A Quick Guide to Buddhism for Beginners

Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammsambuddhassa

Homage to him, the Blessed One, a Pure One (one who has no
mental defilements), Fully self-enlightenment One.

A) History:
In the year 624 BC, Prince Siddhattha was born at Lumbini
Garden (Nepal). His parents were King Suddhodana and Queen Mah Maya at Kapilavatthu.
After his mother passed away later, he was bought up by Queen Mah Pajpat Gotam. He
married Princess Yasodhar at the age of 16. Their son was Rhula.
After seeing the four signs/omens- aged person, sick one, dead one, ascetic, he
renounced the world at the age of 29. He became an ascetic who practised austerities. Later
became the Buddha at the age of 35 at Bodhgaya, India. His teachings are called Dhamma
(Truth, Natural Phenomena, States). He is called Gotama Buddha, or Sakyamuni Buddha. At
the age of 80 (544 BC), He attained parinibbna (final passing away) at Kusinr (Kushinagar).

B) Buddhists
1) Take refuge in Triple Gem (Tiratana)
a) Buddha,
b) Dhamma (Buddhas Teaching)-Tipiaka, i.e. Vinaya (rules for monks and nuns),
Suttanta (Discourse), Abhidhamma (Higher Teaching).
c) Sagha (Community of monks and nuns)
who are practice the training of morality, concentration and wisdom,
or practice for enlightenment (Nibbna), or
to be Arahant (Pure one) or Bodhisatta (Buddha-to-be).
2) Believe in the law of Kamma
3) Observe five training rules (precepts)
C) BUDDHAs Teachings
1. Avoid Evil -that is based on three evil roots (greed, hatred/aversion, delusion)
2. Do Good -that is based on three good roots(non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion)
3. Purify the Mind - by Calm (Samatha) meditation and Insight (Vipassan) practice
These are the teaching of all Buddhas
Calm meditation focuses on one object and leads to calmness.
Insight meditation focuses on many objects and leads to wisdom and enlightenment, as well
as calmness.

D) KAMMA Good begets good, bad begets bad

Kamma and its result= Cause and Effect of Sentient Beings
Past lives
+ This Life
= Future Life
[fixed]
[Can be changed]
= [can be changed]
To some extent

Buddhism is neither pessimism nor optimism. It is realistic and practical, as it teaches on

natural truth. Doing good deeds will neutralise the bad effects from past kammas done in
previous lives, just like the salt in a cup will have no more effect when it is put into the river or
ocean.
E) Five Natural Laws/Orders (niyma) in the world
(1)Temperature, seasons and other physical events (utu-niyma),
(2) The plant life (bja-niyma),
(3) Kamma (kamma-niyma),
(4) Mind (citta-niyma), e.g. the lawful sequence of the functions of consciousness (s.
via-kicca) in the process of cognition. This is according to Abhidhamma.
Note: 89 citta (consciousness), 52 cetasika (mental factors/mental states)
5) Certain events connected with the Dhamma (dhamma-niyma), e.g. the typical events
occurring in the lives of the Buddhas, such as miracles-earthquake.

F) Five Precepts
1)
2)
3)
4)

I undertake the training not to do killing or injuring sentient beings.

I undertake the training not to do stealing.
I undertake the training not to indulge in sexual misconduct.
I undertake the training not to do false speech Telling lies, harsh speech, slandering,
frivolous talk.
5) I undertake the training not to indulge in intoxicantsAlcohol, drugs etc.

G) 10 unwholesome (akusala) and 10 wholesome (kusala) actions

10 Unwholesome actions
1. Killing
2. Stealing
3. Sexual misconduct
4. Lying
5. Slandering
6. Harsh speech
7. Vain talk
8. Covetousness
9. Hatred/ill-will
10. False view*

10 Wholesome actions
1. Generosity
2. Morality
3. Meditation/Cultivation of mind
4. Reverence/Respect
5. Services/Volunteering/Helping
6. Transference/Sharing of merits
7. Rejoicing of merits
8. Hearing the Dhamma
9. Expounding/teaching the Dhamma
10. Straightening ones view

.
*Rejecting kamma and its effect, result of donation, ascetics and brahmins who are practicing holy life,
gratitude of parents

H) The Discourse of Turning of the Wheel

(Dhammacakkappavattana-sutta)
This was his very first teaching (sermon). It shows the
middle way, 4 Noble Truths & Noble Eightfold Path.
-Middle way- away from 2 extremes, i.e.
1. self-mortification/torture,
2. indulgence in sensual pleasure.
4 Holiest sites in Buddhism

Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, is now in southern Nepal.

Bodh Gaya, Bihar - The site of the enlightenment of Gotama Buddha.
Sarnath, outside Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh - The site of the first teaching.
Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh - the site of the Buddha's paranibbna.

I) Four Noble Truths

1. The noble truth of suffering- Aging, sickness, death, association with unpleasant ones,
separation from beloved ones, when one does not obtain what one desires. These five
aggregates of clinging are the mass of suffering
2. The noble truth of cause of suffering craving, i.e. 1)sensual Craving, 2) craving with
eternal view, 3) craving with annihilation view,
3. The noble truth of cessation of suffering- Nibbna (Nirvna),
4. The noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering Noble Eightfold Path.
J) Noble Eightfold Path
Right understanding/view on mind and matter, kamma
Right thought free from lust, ill-will and cruelty
Right speech free from false speech
Right action - free from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct
Right livelihood no trading in arms, living beings, flesh, intoxicant, poisons
Right effort -reduce and eradicate unwholesome states,
-increase and develop fully wholesome states,
7. Right mindfulness-4 foundation of mindfulness; Jhna or momentary concentration.
8. Right concentration access/neighbourhood, attainment, momentary
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Sequence: mundane wisdom/knowledge-> morality-> concentration-> real wisdom

K) Two Truths:
1. Ultimate Truth/Ultimate Reality/Universal Truth
1. Material/body (Rpa), 2. Consciousness (Citta) 3. Mental factors (Cetasika), 4. Nibbna
Based on mind (consciousness + mental factors) and body/matter (nma-rpa), or five
aggregates, one will get aging, sickness, death, mental suffering, sorrow, etc.
2. Concept/Conventional Truth/ Personal Truth
Self, I, human, man, woman, dog, cat. This is due to Personality/Individual belief.
-When one clings to this I, mine, my ideas, my sadness, my body, my pains etc, the mind will
suffers more. In reality, this I does not exist at all. One should contemplate on the mind and
body, not contemplate on this I or self.

MEDITATION (Bhvan) Mental Development/Mental Cultivation

Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipahna) (21 types)
1.Body
14 body+1feeling+1mind+ 5Dhamma=21
1) Breathing,
2) Four postures,
3) Clear awareness,
4) Repulsiveness (32 body parts)
- Head hair, body hair, nail, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidney, heart, liver,
pleura, spleen, lungs, mesentery, bowels, stomach, excrement, brain(20 earth) , (12 water)=
- Bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fats, tears, grease/lymph, saliva, snot, synovial fluid, urine

5) Four elements Earth, Water, Heat (Fire), Wind (Air),

6) Cemetery meditation (9 stages)
1. Feeling (5 types)
-Pleasurable, unpleasurable, neutral, bodily happiness, bodily pain
2. Mind (16 types)
-Lust, unlustful, hateful, unhateful, deluded, undeluded, contracted, distracted,
developed, undeveloped, surpassed/unsurpassed, concentrated, unconcentrated,
liberated, unliberated.
3. Dhamma (5 types)
Five Hindrances
1. Sensual desire,
2. Ill-will,
3. Sloth and torpor,
4. Restlessness and worry,
5. Doubt
Five Aggregates
1. Form/body,
2. Feeling,
3. Perception,
4. Mental formations (50) including intention, wishes, greed, hatred, delusion, love,
compassion
5. Consciousness
Six sense bases (and also sense objects) -Eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind
Seven factors of enlightenment
1. Mindfulness,
2. Investigation of states,
3. Effort,
4. Joy,
5. Tranquility,
6. Concentration,
7. Equanimity.
Four Noble Truths
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