leads to 'rebirth' or 're-becoming'---essentially, that a person's kamma determines the circumstances of their birth (the family you are born into, sex, the colour of your skin, etc.
-we are the product of our kamma; we are kamma
Questions (60 words or more)
1) Which steps of the Noble Eightfold Path do you follow already? Give examples.
2) Which one of them would be most difficult for you to follow?
3) Are any of them more important than the others? Which ones? Why?
Hinduism
Hinduism is the religion of the majority of people in India and Nepal. The Hindu religion is not regarded as a religion as such. Hindus regard their religion as a way of life wherein their beliefs affect all aspects of their behaviour and outlook on life.
-what you believe in affects the sort of person you become.
A central concept in Hinduism is Dharma.
-the word derives from the word 'Dhru', which means 'to hold and support' and the concept of 'Rta', which means 'harmony' and 'order' as opposed to destruction, disorder and chaos.
-this Hindu concept essentially means goodness and truth.
Dharma and Karma
Dharma refers to all the rules that must be followed by everyone to provide a happy, well ordered and harmonious world to live in. These rules and laws are called morality.
Since karma is a result of your actions then Hindus follow Dharma so as to ensure their lives will be in goodness and have good consequences for themselves and others.
Why is following Dharma so important for Hindus?
Sanatan dharma means the eternal law or eternal religion. Hindus follow the following guiding principles of moral behaviour.
*non-harm or non-violence (ahimsa)
*truthfulness (satya)
*not stealing (asteya)
*purity of mind and body (sauca)
An example of ahimsa is not harming or killing animals.
*Hindus believe that the cow in particular is a sacred animal.
The most famous Hindu of recent times was Mahatma Ghandi who, regarded as a saint, based his whole life upon the principle of non-violence and inspired many from the West to solve their conflicts in a non-violent way.
Question: Why is non-violence a difficult principle to put into practice today? (60 words or more and provide an example)
Varnashramadharma
When Hindus ask themselves 'Who am I?' they refer to their caste and their stage in life.
Caste (Varna) is one of the four divisions of society, and their stage in life is one of four stages (Ashramas)
Karma and Caste
Hindus believe that if they live their lives in a pure and moral way, do many generous deeds, fulfill their duties, and develop good character then, according to the law of karma they will be reborn into a higher caste in the next existence.
Duties and responsibilities...
(Dharma)
...for their caste...... and their stage in life
(Varna) (Ashrama)
Social Origins of Caste (Don't copy this part in italics)
Hindus are born into a particular caste, which is revealed in their family name or surname. What really matters is their job or occupation within the caste system.
*this occupation or job is known as jati
*as Indian society developed the variety of occupations increased (potters, weavers, basket- makers, etc...)
*jatis are these traditional jobs which were then passed on from father to son and became hereditary
*these occupations eventually formed guilds or associations and only members of the same occupation were allowed to join
*in this way jatis developed into castes with rules forbidding marriage and dining between the different castes
The Laws of Manu
This is a code of conduct of all castes and stages of life that was written some time between 200 BCE and 200 CE. These scriptures are regarded as smriti, or wisdom that is remembered rather than heard.
The Caste System
Untouchables(Dalits)
Because some tasks were considered to be particularly unclean, especially those dealing with dead animals or rubbish, the people associated with those activities were considered so unclean as to be outside the caste system altogether.
Mahatma Ghandi renamed the Dalits as Harijans, which means 'Children of God', to ensure that they were treated with respect by all Hindus and to change their status in everybody's eyes.
Varna
A person is born into the same caste as or social group as their parents, and this caste is handed on to their children, so this is known as hereditary caste.
In the past, caste was very important in Hindu society, but today it seen as out of date by modern Hindus. The caste system still persists and they are divided into four categories:
1) Brahmins (priests)
2) Kshatriyas (warriors and rulers)
3) Vaishyas (traders)
4) Shudras (manual workers)
*Note: for the following four castes and Ashramas section only recopy the headings and the descriptions in bold
Brahmins
*priests, teachers, and doctors
*they help preserve the traditions and rituals of Hinduism
*they study and understand Hindu teachings in the scriptures
*they set a good example for others by remaining pure in words and deeds
Kshatriyas
*they are the rulers and military forces in society
*they are members of the royal family, the prime minister, of government, and officers in the armed forces
*they are responsible for leadership, ruling society, making decisions about the general welfare of the people, and defending them from all forms of injustice and tyranny
Vaishyas
*they are the business people in society dealing with money and commercial activities
*they are directors of companies, bankers, financial advisors, solicitors, shop owners and traders
*they provide for the material goods and wealth of society
Shudras
*they are the workers and servants in society
*they are farm labourers, factory workers, builders, and manual workers
*they are responsible for doing the physical and manual work and serving the needs of the other castes
The Ashramas
The four stages of life:
1) Brahmacharya (student stage)
2) Grihasta (householder)
3) Vanaprastha (retirement stage)
4) Sannyasin (renunciation stage)
Brahmacharya
*begins with the initiation rite of the sacred thread, which is only performed on boys in the three upper castes
*in the past the boys would be taught by a guru the Vedic scriptures
-it involved service to the guru and his family
-the practice of yoga, the study of scriptures, and living a life of simplicity and self-discipline
-after training the boys would be urged to speak only the truth, to never forget dharma, to serve elders, to remember the teachings of the Vedas and to regard their mother, father, teacher, and guest as divine beings to be honoured and revered.
*nowadays most boys attend the primary and secondary schools in their neighbourhood
-it is still regarded as a duty to gain knowledge through study
-furthermore, they are still expected to show regard for teachers and parents and to learn the rituals and rules of the Hindu tradition
Grihasta
*after returning from his studies he is expected to take on the duties of a householder
*marriage is considered a sacred duty in order to continue the family and all the social and religious obligations that go with it
*the rite of marriage is called vivaha
*no man's or woman's life is considered complete without marriage
*householders are expected to give to charity, care for aged parents, and offer hospitality to guests
*a married woman's duties include bringing up the children, managing the household expenses, preparing food, keeping the home clean, and organising the celebration of festivals