Buddhism: An Introduction
Buddhism
is a major global religion with a complex history and system of beliefs.
The following is intended only to introduce Buddhism's history and
fundamental tenets, and by no means covers the religion exhaustively. To
learn more about Buddhism, please look through our Web Resources section
for other in-depth, online sources of information.
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Siddhartha Gautama: The Buddha
Historians estimate that the founder of Buddhism,
Siddhartha Gautama, lived from 566(?) to 480(?) B.C. The son of an Indian
warrior-king, Gautama led an extravagant life through early adulthood,
reveling in the privileges of his social caste. But when he bored of the
indulgences of royal life, Gautama wandered into the world in search of
understanding. After encountering an old man, an ill man, a corpse and an
ascetic, Gautama was convinced that suffering lay at the end of all
existence. He renounced his princely title and became a monk, depriving
himself of worldly possessions in the hope of comprehending the truth of the world around him. The
culmination of his search came while meditating beneath a tree, where he
finally understood how to be free from suffering, and ultimately, to
achieve salvation. Following this epiphany, Gautama was known as the
Buddha, meaning the "Enlightened One." The Buddha spent the
remainder of his life journeying about India, teaching others what he had
come to understand.
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The Four Noble Truths
The Four Noble Truths comprise the essence of
Buddha's teachings, though they leave much left unexplained. They are the
truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the
end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of
suffering. More simply put, suffering exists; it has a cause; it has an
end; and it has a cause to bring about its end. The notion of suffering is
not intended to convey a negative world view, but rather, a pragmatic
perspective that deals with the world as it is, and attempts to rectify
it. The concept of pleasure is not denied, but acknowledged as fleeting.
Pursuit of pleasure can only continue what is ultimately an unquenchable
thirst. The same logic belies an understanding of happiness. In the end,
only aging, sickness, and death are certain and unavoidable.
The Four Noble Truths are a contingency plan for
dealing with the suffering humanity faces -- suffering of a physical kind,
or of a mental nature. The First Truth identifies the presence of
suffering. The Second Truth, on the other hand, seeks to determine the
cause of suffering. In Buddhism, desire and ignorance lie at the root of
suffering. By desire, Buddhists refer to craving pleasure, material goods,
and immortality, all of which are wants that can never be satisfied. As a
result, desiring them can only bring suffering. Ignorance, in comparison,
relates to not seeing the world as it actually is. Without the capacity
for mental concentration and insight, Buddhism explains, one's mind is
left undeveloped, unable to grasp the true nature of things. Vices, such
as greed, envy, hatred and anger, derive from this ignorance.
The Third Noble Truth, the truth of the end of
suffering, has dual meaning, suggesting either the end of suffering in
this life, on earth, or in the spiritual life, through achieving Nirvana.
When one has achieved Nirvana, which is a transcendent state free from
suffering and our worldly cycle of birth and rebirth, spiritual
enlightenment has been reached. The Fourth Noble truth charts the method
for attaining the end of suffering, known to Buddhists as the Noble
Eightfold Path. The steps of the Noble Eightfold Path are Right
Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right
Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.
Moreover, there are three themes into which the Path is divided: good
moral conduct (Understanding, Thought, Speech); meditation and mental
development (Action, Livelihood, Effort), and wisdom or insight
(Mindfulness and Concentration).
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Karma
Contrary to what is accepted in contemporary
society, the Buddhist interpretation of karma does not refer to
preordained fate. Karma refers to good or bad actions a person takes
during her lifetime. Good actions, which involve either the absence of bad
actions, or actual positive acts, such as generosity, righteousness, and
meditation, bring about happiness in the long run. Bad actions, such as
lying, stealing or killing, bring about unhappiness in the long run. The
weight that actions carry is determined by five conditions: frequent,
repetitive action; determined, intentional action; action performed
without regret; action against extraordinary persons; and action toward
those who have helped one in the past. Finally, there is also neutral
karma, which derives from acts such as breathing, eating or sleeping.
Neutral karma has no benefits or costs.
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The Cycle of Rebirth
Karma plays out in the Buddhism cycle of rebirth.
There are six separate planes into which any living being can be reborn --
three fortunate realms, and three unfortunate realms. Those with
favorable, positive karma are reborn into one of the fortunate realms: the
realm of demigods, the realm of gods, and the realm of men. While the
demigods and gods enjoy gratification unknown to men, they also suffer
unceasing jealousy and envy. The realm of man is considered the highest
realm of rebirth. Humanity lacks some of the extravagances of the demigods
and gods, but is also free from their relentless conflict. Similarly,
while inhabitants of the three unfortunate realms -- of animals, ghosts
and hell -- suffer untold suffering, the suffering of the realm of man is
far less.
The realm of man also offers one other aspect
lacking in the other five planes, an opportunity to achieve enlightenment,
or Nirvana. Given the sheer number of living things, to be born human is
to Buddhists a precious chance at spiritual bliss, a rarity that one
should not forsake.
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Saturday 16 February 2013
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