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Post by Leon on Sept 20, 2009 18:30:24 GMT
Buddhism as traditionally conceived is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. Buddhism encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices that are largely based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha (Pali/Sanskrit for "The Awakened One").
Born in what is today Nepal, the Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern region of the Indian subcontinent and most likely died around 400 BCE in what is now modern India. Adherents recognize the Buddha as an awakened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings escape the cycle of suffering and rebirth. The Buddha's teachings provide instructions on how to understand the true nature of phenomena, end suffering, and achieve nirvana.
Buddhists use various methods to liberate themselves and others from the suffering of worldly existence. These include ethical conduct and altruism, devotional practices and ceremonies, the invocation of bodhisattvas, renunciation, meditation, the cultivation of mindfulness and wisdom, study, and physical exercises.
Two major branches of Buddhism are broadly recognized: Theravada ("The School of the Elders") and Mahayana ("The Great Vehicle"). Theravada, the oldest surviving, has a widespread following in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia whilst Mahayana, which is found throughout East Asia, includes the traditions of Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism, Shingon, Tibetan Buddhism and Tendai. In some methods of classification, Vajrayana is considered a third branch. Buddhist schools disagree on the historical teachings of the Buddha and on the importance and canonicity of various scriptures. While Buddhism remains most popular within Asia, both branches are now found throughout the world. Various sources put the number of Buddhists in the world between 230 million and 500 million.
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sparklekaz
Someone asked me.. What is your religion? I said, "All the paths that lead to the light".
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Post by sparklekaz on Sept 25, 2009 18:12:45 GMT
Buddhists do not believe in a personal god; their beliefs are to do with the nature of life and human existence.
The Three Signs of Being
Buddhists believe that these three signs are at the root of all human existence:
* Annica -(impermanence) everything is unstable, changing and, eventually ceases to exist.
* Anatta - (no soul) there is no permanent, unchanging soul in any one. In effect, existence is an illusion.
* Dukkha - (suffering) suffering is part of the human condition.
The Four Noble Truths
The teaching of Siddartha Gautama (who became known as the Buddha) is summarised in the Four Noble Truths.
1. Dukkha - (suffering) all life is suffering. All are born to suffer.
2. Samudaya - (cause of dukkha) suffering is caused by Tanha, which means 'craving' or 'desire'. Because Buddhists believe there is no permanent self/soul and nothing has any real existence, then no desire can be really satisfied. Misery and suffering are the result.
3. Nirodha - (cessation of dukkha) suffering can be eliminated if people learn to live without craving or desire.
4. The Middle Way - Gautama had lived, as a prince, in luxury. Then he had lived as an ascetic in extreme deprivation. Neither satisfied him. He, therefore, concluded that the answer was to be found in the Middle Way, between the two extremes. He mapped out such a life style in the Eightfold Path.
1. Right Understanding - viewing things as they really are (Annica, anatta, dukkha)
2. Right Thought - compassion and love towards all.
3. Right Speech - no lies or insults.
4. Right Action - no harm to others.
5. Right Livelihood - earning living in morally right way.
6. Right Effort - to follow Eightfold Path without distractions.
7. Right Mindfulness - full attention to own actions and to needs of others.
8. Right Concentration - mind focused on one thing through meditation. Although I consider myself to be a Spiritual Christian, I have been drawn to the Buddhist teachings and I would love to learn more about this spiritual path. I have printed the above extract that I have taken from Home, a site for different religious beliefs. The eightfold path is something that resonates with me and are maxim's that I would love to live my life by. But the second of the Three sign's and the first of the four noble truth's, is something I struggle with.The former saying there is 'no soul', the latter- it says that all life is suffering, man was born to suffer. I agree that striving and lacking achievement can make us suffer on one level, but I don't believe that we were 'born' to suffer. I know that painful experiences can be a big learning process, but so can joyous experiences and periods of contentment and fulfillment at finding a path in life that gives you satisfaction and doing something you are good at. Whether it is a learned skill with within work or an accomplishment through the arts or raising a family. I have been reading a book recently, which really resonated with me and the author actually talks about this very subject. The book is by a lady called Gill Edwards called Living Magically, A new Vision of Reality. " Suffering is not good for the soul, unless it teaches you, how to stop suffering. Indeed that is it it's purpose. Any suffering is caused by misdirected energy, which we must learn to use positively. True spirituality, rings and rings through the universe and through your entire personality.It is a sense of joy that makes all creativity probable. Nor do we need to have experienced misery to appreciate joy." Taking aspects from different spiritual beliefs that resonate with is not a bad thing is it!! I would love to share your thoughts on this. As it was said by Srimad Bhagavatam.." Like the bee gathering honey from different flowers, the wise man accepts the essence of different scriptures and sees only the good in all religions". I really liked that and it echo's my thoughts exactly..  Love and Light Kaz
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Post by markings on Sept 28, 2009 2:46:02 GMT
Hello,
to begin with we need to know that Buddhism distinguishes between pain and suffering. In this life, pain is unavoidable, suffering OTOH is an optional accessory, although that realization takes time and many people never realize it.
Pain is due to physical conditions, suffering due to mental ones. However, many times the two do have some overlap.
Even joyous experiences have the seed of suffering in it because we know that they will end - eventually.
The third Noble Truth states that suffering can be overcome and in a way eclipses what the the second Noble Truth states. Unfortunately many people get stuck on the second Truth and never really get to the third one. To say that man was born to suffer is entirely incorrect, Buddhism has a positive view of human life.
The 'no soul' part is difficult to understand for Western people. Because of their reductionist approach, brought on by the 'age of reason', strongly supported by our language structures, they tend to think in objects. In this context the word objects is used for anything that is considered having an independent existence.
Objects would therfeore include soul, angels, God, but also people and animals, etc.
Eastern people think in terms of processes, interactions, influences. Their ideogram based languages support this, e.g. a sentence containing only a verb is still grammatically correct. As an example 'there is a tree growing' could be translated as 'there is treeing (happening)'.
What appears to us as an object is the result of a process, or many simultaneous processes, accumulations, clusters of various factors. An object therefore has no inherent core or existence.
Since this is taken as a universal law even God is subject to it.
The result is that whatever we see or observe has only provisional existence. A Buddhist can talk about 'soul' as long as there is no permanence attached to it. Souls, Gods, deities, are simple place holders for our experience of something, so that we don't need to talk in a most clumsy way about it.
The foregoing does not imply that absolutely nothing exists, it only implies that nothing that is permanent, personal, and individual exists. However, being part of the universe, existence is eternal.
The Tao-te-Ching begins with:
The Tao that can be spoken about is not the true Tao
The Tao that can be named is not the true Tao
Buddhism is in pursuit of the true Tao. In our attachment to a personal eternal existence we get stuck in naming and speaking about Tao.
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sparklekaz
Someone asked me.. What is your religion? I said, "All the paths that lead to the light".
Posts: 3,658
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Post by sparklekaz on Sept 28, 2009 10:55:29 GMT
Hello Markings,
I really enjoyed reading your response, you have explained things very well and put them in their proper context, it has made things much clearer for me.
Thank you for sharing.
Love and light
Kaz
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Post by mccoist on Jan 2, 2011 9:57:30 GMT
Hello Markinngs
Like sparkles I love your reply explaining or making clear the 2nd and third noble thruth. i consider my self a novice buddhist.
I have been studying the basic concepts and ideas about buddhism,
Unfortunately i have no one to confirm or even converse with my ideas or lack of ideas and thoughts with.
hopefully you will keep posting stuff on this forum so as I and others can prgress.
I indeed like how you pointed out the difference between east west in our thinking as regard souls and how we view ourselves objectivly. This I had not considered in this manner and makes understanding so much easier.
Thank you for your help.please keep posting mccoist
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Post by protobill on Apr 3, 2011 2:21:30 GMT
I have had some interest in Buddhism as well.
Based on what I have read, Buddhists believe in a "Buddha Nature" that resides in all sentient beings. While this is not to be mistaken for a soul, it is something that the Dali Lama and others refer to as eternal.
Western Buddhism is still defining itself and one thing that I think people question is the notion that it's all about suffering. Some say that the word dukkha is not literally "suffering" but a sense of unease and tension inside of us.
I have noticed that the Dali Lama and other prominent Buddhists do speak more of the desire for happiness as being good. And the idea that lovingkindness (having compassion for all sentient beings) is the primary way to find happiness.
Beyond this, Buddhism seems to have some very complex ideas about impermanence, emptiness, and the nature of reality. Grasping some of these concepts is said to require meditation under a master of some kind.
I would advise a more casual meditation for most of us. The Buddha did say that he wanted people to use "skillful means" and take the middle path. We aren't all meant to live the life of a monk in deep meditation. I think Western society is likely to create a new branch of Buddhism but I do not know how long that will take or what form it will ultimately take.
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Post by anando on Mar 22, 2012 18:27:13 GMT
Hi, what i want to say, after reading and meditationg for forty years and having my body under such a control so i can re the brahamaic worlds.Most of the self called buddhists never read all of the three part of Pali-Canon. Pali-Canon is older than what Theravade disciples do tell others and belief themselves.A thorough inspection of the last book of Pali-Canon, the Dighanikayo, says that the is Brahma, there is a beyond and there is something like a soul that survives the breakdown of the matter from the body and reincarnates in another human.
"There is a here and a beyond and a reaction for good and bad deeds." Gotamo Buddho, Pali-Cano. Gotamo Buddho is the right name in Pali, forget the other one. i practiced his teaching at reached the highest point man can ever achieve in his very own life and it´s all true what he told us. Reading impoved my practice and my practice impoved my reading. Do the Eightfold path it´s free of any ideology and any belief and you might wonder what happens when you have reached the --"boder of of possible percetion". Thid id ehst dhoulf br teached, nibbanam is only the sixth step out of eight freeings.
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Post by bluestarman1 on May 24, 2012 15:59:56 GMT
I was reading you post, Kaz, about your concern over the "suffering" wording in the 4NTs. Recently I ran across something in my readings that said "Dukkha" translates closer to dissatisfaction than suffering in English. This made sense to my Western mind. Suffering to me conjured up dismal and fatalistic images. Whereas dissatisfaction was more Zen, sort of a "this is that and not this..." mindset. Hope it helps
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Post by bev on Nov 19, 2012 8:23:39 GMT
Pretty well all the above seems very complex to me. Still I enjoyed reading a little about it.
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sparklekaz
Someone asked me.. What is your religion? I said, "All the paths that lead to the light".
Posts: 3,658
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Post by sparklekaz on Nov 25, 2013 14:20:05 GMT
Hi Bev, I have just noticed this old reply on this section and would like to answer it, in the hope you come back and see it. Or that it might strike a chord with someone else and continue this very interesting thread. I do understand what you mean when you say it seems 'very complex' to you. If you take each individual line and think about it in terms of personal growth or self understanding, it does make sense. I think the problem lies when we try to think about it in religious terms. Through our western christian traditional upbringing. Buddhism, I believe is not a doctrine in the way we associate religious beliefs. It's more a way of living our lives peacefully. In harmony with ourselves as well as with other people. For me the Buddhist beliefs are based on personal transformation. Freeing ourselves from fear and suffering, brought about by our own personal perception of life. Most people base their contentment, happiness on external factors. To explain. To a large degree, I believe if people are honest. Their contentment and personal happiness, is very much based on the validation, approval and actions of other people. Whilst this is understandable. It is truly a precarious basis on which we build our lives. For instead of life being very much in our own hands, it seems to be dependent on the interaction of others. Or of things staying the same. When in truth, life rarely stays the same for long, and things can change very quickly. The Buddhists believe, that it is this dependency on exterior sources of happiness that causes so much misery. Which does make perfect sense. Buddhism encourages, self love, through extending compassion, love and understanding to ourselves. Self reliance. Which doesn't mean we don't need others in our life, simply that we have a strong inner core within, that stops us from falling apart when things change. I hope that makes sense. Sometimes it is hard to articulate our thoughts on something. For me particularly, as I am really just trying to understand the Buddhists beliefs for myself. I could be wrong. So welcome any input from others who have also thought about this. As someone who has experienced anxiety and fear, based very much on the external creating unhappy or negative thoughts. I can honestly say, that to some degree, self understanding and realising the power of negative thoughts has helped me a lot. As in the saying FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real. Buddhism I feel is helping the individual understand this. That so much of life is illusionary. Not that I believe we are not really living and everything around us is illusion or dream like. But that our perception of it can be distorted so easily. So for me Buddhism is about freeing myself from illusion through self understanding. That everything is connected to what is going in on my head. How I experience the world will be dictated by my perception. I strive to keep it as 'real' as possible. I'd like to share some words by the author James Herbert on fear. It's not Buddhist, but it felt right to put it here. I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
Frank Herbert Love and light Kaz |
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donq
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Post by donq on Apr 3, 2014 11:03:57 GMT
Hi kaz,
I’ve just found this thread.
If I remember it right (it’s been a very long time and I have terrible memory recently) dukkha doesn’t only mean “suffering.” But it means “cannot stay the same.”
Frankly speak, Annica, Dukkha and Anatta should be considered in the same context.
Annica, everything is not permanent because they continually change.
Dukka, the meaning is close Annica but it has something to do with us. The roughly example is we cannot remain in the same position all the time. Have to change to sit, walk stand up etc. If we not, then we will suffer. Also it’s about we “cling to” something that is not permanent (Annica.) Someone gets dukkha because of his/her wrinkles etc.
Anatta, this is a tough word. Let me put it in this way. When I had started to practice my mindfulness, I needed some tool to break my old chains of illusion. I used to see my ego as permanent. I needed a fresh eyes, to see the things as they really are. So, I had to “detach” myself from my ego first, to see it. And after breaking the layers of my ego, deeper and deeper, I could see that they really were not me. There was no “me”, just my illusion disguised to be me, mine etc. It was my illusion to see that car, house etc. were mine. In fact, they were not. They just something I thought I owned them and they were mind.
When a Buddhist can see Annica, Dukkha and Anatta in everything, they will have less and less suffering.
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sparklekaz
Someone asked me.. What is your religion? I said, "All the paths that lead to the light".
Posts: 3,658
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Post by sparklekaz on Apr 3, 2014 11:31:59 GMT
Hi Monty, Thank you for sharing that, it was very helpful. It's been a while since I read this thread, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it again. I have a real interest in Buddhism, as you can probably tell. But feel I've only barely scratched the surface. But as you can see from my replies, it has already helped me so much, I feel in my own personal and spiritual growth. But it is so different to what I grew up with, and just understanding what certain Buddhist words mean, can shed a whole new light on my ability to understand the beliefs and concepts. It's been a while since I've done any studying of Buddhism, so re reading this has whet my appetite to begin again. Maybe I will finally get around to finishing off reading the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. If you've read this book yourself, I'd appreciate your thoughts on it. Love and light Kaz |
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donq
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Post by donq on Apr 3, 2014 12:04:39 GMT
hi kaz,
No, no. You already did very good on this thread. Even better than some Buddhists I knew. :-)
As for “Tibetan Book of Living and Dying” there are many versions, aren’t there? I used to read it long time ago. It’s kind of blur now.
Hmm…but I will be so glad if you post something about it. hahaha!
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sparklekaz
Someone asked me.. What is your religion? I said, "All the paths that lead to the light".
Posts: 3,658
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Post by sparklekaz on Apr 3, 2014 12:40:31 GMT
Hi Monty, I didn't know there were many versions..... The one I have is by Sogyal Rinpoche When I start reading it, if anything jumps out for me I will share here. So watch this space. Love and light Kaz |
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Post by markings on Jun 15, 2014 6:00:01 GMT
Anando, you are quite correct when you write "that the is Brahma, there is a beyond and there is something like a soul that survives the breakdown of the matter from the body."
Chinese Buddhism calls this the Universal soul, devoid of any personal characteristics, in contrast to the personal soul which arises from our bodily existence. Note that the personal sould is depndent on the body, generated by the body, and thus has no existence beyond our physical dissolution.
The universal soul contains and retains traces of energetic patterns and energies which we have produced in our life. They will interact with other energetic patterns, including the ones which result in new life.
We get reborn but at the same time it is not really (the personal) me which gets reborn. It is my actions and other energies such as thoughts, emotions and feelings which have an effect in the near or distant future.
Brahman, or the Universal soul, are concecpt which science is approaching now. Science is not interested in matter anymore. As a reseracher at the CERN laboratory said "matter only shows that something has happened." To discover what happened before matter and atomic particles come into being is one of the task of the Large Hardon Collider they built.
One of the theories is that beyond what we observe are 'fields' of some sort. They have mathematical constructs of them, apparently 36 different energetic fields are necessary to create any known particle.
The 'fields' are Brahman, Buddha Nature, Tao, the Ultimate Truth.
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Post by markings on Jun 15, 2014 6:09:14 GMT
As far as Theravada is concerned this is the oldest form of Buddhism. It is very strict, intellectual and IMO it has a cold feeling. The strictness made it difficult for ordinary people to follow and thus it has been called Hinayana or the "small vehicle" only giving room to a few people. Note that the use of Hinayana is nowadays seen as a pejorative term.
It was inevitable that another way developed, Mahayana or the "great vehicle" accommodating many more people. With 'more' comes an accommodation of different cultures and personal abilities. One finds many paths within Mahayana, two of the more known ones being Zen and Pureland.
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Post by muriela on Jun 21, 2015 20:49:47 GMT
fast Buddhism description. Buddhism = science of the mind
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Post by aceofcups on Jun 22, 2015 8:57:24 GMT
Muriella... I agree but that is the Full Understanding of the Mind on all levels and states of consciousness..... different then what is classified as Mind Science. Or what is in the book titled "Science of the Mind" by Ernst Holmes etc.
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