Buddhist-Philosophy

Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy?

2011-05-02T05:56:00.000-07:00

The Buddha referred to his teachings simply as Dhamma-vinaya "the doctrine and discipline" but for centuries people have tried to categorize the teachings in various ways, trying to fit them into the prevailing molds of cultural, philosophical, and religious thought. Buddhism is an ethical system a way of life that leads to a very specific goal and that possesses some aspects of both religion and philosophy:

It is a philosophy.

Like most philosophies, Buddhism attempts to frame the complexities of human existence in a way that reassures us that there is, in fact, some underlying order to the Universe. In the Four Noble Truths the Buddha crisply summarizes our predicament: there is suffering, it has a cause, it has an end, and there is a way to reach the end. The teachings on kamma provide a thorough and logically self-consistent description of the nature of cause-and-effect. And even the Buddhist view of cosmology, which some may at first find farfetched, is a logical extension of the law of kamma. According to the Dhamma, a deep and unshakable logic pervades the world.

It is not a philosophy.

Unlike most philosophical systems, which rely on speculation and the power of reason to arrive at logical truths, Buddhism relies on the direct observation of one's personal experience and on honing certain skills in order to gain true understanding and wisdom. Idle speculation has no place in Buddhist practice. Although studying in the classroom, reading books, and engaging in spirited debate can play a vital part in developing a cognitive understanding of basic Buddhist concepts, the heart of Buddhism can never be realized this way. The Dhamma is not an abstract system of thought designed to delight the intellect; it is a roadmap to be used, one whose essential purpose is to lead the practitioner to the ultimate goal, nibbana.

It is a religion.

At the heart of each of the world's great religions lies a transcendent ideal around which its doctrinal principles orbit. In Buddhism this truth is nibbana, the hallmark of the cessation of suffering and stress, a truth of utter transcendence that stands in singular distinction from anything we might encounter in our ordinary sensory experience. Nibbana is the sine qua non of Buddhism, the guiding star and ultimate goal towards which all the Buddha's teachings point. Because it aims at such a lofty transcendent ideal, we might fairly call Buddhism a religion.

It is not a religion.

In stark contrast to the world's other major religions, however, Buddhism invokes no divinity, no supreme Creator or supreme Self, no Holy Spirit or omniscient loving God to whom we might appeal for salvation.[1] Instead, Buddhism calls for us to hoist ourselves up by our own bootstraps: to develop the discernment we need to distinguish between those qualities within us that are unwholesome and those that are truly noble and good, and to learn how to nourish the good ones and expunge the bad. This is the path to Buddhism's highest perfection, nibbana. Not even the Buddha can take you to that goal; you alone must do the work necessary to complete the journey:

"Therefore, Ananda, be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves, seeking no external refuge; with the Dhamma as your island, the Dhamma as your refuge, seeking no other refuge।"— DN 16

Despite its non-theistic nature, however, Buddhist practice does call for a certain kind of faith. It is not blind faith, an uncritical acceptance of the Buddha's word as transmitted through scripture. Instead it is saddha, a confidence born of taking refuge in the Triple Gem; it is a willingness to trust that the Dhamma, when practiced diligently, will lead to the rewards promised by the Buddha. Saddha is a provisional acceptance of the teachings, that is ever subject to critical evaluation during the course of one's practice, and which must be balanced by one's growing powers of discernment. For many Buddhists, this faith is expressed and reinforced through traditional devotional practices, such as bowing before a Buddha statue and reciting passages from the early Pali texts. Despite a superficial resemblance to the rites of many theistic religions, however, these activities are neither prayers nor pleas for salvation directed towards a transcendent Other. They are instead useful and inspiring gestures of humility and respect for the profound nobility and worth of the Triple Gem.

According to Buddhist cosmology, every living being dwells in one of thirty-one distinct "planes," of which our familiar human plane is but one. Some of these realms are home to beings (the devas) with unusual powers and extraordinarily subtle and refined physical bodies — or even no body at all. Their god-like status is, however, short-lived; like all living beings, they are mortal and ultimately subject to death and rebirth in other planes according to the purity and skillfulness of their actions (kamma). One of these devas, the Great Brahma, is so clouded by his own delusion that he believes himself to be the all-powerful, all-seeing creator of the universe (see DN 11).

Science and Buddhism

2010-12-21T20:37:00.000-08:00

Science and Buddhism:
A Meeting or a Parting?
Bhikkhu P. A. Payutto

To talk of Buddhism we must first talk about its origins. I have suggested that the origin of religion was the fear of danger, but this is not true of Buddhism, which arose from the fear of suffering. Please note this distinction. Dealing with the origins of religion we talk about danger, but when dealing with Buddhism we talk about suffering, which has a more specific meaning. The fear of danger has its object in external factors, such as floods, earthquakes, and so on, but suffering includes all the problems experienced in life, including those within the mind.

What is suffering? Suffering is the condition of stress and conflict inherent within the human predicament. Simply speaking, suffering (dukkha) is difficulty (pañha), because difficulty is what causes stress and conflict.

In the religious quest for protection from danger, people saw that in human society events were caused by human agents. They thought that there must be someone directing things in the natural world also, and so religions proposed God, a "someone," a supernatural source for all natural events. Applying the human social model to the forces behind nature, they came up with God. This is why some contemporary psychologists, reversing a well-known Christian teaching, have said that mankind created God in his own image. Mankind reasoned that it was necessary to appease the God, just as for an earthly leader, and this gave rise to various techniques and ceremonies for paying homage to the deity.
The essential factor in determining events in the world, according to these ancient religions, was the will of God.
The factor which tied humanity to god or the supernatural was faith.
That faith was demonstrated through sacrifices, prayers, and ceremonies.

So we have an overall picture here of a director of events -- the will of God; we have the human connection -- faith; and we have the method of interaction -- sacrifices, prayers and ceremonies. This is the general picture of the role of faith in most religions.

Now, let's see how these factors relate when it comes to Buddhism. As I have mentioned, Buddhism is based on the desire to be free of suffering. To be free of suffering, you must have a method. To know the method, you have to look at the source of suffering. Whereas other religions taught that the source of danger was in supernatural forces, Buddhism says that the source of suffering is a natural process which must be understood.

Suffering has an origin which is subject to the natural processes of cause and effect. Not knowing or understanding this natural cause and effect process is the cause of suffering. Buddhism delves into the origin of suffering by encouraging keen investigation of this law of cause and effect, or Law of Nature.

At this point we have arrived at the source of Buddhism. Just now I said that the origin of other religions was the awareness of danger, the origin of danger in turn being the will of God or supernatural forces; but the source of Buddhism is the awareness of suffering, and the origin of suffering is ignorance of the Law of Nature.

Now we come to redressing the problem. When ignorance of the Law of Nature is the cause, the remedy is its exact opposite, and that is knowledge and understanding of it, which we call wisdom. Up until the emergence of Buddhism, religions had relied on faith as the connection between human beings and the source of danger. Buddhism shifted the human connection from faith to wisdom, and this is a salient characteristic of Buddhism. According to Buddhism, human beings must know and understand the process of cause and effect, and treat problems according to such knowledge.

Finally,[*] the work of correcting the factors involved in the creation of suffering is a human responsibility, and lies within human potential. Responsibility for solving the problem has shifted from the will of God to human endeavor.

Three points are highly significant:

1. Theistic religions concern themselves with the source of danger, which is said to be God (or divine), but Buddhism concerns itself with the source of suffering, which is said to be ignorance.

2. The tie to this source in theistic religions is faith, but in Buddhism it is wisdom.

3. The director of results in theistic religions is a divine or supernatural power, but in Buddhism this responsibility has been placed back into human hands, with the emphasis on human action.

The emphasis in Buddhism shifts from faith to wisdom, and this is a revolutionary change. Such wisdom begins with the desire to know, or the desire for knowledge -- before there can be wisdom, there must be an aspiration for it. But this aspiration differs from the aspiration for knowledge in science, as I will presently point out.

Another important shift in emphasis in Buddhism is from the directives of a deity to human endeavor. This is one of Buddhism's cornerstones. No matter where Buddhism spreads to, or how distorted the teaching becomes, this emphasis on human endeavor never varies. If this one principle is missing, then we can confidently say that it is no longer Buddhism.

The principle of human endeavor is expressed in Buddhist circles as the law of kamma. People may misunderstand kamma, there may be many misconceptions about it, even within the Buddhist world, but no matter how the teachings of Buddhism may vary from place to place and time to time, kamma always deals with human endeavor.

Buddhism's combination of adherence to the Law of Nature, proclaiming man's independence, and putting wisdom to the fore instead of faith, is a unique event in the history of religion. It has even caused some Western scholars to wonder whether Buddhism is a religion at all, and Western books on Buddhism often state that Buddhism is not a religion.

Summarizing, we have these three important principles:

1. a Law of Nature
2. proclaiming man's independence
3. replacing faith with wisdom
The natural religions: understanding nature through wisdom

I would like to describe here some of the basic characteristics of Buddhism. Firstly I would like to present some of the teachings from the Buddha himself, and then expand on them to see how they relate to science.

1. Adherence to the Law of Nature: Truth is the Law of Nature, something which naturally exists. The Buddha was the one who discovered this truth. At funerals, Buddhist monks chant a Sutta called the Dhammaniyama Sutta. The meaning of this Sutta is that the truth of nature exists as a normal condition, whether a Buddha arises or not.

What is this Law of Nature? The monks chant uppada va bhikkhave tathagatanam, anuppada va tathagatanam: "Whether Buddhas arise or not, it is a natural, unchanging truth that all compounded things are unenduring, stressful, and not-self." [Dhammaniyama or Uppada Sutta, A.I. 286]

Unenduring (anicca) means that compounded things are constantly being born and dying, arising and passing away.

Stressful (dukkha) means that they are constantly being conditioned by conflicting and opposing forces, they are unable to maintain any constancy.

Not-self (anatta) means that they are not a self or intrinsic entity, they merely follow supporting factors. Any form they take is entirely at the direction of supporting factors. This is the principle of conditioned arising, the most basic level of truth.

The Buddha was enlightened to these truths, after which he declared and explained them. This is how the chant goes. This first principle is a very important one, the basis of Buddhism. Buddhism regards these natural laws as fundamental truths.

2. The interrelation and interdependence of all things: Buddhism teaches the Law of Dependent Origination. In brief, the law states:
Imasmim sati idam hoti

Imassuppada idam uppajjati
Imasmim asati idam na hoti

Imassa nirodha idam nirujjhati

Which means:

When there is this, this is; when this is not, neither is this.
Because this arises, so does this; because this ceases, so does this. [As in the Natumha Sutta, S.II. 64-5]

This is a truth, a natural law. It is the natural law of cause and effect on its most basic level.

It is worth noting that Buddhism prefers to use the words "causes and conditions" rather than "cause and effect." Cause and effect refers to a specific and linear relationship. In Buddhism it is believed that results do not arise simply from a cause alone, but also from numerous supporting factors. When the conditions are ready, then the result follows. For example, suppose we plant a mango seed and a mango tree sprouts. The mango tree is the fruit (effect), but what is the cause of that mango tree? You might say the seed is the cause, but if there were only the seed, the tree couldn't grow. Many other factors are needed, such as earth, water, oxygen, suitable temperature, fertilizer and so on. Only when factors are right can the result arise. This principle explains why some people, even when they feel that they have created the causes, do not receive the results they expected. They must ask themselves whether they have also created the conditions.

Note also that this causal relationship does not necessarily proceed in a linear direction. We tend to think of these things as following on one from the other -- one thing arises first, and then the result arises afterwards. But it doesn't necessarily have to function in that way. Suppose we had a blackboard and I took some chalk and wrote on it the letters A, B, and C. The letters that appear on the blackboard are a result, but what is their cause? We might answer "a person," but we might also answer "chalk." No matter which factor we take to be the cause, it alone cannot give rise to the result. To achieve a letter "A" on a blackboard there must be a confluence of many factors -- a writer, chalk, a blackboard of a color that contrasts with the color of the chalk, a suitable temperature, the surface must be free of excess moisture -- so many things have to be just right, and these are all factors in the generation of the result.

Now, in the appearance of that letter "A," it isn't necessary for all the factors involved to have occurred one after the other, is it? We can see that some of those factors must be there simultaneously. Many of the factors are interdependent in various ways. This is the Buddhist teaching of cause and condition.

3. The position of faith: Just now I said that Buddhism shifted the emphasis in religion from faith to wisdom, so why should we be speaking about faith again? In fact faith plays a very important role in Buddhism, but the emphasis is changed. Let us take a look at how faith in Buddhism is connected to verification through actual experience. The teaching that is most quoted in this respect is the Kalama Sutta, which contains the passage:

"Here, Kalamas,

"Do not believe simply because you have heard it.

"Do not believe simply because you have learn it.

"Do not believe simply because you have practiced it from ancient times.

"Do not believe simply because it is rumored.

"Do not believe simply because it is in the scriptures.

"Do not believe simply on logic.

"Do not believe simply through guesswork.

"Do not believe simply through reasoning.

"Do not believe simply because it conforms to your theory.

"Do not believe simply because it seems credible.

"Do not believe simply out of faith in your teacher. [Kalama or Kesaputtiya Sutta, A.I. 188]

This teaching amazed people in the West when they first heard about it, it was one of Buddhism's most popular teachings, because at that time science was just beginning to flourish. This idea of not believing anything other than verifiable truths was very popular. The Kalama Sutta is fairly well known to Western people familiar with Buddhism, but Thai Buddhists have barely heard of it.

The Buddha goes on to say in the Kalama Sutta that one must know and understand through experience which things are skillful and which unskillful. When something is seen to be unskillful and harmful, conducive not to benefit but to suffering, it should be given up. When something is seen to be skillful, useful and conducive to happiness, it should be acted upon. This is a matter of clear knowledge, of direct realization, of personal experience -- it is a shift from faith to wisdom.

The Buddha also gave some clear principles for examining one's personal experience: "Independent of faith, independent of learning, independent of reasoned thinking, independent of conformity with one's own views, one knows clearly for oneself, in the present moment, when there is greed in the mind, when there is not greed in the mind; when there is hatred in the mind and when there is not hatred in the mind; when there is delusion in the mind and when there is not delusion in the mind." This is true personal experience, the state of our own minds, which can be known clearly for ourselves in the present moment.

4. Proclamation of mankind's independence: Buddhism arose among the Brahmanical beliefs, which held that Brahma was the creator of the world. Brahma (God) was the appointer of all events, and mankind had to perform sacrifices and ceremonies of homage, of which people at that time had devised many, to keep Brahma happy. Their ceremonies for gaining the favor of Brahma and other gods were lavish. The Vedas stated that Brahma had divided human beings into four castes. Whichever caste a person was born into, he was bound for life. There was no way to change the situation, it was all tied up by the directives of Brahma.

When the Buddha-to-be was born, as the Prince Siddhattha Gotama, the first thing attributed to him was his proclamation of human independence. You may have read in the Buddha's biography, how, when the Prince was born, he performed the symbolic gesture of walking seven steps and proclaiming, "I am the greatest in the world, I am the foremost in the world, I am the grandest in the world." [Mahapadana Sutta, D.II. 15] This statement can be easily misconstrued. One may wonder, "Why was Prince Siddhattha being so arrogant?" but this statement should be understood as the Buddha's proclamation of human independence. The principles expounded by the Buddha in his later life all point to the potential of human beings to develop themselves and realize the highest good, and so become the most sublime of all beings. The Buddha's own enlightenment was the supreme demonstration and proof of that potential. With such potential, it is no longer necessary for human beings to plead for help from external sources. Instead they can better themselves. A human being who becomes a Buddha is revered by even the celestial beings and gods.

There are many examples of this kind of teaching in the scriptures. Consider, for example, the oft-quoted:

Manussabhutam sambuddham
attadantam samahitam ...
deva'pi namassan'ti

This means: "The Buddha, although a human being, is one who has trained and perfected himself ... Even the gods revere him." [Naga Sutta, A.III. 346; Udayitherakatha, Khu., Thag. 689]

With this principle, the human position changes. The attitude of looking externally, taking refuge in gods and deities, has been firmly retracted, and people are advised to look at themselves, to see within themselves a potential for the finest achievement. No longer is it necessary for people to throw their fates to the gods. If human beings realize this potential, even those gods will recognize their excellence and pay reverence.

This principle entails a belief, or faith, in the potential of human beings to be developed to the highest level, of which the Buddha is our example.

5. Remedy based on practical and reasoned action rather than dependence on external forces: This principle is well illustrated in one of the teachings of the Dhammapada:

"Finding themselves threatened by danger, people take refuge in spirits, shrines, and sacred trees, but these are not a true refuge. Turning to such things as a refuge, there is no true safety.

"Those who go for refuge to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, who understand the Four Noble Truths by seeing problems, the cause of problems, freedom from problems, and the way leading to freedom from problems, are able to transcend all danger." [Dhammapada, Verses 188-192]

This is a turning point, a shift in emphasis from pleading with deities to responsible action. However, if unaware of this principle, people can even see the Triple Gem as simply an object of devotion, in the same way that members of theistic religions see deities.

The Triple Gem begins with the Buddha, our example of a perfected human being. This is a reminder to humanity of its potential, and as such encourages us to reflect on our responsibility for its development. By taking the Buddha for refuge, we reflect on our responsibility to develop ourselves and use wisdom to address the problems of life.

When we think of the Dhamma, we are reminded that this development of potential must be done through means which conform to the Law of Nature and function according to causes and conditions.

When we reflect on the Sangha, we think of those who have used the Dhamma (teaching) skillfully, developing and realizing their highest potential. They are living examples of the actual attainment of the truth, and, through developing ourselves in right practice, we can become one of them.

These are the Three Refuges. To believe or have faith in these refuges means that we strive to solve problems like wise human beings. This tenet compels us to use wisdom.

The way to solve problems through wisdom is:

1. Dukkha (suffering ): We begin with the problem, recognizing that there is one.

2. Samudaya (the cause of suffering -- craving based on ignorance): We search out the cause of that problem.

3. Nirodha (the cessation of suffering -- Nibbana): We establish our aim, which is to extinguish the problem.

4. Magga (the way leading to the cessation of suffering): We practice in accordance with that aim.

6. Teaching only those truths which are of benefit: There are many different kinds of knowledge and many different kinds of truth, but some of them are not useful, they are not concerned with solving the problems of life. The Buddha did not teach such truths and was not interested in finding out about them. He concentrated on teaching only those truths which would be of practical benefit. This principle is illustrated in the simile of the leaves, which the Buddha gave while he was staying with a company of monks in the Sisapa forest. One day he picked up a handful of leaves from the forest floor and asked the monks, "Which is the greater number, the leaves in my hand, or the leaves on the trees?" An easy question, and the monks answered immediately. The leaves in the Buddha's hand were very few, while the leaves in the forest were of far greater number.

The Buddha replied, "It is the same with the things that I teach you. There are many truths that I know, but most of them I do not teach. They are like the leaves in the forest. The truths that I do teach are like the leaves here in my hand. Why do I not teach those other truths? Because they are not conducive to ultimate wisdom, to understanding of the way things are, or to the rectification of problems and the transcendence of suffering. They do not lead to the attainment of the goal, which is Nibbana." [Sisapa Sutta, S.V. 437]

The Buddha said that he taught the things he did because they were useful, they led to the solving of problems, and were conducive to a good life. In short, they led to the transcendence of suffering.

Another important simile was given in answer to some questions of metaphysics. Such questions are among the questions with which science is currently wrestling, such as: Is the Universe finite or infinite? Does it have a beginning? The scriptures mention ten stock philosophical questions which had been in existence from before the time of the Buddha. One monk went to ask the Buddha about them. The Buddha refused to answer his questions, but instead gave the following simile:

A man was shot by a poisoned arrow. With the arrowhead still embedded within him, his relatives raced to find a doctor. As the doctor was preparing to cut out the arrowhead, the man said, "Wait! I will not let you take out this arrowhead until you tell me the name of the man who shot me, where he lives, what caste he is, what kind of arrow he used, whether he used a bow or a crossbow, what the arrow was made of, what the bow was made of, what the bowstring was made of, and what kind of feather was attached to the end of the arrow. Until I find out the answers to these questions, I will not let you take this arrow out." [Chulamalunkyovada Sutta, M.I. 428]

Obviously, if he were to wait for the answers to all those questions that man would not only fail to find out the information he wanted, but he would die needlessly. What would be the proper course of action here? Before anything else, he would have to have that arrowhead taken out. Then, if he still wanted to know the answers to those questions, he could go ahead and find out.

In the same way, the subject of the Buddha's teaching is human suffering and the way to relieve it. Metaphysical questions are not at all relevant. Even if the Buddha had answered them, his answers could not be verified. The Buddha taught to quickly do what must be done, not to waste time in vain pursuits and debates. This is why he did not answer such questions.
Good and evil

I have already said that most religions see the events of the world as the workings of God or supernatural forces. According to them, if mankind does not want any unpleasant events to befall him, or if he wants prosperity, he must let God see some display of worship and obeisance. This applies not only to external natural events, but even people's personal lives. The deity, God, is the Creator of the universe, together with all of its happiness and suffering. He is constantly monitoring mankind's behavior to ascertain whether it is pleasing to Him or not, and people are constantly on their guard to avoid any actions which might displease Him.

According to this standard, all of humanity's behavior can be classified into two categories. Firstly, those actions which are pleasing to God, which are duly rewarded, and which are known as "good"; and those actions which are displeasing to God, which He punishes, and which are known as "evil." Whatever God approves of is "good," whatever He forbids is "evil." The priests of the religion are the mediators who inform mankind which actions are good and which are evil, according to God's standards. These have been the accepted standards for defining good and evil in Western culture.

As for science, from the time it parted with religion it interested itself solely with the external, physical world and completely ignored the abstract side of things. Science took no interest at all in moral or ethical issues, seeing them as matters of religion, unfounded on facts, and turned its back on them altogether. People in Western countries, the countries which are technologically developed, were captivated by the advances of science. In comparison, religion's teachings of deities and supernatural forces seemed ill-founded, and so they, too, turned their backs on religion. At that time morals and ethics lost their meaning. If God is no longer important, then morals or ethics, God's set of laws, are no longer important. Many people today, especially those in scientific circles, view ethics as merely the arbitrary dictates of certain groups of people, such as priests, established at best to maintain order in society, but lacking any basis in ultimate truth.

Those branches of science which study the development of human civilization, especially sociology, and some branches of anthropology, seeing the success of the physical sciences, have tried to afford their branches of learning a similar standing, by using much the same principles and methods as the physical sciences. The social sciences have tended to look on ethics or morals as values without scientific foundation. They have tended to avoid the subject of ethics in order to show that they, too, are pure sciences void of value systems. Even when they do make studies about ethical matters, they look on them only as measurable quantities of social behavior.

The physical sciences, the social sciences, and people in the modern age in general, look on ethical principles as purely conventional creations. They confuse ethics with its conventional manifestations, a grave mistake in the search for authentic knowledge -- in trying to avoid falsehood, they have missed the truth.

Now let us come back to the subject of Buddhism. In regard to ethics, both science and Buddhism differ from the mainstream of religions, but while science has cut itself off from them, completely disregarding any consideration of ethics or values, Buddhism turns toward them, studying and teaching the role of ethical principles within the natural process. While most religions look at the events of nature, both outside of man and within him, as directed by the will of God, Buddhism looks at these events as a normal and natural process of causes and conditions. These same laws apply as much to mental phenomena as to the physical workings of nature. They are part of the stream of causes and conditions, functioning entirely at the directives of the natural laws. The difference in quality is determined by variations within the factors of the stream.

Buddhism divides the laws of nature, called niyama, into five kinds. They are:

1. Utuniyama (physical laws): The natural laws dealing with the events in the natural world or physical environment.

2. Bijaniyama (biological laws): The natural laws dealing with animals and plants, particularly heredity.

3. Cittaniyama (psychic laws): The natural laws dealing with the workings of the mind and thinking.

4. Kammaniyama (karmic or moral laws): The natural law dealing with human behavior, specifically intention and the actions resulting from it.

5. Dhammaniyama (the general law of cause and effect): The natural law dealing with the relationship and interdependence of all things, known simply as the way of things. [DA.U. 234; Dhs A. 272]

In terms of these five divisions of natural law, we can see that science has complete confidence in the dhammaniyama (the general law of cause and effect), while limiting its field of research to utuniyama (physical laws) and bijaniyama (biological laws). As for Buddhism, practically speaking it emphasizes kammaniyama (the law of moral action), although the Abhidhamma stresses the study of cittaniyama (psychic laws), in their relation to kammaniyama and dhammaniyama.
The Law of Kamma -- scientific morality

A true understanding of reality is impossible if there is no understanding of the interrelation and unity of all events in nature. This includes, in particular, the human element, the mental factors and values systems, of those who are studying those events. Scientists may study the physical laws, but as long as they are ignorant of themselves, the ones who are studying those laws, they will never be able to see the truth -- even of the physical sciences.

On a physical level, human beings exist within the natural physical environment, but on an experiential level the world is in fact more a product of our intentions. Our daily lives, our thoughts, behavior and deeds, our communications, our traditions and social institutions are entirely products of human intentional action, which is known in Buddhism as kamma. Intention is the unique faculty which lies behind human progress. The human world is thus the world of intention, and intention is the creator and mover of the world. In Buddhism it is said: kammuna vattati loko -- the world is driven by kamma. [Vasettha Sutta, Khu., Sm., 654] In order to understand the human world, or the human situation, it is necessary to understand the natural law of kamma.

All behavior, intentional action, ethical principles and mental qualities are entirely natural. They exist in accordance with the Laws of Nature. They are neither the will of God, nor are they accidental. They are processes which are within our human capacity to understand and influence.

Please note that Buddhism distinguishes between the Law of Kamma and psychic laws. This indicates that the mind and intention are not the same thing, and can be studied as separate truths. However, these two truths are extremely closely linked. The simple analogy is that of a man driving a motor boat. The mind is like the boat and its engine, while intention is the driver of the boat, who decides where the boat will go and what it will do.

Certain natural events may occur as a result of the workings of different laws in different situations, while some events are a product of a number of these natural laws functioning in unison. A man with tears in his eyes may be suffering from the effects of smoke (physical law), or from extremely happy or sad emotional states (psychic law), or he may be suffering anxiety over past deeds (law of kamma). A headache might be caused by illness (biological law), a stuffy or overheated room (physical law) or it could be from depression and worry (law of kamma).
The question of free will

When people from the West start studying the subject of kamma, they are often confused by the problem of free will. Is there such a thing as free will? In actual fact there is no free will, in the absolute sense, because intention is just one factor within the overall natural processes of cause and effect. However, will can be considered free in a relative way. We might say it is relatively free, in that it is in fact one of the factors within the overall natural process. In Buddhism this is called purisakara. Each person has the ability to initiate thinking and intention, and as such become the instigating factor in a cause and effect process, or kamma, for which we say each individual must accept responsibility.

Misunderstandings, or lack of understanding, in relation to this matter of free will, arise from a number of more deeply-rooted misconceptions, in particular, the delusion of self. The concept of self causes a lot of confusion when people try to look at reality as an actual condition with minds still trapped in habitual thinking, which clings fast to concepts. The two perspectives clash. The perception is of a doer and a receiver of results. While in reality there is only a feeling, the perception is of "one who feels." (In the texts it is said: "There is the experience of feeling, but no-one who feels.") The reason for this confusion is ignorance of the teaching of anatta, not-self.

Buddhism doesn't stop simply at free will, but strives to the stage of being "free of will," transcending the power of will, which can only be achieved through the complete development of human potential through wisdom.

Within the process of human development, the mind and wisdom are distinguished from each other. Wisdom that is fully developed will liberate the mind. So we have the mind with intention, and the mind with wisdom. However, this is a practical concern, a vast subject which must be reserved for a later time.

Footnote

[*] The allusion here, and in the previous four paragraphs, is to the Four Noble Truths.

Human defilements

2010-12-21T20:13:00.000-08:00

The world is formed by the human defilements. If there's no defilement or (Kelesa) we all might be in the world of happiness. but since the defilements cover and obscure our thought from realization of the reality. these lead to the individual's suffering and as well as universal sufferings.

Wars, starvations, conflicts many of these negative existences came into being because of the human defilement.

Desire, craving create terrible wars and conflicts amongst humanity. these kind of undesirables activities left millions of people homeless and hunger.

Basically, there are two kinds of main defilement that the Buddha pointed out to be the roots of all kinds of suffering. They Lobha (greed, craving, desire, attachment..), Dosha (Anger, irritation, aversion...), Moha (Delusion, illusion, foolishness...).

But here i am going to talk only the two defilements as it is beneficial to the beginners of Buddhist people.

* There are two kinds of worldly passions that defile and cover the eyes of human beings from seeing the truth.

The first is the passion for analysis and discussion by which people become confused in judgment. The second is the passion for the emotional experience by which people's values become confused. Both delusions of reasoning and of practice can be thought of as a classification of all human defilements, but really there are two original worldly predicaments in their bases. The first is ignorance and the second is desire.

The delusions of reasoning are based upon ignorance, and delusions of practices are based on desire. So that the two sets are really one set after all, and together they are the sources of the all unhappiness.

If people are ignorant they cannot reason correctly and safely. As they are yield to a desire for existence, grasping, clinging and attachments to everything inevitably follow. It is this constant hunger for every pleasant thing seen and heard that leads people into the delusions of habit. Some people even yield to desire for death of the body.

From these primary sources all greed, and anger, foolishness, misunderstanding, resentment, jealousy, flattery, deceit, pride, contempt, inebriety, selfishness, have their generations and appearances.

The Last teachings of the Buddha

2010-12-05T01:25:00.000-08:00

# 1. Beneath the Sal-tree at Kusinara, in the last words to his disciples, the Buddha said; "Make yourself a light. Rely upon yourself, Do not depend upon anyone else. Make my teachings your light. Rely upon them, Do not depend on others' teachings". Consider your body; think of its impurity, knowing that its pain and its delight are alike, causes of agony, and How can you indulge in its desire? Consider yourself; think of its transiency; how can you fall into delusion about it and cherish pride and selfishness, Knowing that they must all end in inevitably unsatisfactoriness? Consider all substances and elements can you find amongst them the enduring (the so called self)? Are they not all aggregates that sooner or later will eventually break apart and be scattered? Do not be confused by the universality of suffering or unsatisfactoriness but follow my teachings even after my death, and you will be getting rid of pains.
* Do this and you'll be indeed my really disciples not by any others manners.......

#2. "My disciples, the teachings that i have given you are never to be forgotten or abandoned. They are always to be remembered and treasured, they are not to be thought about, they are to be practised. If you follow these teachings you will always be happy. The point of my teachings is to control your own mind. Keep your mind from greed, and you will keep your behaviour right, your mind pure and your words faithful. By always thinking about the transiency of your life, you will be able to resist greed and danger, and will be able to avoid all evils. If you find your mind tempted and so entangled in greed, you will have to suppress and control the temptation, be the master of your own mind do not be the slave." " A man's mind may make him a Buddha, or it may make him a beast. Misled by error, one becomes a demon. By enlightened, one becomes a Buddha. Therefore, control your mind and do not let it deviate from the right path.".. {Be a master of your mind. Do not let the mind your master}

#3. You should respect each other, follow my teachings, and refrain from disputes; You should not, like water and oil, that repel from each others, but you should be the milk and water, mingle into each others. (Study together, learn together, practise together) Do not waste your mind and time idleness and quarreling. Enjoy the blossoms of Enlightenment in their season and harvest the fruit of right path. (IF YOU NEGLECT THEM, THAT MEANS YOU HAVE NEVER REALLY MET ME). it means that you are far from me, even if you are actually with me. but of you accept the and practise my teachings, you are then very near to me, even though you are miles away from me. {Realize the Buddha by implementing his teachings not his physical body by that i meant a symbols or statues that use to represent his present, even his real body, wouldn't matter much}.

#4. My disciple my end is approaching, my parting is near, but Do not lament. Life is even changing, none can escape the dissolution of the body. This i am now to show my own death, My body is falling apart like a dilapidated cart. Do not vainly lament but realize that nothing is stable and learn from it from the emptiness of human life. Do not cherish the unworthy desire that the changeable might become unchangeable. the demon of worldly desires is always seeking chances to deceive the mind. if a viper is in your room and you wish to have a peaceful sleep definitely you need to have to chase it out. In a like manner you must break free from the bonds of worldly passions and drive them away as you would do to a viper. {You must positively protect your mind}

#5. My disciples, my last moment has come, but do not forget that death is only the end of the physical body. The Body was born from parents and was nourished by foods, just as inevitable are sickness and death. But the true Buddha is not a human body; It is enlightenment, a human body will die, but the wisdom of enlightenment will shine forever in the truth of Dhamma, and the practices. He who sees merely my body does not truly see me. Only he who accepts and practises my teachings is really sees me. After my death, the Dhamma shall be your teacher. Follow the dhamma and you will be through to me. During the last forty-five of my life, i have withheld nothing from my teachings there is no secret teachings no hidden meaning, everything has been taught openly and clearly.

My dear disciples, this is the end. In a moment, i shall be passing into Nirvana. This is my instruction.....

The differences of Buddhism By Tha lyna

2010-12-03T11:14:00.000-08:00

There are loads of people always ask to what is Buddhism and why Buddhism is not a religion and there are many scholars who have tried to interpret Buddhism in many different way, such, trying to put Buddhism into the prevailing molds of cultural, philosophical, and religious thought. But, in fact, Buddhism is an ethical system, it is as a way of life which leads practitioner to a very specific goal and that process contained some aspects of both religion and philosophy.

In this matter, i have tried to search for the very rational answers to those questions. In order to give a short and easy comprehensible to the readers, i have put them into order for the convenience of the readers. And they are mentioned as follows;

In Buddhism, there is no “Almighty God”. there is no one to hand over rewards or punishments on anyone, even on a supposedly Judgment Day.

In the context of beings a faith to God or Goddess and worshiping owing allegiance to supernatural being, Buddhism is strictly/completely not a religion.

There is no saviour concept in Buddhism. The Buddha is not a saviour who saves others by his personal salvation. Even though, Buddhists seek refuge in the Buddha as their incomparable guide who indicates the path to purity, but they make no servile surrender to the Buddha. A buddhist does not think that he can gain freedom merely by seeking refuge in the Buddha or by mere piety in the Him. Actually, it’s not within the power of the Buddha to wash away all the impurities of others.

the Buddha is not an incarnation of a god/God as claimed by some Hindu followers. The relationship between the Buddha and his disciple is that of a teacher and students.

The liberation of self is the responsibility of one’s own.

Taking refuge in the Triple Gems i.e. the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha, dose not mean self-surrender or total reliance on an external force for the salvation.

The Dhamma (The teachings in Buddhism) exists regardless of whether there is a Buddha. The Buddha, he discovered them and shared the his discoveries of the universal truths with all sentient beings.

The Buddha is neither the creator of such teachings nor the prophet of an almighty God to transmit such teaching to others.

There is no holy concept in Buddhism. Killing is breaking a key moral precept in Buddhism.

Suffering is another cornerstone(most significant aspect ) in Buddhism. It is the first of the Four Noble truths.

The concept of Hell in Buddhism is very different from that of other religions. it’s not a place for eternal damnation as viewed by “almighty creator” religions. In Buddhism it is just one of the six realms in Samsara(i.e. the worst of three undesirable realms). also, there are virtually unlimited number of hells in the Buddhist cosmology.

I hope that, these answers can be of benefits to many of you who come across. With Metta

Vipassana meditation

2009-09-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

Vipassana is the Pali term literally means Insight or seeing thing as they truly are. Seeing this body is not permanence, it is subjects to change, it is subject to pain, suffering, it is subject to decay and death.

So how do we practise this meditation? To begin with this meditation initially we always emphasize on our in and out breathing, while we focus on our in and out breath, we must not think about other things which is happing around us. if it happens we just let it pass or ignore it and the thing you need to do is just watch your breath. There are some more thing that you need to make your meditation better. Such as places, time and postures because if you do meditation in the rush area like in the public place or public building, because that is not a good place to do meditation. that's why you ought to find a calm place with no any sounds or disturbances from the outsiders and the place also must be a suitable place, it is not too cool, it is not too hot but the temperature must warm and you can’t practise meditation all the time you need but it must be all the time it requires and the last one is postures, you can’t sit with your back bow down but you have to sit straight. Then you will be able to do it well.

For more explaination on Vippassana wisit http://world.std.com/~metta/lib/bps/leaves/bl085.html

Samatha meditation

2009-09-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

The word Samatha is the Pali term which always translates as Calm or peace, calming the mind down from all kinds of irritations that arise through the six doors. So then if our mind does not get peace by any manners, the only way which was taught by the Buddha is Samatha meditation.

So how can we practise Samatha meditation?

To practise this meditation (according to Visudhimagga) There are many techniques to practise Samatha.Normally, when we say about Samatha we refer to the 40 methods such as:
1. Ten special meditation objects, or Kasina(10)
2. Ten loathsomeness or impurity, or Asubha(10)
3. Ten reflections or Anussati (10)
4. Four sublime states of mind, or Brahma Vihara(4)
5. Four formless spheres, or Arupa(4)
6. One perception of food loathsomeness, or Sanna(1)
7. One absence of the cycle of existence, or Vivatthana(1)
Samatha meditation is a bit complicated than Vipassana because we have to practise accordingly, which means we have to choose the technique depend upon our character.

E.g if you are a Dosa character then you have to choose loving-kindness meditation. But as for nowadays, mostly people are practising Loving-kindness meditation because this is the easiest way to practise and especially it is popular with the westerners. The word loving-kindness is used to substitute the Pali term Meta (Meta + bhavana) bhavana means develop or cultivate so the Metabhavana is to develop or cultivate Loving-kindness in our heart.

Ethic is the basic of the path to liberation

2009-09-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

Essentially, the word ethic does not only exist in Buddhism but also in other religions and society as well.
According to the Buddha’s teaching in some suttas and especially in Visudhimagga is has explained that before one cultivates or try to fulfills one’s own perfection, one must have to practice Sila Samadhi and Pañña. Otherwise one cannot be reached at the level of perfection as one wished to achieve. Because the Visudhimagga itself has clearly explained that before one wishes to pour the water into the glass or the bottle, that glass or bottle must, actually, have the bottom with no hole or any damage. Otherwise one cannot put the water into that glass or bottle and the reason is because there is no bottom to sustain the water, that’s why you can’t put the water into those jars or bottles. Likewise, even in Buddhism if you wish to fulfill your perfection or to achieve any kind of Janas, you might have to observe Sila initially and only then you can proceed to the next step as mentioned the Visudhimagga.
Not only those reasons that made ethic as the basic path of liberation. There are many reasons which we have to learn more and take into practice in our daily life. Like the ethic of life in the society. How to lead our-levies to be a good citizens of the country, good people of the society, good member in the community and good person to yourself.

2009-08-04T01:48:00.000-07:00

The Benefits of Meditation

October 15th, 2007 by Tejvan Pettinger

In a modern world that values activity, achievements and results, it is perhaps surprising that more people are turning to meditation. For all the activity of modern society, many still feel a fundamental need for silence, inner peace, and a moment of reflection. Meditation can reduce stress and help us relax; but, it can also give us a lot more. These are some of the benefits that daily meditation can give us.

Reduced Stress
Meditation helps to reduce stress by teaching us to switch off from the worries that can plague us through the day. Meditation is an opportunity to spend time by ourselves, without feeling at the beck and call of others. Spending 15 minutes in quietening the mind and focusing on the present moment, makes us more relaxed and effective decision makers.

Health Benefits
Numerous studies have shown that meditation has health benefits. Many of these benefits are related to the decrease in stress that occurs through meditation. For example, with lower levels of stress and anxiety, the probability of heart disease diminishes significantly.
This is not to say meditation guarantees you good health. But, there is a growing awareness of the link between our state of mind and physical health. Quite often physical ailments are symptoms of inner turmoil. Meditation can give us peace of mind, and this can be a helpful step in avoiding many stress related ailments. Meditation has also been shown to relieve the pain associated with certain illnesses.

Control Your Own Thoughts
Man has conquered space, Mount Everest and numerous other challenges; but, are we able to conquer our own mind? How often do you find yourself victim to your own negative thoughts? Some people are even of the opinion that it is impossible to control your thoughts. However, the art of meditation teaches that, not only is it possible to control our thoughts, but, we can learn to stop them completely. Through meditation we can bring our unruly mind under control. This creates peace of mind and enables us to achieve what we want to.

Detachment
When we live in the mind it is easy to get distracted by small irritations. For example, maybe we find it intolerable to be kept waiting in a line, or we get upset by a small misdemeanour of another person. The solution is not to avoid these minor problems, because they will keep appearing no matter how hard we may try.
The only effective solution is to develop detachment and keep things in perspective. A powerful benefit of meditation is that we are able to detach ourselves from these insignificant, yet irritating thoughts. This detachment is not indifference; it is just that we are able to maintain equanimity in the midst of life’s inevitable turbulence.

Happiness and Peace of Mind
Is there anybody who does not, in some way, seek after happiness? Meditation takes us to the source of happiness, which is to be found in our own peace of mind. If we have no peace of mind and are constantly attacked by negative thoughts, happiness will remain elusive, no matter how successful we are on an outer plane. It is perhaps hard to imagine that happiness can occur from the simple act of being. However, if we can meditate with a still mind, we will discover an unexpected source of happiness within our own self. Meditation shows us that happiness is not dependent on outer circumstances, but on our inner attitude.

Concentration
Be it work, sport or music, concentration is essential to fulfill our potential. In one pointed concentration there is great power; our energy and focus do not get dissipated. When we have concentration we can do more in less time. Through meditation we gradually improve our powers of concentration; this focus can be used for both meditation, and also other activities we engage in.

Spontaneity and Creativity
When we live in the thinking mind, we are usually preoccupied with the past or future. When we spend our energy on the past and present we cover up our natural spontaneity and creativity. We may feel we have neither creativity or spontaneity, but, if we can learn to silence the mind, we realise that we have far more potential than we currently believe. To access this source of inspiration we just need to quieten the mind. Some of the great thinkers and scientists were able to make important discoveries when they could absorb themselves in their work, to the exclusion of all else. Meditation helps us to live in the current moment, and thus can help us to unlock our creative potential.

Discovering the Purpose of Life.
If you are satisfied with your current life. If you feel perfect contentment and happiness then, at the moment, meditation is not necessary. However, if you feel empty inside; if you aspire to know more about the nature of existence and life, then meditation can be of great help. Usually we look for meaning in life through external events and other people. Meditation, however, shows us that we can gain a greater understanding of life through knowing who we are. In meditation we gain a new perspective of life, uncoloured by our own egoistic perspective. For those who wish it, meditation can become a lifelong process of answering the eternal question: “Who am I?”

The benefits of meditation are real, but, it also requires perseverance. It is mistake to expect all these benefits in the first few attempts; the mind takes time to tame. Also, it is difficult to explain all the benefits of meditation, because it involves a state of consciousness that cannot be expressed by words. To appreciate the benefits of meditation it is essential to meditate yourself. Alas, it is not sufficient to just read about it. Start meditating today!

Albert Einstein on Buddhism

2009-08-04T00:58:00.000-07:00

1- Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spiritual; and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. -- Albert Einstein

2- If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism. -- Albert Einstein

3- A human being is part of the whole, called by us "Universe"; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest -- a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely but striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security. --Albert Einstein

4-The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who cans no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed. -- Albert Einstein

Quoted tha lyna

The life process is end when the causes are removed

2009-07-15T23:56:00.000-07:00

The life process is the main cause of suffering and it comes to exist because of ignorance and craving. Why ignorance and craving are the fundamental of the birth cycle?
It is because of the obscurity of the truths, that’s why we are always experience sufferings all the time. The Buddha said when we have absolutely removed all ignorance; we will reach out to the final goal (nirvana).
Craving is said to have played a very important role in the birth process. In (Samyuthanikaya) the Buddha said that, there are three kinds of craving, which are the fundamental of process of life and sufferings.
What are they?
They are;
1- kamma tanha = craving for senses
2- bhavatanha = craving for becoming(existence)
3- Vibhavatanha = craving for non-becoming

Because of we are lack of knowledge on the teaching of the Buddha, people always think of the way to find happiness, but they don’t know that happiness or pleasure is in the cycle of suffering. When people experience pleasant through the five senses, they consider that pleasant as their happiness. Of course it is true. But the Buddha said “This happiness is not everlasting” it is impermanent. It is exactly unstable, because when the eyes, ears, noses, tongue, body, mind, get contact with forms, sound, smell, tastes… as pleasant, we know that, it is pleasant, then we realize that it is of course happiness. When one received forms, sound, smell… as unpleasant we realize that it is sufferings. On the one hand when one gets rich, he is happy. When one gets something as he or she wished, they are happy. On the other hand when one loses something as be loved one or disassociate the beloved one, he or she gets a very serious disappointed (suffering). So nothing to do more than to realize the truths that everything is this world is impermanent and we have to accept the truth, thus everything in this world are subject to change, suffering, non-soul.
Some people make meritorious deeds with the wish to be born in the heaven. This is one of the three Tanha. We all know that Tanha is the main cause of suffering. But in this point if we look at in the society, it is better than some people that hold the idea of Non-existence. Because these kinds of people still believe that there is next birth and they try to collect the good deeds as their vehicle to the next world and it is better than the people who do nothing with the meritorious deeds. But there is no end with this view as they will go over and over again in this existence. Because the root of ignorance is not yet removed.
Some people in this world make meritorious because of non-becoming. For those people who have held the idea of non-existence, they do make merits through their ability, but the purpose is to get rid of the next birth. These three kinds of craving are based on the ignorance, so we have to cultivate our knowledge to overwhelm this ignorance to go over to the cessation of suffering. So, as we are Buddhist, we have to know what’s the teaching of the Buddha and how to practice his teaching correctly.
After the enlightenment of the Buddha, when he was sitting under the Bodhi-tree, on the first week, he was contemplating on the Dependent Origination as the root of his birth and suffering.
In the Mahákhadaka, the Buddha said as;
Avijápaccaya Samkhara …….Bhavo bhavapaccayá jati….Ignorance bears (cause) formation……Becoming bears birth, decay, death…So every human being which are coming to this existence exactly because of Ignorance, and as it is depends on each and every one of those.

It is called Ignorance because, unable to understand the truth of the world.
So what are the truths of the world?
The reality of the world is called Tilakkana.
Because it is the norm of the world.
Why it is called norm of the world?
Because everything in this world are subject to that condition.
Tilakkana

1. Anicca = impermanent
2. Dukkha = suffering,
3. Anata = selfless.
It is called impermanent because, it is subject to change, to decay, to death.
E.g. when the first time, we are born we cannot walk but as the time pass by we are grown old, then we are able to walk when we are about 2-3 years old. Then when we are 50-60-70 or more than that we will not be able to walk as we are adults, and our eyes can’t see things properly, our strong start to loose. We will feel that Oh, my strength, my legs, my hands cannot perform their duties as we expected. We don’t satisfy with our organs, and suffer from that condition. Because it is always change and cannot be ceased that is why we call Anata. If we can control those condition, not to change, not to decay, not to old, then we can say that it is belong to us but it is not like that. So when we get to understand the truth like that, we will scare of the this life process. And we will think of a way to get out of this cycle.
The Buddha pointed out about the way to stop this life process by learning the Noble Truths and by practicing the Noble Eight fold paths.
By realizing;
Rebirth is suffering
Ignorance is the cause of birth
Nirvana is the peace, no more birth, no more suffering
Noble eight fold paths are the way to end of birth and suffering.

What is the Noble Eight Fold Paths?

The Noble eight fold paths are the way to end the suffering if people take it practice correctly they will reach out to the Nirvana.
They are as follow;
1- Right view
2- Right intentions
3- Right speech
4- Right action
5- Right livelihood
6- Right effords
7- Right mindfulness
8- Right concentration.
When people clearly understand the Noble truth and practice these eight Noble Paths finally they will find the way the stop the life process. When their minds are not over-powered by the defilements, then they will be able to remove the causes of life process...
I don’t have to explain each and every one of those because the page is limited so I am going to conclude the essay.

Rev; tha lyna

Is Buddhism A Religion?

2009-07-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

When we talk about Buddhism, there are many people ask whether Buddhism is a religoin. In this point, before we respond to this question we ought to know about what is (RELIGION). So here according to many scholars, Religion is actually arise from Latin word Religou (literally mean binding, tie up to gods), therefore Buddhism is not a part of those kind of religions. So can we all just remember that Buddhism is not a religion. Because religion some time got a very bad name, conflicts, wars, abuses because of religion. E.g. Some religion on this planet promise to wage war againt those are not with them or oppose to them so they fighting in the name of their religion but Buddhism has never made any history on Holy-War in the name of Buddhism. But Buddhism is only to free you from all suffering, help you to remove all kinds of defilement never to tie you up with any Holy God. And to know and understand more about Buddhism, i may have to comment all of you that read and learn, but remember Buddhism is not asking you to believe (The Buddha never admire those have blind faith) without consideration, about Buddhism then only you can eradicate your doubts.

Rev. Tha Lyna

Background of Thailand

2009-07-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

From time immemorial, people in Asia have to imgrated from their original homeland and sought places where they could live i peace and security, far from the strife and enmity of neighbouring tribes and this is also true of the people we know today as Thais. the word THAI means free and at the begining of the second century B.C. their long migration from from the valleys between the Huang Ho and the Yangtze Kiang in China began in earnest(Sir Charles Eliot. Hindu & Buddhism V. III). they moved ever southwards because of conflicts with neighbouring tribes and one group called Thai yai (literally big thai) moved to what we are now know as Shan States, to the plains of the Salween River and other areas and as far afield as modern Assam. the Thai Noi (which mean small thai) reached present-day Thailand. So According to the Archaeology the place where we called nowaday as Nakon Pathom, or in Sankskrit, Nagara Prathama used to inhabited by the people called Mon-Khmer or Khmer-Mon.

Pali literature of South-east Asia by Dr. Hammalawa Saddhatissa

The 3 characteristic (Tilakhana)

2009-07-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

The three charsteristics are anicca(impermanent), Dukkha(suffering) and Anatta(non-self). Collectively three lakhanas) factors are named as Tilakkhana or three characteristics of existence. These three teaching have been explained for the first time in the Ananta lakhana sutta of the Sanyutta Nikaya. The second iscourse delivered by the Buddha after his enlightenment. It was addressed to five mendicants (the five comets).
In that Sutta the true nature of the world is explained. Addressing the five monks the Buddha said “Body O monks, is not self now were this body self monks this body world not tend to sickness and one might get a chance of saying in regard to the body, let the body become thus for me but in so much monks, as body is not self, therefore body tends to sickness, and one does not get the chance of saying in regard to the body, let body become thus for me, let body not become thus for me.
What do you think about this monk? Is body permanent or impermanent? Impermanent lad, but that which is impermanent sorrowful or happy, Sorrowful lord.
The tern anicca is an adjective usually used in the sense of a noun. Aniccam is the neuter noun used in the Language. Both words are prefixed with a negative a;

Impermanent (Anica)

a + nitya = anitya
a + nityam = anityam
nitya permanent, anitya is the negative of mitya.
Nitya means impermanent. But in the Abhidhamma commentaries the derivation of the word has been traced to the root I to go with the prefix ‘an’ giving the meaning cannot be gone to means un approachable as a permanent everlasting state.
The word impermanente appear in the pāli canon- very often in numerous contexts.
Impermanent nature of all is described in the mahaparinibbana Sutta of the Digha Nikaya.
The aim of Buddhism is to understand the true nature of all that are impermanent. It is explained in the Dhammapāda V.277 as follows.
“Sabbe sankhara aniccati yada pannaya passati
atha nibbindati dukkha esa maggo visuddhiya”.
Buddhsim is a teaching of impermanente(anicca). All component things are conditioned subject to rapid change. One does not perceive their arising(Ppada) breaking(vyaya).
“Anicca vat sankharā uppadā vyaya dhammino

uppajitva mrujjanti, tesam Up samo sukho.”
As long as one fail to understand the changing process (aniccati). One will not understand the momentary nature of everything.
When one understands things as they really are one realizes that the life is a mere flux conditioned by international and external causes he never clings into the worldly things.
According to Buddhist teachings all conditioned things share three features. They are anicca,(impermanent), Dukkha (suffering), and antta(non-self) aniccam, dukkham, anatta.
Impermanence generally means that everything conditioned and unconditioned is subject to change
“Sabbe sankharā anicca Sabbe dhammā anatta”.
This thesis is further developed by an analysis of the process of clanged. The determination of the duration of the event the reviewing of the practical consequence which should be drawn from the fact of impermanence.
Buddhism emphasizes the nature of things as they exist. Everything appears (Uppada), become stiths and disappear (bhanga).
It is though that all things a intimated and unanimated last a shorter time period then we usually suppose. Everything is subject to uppada stiths and Bhanga. What we experience is an illusion. As you experience mirage. Everything is momentary. Impermanency is always dreadful. That brings you disgust Existentialism.

Dukkha(Suffering)

Dukkha is the second fundamental characteristic of existence and the first in the list of four noble druths. The term dukkha has used in Buddhist teachings to convey the totality of experience of a normal human being in the world. The most popular word in English for dukkha is suffering.
In addition to that many English words are used by different schools to convey the meaning of the original pali term. Among them “ill” pain sorrow insecurity unpleasentness, anguish anxiety unhappiness are found. The most common of them used the Pāli term dukkha suffering and unsatisfactoriness. There are many Pali words related to dukkha such as soka domanassa parideva and Upayasa.
The concept of sufferingnecesarily includes the general insecurity of all our experience. Ven Buddhagosa explaining the detivation of the term dukkha. In the Visuddhimagga says
“The word du (bad) is equal to Ku-Citta (bad mind) Kham (ness) dukkha( badness).
Dukkha is the second fundamental characteristic of existence and first in the list of four noble truths. Buddhsim is a teaching of impermanente. All component things that are conditioned subjects to rapid changes\. It is very difficult to understand the rapid change of everything that one perceives.
“Uppada is arising, Vaya is breaking. As a result of this the ordinary man compels to accept that the body and mind are statue enlistees.
As long as one fails to understand the changing process one will never understand the momentariness of everything. When one sees things as they really are one realizes that the life is a mere flux of conditioned by internal and external courses.
Dukkha has been classified further into their aspects for better understanding. They are 1. Dukkha0 Dukkha Intrinsic suffering 2. Viparinama dukkha-suffering in change. 3. Samkhara dukkha- suffering due to formation.
1. Bodily and mentally painful feelings are called intrinsic suffering because of their individual essence 2. Bodily and mental pleasant feelings are called suffering in change because they cause for suffering, when they change.
3. The feeling of equanimity and the remaining formations of three planes Uppada, Vaya, Bhanga are called suffering due to formation. Samkhara – dukkha.

Suffering or unsatisfactoriness(dukkha) as described in the Pāli sutta has a wider meaning. At the first seaman Dhammachakh=kapavattana sutta which was addressed to the five mendicants the Buddha continued to explain the noble truth of suffering.
“The Buddha said” And this monks is the noble truth of suffering, birth is suffering decay is suffering, death is suffering, Association, with what is not dear suffering. Separation of what is dear is suffering. Not getting what one want is suffering. In short the five aggregates of grasping are suffering.
This is a precise statement full of meaning with all areas of human life, which explains the influence of suffering in many aspects.

The Four Noble Truths

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The Four Noble Truths are four fundamental, categorical statements or propositions (Ekamsika Dhamma Desana) regarding the man’s existence in Samsāra and the way out of it. In this sense, this teaching contains the essence of the Buddha’s teaching, for the whole of his teaching is about this important fact. The essence of the Buddha’s teaching is about the existence of Dukkha and the possibility of its cessation. These four Noble Truths are:

(1) Dukkha ariya sacca - the Truth of suffering

(2) Dukkha samudaya ariya sacca – the Truth of arising of suffering

(3) Dukkha nirodha ariya sacca – the Truth of cessation of suffering and

(4) Dukkha nirodha gāminī patipadā ariya sacca – the Noble Truth of path leading to the cessation of suffering

Commonly, however, these are referred to as Dukkha Sacca, Samudaya Sacca, Nirodha Sacca and Magga Sacca. The prefix Ariya or Noble is an indication to show their importance. Simply it is by fully understanding these Truths that an ordinary wordings (Puthujjana) gets elevated into the status of a Noble person (Ariya Puggala), or an Arahant.

The first Noble Truth is about the existence of Dukkha and it is said that one who understand this Truth, understand the arising of Dukkha, its cessation and also the path leading to its cessation. Therefore it is said that though they are referred to as Four Noble Truths they are in fact one. This shows how important the Four Noble Truths are.

In Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta it gives a short description of what these Four Noble Truths mean. In introduction these truths the Buddha says that these truths are not heard of before. Dukkha is described as birth is Dukkha, decay is Dukkha, Death is Dukkha, sickness is Dukkha; likewise sorrow and grief, woe, lamentation and despair is Dukkha etc. The word Samudaya means arising or Tanhā. Tanhā is mentioned as the cause of the arising of Dukkha. It is described the meaning of Kāmatanhā, Bhavatanhā and Vibhavatanhā. The word Nirodha means cessation. It is regarding the cessation of Dukkha. Whatever that arises is bound to cease and so is Dukkha. The last truth is lie down the path following which one could completely eradicate Dukkha and mentioned the eight fold path leading to the cessation of Dukkha.
Therefore, we can see from above mention that the four Noble truths are playing a great role and the heart of the teaching of Buddha in Buddhism. It is the truth that we have to realize completely in order to leave from round in the cycle of birth and death.

The Third Buddhist Council

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Scholars are not unanimous about the 3rd Buddhist council. Only the chronicles of Sri Lanka spelt about the 3rd Buddhist council (Mahāvamsa, Dipāvamsa). Fa Xhian and Hung Tsang has not mentioned about the 3rd Buddhist council in their reports.
But there appear some clues in the edicts to prove that the 3rd Buddhist council took place during the reign of the king Dhammasoka. It is mentioned that the king Dhammasoka tried to maintain peace and harmony among Buddhist monks.

As a result of the broken down of the disciplines among monks no Uposatha or Pavarana was hold in any one of the monasteries for seven years. On hearing this news the King sent a minister to Asokarama to persuade monks to hold Uposatha. But monks refused to follow the advice of the king. So the ministers started to kill the disobeyed monk one after another as to the king's order. At this time the king’s brother who was also a monk living in that temple intervened.
Hearing about this the king Dhammasoka was shocked and wanted to know that he was responsible for it. Monks advised the king to contact the most senior monk Ven. Moggaliputta- tissa who was living in a seclude place and get his advice. The king sent a delegation to discuss him and persuaded him to come back to Pataliputra.

Venerable Moggaliputtatissa agreed to come to Pataliputra. He arrived to Pataliputra and convinced the king that he was not responsible for what had happened since the king had no such intention to kill anyone. With the advice of the senior monk the king ordered to assemble all monks. Then the king asked each monk as to what the doctrine of the Buddha was. All those who gave heretical answer were disrobed and sent out. Those who were Vibbhajjavadins were allowed to continue as the followers of the original teaching of the Buddha. After that, the king with the advice of the elder monks decided to hold an assembly for the well being of the order of monks.

1000 orthodox monks took part in the 3rd Buddhist council at Pataliputta. At this assembly the Tripitaka was rehearsed to establish its purity. As a result of the 3rd Buddhist council the king Dhammasoka sent missionaries to nine different countries in and around India. These are as follows;
(1) Kashmira and Gandhara (Peshawar & Rawalpindi)
(2) Mahisha Mandala (Mysore)
(3) Vanavasi (North of Mysore)
(4) Aparanthica (northern Konkan)
(5) Maharashira
(6) Yonakadhesa
(7) Himavanta (Eareece)
(8) Suvannabhumi (Burma)
(9) Tampapanni (Ceylon)

The Second Buddhist Council

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The Second council was held 100 years after the demise of the Buddha at Vālukārāma in Magadha. It was under the patronage of king Kālasoka who regained from 393-365 B.C. This council was held by 700 monks who were well versed in Sutra and Vinaya for 7 months to be completed. After the first Buddhist council, during 100 years, there was no trouble in the order of monks but because Buddhist monks lost the royal support, Buddhism fall off in India. Therefore Brahmanism was gaining power and becoming popular in the society. The assassination of Ajātasattu by his son Udayabhadra also made the country become disorder. So a lot of Buddhist monks and the senior Ven Sabbakāmi left Magadha for remote areas.
The society was changing rapidly during this period. So it became necessary for Buddhist monks to change their way of life according to the changes of the society. There was a clash between the young monks those who wanted to amend the minor rules promulgated by the Buddha and the older monks those who denied to change them. There were of opinion that the Buddhist Vinaya is the life of the order. (Vinayo nama Sasanassa Ayu)
The main reason for holding this council was the 10 disciplinary points {Dasa vatthu) that were introduced by Vijjiputtaka monks. These are:
1. Singilona Kappa—custom of putting sold in a horn in order to season Vegetable [is permitted]
2. Dvagula Kappa—the custom of teaching midday meal even after the procreated time
3. Gamantara Kappa—the custom of going into the village after the meal and eating again when invited {is permitted}
4. Avasa Kappa—the custom of holding the uposatha feast separately by Bhikkhus dwelling in the same distinct.
5. Anumati Kappa—it is permitted to make decisions in absence of the monks those who do not attend to uposatha. But their consent should be taken later.
6. Acinnati Kappa—the custom of doing things as it is the practice of the preceptor.
7. Amatita Kappa—it is permitted to consume unturned milk even after the meal time.
8. Jalogi Kappa—it is permitted to drink unfermented palm wine{toddy}
9. Adasa Kappa—it is prescribed size and if they were without fringe.
10. Jatarupa Kappa—it is permitted to accept gold and silver.

In order to reject 10 unlawful points, this council was held by Ven. SabbakAmi became the president and Yasathera took a chief position. The Theras Revata, Satha, Khaujjasobhita also participated the meeting. After sometimes The Vijjiputtaka monks also were held another assembly known as Mahasanghiti. As a result of that the order of monks were divided into two groups. These are Theravada and Mahasanghika.

1. First Buddhist Council

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The first Buddhist council was held three months after the demise of the lord Buddha at the cave of Sattapanni in Rājagaha under support of king Ajātasattu for 3 months. Five hundred Monks, who were 499 Arahants and keeping a proper place for Ven. Ānanda because at that time he was not Ārahant, took an important place. Before holding this council he became an Arahant at the previous night. He set which prepared for him with ‘the path of the light, while the assembly will start and someone asked where him, to show that he can use the miraculous powers particular an Arahant’.
For this reason, it was not only a statement of Ven. Subhadda but also many other statements that happened during the Buddha’s time.
For example as monks those who lived at the monastery of Kosambi, they argued the Dhamma and vinaya. Because the Buddha himself could not solve these arguments so he went to Parileya forest. Moreover, Ven. Devadatta wanted to lead the large community given by five statements to the Buddha but the Buddha did not accept it. As a result of that the order of monks divided into two groups etc.
Here, anyway, this Buddhist council could not hold without Ven. Ānanda because he was as the treasurer of the Dhamma (Dhamma Bhandāgārika) and who being the Buddha’s personal attendant had heard Dhamma from the Buddha’s mouth more than anyone else.
Therefore Ven. Mahākassapa himself asked all questions relating to the Vinaya and the Dhamma both to Upali and Ananda. The answers given by Ven. Upali and Ven. Ananda became Vinaya Pitaka and Suttapitaka. At the end of this council Venerable Ananda was reprimanded on five charges by the elders. These are;
(1) Not getting a proper clarification when the Buddha mentioned his parinibbāna. He defended that because he was in a deep sorrowful situation at that time.
(2) Disrespecting the Buddha’s robe while Ven. Ānanda stitching stands on it. He defended that there was no one to help him to stitch the Buddha’s robe.
(3) Permitting females to pay their respects to the Buddha before others. He defended that because he felt compassion of the ladies those who come from distant areas.
(4) Not inviting the Buddha to live another an eon. He defended that he was under the influence of the Mara at that time.
(5) Helping females to join the order of nuns. He defended that because he respect to Prājapati gotami.
From Mahāsanghika Dulva,
(6) Venerable Ananda was charged for not giving water when the Buddha requested it.
(7) Venerable Ananda was blamed for showing the hidden parts of the Buddha to the ordinary people.