Buddhism:

Buddhism (also known as Buddha Dharma, "the teachings of the awakened one") is a religion, a practical philosophy, and arguably a psychology, focusing on the teachings of Gautama Buddha (Pali: Gotama Buddha), who lived on the Indian subcontinent most likely from the mid-6th to the early 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the subcontinent in the five centuries following the Buddha's passing, and propagated into Central, Southeast, and East Asia over the next two millennia. Today, Buddhism is divided primarily into three traditions: Theravada (Sanskrit: Sthaviravada), Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Buddhism continues to attract followers worldwide, and it is considered a major world religion. (...) Buddhism is the fourth-largest organised religion in the world.

When used in a generic sense, a Buddha is generally considered to be a person who discovers the true nature of reality through years of spiritual cultivation, investigation of the various religious practices of his time, and meditation. This transformational discovery is called bodhi - literally, "Awakening" (more commonly called "Enlightenment"). Any person who has become awakened from the "sleep of ignorance" by directly realizing the true nature of reality is called a Buddha. Sakyamuni is said to have been only the latest of many of these; there were other Buddhas before him and there will be others in the future. According to the Buddha, any person can follow his example and become enlightened through the study of his words "Dharma" and putting them into practice, by leading a virtuous, moral life, and purifying his mind. Concisely put, the aim of Buddhist practice is to put an end to the stress of existence.

"I teach one thing and one thing only: suffering and the end of suffering" (The Buddha).

To achieve this state (Nirvana), adherents train and purify the mind by following the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the Middle Way, eventually arriving at an understanding of the true nature of all things, thus ending (nirodha) all ignorance and unhappiness and attaining liberation: nirvana (Pali nibbana). Buddhist teaching encourages individuals to practice and verify Buddha's teachings based on their own personal experience, to question whether they are valid or not, and if so, to apply them in a practical form into their daily life if they so wish.

Doctrines:

Dependent Origination

The enlightenment (Bodhi) of the Buddha was his liberation from suffering and his insight into the nature of reality. The widely accepted doctrine of dependent origination states that any phenomenon ‘exists’ only because of the ‘existence’ of other phenomena in a complex web of cause and effect. For sentient beings, this amounts to a never-ending cycle of rebirth (samsara) according to the law of karma (Pali: kamma) and vipaka. Because all things are thus conditioned and transient (anitya, Pali anicca), they have no real, independent identity (anatman, Pali anatta) and so do not truly ‘exist’, although to untrained minds they do appear to exist. All phenomena are thus fundamentally insubstantial and empty (sunya'). Wise human beings, who possess "insight into the knowledge of how things are" ( Sanskrit yathabhutajñanadarsana), renounce attachment and clinging which cause suffering (Pali dukkha), transform the energy of desire into awareness and understanding, and eventually attain nirvana.

The Four Noble Truths

The Buddha taught that life was inherently suffering, that it is caused by craving, but that this condition was curable by following the Noble Eightfold Path . This teaching is called the Catvary Aryasatyani (Pali: Cattari Ariyasaccani), the "Four Noble Truths".

1 - Suffering: Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.

2 - The cause of suffering: The craving which leads to renewed existence (rebirth).

3 - The cessation of suffering: The cessation of craving.

4 - The way leading to the cessation of suffering: The Noble Eightfold Path;

The Four Noble Truths was the topic of the first sermon given by the Buddha after his enlightenment, which was given to the ascetics with whom he had practiced austerities.

The Four Noble Truths were originally spoken by Buddha, not in the form of a religious or philosophical text, but in the form of a common medical prescription of the time. Buddha also said that followers should use his teachings only if they help. He compared worrying about things such as an afterlife while suffering with a person who has been shot with an arrow to worrying about who made the arrow, rather than removing it. As such, there is a strong case for the Buddha's teachings being intended as psychological tools, to ease mental distress, rather than as esoteric teachings for the strongly religious. To attest to this, Buddhist meditation, in particular, is now being scientifically studied in the West, both in laboratory tests, and in real-world, hands-on psychiatry. Many long-term practicing Buddhists, for instance, have been shown to have physically different brain structure, in areas associated with profound joy or spiritual happiness. A possible fusion of Buddhism and psychology can be seen clearly in publications by psychiatrists and psychotherapists, such as Mark Epstein's book, Thoughts Without a Thinker.

Nirvana

Nirvana is the extinguishment of all desire; it is the realisation that the Self does not exist, and that human desires are empty. An enlightened Buddhist is able to act in this world with complete detachment (without desire), and their actions have no karma. A Buddhist who has attained Nirvana has escaped the world of cause-and-effect (they are free from the cycle of birth and rebirth). Nirvana is neither positive nor negative. It is just the truth. The realisation of Nirvana is a happy experience (but not the sensation of joy). The happiness of Nirvana is the true joy of having realised the ultimate truth; the bliss of escaping the endless chain of cause-and-effect. Nirvana is fully realised at death, but can be experienced before death.

There are four stages in the Buddhist life:

1. The “Stream-Entrant” (novice) only catches a glimpse of Nirvana in the teaching of the Buddha.
2. The “Once-Returner” is destined to be reborn into this physical world once more before experiencing full Nirvana.
3. The “Never-Returner” has an even deeper knowledge of Nirvana and is assured that they will not be reborn.
4. The “Worthy-One” (Arhat) is completely pure and free from desire. That person has experienced Nirvana and will know it fully at death, when all matter, sensations, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness will disappear forever.

The Noble Eightfold Path

According to Buddha Shakyamuni, if a person does not follow the goal of Total Realization, one lives one's life like a preoccupied child playing with toys in a house that is burning to the ground.

The Noble Eightfold Path is the way to the cessation of suffering, the fourth part of the Four Noble Truths. In order to fully understand the noble truths and investigate whether they were in fact true, Buddha recommended that a certain path be followed which consists of:

Right View - Realizing the Four Noble Truths
Right Intention - Commitment to mental and ethical growth in moderation
Right Speech - One speaks in a non hurtful, not exaggerated, truthful way
Right Action - Wholesome action, avoiding action that would hurt others
Right Livelihood - One's job does not harm in any way oneself or others; directly or indirectly (weapon maker, drug dealer, etc.)
Right Effort - One makes an effort to improve oneself
Right Mindfulness - Mental ability to see things for what they are with clear consciousness
Right Concentration - State where one reaches enlightenment and the ego has disappeared (...)

There are a number of ways to interpret the Eightfold Path. On one hand, the Eightfold Path is spoken of as being a progressive series of stages through which the practitioner moves, the culmination of one leading to the beginning of another, whereas others see the states of the 'Path' as requiring simultaneous development. It is also common to categorise the Eightfold Path into prajña (Pali pañña, wisdom), sila (Pali sila, virtuous behaviour) and samadhi (concentration).

Bodhi

Bodhi (Pali and Sanskrit. Lit. awakening) is a title given in Buddhism to the specific awakening experience attained by Buddha. Bodhi is most commonly translated into English as enlightenment, however, a more accurate translation is awakening or understanding. After attainment of Bodhi, it is believed one is freed from the cycle of samsara: birth, suffering, death and rebirth. Bodhi is attained only by the accomplishment of the paramitas (perfections), when the Four Noble Truths are fully grasped, and when all karma has reached cessation. At this moment, all greed (lobha), hatred (Pali dosa), delusion (moha), ignorance (avidya, Pali avijja)), craving ( Pali tanha) and false belief in self (atman, Pali atta) are extinguished. Bodhi thus includes anatman (Pali anatta), the absence of ego-centeredness. All schools of Buddhism recognise three types of Bodhi. They are Sravakabodhi (Pali: Savakabodhi), Pratyekabodhi (Pali: Paccekabodhi) and Samyaksambodhi (Pali: Sammasambodhi), the perfect enlightenment by which a Bodhisattva becomes a fully enlightened Buddha. The aspiration to attain the state of samyaksambodhi, known as the Bodhisattva ideal, is considered as the highest ideal of Buddhism.

Karma

In a discourse (A.N. VI.63 Nibbedhika Sutta) the Buddha said :

“Intention, monks, is karma I say. Having willed, one acts through body, speech and mind”.

According to the Buddha the moral order rests on each individual and not on any divine being:

"Owners of their own Karma, O young man, are living beings heirs of their Karma, have karma as the wombs from which they spring, having Karma as their refuge. Karma marks of living being, making them become depraved and excellent."

In Buddhism, Karma has a specific meaning quite different from other teachings. Karma means action derived from mental intent or volition and its result (vipaka) or its effect upon the doer of that volitional deed (be that deed one of thought, word or physical action).

Middle Way

The primarily guiding principle of Buddhist practice is the Middle Way which was discovered by Gautama Buddha prior to his enlightenment (bodhi). The Middle Way or Middle Path is often described as the practice of non-extremism; a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and opposing self-mortification. (...)

Refuge in The Three Jewels

Acknowledging the Four Noble Truths and making the first step in The Noble Eightfold Path requires taking refuge, as the foundation of one's religious practice, in Buddhism's Three Jewels (also called Three Treasures, Triple Gem, Triratna or Ratna-traya (Sanskrit), Tiratana (Pali). The Buddha who chooses the Bodhisattva-path makes a vow/pledge. This is considered the ultimate expression of compassion.

The Three Jewels are:

The Buddha: The Awakened One. This is a title for those who attained enlightenment similar to Buddha and helped others to attain it. See also the Tathagata and Sakyamuni Buddha.

The Dharma: The teachings or law as expounded by the Buddha. Dharma also means the law of nature based on behavior of a person and its consequences to be experienced (action and reaction).

The Sangha: This term literally means "group" or "congregation," but when it is used in Buddhist teaching the word refers to one of two very specific kinds of groups: either the community of Buddhist monastics (bhikkhus and bhikkhunis), or the community of people who have attained at least the first stage of Awakening (Sotapanna (pali) - one who has entered the stream to enlightenment).

The Buddha presented himself as a model and beseeched his followers to have faith (sraddha, Pali saddha) in his example of a human who escaped the pain and danger of existence. The Dharma, that is, the teaching of Buddha, offers a refuge by providing guidelines for the alleviation of suffering and the attainment of enlightenment. The Sangha, in this sense meaning the group of Buddhists possessing at least some degree of enlightenment, provides a refuge by preserving the authentic teachings of the Buddha and providing further examples that the truth of the Buddha's teachings is attainable. As Buddhism migrated to the West, a new usage of the word has emerged: the usage of the word "sangha" to describe a meditation group or any sort of spiritual community.

Many Buddhists believe that there is no otherworldly salvation from one's karma. The suffering caused by the karmic effects of previous thoughts, words and deeds can be alleviated by following the Noble Eightfold Path, although the Buddha of some Mahayana sutras, such as the Lotus Sutra, the Angulimaliya Sutra and the Nirvana Sutra, also teaches that powerful sutras such as the above-named can, through the very act of their being heard or recited, wipe out great swathes of negative karma.

Prajña (Wisdom)

Prajña (Sanskrit) or pañña (Pali) means wisdom that is based on a realization of dependent origination, The Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path. Prajña is the wisdom that is able to extinguish afflictions and bring about bodhi. It is spoken of as the principal means, by its enlightenment, of attaining nirvana, through its revelation of the true nature of all things. Prajña is also listed as the sixth of the six paramitas.

Initially, prajña is attained at a conceptual level by means of listening to sermons (dharma talks), reading and sometimes reciting Buddhist texts and engaging in discourse. Gautama Buddha taught dharma to his disciples mainly through the mean of discourse or sermon, many attaining bodhi upon hearing Buddha's discourse. Once the conceptual understanding is attained, it is applied to daily life so that each Buddhist can verify the truth of the Buddha's teaching at a practical level. Lastly, one engages in insight (vipassana, Sanskrit vipasyana) meditation to attain such wisdom at intuitive level. It should be noted that one could theoretically attain bodhi at any point of practice, while listening to a sermon, while conducting business of daily life or while in meditation.

Sila (Virtuous Behaviour)

Sila (Sanskrit) or sila (Pali) is usually rendered into English as "behavioral discipline", "morality", or ethics. It is often translated as "precept". It is an action that is an intentional effort. It is one of the three practices and the second paramita: moral purity of thought, word, and deed. The four conditions of sila are chastity, calmness, quiet, and extinguishment, i.e. no longer being susceptible to perturbation by the passions.

In Buddhism, the 'Law of karma' is used as an ethical principle, rather than a cosmological explanation for the world. Buddhism distinguishes samsaric happiness (birth in the high realms), from the final state of enlightenment: nirvana; so likewise there is samsaric good karma, which leads to the high realms (such as the human realm), and then there is liberating karma - which is supremely good.

Therefore the major dichotomy is sa?saric karma and liberating karma, of which the former is typically divided into the three: good, neutral, and bad (in accordance with the degree of samsaric happiness or suffering that will mature as a consequence). Likewise, liberating karma is divided into three, as there are three types of Buddha into which it may mature.

It is important to distinguish between sila (moral) and Vinaya (monastic code). Sila refers to overall principles of ethical behaviour while vinaya is a collection of monastic code. For this reason, vinaya is applicable to monks and nuns while sila is applicable to all Buddhists, both laypeople and sa?gha members. Lay Buddhists generally undertake at least one of the five precepts (pañcasila) which are common to all Buddhist schools. The Five Precepts are not given in the form of commands such as "thou shalt not ...", but are training rules in order to live a better life in which one can meditate well.

To refrain from taking life.
To refrain from taking that which is not freely given (stealing).
To refrain from sensual misconduct (improper sexual behavior, gluttony etc.)
To refrain from incorrect speech (lying, harsh language, slander, idle chit-chat).
To refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness.

The content of vinaya differs slightly according to different scriptures, and different schools set different standards for the degree of adherence to vinaya. Serious lay people or aspiring monks take an additional three to five ethical precepts. In Vinaya, some of the five precepts are strengthened for monks. For example, the precept pertaining to sexual misconduct becomes a precept of celibacy. In Mahayana Buddhism, there is also a distinctive Vinaya and ethics contained within the Mahayana Brahmajala Sutra (not to be confused with the Pali text of that name) for Bodhisattvas, where, for example, the eating of meat is frowned upon and vegetarianism is actively encouraged (vegetarianism in Buddhism).

Samadhi/Bhavana (Meditative Cultivation)

In the language of the Noble Eightfold Path, samyaksamadhi is "right concentration". The primary means of cultivating samadhi is meditation. Almost all Buddhist schools agree that the Buddha taught two types of meditation, viz. samatha meditation (Sanskrit: samatha) and vipassana meditation (Sanskrit: vipasyana). Upon development of samadhi, one's mind becomes purified of defilement, calm, tranquil, and luminous. Once the meditator achieves a strong and powerful concentration (jhana, Sanskrit dhyana), his mind is ready to penetrate and gain insight (vipassana) into the ultimate nature of reality, eventually obtaining release from all suffering. The cultivation of mindfulness is essential to mental concentration, which is needed to achieve insight.

Samatha Meditation starts from being mindful to an object or idea, which is expanded to one's body, mind and entire surroundings, leading to a state of total concentration and tranquility (jhana) There are many variations in the style of meditation, from sitting cross-legged or kneeling to chanting or walking. The most common method of meditation is to concentrate on one's breath, because this practice can lead to both samatha and vipassana. In Buddhist practice, it is said that while samatha meditation can calm the mind, only vipassana meditation can reveal how the mind was disturbed to start with, which is what leads to jñana (Pali ñana knowledge) vijñana (Pali viññana awareness), prajña (Pali pañña pure understanding) and thus can lead to nirvana (Pali nibbana).

(Source : wikipedia)

Buddhist Quotes:

- Master Hsuan-Hua:

"In stillness, contemplate all things: how their glory fades by itself."

"If we understand, we can let things go."

"When we reach the point of not wanting anything, everything will be ours."

"Break through all attachments."

"Return to nothingness. Be clear and lucid at all times."

"Expand the measure of your mind."

"Everything is made from the mind alone."

"Everything is a test to see what you will do. If you don't recognize what's before you, you will have to start anew."

"If you cannot give up what is false, you will not accomplish what is true."

"Truly acknowledge your onw faults. Others' faults are just your own. Being one with everyone is called Great Compassion."

"In every move, in every word and deed, you have to go towards the true. Be as true as you can be."

"With Great Compassion, save everyone. Spare no blood or sweat and never pause to rest."

"Everything we say should be to help people change their evil and become good, purify their thoughts, understand their minds and see their natures, we shouldn't just talk empty, impractical words."

"Everyone must examine his or her own faults and earnestly correct the mistakes of the past. Truly recognize your past upside-down behavior and unprincipled practices. Be honest. Forget about yourself."

"The affairs of the world are impermanent; don't be attached to them."

"With Great Compassion, regard everything as equal. Universally gather in all sentient beings."

"In Buddhism, one has no enemies. No matter how harmful someone is towards you, you must bear it. (...) In Buddhism, all living beings are viewed with compassion."

"People who are greedy are never happy. If they are not greedy, they will be happy."

"When one reaches the place of no seeking, one has no worries."

"If you seek nothing, then that is true happiness. That is the true calm and peace of your own nature."

"You look outside for happiness, seeking happiness from morning to night. If you obtain it, it is only a temporary happiness. If you fail to obtain it, then you will have all kinds of affliction. You are insatiably greedy, and you both hope to obtain it and worry about losing it after you obtain it. This is not true happiness. True happiness is free of seeking."

"If you can benefit people and make them happy, then no matter where you go, everyone will be influenced by your example."

"The world's people have given their lives over the pursuit of money. People are all cheating each other. Every country lacks people who have no desire for money and are committed to servicing others."

"We should expand our vision and broaden our views. We should not only know about ourselves, or be aware only of our own family, or know only about our country's existence. We have to expand the measure of our mind. (...) We should think in behalf of mankind, not just scheme for our own sakes. To benefit mankind an not harm mankind: this is the fundamental requirement for cultivating the Buddha path."

- His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama:

"What is the meaning of life? To be happy and useful."

"My religion is compassion."

"It is critical to serve others, to contribute actively to others' well-being. I often tell practitioners that they should adopt the following principles: regarding one's own personal needs, there should be as little involvement or obligation as possible. But regarding service to others, there should be as many involvements and obligations as possible. This should be the ideal of a spiritual person."

"Our highest duty as human beings is to search out a means whereby beings may be freed from all kinds of suffering or unsatisfactory experience."

"The detached man has no life-long enemies to overcome, nor anxiety lest he fail to favor relatives or those in authority, nor yet the anguish or defeat. None of the eight worldly conditions - gain, loss, dishonor, honor, blame, praise and happiness or misery - can ruffle such a man."

"We are visitors on this planet. We are here for a ninety, a hundred years at the very most. During that period, we must try to do something good, something useful with our lives. Try to be at peace with yourself and help others share that peace. If you contribute to others' happiness, you will find the true goal, the meaning of life."

"From the Buddhist point of view, the minds of ordinary people are weak and distorted because of the delusions and emotional afflictions they carry within. As a result, they are unable to see things as they actually exists; what they see is a vision that is twisted and defined by their own emotional neuroses and preconceptions. The purpose of Buddhism is to remove these distortions from the mind and thus facilitate valid perception. As long as we have not uprooted our delusions, our perception remains tainted; when we eradicate them, we enter a state of always seeing reality as it is. Then because our mind abides in perfect wisdom and liberation, our body and speech automatically course in wholesome ways. This benefits not only us but also others, in both this life and those that follow."

"If you try to subdue your selfish motives - anger and so forth - and you develop more kindness and compassion for others, ultimately you yourself will benefit more than you would otherwise. So sometimes I say that the wise selfish person should practice this way. Foolish selfish people are always thinking of themselves, and the result is negative. Wise selfish people think of others, help others as much as they can, and the results is that they too receive benefits."

"Naturally, most of us would like to die a peaceful death, but it is also clear that we cannot hope to die peacefully if our lives have been full of violence, or if our minds have mostly been agitated by emotions, like anger, attachment, or fear. So if we wish to die well, we must learn how to live well: hoping for a peaceful death, we must cultivate peace in our mind, and in our way of life."

- Shantideva:

"Whatever joy there is in the world
All comes from desiring others to be happy,
And whatever suffering there is in the world
All comes from desiring myself to be happy."

- To read Buddhist Sutras (Sacred Texts) in English, please click here. Complete versions.

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