Lesson 1 - Essentials

Discussion in 'Introduction to Buddhism' started by shaman sun, Oct 25, 2007.

  1. shaman sun

    shaman sun Member

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    Alrighty. Here goes the first lesson. Consider this a glossary of terms. They will be further described in lesson two, where we dive into the life and time of the Buddha. For now, just familiarize yourself with these basics.

    What is Buddhism, exactly? There are a number of significant historical facts:

    A man named Siddartha Guatama started teaching in Northern India (today Nepal) around the 5th century, BCE.​

    Also, what does the term "Buddhism" mean? "Buddha" literally means "awakened one"." Buddhism is also called "Buddha Dharma," which simply means, "Teachings of the Awakened One."


    Even so, Buddhism is often considered both a religion and a philosophy. It is religious in its rituals, its beliefs and practices which stem from the culture it evolved from. It is philosophical in its view and approach to reality. However, heeding the words of Siddartha, it is very important to note that above all Buddhism attempts to perceive directly into the nature of things, the reality.

    Basic Concepts:

    Karma - In essence, karma has little to do with a morality, and more with responsibility. Karma literally means action, or performance. What happens to you is a result of your own actions. It is considered a cycle of cause and effect. Many traditions consider one's Karma to be an accumulation of all of their actions. This is closely tied to the tradition of reincarnation.

    Reincarnation - The tradition that teaches we do not live once, but many times. When we die, we are born again in another time and place.

    Samsara - Literally means, "To flow together," this term very basically describes the cycle of life, death, and rebirth humanity goes through. Each individual lives a series of lives. Karma is carried on from life to life, and so your present life, according to this view, is a result of all of your previous lives. It's important to note though, that this does not take away responsibility from the present moment, as your actions count now too. Samsara also pertains to the more negative description of a falling. We are stuck in the rut, the wheels of samsara, forever doomed to be born, suffer, laugh, and die, and then be born again. Many were seeking a liberation from this cycle. Which leads us to,

    Dukkha- Synonymous with suffering.

    Nirvana - Awakening. Bodhi. Enlightenment. The cessation of samsara, the purging of all past karma, the direct realization of reality. This is what many in Buddha's time were attempting to discover.

    3 Jewels

    Practitioners of Buddhism first acknowledge to take refuge in the "3 Jewels," simply meaning focusing on three aspects:

    1. The Buddha - Wisdom of Buddha and the Sages. This is not just Buddha, but any awakened one. Be open to any enlightened teacher.
    2. The Dharma - Literally, the teaching of the Buddhas.
    3. Sangha - Community. Whether they be monks or laymen and women. Learn from each other.

    Middle Way



    This teaching is very simple. As Buddha was discovering his path, he realized that one cannot go to extremes in either direction. You cannot deprive the body by fasting too much, nor can you indulge too much. A balanced way is the healthiest state - hence, the middle way.​



    The 4 Noble Truths

    These help lay the groundwork for understanding the process of Bodhi, or awakening.

    1. Suffering Exists
    2. We Suffer Because We Crave
    3. Suffering can also cease
    4. There is a Way to End Suffering - The Noble Eightfold Path


    Summary on the 4 noble truths:
    1 and 2 describe the nature of suffering. 3 and 4 describe the path to alleviating suffering.
     
  2. shaman sun

    shaman sun Member

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    The Noble Eightfold Path

    This is where the practice comes in. It is divided into 3 parts
    - Sila - Samadhi - Prajna.

    Sila covers the physical and moral. (Ethics)
    Samadhi covers mastery of mind, (Meditation)
    Prajna covers wisdom. (Wisdom)

    The noble path is as follows:
    Sila
    1. Right Speech- Speak in a non-hurtful, truthful way.
    2. Right Actions- Wholesome action, action without harm.
    3. Right Livelihood- Live in a way as to not harm others, directly or indirectly.
    Samadhi
    4. Right Effort/Exercise- Make an effort to improve.
    5. Right Mindfulness/Awareness- Ability to see things as they are, clearly.
    6. Right Concentration/Meditation- Be aware of the present reality, within oneself, without distraction or craving.
    Prajna
    7. Right Understanding- Understanding reality as it is, not as it appears.
    8. Right Thoughts- Change in the pattern of thinking.

    The path can be considered developmental, but also simultaneous. Practitioners may be developing multiple aspects at once.
     
  3. shaman sun

    shaman sun Member

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    Questions, comments so far? Please feel free to make a post. Also, feel free to write about how any of these basic concepts apply or do not apply to your life. Rest assured we are going to have a few lessons on Buddhism today, but open dialogue and reflection is important every step of the way . . .
     
  4. wildflowereyes

    wildflowereyes Senior Member

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    could you by chance give an idea on how some of these words are pronounced? :)
     
  5. Chris92

    Chris92 Member

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    My questions on the noble eightfold path. I know you say a little on it at the bottom but are you supposed to work on the first one first and second second or can you try to work on them all at once.
     
  6. poor_old_dad

    poor_old_dad Senior Member

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    An excellent question.

    Peace,
    poor_old_dad
     
  7. shaman sun

    shaman sun Member

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    Hey everyone,

    The terminology is usually taken as is, with no special pronounciation (At least in most circles, but I'll research this if you want to know how it's pronounced in sanskrit.)

    For now though, and usually . . .

    Nirvana - Nerve Ah Na
    Samsara - Sam sah ra
    Siddartha Guatama - Cid Artha Gwa ta ma
    Buddha - Boo Duh
    Bodhi - Boed Hee
    Karma - Car Mah
    Dharma - Dar Mah
    Sangha - Sang Hah
    Sila - See La
    Samadhi - Sah, Mah, Dee
    Prajna - Pradge Nah

    The Noble Eightfold Path - this question is good! I'll elaborate. The 8 "steps" are both developmental and simultaneous. Some things can happen at the same time, others not as much. For insance, the first section on livelihood - this can be done at the same time as your personal practice of meditation. Healthy body, kindness towards others allows meditation and clarity of mind to be easier. "Right Effort," is an example of the path being developmental. Step by step. If you want to gain clarity of mind, good! That earnest effort and passion to awaken will be a stepping stone towards discovering that wisdom.

    One question that was raised in my philosophy class was: If you have desire to become enlightened, isn't that just another desire? Doesn't that just take you right back to the start, keep you in the wheel of samsara? Often it is considered the final flame, the one that extinguishes itself. Like the candle which, in a last effort, closes the lid on itself, consuming all oxygen within the jar - until at last there is only one breath left, and then? Just smoke! :)
     
  8. shaman sun

    shaman sun Member

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    So, what if we narrate these terms and see them more cohesively?

    Buddhism began ages ago, roughly in the 5th century, BCE. India, like any other culture in any other time, had its traditional beliefs about the world. A sage might tell you, in those days, that we are all trapped. By what, you might ask? From birth til death, we laugh, cry, pain and smile, feel pleasure and every sensation possible under the sun. Each generation is born into the cycle of both happiness and suffering. Extending from this view - many life times we each have traveled. Facing the same toils. This brings us to the belief in reincarnation, where we are born again after we die (and again, and again).

    Further so, we experience a thousand tears and a thousand joys - but what have we learned? Must we grow old again and again, toil again and again? Graps everything only to watch it disappear, including our lives? This vicious cycle, samsara, captures us in the ebb and flow of an eternal tide, and it seems we never quite reach the heavens, though it is the heavens that seem to move the water.

    Through each life time, our actions directly influence our future lives. Karma, literally meaning action, is the result of your personal doing. We carry this karma, responsibility, across lifetimes. Do we learn from our Karma? Our actions? Or do we amass a great burden on our backs and sink deeper in to the tides? Can this burden be released? Is there more to life than this? Even the gods fall victim to this death and rebirth. Who here in this universe does not?

    There is, a sage may tell you, a way to end this cycle. "Awakening," -bodhi, is the name for it. The cessation of samsara, the release of all karma, diffused into the expanse of the present.

    This brings us to the 4 Noble Truths. These address the the nature of our pain, our suffering and our existence. How are we to translate this world and its toils, pains and joys?

    Suffering is universal. Suffering exists in great magnitude in the world, and it cannot be shunned or imagined away with ideals. Nothing is permanent, whatever is born will die. Any object we can perceive will just as inevitably vanish as it has appeared. This is the first noble truth.

    Why does it exist? Aside from physical pain, disease. Why do we suffer, cry? This insight suggests that our very cracing is the cause. Our attachment to "things." Nothing is permanent, yes, and yet we look for permanence. We search for stability in a world that is always changing. We become attached to objects, hoping they will put out our fears and help keep us secure. Yet, any thing we come to depend on must fade away in time, and so we grieve over loss. Again and again we are disappointed. We crave security of every kind: Physical, Psychological, Emotional, Spiritual. We look in all places for something that is certain, all the while coping with out own mortality. Do we ever in our lives find that sense of ultimate peace?

    Is this it? Often we ask, without those "things," those objects that come and go, what is left? Doesn't our very humanity depend on this brevity? The third noble truth suggests something radically different. It suggests that this strife which seems to define us is not the end of the road, is not who we truly, deeply and ultimately are. The third noble truth suggests: Suffering can end. We needn't crave, needn't struggle to make things last forever. It is that very craving that causes our suffering.

    And so naturally, then, the fourth noble truth suggests to us that the way to end suffering and craving is through the Noble-Eightfold-Path. One path, Buddha suggests, that is effective in liberation, nirvana, the cessation of suffering. It is a middle way. There is no need to starve yourself, or indulge any senses. The noble-eightfold-path is broken into three parts. It can be seen a step by step, yes, but you may find that multiple steps can be approached at once. The first part - Sali. Basic livelihood - physical health, social health. Eat right, live well, treat others well. Do not harm yourself or others in any way.

    The second half, Samadhi - right effort. you must have a balanced display of action and effort. Meditate, do your practice, cultivate the discovery of mindfulness. Learn to be aware. It is this awareness that will liberate.

    The third part - Prajna - cultivate that awareness in all that you see, all that you do, and all that you are. Perceive it through all things. Allow it to permeate your mind. Learn through that awareness to let the old, desctrive, craving habits fade away. Ultimately, cease them completely - Liberation! Nirvana!
     
  9. deermouse

    deermouse Member

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    Would you call this striving without expectation? Since desire is the problem, devotion to practice without expectation should minimize desire.
     
  10. deermouse

    deermouse Member

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    You haven't yet mentioned anything about our personal practice of meditation. Could you say a little about that?
     
  11. deermouse

    deermouse Member

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    OK, last question for tonight:

    "gods"? Could you explain? Beings in the god realm or deities?

    thanks
     
  12. shaman sun

    shaman sun Member

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    Hey Deermouse,

    Thanks for the questions! Keeps me on my toes. Alrighty, so yes, this could also be called striving without expectation. However, it's tricky. Often a practice has a particular goal - so in Buddhist practice especially, there are many attempts to realize, perceive, recognize " what is " ever already present. In Zen, Satori, Dzogchen is all about immediate awareness, etc. It's a fine, complicated and tricky line between being and doing, but both are possible. The Taoist term Wei Wu Wei is synonymous with this - being non being.

    As far as personal practice goes, that will be in the next few lessons. This lesson is just the basic stuff.

    Gods - I mean in every realm. Every being, god or human, tree or bird, is subject to samsara, the flow of things.

    Hope this answered your questions. If not, or if you have more, keep plugging and feel free to ask!
     
  13. deermouse

    deermouse Member

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    I hope you will explain the differences in a future lesson.

    Still not sure I understand. Not deities like [size=-1]Yahweh or [/size][size=-1]Prajñāpāramitā[/size], but beings? As in "god-demons" (a god when it helps you and a demon when it hurts you)?

    Maybe I'm a little to far ahead of myself? I'd like to hear what others think.
     
  14. shaman sun

    shaman sun Member

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    Sorry folks. I've been a bit tied down with midterms this semester. Things are clearing up now, so Lesson 2 will be up shortly.



    Deermouse, please check out the syllabus so you can get a head's up on what will be taught. If you have any questions or suggestions for extending the material please let me know. That being said, there will be a subsequent lesson on Dzogchen, meditation and its varying forms, basic instructions, etc. I'm also considering doing an "Open Lesson" where we each share our own practice, should we have any, and learn from each other.

    The second question: It's a very generic and encompassing idea: All beings, whether demi-gods or deities, are subject to samsara. This is what made Buddha special, according to the texts. He was the only one who was enlightened, a mere mortal. Maya, a demon who we might compare loosely with Lucifer, was especially envious and attempted to stop Siddartha from meditating. But we'll get into this story later.
     
  15. satchmo395

    satchmo395 Member

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    Maybe this is a stupid question, but I wanted to know if in any way drugs (marijuana, LSD, but not the drugs that are dangerous like cocaine etc...) play into any part of Buddhist belief systems. The idea of freeing your mind to know what actually exists.
     
  16. deermouse

    deermouse Member

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    Drugs may open your mind, but I don't think they will allow you to know what actually exists. That takes a lot of work and there aren't really any shortcuts. Even the Buddha can't enlighten you.

    I think if you really knew what actually exists (were fully enlightened), I doubt drugs would have any effect on you at all.
     
  17. Delfynasa

    Delfynasa Member

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    Hello again:) I have a few questions too.
    What do you mean by "right meditation"? Is there such a thing as wrong meditation? Or is right just the one that works for a particular person?
    And on the middle path-I have heard of monks and nuns who sleep sitting up and eat only a few grains of rice a day-wouldn't that count as an extreme and not the middle path? I find that very confusing.....
    Looking forward to learning more.....which is a desire.....
    sigh
    Delfynasa
     
  18. Paisley Skye

    Paisley Skye Member

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    i'm new at this, but itseems to me that buddhism has to do with bringing everything in and around us into a central control system, as it were. is that accurate, for a start?
     
  19. deermouse

    deermouse Member

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    No, that is not correct. The basic belief of Buddhism is that there is only "one". If you want to put that in terms of God, then everything is God and God is everything. However, when God is all there is, it doesn't make any sense to talk about God because that implies something external and separate. The reason that things appear separate is because if you are not enlightened, you are functioning under an illusion, the illusion of "ego" (that you as an individual exist). Through practice and meditation you can dissolve the illusion and see things as they really are, only "one".

    As for control, there is no control, except over your own mind. Again, to have control over the external things in your life implies that these things are separate and exist outside of the "one". The only thing you may have any control over is your own mind which only appears to be separate. Again, through practice and meditation you may be able to dissolve that illusion of separateness and attain enlightenment, the ability to see things as they really are, non-separate (non-dual).

    This "non-dual" state is considered to be non-conceptual to those who are trapped in the illusion of themselves. It is not really possible to express the non-conceptual nature of existence using the conceptual medium of language. As such, you can only dance around the explanation and hint at the "truth". The only way you can really perceive the non-conceptual nature of existence is through practice and meditation.

    This is a very brief explanation of a very complicated subject. It's also probably not a very good place to start your understanding of Buddhism, it's like trying to understand basic mathematics by reading a calculus book. Still, I hope it helps. Ask more if you're still interested.

    paul
     
  20. GoingLightBarny

    GoingLightBarny Guest

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    yes, there is right meditation as there is wrong meditation. right and wrong being factual. 2+2 is 4. this is a fact. meditating so that you can rest your mind, so that you can empty your mind, is one correct way to meditate

    there are several practices that monks and nuns do to experience things in some of the higher teachings that would not seem as the middle path at this point to you. however, later on in your practice, they might not seem so extreme. perception is great in influencing thought.

    there is desire, and then there is aspiration. have you had the chance to dedicate merit?

    dedication of merit is a very effective practice to avoid the selfish desire, which i believe would helpyou to clarify this.
     

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