A Voyage of Discovery

Buddhism

The Basics

• A purpose of Buddhism is to be enlightened about that which is real

• Founder: Siddhartha Gautama • All humans are prone to suffering, born in a

state of disease• The goal of Buddhism is attaining Nirvana

(the extinction of suffering, impermanence, delusion, and all that keeps the life cycle going)

• Two main branches: Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama:

• born about 560 BCE and died about 483 BCE• born into a Hindu warrior caste, prince• was married at 16 years old and fathered one son• at 19 he encountered four things his father had

tried to shield from him• The Great Going Forth, 29 years old• reached enlightenment by taking up meditation

on suffering and the cycle of rebirth• converted many countrymen by preaching that

moksha could be attained by the Middle Way

The Four Passing Sights

The Four Sights (what Gautama’s father tried to shield from him):

• old age • illness • death• asceticism (renouncing material comforts to live a

self-disciplined life)

The Middle way A healthy spiritual life depends on a

healthy physical life.• Rejects indulgences• Rejects extreme asceticism

“A violin string that is pulled to tight snaps when strummed, one that is to loose does not make a sound; It must be strung just right to make the right music”

Gautama Reaches Enlightenment

Encounters with “Mara” the god of death who sends his daughters to tempt him with fear and passion• Discontent• Delight• Desire

Gautama touches the ground, “grounds himself”. He overcomes the distractions of Mara and enters a meditative trance which brings him deep into himself• His own previous lives• The lives of others• The Four Noble Truths

Focal Elements of Buddhism The Three Jewels:

• Buddha Acknowledge the authority of the Buddha

• Sangha Acknowledge the authority of the monastic

community of monks and nuns • Dharma

Acknowledge the authority of the teachings of Buddha on living a moral life

Comparison to Hinduism Shared cosmology

• universe is cyclical samsura moksha/nirvana Rejects the institutional aspect of Hinduism Accepts deities but holds that only the human

mind can win salvation Teachings available to everyone No “atman”

• Samsura: In Hinduism the transference of the atman, in Buddhism the transference of energy, one’s Karma

• Three Marks of Existence Anatta Anicca Dukkha

Three Marks of Existence Anatta: There is no permanent self.

There is no essence, we are constantly changing

Anicca: All existent things are constantly changing, there is an ongoing flow

Dukkha: Suffering is part of the human condition, a natural result of anatta and anicca.

Karma As in Hinduism, is the moral law of cause and

effect. In Hinduism Karma affects the rebirth of the

atman In Buddhism Karma itself is transferred. At

conception a person already has a particular status of Karma

Because of the importance of morality, Buddhism has Five Precepts

Five PreceptsFor All

Do not take life Do not take what has

not been given Do not engage in

sensuous misconduct Do not drink

intoxicants

For Monks & Nuns

Do not eat after noon Do not watch dancing

or shows Do not use garlands or

perfumes Do not use a soft or

high bed Do not accept gold or

silverIntention is important to immoral

action

The Four Noble Truths

Life is filled with suffering: both physical

and mental

The cause of suffering is desire

or attachment

To cease suffering onemust cease desiring

The path to the end of suffering is the

Noble Eightfold Path

RightViews

Rightintentions

RightSpeech

RightConduct

RightLivelihood

RightEffort

RightMindfulness

RightMeditation

The Eight Fold Path

Reaching Enlightenment Following the eightfold path to its

end is to reach Nirvana, the extinction of desire, suffering• Still living –arhat

Let go of individual existence No longer attached to affairs of the world Compassionate toward all living things

• Final nirvana comes with death of the body

Nirvana means “blowing out”

Divisions of Buddhism Three Rafts for Crossing the River

• Theravada Buddhism

• Mahayana Buddhism:

• Vajrayana Buddhism:

Theravada Buddhism

• Prevalent in Southeast Asia• Orthodox, follows early texts of Buddhism• Teachings are important, more than the

person• Emphasizes monastic life, hierarchy

Monks Nuns Laity

Scriptures of Theravada Buddhism:

Tripitaka“the three baskets”

(contains the wordsof the Buddha)

Vinaya Pitaka – the code of monastic discipline for monks and nuns

Sutra Pitaka – discourses attributed to Gautama

Abidharma Pitaka – examines the Buddha’s psychological and Buddhist doctrine

Mahayana Buddhism:

• Largest division of Buddhism• Focus on Buddha himself, divine savior• Salvation comes from the grace of Buddha• Bodhisattvas- buddhas in the making

Scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism:

Tripitaka(Mahayanaversion)

Lotus Sutrathe final teachings of the Buddha

which makes Enlightenment available to everyone

Perfection of Wisdoma treatise on how to achieve

the perfection of wisdom of a bodhisattva

Vajrayana BuddhismPredominately in Tibet, often called Tibetan

BuddhismAdherents can achieve nirvana nowHarness sensual energies to fight desire

Mandalas- sightMudras- movementMantras- soundTantricism- sex

Hierarchy of clergy, lamas, Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama

Who is the Dalai Lama?• A bodhisattva (someone who compassionately

refrains from entering nirvana in order to save others and is worshiped as a deity in Mahayana Buddhism)

• The head Tibetan Buddhist monastic leader • The political leader of Tibet until the Chinese

communist government forced them out of Tibet in 1959

Material

Templesused for religious

devotions and to enshrine images of buddhas

Stupashold important relics of the Buddha

or other important figures

Pagodaslarge stupas

Scriptures

Buddhism through a Catholic Lens

Similarities• Emphasis on peace and compassion• Long monastic tradition• The practice of meditation• Some parallels between the life of Jesus and

Buddha

Buddhism through a Catholic Lens

Differences• Jesus claimed to be divine, Buddha did not• Jesus’ message was about the Kingdom of

God, Siddhartha’s was about the cessation of suffering

• The understanding of the meaning and purpose of suffering