Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Suffering: Causes and Solution-Middle Way

An important guiding principle of Buddhist practice is the Middle Way, which is said to have been discovered by Gautama Buddha prior to his enlightenment (bodhi). The Middle Way or Middle Path has several definitions:

1. The practice of non-extremism: a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification
2. The middle ground between certain metaphysical views (e.g., that things ultimately either do or do not exist)
3. An explanation of Nirvana (perfect enlightenment), a state wherein it becomes clear that all dualities apparent in the world are delusory (see Seongcheol)
4. Another term for emptiness, the ultimate nature of all phenomena, lack of inherent existence, which avoids the extremes of permanence and nihilism or inherent existence and nothingness

Suffering: Causes and Solution-The Noble Eightfold Path

The Noble Eightfold Path, the fourth of the Buddha's Noble Truths, is the way to the cessation of suffering (dukkha). It has eight sections, each starting with the word samyak (Sanskrit, meaning correctly, properly, or well, frequently translated into English as right), and presented in three groups:

* Prajñā is the wisdom that purifies the mind, allowing it to attain spiritual insight into the true nature of all things. It includes:

1. dṛṣṭi (ditthi): viewing reality as it is, not just as it appears to be.
2. saṃkalpa (sankappa): intention of renunciation, freedom and harmlessness.

* Śīla is the ethics or morality, or abstention from unwholesome deeds. It includes:

3. vāc (vāca): speaking in a truthful and non hurtful way
4. karman (kammanta): acting in a non harmful way
5. ājīvana (ājīva): a non harmful livelihood

* Samādhi is the mental discipline required to develop mastery over one’s own mind. This is done through the practice of various contemplative and meditative practices, and includes:

6. vyāyāma (vāyāma): making an effort to improve
7. smṛti (sati): awareness see things for what they are with clear consciousness, being aware of the present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion
8. samādhi (samādhi): correct meditation or concentration, explained as the first 4 dhyānas

The practice of the Eightfold Path is understood in two ways, as requiring either simultaneous development (all eight items practiced in parallel), or as a progressive series of stages through which the practitioner moves, the culmination of one leading to the beginning of another.

In the early sources (the four main Nikayas) the Eightfold Path is not generally taught to laypeople, and it is little known in the Far East.

Suffering: Causes and Solution-The Four Noble Truths

According to the Pali Tipitaka, the Four Noble Truths were the first teaching of Gautama Buddha after attaining Nirvana. They are sometimes considered as containing the essence of the Buddha's teachings and are presented in the manner of a medical diagnosis and remedial prescription – a style common at that time:

1. Life as we know it ultimately is or leads to suffering (dukkha) in one way or another.
2. Suffering is caused by craving or attachments to worldly pleasures of all kinds. This is often expressed as a deluded clinging to a certain sense of existence, to selfhood, or to the things or phenomena that we consider the cause of happiness or unhappiness.
3. Suffering ends when craving ends, when one is freed from desire. This is achieved by eliminating all delusion, thereby reaching a liberated state of Enlightenment (bodhi);
4. Reaching this liberated state is achieved by following the path laid out by the Buddha.

Described by early Western scholars, and taught as an introduction to Buddhism by some contemporary Mahayana teachers (e.g., the Dalai Lama).

According to other interpretations by Buddhist teachers and scholars, lately recognized by some Western non-Buddhist scholars, the "truths" do not represent mere statements, but are categories or aspects that most worldly phenomena fall into, grouped in two:

1. Suffering and causes of suffering
2. Cessation and the paths towards liberation from suffering.

Thus, according to the Macmillan Encyclopedia of Buddhism they are

1. "The noble truth that is suffering"
2. "The noble truth that is the arising of suffering"
3. "The noble truth that is the end of suffering"
4. "The noble truth that is the way leading to the end of suffering"

The early teaching and the traditional Theravada understanding is that the Four Noble Truths are an advanced teaching for those who are ready for them. The Mahayana position is that they are a preliminary teaching for people not yet ready for the higher and more expansive Mahayana teachings. They are little known in the Far East.

The Cycle of Samsara

Sentient beings crave pleasure and are averse to pain from birth to death. In being controlled by these attitudes, they perpetuate the cycle of conditioned existence and suffering (Samsara), and produce the causes and conditions of the next rebirth after death. Each rebirth repeats this process in an involuntary cycle, which Buddhists strive to end by eradicating these causes and conditions, applying the methods laid out by the Buddha.

Rebirth in Buddhism

Rebirth refers to a process whereby beings go through a succession of lifetimes as one of many possible forms of sentient life, each running from conception to death. It is important to note, however, that Buddhism rejects concepts of a permanent self or an unchanging, eternal soul, as it is called in Christianity or even Hinduism. As there ultimately is no such thing as a self (anatta), rebirth in subsequent existences must rather be understood as the continuation of a dynamic, ever-changing process of "dependent arising" (Pratītyasamutpāda) determined by the laws of cause and effect (Karma) rather than that of one being, "jumping" from one existence to the next.

Each rebirth takes place within one of five realms, according to Theravadins, or six according to other schools. These are further subdivided into 31 planes of existence:

1. Naraka beings: those who live in one of many Narakas (Hells)
2. Animals: sharing some space with humans, but considered another type of life
3. Preta: Sometimes sharing some space with humans, but invisible to most people; an important variety is the hungry ghost
4. Human beings: one of the realms of rebirth in which attaining Nirvana is possible
5. Asuras: variously translated as lowly deities, demons, titans, antigods; not recognized by Theravada (Mahavihara) tradition as a separate realm.
6. Devas including Brahmas: variously translated as gods, deities, spirits, angels, or left untranslated

Rebirths in some of the higher heavens, known as the Śuddhāvāsa Worlds (Pure Abodes), can be attained only by anāgāmis (non-returners). Rebirths in the arupa-dhatu (formless realms) can be attained only by those who can meditate on the arupa-jhānas.

According to East Asian and Tibetan Buddhism, there is an intermediate state between one life and the next, but Theravada rejects this.

Wheel of life

Karma: Cause and Effect

Karma (from Sanskrit: action, work) is the energy which drives Saṃsāra, the cycle of suffering and rebirth for each being. Good, skillful (Pāli: kusala) and bad, unskillful (Pāli: akusala) actions produce "seeds" in the mind which come to fruition either in this life or in a subsequent rebirth. avoidance of unwholesome actions and the cultivation of positive actions is called Śīla (from Sanskrit: ethical conduct).

In Buddhism, Karma specifically refers to those actions (of body, speech, and mind) that spring from mental intent (Pāli: cetana), and which bring about a consequence (or fruit, Sanskrit: phala) or result (Pāli: vipāka). Every time a person acts there is some quality of intention at the base of the mind and it is that quality rather than the outward appearance of the action that determines its effect.
In Theravada Buddhism there is no divine salvation or forgiveness for one's Karma. Some Mahayana traditions hold different views. For example, the texts of certain Sutras (such as the Lotus Sutra, the Angulimaliya Sutra and the Nirvana Sutra) claim that reciting or merely hearing their texts can expunge great swathes of negative Karma. Similarly, the Japanese Pure Land teacher Genshin taught that Buddha Amitabha has the power to destroy the Karma that would otherwise bind one in Saṃsāra.

What are some Chinese Buddhist holidays and celebrations?

1. Sakyamuni Buddha’s Birthday (Vesak Day) 8th April

2. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s Birthday 19th February

3. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s Enlightenment Day 19th June

4. Ullambana Festival – Buddha’s joyful Day 15th July

5. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Birthday 30th July

6. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s Renunciation Day 19th September

7. Medicine Buddha’s Birthday 30th September

8. Amitabha Buddha’s Birthday 17th November

9. Sakyamuni Buddha’s Enlightenment Day 8th December

Note: The dates listed above all belong to the Chinese Lunar Calendar

The Fundamental Concepts of Humanistic Buddhism

Humanistic Buddhism is the integration of our spiritual practice into all aspects of our daily lives. Humanistic Buddhism has the following six characteristics.

  1. Humanism/altruism
  2. Emphasis on daily life as spiritual practice
  3. Joyfulness
  4. Timeliness
  5. Universality of wanting to save all beings.

It is difficult for people to see the relevance of Buddhism in their modern daily lives and how it adapts to the trends of the present age rather than merely following traditions blindly. Though Buddhism speaks of the past, present & future, it particularly highlights the universal welfare of the beings of this world and although Buddhism speaks of all beings of the ten-dhrama worlds, it reserves the most emphasis for humans. Through training and cultivating ourselves in this human world, enlightenment can be achieved.

Therefore, we should cherish our lives, and integrate the Buddhist practice in our daily lives. Some people perceive Buddhism as a religion removed from humanity. This perception of Buddhism is characterized by isolation, retreat to forests, self-concern and individualism it has lost its humanistic quality. It has reached the point that many who are interested in entering the gate dare no do so they hesitate as they peer in and wander about outside.

Humanistic Buddhism encompasses all of the Buddhist teachings from the time of the Buddha to the present – whether they are derived from the three traditions. The goal of Humanistic Buddhism is the Bodhisattva way to be an energetic, enlightened and endearing person who strives to help all sentient beings liberate themselves. Also, well as transforming our planet into a pureland of peace and bliss. Instead of committing all our energies in pursuing something in the future, why don’t we direct our efforts towards purifying our minds and bodies, right here and now in the present moment.

Humanistic Buddhism must focus more on issues of the world rather than on how to leave the world behind on caring for the living rather than for the dead on benefiting others rather than benefiting oneself and on universal salvation rather than cultivation for oneself only.

There are five points that help us in applying Humanistic Buddhism in our everyday living. Humanistic Buddhism is:

  1. The practice of the five basic moral ethics (Five precepts) and ten virtues
  2. To develop the four boundless vows of kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity
  3. Applying the six paramitas and the four great Bodhisattva virtues – generosity amiable speech conduct beneficial to others co-operation
  4. The understanding of cause, condition, effect, and consequence
  5. Encompasses the teachings of Ch’an Pureland and the Middle Path.

All of these demonstrate the changes brought about by conditional causation. Thus all phenomena in this world cannot exist without their corresponding causes and the conditions required. Furthermore, one of the central Buddhists tenets is essentially that each person is his own master.

If by “god,” however, one means one of a number of heavenly beings, then Buddhists do believe in these. In Buddhist cosmology there are six general realms of existence: devas, asuras, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell-beings. (Buddhas have transcended these six realms.) Of the six, devas and asuras are most like deities. While their respective realms may be described as “heavens,” however, they do not exist beyond time and space. The primary difference between devas and asuras is that devas are peaceful while asuras are competitive and jealous.

What offerings do Buddhists make and why?

Most Buddhist altars display some sort of offering. Making offerings allows one to practice giving, express gratitude and respect, and reflect upon the life sustaining law of interdependence. A Buddhist offering is not a sacrifice it never involves killing and it is not given in order to please the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Rather, it is an act of veneration for the Triple Gem. As such, making an offering develops wholesomeness and positive karma. While tangible objects may be given in abundance, the most perfect gift is an honest and sincere heart. Some common offerings and their symbolic import are:

  1. Flowers: Flowers are beautiful and fragrant. Yet, their splendour will not last forever, and as such they illustrate the impermanence of all things.
  2. Fruit: Fruit is nutritious, as well as pleasing to the taste. It also represents the result of our spiritual cultivation and helps us be mindful of the law of cause and effect.
  3. Grain: Grain is a basic dietary staple necessary to sustain life.
  4. Incense: Aromatic incense purifies the atmosphere as well as the mind. Just as its fragrance travels afar, so do good deeds extend to the benefit of all. Burning incense also embodies the transience and dissolution of phenomena.
  5. Light: Light extinguishes darkness in the same way that wisdom dispels ignorance.
  6. Water: Water signifies the force of life and washes away impurities.

Why does Buddhism advocate a vegetarian diet for practicing Buddhists?

A vegetarian diet is good for the health. Moreover, it inculcates the mind to be more compassionate toward all living beings. Buddhism advocates the love for all animals and respects their right to live. However, to be a Buddhist one does not have to be a vegetarian.

What is the purpose of prayer beads?

Prayer beads are used as a method of counting while chanting the names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, or the Dharani (mantra). Our sincerity in chanting while relying on prayer beads will help eradicate our random thoughts and purify our minds. Today, Buddhists wear prayer beads as an emblem of their dedication and belief in Buddhism.

Why do people fold their palms?

Folding the palms is a graceful gesture and a dignified way of greeting which originated in ancient India. By bringing the ten fingers together, we symbolically make all ten Dharma realms become one are reminded of the Buddha nature within every being. By folding the palms, we show respect to and concentrate our minds and our hearts upon the teachings of the Buddha.

What is the importance of being vegetarian?

Out of sincere respect for all life and the First Precept to refrain from killing, many Chinese Buddhists are vegetarian. Vegetarianism is consistent with the Buddhist concepts of universal interrelationship and rebirth. With the concept of rebirth humans may be other forms of life in their past and/or future lives, thus it follows that an animal could be a past and/or future next-of-kin. Thus, killing an animal could be seen as synonymous with destroying one’s own relatives. While the traditional Buddhist scriptures do not mandate vegetarianism, Fo Guang monastics must take a vow to not eat meat. Lay followers, however, are not required to do so. If not daily vegetarians, however, many Buddhists observe a vegetarian diet during retreats, Dharma functions, and holidays.

Why do Buddhists bow and prostrate to the Buddha?

Bowing and prostration are humble expressions of respect and appreciation for the historical Buddha, our Teacher, who understood the Truth of the universe and our nature. Based upon his kindness and compassion to liberate all sentient beings from suffering, the Buddha serves as an excellent model for humanity. Therefore, in bowing before the Buddha, we are also reminded of our own Buddha nature. We humbly examine our mind, and renew our vow to remove any obstacles from our mind and life which prevent us from become a fully enlightened Buddha, manifesting the kindness compassion and wisdom our Teacher has shown to us, in order to benefit all sentient beings.

What gestures of reverence do Buddhists use?

Buddhists show their respect and veneration in a variety of ways. Particular gestures vary throughout the world depending upon cultural context and local custom. The symbolic means of reverence most frequently used by Fo Guang Buddhists are:

  1. Palms pressed together at chest level.
  2. Greeting and thanking others with the phrase “omitofo,” which is the Chinese pronunciation for Amitabha Buddha’s name.
  3. Waving hello and good-bye with the lotus mudra (thumb and middle finger together to form the lotus bud with other fingers raised as petals and leaves). This is, in effect, a way of giving a lotus to others in recognition of their potential to become a Buddha.
  4. Removing shoes and/or hat before entering shrines.
  5. Only entering shrines through the side door the central opening is formally reserved for the master and monastics. (Chinese temples are frequently constructed with triple-opening entrances to various halls.)
  6. Bowing to the Buddha and Bodhisattva images, monastics, and others. This action helps remove self-centeredness and symbolises one’s humility and respect. It is also a means to open within oneself the state of mind which an image or person represents. Doing so facilitates the development of those virtuous, qualities in one’s own life. Bowing is usually done either once of three times in succession three is a particularly auspicious number.
  7. Prostrating before an image has the same significance as bowing, only more so. When a prostration is made, one is also prostration to the Buddha nature that lies deeply within him.

Why do Buddhists chant?

Chanting gives the opportunity to learn, reinforce, and reflect upon various Buddhist teachings, as well as venerate Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and the virtues they embody. There are many different chants, the texts of which are usually either entire sutras (teachings of the Buddha). Dharanis (essences of sutras), mantras (short symbolic phrases), or the names of particular Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Times for chanting vary, but monastic generally chant each morning and evening. Chanting is often an integral part of Buddhist ceremonies. Special chanting services provide participants with an extended period of spiritual cultivation through chanting.

Why do Buddhists meditate?

Meditation is an effective means for cultivating a calm and focused mind. It is an important part of the mental development. Buddhists believe is necessary to gaining wisdom and enlightenment. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are often portrayed in meditative states. There are various types of meditation, most of which essentially emphasise concentration on an object or concept, as well as correct posture and awareness of breathing. One meditative school of Buddhism is Ch’an (commonly known in Western society by its Japanese term “Zen”). It is based on intuitive insight and spontaneous enlightenment.

Fo Guang Buddhists follow what is called mindfulness and insight meditation. Central to this practice is first observing the mind – how it works, what it thinks – and then learning to let go of its thoughts without being hindered by emotional baggage. This does not mean repressing thoughts and emotions, but rather observing, accepting, and moving on. It may be done sitting, standing, walking, or while doing chores.

To discount some misconceptions of Buddhist meditation: It is not a state of non-doing, dreaming, or hypnosis, and it does not strive to make the mind blank.

Daily practice of meditation is most beneficial, even if only done for ten minutes at a time.

What is the significance of prayer to Buddhists?

Prayers allow one to repent past transgressions and vow not to repeat them. They are also a means of ritually communicating with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. While there are no prescribed times of prayer, Buddhists usually pray daily in the morning and/or evening, as well as before meals. Many Buddhists use prayer beads as a guide when reciting Buddha’s name. The 108 beads on a traditional rosary are often divided into four sections of 27 beads, with each section being marked by a smaller bead. The tied off ends of some rosaries have three little beads together signifying the Triple Gem. The cord stringing all the beads together can be said to represent the strength of the Buddha’s teachings. Prayer bracelets of fewer than 108 beads are also frequently used.

Is there a Buddhist holy book?

There are numerous Buddhist scriptures. They are traditionally divided into three “baskets” or categories called the Tripitaka: the Sutras (teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha), the Vinaya (rules for monastic life), and the Abhidharma (Buddhist philosophy and psychology). Monasteries usually have a sutra library available for self-study. The traditional scriptures were originally written in Pali or Sanskrit a few hundred years after Sakyamuni Buddha entered Nirvana.

What is the Buddhist concept of rebirth?

Buddhists view death as exiting one realm of existence and entering another. The cycle of rebirth into countless lives continues until final enlightenment and Nirvana occurs. Rebirth is not the same as reincarnation, as Buddhists do not perceive an eternal soul, which migrates to a new physical form. Rather, the body and mind are continually changing death is merely another change. While body and mind are impermanent, they are also interrelated throughout time and space. Every voluntary action produced by one’s body, speech, and mind will have consequences, either in the current life or a future one. This is the principle of karma and it incorporates what Buddhists know as the Law of Cause and Effect. Karma is thus a system of ethics, which maintains that good deeds result in positive effects, while bad deeds produce negative results. If a voluntary action is said to be a seed, then the outcome is the fruits.

What is the dot on the forehead of many figures?

This is one of the thirty-two special characteristics of a Buddha or one on the immediate threshold of becoming a Buddha (i.e., a Bodhisattva).

The dot is sometimes likened to a cosmic eye from which emanates the light of wisdom, or a third eye signifying the Buddha’s or Bodhisattva’s supreme insight. It can also be shown as a curl of white hair in the centre of the brow. Long earlobes are another prominent trait. It may have its origins in the ancient custom of Indian royalty wearing lobe-stretching earrings.

As Sakyamuni Buddha was originally a royal prince, he most likely had worn such adornment. In both Chinese and Buddhist cultures, long earlobes are equated with longevity.

Other Buddha characteristics include: a sauvastika on the chest, three folds on the neck, long arms, curly hair which forms a top knot, and a Dharma wheel on the palms and/or soles of the feet.

Why is the sign found on the chest of many Buddha statues?

This is called a Sauvastika Sign. This ancient sign is infused with a variety of symbolic meanings, particularly lightning, the sun, the power to overcome evil, and universality. The arms of the Buddhist sauvastika point in the counter clockwise direction and the sign is always in an upright “+” position.

The Buddhist sauvastika is NOT related to the Nazi swastika, which can be recognised by its arms pointing clockwise and the sign being tilted in an “x” position. The Buddhist sauvastika does not carry any implication of hatred and destruction.

Why do Buddhist figures have different hand gestures and body postures?

Hand gestures, or mudras, are a type of non-verbal communication. They convey specific Buddhist concepts, teachings, and events in Sakyamuni’s life in a way more profound than if expressed through words. Postures—whether seated, standing, or reclining – are also symbolically charged.

Do Buddhists believe in heaven and hell?

Buddhist cosmology includes a variety of heavens and hells into which a being may be born. Existence in any of them, however long, is not forever. Thus, one can “fall” from a heaven or “rise” from a hell. Buddhist texts contain vivid descriptions of different heavens and hells, which, from one perspective, make them, appear as actual locations. On another level, because heavens and hells arise due to the relative presence or absence of the Three Poisons (ignorance, anger, and greed), they are also part of the human world.

Heavens should not be confused with what Buddhists call Nirvana. While heavens may be enjoyable, they are not complete liberation from ignorance, anger, and greed, and are thus still part of the life-death cycle. Nirvana, however, is perfectly free from the Three Poisons, and is therefore outside of the realms of existence. It is often said that Nirvana is the ultimate goal of Buddhists.

One school of Mahayana Buddhism looks to the Western Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha as the best possible realm in which to be reborn. Being purified of imperfections, the Western Paradise is also called the Pure Land. More generally, the Pure Land refers to a place conducive to self-cultivation. Master Hsing Yun was one asked, “When are we in the Pure Land?” He replied, “When inside everybody there exists a pure heart and a clear mind full of kind thoughts, then we are in a Pure Land.”

Do Buddhists believe in a god?

If by “god” one means a creator of the universe or a being guiding ultimate human fate, then Buddhists do not believe in such. Buddhism emphasises the concept of conditional causation where everything in this world comes into being according to different sets of causes and conditions. Plants and flowers grow spring, summer, autumn and winter constitute the yearly cycle of the four seasons human beings go through the process of birth, old age, illness and death.

Who is a Bodhisattva?

“Bodhi” means “enlightenment ” “sattva” means “sentient being.” A Bodhisattva is one who is following the path to enlightenment. In so doing, a Bodhisattva altruistically chooses to put off his/her own final stage of enlightenment in order to completely alleviate the suffering of others. He/she practices the virtues of generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, energy, patience, truthfulness, determination, loving-kindness, and even-mindedness to perfection and without self-interest. There are said to be an infinite number of Bodhisattvas. Mahayana Buddhists place particular emphasis on the importance of the Bodhisattva and the Bodhisattva Path as the way to realise one’s Buddha nature.

Who is a Buddha?

A Buddha is not a god, but rather one who, through complete wisdom and compassion, has attained full enlightenment and is thus beyond the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha exemplifies the highest form of morality and is the supreme teacher showing peoples the way to relieve suffering. The word “Buddha” is derived from the root budh meaning “to awaken and be aware or completely conscious of”. Buddhists believe that all beings have the Buddha nature, i.e. the potential to become a Buddha.

Cultivating and awakening this potential is what Buddhism is all about. According to the Mahayana thoughts, there are many Buddhas. When Buddhists speak of “the” Buddha, however, they are usually referring to Sakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

Who and/or what do Buddhists worship?

Buddhists trust in

  1. The Buddha as a great teacher and exemplar
  2. The Dharma, i.e. the Buddha’s teachings as a guide to enlightenment and essential truth and
  3. The sangha, i.e. the Buddhist community, particularly monastic who teach the Dharma and guide one along the path to enlightenment. Veneration of this “Triple Gem” is central to Buddhist life.

Who founded Buddhism?

Buddhism originated approximately 2,500 years ago in northern India (now Nepal) with the supreme enlightenment of and subsequent teachings by Sakyamuni Buddha. Born around 600 B.C. to King Suddodhana, ruler of the Sakya clan, Sakyamuni Buddha was originally named Prince Siddhartha Gautama. In childhood he led a pampered life of royal wealth sheltered from the world’s miseries. But, when as a young man he was at last allowed to venture from the palace, he saw four sights: A decrepit old man, a person wracked with disease, a corpse, and a monk. He thus learned of life’s inevitable sufferings (old age, sickness, and death) and the transience of all worldly pleasure. He also saw that the wise monastic had found peace in spite of life’s ills.

Determined to find a way to be free from these troubles, Prince Siddhartha renounced his crown and family, and embarked on his journey to seek the truth. After years of cultivation, he attained supreme enlightenment and was thence known as Sakyamuni (meaning “sage of the Sakya clan”) Buddha. Out of endless compassion, Sakyamuni shared his teachings so that others could also discover the Middle Path to end all suffering.

Buddhist Beliefs Explained

Buddhist Beliefs Explained

The traditional starting beliefs are the Four Noble Truths, which are;

  1. Suffering exists

  2. Suffering arises from attachment to desires

  3. Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases

  4. Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path


Noble Eightfold Path

Three Qualities

Eightfold Path

Wisdom (panna)

Right View

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Right Thought

Morality (sila)

Right Speech

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Right Action

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Right Livelihood

Meditation (samadhi)

Right Effort

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Right Mindfulness

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Right Contemplation


The Eightfold path connects with three qualities, Wisdom, Morality, and Meditation. Each of these three qualities then have paths connected with their effects. Wisdom has two paths. The first is Right View. Right view is the direct experience, rather than an indirect experience. It is your view and not something you have borrowed from others. The second path of Wisdom is the path of Right Thought. This is the non-dual experience where both sides can win and there will be no losers. The next noble eightfold path is connected with the quality of Morality and it has three more paths. Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood. These three paths integrate understanding into the interconnected web of all life. The last three paths are associated with the quality of Meditation, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right contemplation. These achieve deep harmony where nothing is left out.

Buddhist Beliefs Explained

The “five precepts” are the basic training rules observed by all practicing Buddhist lay men and women, they are as follows:

  1. I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures.

  2. I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not given.

  3. I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual misconduct.

  4. I undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect speech.

  5. I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness.


These five precepts, outline a simple starting method, a place to begin. You may notice that they are not given as rules of absolute right vs. wrong, but as suggestions as to an orientation that can take place, so you can start your Buddhist practice. These precepts are often recited after reciting the formula for taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and the Sangha. Let me explain each these three terms.

The Buddha is the name given to person Siddhartha Gautama after he reached enlightenment. Siddhartha Gautama was born around 567 B.C.E., in a small kingdom just below the Himalayan foothills. He reached enlightenment at the age of 35 and taught for another 45 years. The name of Buddha is used today to both recall the historical figure and to remind the living that this was a person just like ourselves. Buddhism as a religion existed for 500 years before anything was written down, so it has by necessity, a strong oral history. Buddhists today take refuge by repeating the name of the Buddha.

Dharma represents the discoveries of Buddha and the discoveries of other enlightened people. Dharma is not Dogma, but a raft designed to get you to the other side, as if you were crossing a river. Dharma is designed to fit to you and your personal needs, and then be discarded, because the end goal of Buddhism, is a state of non-attachment, called Nirvana, or Enlightenment. Buddhists have the goal to get beyond Buddhism, to become Enlightened. They learn to let go of their little private reality and embrace a larger shared reality. Since this is not something you can achieve as a “personal” effort, or something you can “own”, it must be approached in a way that doesn't earn it.

In normal living we are pulled along by our mind working on automatic, in Nirvana the automatic mind is stopped in it's tracks. We see directly how the mind works, so it can no longer work without our consent. The personal work that we can do towards Enlightenment is to take responsibility for the daemons inside us. We stand up to ourselves and we learn to see our dirty and hidden tricks that we blame on others. We work to see how we have isolated ourselves from others, how we have created opposition everywhere. This real work, does not earn our ego a shot of enlightenment, it opens the way, to our letting go of all dogma. Even the biggest dogma, the dogma of who we are.

Even this does not “earn” Enlightenment. Enlightenment comes as a grace beyond our personal control of power. The breakthrough experience of Enlightenment is by Grace, it is a gift, and one is forever changed after having tasted it. It is wonderful, and having discovered it, it can be found everywhere, in all people. It is always with us, just as we can't earn it, we can't get rid of it. Enlightenment does not make you special, it makes everything and everywhere special. It is called by Buddhists, as a turning about at the deepest possible level of consciousness. It can only be done by people who are not caught up in dogma, and who are willing to embrace change at the deepest possible level. Since the Dharma is a raft, it too must be discarded. Nothing can be held ridged and unchanging. It is only from the unborn, the unconditioned, the open state of being, can this reality be embraced enough to let go of all separateness and sustain Nirvana.

Sangha is the word for the community of Buddhists; those people seeking enlightenment by practicing the Dharma. Buddha said that the only way to realize the Dharma was in community, so the Sangha is an important part of this process. So Buddhists take refuge by a respectful repeating of this word “Sangha”.

Dhammapada, wrote sometime between 188-192


They go to many a refuge,
to mountains, forests,
parks, trees, and shrines:
people threatened with danger.
That's not the secure refuge,
that's not the highest refuge,
that's not the refuge,
having gone to which,
you gain release
from all suffering and stress.

But when, having gone for refuge
to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha,
you see with right discernment
the four Noble Truths --
stress,
the cause of stress,
the transcending of stress,
and the Noble Eightfold Path,
the way to the stilling of stress:
That's the secure refuge,
that, the highest refuge,
that is the refuge,
having gone to which,
you gain release
from all suffering and stress.

Geoffrey DeGraff writes in his 2001 book “Refuge An Introduction to the Buddha, Dhamma, & Sangha”

The act of going for refuge marks the point where one commits oneself to taking the Dhamma, or the Buddha's teaching, as the primary guide to one's life. To understand why this commitment is called a "refuge," it's helpful to look at the history of the custom.

In pre-Buddhist India, going for refuge meant proclaiming one's allegiance to a patron -- a powerful person or god -- submitting to the patron's directives in hopes of receiving protection from danger in return. In the early years of the Buddha's teaching career, his new followers adopted this custom to express their allegiance to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, but in the Buddhist context this custom took on a new meaning.

Buddhism is not a theistic religion -- the Buddha is not a god -- and so a person taking refuge in the Buddhist sense is not asking for the Buddha personally to intervene to provide protection. Still, one of the Buddha's central teachings is that human life is fraught with dangers -- from greed, anger, and delusion -- and so the concept of refuge is central to the path of practice, in that the practice is aimed at gaining release from those dangers. Because the mind is the source both of the dangers and of release, there is a need for two levels of refuge: external refuges, which provide models and guidelines so that we can identify which qualities in the mind lead to danger and which to release; and internal refuges, i.e., the qualities leading to release that we develop in our own mind in imitation of our external models. The internal level is where true refuge is found. “

Geoffrey is telling us that using external beliefs helps us model internal states that we might be disconnected from. It provides a map to Nirvana, but it is, in itself, not Nirvana. A Buddhist belief is what you use when you feel isolated or stuck. It is not something you are proud of or you will want to argue with others over. Buddhist’s beliefs are simply tools that have temporary value for the person who uses them and are discarded by them after they provide their intended purpose. Because they map internal states, they point to places beyond language, they infer at best, and that is the best we can expect. Grace must be recognized, and this is why the Sangha plays such a big role in Buddhism. Our power to communicate depends on the experiences of others. We are part of the larger interconnected web. In our personal sangha, our personal enlightenment support group, we need people who can communicate and stay present as we dissolve our illusion of isolation. This act is beyond us and is this word I call Grace.

There are as many paths to Nirvana as there are Buddhists, because the path is not external, or even conceptual. It is not a belief, or a belief system. It is of a different dimension than mind. Once you see it you are changed forever, yet you know it has always been this way and that nothing has changed. Those who understand this have been there, they did not get that understanding from me, they had it before I started to speak. Buddhism respects the fact that, already, each of us has everything we need. Buddhism to me is a celebration of life and a celebration to utter freedom. Freedom from dogma, freedom from beliefs, freedom from fixed views, freedom from all opposition everywhere. When the illusion of suffering ends there is only Love.

A Belief in the Oneness of Man

"A unique being, an extraordinary man arises in this world, for the benefit of the many, for the happiness of the many out of compassion for the world, for the benefit, the good and happiness of Gods and men. Who is this unique being? It is the Exalted fully Enlightened One." ( Thathagatha )

Who is a Buddha?
He is known as the highest perfection of man. Before attaining Enlightenment to be a Buddha, one has to fulfil ten Perfections (Paramita). These perfections are dhana (Charity) or the love of giving for others' welfare, virtuous discipline (Seela), renunciation of lay life, panna or wisdom, patience, trustfulness, determination and courage, compassion and equanimity. A Buddha is one who has released Himself from all attachment and pleasures of the senses and is free of ignorance of the Four Noble Truths. He is pure and one who by His own effort attained Enlightenment.

The Buddha left us no written word, and lived in a land steeped in spirituality and vedic religious tradition. His charismatic personality, collected around Him a band of devoted disciples who were in search of the Truth. As a Teacher of morality He left His footprint on Indian soil. Sakyamuni Gautama Buddha was, according to scholars of the Anglo-Buddhist school (i.e., Mrs. Rhys Davids, Edward Conze and Marshall) an extraordinary man. He was a social reformer who lived at a time when Vedic traditions and ceremonialism were strong. He did not approve of animal sacrifices which would be at the price of others suffering. He decried the caste system. Several of His disciples were considered to be of low castes. Suneetha was a scavenger, Radha was a beggar, and Upali of the barber caste. They all entered the Maha Sangha (priest-hood) Order. The Buddha's humanism crossed many a racial and national barrier. He believed in the oneness of man although we are born with Karmic inheritances (of Samsara) which are highlighted indicating degrees of intellect, degrees of human dynamism, varying riches, poverty and even human handicaps at birth.

What is Buddhism?
All major religions excepting Buddhism bind one to believe in a supreme Creator God, immortal soul, revelations, eternal heavens and hells. The Theravada Buddha Dharma is free from such belief, dogmas and theories. Hence it cannot strictly be called a religion, but today due to Hindu influence and certain Hindu practices such as poojas (offerings, vows) have crept into the practice or observance of Buddhism. Buddhist dharma is essentially a teaching of cause and effect (Hetupala Dharma).

The virtues of Dhana (charity), Seela (righteousness) and Bhavana (meditation) promote the individual to follow 'The Correct Path' on his Samsaric journey (Karmic journey) towards the goal of Nibbana. This dharma (philosophy) is based on the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eight-fold Path, the Law of Dependent Origination, Karma and rebirth. In homage to the Buddha during Vesak, millions flock to temples wearing white, to observe Ata-sil (a day of absolute devotion to the observance of Dhmma) in a religious atmosphere. They will all partake in a vegetarian diet, a frugal meal, listen to discourses on the dharma and meditate on the law of Anicca (impermanence of life). Prof. Lakshmi Narasu, an Indian Buddhist scholar who lived 100 years ago had said, "Of Buddhism alone it can be said that it has discarded all animism, all dogmatism, all sensuality, all ascetism, all ritual, ceremonialism and consists of universal compassion or maitri, charity, self-denial and love for all life."

"All mankind is His shrine
Seek Him hence forward in the good and wise
In happy thoughts and blissful emotions,
In kind words and sublime serenity.
And in the rapture of the living deed,
There seek Him if you would not seek in vain,
There is the struggle for justice and right,
In the sacrifice of self for all
In the joy and calm repose of the heart,
Yes, and for ever in the human mind ;
Made better, and more beauteuns by this work."

Vesak
Vesak is a full moon day of great significance when the thoughts of about three million people all over the world, are focused on the noble figure of Sakyamuni Gautama Buddha and His teachings (Dharma), as recorded by His disciples in Suttas.

It was on a full moon day in May 623 BC that, a noble Sakyan Prince named Siddhartha Gautama, who was blessed at birth with 32 special marks such as the lotus and conchshells on His palms and a further 108 marks on His two feet, was born at the Lumbini Gardens (now located in Nepal) amidst a grove of Sal trees, all in bloom. He preached His first sermon at the Deer Park in Saranath in the open air, and about 45 years later, at the age of eighty years passed away (Maha Parinibbana) again in the open air amidst tall trees at Kasi, now known as Kasi-Nagar (Kushinare) in India. It was also on a Vesak day in Sri Lanka, centuries later, that King Dutugemunu began constructing the Ruwanveli Maha Seya (largest stupa in Sri Lanka) at Anuradhapura.

Life of the Buddha with new definations

The following information about Buddha's life comes from the Tipitaka (other scriptures, such as the Lalitavistara Sutra, give differing accounts).

Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born in the city of Lumbini around the year 485 BCE and was raised in Kapilavastu. Moments after birth, according to the scriptures, he performed the first of several miracles, taking a few steps and proclaiming, "Supreme am I in the world. Greatest am I in the world. Noblest am I in the world. This is my last birth. Never shall I be reborn."[citation needed]

Shortly thereafter, a wise man visited his father, King Śuddhodana. The wise man said that Siddhartha would either become a great king (chakravartin) or a holy man (Sadhu) based on whether he saw life outside of the palace walls. Determined to make Siddhartha a king, Śuddhodana shielded his son from the unpleasant realities of daily life. Years after this, Gautama married Yasodhara, with whom he had a son, Rahula, who later became a Buddhist monk.

At the age of 29, Siddhartha ventured outside the palace complex several times, despite his father's wishes. As a result, he discovered the suffering of his people through encounters with an old man, a diseased man, a decaying corpse, and an ascetic. These are known among Buddhists as "The Four Sights", one of the first contemplations of Siddhartha. The Four Sights eventually prompted Gautama to abandon royal life and take up a spiritual quest to free himself from suffering by living the life of a mendicant ascetic—a respectable spiritual practice at the time. He found companions with similar spiritual goals and teachers who taught him various forms of meditation, including jhāna.

Ascetics practised many forms of self-denial, including severe undereating. One day, after almost starving to death, Gautama accepted a little milk and rice from a village girl named Sujata. After this experience, he concluded that ascetic practices such as fasting, holding one's breath, and exposure to pain brought little spiritual benefit. He viewed them as counterproductive due to their reliance on self-hatred and mortification. abandoned asceticism, concentrating instead on anapanasati meditation (awareness of breathing), thereby discovering what Buddhists call the Middle Way, a path of moderation between the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification.

After discovering the Middle Way, he sat under a sacred fig tree, also known as the Bodhi tree, in the town of Bodh Gaya, India, and vowed not to rise before achieving Nirvana. At age 35, after many days of meditation, he attained his goal of becoming a Buddha. After his spiritual awakening he attracted a band of followers and instituted a monastic order. He spent the rest of his life teaching the Dharma, travelling throughout the northeastern part of the Indian subcontinent.

He died at the age of 80 (405 BCE) in Kushinagar, India, from food poisoning.

Scholars are increasingly hesitant to make unqualified claims about the historical facts of Gautama Buddha's life. According to Michael Carrithers, while there are good reasons to doubt the traditional account, "the outline of the life must be true: birth, maturity, renunciation, search, awakening and liberation, teaching, death." Most historians accept that he lived, taught and founded a monastic order, but do not consistently accept most details in his biographies.

Buddhism


Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices considered by most to be a religion and is based on the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as "The Buddha" (the Awakened One), who was born in what is today Nepal. He lived and taught in the northeastern region of the Indian subcontinent and most likely died around 400 BCE.

Buddhists recognize him as an awakened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end their suffering by understanding the true nature of phenomena, thereby escaping the cycle of suffering and rebirth (saṃsāra), that is, achieving Nirvana. Among the methods various schools of Buddhism apply towards this goal are: ethical conduct and altruistic behaviour, devotional practices, ceremonies and the invocation of bodhisattvas, renunciation of worldly matters, meditation, physical exercises, study, and the cultivation of wisdom.

Buddhism is broadly recognized as being composed of two major branches:

* Theravada, which has a widespread following in Southeast Asia
* Mahayana (including Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism, Shingon, Tibetan Buddhism and Tendai), found throughout East Asia. It should be noted that in some methods of classification, Vajrayana is considered a third branch.

While Buddhism remains most popular within these regions of Asia, both branches are now found throughout the world.

Buddhist schools disagree on what the historical teachings of Gautama Buddha were, so much so that some scholars claim Buddhism does not have a clearly definable common core. Significant disagreement also exists over the importance and canonicity of various scriptures.

Various sources put the number of Buddhists in the world between 230 million and 500 million. formal conversion or membership varies between communities, basic lay adherence is often defined in terms of a traditional formula in which the practitioner takes refuge in The Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha), and the Sangha (the community of Buddhists).

Mahayana Buddhism

Theravada Buddhism focused primarily on meditation and concentration, the eighth of the Eightfold Noble Path; as a result, it centered on a monastic life and an extreme expenditure of time in meditating. This left little room for the bulk of humanity to join in, so a new schism erupted within the ranks of Buddhism in the first century AD, one that would attempt to reformBuddhismulate the teachings of Buddha to accomodate a greater number of people. They called their new Buddhism, the "Greater Vehicle" (literally, "The Greater Ox-Cart") or Mahayana, since it could accomodate more people and more believers from all walks of life. They distinguished themselves from mainstream Theravada Buddhism by contemptuously referring to Theravada as Hinayana, or "The Lesser Vehicle."

The Mahayanists, however, did not see themselves as creating a new start for Buddhism, rather they claimed to be recovering the original teachings of Buddha, in much the same way that the Protestant reformers of sixteenth century Europe claimed that they were not creating a new Christianity but recovering the original form. The Mahayanists claimed that their canon of scriptures represented the final teachings of Buddha; they accounted for the non-presence of these teachings in over five hundred years by claiming that these were secret teachings entrusted only to the most faithful followers.

Whatever the origins of Mahayan doctrines, they represent a significant departure in the philosophy. Like the Protestant Reformation, the overall goal of Mahayana was to extend religious authority to a greater number of people rather than concentrating it in the hands of a few. The Mahayanists managed to turn Buddhism into a more esoteric religion by developing a theory of gradations of Buddhahood. At the top was Buddhahood itself which was preceded by a series of lives, the bodhisattvas.

This idea of the bodhisattva was one of the most important innovations of Mahayana Buddhism. The boddhisattva , or "being of wisdom," was originally invented to explain the nature of Buddha's earlier lives. Before Buddha entered his final life as Siddhartha Gautama, he had spent many lives working towards Buddhahood. In these previous lives he was a bodhisattva , a kind of "Buddha-in-waiting," that performed acts of incredible generosity, joy, and compassion towards his fellow human beings. An entire group of literature grew up around these previous lives of Buddha, called the Jataka or "Birth Stories."

While we do not know much about the earliest forms of Buddhism, there is some evidence that the earliest followers believed that there was only the one Buddha and that no more would follow. Soon, however, a doctrine of the Maitreya , or "Future Buddha," began to assert itself. In this, Buddhists believed that a second Buddha would come and purify the world; they also believed that the first Buddha prophesied this future Buddha. If a future Buddha was coming, that meant that the second Buddha is already on earth passing through life after life. So someone on earth was the Maitreya . It could be the person serving you food. It could be a child playing in the street. It could be you. What if there was more than one Maitreya? Five? Ten? A billion? That certainly raises the odds that you or someone you know is a future Buddha.

The goal of Theravada Buddhism is practically unattainable. In order to make Buddhism a more esoteric religion, the Mahayanists invented two grades of Buddhist attainment below becoming a Buddha. While the Buddha was the highest goal, one could become a pratyeka-buddha , that is, one who has awakened to the truth but keeps it secret. Below the pratyeka-buddha is the arhant , or "worthy," who has learned the truth from others and has realized it as truth. Mahayana Buddhism establishes the arhant as the goal for all believers. The believer hears the truth, comes to realize it as truth, and then passes into Nirvana . This doctrine of arhanthood is the basis for calling Mahayan the "Greater Vehicle," for it is meant to include everyone.

Finally, the Mahayanists completed the conversion of Buddhism from a philosophy to religion. Therevada Buddhism holds that Buddha was a historical person who, on his death, ceased to exist. There were, however, strong tendencies for Buddhists to worship Buddha as a god of some sort; these tendencies probably began as early as Buddha's lifetime. The Mahayanists developed a theology of Buddha called the doctrine of "The Three Bodies," or Trikaya. The Buddha was not a human being, as he was in Theravada Buddhism, but the manifestation of a universal, spiritual being. This being had three bodies. When it occupied the earth in the form of Siddhartha Gautama, it took on the Body of Magical Transformation (nirmanakaya ). This Body of Magical Transformation was an emanation of the Body of Bliss (sambhogakaya ), which occupies the heavens in the form of a ruling and governing god of the universe. There are many forms of the Body of Bliss, but the one that rules over our world is Amithaba who lives in a paradise in the western heavens called Sukhavati, or "Land of Pure Bliss." Finally, the Body of Bliss is an emanation of the Body of Essence (dharmakaya ), which is the principle underlying the whole of the universe. This Body of Essence, the principle and rule of the universe, became synonymous with Nirvana . It was a kind of universal soul, and Nirvana became the transcendent joining with this universal soul.

Who is the 14th Dalai Lama?

His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama Born on 6 July 1935 to a farming family in northeastern Tibet, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) is both the head of state and the spiritual leader of Tibet.
At the age of two the child, who was named Lhamo Dhondup at that time was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. The Dalai Lamas are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and patron saint of Tibet. Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have postponed their own nirvana and chosen to take rebirth in order to serve humanity.

In Tibetan Buddhism, the successive Dalai Lamas form a lineage of reborn (tulku) magistrates, tracing back to the 13th century. Tibetan Buddhists believe the Dalai Lama to be one of many incarnations of the bodhisattva of compassion. Between the 17th century and 1959, the Dalai Lama was the head of the Tibetan government, administering a large portion of the country from the capital Lhasa. He is often styled "His Holiness" (HH) before his title.

The Dalai Lama: A Biography

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso is normally referred to in Western media simply as "the Dalai Lama". Contrary to a Western misconception, he does not have spiritual authority over all Buddhists as the Pope has over Roman Catholics. In fact, he is a practicing member of the Gelug sect of Buddhism. However, he is influential as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, as the world's most famous Buddhist monk, and as leader of the exiled Tibetan government in India.

Tenzin Gyatso was the fifth of sixteen children born to a farming family in the village of Taktser, or Tengtser, of the Tibetan province of Amdo: he was originally named Lhamo Döndrub . His first language was the Amdo dialect of Tibetan. He was proclaimed the tulku (rebirth) of the thirteenth Dalai Lama at the age of two.

On 17 November 1950, at the age of fifteen, he was enthroned as Tibet's Head of State and therefore became Tibet's most important political ruler one month after the People's Republic of China's invasion of Tibet on 7 October 1950.

In 1954, he went to Beijing to talk with Mao Zedong and other leaders of the PRC. He was also elected as the vice chairman of China's National People's Congress in 1954.

After the collapse of the Tibetan resistance movement in 1959, the Dalai Lama fled to India, where he was active in establishing the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan government in exile) and in seeking to preserve Tibetan culture and education among the thousands of refugees who accompanied him.

He is a charismatic figure and noted public speaker. This Dalai Lama is the first to travel to the West. There, he has helped to spread Buddhism and to promote the concepts of universal responsibility, secular ethics, and religious harmony.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, Honorary Canadian citizenship in 2006, and the United States Congressional Gold Medal on 17 October 2007

Early Life and Background of the 14th Dalai Lama

Tenzin Gyatso was born to a farming family as Lhamo Döndrub or Lhamo Thondup in the far northeastern Amdo province — now part of Qinghai province — in the village of Taktser, a small and poor settlement that stood on a hill overlooking a broad valley. His parents, Choekyong and Diki Tsering, were moderately wealthy farmers among about twenty other families making a precarious living off the land raising barley, buckwheat, and potatoes.

His parents had sixteen children and Tenzin Gyatso is the fifth eldest of the nine who survived childhood. The eldest child was his sister Tsering Dolma, who was eighteen years older than he. His eldest brother, Thupten Jigme Norbu, has been recognized as the rebirth of the high lama, Takser Rinpoche. His sister Jetsun Pema went on to depict their mother in the 1997 film Seven Years in Tibet. His other elder brothers are Gyalo Thondup and Lobsang Samden.

When Tenzin Gyatso was about two years old a search party was sent out to find the new incarnation of the Dalai Lama. Among other omens, the head on the embalmed body of the thirteenth Dalai Lama (originally facing south) had mysteriously turned to face the northeast, indicating the direction in which the next Dalai Lama would be found. Shortly afterwords, the Regent Reting Rinpoche had a vision indicating Amdo (as the place to search) and a one-story house with distinctive guttering and tiling.

After extensive searching, they found that Thondup's house resembled that in Reting's vision. They thus presented Thondup with various relics and toys — some had belonged to the previous Dalai Lama while others had not. It was reported that Thondup correctly identified all items owned by the previous Dalai Lama, exclaiming "It's mine! It's mine!"

Thondup was recognized as the rebirth of the Dalai Lama and renamed Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso ("Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith, Ocean of Wisdom"). Tibetan Buddhists normally refer to him as Yeshe Norbu ("Wish-Fulfilling Gem") or just Kundun ("the Presence"). In the West he is often called by followers "His Holiness the Dalai Lama", which is the style that the Dalai Lama himself uses on his website.

The Dalai Lama began his monastic education at the age of six. At age eleven he met Heinrich Harrer after spying him in Lhasa through his telescope. Harrer effectively became the young Dalai Lama's tutor, teaching him about the outside world. The two remained friends until Harrer's death in 2006. At age 25 he sat for his final examination in Lhasa's Jokhang Temple during the annual Monlam (prayer) Festival in 1959. He passed with honors and was awarded the Lharampa degree, the highest-level geshe degree (roughly equivalent to a doctorate in Buddhist philosophy).

Life as the Dalai Lama

As well as being one of the most influential spiritual leaders of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama by tradition is also Tibet's Head of State and most important political ruler. From 1939 at the age of four he was taken by lamas in a procession to Lhasa where he officially was given a ceremony recognizing him as the reborn spiritual leader of Tibet. His childhood was spent between the Potala and Norbulingka, his summer residence. At the age of fifteen, faced with possible conflict with the People's Republic of China, on 17 November 1950, Tenzin Gyatso was enthroned as the temporal leader of Tibet; however, he was only able to govern for a brief time. In October of that year an army of the People's Republic of China entered the territory controlled by the Tibetan administration, easily breaking through the Tibetan defenders.

The People's Liberation Army stopped short of the old border between Tibet and Xikang and demanded negotiations. The Dalai Lama sent a delegation to Beijing, and, although he rejected [citation needed] the subsequent Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet, he did try to work with the Chinese government. In September 1954 the Dalai Lama and the 10th Panchen Lama went to Beijing to attend the first session of the first National People's Congress, meeting Mao Zedong. However, during 1959, there was a major uprising among the Tibetan population. In the tense political environment that ensued, the Dalai Lama and his entourage began to suspect that China was planning to kill him. Consequently, he fled to Dharamsala, India, on 17 March of that year, entering India on 31 March during the Tibetan uprising.

Exile in India

The Dalai Lama met with the Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, to urge India to pressure China into giving Tibet an autonomous government when relations with China were not proving successful. Nehru did not want to increase tensions between China and India, so he encouraged the Dalai Lama to work on the Seventeen Point Agreement Tibet had with China. Eventually, in 1959, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet and set up the government of Tibet in Exile in Dharamsala, India, which is often referred to as "Little Lhasa".

After the founding of the exiled government he rehabilitated the ~80,000 Tibetan refugees who followed him into exile in agricultural settlements.[2] He created a Tibetan educational system in order to teach the Tibetan children what he believed to be traditional language, history, religion, and culture. The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts was established in 1959 and the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies became the primary university for Tibetans in India. He supported the refunding of 200 monasteries and nunneries in an attempt to preserve Tibetan Buddhist teachings and the Tibetan way of life.

Foreign relations

Since 1967 the Dalai Lama has initiated a series of tours in 46 nations. He has frequently engaged on religious dialogue. He met with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican in 1973. He met with Pope John Paul II in 1980 and also later in 1982, 1986, 1988, 1990, and 2003. In 1990 he met in Dharamsala with a delegation of Jewish teachers for an extensive interfaith dialogue. He has since visited Israel three times and met in 2006 with the Chief Rabbi of Israel. In 2006 he met privately with Pope Benedict XVI. He has also met the Archbishop of Canterbury, the late Dr. Robert Runcie, and with other leaders of the Anglican Church in London. He has also met with senior Eastern Orthodox Church, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, and Sikh officials.

The Dalai Lama appealed to the United Nations on the question of Tibet. This appeal resulted in three resolutions adopted by the General Assembly in 1959, 1961, and 1965. These resolutions required China to respect the human rights of Tibetans and their desire for self-determination. In 1963 he promulgated a democratic constitution which is based upon the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A Tibetan parliament-in-exile is elected by the Tibetan refugees scattered all over the world, and the Tibetan Government in Exile is likewise elected by the Tibetan parliament.

At the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1987 in Washington, D.C., he proposed a Five-Point Peace Plan regarding the future status of Tibet. The plan called for Tibet to become a "zone of peace" and for the end of movement by ethnic Han Chinese into Tibet. It also called for "respect for fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms" and "the end of China's use of Tibet for nuclear weapons production, testing, and disposal". Finally, it urged "earnest negotiations" on the future of Tibet.

He proposed a similar plan at Strasbourg on 15 June 1988. He expanded on the Five-Point Peace Plan and proposed the creation of a self-governing democratic Tibet, "in association with the People's Republic of China". This plan was rejected by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile in 1991. In October 1991, he expressed his wish to return to Tibet to try to form a mutual assessment on the situation with the Chinese local government. At this time he feared that a violent uprising would take place and wished to avoid it. The Dalai Lama has indicated that he wishes to return to Tibet only if the People's Republic of China sets no preconditions for the return, which they have refused to do.

He celebrated his seventieth birthday on 6 July 2005. About 10,000 Tibetan refugees, monks and foreign tourists gathered outside his home. Patriarch Alexius II of the Russian Orthodox Church said, "I confess that the Russian Orthodox Church highly appreciates the good relations it has with the followers of Buddhism and hopes for their further development". President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan attended an evening celebrating the Dalai Lama's birthday that was entitled "Traveling with Love and Wisdom for 70 Years" at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei. The President invited him to return to Taiwan for a third trip in 2005. His previous trips were in 2001, and 1997.

History of the Dalai Lamas

"Dalai" means "Ocean" in Mongolian, and "Lama" is the Tibetan equivalent of the Sanskrit word "guru", and is commonly translated to mean "spiritual teacher". The actual title was first bestowed by the Mongolian ruler Altan Khan upon Sonam Gyatso in 1578. Gyatso was an abbot at the Drepung Monastery who was widely considered the most eminent lama of his time. Although Sonam Gyatso became the first lama to hold the title "Dalai Lama", due to the fact that he was the third member of his lineage, he became known as the "3rd Dalai Lama". The previous two titles were conferred posthumously upon his earlier incarnations.

The 5th Dalai Lama, with the support of Gushri Khan, a Mongol ruler of Khökh Nuur, united Tibet. The Dalai Lamas continued to partially rule in Tibet until the People's Republic of China invaded the region in 1949 and then took full control in 1959. The 14th Dalai Lama then fled to India and has since ceded temporal power to an elected government-in-exile. The current 14th Dalai Lama seeks greater autonomy for Tibet.

Succession of reborn Dalai LamasThe title "Dalai Lama" is presently granted to each of the spiritual leader's successive incarnations (for example, The 14th Dalai Lama's next incarnation will hold the title "the 15th Dalai Lama").

Upon the death of the Dalai Lama, his monks institute a search for the Lama's reincarnation, or yangsi (yang srid), a small child. Familiarity with the possessions of the previous Dalai Lama is considered the main sign of the reincarnation. The search for the reincarnation typically requires a few years. The reincarnation is then brought to Lhasa to be trained by the other Lamas.

Residence of the Dalai Lama

Starting with the 5th Dalai Lama and until the 14th Dalai Lama's flight into exile in 1959, the Dalai Lamas resided during winter at the Potala Palace, and in the summer at the Norbulingka palace and park. Both residences are located in Lhasa, Tibet, approximately 3 km apart. In 1959, subsequent to the then ongoing Chinese occupation of Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama sought refuge within India. The then Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru was instrumental in granting safe refuge to the Dalai Lama and his fellow Tibetans. The Dalai Lama has since been in refuge in Dharamsala, in the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India, where the Central Tibetan Administration (The Tibetan Government in Exile) is also established. Tibetan refugees have constructed and opened many schools and Buddhist temples in Dharamsala.

The future of the Dalai Lama


Despite its officially secular stance, the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) has claimed the power to approve the naming of high reincarnations in Tibet. This decision cites a precedent set by the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, who instituted a system of selecting the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama by means of a lottery which utilised a golden urn with names wrapped in barley balls. Controversially, this precedent was called upon by the PRC to name their own Panchen Lama. The Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Buddhists in exile do not regard this to be the legitimate Panchen Lama. The Dalai Lama has recognized a different child, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, as the reincarnated Panchen Lama. This child and his family have been taken into 'protective custody' according to the PRC, and all attempts by members of the EU parliament and US government to garner guarantees of the family's safety have been denied by the PRC. There is some speculation that with the death of the current Dalai Lama, the People's Republic of China will attempt to direct the selection of a successor, using the authority of their chosen Panchen Lama.

The purpose of a reincarnation is to complete work begun by the previous incarnation, the Dalai Lama is reported to have said. Thus logically as the current Dalai Lama escaped from Chinese control, the next -- if any -- would be born outside of Chinese control. The Dalai Lama said as early as 1969 that it was for the Tibetans to decide whether the institution of the Dalai Lama "should continue or not".

Buddhism in the Modern World

Buddhism in the modern world. Estimates of the number of Buddhists vary between 230 and 500 million, with 350 million as the most commonly cited figure.

Modern Asia
In northern Asia, Mahayana remains the most common form of Buddhism in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Singapore. Theravada predominates in most of Southeast Asia, including Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, as well as Sri Lanka. Vajrayana is predominant in Tibet, Mongolia, and portions of India, especially those areas bordering Tibet.

While in the West Buddhism is often seen as exotic and progressive, in the East Buddhism is regarded as familiar and part of the establishment. Buddhist organizations in Asia frequently are well-funded and enjoy support from the wealthy and influential. In some cases, this has led critics to charge that certain monks and organizations are too closely associated with the powerful and are neglecting their duties to the poor.

Buddhism and the West
In the latter half of the 19th century, Buddhism (along with many other of the world's religions and philosophies) came to the attention of Western intellectuals. These included the pessimistic German philosopher Schopenhauer and the American philosopher Henry David Thoreau, who translated a Buddhist sutra from French into English. Spiritual enthusiasts enjoyed what they saw as the exotic and mystical tone of the Asian traditions. At first Western Buddhology was hampered by poor translations (often translations of translations), but soon Western scholars began to learn Asian languages and translate Asian texts. In 1880 J.R. de Silva and Henry S. Olcott designed the International Buddhist flag to celebrate the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Its stripes symbolise universal compassion, the middle path, blessings, purity and liberation, wisdom, and the conglomeration of these. The flag was accepted as the International Buddhist Flag by the 1952 World Buddhist Congress.

A hallway in California's Hsi Lai TempleIn 1899 Gordon Douglas became the first Westerner to be ordained as a Buddhist monk.

The first Buddhists to arrive in the United States were Chinese. Hired as cheap labor for the railroads and other expanding industries, they established temples in their settlements along the rail lines.

The Buddhist Society, London was founded by Christmas Humphreys in 1924.

The cultural re-evaluations of the hippie generation in the late 1960s and early 1970s included a renewed interest in Buddhism, proclaimed by some of them as a natural path to awareness, and enlightenment. Many people, including celebrities, traveled to Asia in pursuit of gurus and ancient wisdom. Buddhism had become the fastest-growing religion in Australia and many other Western nations by the 1990s, in contrast to the steady decline of traditional western beliefs (see Christianity).

A distinctive feature of Buddhism in the West has been the emergence of groups that, while drawing on traditional Buddhism, attempt to create a new form of Buddhist practice. Examples include the Shambala movement, founded by Chögyam Trungpa, and the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, founded by Sangharakshita.

Buddhism and its relation to other major religions

Buddhism and its relation to other major religions. Some Hindus (primarily in the northern regions of India) believe that Gautama is the 9th incarnation (see avatar) of Vishnu; there are accounts of the Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu that are pro- and anti-Buddhist (i.e., either Vishnu "really meant" what he said while incarnated as Buddha or he was just messing with the Nastikas). This is not a majority view, however.

Traditionally, there has been a sharp distinction between Buddhism and what is today called "Hinduism"; this distinction is more accurately between Astika and Nastika philosophies, that is, philosophies in India which either affirmed the Vedas as divinely revealed scriptures or else regarded them as fallible human inventions. Thus Buddhism is essentially a heresy vis à vis orthodox Indian philosophy, though there are many syncretic or ecumenical tendencies within either group which are accepting of the beliefs and practices of the other.

In the Japanese religion of Shintoism Buddha is seen as a Kami (god). The Bahá'í Faith states he was an independent Manifestation of God. Siddhartha Gautama is thought to have been sanctified by the Roman Catholic Church as Saint Josaphat based on a mistaken account of his conversion to Christianity. Some Muslims believe that Gautama Buddha is Dhul-Kifl, one of the prophets mentioned in the Qur'an.

Jainism is an Indian school of thought that was founded prior to Buddhism. One of its two most prominent teachers, Mahavira, was a senior contemporary of the Buddha whose philosophy, sometimes described as dynamism or vitalism, was a blend of the earlier Jain teacher Parsvanatha's asceticism and the naturalistic teachings of the Ajivikas. Dialogues between the Buddha's disciples and Mahavira are recorded in Jain texts, and dialogues between Mahavira's disciples and the Buddha are included in Buddhist texts, however there is no evidence the two teachers actually met.

The History of Buddhism and Buddhist Philosophy after Buddha

Buddhism after the Buddha. One of the first representations of the Buddha, 1st-2nd century CE, Gandhara.Buddhism spread slowly in India until the powerful Mauryan emperor Asoka converted to it and actively supported it. His promotion led to construction of Buddhist religious sites and missionary efforts that spread the faith into the countries listed at the beginning of the article.

After about 500 CE, Buddhism showed signs of waning in India, becoming nearly extinct after about 1200 CE. This was partially due to Muslim invasions and partially due to Hinduism's revival movements such as Advaita and the rise of the bhakti movement.

Elements of Buddhism have remained within India to the current day: the Bauls of Bengal have a syncretic set of practices with strong emphasis on many Buddhist tantric and philosophic concepts. Other areas of India have never parted from Buddhism, including Ladakh and other areas bordering the Tibetan, Nepali and Bhutanese borders.

Buddhism also remained in the rest of the world although in Central Asia and later Indonesia it was mostly replaced by Islam. In China and Japan, it adopted aspects of the native beliefs of Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto respectively. In Tibet, the Tantric Vajrayana lineage was preserved after it disappeared in India.

History of the schools

Three months after the passing of Gautama Buddha, The First Council was held at Rajagaha by his immediate disciples who had attained Arahantship (Enlightenment). Maha Kassapa, the most respected and elderly monk, presided at the Council. Only two sections the Dhamma and the Vinaya were recited at the First Council. All Arahants unanimously agree that no disciplinary rule laid down by the Buddha should be changed, and no new ones should be introduced. At this point, no conflict about what the Buddha taught is known to have occurred, so the teachings were divided into various parts and each was assigned to an elder and his pupils to commit to memory. These groups of people often cross-checked with each other to ensure that no omissions or additions were made.

At the Second Council, one hundred years later, it was not the dharma that was called into question but the monks' code of rules or vinaya. This resulted in the formation of the Sthaviravadin and Mahasanghika schools. Opinions differ on the cause of the split: the Sthaviravadins described their opponents as lax monks who had ceased to follow all the vinaya rules, while the Mahasanghikas argued that the Buddha had never intended a rigid adherence to all the minor rules. After this initial division, more were to follow. Schism in early Buddhism was typically not on points of doctrine (orthodoxy), but in the area of practice (orthopraxy). So if two schools shared a vinaya, but were in dispute over doctrinal matters, it was likely that they would continue to practice together. However, if one group disputed the vinaya of another, this would often prevent common practice.

In the 3rd century BCE the Third Council was convened under the patronage of Emperor Ashoka, primarily for the purpose of establishing an official orthodoxy. At the council, small groups raised questions about the specifics of the vinaya and the interpretation of doctrine. The chairman of the council, Moggaliputta Tissa, compiled a book called the Kathavatthu, which was meant to refute these arguments. The council sided with Moggaliputta and his version of Buddhism as orthodox; it was then adopted by Emperor Ashoka as his empire's official religion. This school of thought was termed Vibhajjavada (Pali), literally "Teaching of Analysis". The version of the scriptures that had been established at the Third Council, including the vinaya, sutta and the abhidhamma commentaries (collectively known as Tripitaka), was taken to Sri Lanka by Emperor Ashoka's son, the Venerable Mahinda. There it was eventually committed to writing in the Pali language. The Pali Canon remains the only complete set of Nikaya scriptures to survive, although fragments of other versions exist.

Between the 1st century BCE and the 1st century CE, the terms Mahayana and Hinayana were first used in writing, in, for example, the Lotus Sutra.

The Fourth Council was convened by the Kushan emperor Kanishka, around 100 CE at Jalandhar or in Kashmir, and is usually associated with the formal rise of Mahayana Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism does not recognize the authenticity of this council, and it is sometimes called the “council of heretical monks”.

It is said that Kanishka gathered 500 Bhikkhus, headed by Vasumitra, to edit the Tripitaka and make references and remarks. A set of new scriptures were approved, as well as fundamental principles of Mahayana doctrine. The new scriptures, usually in the Gandhari vernacular and the Kharosthi script, were rewritten in the classical language of Sanskrit, to many scholars a turning point in the propagation of Buddhist thought.

During and after the 2nd century, versions of the Mahayana vision became clearly defined in the works of Nagarjuna, Asanga, Shantideva, Ashvagosha, and Vasubandhu.

Around the 1st century, Buddhism spread from India through successive waves of merchants and pilgrims. It reached as far as Arabia to the west, and eastward to southeast Asia, where the first records of Buddhism date from around 400. Mahayana Buddhism established a major regional center in what is today Afghanistan, and from there it spread to China, Korea, Mongolia, and Japan. In 475, the Indian monk Bodhidharma travelled to China and established the Chan (Chinese; Japanese: Zen), school. During the first millennium, monks from China such as Yijing and Xuanzang made pilgrimages to India.

At one time, different Turkic and Tocharian groups along the northern fringe of East Turkestan (modern Xinjiang in western China) adhered to the Theravada school. However, Buddhism there was supplanted by the introduction of Islam around 1000.

Vajrayana also evolved at this stage carried from India to Tibet around 800 by teachers such as Padmasambhava and Atisha. There it initially coexisted with native belief systems such as Bön, but later came to largely supplant or absorb them. An early form of esoteric Vajrayana known as Shingon was also transmitted by the priest Kukai to Japan, where it continues to be practiced.

There is still an active debate as to whether or not Tantrism was initially developed within Buddhism or Hinduism. Buddhist literature tends to predate the later puranic Tantras, and there is some evidence to suggest that the basic structure of tantra depends upon the Mahayana Buddhist philosophical schools. However, it is thought by others that meditative Shiva sects seem to have existed from pre-Vedic times; also, from scriptural citations and study of the Vedas, some say Tantra saw its philosophical basis in the mystical rites and mantras of the Atharva Veda (and later the Hindu Upanishads and Mahayana school of Buddhism).

Buddhist Scriptures

The Buddhist canon of scripture is known in Sanskrit as the Tripi?aka and in Pali as the Tipi?aka. These terms literally mean "three baskets" and refers to the three main divisions of the canon, which are:

The Vinaya Pi?aka, containing disciplinary rules for the Sa?gha of Buddhist monks and nuns, as well as a range of other texts which explain why and how rules were instituted, supporting material, and doctrinal clarification. The Sutta Pi?aka (Pali; Sanskrit: Sutra Pi?aka), containing discourses of the Buddha. The Abhidhamma or commentary Pi?aka, containing a philosophical systematization of the Buddha's teaching, including a detailed analysis of Buddhist psychology. During the first few centuries after Gautama Buddha, his teachings were transmitted orally, but around the 1st Century CE they began to be written down. A given school of Buddhism will generally have its own distinctive canon of texts, which will partially overlap with those of other schools. The most notable set of texts from the early period is the Pali Canon, which was preserved in Sri Lanka by the Theravada school. The sutras it contains are also part of the canon of every other Buddhist sect. Full versions of the original text are now readily available on the internet.

The appearance of the Mahayana tradition brought with it a collection of new texts, composed in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit, many of which were also described as actual sermons of the Buddha. These include the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, the Avata?saka, the Lotus Sutra, the Vimalakirti Sutra, and the ?irvana Sutra. Many of the Mahayana sutras were translated into Tibetan and classical Chinese and are also now read in the West.

The Mahayana canon further expanded after Buddhism was transmitted to China, where the existing texts were translated, and new texts were composed for the purpose of adapting the Indian tradition to the East Asian philosophical mindset. Many of these works are considered by modern scholars to be spurious. Other new texts, such as the Platform Sutra and the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment did not pretend to be of Indian origin, but were widely accepted as valid scriptures on their own merits. Later writings include the Linji Lu of Chan master Linji. In the course of the development of Korean Buddhism and Japanese Buddhism, further important texts were composed. These included, for example, in Korea, some of the writings of Jinul, and in Japan, works such as Dogen's Shobogenzo.

Arguably the most thorough compilation of Mahayana sutras is found in the Tibetan canon. This is split into those texts attributed to be authored by the Buddha (Kanjur), and those texts which are understood to be commentaries by Indian practitioners (Tenjur). Vajrayana practitioners also study distinctive texts such as the Buddhist tantras.

Recently an important archaeological discovery was made, consisting of the earliest known Buddhist manuscripts, recovered from somewhere near ancient Gandhara in northwest Pakistan. These fragments, written on birch bark, are dated to the 1st century and have been compared to the Dead Sea scrolls in importance. Donated to the British Library in 1994, they are now are being studied in a joint project at the University of Washington.