BASIC CONCEPTS OF BUDDHISM
Buddhism is followed by over 500 million people worldwide and is viewed as more than a religion, as a philosophy, ethical practice, spiritual development and way of life.
The word BUDDHISM comes from 'budhi' which means 'to awaken'
The Buddhist path is one which
· encourages leading a moral life
· Encourages being mindful and aware of thoughts and actions
· develops wisdom and understanding.
· Is a way of life that leads to true happiness.
· explains a purpose to life
How Buddhism began
Siddhartha Gautama was born into a royal family in Lumbini, in Nepal, in 563 BC. At 29, he realized that wealth and luxury did not guarantee happiness, so he set off to seek knowledge, exploring different religions and philosophies, to find the answers to human happiness. After six years of study living in a cave, he set off to Bodhgaya and meditated under a Bodhi Tree, where he became ENLIGHTENED. He became known as THE BUDDHA– which means “awakened one”.
What he learned, 'the middle path' was what the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching others - the principles of Buddhism — called the Dharma, or Truth — until his death at the age of 80. The Buddha did not proclaim to be a God, he simply taught a path to enlightenment from his own experience. The Buddha’s first followers were wandering ascetics – they were homeless, had few possessions, and travelled around spreading the teachings by word of mouth. It was not until about 80 BCE, that the earliest texts, known as the Pāli Canon, were written down.
Different Types of Buddhism
There are many different types of Buddhism from country to country due to the specific customs and culture. What each has in common is the essence of the teaching -the truth.
Buddhism is also is tolerant of all other beliefs or religions but goes further by providing a long-term purpose within our existence, through wisdom and understanding. The Buddha taught many things, but asked his followers to test the teachings rather than accept his word as true. Buddhism depends more on understanding than faith.
BUDDHISM CONCEPTS
Very common in the Western world, a statue or image of the Buddha with hands rested gently in its lap and a compassionate smile reminds us to find peace and love within ourselves. Buddhists pay respect to images of the Buddha as an expression of gratitude for the teachings.
The basic concepts in Buddhism can be summed up as the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path
• THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
The First Noble Truth
LIFE IS SUFFERING
- Life includes pain, getting old, disease, and ultimately death. We also endure psychological suffering like fear, loneliness frustration, disappointment and anger. This is a fact that cannot be denied. Buddhism explains how suffering can be avoided and how we can be truly happy.
The Second Noble Truth
SUFFERING IS CAUSED BY CRAVING AND AVERSION
- We will suffer if we do not get what we want. When we need other people to conform to our expectations, if we want others to like us etc, we suffer! Rather than constantly struggling to get what you want, try to modify your wants and desires. Getting what you want does not guarantee happiness. Also, a lifetime of craving and wanting to continue to exist, creates a powerful energy which causes the individual to be reborn. So craving leads to physical suffering because it causes us to be reborn.
The Third Noble Truth
SUFFERING CAN BE OVERCOME AND TRUE HAPPINESS IS POSSIBLE.
- lf we give up craving and learn to live each day at a time (not in the past or the future) we can become happy and free. We then have more time and energy to help others. This is called Nirvana.
The Fourth Noble Truth
THE NOBLE 8-FOLD PATH IS WHAT LEADS TO THE END OF SUFFERING.
• THE NOBLE 8-FOLD PATH
In short, the Noble 8-fold Path is about living in a moral way - what we say, do to others and what we do as our livelihood. Its about focusing our minds on being fully aware of our thoughts and actions, being compassionate and developing greater wisdom by understanding the Four Noble Truths.
There are the 5 Precepts
The moral code within Buddhism is the precepts, of which the main five are:
1. not to take the life of anything living
2. not to take anything not freely given
3. to abstain from sexual misconduct and sensual overindulgence
4. to refrain from untrue speech
5. to avoid intoxication, ie: losing mindfulness.
KARMA
Karma is the law that every cause has an effect, i.e., our actions have results. Karma underlines the importance of all individuals being responsible for their past and present action and determined by:
(1) the intention behind the action
(2) effects of the action on oneself
(3) the effects on others.
WISDOM
Buddhism teaches that wisdom should be developed with compassion. Buddhism uses the middle path to develop both. The highest wisdom is seeing that in reality, everything is IMPERMANENT, nothing lasts forever as a fixed thing. True wisdom is not just believing everything we are told, but instead experiencing and understanding truth and reality. Wisdom requires an open, objective, non judgmental mind. The Buddhist path requires courage, patience, flexibility and intelligence.
COMPASSION
Compassion includes qualities of sharing, readiness to give comfort, sympathy, concern, caring. In Buddhism, through wisdom, we can understand others, when we can really understand ourselves.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Buddhist teachings can be understood and tested by anyone. Buddhism teaches that the solutions to our problems are within ourselves not outside. ln this way, each person decides for themselves and takes responsibility for their own actions and understanding. This makes Buddhism less of a belief system to be accepted, but more of a teaching in which each person learns and uses in their own way.
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