Buddhism:

Origins of Buddhism:

• Buddhism as an alternative to the ritual-bound Brahmanism of India of the 6th century BCE —alternative to Hinduism
• Founded religion- Siddhartha Gautama

Life of the Buddha:

• Born 563 BCE as Siddhartha Gautama (grew up very protected)
• Prince; son of wealthy landowner/kshatriya chief, who tried to protect his son from the world
• According to birth legends, born of miraculous conception; sage foretold he would be either an ascetic or supreme monarch

Life of Buddha Continued:

The 4 Passing Sights:

• Sickness
• Old age
• Death
• Sannyasin

The Great Going Forth and the Great Renunciation:

• At age 39, Siddhartha renounced the life of wealth into which he had been born and became a wandering ascetic

Spiritual progress initially elusive; shift to a Middle Way; experiences Enlightenment and attains Buddhahood

• No longer a sattva (being person) striving for bodhi (state of complete awareness total insight into nature of reality) but now a buddha (fully enlightened one who understands true nature of reality)

Buddhist Understanding of Ultimate Reality:

• Rejection of Hindu notions of Brahman, atman, varna,authority of the Brahminsm and Vedic scriptures.
• Retained concepts of samsara, karma, reincarnation
• Introduces new teachings- anatman, dharma, enlightenment, nirvana, three marks of reality, four noble truths,noble eightfold path, three refuges, pali, canon, etc.

Buddhist Understanding of Ultimate Reality: **** know dharma in buddhism and hinduism and atman/anatman

• Dharma- in Buddhism, the teaching or truths about the ultimate nature of things
• Rejection of Hindu notion of atman; espoused anatman- no permanent identity/self (nothing permanent about us)

Three Marks of Reality:

Constant change (anitya)

• Everything in the world as we experience it in impermanent, in constant flux
• All reality is in motion, dynamic- wise person expects change, accepts it, and even embraces it

Lack of permanent identity (anatman) —- e.g) how do we view ourselves now in comparison to highschool, in middle school, etc. always changing who we are

• No permanent identity/ self
• Each person is changing and comprised of parents that are constantly changing- quite rational, eliminates surprise at changes

Existence of suffering (dukkha)

• ‘Suffering’, ‘sorrow’, ‘dis-ease’, ‘dissatisfaction’
• Life when lived conventionally, can never be fully satisfying because of inescapable change
• To live is to experience sorrow and dissatisfaction
• Cannot escape suffering, but can decide how to respond to it

Buddha doesn't mean to be depressing, trying to speak the truth from his enlightenment!!

Buddhist Understanding of Ultimate Reality: The 4 Noble Truths

Dukkha (suffering, sorrow)

• Life means suffering (dis-ease, sorrow, dissatisfaction)

Trsna (desire)

• The origin of suffering is attachment, clinging, desire

Nirvana (‘blowing out’, ‘quenching’, ‘non-attachment’)

• The cessation of suffering is attainable- to cease something is to stop it—we can stop our suffering by letting go of attachments- do that by following 3 marks of reality

Noble Eightfold Path

• The path to end suffering is achievable by following the Noble Eightfold Path

Buddhist Understand of Ultimate Reality: The Noble Eightfold Path

• Right understanding- knowledge of the 4 noble truths wisdom
• Right intention/resolve- intention to free ourselves of craving by becoming selfless, compassionate wisdom
• Right speech- truth-telling, speaking without malice, no gossip or slander
• Right action/conduct- prohibition against killing or hurting living things, stealing, immoral actions; seeking the common good -***
• Right Livelihood- jobs which support spiritual growth and avoid violence
• Right effort- strong will, purity of heart-mental development
• Right mindfulness- awareness of all that goes into the mind and body- mental development
• Right concentration- meditation to attain higher states of consciousness- mental development

-mediation is a key spiritual element

Buddhist Understanding of Ultimate Reality:

• No eternal ‘self’ to be reborn (anatman)
• One changing state of being sets another into motion, constant flux; every event has a cause- attachment, suffering, karma
• Ultimate goal is to break free of the cycle of rebirth to achieve nirvana- end wheel of suffering by breaking the cycle of attachment and achieve state of non-being, non-attachment

The Life of the Buddha:

• Sangha (community, association)- order of disciples in Buddhism
• Includes Buddhist monks (bhikshu), nuns (bhikshuni), laymen, and laywomen
• Three refugees- “i take refuge in the Buddha, in the dharma (Buddhist teachings), and in the sangha (buddhist community)
• Death of the buddha
• Expansion of Buddhism beyond India and the rile of Buddhist missionary monks and the Indian Emperor Ashoka

The Buddhist Scriptures: Pali Canon/Tipitaka ***know these for exam

• Pali canon or Tipitaka (three baskets)
• 3 key sections
• Sutta Pitaka (discourse basket)- record of the Buddha’s teachings and stories (sutras), sayings of the Buddha
• Vinaya Pitaka (discipline basket)- procedural rules for monastic life, teachings about the vinaya (community of Buddhist monks and nuns)
• Abhidhamma Pitaka (special teachings basket)- later scholarly works on Buddhist doctrine, teachings are not from the Buddha himself but later teachings and important interpretations of Buddhist teachings and traditions

Major Divisions of Buddhism:

• Theravada
• Mahayana
• Tibetan Buddhism
• Zen Buddhism
• Pure Land Buddhism

Theravada Buddhism:

• ‘Way of Elders’
• Centered on bhikshu and bhikshuni
• Liberation is difficult work; the monastic vocation is ideal path to seek liberation
• Individuals are responsible for their own destiny
• Humans are emancipated by their self-effort, without spiritual aid
• Key virtue: wisdom/insight
• Ideal person: person who is free from rebirth
• Emphasis on meditation and self-effort
• Scripture: Pali canon only
• Buddha considered a saint, supreme teacher and inspirer
• Prominent in southeast Asia, especially Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, etc..

Mahayana Buddhism:

• ‘Greater vehicle’
• Centered on all persons
• Liberation is accessible to laypersons as well as to monks and nuns
• Bodhisattva (celestial being who forgoes nirvana to help others achieve enlightenment)
• Fate of the individual is linked to the fate of all
• Human aspirations are supported by divine power and the grace it bestows; humans can depend on the help of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and other compassionate beings
• Key virtue: compassion
• Ideal person: bodhisattva
• Emphasis on meditation and petitionary prayer
• Scripture: Pali canon + other texts
• Buddhas considered a savior
• Prominent in east and northern Asia, especially Nepal, Tibet, China, Korea, and Japan

Tibetan Buddhism:

• Dalai Lama
• Monastic and lay person traditions
• Matras, visually striking temple ceremonies, yogic practices
• Emphasis on awareness of death and impermanence (living dying) -see value of each moment, be diligent with spiritual practices

Zen Buddhism:

• Prominent in China, Korea, Japan
• Understand meaning of life directly, not through language or logical thought- ‘essence work’

Pure Land Buddhism:

• Pursuing enlightenment through practices rather than meditation
• Essential practice: changing name of Amitabha Buddha with total concentration, especially at moment of death
• Emphasis on personal relationship of faith and truth is Amitabha Buddha
• Sincere recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s name at moment of death leads to rebirth in Pure Land, long penultimate life of no suffering; next life is enlightenment and nirvana