Transcript File - Year 11-12 Studies of Religion 2Unit 2013-4

Buddhism
The wheel is a common Buddhist symbol for
Buddha’s teaching. His first sermon ‘set in
motion the wheel of the Doctrine’. The
wheel is used in some cultures as a
symbol of the sun, eternity and of the cycle
of life.
Buddhism as a Living Religious
System
Three Jewels
1. BUDDHA
• showed how to break the bonds of
rebirth by accumulating merit through
deeds performed
• and the cycle of life and death
KARMA
SAMSARA
Three Jewels cont.
2. DHARMA
• provided insight
• a person could work one’s way to
enlightenment
• this would be by way of the…
FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
NIRVANA
EIGHTFOLD PATH
Three Jewels cont.
3. SANGHA
• the most perfect way to live out the
Eightfold Path
• community of monks
• 227 practical rules for monastic life
help to ensure that the Eightfold Path is
lived out as well as possible
TEN PRECEPTS
PATMOKKHA
Ten Precepts
To refrain from taking the life of beings.
To refrain from taking things not given.
A monk must not beg or take what does not belong
to him but must be totally dependent on the
generosity of others. To do otherwise is
stealing
To refrain from sensual misconduct.
Monks are expected to live a life of celibacy.
To refrain from false speech.
To refrain from substances which cause
intoxication and heedlessness.
Ten Precepts cont.
To refrain from taking food at inappropriate
times.
To refrain from dancing, singing, music and
entertainments
To refrain from the use of perfumes, ornaments
and other items used to adorn or beautify
the person.
To refrain from using high or luxurious beds
To refrain from accepting gold or silver
Buddhism
Principal Beliefs
Four Noble Truths
The Buddhist tradition is based heavily upon
the Ways of Holiness. The key to the
Buddhist Middle Way (Way of Holiness)
begins with the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS.
These were the answers to Buddha’s
search for the answer to the questions of
suffering and evil. These are the core of
Buddhist philosophy.
Four Noble Truths cont.
Four Noble Truths:
• suffering (dukkha, unsatisfactoriness)
• the origin of suffering (craving or selfish
desire)
• the cessation of suffering (Nirvana)
• the way leading to cessation of suffering
(the Noble Eightfold Path)
1st Noble Truth:
1st Noble Truth: (dukkha unsatisfactoriness)
FACT - Unsatisfactoriness of Life
The first truth is the knowledge of suffering. This
states that all individual existence is miserable
and painful.
e.g.
Birth, diseases, old age, death, not getting what
one desires or getting what one does not desire.
2nd Noble Truth:
2nd Noble Truth: (samudaya - origin)
CAUSE - Cause of Suffering
The second truth concerns the origin of suffering.
Suffering and indeed all existence (since they
are the same) has its source in desire and
ignorance: for example the desire of the senses,
the desire to be, the desire to destroy oneself.
Craving (tanha, selfish desire), which is the result
of ignorance.
3rd Noble Truth:
3rd Noble Truth: (nirodha - cure)
ENDING - Cessation of Suffering
The third truth deals with the destruction of suffering.
Suffering must be totally extinguished; there is to be no
remainder. This means being freed from the endless
cycle of rebirth (samsara) and entering the blessed state
of Nirvana.
Nirvana :
cessation of suffering
extinction of craving
extinction of greed, hate and delusion
consummation in peace and understanding
4th Noble Truth:
4th Noble Truth: (magga - Middle Way)
WAY LEADING TO END Method of Being Free of Suffering
The fourth truth indicates the way to this removal of
suffering. This is by means of the Noble Eightfold Path,
which formed Gautama Buddha’s basic teaching on
Buddhist life-style.
Right:
Understanding
thought
Speech
action
Livelihood
effort
Mindfulness
concentration
Eightfold Path
Sequential set of stepping-stones to
attaining Nirvana
Eightfold Path cont.
• The Noble Eight-fold Path focuses the
mind on being fully aware of our thoughts
and actions, and developing wisdom by
understanding the Four Noble Truths. It is
the way Buddhists should live their lives.
The Buddha said that people should avoid
extremes. They should not have or do too
much, but neither should they have or do
too little. The 'Middle Way' is the best.
Eightfold Path cont.
Sequential set of stepping-stones to
attaining Nirvana
Wisdom
Right Views/Understanding – thinking good
& positive things
Right Resolve/Thought – intending always
good & positive
Eightfold Path cont.
Conduct
Right Speech – speaking only good &
positive
Right Conduct/Action – acting always in a
good & positive way
Right Livelihood – working always at what is
good & positive
Eightfold Path cont.
Meditation
Right Efforts – energies always directed at
what is good & positive
Right Mindfulness – set one’s mind towards
good & positive
Right Concentration – contemplating only
good & positive
OHP 9
Eightfold Path represents the practical way in which individuals can overcome
the cause of suffering and unhappiness in this life.
It is concerned
with three things:
1. Moral / ethical
•right speech,
•right action,
•right occupation
©
3. Insight / wisdom - right knowledge,
right attitude
2000 Depth Study 1: Buddhism. This sheet may be copied for non-commercial classroom use only.
2. Spiritual
discipline/
meditation
• right effort,
• right mindfulness,
• right composure
The Marks of Existence
Three marks of existence: Anicca, Dukkha &
Anatta (related)
Anicca – impermanence – nothing in life stays the
same, things will change, one cannot rely on the
world in which we live to find final security &
peace
Dukkha – painful – inadequacy/incompleteness
about the world. Struggle with selfishness, when
let go of the selfish urge can over come this pain
The Marks of Existence cont.
Anatta – letting go – individual overcomes the
selfish, ego driven urge for permanence. Sees
impermanence extends oneself. Nothing to gain
in being selfish as there is no self.
Accepting impermanence in this ways, pain of
incompleteness is accepted, one can find peace.
Anicca, Dukkha & Anatta capture the true Heart of
Buddhist awakening.
Karma, Samsara, Nirvana
Karma, Samsara, Nirvana
Karma – storing up positive energies. Sufficient
energies can overcome Samsara.
Karma – mental state the free individual from
Samsara
Ultimate goal of Buddhism is to employ Karma to
free oneself from the cycle of Samsara in order
to reach the final point of enlightenment,
Nirvana.
Karma, Samsara, Nirvana cont.
Samsara
The second noble truth taught by Buddha after his
enlightenment is the truth of the cause of
suffering. Desire, ill-will and ignorance are the
causes of suffering, and a condition of life for all
living beings. Samsara is the circle of suffering
that is the destiny of all living beings until they
achieve enlightenment and break the pattern of
rebirth to experience the truth of existence.
Karma, Samsara, Nirvana cont.
Nirvana – extinguishing of the self where
non-self is realized.
Karma, Samsara, Nirvana cont.
Tripitaka – ‘three baskets’
Tripitaka –Three major parts of Buddha’s
teachings
Vinaya
Sutta
Abidhamma
Closely related to the centrality of Sangha. Sangha
routine is the central beliefs of Buddhism
Buddha believed the ordered life of the Sangha
provided a better long-term authority for Buddhism
than a line of successors.