BUDDHISM

There are over 300 millions Buddhists

in the world. As a philosopy, every
country in the East has felt its
influence. There is a delightful
simplicity about the message, which
can be grasped by a child; yet
simultaneously there is wealth of
elaborate complexities that can tax the
greatest of minds for a lifetime.
The Buddhist Mind
 When one becomes a Buddhist, one takes refuge in
the Buddha, Dharma (teaching) which can trasform
lives, and Sangha (in this translation, Samgha) is
the nurse that provides the setting for healing. This
is captured in the following extract.
 Buddhist traditions emphasize faith in the sense of
“confidence” rather than “blind acceptance”. The
Buddha attained freedom from suffering and taught
the path to this liberation but it is up to the
individual to read the path.
 To “become a Buddhist” then, means to
undertake a course of ethical and contemplative
training under the tutelage of the Buddha and
the Sangha, rather than accepting a set of creeds
or doctrines. The Buddha and his followers
would not have described themsalves as
“religious” or “Buddhist” – in fact, as the scholar
Wilfred Cantwell Smith points out, the term
“Buddhism” was not coined until 1801, by a
European.
 WORLD VIEWS
1. The Buddha

Buddhists believe that a person who lived in

Northern India during the sixth century BCE
has made a dramatic discovery. The Buddha
Shakyamuni, discovered the eternal truth
about the nature of suffering and reality. In his
infinite compassion he has chosen to share the
discovery with humankind. This is the story of
the Buddha as found in the Buddhacarita.
2. The Fourth Noble Truths

Having obtained Enlightenment, the Buddha

decided to share his discovery with others. The
next extracts form the Pali canon describe his
initial sermons. It is worth nothing from the first
extract how his first sermon was ignored; but his
second, delivered to his five closest companions,
was received with acclaim. The Buddha
explained the secret to all life – the Four Noble
Truths.
a. The Chain of simultanious dependent
originations
The four noble truths concentrate on craving as
the underlying cause of suffering. The chain
makes up a circle, with each link causing all other
links. It is important to notice that it is not a
willful sin or wickedness that leads to suffering,
but ignorance. Like addicts, we are caught in a
cycle of self-destructive thinking and action. Once
we see how our thought and behaviour leads to
suffering, we are motivated to modify It.
b. Nirvana

The ultimate fruit of the Buddhist path is

Nirvana. It is a state where you see reality as it
really is. We can only start to understand it in
terms of negatives. It does not involve suffering, or
change. Nagarjuna was an exceptionally capable
Buddhist thinker who offers the following highly
paradoxical on this blissful state.
c. Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism
People disagree about almost anything. The two main
schools are Theravada, which originated as an offshoot of the
early Sthavira school, and the Mahayana. The initial
disagreement was probably over the involvement of lay
people.
The Theravada group thought that the monastic life was
the primary expression of the Buddhist life, while the
Mahayanan group had a greater role for lay people. The
Theravada group insisted that the Buddha was simply a
historical person whose life should be imitated.
The Mahayana group started to talk about the
Bodhisattvas who did not cross into nirvana, but
stayed back to help others accross the stream of
samsara.

 TheTheravada group sees compassion as an

automatic result of the development of wisdom;
the Mahayana group, however, places more
emphasis on the active cultivation and practice of
compassion.
d. Personal Behaviour

The last reading in the world-views section is

taken from the Dhammapada. This is preoccupied
with behaviour. Buddhism is not a system of
metaphysical beliefs within which there is ethical
expression, but a transforming way of life. It is
primary an ethic. Most of the schools of
Buddhism share affection for these sayings; many
Buddhists have memorized them and use them in
argument and reflection.
 Institutions and Rituals

The central institution is the Sangha. Monastic communities

form a Sangha, which freed the individual monks from the
practical concerns of the world, thereby enabling them to cultivate
detachment and, perhaps ultimately, obtain enlightenment.
Central to this task is meditation. As one meditates, so one sees
the true reality of all things. As one discovers this truth, so one is
freed to be happy.
According to this text, meditation is the means by which the
Four Noble Truths can be implemented and we can obtain
enlightenment. The Buddha is explaining to Nanda elementary
stages involved in meditation.
Ethical Expression

Having emerged from Hinduism, Buddhism,

shares certain Hindu assumptions. Central to
Hindu ethical expresssion is karma. The law of
karma will determine one’s status if one is reborn.
The ethical demands of Buddhism are
considerable. The eightfold path offers the middle
way between asceticism.
The Role of Women
Women in the sixth-century BCE India had a
hard time. And against this backdrop, the Buddha
had a positive attitude towards women. According
to the one of the traditional accounts of the
Buddha’s life, it was after discussion with his dead
mother that he opted for the middle way between
asceticism and sensuality. The reading
codescribes the cultural opposition to the
ordination of women, which the Buddha seems to
share, and the final decision of the Buddha to
overcome this opposition and accept them.
Modern Expression

Buddhism has proved to be very adaptable. It

grew rapidly, developing significantly different forms
for different cultures. Jane Compson currently
teaches philosophy and religious studies at the
University of Central Florida. She describes her
discovery of Buddhism. For her, the main cultural
option was Christianity. She explains why that
proved so unhelpful and Buddhism so attractive.
TH A NK Y OU
FOR
LI ST E NI N G
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