Buddhism as a Philosophical Way of Life - Essay Example

? Final project: Buddhism Buddhism is a philosophical way of life that focuses on people ridding of their suffering and allowing themselves to obtain enlightenment and reach Nirvana. By following the teachings set down by Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, practitioners are able to center themselves on the more important aspects of life, such as happiness and carefreeness. The vital tenets of Buddhism include the Four Noble Truths, the Five Precepts, and additional precepts, all of which play the role of showing practitioners the most essential parts of life. An interview was conducted with Ken Morris, a practitioner of Buddhism, to show how beneficial Buddhism teachings and meditation can be to people that are suffering in the world. Buddhism Introduction Buddhism is a common religion practiced throughout the world and is considered to be the fourth-largest religion, following Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Through extensive research via libraries and temples of worship and a personal interview with a practitioner of Buddhism, I will set out to discover more about Buddhism, as well as the similarities and differences that exist between Buddhism and Hinduism. After the needed information has been compiled, my intent is to allow the reader to understand the beliefs and practices of a Buddhist and to inform them of the differences between Buddhism and Hinduism in regard to beliefs, practices, days of observation and important figures in the religion, in addition to other important facts that make the religions what they are. Buddhism: An overview Buddhism, though recognized as a religion, is often considered to be more of a way of life and a philosophy rather than a religious path. The purpose of Buddhism is to find enlightenment and to discover a cure for human suffering. Many religions focus on seeking enlightenment through an outside force, deity or figure of worship, though Buddhism “held that our salvation from suffering lies only in our own efforts. The Buddha taught that in our understanding how we create suffering for ourselves we can become free (Fisher, 2005).” Buddha believed that since humans caused suffering they could also be the ones to find healing for themselves. The path to enlightenment was to be found within each individual and Buddha was the one to help lead people through their personal journeys. The Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, is the founder and lead figure in Buddhism. Very little is known about Siddhartha, especially in regard to his birth due to historical fact being entangled with legend. It was predicted that Siddhartha would become a Buddha, a person who has supreme knowledge, and from a young age Siddhartha displayed his potential to this prophecy. The majority of Siddhartha’s childhood is spent learning meditation, warrior skills, archery and spiritual disciplines. As a prince, Siddhartha was sheltered from the harshness of life and never went without the physical luxuries of life. However, he was never “satisfied with the mere enjoyment of fleeting pleasures due to his inquiring and contemplative nature (Knierim, 2009).” One night, Siddhartha leaves his palace and wanders around, coming upon people that are suffering from old age and disease and succumbing to death. This was his first experience with reality and he became determined to do something about it, bringing about an extraordinary change to his life. Siddhartha gave up his life as a prince and left behind his palace and everything physical that he once held dear to him. He became like one of the men that he had seen the night he left the palace; he became without. Siddhartha spends most of his newfound free time mediating and searching for truth. During one particular meditation experience, he finds awareness of the Great Enlightenment, “which revealed to him the way of salvation from suffering (Knierim)”. It is then that he becomes a fully realized Buddha, prompting him to drop the name that he was given at the time of his birth. After his own enlightenment, Buddha spends over forty-five years traveling around Northern India to teach the tenets of Buddhism and to help others discover their own enlightenment. Buddha’s journey is one of great success, bringing forth hundreds of thousands of people longing for enlightenment and Nirvana. Though the life of Buddha does not hold much detail, the facts that remained were vital to practicing Buddhists, as they were able to understand how Buddha came to enlightenment. This has allowed other Buddhists to also seek enlightenment and to save themselves from the throes of the human condition. The teachings of the tenets brought forth by Buddha have survived many generations and are still being implemented to provide human beings with the opportunity to reach enlightenment and to survive human suffering. Buddhist tenets The Four Noble Truths The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism examine and explain the existence of human suffering and are explained as follows: Suffering exists as a universal concept. No matter where one may look, they will find someone who is sick, in pain or failing in some endeavour of life. Similarly, the person fresh on their journey through Buddhism might find themselves to be suffering from an event or illness in their life. Both human nature and the world are imperfect and as such people must endure physical and psychological pain. The existence of pain and suffering becomes balanced with the presence of positive experiences, such as happiness and comfort. However, we learn that as suffering comes to an end, so does happiness. There are causes for suffering, most of which are brought on by our own desires to be in control of life. People find happiness in transient things, both physical objects and ideas; these objects are not meant to be lasting. In essence, humans bring about their own suffering in their attempts to obtain and hold on to these objects of happiness. When they are no longer able to hold on to them, they are faced with pain and suffering. There is an end to all suffering. Upon reaching Nirvana, a person can experience total freedom and a detachment from all physical desires. Just as people have the ability to cause suffering, they also have the ability to rid themselves of it. By giving up the objects or ideas that cause their suffering, they can find an end to their suffering. When an individual reaches Nirvana, they no longer have worries or troubles, and they do not have the need to depend on anything physical. The fourth Noble Truth is that “in order to end suffering, you must follow the Eightfold Path (Robinson, 2009).” The Eightfold Path The Eightfold Path consists of eights concepts that focus on wisdom, ethical conduct and mental development as an enlightened Buddhist. It also outlines ways in which a follow can end their suffering. It plays a large role in freeing the individual from physical attachments and delusions of happiness, finally resulting in an understanding of the truth about all things, thus reaching Nirvana. The path involving wisdom includes the Right View, which is fully understanding the Four Noble Truths and Right Intention, which requires the person to follow the right path in life. The path involving ethical conduct includes Right Speech and Right Action, concepts that necessitates the follower to never speak harshly or with lies or criticism, and to conduct themselves based on the Five Precepts. Right Livelihood finishes off the path of ethical conduct by displaying the importance of an individual supporting themselves without bringing harm around to others. The final portion of the Eightfold Path, the mental development path, discusses first Right Effort, which promotes the production of good thoughts and the depletion of negative and evil thoughts. Right Mindfulness involves the individual being aware of their mind, body and feelings, especially throughout the changes during their journey. Right Concentration explores the act of meditation in bringing about a higher state of consciousness. The Eightfold Path goes into detail about how a Buddhist should live and conduct themselves if they wish to reach enlightenment and Nirvana. These tenets described the important aspects of what it means to be a Buddhist. Likewise, the Five Precepts exists to help fully center an individual practicing Buddhism by providing further rules to live by. The Five Precepts The Five Precepts play a role similar to the Ten Commandments in the Christian and Jewish religious paths. They are rules to live by, including behaviors or attitudes that should be avoided at all costs. Unlike the Commandments though, they are recommendations and not set-in-stone rules and how they are applied to one’s life is based entirely on that individual. There are five basic precepts, as well as five additional ones for those preparing for monastic life. The basic precepts are do not kill, steal, lie, misuse sex, or consume alcohol or drugs. The precept of not killing also includes not causing harm of any sort to a person or animal; it means to be without violence. The precept of not lying also involves not spreading gossip or calling people names. The misuse of sex includes adultery and sexual harassment, even within the marriage, but also expands to encompass premarital sex and sex between same-sex couples. In regard to consuming drugs or alcohol, modern practitioners have included movies, television and the Internet as they have the ability to cloud the mind. The five additional precepts that are reserved for those wishing to join a monastic life include not taking untimely means by only eating the important meals of the day; avoiding dancing, singing and music; not implementing perfume and adornments to one’s appearance; not using high seats; and not accepting gold or silver, which includes jewelry as gifts from someone else. By abiding by these precepts, as well as the other tenets of Buddhism, the individual will have what it takes to focus on becoming completely involved in Buddhism. These tenets not only show how a Buddhist should live, but they roughly outline the various things that do or do not have places within a person’s life. When an individual gives up some of the aforementioned needs and takes on the additional responsibilities, they can fully achieve enlightenment and Nirvana. Interview location An interview was conducted at the Saddhamma Foundation in Walnut Creek, California. The Foundation is located in a serene setting that helps practitioners of Buddhism with their meditation and to keep them away from the hustle and bustle of normal, everyday life. The Foundation also offers many resources that Buddhist practitioners or those interested in starting a lifestyle that implements Buddhism can use to enhance their spiritual experiences while at the Foundation. Interview summary Ken Morris is a practicing Buddhist who was interviewed at Saddhamma Foundation. The first question focused on the traditions and the important days of observance for those practicing Buddhism. Ken responded that the most vital holiday celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha, an event which takes place every May on the night of the full moon. This day is commonly known as Buddha Day, or Vesak. Other important holidays include the Festival of Floating Bowls and the Ploughing Festival. During many of these holidays, Buddhist monks stay in confinement and go through intense meditation on the significance of the day of observance. The next question asked Ken of the changes that Buddhism brought to his life. At the age of twenty, Ken had been struggling with problems in his life. He began to look for something to bring an end to his suffering when he came upon meditation. Meditation changed his behavior and helped him to get the support that he needed to improve himself. Furthermore, meditation allowed Ken to get a better grasp on how he perceives life and the suffering in it. The following question posed was in regard to the challenges that might be presented to someone practicing Buddhism. Ken pointed out that, at times, it was difficult to follow the Five Precepts, but when it was achieved it made for a rewarding experience. Meditation tended to be difficult as it was to be undergone for many hours at a time. However, it produces amazing benefits when done properly, such as a peace of mind and the need to make better choices. Understanding the teachings and philosophies to reach enlightenment and Nirvana also proved to be demanding at times, as well as the complete transformation of the consciousness. The next question concerned the goals of Buddhism. The greatest goals of all Buddhists are to reach enlightenment and Nirvana. To accomplish these goals, they need to focus on and also accomplish the goals outlined in the Eightfold Path. Practitioners are encouraged not to talk about what they are going through, as this is believed to take away from their experiences. Instead, they should focus more on the quality of their actions. The proceeding question inquired about monks and what their roles are in Buddhism. Ken responded that monks are entirely dedicated to Buddha, turning their beliefs into a complete lifestyle, which is done by following the two hundred and twenty-seven rules of behavior. On Asia, the public follows and supports the monks and, in return, the monks teach the public meditation techniques. Ken concluded the interview by pointing out the importance of morality and meditation in the practices of a Buddhist. Meditation allows a person to clear their mind of harmful thoughts and emotions. In the end, following the rules and precepts of Buddhism, and by allowing meditation to comfort their minds, people practicing Buddhism can begin to understand the causes and effects of their suffering, which can lead them to finding an end to their suffering. Buddhism versus Hinduism The greatest connection that can be found between Hinduism and Buddhism is that they both have their roots in India. Hinduism, like Buddhism, is more of a philosophy and way of life than it is a religion. Both religions believe that “desire is the root cause of suffering and removal of desire results in the cessation of suffering (Knott, 2000).” Other similarities between Hinduism and Buddhism include emphasizing a lack of violence towards all living things, the importance of spiritual practices like meditation and concentration to center the mind, and a detachment of the physical aspects of life to get to spiritual life. Both religions also believe that through meditation and, in the case of Hinduism, the practice of yoga, the practitioner can reach their ultimate goals on their religious path. The most noticeable difference between Hinduism and Buddhism is that while Buddhism was founded by Buddha, Hinduism was not founded by a particular person. There are some aspects of Buddhism that Hindus accept, such as considering Buddha as part of the Hindu religion, but Buddhism does not recognize any part of Hinduism in their practices. Finally, Buddhism focuses on followers of Buddhism in regard to groups, especially for the people that are monks, but Hinduism is mainly a religion for the individual. As a religion, Hinduism predates Buddhism by almost two millennia. Hindu translates perfect to mean “people of India”, which suggests that what truly was just a way of life for people was transformed into a religion that others could decide to follow of their own accord. On the other hand, Buddhism is meant to be chosen by individuals from the start. It is because of this that many people are born into Hinduism without being given the choice. Despite the other differences between the two religions, it is this that really sets Hinduism and Buddhism apart from each other. Conclusion Buddhism is both a religion and a philosophical path and way of life. The purposes and goals of Buddhism is to give up physical needs to obtain enlightenment and Nirvana. The concepts of Buddhism existed for centuries before it was formally founded as a religion by Siddhartha Gautama, who came to be known as Buddha. He spread his teachings throughout India, most of which survived through oral tradition and are still referred to today. These teachings include the Four Noble Truths, the Five Precepts, and the additional precepts for those looking into becoming monks. The importance of these tenets is to help focus practitioners of Buddhism on their path of reaching enlightenment. By interviewing Ken, we were allowed a better insight into what Buddhism is, understanding how through meditation he was able to overcome his suffering and find peace in life. References Fisher, M. P. (2005). Living religions (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Knierim, T. (2009, September 12). Life of Buddha. The Big View. Retrieved March 9, 2011, from http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/buddhasresume.html Knott, K. (2000). Hinduism: A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Robinson, B. (2010, October 25). The religion of Buddhism. ReligiousTolerance. Retrieved March 9, 2011, from http://www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism.htm Read More