Budhism

• Sidattha Gottama = A Hindu prince who went on to found Buddhism; The Buddha
• Buddhist Monks are called Bhikkhus (male) or Bhikkhunis (female)
• Sangha is the community of monks/nuns and lay people that support them.
• Dharma is the teachings of the Buddha
• Buddhist Monasteries are called Viharas
• Karma in Buddhism describes the connection between actions and results, where wholesome actions lead to wholesome states and unwholesome actions lead to unwholesome states
• Tanha


  • When you are eating, if you are hungry and the food tastes delicious, you can be aware of wanting to take another bite. That is tanha.
  • I want to practise meditation so I can become free from my pain. That is tanha
  • Desire to get rid of things. That is tanha
• Scriptures of Theravada Buddhism

  • Vinaya: Rules about monks and nuns
  • Sutra: Sayings and sermons of the Buddha
  • Abhidharma: Philosophical reflections on Buddhist teachings
• In Theravada Buddhism, there is no god. Buddha is a perfect man but not regarded as a god. Only monks can attain the detachment from craving necessary to realize Nirvana
• Theravada Buddhism


  • Based on the Pali Canon
  • Oldest teachings of the Buddha
  • Conservative and monastic centered
  • Emphasizes meditation to train the mind
  • Found in southern Asia
• Bodhisattvas delay Nirvana to follow the bodhisattva path, putting off Nirvana for the sake of others. They make vows to Buddha, his teachings (the Dharma), and the Buddhist community (the Sangha)
• Mahayana Buddhism


  • Teachings refer to everyone, not just monks and nuns
  • Includes additional texts and beliefs beyond the Pali Canon
  • Practiced in China, Korea, Japan, and other Asian countries
• Sangha members helped guide lay followers on the path of Dharma
• Monks and nuns live with a minimum of possessions, which are to be provided by the lay community
• The middle way


  He pursued the middle way, neither luxury nor poverty, based on a healthy spiritual and physical life
• First attempt: a life of self-denial


  Siddhartha followed a life of extreme self-denial and meditation for years but did not find satisfaction
• Enlightenment


  Seated beneath the Bodhi tree, he became deeply absorbed in meditation, reflected on his experience of life, and finally achieved enlightenment to become the Buddha
• The Buddha became a monk


  After witnessing an old man, sick man, and a corpse and adopted the harsh poverty of Indian asceticism
• The cause of suffering is craving or desire (tanha)
• Even something precious and enjoyable is dukkha (suffering) because it will end
• 4 noble truths

  • Suffering exists (dukkha)
  • Cause of suffering is desire (tanha)
  • End of suffering can be achieved
  • The noble 8 fold path - the path that frees us from suffering
• Ending the hamster wheel chase after satisfaction is enlightenment
• Dharma


  Refers to the teachings of the Buddha
• Three Unwholesome Roots

  • Greed (lobha)
  • Anger/hatred (dosa)
  • Delusion (moha)
• Three Jewels


  • Sangha (monks in a monastery)
  • Buddha
  • Dharma (Buddha's teachings)
• Five Precepts


  • To refrain from destroying living beings
  • To refrain from stealing
  • To refrain from sexual misconduct
  • To refrain from false speech
  • To refrain from intoxicants which lead to heedlessness
• The goal of Buddhism is to help people realize that they do not ultimately exist or detach from any material, emotional, or social conflicts
• Non-self (Anatta)


  The body is mortal, no permanent self, just a stream of consciousness
• 5 changing factors

  • Matter - physical existence and brain functions are constantly changing
  • Sensations - sight, smell, happiness, sadness
  • Perception - recognition of mental and physical functions
  • Mental formations - directing mind to a thought or action, including concentration
  • Consciousness - awareness of a particular physical or mental thing
• Rebirth vs reincarnation

  If there is no soul, no "you," there can be no reincarnation in the Hindu sense
• ANICCA- Impermanence


  • Everything that occurs in the world is subject to decay
  • As soon as a phenomenon appears, a natural law compels it to ultimately vanish
  • All phenomena undergo the law of impermanence, the law of change, anicca
  • All phenomena that appeared have a limited duration
  • Phenomena seem to have too long a duration when dissatisfying and too short when pleasurable
• Non-self belief existence


  No self means no suffering
• Anaha (Buddhist) vs Atman (Hindu)


  Anaha - non-self, Atman - eternal soul
• Second basket: Sutra


  1. Cousin of Buddha recited all of the Buddha's sermons from memory

  2. All started with "thus I have heard"
• Pali Canon


  • Vinaya
  • Sutra
  • Abhidharma
• The most sacred scripture for Theravada Buddhism
• Only monks can attain the detachment from craving necessary to realize Nirvana
• Mahayana


  • Teachings refer to everyone, not just monks and nuns living in monasteries
  • Not only teaches the Pali Canon but also supplementary literature
• Theravada


  • It is more conservative and monastic-centered
  • Their biggest aim is to use meditation to train the mind
  • Emphasizes the basics of Dharma with a more austere and simple approach
• Questions investigated

  • What is the difference between Theravada and Mahayana?
  • Why are elephant motifs found in temples?
  • What is a mantra?