Theravada Buddhism PDF

THERAVADA Buddhism ST. MARK  THERAVADA BUDDHISM AT GLANCE  I. Theravada Buddhism at Glance Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on a personal spiritual development and the attainment of deep insight into the true nature of life. There are 376 million followers of B...

THERAVADA Buddhism ST. MARK  THERAVADA BUDDHISM AT GLANCE  I. Theravada Buddhism at Glance Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on a personal spiritual development and the attainment of deep insight into the true nature of life. There are 376 million followers of Buddhism worldwide who were largely influenced by the teachings of their acknowledged founder. The history of Buddhism revolves around the story of one man’s spiritual journey to enlightenment and of the teachings and ways of living that developed from it. SIDDHARTA GAUTAMA - THE BUDDHA  II. Siddharta Gautama- The Buddha The word Buddha is a title, which means ‘one who is awake’ — in the sense of having ‘woken up to reality’. The Buddha was born as Siddhartha Gautama in Nepal around 2,500 years ago. He did not claim to be a god or a prophet. He was a human being who became Enlightened at the age of 35. He was born into a royal family in the village of Lumbini in present-day Nepal, and his privileged life insulated him from the sufferings of life; sufferings such as sickness, age and death. Opinions differ as to the dates of Siddhartha Gautama's life. Historians have dated his birth and death as circa 566-486 BCE but more recent research suggests that he lived later than this, from around 490 BCE until circa 410 BCE.  II. Siddharta Gautama- The Buddha Opinions differ as to the dates of Siddhartha Gautama's life. Historians have dated his birth and death as circa 566-486 BCE but more recent research suggests that he lived later than this, from around 490 BCE until circa 410 BCE. He was born into a royal family in the village of Lumbini in present-day Nepal, and his privileged life insulated him from the sufferings of life; sufferings such as sickness, age and death.  II. Siddharta Gautama- The Buddha One day, after growing up, marrying and having a child, Siddhartha went Siddhartha followed this life of extreme asceticism for six years, outside the royal enclosure where he lived. When he went outside he but this did not satisfy him either; he still had not escaped from saw, each for the first time, an old man, a sick man, and a corpse. the world of suffering. This greatly disturbed him, and he learned that sickness, age, and death He abandoned the strict lifestyle of self-denial and ascetism, but were the inevitable fate of human beings - a fate no-one could avoid. did not return to the pampered luxury of his early life. Siddhartha had also seen a monk, and he decided this was a sign that he Instead, he pursued the Middle Way, which is just what it sounds should leave his protected royal life and live as a homeless holy man. like; neither luxury nor poverty. Siddhartha's travels showed him much more of the the suffering of the Tall tree with flags decorating its branches. Visitors walk past and world. He searched for a way to escape the inevitability of death, old age Buddhists sit in the louts position beneath it Bodhi tree next to and pain first by studying with religious men. Mahabodhi temple, the spot where Buddha achieved enlightenment. This didn't provide him with an answer. One day, seated beneath the Bodhi tree (the tree of awakening) Siddhartha encountered an Indian ascetic who encouraged him to follow Siddhartha became deeply absorbed in meditation, and reflected on a life of extreme self-denial and discipline. his experience of life, determined to penetrate its truth. The Buddha also practised meditation but concluded that in themselves, He finally achieved Enlightenment and became the Buddha. The the highest meditative states were not enough. Mahabodhi Temple at the site of Buddha's enlightenment, is now a pilgrimage site.  II. Siddharta Gautama- The Buddha Mahabodhi Temple Bodhi Tree  II. Siddharta Gautama- The Buddha Buddhist legend tells that at first the Buddha was happy to dwell within this state, but Brahma, king of the gods, asked, on behalf of the whole world, that he should share his understanding with others. Buddha set in motion the wheel of teaching: rather than worshipping one god or gods, Buddhism centres around the timeless importance of the teaching, or the dharma. For the next 45 years of his life the Buddha taught many disciples, who became Arahants or 'noble ones', who had attained Enlightenment for themselves. THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS  III. The Four Noble Truths 1.THE TRUTH OF SUFFERING 2. THE TRUTH OF THE ORIGIN OF (DUKKHA) SUFFERING (SAMUDAYA) - Obvious kinds of suffering correspond to the first three sights the Buddha saw on his first journey - The Buddha taught that the root of all outside his palace: old age, sickness and death. sufferings is desire or tanha. 3 TYPES OF SUFFERING 3 ROOTS OF EVIL Dukkha-Dukkhata - suffering referring to ordinary physical and mental suffering Viparinama-Dukkha Greed and desire- represented in art by a rooster - suffering causes by change Ignorance and delusion- represented by a pig Samkhara-Dukkha Hatred and destructive urges- represented by a snake - suffering due to attachment to the formation of things based on conditions.  III. The Four Noble Truths 3. THE TRUTH OF THE CESSATION OF 4. THE TRUTH OF THE PATH TO THE SUFFERING (NIRODHA) CESSATION OF SUFFERING KNOWN The Buddha taught that the way to AS THE EIGHT-FOLD PATH (MAGGA) extinguish desire, which causes The path is a process to help a person suffering, is to liberate remove or move beyond the conditioned oneself from attachment. responses  The Buddha was a living example that that obscure his true nature. this is possible in human lifetime. In this sense the path is ultimately about unlearning rather than learning. THE EIGHT-FOLD PATH  IV. The Eight-fold Path 1. Samma-Ditthi (Complete or Perfect Vision) - It is translated as right view. - It is the vision of the nature of reality and the path of transformation. 2. Samma-Sankappa (Perfected Emotion of Aspiration) - It is translated as right intention. - It liberates emotional intelligence in life and acting from love and compassion  IV. The Eight-fold Path 3. Samma-Vaca (Perfected or Whole speech) - It is translated as right speech. - It is clear, truthful, uplifting and non-harmful communication. 4. Samma-Kammanta (Integral Action) - It is translated as right action. - It is an ethical foundation for life based on the principle of oneself and others.  IV. The Eight-fold Path 5. Samma-Ajiva (Proper Livelihood) – It is translated as right livelihood. – This is a livelihood based on correct action. This is the basis of an ideal society. 6. Samma-Vayama (Complete or Full Effort, Energy and Vitality) – It is translated as right effort. – It means consciously directing one-life energy to the transformative path of creative healing actions that fosters wholeness.  IV. The Eight-fold Path 7. Samma-Sati (Complete or Thorough Awareness) – It is translated asright mindfulness. – It is developing awareness that ‘if you hold yourself dear, watch yourself well”. 8. Samma-Samadhi (Full, Integral, or Holistic Samadhi) – It is translated as right concentration. – This could mean being focused which means that the mind is fixed on a single object at a given time. THE MIDDLE WAY  V. The Middle Way It is considered the It is avoiding the ultimate solution to man’s extremities of life, and suffering and therefore one should live a life of leads him to the It is a life that is neither moderation. attainment of Nirvana. in extreme luxury nor in extreme poverty. KEY CONCEPTS OF BUDDHISM  VI. Key Concepts of Buddhism 1. CONCEPT OF NIRVANA It is a state of enlightenment which means that a person’s individual desires and sufferings are extinguished.  VI. Key Concepts of Buddhism 2. CONCEPT OF MORALITY Grounded in the aim of reducing suffering for oneself and others, cultivating compassion, and developing a peaceful mind.  VI. Key Concepts of Buddhism 3. CONCEPT OF KARMA It explains that a person’s actions affect him/her, either positively or negatively, and his/her present actions will affect him/her in the future.  VI. Key Concepts of Buddhism 4. CONCEPT OF THE GREAT TRAGEDY OF EXISTENCE The great tragedy of existence is that it is both endless and subject to impermanence, suffering and uncertainty These three are called tilakhana or three signs of existence. Only achieving liberation or Nirvana can free a human being from the cycle of o life, death and rebirth.  VI. Key Concepts of Buddhism 5. CONCEPT ON THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE Buddhism has no creator god to explain the origin of the universe. It teaches that everything depends on everything else- present events are caused by past events and become the cause of future events. Indian Religions often see space and time as cyclical, such that world systems come into being, survive for a time, are destroyed and then are remade. In Buddhism, this happens naturally without the intervention of gods. One tale told by the Buddha in the AgannaSutta describes the process of recreation on the grand scale.  VI. Key Concepts of Buddhism 5. CONCEPT ON THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE An old world system has just been destroyed, and its inhabitants are reborn in a o new system. To begin with, they are spirits, floating happily above the earth, luminescent and o without form, name or sex. In early stages, there is no light or land, only water. Eventually, earth appears and the spirits came to taste and enjoy it. Their greediness caused their eternal bodies to become solid and coarse and o differentiate into male and female, good- looking and ugly. As they lose their luminescence the sun and moon came into being. Gradually, the beings fall into further wicked habits, causing themselves and the o earth itself to become less pleasant. In this way, the Buddha seems to be saying that desire, greed and attachment not o only cause suffering for people but also caused the world to be as it is. The physical world, according to the Buddha, with all its imperfections and o sufferings is the product of what he called dependent origination. THE END Thank you!