Buddhism

From Tears to Enlightenment

Regard this fleeting world like this:

Like stars fading and vanishing at

dawn,
Like bubbles on a fast moving
stream,
Like morning dewdrops
evaporating on blades of grass,
Like a candle flickering in a stormy
wind, echoes, mirages, and
phantoms hallucinations and like
a dream.
-Siddhartha Gautama
Introduction to Buddhism
Another major Eastern tradition is
Buddhism, contained in the teachings of its
founder, Siddhartha Gautama or the
Buddha Out of the life experience and
teaching of highborn Prince Gautama of the
Sakya clan in the kingdom of Magadha,
who lived from 560 to 477 BC, sprang the
religious philosophy we know as Buddhism.
Turning away from Hindu polytheism and
palace pleasures.
 Siddhartha Gautama
began search for answers to the riddle of life’s
sufferings, disease, old age, and death. He explored
Brahminic philosophies, then tried the rigors of
asceticism, but all to no avail. Finally, while resting
and meditating in a grove of trees, he came to a clear
realization that the solution lays in his own mind
(Puligandla 1997).
From here on, Gautama’s life was devoted to sharing
his ”Dharma” or Law of Salvation-a simple
presentation of the gospel of inner cultivation 0f right
spiritual attitudes, coupled with a self-imposed
discipline whereby bodily desires would be channeled
in the right directions.
Siddhartha Gautama
He omitted any appeal to the gods as currently
conceived; definitely rejected philosophical
speculations; and spurned all recourse to
ancient scriptures, outmoded rituals, or
priestly incantations. Convinced that the way
of escape from pain and misery lay in the
transformation of one's mind and that
liberation could come only with a sloughing off
ofall vain clinging to the things of this life.
Buddha set about sharing his discovery with
anyone who would listen to him.
Teaching of Buddha
Has been set forth traditionally in the ”Four
Noble Truths" leading to the "Eightfold
Path" to perfect character or arhatship,
which in turn gave assurance of entrance
into Nirvana at death. In the Four Noble
Truths, Gautama taught: (1) life is full of
suffering; (2) suffering is caused by
passionate desires, lusts, cravings; (3) only
as these are obliterated, will suffering
cease; (4) such eradication of desire may
be accomplished only by following the
Eightfold Path of earnest endeavor.
The Eightfold Path
Briefly, these eight steps are: (1) right belief in
and acceptance of the "Fourfold Truth”; (2)
right aspiration for one’s self and for others; (3)
right speech that harms no one; (4) right
conduct, motivated by goodwill toward all
human beings; (5) right means of livelihood, or
earning one's living by honorable means; (6)
right endeavor, or effort to direct one’s
energies toward wise ends; (7) right
mindfulness in choosing topics for thought; and
(8) right meditation, or concentration to the
point of complete absorption in mystic ecstasy.
For Velasquez (1999),"ltems 1 and 2 enjoin us to develop
wisdom, items 35 urge us to practice virtue and avoid
vice, and items 6-3 tell us to practice meditation. We do
this essentially by following three short axioms: cease to
do evil, learn to do good, and purify your own mind." The
way to salvation, .in other words,‘ lies through self-
abnegafiom rigid discipline of mind and body, 'a
consuming love for all living creatures, and the final
achievement of that state of consciousness which marks
an individual‘s full preparation for entering the Nirvana
(enlightened wisdom) of complete selflessness. In this
state, the effects of the Law of Cause and Effect (Karma)
are overcome; the Cycle of Rebirth is broken; and one may
rest in the calm assurance of having attained a heavenly
bliss that will stretch into all eternity.
Before long, the Buddha found himself surrounded by an
increasing number of adherents- men like himself, willing
to leave the comforts of home, don the robe of the monk
and, with staff in one hand and begging bowl in the other,
follow their leader as wandering mendicants. These were
later organized into the Sangha, or Order of Monks and
later of nuns also. With single hearted purpose, this
brotherhood of believers dedicated itself to a life of self-
purification, in total loyalty to the Buddha, the Buddha,
the Dharma, and the Sangha. It likewise committed itself
to a life of poverty whose sole aim was the
"evangelization" of India through their dissemination of
doctrine of the Middle Way between extreme asceticism
and self-indulgence (Puliganla 2007).
Monastic Life

Refrain from harming living beings.

Refrain from taking that which is not freely
given.
Refrain from sexual misconduct.
Refrain from wrong speech; such as lying,
idle chatter, malicious gossip or harsh
speech.
Refrain from intoxicating drink and drugs
which lead to carelessness.
Four States of Sublime
Condition
The Buddhist practice the four states of
sublime condition: love, sorrow of others,
joy in the joy of others and equanimity as
regards one's own joy and sorrows.
Buddhism, similar to Hinduism and other
religions is a matter of practice.
Death of Buddha
A certain unity prevailed in the Order and in
the interpretations given to the Dharma
during the Bhudda's lifetime. However,
after his death, a need was felt for putting
the sayings of Buddha into writing, or at
least for getting them fixed in the oral
tradition. About 477 B.C.,about 500
disciples gathered in the First Council at
Rajagaha and together recited and chanted
the precepts now found in the Triptaka.
Second and Third Order
A Century later, in the Second Council at Vesali, in
ca. 383 or 373 B.C. it was found desirable to make
changes to ease the burden of Buddhist discipline.
During King Ashoka's time, about 273 B.C.,
Buddhism flourished despite sectarian differences
In the Third Council in 245 B.C. a serious effort was
made to reform and reorganize the Order, after
which the more ardent Buddhists embarked upon a
program of expansion. Under Ashoka‘s royal
patronage, missionaries were sent south to Ceylon
and eastward to Burma Siam (Thailand), bearing
the orthodox message of original Buddhism
(Ramos 2010).
We close this section by noting that the freedom of
thought and intellectual independence of Buddhism
are unique in the history or religions. The Buddha
insisted that no one accepts his teaching merely
out of reverence for him, but that each human
being subjects the teaching to rigorous reflection
and analysis and accept it only after all doubts and
perplexities are overcome (Puligandla 2007). The
subsequent discussions historically present the
Western thinking. The readers shall be acquainted
with some key notions that have helped in the
formation oi the Westerners‘ understanding of
one’s self and the world.