1. Foundations

1. Foundations

1. The Life of The Buddha

   • Pali Canon: Contains a non-chronological account of the Buddha's life in three main divisions Acts of the Buddha (1st Century CE): Ashvagosa's mythologised account of the Buddha's life
   • Birth
     • Born in North East India 2,500 years ago as Siddhartha Gautama He was conceived when his mother, Maya, dreamed of a white baby elephant entering her side, which was interpreted by Asita to mean she would bear an emperor or religious teacher She gave birth, apparently painlessly, in the Lumbini Gardens, after a ten-month pregnancy Siddhartha's birth was attended by gods, as jets of water came from the sky, and Siddhartha walked seven steps to declare his final birth
     • Upbringing
       • Following his mother's death, Siddhartha's father, Suddhodana, chose to raise him secularly Siddhartha lived a life of luxury in his father's three palaces, and married his cousin, Yasodhara, at 16
   • The Four Sights
     • At 29, Siddhartha tired of palace life, and instructed his charioteer, Channa, to take him beyond palace grounds: 1. Ageing (an old man) 2. Sickness (a sick man) 3. Death (a corpse being dragged to a burial ground) 4. Hope (a holy man) Siddhartha's father had attempted to rid the streets of these signs, with some suggesting the gods intervened to oppose him
   • Renunciation
     • Siddhartha renounced palace life on the same night Yasodhara bore his son, Rahula He deliberately avoided saying goodbye; a sign of the detachment needed for enlightenment
     • Asceticism
       • Alara Kalama: Taught 'the sphere of nothingness', which Siddhartha mastered so perfectly that he was offered joint leadership of Kalama's ascetic group Uddaka Ramaputta: Taught 'the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception', which Siddhartha mastered so well that Ramaputta offered to become his disciple Siddhartha was not satisfied with either method, and spent the remainder of his ascetic life practicing breath control and eating miniscule portions of food
   • Teaching Career
     • The First Sermon: The Buddha returned to his five ascetic companions at Deer Park, who would become arhats He taught the Middle Way, the Four Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path Kisa Gautami: The Buddha was consulted by a woman who hoped he could bring her child back to life He said he would do so if she could bring back a mustard seed from a house where nobody had died; she soon learned that death was present everywhere, and later became a nun
   • The Middle Way
     • Siddhartha gave up on his austerities when he accepted a rice meal from a local village girl following a meditation session This symbolises the Buddhist 'Middle Way' between over-indulgence and self-mortification
     • Enlightenment
       • After accepting the rice meal, Siddhartha meditated beneath the Bodhi tree in a final effort to find a solution to suffering: First Watch: Siddhartha fought Mara, and gained the ability to recall his past lives Second Watch: Siddhartha gained the ability to see all death and rebirth, which would become known as 'The Law of Karma' Third Watch: Siddhartha attained nibbana, and overcame the Triple Fires
   • Death
     • At 80, the Buddha became ill, apparently after accepting a knowingly fatal meal of 'sweetpig' from a villager Some sources suggest he could have lived for another aeon, if only Ananda had asked him to He then entered a state of deep meditation and soon died, reaching parinibbana

2. The Buddha's Intellectual Context

   • Brahmanism
     • Accepted: Karma influences rebirth Adapted: We have a soul Rejected: Animal sacrifice, use of intoxicants, the caste system
   • Folk Traditions
     • Rejected: Spells, magic, demons, fortune-telling, predictions
   • Hinduism
     • Accepted: Karma influences rebirth, moksha Adapted: We have a soul Rebirth: Animal sacrifice (in some sects), worship of gods, the caste system
   • Jainism
     • Accepted: Liberation from samsara Adapted: We have a 'jiva', ahimsa, vegetarianism
   • Shramana Movement
     • Accepted: Non-tolerance of sacrifice, meditation Rejected: Asceticism, materialism, scepticism, and fatalism
   • Asceticism
     • Adapted: Renunciation, we have a soul Rejected: Self-mortification

3. Taking Refuge

   • Harvey: The key expression of commitment to Buddhism is taking the refuges Gombrich: A Buddhist is anyone who has taken refuge in the Three Jewels
   • Buddhist Vow
     • Spoken by potential Buddhists during their refuge ceremony, and is repeated twice a day onwards "I go for refuge in the Buddha, I go for refuge in the Dharma, I go for refuge in the Sangha" (3x)
   • Puja
     • Includes acts of devotion such as: Bowing: Raising one's hands together and bowing to associates, e.g. teachers and parents Offerings: Made in front of a Buddha image, e.g. flowers to represent anicca and candles to represent enlightenment Chanting: Carried out to aid in memorisation of teachings
   • The Five Precepts
     • 1. Avoid Killing 2. Avoid Stealing 3. Avoid Sexual Misconduct 4. Avoid Lying 5. Avoid Use of Intoxicants
   • The Traveller Analogy
     • Guide: The Buddha, who provided us with the Dharma Path: The Dharma, which teaches us how to reach enlightenment Companions: The Sangha, who aid each other in troublesome times Destination: Enlightenment, which can only be reached by taking refuge
   • The Buddha
     • Theravada Understanding: Means acknowledging his role in communicating the Dharma, and seeing his life as an example worth following Mahayana Understanding: Means taking refuge in one or many forms of Buddha, focusing on inherent 'buddhahoods' rather than the historical image
     • Ehipassiko
       • 'Come and try' - The Buddha taught against accepting his teachings on blind faith, and encouraged others to experience the truth for themselves
   • The Dharma
     • Can be described as the universal truth, the Buddha's teachings, or the path one follows to enlightenment It can be also be spoken of as the Eightfold Path or the Four Noble Truths
     • The Kalama Sutra
       • The Kalamas of Kesaputta approached the Buddha and told him of other teachers coming to Kesaputta and tearing apart other doctrines The Buddha told them not to concern themselves with religion's legends and scriptures, but to understand for themselves which mental qualities are skilful and which are unskilful
     • The Blind Men and the Elephant
       • Tells of blind men who were told to feel an elephant to describe it Because each man was only feeling one part, they disagreed on what an elephant actually was This was intended to illustrate how truths require wider observation in order to be understood
   • The Sangha
     • The Fourfold Sangha: Consists of bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, upasakas, and upasikas
     • Monastic and Lay Buddhists
       • Monastic Buddhists: Have renounced family life, practicing Vinaya rules and preserving the Buddha's teachings; they are seen as a field of merit to lay followers Lay Buddhists: Live with their families and observe the Five Precepts in everyday life; they also provide medicines, alms, clothing and shelter for monastics, and are taught teachings in return
     • The Vinaya
       • Rules of the monastic Sangha, which is read out every two weeks when monastics come together It contains rules for its members to follow, and breaches may be followed by suspension or expulsion