Transcript BUDDHISM

BUDDHISM
Location of Buddhism
Buddhism World Status
• Buddhism: 360 million
• 6% of world population
• Fifth largest world religion
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Christianity 32%
Islam 22%
Hinduism 15%
Secular/Non-religious 14%
Buddhism
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Origin
History
Main Tenets
Worldview
Differences with Christianity
Origin of Buddhism
• Began in the 7th century BC
• Buddha is a title signifying “The
Enlightened One” or “The Awakened One”
• Title given to Siddartha Gautama who was
born in 563 B.C.; died 483 B.C.
• Biography of his life does not appear until
several hundred years later
• His life was the last of 500 reincarnations
Origin of Buddhism
• Siddartha Gautama was born into a wealthy family,
some propitious signs accompanied his birth
• Father protected him and groom him to be a king.
• Father allows him to take a chariot ride but decrees all
poor and suffering be hidden however the gods assume
human form so he sees an old man near death, a man
disfigured by disease, a funeral procession of
decomposing body, and a monk who has renounced
the world.
• Decided to forsake his status and wealth and seek the
meaning of life at 30 years old – Vedantic tradition.
Origin of Buddhism
• First quest for enlightenment
• Under the mentoring of two Brahman hermits,
Alara and Uddaka
• They were unable to tell him how to put an end
to the cycle of rebirths
• Second quest for enlightenment
• Asceticism with five companions
• Decided that self-mortification did not lead to
self-realization but only enfeebled body & mind
Origin of Buddhism
• Enlightenment obtained
• Devoted himself to the simple life of intense mental
discipline
• After prolong meditation after seven years while
sitting under a fig tree received the answer to his
quest
• Decides to share his way of enlightenment and begins
to preach
• Converts five followers & family
• Legend has him ascend into heaven but died after
eating spoiled pork given as an offering
• Buddhists would probably say that words cannot
truly describe Prince Gautama’s enlightenment
History of Buddhism
• Collection of Teachings and Split
• First council of followers shortly after his death
collected his teachings
• Called “Tripitaka,” lit. meaning “three baskets”
• Second council (~ 380 B.C.)
• Some argued for a greater role for the laity
• Less strict discipline
• Split between Theravada and Mahayana (~ 200 B.C.)
History of Buddhism
• Theravada Buddhism
• Name derived from an expression meaning
“tradition of the elders”
• Retained emphasis religion centered on monks
• Also called Hinayana (little raft) in distinction to
Mahayana
• Height of Theravada was in 3rd century B.C.
• Now mainly in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia
• Most other areas have Mahayana Buddhism
• Mainly a religion for monks
History of Buddhism
• Theravada Monks (bikhus)
• Only ones who can obtain nirvana
• They the focus of religious practice
• Laity’s primary religious work is to support the
monks
• Ordination
• Shave head and put on orange robes
• Vow to follow the Ten Precepts
History of Buddhism
• Theravada Monks Ten Precepts
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Not to take a life
Not to steal
Not to commit sexual immorality
Not to lie
Not to drink intoxicating beverages
Not to eat in excess or after noon
Not to attend entertainment, e.g. dancing, singing,
drama
• Not to decorate one’s self or use cosmetics
• Not to sleep in high or wide beds
• Not to touch any gold or silver
History of Buddhism
• Theravada Monks Life
• Usually live in a monastery
• Most of day in meditation
• Object of meditation on the total impermanence of all
existence
• Focus to avoid being distracted
• Begging for food in the morning
• When monk attains “full realization” he is an “arhat”
or holy man.
• At death enters nirvana
• Buddha is perfect in all his incarnations and arhat isn’t
History of Buddhism
• Buddhas
• Twenty five Buddhas
• All came to teach the same way of enlightenment
• Idea emerged there is a Buddha in the final stages of
preparation to come to earth.
• Called Maitreya
• A Bodhisattva i.e. “Buddha-in-the-making”
• He will usher in a golden age of enlightenment for all
History of Buddhism
• Theravada Buddhism & the Laity
• Secondary participants
• Goal is to live a good life
• Follow the first five of the ten precepts (special occasions
will follow eight)
• Store up merit (good karma) for a better incarnation
• May even earns some time in heaven between incarnations
• Universe consists of many levels and higher levels are states of bliss
worthy of pursuing but not nirvana
• Recitation of “Three Refuges”
• I seek refuge in the Buddha
• I seek refuge in the Dharma (duty as in following teachings)
• I seek refuge in the sangha (order of bikhu or monks)
• Care for the monks (bikhu)
History of Buddhism
• Theravada Buddhism & the Laity
• Three main obligations:
• Recitation of “Three Refuges”
• I seek refuge in the Buddha
• I seek refuge in the Dharma (duty as in following teachings)
• I seek refuge in the sangha (order of bikhu or monks)
• Care for the monks (bikhu)
• Food, material for clothing and other necessities
• Care for the temples
• Usually erected by lay peoples contributions
• Statue of generous donor with monk robe place in temple
• Traditionally, contribute by buying gold leafs to be added to
statue of Buddha
History of Buddhism
• Theravada Buddhism & the Laity
• Position of Buddha statue hands
• Left hand open and on lap
• Right hand direct to the earth
• Calling on earth to witness to his Buddhahood and
steadfastness (other positions, e.g. teaching, protecting)
• Folk religion
• Laity deify Buddha and worship him
• Knowledgeable Buddhist do not claim they worship him
• Storing Merit
• Can become a bikhu for a period of time
• Rite of passage in puberty rites
History of Buddhism
• Mahayana Buddhism
• Means “big raft” because it accommodates large
number of people, monks and laity
• Innovations
• Sunyata (void) is interpreted as “absolute compassion,”
Benevolent compassion is the ultimate motivating force of
Mahayana Buddhism
• Multiplication of divine beings
• Lotus Sutra and other scriptures
• Other schools
History of Buddhism
• Mahayana Buddhism’s Innovations
• Multiplication of divine beings
• Multiple Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
• Manushi Buddhas – achieved enlightenment on earth
• Died and in Nirvana so not accessible
• Dhyani Buddhas – attained enlightenment in heaven
• Have not died and are accessible
• I.e., Amithaba of the Pure Land School
• Bodhisattvas – many Buddhas-in-the-making
• In Mahayana mythology these are divine beings in heaven who
forgo entry into nirvana until “the last soul is redeemed from hell”
which is the lower levels of incarnation.
• Available in heaven with much merit stored up to assist people in
need
History of Buddhism
• Mahayana Buddhism’s Innovations
• Lotus Sutra and other scriptures
• Proliferation of Mahayana writings
• Lotus Sutra has the highest stature
• Core teachings attributed to Gautama (Called Sakyamuni
[sage of the sakya clan] to differentiate him from other
Buddhas)
• Sakyamuni was a manifestation of the true celestial
Buddha
• All human beings have potential to reach Buddhahood
• References to specific Buddhas and Bodhisattvas by name
• Asserts that Hinayana is only for selfish uncaring people
History of Buddhism
• Mahayana Buddhism’s Innovations
• Other schools
• Tendai (rationalist)
• Pure Land (compassionate)
• Zen (intuitive
• Nichiren (chanting)
• Vajrayana (lamaist of Tibet)
• Shingon (combination of Tendai and Vajrayana)
• Ryobu (combination of Shinto and Shingon
• See Winfried Corduan’s chart, p. 230
History of Buddhism
• Other Schools of Mahayana Buddhism
• Tendai (rationalist school)
• Provide compromise between variations
• Organized by Chinese monk, Chih-I
• 6th century A.D.
• Teachings
• Superiority of Lotus Sutra – inspired scripture
• Unity of reality – all reality is equally a part of Buddha’s
nature
• Reality is sunyatta and maya at the same time
• Universal salvation – all people will attain Buddhahood
• Because all are a part of the same Buddha nature
• Meditation to receive true insight into true reality
History of Buddhism
• Other Schools of Mahayana Buddhism
• Pure Land Schools (multiple)
• Buddha Amida (Japanese name for Dhyani Buddha)
• Mythology has Amida while going through his incarnations
overwhelmed with human suffering that he vows to
provide a way of salvation for all people.
• Became a Buddha and was able to provide salvation
• Created a paradise in western regions of heaven (pure land,
Buddha field, or western paradise)
History of Buddhism
• Other Schools of Mahayana Buddhism
• Pure Land Schools (multiple)
• Anyone who trusts in Buddha Amida can enter at death
• In paradise anyone can reach nirvana (equivalent)
• Some schools say must recite nembutsu (I bow down to the
Buddha Amida) to enter paradise
• Jodo-shin-shu (Japan) recite nembutsu only to express
gratitude
• No demands on followers other than to show Amida their
thankfulness
• Worship performed by clergy, services have chanting,
meditation, and adoration
History of Buddhism
• Other Schools of Mahayana Buddhism
• Zen Origins
• Arose in 6th century A.D. in response to Tendai’s
rationalist speculation
• Claims its origin come from Gautama (as do they all)
• Essence of it is enlightenment without words or
explination
• Story of Buddha standing before his pupils waiting for him to
teach, one pupil, Mahakasyapa understood and smiled and just
looked at him.
• Traditional founder is Bodhidharma, Indian monk that
emigrated to China a thousand years after Mahakasyapa
• Cut off eyelids and meditated at wall for three years and hit on
head and then gained enlightenment
History of Buddhism
• Other Schools of Mahayana Buddhism
• Zen Schools
• Two major schools in Japan, Master Soto & Master Rinzai
• Soto saw enlightenment gain gradually
• Rinzai saw a lengthy preparation time then gained abruptly
• All Zen schools
• Clear one’s mind of conceptual clutter that impedes insight
• D. T. Suzuki summary of Zen
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Special transmission outside of scriptures
No dependence on words or letters
Direct pointing to the soul of man
Seeing one’s nature & attainment of Buddhahood
History of Buddhism
• Other Schools of Mahayana Buddhism
• Zen Scriptures and experience
• Platform Sutra – not considered authoritative nor source of
belief
• Zen knowledge only transmitted from master to pupil and
he can only direct him to see what he can see
• Enlightenment referred to as “satori”
• Satori is when “a person has direct, unmediated insight into
the self, the world and truth” (Corduan, 233).
History of Buddhism
• Other Schools of Mahayana Buddhism
• Zen Enlightenment
• “Dualistic thinking” hinders enlightenment – meaning
making distinction and classifying things according to
rational categories.
• Categories – what is real, what is really real, and what is
not really real
• Zen accepts reality as it is given (or perceived)
• Four ways to satori
• Zazen meditation – cross-legged, straight back, focus on
thought provided by master
History of Buddhism
• Other Schools of Mahayana Buddhism
• Four ways to satori
• Zazen meditation – cross-legged, straight back, focus on
thought provided by master
• Mondos – stories of past great Zen masters and how they
received enlightenment so pupil can learn how he may gain
enlightenment
• Koans – conundrums—riddles without answers (they
supposedly carry the answer in them after one stops
thinking analytically)
• “What is the sound of one hand clapping?”
• “Does a dog have Buddha nature?”
• “How crooked is straight?”
• Cultural activities such as art, martial arts, haiku poetry
History of Buddhism
• Other Schools of Mahayana Buddhism
• Nichiren Shoshu (Soka Gakkai)
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Founded by Japanese monk Nichiren from Tendai school
13th century
Determined all other traditions wrong
Return to Sakyamuni and “true” Buddhist teaching
Nichiren was persecuted and about to be executed but a
natural disaster free him, good omen so gather disciples
• Split into many sub-schools
History of Buddhism
• Other Schools of Mahayana Buddhism
• Soka Gakkai
• Nichiren Shoshu means “the true Nichiren”
• Revived in 1930s in Japan as Soka Gakkai – “society for
the creation of values”
• Most popular after Pure Land Buddhism
History of Buddhism
• Other Schools of Mahayana Buddhism
• Soka Gakkai Teachings
• Enlightenment available to everyone regardless of
previous incarnations and current status and can be
achieved in just a few years
• Ten states of life must be traveled from lowest to highest
• Person’s state at death determines his karma and thus his
next incarnation
• Those who attain Buddhahood finish incarnations
History of Buddhism
• Other Schools of Mahayana Buddhism
• Soka Gakkai Ten States of Life
• Hell, anger, animality, hunger, tranquility, rapture,
learning, realization, Bodhisattva, and Buddhahood
• Progress from worst of human experience to physical,
mental and then pure consciousness of enlightenment
• Key to enlightenment
• Chanting (diamoku) “I bow down to the beautiful
teaching of the Lotus Sutra”
• Gohonzon – piece of paper with diamoku worship when
copy brought out at the temple (original in Japan)
• Improve physical life by putting in harmony with universe
• Lay movement, no priests, interested in social justice
History of Buddhism
• Other Schools of Mahayana Buddhism
• Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhism)
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Means “diamond vehicle”
Considered the third division of Buddhism
Also known as Lamaism
Sublime philosophy and meditation
• Folk more concerned with magical practices to control evil spirits
Tenets of Buddhism
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Relationship to Hinduism
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Gods have no place in teachings and are
themselves in need of enlightenment
Accepted samsara, karma, and ultimate
(though the later is different)
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Some Hindu schools hold the atheistic view of
Brahman
Eliminated the caste system and the Vedas as
authoritative
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This is what was against orthodox Hinduism
Tenets of Buddhism
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Four Truths
1. Truth of suffering – all forms of existence are
subject to physical and mental suffering
2. The cause of suffering is desire – desire for
possession and selfish enjoyment of every
kind, particularly the desire for separate,
individual, existence.
3. Suffering ceases when selfish desires are
denounced and ceases
4. The eightfold path leads to enlightenment
Tenets of Buddhism
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Eightfold Path – path of perfect
detachment also known as the “middle
way” because it avoids both selfindulgence and self-mortification
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This path leads to the cessation of suffering
This path allows a person to escape from the
cycle of rebirth
To accomplish this task was a fulltime
commitment so formed an order of monks
Tenets of Buddhism
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The Eightfold Path
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Right Views
Right Desires
Right Speech
Right Conduct
Right Mode of Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Awareness
Right Meditation
The Eightfold Path
• The Right Views
This involves acceptance of the four truths and
a resolute rejection of unworthy attitudes and
acts, such as covetousness, lying and gossip.
The Eightfold Path
• Right Desires
The thoughts are to be free from lust, from illwill, and from cruelty. Free from desire from
selfish possessions. Desire for achieving
highest ends.
The Eightfold Path
• Right Speech
Ones speech should be plain and truthful,
abhorring lying, tale-bearing, and harsh or
vain talk. Words must be gentle, soothing to
the ear, penetrating to the heart, useful, rightly
timed, and according to the facts.
The Eightfold Path
• Right Conduct
To follow this path one must practice charity
and abstention from killing any living thing,
from stealing, and from unlawful sexual
intercourse.
“While morality forms the basis of the higher
life, wisdom completes it.”
The Eightfold Path
• Right Mode of Livelihood
This path requires harming no one and being
free from luxury. Each must take up work
which will give scope to his abilities and make
him useful to his fellow men.
The Eightfold Path
• Right Effort
Press forward in four directions: 1) avoid
increasing evil; 2) overcome evil; 3) develop
meritorious conditions (detachment,
investigation of law, concentration, & rapture);
4) bring meritorious conditions which already
exist to maturity and perfection.
The Eightfold Path
• Right Awareness
Four fundamentals of awareness:
Contemplation of the transitory nature and
loathsomeness of the body
Contemplation of the feelings of oneself and
others
Contemplation of the mind
Contemplation of phenomena
The Eightfold Path
• Right Meditation
Concentration on a single object with all
hindrances overcome
Purpose is to be purified from all distractions
and evils and filled with rapture, happiness and
equanimity.
Ultimate goal is to pass beyond sensation of
either pleasure or pain into a state
transcending consciousness, ultimately
attaining full Enlightenment (state of
perfection)
Tenets of Buddhism
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Main purpose of Buddhism
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Escape from suffering
Escape from cycle of rebirth
Reach Nirvana – cease to exist or realize one’s selfextinctedness; Nirvana (lit. “blown out”– unconditional
state of liberation, release from the cycle of rebirth-redeath
determined by karma
No ultimate reality (Brahman) behind illusion but
nothingness (sunyata – the void).
No Atman (No soul in people)
Karma – in Buddhism the actions of body or mind
which produce a fixed consequence for the present
life or the future life.
Buddhist Shrine
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A1 Body of Buddha
A2 Sacred Text
A3 Stupa – mind of Buddha
B1 Drinking water
B2 Feet washing water
B3 Rice & Flowers
B4 Rice & Incense
B5 Butter lamp or Candle
B6 Scented water to annoint
B7 Rice and Food
B8 Conch Shell - Ting-shag
Theravada Buddhist Worldview
Suffering/Desiring
Individual
Karma
Nirvana
Samsara
Mahayana Buddhism Worldview
Individual
Compassion
Karma
Nirvana
Heaven/Hell
Samsara
Important Terms
• Karma – Cause and effect (what you sow is
what you reap); good deeds do not cancel
out evil deeds
• Impermanence – everything changes and
goes through cycle of birth, growth, decay,
and death. No such thing as death. The
world of phenomena, the very universe
itself, has a purely relative existence, and
this lack of absolute reality, applies to the
individual’s self. There is nothing eternal
or immortal inside a man’s body.
Important Terms
• Nirvana – is an ethical state, a condition
which eliminates any future rebirth, the
extinction of desire, the final release from
suffering.
• Anatman – ultimate non-self
• Sunyata – the void
Important Terms
• Gautama refused to answer about the
existence after death. “There is, disciples, a
condition, where there is neither earth nor
water, neither air nor light, neither limitless
space, nor limitless time, neither any kind of
being, neither ideation nor non-ideation,
neither this world nor that world. There is
neither arising nor passing-away, nor dying,
neither cause nor effect, neither change nor
standing-still.” (Sacred Books of the Buddhists, Vol.
II, 54)
Christianity & Buddhism
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Both seek enlightenment
Both empathize with suffering
Individuals are of value
Committed relationships
Emphasis on living live and loving
Moderation
Value of life