1 BUDDHISM The religion of Enlightenment

2 IS BUDDHISM A RELIGION? NO ‘GOD-NOTION’ NO CREATOR NO ULTIMATE REALITY TO WORSHIP

3 ESSENCE: Buddhism is a way of life Ethical Psychological Philosophy of BECOMING/AWAKENING

4 BUDDHIST ALTARS Do not focus on an archetypal hero Mother, father image Rather, a psychological state Profound meditation Warm compassion Fury against illusion

Buddha under Bodhi Tree, Sri Lanka

6 Gal Vihara, Polannaruwa. The Buddha is dying

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THAI WALKING BUDDHA 9

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11 BUDDHA AND ‘ULTIMATE QUESTIONS’ -Nature of the soul -Life after death -Origin of the universe -NOT ADDRESSED

12 “BEING RELIGIOUS AND FOLLOWING DHARMA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DOGMA THAT THE WORLD IS ETERNAL. FOR WHETHER THE WORLD IS ETERNAL OR OTHERWISE, BIRHT, OLD AGE, DEATH, SORROW, PAIN, MISERY, GRIEF AND DESPAIR EXIST. I AM CONCERNED WITH THE EXTINCTION OF THESE.”

ANALOGY: BUDDHA TEACHINGS = RAFT SHORE = NIRVANA BUT: THE SHORE IS NOT DESCRIBED MAKE-UP OF RAFT IS THE BUDDHA’S TEACHINGS

DEER PARK SERMON Four Noble Truths ‘Middle Way’

“THERE ARE 2 EXTREMES, MONKS, WHICH ARE TO BE AVOIDED. WHAT ARE THESE 2 EXTREMES? A LIFE GIVEN TO PLEASURES, DEDICATED TO PLEASURES AND LUSTS – THIS IS DEGRADING, SENSUAL, VULGAR, UNWORTHY AND USELESS. AND A LIFE GIVEN TO SELF- TORTURE – THIS IS PAINFUL, UNWORTHY, AND USELESS. BY AVOIDING THESE 2 EXTREMES, MONKS, I HAVE GAINED THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MIDDLE PATH, WHICH LEADS TO INSIGHT, WHICH LEADS TO WISDOM, WHICH PRODUCES CALM, KNOWLEDGE, ENLIGHTENMENT AND NIRVANA.”

16 FIRST NOBLE TRUTH: LIFE INEVITABLY INVOLVES SUFFERING: -Imperfect -Illness -Hateful -Separation

17 SECOND NOBLE TRUTH: THE ORIGIN OF SUFFERING IS OUR DESIRES: -Grasping for pleasure -Grasping for becoming -Grasping for sensual delight -Grasping for what we don’t have

18 THIRD NOBLE TRUTH: SUFFERING WILL STOP WHEN DESIRES ARE STOPPED: -When the ‘grasping’ stops -Elimination of passions

19 FOURTH NOBLE TRUTH: THERE IS A WAY TO GET TO THIS POINT: THE EIGHTFOLD PATH

20 1) RIGHT UNDERSTANDING Understanding reality through the Four Noble Truths Seeing through illusions

21 2) RIGHT THOUGHT/MOTIVES Uncover ‘unwholesome’ emotional roots that guide our thinking Discover and weed out Only then do we become free from self- centredness

22 3) RIGHT SPEECH VS. - Vain talk, gossip, harsh words, lying Communication must further truth and harmony Including ‘self-talk’: “May you be well and happy today…”

4) RIGHT ACTION FIVE RULES OF MORAL CONDUCT: 1)DO NOT DESTROY LIFE 2)DO NOT STEAL 3)AVOID SEXUAL MISCONDUCT 4)DO NOT LIE 5)DO NOT USE INTOXICANTS ABOVE ALL: ALL ACTIONS SHOULD BE BASED ON CLEAR UNDERSTANDING

24 5) RIGHT LIVELIHOOD How one makes their living One’s work should not harm others

25 6) RIGHT EFFORT Refers to the constant effort that must be put into achieving these goals IT TAKES EFFORT!

7) RIGHT MINDFULNESS The way to liberation is through the mind “CHECK YOUR MIND BE ON GUARD PULL YOURSELF OUT LIKE AN ELEPHANT FROM THE MUD.”

8) RIGHT MEDITATION Applying mental discipline to quiet the mind THE MIND IS SUBTLE, INVISIBLE, AND TREACHEROUS USE SKILFUL MEANS TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND ITS NATURE

28 KARMA: CAUSE OF NEXT LIFE = KARMA

29 ANATMAN, SKANDHAS ANATMAN - No soul to be reborn; no permanent reality SKANDHAS – aggregates

30 KARMA: ANALOGY Candle analogy Domino analogy

31 SAMSARA Worldly phenomena Life, suffering, decay, death, painful rebirth

32 NIRVANA “No suffering for him Who is free from sorrow Free from the fetters of life Free in everything he does He has reached the end of his road… Like a bird invisibly flying in the sky He lives without possessions Knowledge his food, freedom his world While others wonder… He has found freedom – Peaceful his thinking, peaceful his speech Peaceful his deed, tranquil his mind.”

33 Anuradhapura, Sri Lankan Stupa

34 TIBETAN CHORTEN/STUPA

35 MAITREYA BUDDHA/FUTURE, UNIVERSAL BUDDHA

36 SAMGHA: ORIGINS (samgha = community/followers) Initially samgha = 5 ascetics Set in motion the ‘wheel of dharma/dhamma’ ANYONE could be part of the Buddha’s group

10 PRECEPTS 1)Refrain from taking life (ahimsa) 2)Do not take what is not given 3)Chastity 4)Do not lie or deceive 5)Do not take intoxicants 6)Consume food in moderation; never after noon 7)Do not partake in public spectacles (dancing, singing) 8)Do not ornament your body 9)Do not recline on wide or high beds 10)Do not accept gold or silver

38 MONASTICS VS LAY PEOPLE ONLY FIRST FIVE PRECEPTS FOR LAY FOLLOWERS ALL TEN FOR MONKS AND NUNS

39 THE ‘ORDER’ AND WOMEN Women included since time of Buddha YET, some hesitation Lesser order Different, subordinate rules guiding them

40 THREE JEWELS/THREE REFUGES 1)I TAKE REFUGE IN THE BUDDHA 2)I TAKE REFUGE IN THE DHARMA 3)I TAKE REFUGE IN THE SAMGHA

41 “Come, bhiksu/bhikhuni (monk, nun)”

42 WHAT CONSTITUTES THE SAMGHA? WHO IS ‘WORTHY’? Order of monks and nuns came to be viewed as ‘ideal’ Laypeople came to be viewed as the inferior way LED TO MAHAYANA AND THERAVADA DIVISION