Buddhism 101

Early History of Buddhism 

Similar to the other major religions, Buddhism has one central ‘founder’. His name is Siddharta Gutama, he later became known as the Buddha. Gutama was said to be born a virgin birth from his mother, Maya. Gutama was born in India as a member of the warrior/royal class. At his birth, a Hindu priest prophesied he would become a great political or spiritual leader. His father feared the latter and thus subjected his young son to a life of endless pleasure. Every indulgence was fulfilled and Gutama never saw any instance of suffering. One night, without his father’s knowledge, the young man escaped his palace and witnessed what came to be known as the Four Passing Sights. For the first time in his life he saw suffering. The Four Passing Sights put Gutama in contact with a sick man, a poor man, an old man and a Holy Person. In response to the Four Passing Sights, Siddhartha acknowledged that suffering exists, he too would experience this suffering  and desired to find a way to counteract the suffering that would eventually befall him. Thus, Siddharta ventured on a quest to find an escape from suffering and began practicing spiritual austerity with five monks. The monks practiced the most austere lifestyle (through starvation, shaving their heads, and wearing simple robes) in the quest for Enlightenment. After practicing for six years Gutama had not reached Enlightenment and ventured on an individual quest. The Buddha’s Enlightenment came when he sat under the famous Bodhi tree around 500 BCE. (The Bodhi tree is still a sacred site in India and can be visited today). In his quest to Enlightenment the Buddha reached his first insight that Enlightenment can be achieved through a path of moderation, rather than through extreme austerity–this is known as the Middle Path. One can pursue a path of moderation balancing both self-indulgence and self-denial. The Buddha’s first disciples were the five men that had been his companions in his six years of austerity. They too, embraced the Middle Path.  This event is officially known as the Setting of the Wheel of Dharma at Deer Park. From the moment of Setting the Wheel further beliefs became solidified, which defined early and modern Buddhism. 

Key Buddhist Beliefs

To a Westerner the ideas of Buddhism may be very complicated. I readily admit I did not understand the Buddhist notions of the individual and suffering. The basic aim of the teaching of Buddhism is to “gain direct insight into the truth of ourselves”. Additionally, one of the most central doctrines involves the acknowledgement of suffering and through Buddhist practices one can rid themselves of suffering. These ideas are laid out in the Four Noble Truths. 

The Four Noble Truths 

Life is suffering (dukkha)

The origin of suffering is desire 

Suffering may seem like a very vague term. Part of the confusion relates to a translation error (this is common due to the issues of translation from Pali, the traditional language Buddhism was written in, to English). We tend to think of suffering as enduring extreme physical or emotional pain. However, Buddhism emphasizes a much broader definition. Dukkha is translated into suffering. Suffering is not just physical suffering, but suffering that is part of our lives. The anger, stress, pain we feel on a daily basis is included in this. Once we consider this much broader definition of suffering it is easy to identify an instance that we have suffered, likely a very recent instance. Whether it be getting a grade that you did not desire or having a fight with a friend, this is suffering. Wouldn’t it be nice to rid oneself of the daily pain that suffering brings? There is a way to do so…

There is a way to end suffering 

The way to end suffering is the eightfold path 

The Eightfold Path 

Right Understanding 

Right Intention 

Right Speech 

Right Action 

Right Work 

Right Effort 

Right Meditation 

Right Contemplation 

Eightfold path is reinforced by the values of wisdom, morality and meditation. 

Right understanding: we need to have heard the Buddha’s teachings, testing the four noble truths against experience, testing the Buddha’s teachings rather than only accepting. 

Right thought: practicing not to acquire great powers but to move to a more selfless persona; the Buddha’s way is an ever-deepening learning process.

Right thought: altruistic mindset, increasingly concerned on how to be of better service to the world (47) 

Morality

Buddhists try to be aware of any particular failing to live up to an ethical principle and resolve to do better next time; recognition that faults take much time to overcome. 

Right speech: not telling lies, slandering, no swearing, wasting time with frivolous chatter, not using harmful speech; also importance of being truthful 

Right action: decent behavior, subscribe to the Five Precepts 

1. Refrain from taking life 
2. Refrain from taking which is not given 
3. Refrain from misuse of the senses 
4. Refrain from telling lies 
5. Refrain from self-intoxication with drinking and drugs

Meditation: cross-legged posture, single or double lotus, back should be straight and lightly balanced on the pelvis, head squarely balanced on the upright neck, eyelids lowered, mouth slightly closed, hands laid above one another in the lap thumb-to-thumb 

Two types of mediation: sahmatha–attention is brought to bear on a single object such as the breath (51)

It is easy to slip away but one must carefully bring back their attention to the single object 

The other type of meditation is vipashyana the mind is opened and awareness is directed to all that enters its sphere; whatever enters the field of attention is observed and analyzed but whatever enters the mind is given bare attention to (52-53) 

Suffering in Buddhism 

A note on the origin of suffering. The identifiable cause of dukkha is trishna–literally translated into thirst. Trishna can be a thirst for money, power or wealth or simply the desire to do good. Trishna implies that we are never satisfied with what we have and we will always be searching for  more. The Buddha puts forth the idea that human suffering is due to the fact we have worldly desires and attachments. The Buddhist idea of a constantly changing reality ties in with the ideas of suffering. Due to the lack of a permanent reality we will never be satisfied with what we have and always want more as society continues to change as do our desires and wants. Society’s ignorance of the changing nature of reality fuels their suffering. They fail to acknowledge the instability of our world and keep attachments that are impermanent and fleeting, thus suffering occurs when change happens. Furthermore, Buddhists emphasize the special nature of the present moment and the beauty in little things. Due to the impermanence of reality every moment is fleeting and changing and we must recognize how special our reality is. The constant mindset of looking towards the future fuels this endless cycle of desire even more—we fail to appreciate the present moment and constantly look towards the future. No moment will be exactly what we expect, and even if it does bring happiness it fuels our endless desire to continue to obtain happiness without appreciating the nature of the special moment. For instance, think of Christmas. These days we all know what we’re getting there is minimal surprise. But after presents are over and family gatherings pass we quickly forget how happy we were in the moment and instantly dread December 26 and the 364 days until next Christmas fueling our suffering. When I was younger I always went trick or treating at my cousins house. The moment would quickly pass and I would cry when I had to leave. My mom always said to me “you can appreciate the time you spent with them or we can never see them again if it makes you sad”. I think this statement speaks to the Buddhist idea of suffering. I failed to acknowledge the gift of seeing my family and getting a joyful Halloween experience only to be consumed by the desire to stay with my cousins and dreaded the time we had to spend apart. 

Our society is a perfect representation of this concept of endless greed. A society based on consumerism and technology means that there will always be new innovations that command our attention. A perfect example of this is Black Friday. Deals on electronics, clothes, kitchen supplies, whatever you can think of cause throngs of people out of their houses on Thanksgiving night and the next morning just to save some money. The desire for ‘stuff’ quite literally fuels our economy and dominates advertising and even our minds. Furthermore, even if you refuse to indulge yourself with the newest technology and practice a much more austere lifestyle there are desires that weigh on your mind. A desire to get a good grade is an instance that leads to suffering. One good grade only leads to motivation to continue to keep a high GPA and a low grade only fuels the desire to do better next time and causes stress, resentment and anger. 

Those who transcend trishna are able to reach Nirvana. Not the band headlined by the late Kurt Cobain, but freedom from earthly desires, suffering, hatred and ignorance. Nirvana involves the escape from everyday life or samsara. Nirvana lies beyond existence or non-existence, rather it is existence beyond limitation. It is not akin to heaven wherein our souls are protected and stored after we pass on. Rather, Nirvana is achieved through obtaining Enlightenment, which can be achieved in one’s lifetime. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is for one to reach Nirvana and escape the suffering that life brings. (The concept of nirvana differs among the different branches of Buddhism). Nirvana is thought to be an end to the endless cycle of rebirth. 

Molloy 

Buddhist’s views of the world: Molloy

Change 

I think it is important to once again lay out the Buddhist view of reality and change. I think Michael Molloy explains the Buddhist notion of change very well. He points out that we get used to things in our life-such as our family, friends, routines, etc. But he claims that this is an ‘illusion’ and things are changing every day and we only notice changes over time. Think of it like this, a baby–either a human baby or a puppy or kitten. If we live with them we don’t notice how quickly they are growing and developing. Every day in a baby’s life is extremely formative and day-by-day they get bigger. If we were away from them for even a week they would look noticeably different, but by living with the babies we do not recognize the constant change. Molloy also offers a more philosophical example. He highlights changing viewpoints. He offers an example of what ‘love’ means. To every person it means something completely different we are shaped by unique experiences and backgrounds. For instance, many people’s political ideologies distinctly change during their lives. To echo an old adage, the older you get the more conservative you get, as well. An older person may not ascribe to the progressive ideas of one political party and may instead want benefits that aid in their retirement and assure them health insurance. For instance, I cannot imagine caring about retirement right now and my biggest concern is graduating college but in a few years retirement will become something I must consider. 

Identity 

Again, I have decided to include Molloy’s explanation as I think it is quite comprehensive. Buddhism rejects the notion of a unique, unified identity of all things. Molloy offers the example of a car. We think of a car as one object–but a car is just a sum of its component parts. Similarly, we are all made up of millions, if not billions, of nerves, hundreds of bones, etc. In summation, this explains the Buddhist notion of a constantly changing identity and a shifting reality. Due to the plethora of components that make up each person, both physical and non-physical, we are constantly changing and never the same person as we were the day before. 

Molloy Indian Influences on Buddhism 

Central to Buddhist doctrine, that came from Vedic practices, include the idea of “Do No Harm” or ahimsa. Ahimsa is the belief that causing suffering to any being is cruel and unnecessary. This encompasses both physical pain and emotional pain/manipulation inflicted onto others. This ties in with the Buddhist idea of suffering and that all beings suffer. Acknowledging others’ suffering will lead one to a life of greater compassion and sympathy for others. Ahimsa has led some to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle, others have avoided career/hobbies as hunters and fishermen to bring minimal harm to others. 

Lior Another key Buddhist concept is the idea of dependent origination (pratityasamutpada). Life (Samsara) is thought of as an endless cycle of cause and effect. 

Molloy 

The notion of reincarnation does exist in Buddhism. Even though the soul is not passed on, the “elements of personality that make up an individual recombine” and these elements continue to permeate. The notion of Karma also exists in Buddhism. Karma is thought to influence the elements of personality that continue to exist after one has passed on. 

The idea of the identity and the individual is also important in Buddhism. The idea that there is no such thing as a permanent identity or soul is important (this is known as anatman). In Buddhism everything is impermanent and ever-changing. The concept of the individual in Buddhism is often dismissed as well. There is no such thing as an individual–rather everything exists together, cohesively. This means that I am connected to a tree that is outside or a person I have never met and likely will never meet. It is important to note that Buddhists do not think that individuality is meaningless, rather they stress the interconnectedness of all beings. I was confused on this subject at first thinking that Buddhists rejected the notion of the individual entirely, but I was gravely mistaken. 

https://www.butler.edu/cfv/buddhism

Branches of Buddhism: Mahayana and Theravada Molloy 

Theravada: emphasizes the conservative branch of Buddhism in an attempt to carry on the Buddha’s original teachings. Theravada literally translates to the way of the elders. Theravada is mostly composed of monks who devote their lives to achieving nirvana through detachment and desirelessness. Becoming a monk is thought to provide greater assurance for reaching nirvana. Theravada monks prescribe to a relatively aesthetic lifestyle, wherein they only eat once a day and must beg for their food from laypeople. Monks serve as key beneficiaries to their local communities in that they provide meditation resources, educational resources, provide medical care and take care of animals. 

Theravada scriptures are known as the Pali Canon. The Pali Canon is divided into the vinaya--the procedures of monastic life, the second, sutta or sutra, contains sermons and dialogues, and the third adhidharma–is a systematization of information in the sutras. 

Mahayana Buddhism, by contrast, is referred to as “big vehicle”. Mahayana practice teaches that nirvana can be attained by anyone, not just monks. Mahayana emphasizes the path to nirvana via saving others. Nirvana can be found in samsara. (Recall that samsara is everyday life). Mahayanic practice involves a positive view of the human body and physical world

Mahayana emphasized not only the traditional Buddhist virtue of wisdom, but elevated compassion to one of the most prominent virtues. Compassion, or karuna, puts forth the implication that the individual is not different than anyone else and we all exist in the same universe. The notion of interconnectedness brings forth the idea of applying compassion, and kindness to, all sentient beings. One can see this emphasis through a Buddhist prayer. 

The Buddhist Prayer of Compassion: “May all creatures be well and happy”. 

Mahayana teaches the concept of the bodhisattva. The bodhisattva is one who has reached enlightenment, and thus nirvana, but continues to remain a part of this world in order to help others achieve nirvana as well. 

Mahayana also has a tripartiad doctrine (trikaya). The doctrine expresses the idea that there are three expressions of the Buddha nature. One is that the cosmic Buddhist nature permeates all things and the Buddha is a divine manifestation. In addition to Siddharta, Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist believe in the coming of another Budda–Maitreya–who will appear on Earth to inaugurate a golden age. It is also thought that there are supernatural Buddhas who live in the heavens. 

Mahayana also emphasizes the concepts of shunyata or all people and things exist together. Shunyata emphasizes the Buddhist concept of constant change and each individual being a sum of its component parts. Tathata involves Mahayana focuses on the unique and special nature of every moment. 

Mahayana literature lays out basic insights. Literature includes the Prajnaparamita Sutras that lay out ideas of wisdom. Additionally, the Pure Land Sutras and Saddharma Sutra have been widely circulated and revered. 

Pure Land Buddhism–Pure Land Buddhism is a school of Mahayana based on the Pure Land Sutras. The Pure Land focuses on the ability of all beings to be reborn in the Pure Land. One needs to simply devote themselves to the Buddha. Pure Land Buddhism is also considered by some not to be a location; but rather, a metaphor. This metaphor prescribed a compassionate way of living an everyday life. 

The Saddharma Sutra puts forth that all people can become Buddhas. 

Branches of Buddhism: Zen & Meditation 

One of the most commonly known branches of Buddhism, especially to the west, is Zen Buddhism (or Chan Buddhism in China). Zen Buddhists favor seated meditation. Some Zen teachers claim that frequent meditation can bring about eventual enlightenment. Others believe that enlightenment can be achieved in a very sudden matter. 

Meditation is known as zazen. When practicing zazen, one must keep their back straight and centered, their body still, and frequently and regularly take deep breaths. One must quiet their mind and focus on the experience at hand. 

In Zen Buddhism enlightenment is said to bring awareness of one’s unity with the universe and separations between beings are simply created and projected by society. 

The acknowledgement of the universe’s unity allows one to shed anxiety relating to either everyday experiences or greatly dreaded experiences such as death. 

Zen also emphasizes the importances of koans. Koans are questions that must be thought about and cannot be answered using traditional techniques of logic. Koans are said to aid the practitioner in attaining awareness of the true nature of the universe and of themselves. 

Finally, Zen Buddhism emphasizes real-world experience. Zen practitioners do not retreat to hours of seated meditation and contemplation; but combine these practices with labor. Specifically, manual labor is prescribed in order to truly experience reality.