Buddhism

Buddhism

1. The Human Condition

   • 3 Universal Truths
     • Anicca
       • everything is constantly changing
         • impermanence
           • false sense of permanence leads to unsatisfactoriness
             • good things do not last forever (neither do bad)
               • new phone will eventually break
               • inability to accept change leads to suffering hen good things end
       • mountains appear to stay the same but they change due to erosion
       • "The glorious chariots of Kings wear out" - the Dhammapada
       • 1st mark of conditioned existence
     • Anatta
       • there is no immortal soul or self
         • anicca applied to the self
           • 5 Skandhas
             • body
               • changes from birth to death
             • feelings
               • perceptions & emotions change
             • mental formations
             • sensations
             • consciousness
             • all the skandhas together make us
               • chariot analogy - no part of the chariot makes it a chariot: it is the whole, Nagasena
       • 2nd mark of conditioned existence
     • Dukkha
       • because we exist we suffer
         • grow old, subject to illness, eventually die, emotional pain
         • suffer due to impermanence (anicca)
           • chocolate may bring joy but only temporarily
         • suffer due to human limitatioms
           • we do not have the answer to everything although we may seek it
       • 3 Mental Poisons
         • lead to continued suffering
         • greed, hatred & ignorance
       • 3rd mark of conditioned existence
   • Samsara
     • cycle of birth, death & rebirth
     • 3 Poisons
       • greed (cockerel)
         • ignorance (pig
           • hatred (snake)
       • (fires) fuel the wheel
     • never-ending & pointless
       • full of suffering
     • affected by kammic action
       • skilful = wise
         • ignorance = unwise
     • many aim fro a better samsaric rebirth
     • 6 Realms
       • 1) realm of god/devas - luxury, want for nothing - not gods in the Christian sense
       • 2) realm of asuras - angry gods, who want the position of the devas & go out of their way to get what they want
       • 3) realm of the pretas, hungry ghosts - never satisfied no matter how much they're given
       • 4) the animal realm - ignorance is great, animals prey on each other to suffer
       • 5) the human realm
       • 6) the realm of hells - exact opposite of the devas
     • 12 Nidanas
       • ignorance: blind man hobbling: blinded by own ignorance: can't see the path
         • Predispositions: potter & wheel: engage in actions & shape a new life
           • Consciousness: monkey climbing a tree: intentional actions: symbolises movement from 1 life to the next
             • Name and Form: 2 people in a boat: name, mental consciousness coming from past life: form, new body
               • Sensations: empty house: at this point sense do not function
                 • Contact: man & woman embracing: senses begin to develop
                   • Feeling: person with arrow in eye: emotions begin, create attachments to the world: results of previous actions received: immediacy of action & consequence
                     • Craving: person drinking alcohol: pleasurable experiences make you feel good: powerful addiction, compels to act in this way
                       • Attachment: monkey snatching fruit: from craving comes attachment: as your desire grows you tend to grasp at pleasurable objects
                         • Being: a pregnant women: craving increases throughout life: leads to next life: kammic seed is planted
                           • Birth: woman giving birth: kammic seed comes into fruition: dying consciousness lings to life: kamma pushed into new life
                             • Ageing and Death: person carrying a corpse: from rebirth to birth: from ignorance you are forced to carry the burden of your suffering: birth will be in one of the six realms
   • Dependent Origination (Cause & Effect)
     • everything originates because another thing has gone before it
       • things have existence but are not permanent
         • Dependent Origination = Samsara
   • 4 Noble Truths
     • 1) Dukkha
       • all living beings suffer
         • Buddha is the doctor who makes the diagnosis - dukkha
     • 2) Tanha
       • suffering is caused by craving/attachment to things
         • the illness is craving or tanha
           • all suffering comes from our attachment to things
             • we put expectations on things - assume they will lead us to permanent happiness
               • we fail to see things as they really are - impermanent
                 • our mind-set of ignorance causes us to become attached
                   • we have an addiction to worldly life
                     • this keeps us tied to samsara
                       • craving creates more craving & the craving derives from the 3 poisons
     • 3) Nibbana
       • suffering can be overcome
         • the cure is nibbana
     • 4) Magga
       • the way to achieve this is following the eightfold path
         • the prescription is the 8fold path

2. The Goals

   • Kamma
     • kamma means action
       • the law of cause and effect
         • it is a natural law - not a moral one
           • "what we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday" - Dhammapada
             • consciously chosen actions have consequences
               • behaving in a certain way with certain intentions will result in certain consequences
                 • every intentional deed is like a seed waiting to develop
                   • the consequences of kamma do not necessarily follow straight away
                     • the ripples from throwing a stone into a pond will create ripples which continues until the impact of the stone stops - the effects of our actions continue until exhausted
                       • skilful actions: moral conduct (sila), meditation (bhavana), charity (dana)
                         • past experiences effect your present but are not the sole factor
                           • we have free will
                             • actions are referred to skilful & unskilful not good & bad because what is good for 1 person might be bad for another, & intentions must be taken into account
                               • unskilful actions come from the 3 mental poisons
                                 • skilful actions come from the 8fold path
                                   • skilful means is about knowing what is best to do in certain situations
                                     • parable of the burning house
                                       • precept against lying but father lies to children to entice them out of the house
                                         • his intention is good
                                           • burning house = samsaric wolrd
                                             • children = ignorantly tied to samsaric world
                                               • father = Buddha uses skilful means to get the children out of danger
                     • intentions matter, not consequences
   • Nibbana
     • end of suffering
       • state of mind - not a place
         • analogies
           • wind
             • see its effects but not it
           • colour to the blind
             • doesn't have any reference point
           • turtle & the fish
             • no reference point
               • fish doubts in dry land's existence
     • Thervada
       • many lifetimes are needed to achieve nibbana
         • individual effort
           • most can only hope for a better samsaric rebirth
             • only monks are able to achieve it
               • stages
                 • 1) sotopanna: right understanding but is bound by cravings of permanence - 'stream entrants'
                   • 2) saksdagami: attachment & dislike still exist & must be overcome - 'once return'
                     • 3) anagami: lost attachment to things experienced by the 5 senses but still clings to rebirth & has a sense of self - 'non-returner'
                       • 4) arhat: all attachment to self has gone & nibbana has been achieved, at the end of this life there is no rebirth - 'worthy of respect'
     • Mahayana
       • possible for all to achieve
         • everyone has 'Buddha nature'
           • Bodhisattva - 'being of enlightenment'
             • puts off own enlightenment to help others achieve nibbana
     • Pure Land
       • Amithba (a monk) created pure land buddhism
         • everyone who calls his name can be reborn
           • from this position of reduced suffering it is easier to achieve nibbana
             • pure land Buddhists chant his name in their daily meditation in hope that they will be reborn into the pure land
     • everything has a cause
       • nibbana has a cause
         • nibbana is subject to anicca
           • therefore, nibbana is samsara & vice versa
             • nibbana is the stopping of samsara & putting an end to suffering
               • when nibbana is achieved the person still feels physical pain but are free from mental pain & confusion
                 • Buddha gained enlightenment after 49 days of concentrated meditation & then taught others so that they to could achieve enlightenment
                   • Buddha continued to live an enlightened life until his death at the age of 80

3. The Means

   • 3 Jewels (Tiratana)
     • Buddha
       • Siddhatta Guatama, born in Kapilavastu, Northern India, 563 BCE
         • his father was told that he would become a great king or holy man
           • confined to the palace
             • went out of the palace with his charioteer Channa
               • Four Sights
                 • 1) old man - the fact of age (impermanence - anicca)
                   • 2) sick person - suffering (dukkha)
                     • 3) a corpse - death (impermanence, anicca & anatta)
                       • 4) Holy man - content with the world
                         • determined to leave the palace & become a holy man
                           • trained in meditation but didn't find what he was looking for
                             • began extreme ascetic life, spent long periods in the same position
                               • sat under Bodhi tree & vowed to meditate until he had achieved enlightenment
                                 • after enlightenment he vowed to teach others
                                   • they take refuge in the Buddha as he shows the way to enlightenment
     • Dhamma
       • the Buddha's teachings
         • it is open to everyone
           • the way to enlightenment
             • Buddha refused to answer questions of a metaphysical nature because he felt that there were no straightforward answers
               • these questions are irrelevant in trying to relieve suffering
                 • humans only have a capacity limited questions because we have a limited knowledge
                   • likened to a raft -used to cross a river, a person steers it as best he can in his chosen direction
                     • earliest collection of Buddhist scriptures is the Pali Canon
                       • Dhamma not just the Buddha's teachings, but other writings
     • Sangha
       • the Buddha & his monks & nuns travelled around & made temporary buildings for the rainy season
         • when first admitted to the sangha a man will avoid: 1food after midday, 2a high bed, 3public amusements, 4jewellery & perfume & 5handling money
           • lay Buddhists only follow 5 precepts (not the above)
             • abstain from: 1) harming living things, 2) stealing, 3) sexual misconduct 4) lying, 5)taking intoxicating substances
               • sangha has mutual benefit: monks rely on lay people for material needs & the lay community rely on monks or spiritual guidance
                 • some lay Buddhists take on extra precepts when visiting monasteries
                   • in Tibetan Buddhism vows are expected for life whilst in other traditions people can take vows for a shorter time
   • The Noble Eightfold Path
     • Wisdom(prajna): right view & right intention
       • Morality(sila): right speech, right conduct, right ivelihood
         • Meditation(Samadhi): right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration
           • the steps are designed to be taken together not as a sequential ladder
             • the 8 steps develop their division e.g. right view develops wisdom
               • three-fold division, sometimes referred to as the triple way
                 • wisdom comes from seeing things as they really are - impermanent
                   • morality is the belief that everything is interconnected
   • Ethics
     • 5 precepts
       • Ahimsa: non-violence & abstention from harming living things, not right to impose pain, must be applied ton themselves - do not put themselves through unnecessary suffering but follow the middle way
         • Meditation; only by training your mind can you see the world around you as it really is which enables you to stop craving, allows people to get rid of thoughts & feelings motivated by the 3 mental poisons, enables people to detach from everyday concerns, clears the mind, helps develop compassion
           • Worship(puja): gain good kamma to escape samsara/get a better samsaric rebirth, worship shrines usually have: an image of buddha to inspire budhists to seek his qualities, candles to dispel the darkness of ignorance, incense to cultivate good conduct, water to cleanse the mind of ignorance, fruit to symbolise the ultimate fruit of enlightnenment & flowers to remind of impermanence

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