Buddha and Buddhism: An Introduction
1. The Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha
"I take refuge in the Buddha,
I take refuge in the Dharma,
I take refuge in the Sangha."
- the Sacred Saving Reality to which one awakens in enlightenment: the state of Nirvana (Nibbana)
- the monastic community
- the Buddhist community
2. The Buddha (biography of the Buddha)
- a wandering mendicant and ascetic teacher who lived in northeast India.
- from the upper classes (probably warrior/royal) who had a powerful religious experience.
- taught a message promising release from suffering.
- founded a community of male and female mendicants and laity which thrived.
- tradition developed to interpret and express his meaning.
- stories grew up around the major pilgrimage sites of the Buddha's life (birth,
enlightenment, first
sermon,
death (final Nirvana).
- earliest written biographies (200 BCE to 300 CE).
- Gautama (given name), Siddhartha ("object achieved"), Shakyamuni (clan name:
"Wise One of the
Lion
clan"), Tathagata ("the One Who Has Gone Thusly"), Buddha ("the
Enlightened One").
- The Buddha as the most perfectly fulfilled ascetic: leaves the palace in search of the
source of suffering
and
the way to overcome it -- becomes the greatest of all ascetics but realizes that the
answer is not
here
-- embraces "the Middle Way" (often a term used for "Buddhism")
between a life of
self-indulgence
and one of extreme self-denial.
- The Buddha as the Universal Monarch (Cakravartin) coming at the beginning of a new world
age:
possesses
the 32 sacred marks which designate either a Cakravartin or a Buddha.
- Siddhartha destined, however, to be a Buddha -- the story of the Brahmins and their predictions.
- Previous lives of the Buddha (the Jataka Tales): based on the enlightenment
when the Buddha recalls all of his previous lives (547 tales of which the final
35 are well known) -- the last 10 are illustrative of the virtues of Buddhism --
used as the major "catechism" of Buddhism.
3. Major themes of the Buddhist tradition:
- that there is suffering (dukkha): inherent in the fabric of life.
- that the cause of suffering is craving or desire (tanha="thirst"): leads to
suffering karma and rebirth, quarrels and strife, old age and death.
- that release from suffering is possible: craving and suffering cease, karma and
rebirth ceases, Nirvana ("Extinction") is attained (from the viewpoint of
ordinary reality).
- that the way to release is through the Noble Eight-fold Path of Buddhism (right
view or understanding, right directed thought, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration)
- Impermanence (anitya): all reality passes away, nothing has permanent
existence.
- Suffering (dukkha): all existence is suffering (see the Noble Truths).
- Non-self (annata): nothing, including human nature, has an intrinsic permanent
existence -- all apparent "realities" are actually composites or aggregates of
conditions.
- reality, as we perceive it, is actually the result of interdependence of
relationships or conditions -- another way of stating the truth of "Non-self."
- the Law of Karma: all intentional action bears "fruit" either in this life or
in a
future life until the "fruits" of action are exhausted. The "fruit" of
action can
be positive (lead up the scale of beings) or negative (lead down the scale of
beings).
- when one dies, one's accumulated Karma determines the situation of one's
rebirth.
- only the release of enlightenment (Nirvana) allows escape from the cycle of
birth and rebirth (=salvation in Buddhism).
4. The traditions of Buddhism.
- most conservative of Buddhist traditions which focused on Gautama Buddha
as the one Buddha of this world age -- focus on the "historical" Buddha.
- Sacred language is Pali. Biographical texts are from Pali writings.
- monastic order is pre-eminent.
- strong links between religious experience and social and political structures.
- Gautama Buddha less emphasized -- myriad Buddhas, Buddha Worlds, and
Buddha realms.
- Sacred language is Sanskrit.
- the ideal of the Bodhisattva: one who is on the way to becoming a Buddha but
postpones entry into Nirvana until all other sentient beings have entered first
-- a strong ideal of compassion (karuna).
- All beings are already Buddhas but do not know this. The path is to discover
one's own true "Buddha nature."
- the ultimate nature of ordinary reality is "Void" and "empty" (sunyata).
- a development of Buddhism which combines influences of classical Hinduism,
Hindu Tantrism, tribal religions, folk religious beliefs and Mahayana
Buddhism. The most difficult and complex form of Buddhism.
- important role of the yogi-like "Lama" or reincarnated Holy One. The Dalai
Lama is the leader of the principle Tibetan school (the "Yellow Hats").
- complex meditative practice which involves extensive use of visualization,
sound and physical motion.
- extensive use of Mahayana philosophical traditions which are highly
developed and difficult to study.
- Also exists in Central Asia as well as Japan (the "Shingon" school).
Prepared by Jim Dalton. Last Updated on March 13, 2000