The Foundation of Buddhist - Research Paper Example

? BUDDHISM By I.D Number: Submitted of TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to Buddhism 2. Life of the Buddha 3. Causes of suffering and its solution a. The Four Noble Truths i. Noble Eightfold Path b. The Four Immeasurables c. Nirvana 4. Conclusion 1. Introduction to Buddhism It is the religion which was founded by the great preacher, Siddhartha Gautama also known as the Buddha, the enlightened one (Dehsen et.al 1999, 33). According to historians, the Buddha was born in 556 B.C and lived and preached in the eastern part of the country now known as India (Zamosky, 2007, 9). His followers believe him to have become an enlightened person who knew about the subtle realities of life and discovered that the reason there exists suffering is due to a constant desire to either crave for something or avert something (Ba Khin & Confalonieri, 1999, 168). According to the Buddha, if one took control of such desires completely, one would end his suffering and become awakened and would have reached the state known as nirvana (Ba Khin & Confalonieri, 1999, 168). This brings me to my research statement which would be to discover whether Buddhism seems to revolve around the life and teachings of the Buddha alone or the ultimate end of suffering by controlling craving and ignorance is the main motive of following this religion? Since Buddhism took shape from Asia it still remains to garner the most following from this part of the world, however it is observed to be practiced the world over. It is not easy to estimate the number of Buddhists currently in the whole world since it is practiced differently in some parts of the world. Since at the time of the Buddha there were no methods to write, all the teachings of the Buddha were memorized and passed down through disciples and followers. Later on the teachings were gathered and written down. Due to this fact, different schools of thought in Buddhism differ on the perfect formula to attain liberation from the suffering of the world, the authenticity of various teachings and scriptures as well as ensuing practices? Three basic pillars serve as the foundation of Buddhist teachings and are known as the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma (the teachings), and the Sangha (the community) (Kozak, 2011, 66). All Buddhists need to follow and adhere by the three jewels and their religion is considered incomplete without fully adhering to these concepts. Other practices may include renouncing the material world to follow on the path of their founder, and developing mindfulness of their surroundings through the practice of meditation. 2. Life of the Buddha According to various narratives, Siddhartha Gautama was a young prince about whom an astrologer once prophesized that he would renounce worldly lifestyle to become a holy man, if he saw life outside his palace (Zamosky, 2007, 7). In an attempt to avert this, his father the king, prevented his son from leaving until Siddhartha Gautama finally ventured out of the palace at the age of 29 and saw the suffering outside his palatial life (Zamosky, 2007, 8). His encounters made him abandon royal life and set out to discover spirituality. He soon found out that craving for something or the other was the main cause of suffering in humans, thus when this cause know as ‘craving’ is controlled, so is suffering. 3. Causes of Suffering and its Solution a. The Four Noble Truths According to various historians, the ‘Four Noble Truths’ were one of the primary teachings imparted by Gautama Buddha to his disciples after he had reached Nirvana. On close observation it becomes apparent that they contain the same theme located in the Buddha's teachings: Everyone encounters suffering in life in one way or another. Craving for something is the desire to become happy with the acquisition of that thing. Another version of craving is when you seek to avoid something and that is known as aversion. Both craving and aversion lead to eventual suffering. The only way to end suffering is to stop craving as this is when one reaches the state of nirvana or complete enlightenment. Nirvana can be achieved through following the teachings of the Buddha. i. Noble Eight Fold Path The fourth truth amongst the Buddha's Noble Truths is known as the Noble Eightfold Path which when followed correctly leads to the end of suffering (dukkha). There are three levels of training which are to be reached in this path. First Level: To view the true nature of all things, the mind needs to be purified and a spiritual insight is required which is provided through achieving the wisdom known as Prajna. It includes: 1. Drsti(ditthi): ignoring what appears to be ‘real’ but is not, and instead observing the true reality; 2. Samkalpa (sankappa): making an intention to renounce everything, be free and vouch not to harm anything. Second Level: Is ‘Sila’ which means morality and abstaining from all deeds considered unwholesome. It includes: 3. Vac (vaca): being truthful while speaking but caring about the others feelings; 4. Karman (kammanta): ensuring harmlessness in all actions performed; 5. ajivana (ajiva): Ensuring one’s livelihood does not harm anything. Third Level: When controlling one’s own mind, the mental discipline required to do so is known as ‘Samadhi’. This discipline can be achieved through various meditative practices, and includes: 6. Vyayama (vayama): which means trying to improve oneself 7. Smrti (sati): being aware of the actual reality as it is within one as well as around one with clear consciousness, without desiring or averting anything; 8. Samadhi (samadhi): it is the concentration which can be explained to be the first four jhanas. The Eight fold path can be understood in basically two ways. Either through performing all the above actions and requirements at once, or through reaching them one by one in a serial form. b. The Four Immeasurables The Four Immeasurables are four feelings of love, compassion, joy, and equanimity which the practitioner experiences himself and wishes upon others in order to share a feeling of wholesomeness with oneself and others around him. This process was discovered by the Buddha during his quest for enlightenment and aims to lower the egotism of humans as a step towards findings serenity and happiness. As part of the teachings the practitioner wishes that: May all beings in existence be happy in and with everything May all beings in existence avoid suffering in and with everything, May beings in existence always remain in a form of bliss without suffering in and with everything, May all beings in existence always remain equanimous, unbiased and free from feelings of craving and aversion. c. Nirvana Nirvana is the name given to the mental state in which a person has ended their suffering by the mastering of their being and thus stop the process of involuntary rebirths. The teachings of Buddhism state that by controlling the feelings of craving and aversion within oneself and becoming aware, a person shuns ignorance and becomes enlightened or awakened (Kozak, 2011, 263). Whoever has reached the state of nirvana is known as an ‘arahant’. This awakening leads one to view their surrounding as it actually is and not how it used to seem before. This way an arahant is fully aware of the true reality which exists. Reaching nirvana is the final step of fulfilling ones faith in Buddhism and sums up the reason for existence for a person. 4. Conclusion My research statement was to discover whether Buddhism seems to revolve around the life and teachings of the Buddha alone or was the ultimate end of suffering by controlling craving and ignorance of oneself the main motive of following this religion? The information that I have gathered allows me to conclude that the life of Buddha was an ideal example of how a Buddhist follower should lead one’s life. By following the teachings of the Buddha, the follower would ultimately come to handle the concept of controlling craving and ignorance as well, and henceforth both the agendas of following in the footsteps of the Buddha, as well as ending suffering with controlling craving and ignorance would have been dealt with. WORKS CITED Ba Khin (U), Pierluigi Confalonieri. The Clock of Vipassana Has Struck: The Teachings and Writings of Sayagyi U Ba Khin with Commentary by S.N. Goenka. Pariyatti, 1999 Kozak, Arnold. The Everything Buddhism Book. Avon, Mass.: Adams Media, 2011. Print. Von Dehsen, Christian D, and Scott L Harris. Philosophers and Religious Leaders. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx Press, 1999. Print. Zamosky, Lisa. Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha. Teacher Created Materials, 2007. Print. Read More