Buddhism-Lecture

Main Buddhist traditions

Hinayana (Early Schools of Buddhism 500 BCE) Pali Sutras Theravada School only surviving school, dominant in S. Asia, eg., Sri Lanka, Thaliand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos

B. Mahayana (ca. 100 sects, most extinct, 100 BCE onward) Sanskrit texts mostly translated into Chinese; Pure Land and Zen C. Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhism ca. 600 CE onward) 4 sects, Gelugpa sect is the one that the Dalai Lama is the head of

Life Of Siddhartha Gautama

Ca. 563-483 B.C.E. in present day Nepal, at the foot of Himalayas (NE India) of the Shakya clan (Shakyamuni: Wise Sage of the Shakya Clan). Mother Queen Maya has dream of elephant entering her side. Special markings, messages when born. Prophecy given. Grew up in palace, sheltered life of luxury. Gets married, has family, wants to see the world.

Four passing sights

1. old man, crooked and toothless

2. sick man, wasted by disease

3. corpse being taken for cremation

4. wandering holy man who has no possessions but seemed to be at peace

Great renunication

-leaves palace, renounces royal life/identity

-begins the journey to seek enlightement

-29 years old

-quest for enlightement will take 6 years

Buddha

awakend one

Bodhi

enlightening

seeks release from rebirth

-yoga mastering it, attains Samadi was dissatisfied didn’t bring release

Jainist path of severe ascenticism

-wakes up and realizes must avoid extremes of severe ascenticism and luxary, middle way

-experiements with a different way of meditating with benefical results Mindful awareness

Temptations of Mara

-breaking through

-Mara wants to stop him, pulling out of pending enlightement

-Overcomes Mara and vows not to leave this tree (bodhi tree) until enlightened

Buddha’s enlightement

Night of Full Moon, he attains higher levels of consciousness and attains enlightenment, a state of pure mindful awareness and pure equanimity.

He acquire the 6 Super-knowledges:

1) Magic powers

2) Clairaudience

3) Clairvoyance

4) Telepathy

5) Knowledge of past lives

6) Overcame the 3 Kleshas of Ignorance, Greed, Hatred.

How/Why? Because he saw/understood the nature, cause & solution of suffering & rebirth

Turning wheel of Dharma

Preaching First Sermon to the 5 Ascetics in Deer Park. Establishing the Sangha. Bringing the Truth of Buddhism to the world once again. It had been lost and forgotten. There was a Buddha in the distant past. Siddhartha is the Buddha for this time. Maitreya will be the Buddha in the future.

Noble truth (4)

1. Life is suffering

2. cause and source for suffering

3. possible cesation of cause can be undone or removed

4. way to stop suffering

Noble eight fold path

Morality-right speech,action livelihood is words, not doing something that causes harn, and occupation

Concentration-right effort, mindfulness, concentration is purifying the mind, mediation, present momnet

Wisdom-right views, understaning, intentions, and thoughts

End of his life

Sddhartha gathered many disciples, living a monastic life of renunciation, would stay in one area during monsoon season. He established guidelines for monastic life, was coerced to allow women in, sent 60 monks (Bhikkhus) out to be missionaries. Also established guidelines for laity. Rejected the caste system, authority of Hindu scriptures and priests, therefore a new religion. He lived another 45 years after his enlightenment, then died of food poisoning.

10 percepts of Buddhism

These 5 are to be followed by laity and all 10 by those who enter the monastic life. The laity is to support/supply the needs of Sangha for spiritual merit/good karma and a better rebirth. The purpose of being in the Sangha is that it provides a context conducive to meditation practice, and they have the responsibility of teaching the Dharma to the rest of the community.

1) Abstain from taking life

2) Abstain from stealing

3) Abstain from sexual misconduct

4) Abstain from lying

5) Abstain from drinking liquor

6) Abstain from eating past noon

7) Abstain from watching dancing, singing, shows

8) Abstain from adorning oneself with garlands, perfumes, ointments

9) Abstain from using a soft high bed

10) Abstain from receiving/handling gold or silver.

Early histroy of Buddhism

For 2 centuries Buddhism spread mainly along the Ganges Valley, then rapidly throughout India due to the conversion of King Ashoka (ruled 272-236 BCE). He abolished animal sacrifice, built stelae/monuments promoting Buddhist precepts.

He est. the Mauryan Empire.

rise of different buddhist sects

By 200 BCE Buddhism developed into 17-18 different schools, of which only one has continued to the present day: Theravada School (AKA Hinayana Buddhism) Around 100 BCE a more liberal wing of Buddhism develops, they called themselves Mahayana Buddhists, and labeled the conservatives (Theravadins) Hinayana. New Scriptures were being composed, teaching new concepts claimed to contain the higher truth that the Buddha taught that the conservatives didn’t understand. Only 5% is a continuation of the old teachings, 65% is entirely new, and 30% is a reinterpretation of the old Buddhism.

Bodhisattvas

Beings destined for enlightenment, human and celestial. They have taken the Bodhisattva Vow: to postpone Nirvana until all sentient beings are saved first, they are on a mission of compassion to liberate all. Some of the most important are Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara, Maitreya

rise of Mayhayana Buddhism

New key concepts/emphases: New Scriptures in Sanskrit Offer an easier way for these dark times Everyone will attain enlightenment Role of Bodhisattvas and The Pure Land Sect Deification of the Buddha In contrast, Hinayana Buddhism: They are conservative Earliest Scriptures in Pali Only a few attain Nirvana Is through self-effort Buddha just a man, but extraordinary Limited Buddhas, one of the past, Siddhartha, and one to come in the future, Maitreya

Amitabha (Boundless light and life)

Through an act of grace passes on his good karma, spiritual merit to those who take refuge in him, are brought to the Western Paradise, Pure Land, and from there you’re brought to Nirvana. Is known as Amida Buddha in Japan.

Avalokitesvara

The Lord Who Looks in Every Direction” In India male In Tibet reincarnates as Dalai Lama In China a feminine image/Quan Yin/Kwan Yin In Japan Kannon Embodies compassion Answers prayers for any need

Maiterya Laughing Buddha

In China there’s a merging of Maitreya and a Santa Claus type of figure to become Laughing Buddha

Tri-Kaya Doctorine of the Buddha

There are 3 levels of Buddhahood/ Triple-Body Doctrine: Dharma-kaya: Truth Body -- eternal, formless, pure unity, source of all Buddhahood Sambhoga-kaya: Pleasure Body -- celestial/heavenly Buddhas, manifested from above in various names and forms, still present in Samsara and accessible to help us in this life and to get to Nirvana Rupa-kaya or Nirmana-kaya: Physical or Apparitional Body -- earthly Buddhas, of past, present (Siddhartha) and future, only an appearance in physical form but not really human like us

Madhyamika school

Nagarjuna, philosopher/logician, develops two doctrines critically important to many Mahayana schools/sects, especially Zen Buddhism. He takes Siddhartha’s teachings on the Doctrine of Impermanence to its logical conclusion. Since everything is impermanent, not having any unchanging substance as the basis of their being, but rather, everything is a flow of process, he adds the element that nothing exists in and of itself, independently, everything is non self-subsistent. Result, everything is “empty of own-beingness” and is one interdependent flow, everything in Samsara, the realm of existence, is one, there’s no basis for differentiation or separation as distinct “things.” Everything becomes ONE through emptiness. It follows that Nirvana is Samsara, they become one through shunyata.

Nagarjuna’s 2 key doctorines

The Doctrine of Emptiness (Shunyata): Samsara is empty and everything is one through emptiness; in addition, Nirvana also is empty (has no solid substance and is not self-subsistent, but depends upon Samsara for its existence). Syllogism follows: if they both are empty, then they are one, they become one through emptiness. Conclusion: Samsara is Nirvana. To awaken to this truth of emptiness that sees the oneness of reality and that Nirvana, ultimate reality, is here and now, is what enlightenment is about. They are no longer opposites as Buddha taught.

Doctrine of Two Truths: At the Higher/Absolute level of truth, there’s only emptiness (there is no Buddha for those who know what he is really); At the Lower/Relative level of truth, there is Buddhism, only a tool to realize the Higher Truth, to be dismissed once realized (there is a Buddha for those who do NOT know what he is really).

Zen Buddhism

“Meditation” = Dhyana (India), Ch’an (China) Zen (Japan) this is the Meditation School, brought from India to China by Bodhidharma ca. 520, he’s the 28th Patriarch in a lineage of transmission from Buddha to Kasyapa, who was the first Patriarch, who received this higher teaching from the Buddha himself. The transmission of the Lamp of Enlightenment which cannot be taught through words or texts, rituals or prayers, but only through meditation from master to disciple. In the 800’s Ch’an splits into 2 sects, over whether enlightenment is gradual/sudden. These get established in Japan in the 1200’s as Rinzai (sudden) and Soto (gradual). Zen culture/arts: Haiku poetry, art/calligraphy, gardens, Koans, Tea ceremony, archery.