Buddhism by Sue Penney - Book Report/Review Example

Buddhism Introduction Buddhism is one of the world’s religions that believe in self-enlightenment or self-awakening. It does not believe in the existence of God but just human beings and animals. It began in India and has since spread all over the world with around 327 million followers worldwide with most of them in the Asian countries (Gyatso 6). Sue Penney, in her book, “Buddhism” gives a summarized recount of the origin and history of Buddhism, the various beliefs and teachings, the places where it is practiced and the Buddha festivals and ceremonies. I picked this specific book because it is written for children, thus is easy to read and comprehend and she makes it enjoyable for one who knows nothing about Buddhism to learn about the religion or practice. Summary of the book It is believed that Buddhism began 2500 years ago in modern day Nepal in India. The Buddha was born as Prince Siddartha to the then king (Penney 6). Eight wise men were then called to predict his future (Penney 6). All of them said he would be a great ruler but then if he endured any suffering, he would abandon the throne and become a great religious leader. For this reason, his father always kept him in the palace to keep him from witnessing any form of suffering that was embodied in death, old age, and diseases. However, he soon got tired of this life and decided to wander around the kingdom (Penney 8). On his rounds, for the first time in his life he saw an old man, a sick man and witnessed a funeral (Penney 8). These were things he had never seen, and they caused him to wonder why people would be subject to so much suffering. However, he also saw a monk who appeared to be happy and content, which drew him to this life (Penney 8). He made a decision to abandon his princely life, shaved his hair and began his journey of seeking a reason and a solution to human suffering. On his quest, he almost died in monasteries due to long meditation and fasting periods, which caused him to quit this life and embark on a journey on his own (Penney 9). His awakening happened under a fig tree where after a long focused meditation, he discovered the reason for suffering and the solution (Penney 10). This discovery illuminated him to the four noble truths, the triple jewel and the five precepts of Buddhism. He also learned that one should not have too little or too much of anything, but just enough to survive. This forms the basis of Buddha teachings and their practices. The lessons included four noble truths, which were Dukkha, Anicca, Anatta, and Nirvana. Dukkha is the belief that life is suffering. Thus, he taught how to get over the pain and suffering of life (Penney 12). Anicca is the idea that nothing lasts, and everything keeps changing, even life. Anatta, the belief that there is no eternal soul but humans are only made of body, feelings, thoughts, ideas and awareness. Nirvana is the achievement of peace by blowing out hatred, greed, anger and ignorance (Hanh 12). The Buddha taught on how to achieve Nirvana and to do so; he based his teachings on the triple jewel - Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The Buddha requires one to follow the ways of the Buddha and strive to be like him. The Dharma is the laws of Buddhism, and the Sangha refers to communal meditation. He taught his followers that the best way to live was to follow the Noble Eightfold Path whose primary teaching was on moderation, not to have too much or too little of anything. The eightfold path includes the Right Viewpoint, right thought, right actions, right speech, right living, right effort, right awareness, and right concentration. This way life would be peaceful (Penney 10). Just as any other religion, Buddhism also has a set of laws that determine right from wrong, and these are the five precepts of Buddhism. They include no killing, no lying, no stealing, no sexual misconduct and no intoxicants (Penney 23). The penalty for failing to comply with these laws is a bad after-life. Breaking these rules earns one a worse position in the next life, and you could be reincarnated into an insect (Hanh 28). As the religion spread all over Asia, it was adopted differently by the various communities, hence resulting two groups of Buddhism. They were the Theravada – teachings of the elders, and the Mahayana – the excellent vehicle. These two are based on the same foundation but differ slightly. Theravada is based on the belief that monks and nuns are best placed to achieve nirvana and that everyone should achieve enlightenment for themselves (Penney 40). On the other hand, Mahayana believes there are many different ways to achieve understanding, and there are many other Buddhas (Penney 42). The festivals and ceremonies of Buddhism are various depending on whether it is Theravada or Mahayana. The most common ones among the two groups include The Bodhi day – celebration of the enlightenment of Siddhartha, Vesak – Buddha’s birthday, Asalha or Dharma day –when Buddha gave his first teaching, Kathina – the Sangha day and Ulambana – when ghosts and ancestors revisit the living (Smritiharana). Modern day Buddhists believe that in order to achieve nirvana, many hours of meditation and moderation are required. They still follow the teachings of the Buddha in order to achieve enlightenment (Peto). Most practice yoga to meditate and be able to control their body and mind. Buddhists believe that every person is in control of their life, but not God. They believe in a life cycle system called samsara, where if you die while you have not achieved nirvana, you are reborn into something different (Gyatso 16). Good deeds are believed to give one a higher position in the next life while bad deeds make one become a something worse in the next life. Monks and Nuns still exist, and they meditate day and night while seeking to achieve greater enlightenment (Peto). Analysis Buddhism seems like it is more of a philosophy or practice other than a religion. This is because it does not believe in the existence of a supreme being who could have created human beings. It believes in self-existence just as scientists and metaphysics. It also does not stress the need to pray for a supreme being who controls the world happenings but believes in karma where whatever one does, has an effect that could be good or bad. This leaves some question marks as we do not know the origin of the Buddha or his parents. The history of the Buddha said that on his rounds around his father’s kingdom, he encountered a pious man but it does not tell us which religion this man practiced. Also, it does not explain the origin of various phenomena such as drought or rain. The force behind the self-awakening is also unknown. Due to such loopholes, many Buddhists tend to refute the fact that it is a religion and just define it as a journey of self-discovery and awareness. One interesting fact in Buddhism is the belief in reincarnation. That being good in this life earns one a better place in the next life while being bad earns you a worse place. This fact is yet to be proved, and those who have been reborn ought to come out. Just as most ancient beliefs that are passed on from one generation to another mostly by word of mouth, Buddhism has a lot of loopholes. However, I believe there is some truth in the practice. There is truth in the liberation associated with meditation as those who practice yoga have been able to attest to feeling a sense of enlightenment and relief from anxiety, discontent and also to feeling lighter and more peaceful afterwards. Two of the four noble truths, as taught by the Buddha of Dukkha and Anica, have also proved to be the facts of life because life indeed is full of suffering, and nothing lasts forever. The noble eightfold path has enabled Buddhists to coexist peacefully and be content with life. It teaches one to be mindful of others and ensure they promote peace, which is a commendable thing. The five precepts highlight all the things considered wrong by every other religion and condemn them. This way Buddhists have a common ground with other religion practitioners. Conclusion The book “Buddhism” by Sue Penney has given a real explanation of the practice. Her target audience happens to be children thus bearing this in mind; she has given quite an exceptional recount. She has explained the origin and history of Buddhism, the various teachings, beliefs and practices, the festivals and ceremonies as well as how modern day Buddhism is practiced. I would recommend the book to anyone who wants to find out about Buddhism in an easy and comprehensive manner. The questions left in my mind though are what religion did the Buddha’s people practice? Is there any living proof of reincarnation? And who controls Samsara or the cycle of life? If I were to do more research on the subject, I would work in the times before the Buddha’s awakening so I could find out the different religions that influenced him and his awakening. I would also research widely on reincarnation; try to establish if there is any living proof of reincarnation. The last thing I would like to know is who controls the cycle of life since they do not believe in the existence of God. Works Cited Gyatso, Geshe Kelsang. About Buddhism. nepal: Tharpa Publications, 2007. Hanh, Ven Thich Nhat. The heart of the Buddhas teachings. London: Broadway Books Publishers, 1999. Penney, Sue. Buddhism. Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1995. Peto, Alan. Budhism: Peaceful or Violent Religion. 18 March 2015. 25 April 2015 . Smritiharana, Arjuv. "Buddhist Holidays and festivals." The Forest Sangha Community journal (2013): 16-20. Read More