Buddhist Scriptures - Essay Example

Essay, Religion and Theology Topic: My understanding of Buddha’s Teachings. Buddha is the supreme and the final authority for Buddhism. This religion has no organized structure or the controlling authority on a continual basis. Buddhist organizations and temples are there in most of the countries. Buddhism is a religion of love and compassion on the basis of the level of spiritual progression of a particular individual. A true follower of Buddhism is supposed to have eyes full of understanding, heart full of love and a conflict-less approach to the secular world.

The foundation of Buddhism is laid on “The Four Noble Truths”, and “The Noble Eightfold Path”. Buddha expects everyone to live and lead a happy and peaceful life. Buddhism does not entertain strange, unfounded beliefs and is not much concerned about what is happening over the sky. It addresses to the day to day secular problems and the procedures to meet the challenges with equanimity, and with a confident mental poise. Buddha is an enlightened soul, and he has transcended the barriers of the mind and he remains in the state of bliss.

His revelations (not teachings) are delivered from the conflict-free zone, and hence they are divine-ordained, blemish-free and everlasting. He does not expect his followers to act on blind faith, and advises them to put the individual experiences to test and find out the truth with own efforts. When he says that there are many Buddhas before me and there will be many Buddhas after me and each one of you have the intrinsic capacity to become Buddha, he means that the path of self-realization is possible with one’s individual efforts only.

There are no shortcuts to attain that divine state, and get freedom from dualities. Buddhism prescribes twin goals for an individual. They are, to know self and to learn the teachings of Buddha. The ordinary nature of an individual relates to the gross traits like anger, fear, jealously and other negative feelings. The other is the true nature (the divine one) that is wise, pure and perfect. That is the state of bliss and in terms of Buddhism it is called Buddha nature. The difference between the two natures is the former is the non-awakened state and the latter is the awakened state.

In the Buddhist scriptures, one will find elaborate commentaries on profound topics and universal truths like, nothing is lost in the universe, everything changes, law of cause and effect, the four noble truths, etc. When one reads the variety of Buddhist Scriptures, they apparently appear full of contradictions but their essence is the same. Their perplexity is superficial and viewed from the transcendental level the revelations are perfect. In the pursuit of the spiritual path, much emphasis is laid to individual efforts and the final goal is enlightenment.

“Many scriptures are called "sutras" in Sanskrit or "sutta" in Pali. The word sutra or sutta means "thread." The word "sutra" in the title of a text indicates the work is a sermon of the Buddha or one of his major disciples…About two millennia ago, Buddhism split into two major schools, called today Theravada and Mahayana.”(O’Brien, n. p.) The split at the ideological level has nothing to do with the high reverence the followers of Buddhism have for Lord Buddha. My perception of teachings of Buddhism is highly positive.

As commonly believed, Buddhism is not against desires or attachment. Only motivated desires are harmful. Causing intentional pain to others is also against Buddhist teachings. The real happiness is within and one has to achieve it. The happiness of the secular objects is not the permanent one, and one has to cultivate the trait of detachment. Having appointments with the future will lead to disappointments. Fleeting joys and doing things to please the sensual organs will not lead to permanent happiness.

Non-attachment does not mean to shun the contacts with the people. It means intelligent association by using the power of discrimination. True non-attachment comes from practice and wisdom. The ‘sangha’ of the Buddhists is the association of human beings, where people live and carryout activities in the spirit of co-operation. Happiness, rewards and punishments are all here and Planet Earth is the best and the only place to achieve success in life in true sense of the term. Works CitedO’Brien, Barbara.

Buddhist scriptures - Buddhism - About.com, n. d. Web: http://buddhism.about.com/od/sacredbuddhisttexts/a/buddhist-scriptures.htm,Accessed on May 24, 2013