Buddhism was founded in northeastern India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Guatama - known as the Buddha or Enlightened One . Buddism , as other faiths, developed over many years. It must be noted that Buddha was an oral teacher and that he left no written account of his beliefs. All written accounts of Buddha and his teachings were later penned by his followers.
Although there not a complete biography of the Buddha complied until many centuries after his death, Western Scholars generally believe that Budhha was born in or around the year 563 BC. Siddhartha Gautama ( the Buddha ) was born in Kapilavastu, near the present Indian - Nepal border. The son of a ruler of an insignificant kindom, at his birth Sages recongnized in him the makings of a great man with the ability to become either a Sage himself, or the ruler of a great and mighty empire. He was raised in sheltered luxury until he realized that his life was empty and shallow, at the age of 29 years. Desiring a more deep and intense life, he began to realize that he needed more to his life and spiritual awakening, He began a quest for peace and enlightenment.
He started by practicing Yoga and tried a life of radical asceticism. However, he soon gave up this approach , deeming it as fruitless. He then decided to adopt a middle path between the life of indulgence and that of self - denial, One day, as he was sitting under a Bo tree, he began to meditate deeply. Rising throught a series of Higher States of consciousness, he attained and reached the enlightenment for which he had been searching. He then began to wander from place to place , preaching what he had learnt and began to gather a body of disciples. He organized them in Monastic communities known as the SHANGHA
BUDDHAS TEACHINGS
Ths bases of Buddha's teachings were the REALIZATION OF THE FOUR NOBEL TRUTHS.
SUFFERING EXISTS
Buddha taught that in the very web of human nature, there is pain and suffering from the moment of birth to the moment of death. He also taught that even after death there was no relief from the suffering. It is also known that Buddha accepted the HINDU idea of life as a cycle, inwhich, death leads to rebirth, and the start of a new life.
SUFFERING ARISES FROM ATTACHMENT TO DESIRES
Buddha taught that our own human suffering was the result of craving, attachment and grasping of that reality, and was the result from that ignorance.
SUFFERING CAN BE OVERCOME WHEN ATTACHMENT TO DESIRES CEASES
Buddha taught that all suffering could be ended by overcomming the ignorance and attachment of our desires If we can find our place of Enlightment, we can over come all human suffering.
FOLLOWING THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH WILL BRING FREEDOM FROM SUFFERING
Buddha taught that the path to suppression of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path. These eight points are dived into three different categories that from the bases of the Buddhist faith. Those three categories are SILA (morality), PANNA,(wisdom) and SAMADHI ( meditation).
POINTS OF THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH
PANNA - WISDOM
RIGHT KNOWLEDGE
Understand the Four Noble Truths
RIGHT THINKING
Decide to set a life on the correct path
SILA - MORALITY
RIGHT SPEECH
Dont lie
Dont criticize others unjustly
Dont use harsh language
Dont gossip
RIGHT LIVELEHOOD
Earn a living that does not harm living things
RIGHT CONDUCT
Follow the Five Precepts
SHAMADHI - MEDITATION
RIGHT EFFORT
Conquer all evil thoughts
Strive to maintain good thoughts
RIGHT MINDFULLNESS
Become intensely aware of all the states in body, feeling, and mind
Deep meditation to Lead to a higher state of consciousness ( enlightenment)
THREE CHARACTERISTICS OF EXISTENCE
ANICCA ( transiency )
DUKKHA ( sorrow )
ANATTA ( selflessness )
THE FIVE PRECEPTS
Do not kill
Do not steal
Do not lie
Do not be unchaste
Do not take drugs or drink intoxicants
Buddhism states human existence to be made up of five SKANDHAS (BUNDLES). They are : THE MATERIAL BODY, FEELINGS,PERCEPTIONS, PREDISPOSITIONS ( karmic tendencies) , CONSCIOUSNESS.
Buddha taught the doctrine of ANATMAN ( denial of a permanent soul ) , which basically means that humans are never the same and constantly changing from moment to moment. The ATMAN (soul) is regarded as constantly changing, and is never the same for any two consecutive moments.
Buddha felt that all existence is characterized by the three marks of anatman (no soul), anitya (impermanence), and dukkha (suffering). The doctrine of anatman made it necessary for the Buddha to reinterpret the Indian idea of repeated rebirth in the cycle of phenomenal existence known as samsara. To this end he taught the doctrine of pratityasamutpada, or dependent origination. This 12-linked chain of causation shows how ignorance in a previous life creates the tendency for a combination of aggregates to develop. These in turn cause the mind and senses to operate. Sensations result, which lead to craving and a clinging to existence. This condition triggers the process of becoming once again, producing a renewed cycle of birth, old age, and death. Through this causal chain a connection is made between one life and the next. What is posited is a stream of renewed existences, rather than a permanent being that moves from life to life—in effect a belief in rebirth without transmigration.
Buddha also taught the importance of KARMA, which consists of a person's acts and thier ethical consequences. He taughts that human actions lead to rebirth , wherein good deeds are inevitable rewarded and evil deeds are punished. Basically this theory means that there is neither undeserved pleasure nor undeserved suffering. His teachings pointed to a sort of universal justice systems. Bad deeds are punished, Good deeds are rewarded.
Buddha never actually denied the existence of Gods, but rather states that they have no significant role in the universe. He states that they are not in control of human destiny. Infact, Buddism teaches that Gods are eventually subject to death and rebirth, eventually becoming a lower state of existence. It also teaches that prayer and sacrifice to any God is unvaluable.
The Buddhist teachings of NIRVANA ( a state of consciousness beyond definition). NIRVANA is thought to be an elightened state inwhich the fires of greed , hatred , and ignorance have been quenched, or eliminated. It is thought that after we reach Nirvana , we continue to live and burn off any remaining karma until a state of final nirvana is attained at the moment of death. Although this can be achieved by anyone , it is thought to have a special bearing on those who are in the monistary.
The ethic that leads to nirvana is detached and inner-oriented. It involves cultivating four virtuous attitudes, known as the Palaces of Brahma: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. The ethic that leads to better rebirth, however, is centered on fulfilling one's duties to society. It involves acts of charity, especially support of the sangha, as well as observance of the five precepts that constitute the basic moral code of Buddhism. The precepts prohibit killing, stealing, harmful language, sexual misbehavior, and the use of intoxicants. By observing these precepts, the three roots of evil lust, hatred, and delusion may be overcome
FOUR BOUNDLESS STATES
The BOUNDLESS STATES or BRAHMAVIHARAS are considered friends on the way to NIRVANA. They help in dissolving the idea od a separate self. The four boundless states are as follows:
LOVING KINDNESS
COMPASSION
SYMPATHETIC JOY
EQUANIMITY
Near enemy is a quality that can masqurade as the the original, but is not the originals. Far enemy is the clearly opposite quality. The boundless state serves as an antidote for the quality mentioned as the far enemy. They are as follows:
METTA - LOVING
This is described as bieng GOOD - WILL, FRIENSHIP, UNCONITIONAL LOVE FOR ALL BIENGS.
Near Enemy - SELFISH LOVE
Far Enemy - HATRED
KARUNA - COMPASSION
This is described as being EMPATHY
Near enemy - PITY
Far enemy - CRUELTY
MUDITA - SYMPATHETIC JOY
This is described to be SPONTANEOUS JOY in response to others success
Near enemy - HYPOCRISY
Far enemy - ENVY
UPEKKHA - EQUANIMITY
THis is described as EVEN - MINDEDNESS based on insight into the nature of things
Near enemy - INDIFFERENCE
Far enemy - ANXIETY
THE SEVEN FACTORS OF ENLIGHTENMENT
MINDFULNESS
INVESTIGATION
ENGERY
RAPTURE
TRANQUILITY
CONCENTRATION
EQUANIMITY
THE FIVE HINDERANCES TO ENLIGHTENMENT
SENSUOUS LUST
AVERSION AND ILL WILL
SLOTH AND TORPOR
RESTLESSNESS AND WORRY
SCEPTICAL DOUBT
TEN PERFECTIONS ( PARAMIS )
GENEROSITY ( dana )
MORALITY ( sila )
RENUNCIATION ( nekkha )
WISDON ( panna )
ENERGY ( viriya )
PATIENCE ( khanti )
TRUTHFULNESS ( sacca )
RESOLUTION ( adhitthana )
LOVING - KINDNESS ( metta )
EQUANIMITY ( upekkha )
FIVE AGGREGATES ( skandhas )
Form ( rupa ) is made up of
EARTH
WATER
FIRE
WIND
Feeling ( vendana ) is one of
PLEASANT
UNPLEASANT
NEUTRAL
Feelings arise when there is a contact between the six internal organs and the six external objects
THE TEN FETTERS OF EXISTENCE
SELF - DELUSION
DOUBT
CLINIGN TO RITUAL
SENSUOS LUST
ILL WILL
GREED FOR FINE MATERIAL EXISTENCE
GREED FOR IMMATERIAL EXISTENCE
CONCEIT
RESTLESSNESS
IGNORANCE