Transcript THE THREE JEWELS CONT`D - Faith Cathedral Deliverance Centre

FAITH
CATHEDRAL
DELIVERANCE
CENTRE
WELCOMES YOU
TO THE STUDY ON
BUDDHISM
REFLECTION
STATEMENTS
Guatama
was educated in the
ethics & traditions of his tribe,
studied the Indian languages
& classical literatures, and
manifested supernatural
intelligence as he grew
STATEMENTS
He
CONT’D
drew less & less
satisfaction from the pleasures
of the palace and yearned for
deeper meaning to life
During his ride in the park, he
saw the four signs that
motivated his search for truth
STATEMENTS
He
CONT’D
bid his family unspoken
farewell & left the palace, cut
his hair etc, renounced his
princely title & became a monk
STATEMENTS
He
CONT’D
travelled from place to place
associated with others of like
desire, fasted, meditated & soon
became awakened/enlightened
STATEMENTS
He
CONT’D
passed on the truth to
followers or disciples during the
40 years he dedicated himself
to the ministry
He died at the age of 80 & was
cremated
PART
FOUR
FOUNDATIONS AND
TRADITIONS
‘The Three Jewels‘
THE THREE JEWELS
The foundation of Buddhist
tradition and practise are
‘The Three Jewels’ or ‘Triple Gem’
These are :
The Buddha (the teacher)
The Dharma ( the teachings)
The Sangha (the students)
THE THREE JEWELS (CONT’D)
Taking ‘refuge’ in the triple
gem, has traditionally been a
declaration and commitment
to being on the Buddhist path,
and in general distinguishes a
Buddhist from a nonBuddhist.
THE THREE JEWELS (BUDDHA)
The first Jewel is the Buddha.
The word Buddha means “the
Awakened One.” It does not
mean only Shakyamuni Buddha,
formerly the prince Siddhartha,
who became a perfect buddha in
the sixth century BC, in India,
who is called the ‘historical
buddha.’
THE THREE JEWELS
CONT’D
(BUDDHA)
Buddha means all those who have
awakened from the sleep of
ignorance and blossomed into
their full potential . They are
teachers of others and are just as
important as the fact that they
are awakened too, and can point
the way to reality.
THE THREE JEWELS CONT’D
(DHAMMA/DHARMA)
The second Jewel is the Dhamma
(Pali)/Dharma (Sanskrit) means ‘to
be held’ in Buddhism it means the
teachings and doctrines of the
Buddha. But these teachings and
doctrine's are called Dhamma
because they explain and describe
the nature of things, the way things
are, the way they operate.
THE THREE JEWELS CONT’D (DHAMMA/
DHARMA)
The Dhamma is to be learnt and put
into practice in the course of one's
daily life, for without practice one
cannot appreciate the truth. The
Dhamma is to be studied, and more
so be practiced, and above all to be
realized; immediate realization is its
ultimate goal.
THE THREE JEWELS CONT’D
(DHAMMA/DHARMA)
The highest meaning of Dhamma
therefore is reality that holds in
freedom from suffering, holds in a
state of bliss. It consist of those
methods and the teachings of those
methods that are the arts and
sciences which enable the opening up
of selves.
THE THREE JEWELS CONT’D
(DHAMMA/DHARMA)
The teachings, the practices
and the implementation of
the
practices
are
also
Dhamma.
THE THREE JEWELS
CONT’D
(SANGHA)
The Third Jewel is the
‘Sangha’ which is the
community of those who
learn the teachings, seek
that understanding and
work to embody it.
THE THREE JEWELS CONT’D
(SANGHA )
There are two levels:
(1)The Monastic Order for
Monks.
They are responsible for the main
teachings, and live a simple life
that will make the move towards
nirvana (extinction of suffering
and rebirth) easier.
THE THREE JEWELS CONT’D
(SANGHA)
Monks
own no more than
two robes and some thread
to mend them, a razor, a
bowl, a cup and a special
strainer to remove insects
from their drinking water.
THE THREE JEWELS CONT’D (SANGHA)
The
wider community supports their
work and provides them with food,
hoping to gain merit for their next life.
Monks go out to schools and colleges
to give talks, visit those who are ill or
in prison, and teach visitors to the
monastery. The last part of their day
is devoted to personal study and
meditation.
THE THREE JEWELS CONT’D
(SANGHA)
They are consciously evolving
toward being buddhas, sharing
their understandings and bliss
with others as teachers of
freedom to other beings. This
includes
all
Buddhists
everywhere and through time.
THE THREE JEWELS CONT’D (SANGHA)
(2)The
Laity. This level
comprises followers who have
no desire to become monks.
They stress on those virtues
which could be practiced in
ordinary daily lives with
rebirth in heaven as the goal.
INTERIM ASSESSMENT
Unscramble :




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AADHMR
AASNGH
KMNOS
AIYTL
TTHHEEEEEJRWLS
THE HOLY / SACRED BOOK
It was not until almost 500
years after the death of the
Buddha (483 B.C.) that his
teachings were finally written
down. Monks had to make
sure that everyone agreed on
what was said to ensure
reliability.
THE HOLY/SACRED BOOK (CONT’D)
The scriptures are known as
‘the Tipitaka’ .
 ‘Ti’ means ‘three’ and ‘Pitaka’
means ‘basket’.
The Tipitaka was written in an
ancient Indian language called
‘Pali’. It is also a very large book.

THE HOLY/SACRED BOOK (CONT’D)
The teachings were first written
on palm leaves and stored in
baskets.
‘The Three Baskets’ is therefore
another name for the scriptures,
thus called because they contain
or hold the teachings.
THE HOLY/SACRED BOOK (CONT’D)
The three baskets are:
1. Vinaya
Pitaka list rules of
disciplines for monks and nuns.
2. Sutta Pitaka is a large collection of
teachings (Dhamma) on various
subjects, with most of them given
by the Buddha.
THE HOLY/SACRED BOOK (CONT’D
3. Abhidhamma Pitaka This
is a systhematic summary
or explanation of the Sutta
Pitaka (along philosophical
and psychological lines).
THE HOLY/SACRED BOOK (CONT’D
Two
important collections of
the teachings are the Pali
Canon and the Sanskrit
Canon.
The
Sanskrit Canon is in
several languages and is used
by the Mahayana Buddhists.
THE HOLY/SACRED BOOK (CONT’D
The
Pali Canon is the most
important
collection
of
writings
for
Theravada
Buddhists (90% world wide). It
was the first collection of the
teachings of the Buddha, and
was
written
in
Indian
language.
THE HOLY/SACRED BOOK (CONT’D
Reading
and maintaining
(via library) the holy book
was the responsibility of the
community
of
monks
(sangha).
BRANCHES/PHILOSOPHIES OF
BUDDHISM –
THE THREE VEHICLES
Schisms
occurred within the
Sangha and had Buddhists
separated. Three major branches
eventually developed:
BRANCHES/PHILOSOPHIES OF BUDDHISM CONT’D
(THE THREE VEHICLES)
1. Hinayana or the Little Vehicle
2. Mahayana or the Great
Vehicle
3. Vajrayana or the Tantric
Vehicle
‘Yana’ means ‘vehicle’ or ‘the way
of progress’
BRANCHES/PHILOSOPHIES OF BUDDHISM CONT’D
(THE THREE VEHICLES)
Hinayana means lesser
or smaller vehicle because
the focus is on individual’s
own self improvement and
salvation or becoming an
‘arhat’ or awakened being.

BRANCHES/PHILOSOPHIES CONT’D
(THE THREE VEHICLES)
Those
Buddhists who hold
strictly to the letter of the
doctrine resented being called
inferior and so changed their
doctrine
to
Theravada
Buddhism ("The Doctrine of
the Elders")
BRANCHES/PHILOSOPHIES CONT’D (THERAVADINS)
Remained
faithful to the teachings of
the Pali Canon.
Criticized as being spiritually narrow
and conservative, clinging to the
letter rather than to the spirit of the
master’s message.
BRANCHES/PHILOSOPHIES
(THERAVADINS)
Embrace
CONT’D
The Four Noble
Truths as central to their
philosophy and practices
Strong
emphasis
on
monastic life; had separate
practices for laypersons.
BRANCHES/PHILOSOPHIES CONT’D (THERAVADINS)
Revere
the Buddha as a great ethical
teacher, not a god
Reserve their teachings for Buddhist
saints.
Uses the Pali Canon Scripture.
Believers instructed to become
Arhats (focuses upon his own
enlightenment)
BRANCHES/PHILOSOPHIES CONT’D (MAHAYANISTS)
Use
much of the Pali writings (but
saw it as incomplete) as well as the
work of other.
Reserve the teachings for common
people
Stresses compassion for others with
the central goal to assist others in
the quest for deliverance, (not only
for the saints but for everyone)
BRANCHES/PHILOSOPHIES CONT’D (MAHAYANISTS)
Converts
are taught to become
Bodhisattvas – great beings destined
for Buddhahood but delay this goal to
help others on the pathway to
enlightenment. They seek liberation
from suffering for all creatures, thus
merits are stored up which warrant
one to be a Buddha.
Has both monastic and layperson
traditions.
BRANCHES/PHILOSOPHIES CONT’D (MAHAYANISTS)
Revere
Buddha as their personal
saviour, divine friend and a
supreme god.
Allows for divine intercession
(deification of the Buddha)
Believe
in the three bodies
(Trikaya) of the Buddha. He is
historical, eternal and universal.
BRANCHES/PHILOSOPHIES CONT’D (VAJRAYANA)
VAJRAYANA
 Recognized
as a third branch, while
others classify it as a part of Mahayana.
 Focuses on highly specific mediative and
other practices designed to lead to direct
realization of Buddhahood
 It is regarded as the symbol of highest
spiritual power which is irresistible and
invincible.
BRANCHES/PHILOSOPHIES CONT’D (VAJRAYANA)
Tantrism
( a mystical belief system
which
incorporates
magical
procedures in the attainment of
supernatural powers, used in the
quest for enlightenment) is a vital
element of its doctrine hence its also
known as Tantric Bubbhism.
Tantrism uses the mind, speech and
body in their meditation.
HOW WAS IT?
LET’S SEE!!
ASSESSMENT
Say
if each statement is true
or false.
1. The teachings of the Buddha
were written shortly after
his death
2. The Buddhists’ scripture is
called the ‘Tipitaka’.
ASSESSMENT CONT’D
Say
if each statement is true
or false.
3. The teachings were written
& stored in baskets.
4. The ‘Sutta Pitaka’ is the
basket that has the direct
words of the Buddha.
ASSESSMENT CONT’D
Say
if each statement is true
or false.
5. Only the ‘Pali’ was regarded
as a canon.
ASSESSMENT CONT’D
Say
if each statement is true
or false.
5. Only the ‘Pali’ was regarded
as a canon.
6. Each of the three branches/
vehicles of Buddhism has its
own beliefs/concepts
CHRISTIAN LINK
Questions
&
Answers
(b) Comments
1.
2.
3.
How would you link the
‘Three Jewels’ to the
Christian faith?
Compare & contrast the
Buddhist’s holy book with
the Bible
Is there anything a Christian
may learn from the ‘Three
Vehicles’?
THANKS FOR
YOUR
PARTICIPATION
UNTIL NEXT
WEEK
BE BLESSED!!