in the world. As a philosopy, every country in the East has felt its influence. There is a delightful simplicity about the message, which can be grasped by a child; yet simultaneously there is wealth of elaborate complexities that can tax the greatest of minds for a lifetime. The Buddhist Mind When one becomes a Buddhist, one takes refuge in the Buddha, Dharma (teaching) which can trasform lives, and Sangha (in this translation, Samgha) is the nurse that provides the setting for healing. This is captured in the following extract. Buddhist traditions emphasize faith in the sense of “confidence” rather than “blind acceptance”. The Buddha attained freedom from suffering and taught the path to this liberation but it is up to the individual to read the path. To “become a Buddhist” then, means to undertake a course of ethical and contemplative training under the tutelage of the Buddha and the Sangha, rather than accepting a set of creeds or doctrines. The Buddha and his followers would not have described themsalves as “religious” or “Buddhist” – in fact, as the scholar Wilfred Cantwell Smith points out, the term “Buddhism” was not coined until 1801, by a European. WORLD VIEWS 1. The Buddha
Buddhists believe that a person who lived in
Northern India during the sixth century BCE has made a dramatic discovery. The Buddha Shakyamuni, discovered the eternal truth about the nature of suffering and reality. In his infinite compassion he has chosen to share the discovery with humankind. This is the story of the Buddha as found in the Buddhacarita. 2. The Fourth Noble Truths
Having obtained Enlightenment, the Buddha
decided to share his discovery with others. The next extracts form the Pali canon describe his initial sermons. It is worth nothing from the first extract how his first sermon was ignored; but his second, delivered to his five closest companions, was received with acclaim. The Buddha explained the secret to all life – the Four Noble Truths. a. The Chain of simultanious dependent originations The four noble truths concentrate on craving as the underlying cause of suffering. The chain makes up a circle, with each link causing all other links. It is important to notice that it is not a willful sin or wickedness that leads to suffering, but ignorance. Like addicts, we are caught in a cycle of self-destructive thinking and action. Once we see how our thought and behaviour leads to suffering, we are motivated to modify It. b. Nirvana
The ultimate fruit of the Buddhist path is
Nirvana. It is a state where you see reality as it really is. We can only start to understand it in terms of negatives. It does not involve suffering, or change. Nagarjuna was an exceptionally capable Buddhist thinker who offers the following highly paradoxical on this blissful state. c. Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism People disagree about almost anything. The two main schools are Theravada, which originated as an offshoot of the early Sthavira school, and the Mahayana. The initial disagreement was probably over the involvement of lay people. The Theravada group thought that the monastic life was the primary expression of the Buddhist life, while the Mahayanan group had a greater role for lay people. The Theravada group insisted that the Buddha was simply a historical person whose life should be imitated. The Mahayana group started to talk about the Bodhisattvas who did not cross into nirvana, but stayed back to help others accross the stream of samsara.
TheTheravada group sees compassion as an
automatic result of the development of wisdom; the Mahayana group, however, places more emphasis on the active cultivation and practice of compassion. d. Personal Behaviour
The last reading in the world-views section is
taken from the Dhammapada. This is preoccupied with behaviour. Buddhism is not a system of metaphysical beliefs within which there is ethical expression, but a transforming way of life. It is primary an ethic. Most of the schools of Buddhism share affection for these sayings; many Buddhists have memorized them and use them in argument and reflection. Institutions and Rituals
The central institution is the Sangha. Monastic communities
form a Sangha, which freed the individual monks from the practical concerns of the world, thereby enabling them to cultivate detachment and, perhaps ultimately, obtain enlightenment. Central to this task is meditation. As one meditates, so one sees the true reality of all things. As one discovers this truth, so one is freed to be happy. According to this text, meditation is the means by which the Four Noble Truths can be implemented and we can obtain enlightenment. The Buddha is explaining to Nanda elementary stages involved in meditation. Ethical Expression
Having emerged from Hinduism, Buddhism,
shares certain Hindu assumptions. Central to Hindu ethical expresssion is karma. The law of karma will determine one’s status if one is reborn. The ethical demands of Buddhism are considerable. The eightfold path offers the middle way between asceticism. The Role of Women Women in the sixth-century BCE India had a hard time. And against this backdrop, the Buddha had a positive attitude towards women. According to the one of the traditional accounts of the Buddha’s life, it was after discussion with his dead mother that he opted for the middle way between asceticism and sensuality. The reading codescribes the cultural opposition to the ordination of women, which the Buddha seems to share, and the final decision of the Buddha to overcome this opposition and accept them. Modern Expression
Buddhism has proved to be very adaptable. It
grew rapidly, developing significantly different forms for different cultures. Jane Compson currently teaches philosophy and religious studies at the University of Central Florida. She describes her discovery of Buddhism. For her, the main cultural option was Christianity. She explains why that proved so unhelpful and Buddhism so attractive. TH A NK Y OU FOR LI ST E NI N G