BUDDHISM Touching the Heart of the Dharma

TOUCHING THE TOUCHING THE HEART OF THE HEART OF THE DHARMADHARMA

The Core The Core Teachings of Teachings of BuddhismBuddhism

The BuddhaThe BuddhaSiddhartha GautamaSiddhartha Gautama

(563-483 BC)(563-483 BC)

Some Buddhist Celebrities

Bruce Lee

Richard Gere (with the Dalai Lama)

Tina Turner

BUDDHISMBuddhism – BUDDHA – BUDH – awake = one who is awake

To be asleep is to be ignorant of our true nature.

If only we could open our eyes and be awake, then we too, can be Buddhas.

Potential Buddhas – all we need to do is nurture the seed of enlightenment.

“Anything is possible when you have inner peace.” Shifu“Anything is possible when you have inner peace.” Shifu

HOW DID HE AWAKEN?WHAT PATH DID HE TAKE?

How did he awaken? What path did he take?

“Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn’t make you who you are, it is the rest of your story, who you choose to be…

…So who are you Panda?”

~ ~ Soothsayer

Buddha Śākyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), an Indian prince was born around 560 BC in Southern Nepal

Prophecy: (right after he was born) will become either a Great King or a Great Spiritual Leader.

King Shuddhodana: “I don’t want my son to be a spiritual leader; I want him to be king.”

He made sure that his son won’t be exposed to the difficulties/ sufferings of life – surrounded him with all the possible pleasures in life

Life story of BuddhaLife story of Buddha

4 events: - old man- sick man- dead man- holy man


The Four Passing Sights: The Four Passing Sights: realizationrealization

Aging: everything is ravaged by time

Sickness

Death: we don’t live forever

Renunciation: happiness and contentmentHe wanted to find a cure for suffering. Left home at 29

yrs old, lived an ascetic life.

One day while meditating under the bodhi tree, during a full moon, he attained enlightenment – he was able to find the cure.

He decided to teach what he had learned – he started with his friends and taught them the four noble truths.


Buddhist Buddhist PracticePracticeConcisely put, the aim of Buddhist

practice is to put an end to this mass of suffering we call existence.

"I teach one thing and one thing only: suffering and the

end of suffering" (The Buddha).

Preface to the Four Noble Truths:The Middle Path

Two extremes to Two extremes to be avoided:be avoided:Hedonism VS

Asceticism

This Middle Path is the Noble Eightfold Path.

By avoiding these two extremes, we discover a Middle Path, a path which opens the eyes, which bestows understanding, and which leads to peace of mind, to wisdom, to full enlightenment, to Nirvana.

The Teachings of the Buddha

The Four Noble Truths

The Four Noble TruthsThe Four Noble Truths

1. Dukkha: “human existence is characterized by suffering”

2. Samudaya: “that there is a cause for suffering”

3. Nirvana: “that there is a way out of suffering through the elimination of its cause”

4. Marga: “that there is a path leading to the cessation of suffering”

1. The Noble Truth of Suffering•Birth is suffering; • Aging and deterioration is suffering; • Disease is suffering; • Death is suffering. • The presence of hateful objects is suffering; • The absence of lovable objects is suffering; • Not getting what we desire [i.e., getting

what we don’t want and not getting what we do want] is suffering.

• To put it briefly, the five-fold clinging [attachment] to existence [through the body, sensation, consciousness, perception, and volition -- the five skandhas or components of human personhood] is suffering.

•Birth is suffering; • Aging and deterioration is suffering; • Disease is suffering; • Death is suffering. • The presence of hateful objects is suffering; • The absence of lovable objects is suffering; • Not getting what we desire [i.e., getting

what we don’t want and not getting what we do want] is suffering.

• To put it briefly, the five-fold clinging [attachment] to existence [through the body, sensation, consciousness, perception, and volition -- the five skandhas or components of human personhood] is suffering.

2. The Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering

*Some traditions make (c) a craving for prosperity or for personal happiness.

The cause is the selfish craving

[[trishnatrishna, “thirst,” , “thirst,” “desire”].“desire”]. We suffer because we have too many wants and needs. This selfish craving takes three main forms: (a)(a) craving for pleasure, (b)(b) craving for [continued] existence, and (c)(c) craving for the cessation of existence.*

All these inevitably lead to suffering because we can’t possibly fulfill all of them all.

The cause is the selfish craving

[[trishnatrishna, “thirst,” , “thirst,” “desire”].“desire”]. We suffer because we have too many wants and needs. This selfish craving takes three main forms: (a)(a) craving for pleasure, (b)(b) craving for [continued] existence, and (c)(c) craving for the cessation of existence.*

All these inevitably lead to suffering because we can’t possibly fulfill all of them all.

3. The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

Suffering ceases with the complete cessation of selfish craving – a cessation which consists in the absence of every passion [[nirvananirvana, “no , “no passion,” the “blowing passion,” the “blowing out” of out” of samudayasamudaya].]. Suffering ceases with the laying aside of, the giving up of, the being free from, the dwelling no longer upon this selfish craving.

Suffering ceases with the complete cessation of selfish craving – a cessation which consists in the absence of every passion [[nirvananirvana, “no , “no passion,” the “blowing passion,” the “blowing out” of out” of samudayasamudaya].]. Suffering ceases with the laying aside of, the giving up of, the being free from, the dwelling no longer upon this selfish craving.

4. The Noble Truth of the Path that leads to the cessation of suffering

Wisdom (Sanskrit: prajñā, Pāli: paññā) 1. Right understanding / view 2. Right thought / intentMorality/Ethical conduct (Sanskrit: śīla, Pāli: sīla) 3. Right speech 4. Right action / conduct5. Right livelihood

Mental discipline/Meditation (Sanskrit and Pāli: samādhi) 6. Right effort 7. Right mindfulness 8. Right concentration

Wisdom (Sanskrit: prajñā, Pāli: paññā) 1. Right understanding / view 2. Right thought / intentMorality/Ethical conduct (Sanskrit: śīla, Pāli: sīla) 3. Right speech 4. Right action / conduct5. Right livelihood

Mental discipline/Meditation (Sanskrit and Pāli: samādhi) 6. Right effort 7. Right mindfulness 8. Right concentration

1. Right Understanding / Views

The Four Noble Truths The doctrine of no-self (anatta,

anatman) Transitoriness (anicca): impermanence The Five Components or Aggregates

(skandhas) of human personhood Interdependent Origination

Karma & Samsara (rebirth) Nirvana

Wisdom (Sanskrit: prajñā, Pāli: paññā)

2. Right Thought/Intent

Right intent or resolutionis the intent or resolution to live &

actin accordance with right views.

Wisdom (Sanskrit: prajñā, Pāli: paññā)

3. Right Speech

No lying No slander No harsh or rude talk No profanity No impolite or abusive

language No idle or foolish

chatter

Strive to use language meaningfully & usefully, with wisdom & kindness

Learn to maintain “noble silence”

Morality/Ethical conduct (Sanskrit: śīla, Pāli: sīla)

4. Right Conduct/Action

No harming & killing No stealing No lying &

deceitfulness No sexual immorality No use of intoxicants

Eat moderately & not after noon.

Stay away from dancing, singing, & dramatic spectacles.

Do not use garlands, scents, unguents, or ornaments.

Do not use high or broad (soft) beds.

Do not accept gold or silver (money in general?).

The Five Precepts (for everybody) & the Ten Precepts (for monks & nuns) Morality/Ethical conduct (Sanskrit: śīla, Pāli: sīla)

5. Right Livelihood(Vocation)

Choose professions that promote life, peace, & spiritual progress (especially life in the Sangha).

Specifically prohibited professions: poison peddler, slave trader, prostitute, butcher, manufacturer & trader of liquor & other intoxicants, weapons manufacturer & trader, tax collector, caravan trader.

Choose professions that promote life, peace, & spiritual progress (especially life in the Sangha).

Specifically prohibited professions: poison peddler, slave trader, prostitute, butcher, manufacturer & trader of liquor & other intoxicants, weapons manufacturer & trader, tax collector, caravan trader.

Morality/Ethical conduct (Sanskrit: śīla, Pāli: sīla)

6. Right Effort(purification of the mind)

Preventing evil & unwholesome states of mind from arising

Getting rid of such states of mind that may already exist

Bringing about good & wholesome states of mind Developing & perfecting good & wholesome states

of mind that are already present

Mental discipline/Meditation (Sanskrit and Pāli: samādhi)

7. Right Mindfulness

Activities of the body (breathing, walking, sitting, eating, heartbeat, etc.)

Feelings (anger, fear, joy, pleasure, pain, etc.)

States of mind (thoughts, ideas, etc.) Ways of conceptualizing things (the Four

Noble Truths, the Wheel of Becoming, etc.)

Focusing of attention on:


8. Right Concentration One-pointed

concentration and the four absorptions: 1 Detachment from all sense objects

& from negative states of mind; thought processes accompanied by joy

2 Cessation of all mental activities; internal calm, peace of mind, joy to the point of great elation

3 Cessation of all passions & prejudices; continued sense of joy

4 Cessation of joy; total tranquillity & equanimity -- Nirvana (& arhatship)


SUFFERINGSUFFERING Between the two general forms of suffering, the

physical and the mental, the one which is most important, and which Buddhism tries to address, is the mental. Why?

Because it is the more serious type of suffering. When you are sick with a fever, you can make yourself feel better by changing your attitude about your sickness.

However, if you are suffering from some sort of mental anguish, it doesn’t quite help if you work on the body. In fact, people do not commit suicide because of a toothache, but there are those who would commit suicide because of heartache.

CF: short folktale about a Jewish man who goes his rabbi for advice about something that distresses him.

If you really think about it, you might conclude that happy persons do not need to be told to be good because they will be naturally forgiving, kind, and helpful. It is easier to be kind, forgiving and helpful if you’re happy, and more difficult to be kind, helpful, and forgiving if you’re miserable.

For this reason, Buddhists emphasize the need to develop states of mind which contribute to the feeling of happiness. A happy person needs no commandments.

The Role of the The Role of the MindMind

TRAINING THE TRAINING THE MINDMIND

The Buddhist Solution To The Problem Of Suffering:

TRAINING THE MINDTRAINING THE MIND

The solution to the problem is simple: in order to live a better life, in order to be happier, in order to minimize suffering = what we need to do is to discipline the mind, to transform the mind.

First, we must examine the mind and its contents. The Buddhist tells us that if we look closely at the human mind, we will discover that it is like a vast field with many seeds.

Mr. Ping: “The secret ingredient is… nothing!Po: Huh?Mr. Ping: You heard me. Nothing! There is no secret ingredient.Po: Wait, wait… it’s just plain old noodle soup? You don’t add some kind of special sauce or something?Mr. Ping: Don’t have to. To make something special you just have to believe it’s special.[Po looks at the scroll again, and sees his reflection in it]

Mr. Ping: “The secret ingredient is… nothing!Po: Huh?Mr. Ping: You heard me. Nothing! There is no secret ingredient.Po: Wait, wait… it’s just plain old noodle soup? You don’t add some kind of special sauce or something?Mr. Ping: Don’t have to. To make something special you just have to believe it’s special.[Po looks at the scroll again, and sees his reflection in it]

The mind has good and bad seeds: compassion, humility, loving kindness VS anger, pride, hate.

Awareness of the good and bad seeds. Train and discipline the mind to be

receptive of the good seeds and express the good seed.

TRAINING THE MINDTRAINING THE MIND

AntidotesAntidotes

If you have thoughts going on opposite directions, you cannot experience them at the same time:

Cultivate the Cultivate the opposite !!!opposite !!!

anger vs compassion; pride vs humility

THE ANTIDOTETHE ANTIDOTE The question that may naturally come to mind

at this point is this: how is one to cultivate the positive beneficial seeds? And how is one to get rid of those seeds which cause suffering?

Buddhist solution: if you have two thoughts going in opposite directions, you cannot experience them at the same time (See Dalai Lama 1999).

THE ANTIDOTETHE ANTIDOTE

the best way to deal with a negative or unproductive state of mind (such as anger) would be to cultivate its opposite. In order to fix anger, it is the best to develop its opposite, which is compassion or loving-kindness. This approach is a little different from the approach taken by modern psychology. Many psychologists tell us that the best way to deal with anger is to express it. They say that when you feel anger, you should hit your pillow or kick a punching bag to release the energy. Then the anger will dissipate.

THE ANTIDOTETHE ANTIDOTE The Buddhists say, on the other hand, that every

time you express anger, you are actually practicing it. You are turning it into a habit. The next time someone insults you or accuses you of something you didn’t do, you will get angry more quickly this time. This is because anger has become second nature.

The Buddhist approach is different. The best way to deal with a negative,

unproductive state of mind is by cultivating its opposite. This means that for every negative or destructive emotion, there is an antidote.

THE ANTIDOTETHE ANTIDOTE

The antidote to greed is generosity, the antidote to pride is humility, and the antidote to hatred and anger is compassion.

In some Buddhist texts, it is said that there are 4,000 types of destructive emotions, and there are 4,000 antidotes as well.

Meditation on Lovingkindness

Anger vs lovingkindnesslovingkindness Lovingkindness is that warm,

benevolent feeling you have for a close friend, that kind of feeling where you feel a natural fondness for the other without expecting anything in return.

The more you give, share lovingkindness the more you experience it.

Your whole life will be full of bliss!!Your whole life will be full of bliss!!

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION The most important feature is

the training of the mind. This means that one must take

the time to cultivate positive states of mind, because these are what ultimately lead to the end of suffering, both for oneself and for others.

TOUCHING THE HEART OF THE DHARMA

The Core Teachings of Buddhism

BUDDHISM Touching the Heart of the Dharma

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