  
New Zealand Khmer Community |
|
|
New Zealand Khmer Community |
|
BUDDHISM
- We pay homage to the Buddha for revealing to
us the eternal truths of liberation.
- We pay homage to the Dhamma (the teaching of
the Buddha) for making known to us
the nature of existence.
- We pay homage to the Sangha (the order of monks)
for preserving the teaching and
practising its precepts.
INTRODUCTION
In recent years Westerners have displayed an increasing interest in our national religion, Buddhism. “Who was the Buddha?” “What do Buddhists believe about life after death, good and evil and the beginning of the world?” To answer these and similar questions the present writing is intended.
The Buddha’s teachings can be understood on two distinct levels. One is logical and conceptual and is concerned with an intellectual comprehension of man and the external universe. it is on this level that that the above questions are more easily answered.
The second level is empirical, experiential and psychological. it concerns the ever present and inescapable phenomena of everyday human experience-love and hate, fear and sorrow, pride and passion, frustration and elation. and most important, it explains the origins of such states of mind and prescribes the means for cultivating those states which are rewarding and wholesome and of diminishing those which are unsatisfactory and unwholesome. it was of this second level that the Buddha gave greater emphasis and importance, for its truth is demonstrable within the realm of everyday human existence, and its validity is independent of any world view or belief about life after death.
However, as a means of introducing Buddhism to
those who have little or no previous knowledge of the religion, this writing
will give greater emphasis to the former level. The experiential and psychological
aspects of the Teaching are outlined at the end.
In this pamphlet we shall focus our attention on the teachings of the Buddha as preserved in the Pali language. These scriptural writings form the basis of the Theravada school of Buddhism which predominates in Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Ceylon.
About the year 543 B.C., in a region which is
now the land of Nepal, a son was born to King Suddhodana, ruler of the
Sakiya clan. The child was named Siddhattha Gotama, and his father surrounded
him with vast stores of material wealth and luxury. Although the young
prince was given an excellent education, King Suddhodana took measures
to prevent the boy from learning of the misery and suffering which prevailed
throughout the world. However, we are told that ton a certain occasion
young Siddhattha rode through the village streets and beheld a man old
and decrepit, then he saw a man severely stricken with illness, a dead
man, and finally an ascetic or holy man. shocked by the cruel realities
of life and moved by a deep compassion for the sufferings of humanity,
the young prince abandoned the pleasures of his aristocratic heritage and
went forth alone in search of truth and salvation.
first, he sought out the great spiritual teachers
of his day and mastered their meditative exercises. He soon realised, however,
that trance states and mysticism are not the path to salvation. Next, he
undertook the disciplines of rigorous self-mortification, as was commonly
practised in ancient India. But asceticism proved to do little more than
produce a weak and fragile body. Finally, after six long and strenuous
years, he sat in quiet meditation beneath the now-famous Bodhi Tree. There,
looking deep into the nature of his own being, he achieved a level of insight
which few men have known. This he called Nirvana, and from that time forth
he became known as “Thee Buddha” or “The Enlightened One”. The remaining
45 years of his life were dedicated to the service and instruction of his
fellow beings.
The Buddhist world view can best be understood if we see it as being based upon five major assumptions:
I. Mutability or Change
All objects, conditions and creations are regarded as being in a continuous state of change. Nothing finite is eternally fixed or unchanging. birth, growth, decay and death are inevitable for all material objects, men, societies and states of mind. Herein lies the answer to the mystery of creation: new forms arise out of the old; each new condition is determined by that which preceded it.
I I. Cause and Effect
This process of change, however, is not considered to be chaotic, but rather is regular a universal Law of cause and effect. the laws of cause and effect are impersonal, impartial unchanging. the only things which do not change are the laws of change.
III. Selfishness and Suffering
The Law of cause and effect includes not only the laws of physics and chemistry so familiar to the Western world, but also includes laws of moral or psychological cause and effect known as Karma-vipaka, or more commonly, Karma.
Karma acts through time, and thus the full effects of one’s thoughts and deeds may not become manifest until some years later. Karma is inescapable, for the Buddha said:
“Not in the sky, not in the midst of the sea,
nor if we enter
into the clefts of the mountains, is there known
a spot in the
whole world where a man might be freed from an
evil deed.”
“Not in the sky, not in the midst of the sea,
nor if we enter
into the clefts of the mountains, is there known
a spot in the
whole world where death could not overcome a
mortal”.
(Dhammapada 127-8)
One important aspect of the law o Karma is that selfishness results in suffering for selfish party in proportion to the amount of wrong that has been committed. Conversely, love, compassion and other virtuous states of mind create proportion amounts of happiness and emotional well-being. Often this is stated as “Desire is the cause of suffering.” And in this context the word which has been translated into English as “suffering” is the Pali word Dukkha. Dukkha is a term which includes all types of unpleasant experiences such as worry, fear, sorrow, dissatisfaction, disharmony, etc. When the mind is craving pleasures or is strongly motivated by greed, hatred or egotism, it becomes predisposed to dukkha. A paradox is noted in that happiness is best found by those who are not preoccupied with looking for it. Thus we find in Buddhism no eternal punishment or eternal reward, but rather happiness and sorrow in proportion to one’s own thoughts and actions.
Karma operates independently of any social mores or cultural standards of good and evil. Also, it does not account for all pleasure and displeasure, for the Buddha said that many of one’s pleasant and painful experiences are not the result of one’s previous actions. (Anguttara-Nikaya I, 173)
IV Nirvana (Nibbana)
Since all which is born must die, since all which
is finite must change, the only thing immortal, infinite, and unchanging
is that which was never born and is not compounded. This is Nirvana. But
the Buddha talked relatively little about Nirvana, for since it is neither
matter not energy, and since it does not exist within space and time, it
is completely unrelated to anything with which we are familiar. Thus, it
cannot be described, conceptualised nor understood by the normal human
mind. It is known only by direct experience beyond sense perception and
is the end of all dukkha. When Nirvana is experienced, egotism has died,
for Nirvana comes only with the abolition of all selfishness and craving.
yet one does not vegetate but continues to act and work as long as the
body remains alive. The is Buddhist salvation, and it is found by the training
of one’s mind and a maturing of the personality. Since it can never be
known or comprehended except by direct experience, one should not concern
oneself with looking for Nirvana per se, but rather one should seek to
abolish selfishness from his own personality, and this is a rewarding endeavour
regardless of whether or not the highest goal is reached. Said the Buddha.
“Liberated, the wise are indifferent to the senses,
and have no
need to seek anything; passionless they are beyond
pleasure and
displeasure.” (Sutta-Nipata IV)
V Finally, it is stated that the above
four premises can be verified by one’s own reasoning and experience with
no dependence on external authority. In a Tibetan text the Buddha is quoted:
“Just as people test the purity of gold by burning
it in fires, by cutting it,
by examining it on a touchstone, so exactly should
you, my
disciples, accept my words after subjecting them
to a critical test and not out of
reverence to me”. (Self Mastery, by Soma
Thera. Kandy, Ceylon: Buddhist
Publication Society).
On the basis of the above five postulates there develop a number of important ramifications:
1. Universality
Truth is universal and unchanging, and thus depends
upon no one revelation or institution. The facts discovered by the Buddha
are available for all to discover, and in this sense a man can be a Buddhist
and never hear about the religion of Buddhism nor the teachings of the
Buddha. The Buddha is quoted as saying:
“It is certainly hard to change one’s set opinions,
but a man should let himself freely
test all philosophical systems, adopting and
rejecting them as he sees fit. But the man who
is wise no longer concerns himself with this
or that system (of philosophy), he neither
prides nor deceives himself. He goes along his
independent way”. (Sutta-Nipata 785 786)
2 Unsupernatural
To one who accepts the teachings of the Buddha,
rituals, offerings, prayer wheels and similar attempts to bring forth supernatural
help are of virtually no value. The only value of rituals, chanting and
homage to Buddha images is the humble and earnest state of mind which may
be produced, for such a state of mind has great karmic value.
In the final stages of the path to Nirvana one
must rely solely no one’s own efforts and not
seek the aid of gods or men. The Buddha’s dying
words were: “Decay is inherent in all
Compounded things. Strive on with mindfulness”.
(Digha-Nikaya II, 156)
On an earlier occasion, he spoke: “The man enmeshed
in delusion will never be purified through the mere study of holy books,
or sacrifices to gods, or through fasts, or sleeping on the ground, or
difficult and strenuous vigils, or the repetition of prayers. Neither gifts
to priests, nor self-castigation, nor performance of rites and ceremonies
can work purification in him who is filled with craving. It is not through
the partaking of meat or fish that a man becomes impure, but through drunkenness,
obstinacy, bigotry, deceit, envy self-exaltation disparagement of others
and evil intentions-through these a man becomes impure.” (Fundamentals
of Buddhism, by Nyanatiloka Mahathera, Buddha Sahitya Sabha, Colombo, Ceylon,
1946, p8)
3 World view
The Universe (and all that is in it) is ordered
by impartial, unchanging laws. These laws have been operating throughout
all time into the infinite past and will continue to operate into the infinite
future. There is no known first beginning, and there never will be a final
end. The Buddha further said that there are at least a billion other world-sun
systems like our own, and as these grow old and die out new solar systems
evolve and come into being. Yet unlike the laws of physics and chemistry,
the course of events is not a blind matter of chance. Buddhism regards
the Universe as a harmoniously functioning whole with a unity behind its
diversity. Man was created by the laws of nature; the world was not created
for man.
4 Worldliness and Other-Worldliness
The world as such is not regarded as evil, but
rather it is craving for the gross and subtle pleasures of material existence
that Buddhism seeks to destroy. Thus when speaking of liberation, the Buddha
meant freeing of the mind from enslaving passion and prejudices, not abhorrence
for material existence per se. He also denounced self-torture. Consequently,
the Buddha’s first discourse taught the Middle Way, which is avoiding the
extremes of excessive sensual indulgence and asceticism.
Buddhist monks undertake to train themselves to give up all but a few necessary possessions. And since most of the Buddha’s teachings were directed to monks and nuns, the majority of recorded dialogues are concerned with the ideals of non-materialism and non-attachment. However, the Buddha recognised the needs of the lay people and gave them much advice also. He once said:
“The wise and virtuous shine like blazing fire.He
who acquires wealth in harmless
ways is like a bee that gathers honey.
Riches amount up for him like an anthill’s rapid
growth.
With wealth acquired in this way, a layman fit
for household
life in portions four divides his wealth.
Thus will he win friendship.
One portion for his wants he uses (including charity).
Two portions he spends on his business.
A fourth he keeps for times of need”.
(Digha-Nikaya III, 188)
5 Epistemology
To the Buddhist knowledge should be obtained
through one’s own experience and reasoning. This is the same method as
employed by modern science, except that Buddhism expands this to a study
of one’s own mind as well as a study of the worlds of sight, sound, smell,
touch, and taste. Faith, scriptures, mysticism and revelations are not
considered to be infallible roads to truth.
On one occasion the Enlightened One came to the village of Kasaputta where lived certain tribesmen known as the Kalamas. They knew the Buddha to be a renowned spiritual teacher and addressed him as follows:
“There are some monks and Branhmins, Venerable Sir, who visit Kesaputta. They illustrate and illuminate only their own doctrines; the doctrines of others they despise, revile and pull to pieces. Venerable Sir, there is doubt, there is uncertainty in us concerning them. Which of these reverend monks and Brahmins spoke the truth and which falsehood?”
To this the Buddha replied:
“It is proper for you, Kalamas, to doubt, to be
uncertain.
Uncertainty has arisen in you about what is doubtful.
Come,
Kalamas. Do not go upon an authoritative tradition;
nor upon
what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor
upon rumour;
nor upon what is in a scripture; nor upon speculative
metaphy-
social theories, reasons and arguments; nor upon
a point of view;
nor upon specious reasoning; nor upon accepting
a statement as
true because it agrees with a theory that one
is already con-
vinced of; nor upon another’s seeming ability;
nor upon the
consideration ‘Our teacher says thus and so’.
Kalamas, why you
yourselves know: ‘These things are bad; these
things are blam-
able; these things are censured by the wise;
undertaken and
observe, these things lead to harm and ill’,
abandon them.”
(Anguttara-Nikaya 1, 189)
6. Ethics
Buddhist ethics has two levels, a positive and
a negative. Negatively it advocates the eradication of all greed, hatred
and delusion from one’s mind. Positively, it advocates the cultivation
and development of metta, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity
as inherent aspects of one’s personality. “Metta” is a Pali word and is
usually translated into English as “love”. However, in Pali there are several
words, each with different shades of meaning, all of which can be translated
as “love”. If we simultaneously think of the words “friendship”, “love”
and “kindness” we will have some understanding of the true meaning of “metta”.
In the
Metta Sutta the Buddha is quoted:
“Just as a mother might protect from harm the
son that was
her only child, let all-embracing thoughts of
love for every
living thing be thine. an all-embrancing love
for all the universe
in all its heights and depth and breadth. An
unstinted love,
not marred by enmity”. (Sutta-Nipata 149-150)
The Buddha was the first man in history known
to have advocated
the returning of good for evil:
“Hatred ceases not by hatred in this world:
Through love it comes to an end. This is an ancient
law”
(Dhammapada 5)
“Overcome anger by love, evil by good. Conquer
the greedy
with liberality and with truth the speaker of
falsehoods.
(Dhammapada 223)
If one has truly removed all selfishness and developed love and compassion, there is no need for strict moral codes or other artificial rules of conduct. For such a person would never be inclined to do wrong, an thus his virtue would be natural and spontaneous rather than arbitrary and premeditated. Said the Buddha:
“Some there are who having taken vows and observing
them
think morality alone to be the highest and say
that purity
is achieved by restraint. They say ‘Here then
let’s train;
purity lies herein’.
“If such a one has fallen away from some rule
or ritual, having
failed to do a certain performance, he is agitated,
yearning
all the time for purification; just as one who
has lost his
caravan while away from home.
“All rule and ritual left behind, all karma blamable
and praise-
worthy, not concerning himself with cleansing
nor with stains
may one freely fare.” (Sutta-Nipata 898-900)
However, rules of ethics are of great value and
importance to the majority of mankind. And thus, when speaking to lay people,
the Englightend One gave much practical advice, such as in the
Sigalovada
Sutta:
“In five ways, young householder, a child should minister to his parents:
1. Once supported by them I shall now be their
support.
2. I shall perform duties incumbent on them.
3. I shall keep up the lineage and tradition
of my family.
4. I shall make myself worthy of my heritage.
5. Furthermore, I shall offer alms in honour
of my departed
relatives.”
“In five ways, young householder, parents thus ministered to by their children now their compassion:
1. They restrain them from evil.
2. They persuade them to do good.
3. They train them in a profession.
4. They contract a suitable marriage for them.
5. In due time, they hand over their inheritance
to them.”
“In five ways should a master minister to his servants and employees:
1. By assigning them work according to their strength.
2. By supplying them with food and wages.
3. By tending them in sickness.
4. By sharing with them unusual delicacies.
5. By granting them leave at times.”
“Thus, ministered to as the zenith, the clergy
show their compassion to the layman in six
ways:
1. They restrain him from evil.
2. They persuade him to do good.
3. They love him with kindly thoughts.
4. They make him hear what he has not heard.
5. They correct and purify what he has hear.
6. They reveal the path to a heavenly state.”
(Digha-Nikaya III, 189-190)
Action is precipitated by thought, and for this reason evil exists first in the mind. Consequently, Buddhism regards hatred, egotism and immoral intent as wrong regardless of the actions which they may or may not produce. Unlike Western religions, Buddhist ethics are not founded upon obedience to a set of commandments, but rather they are based upon true insight into the hazards of greed, hatred and delusion and the inherent values of love, equanimity and compassion. consequently the word “good” and “evil” in Buddhism do not carry the same connotations of shame and guilt as in the west. In fact the Buddha often avoided the words “good” and “evil’ and instead used “wholesome” and “unwholesome”, or “desirable” and “undesirable”.
7 Society
Buddhists are taught not to depend on the arbitrary customs, traditions and mores of society to find truth, happiness and well-being; nor should they look to society to find a code of ethics. This, however, does not imply a total apathy toward social organisations. The Buddha not only taught against the inequalities of the caste system, but also opposed the institution of slavery.
For over 2,000 years, Buddhists have built hospitals and rest - houses, while Buddhist rulers have, in the name of their religion, drained swamps, built wells and carried out other measures in the interests of public welfare.
On the subject of illness, the Buddha said:
“Whosoever, brethren, would wait upon me, whosoever,
brethren,
would honour me, whosoever, brethren, would follow
my advice, he should wait upon the sick.” (Vinaya
Mahavagga)
And regarding the caste system he taught:
“Not by birth is one an outcast.
Not by birth is one a noble.
But by deeds is one an outcast.
And by deeds is one a noble.” (Sutta-Nipata
136)
8 Psychology
Since all finite creations must perish, since
all which is born must die. Nowhere in man is there to be found an immortal
soul Instead, Buddhism regards the human personality as a functioning aggregate
of sensations, memories, perceptions and concepts all manifesting on a
background of consciousness. The only thing which is regarded as immortal
is that which is never born, is not finite and not personal: this is Nirvana.
9 Death
If there is no soul, does Buddhism then teach
that death is the termination of all conscious existence? This question
cannot be answered by a simple “yes” or “no”
It is not strictly true that Buddhist teaches reincarnation, nor does it advocate an absolute annihilation. Rather, it takes position some place between these two extremes. The Buddha was born a Hindu much as Christ was born a Jew. And in the Hindu religion each conscious being is regarded as having an immortal and unchanging soul which the Hindu call Brahma or God. Brahma is the Absolute, the basis of all creation, and the ultimate goal of the finite soul is to return and unite with Brahma. This union with Brahma is the Hindu conception of Nirvana and is achieved after many reincarnations. With each new life the should learns new lessons, sins, suffers from its sins, and goes to the next life somewhat better than before. At last it is purified of all selfishness, attains Nirvana, and is no longer reborn. It is important that one distinguishes this Hindu belief from the Buddhist position which follows:
In reply to the question “What will happen to me when I die?”, The Buddha might answer, “What are you?” For the world “I” or “self” includes not one thing but many. Death, of course, means the cessation of all bodily function ing. what, then, becomes of the mind? With our modern knowledge of neurophysiology, there can be little question that most, if not all, of the things we call mental activities are directly dependent upon the electrochemical workings of the brain. When the brain ceases to function, sensations, perceptions, thoughts and consciousness come to an end.
Buddhism teachers that mind without matter is an impossibility; a body is a prerequisite for consciousness. However, it also teaches that a body alone is not enough. There is a non-physical aspect of the human psyche which must be present before consciousness can occur.
Mind and body form an interdependent relationship like two bundles of reeds neither of which can stand alone but stand by leaning on each other. Without a psychic component, the body does not develop and thrive, and without a material substrate consciousness does not manifest.
Instead of an unchanging soul which inhabits successive bodies and itself independent of those bodies, Buddhism teaches a dynamic changing process, the manifestation of which is determined by its physical substrate. It is like a match flame which is used to light a candle, and then the match is extinguished. Then with the candle, one lights a pressure lantern and extinguishes the candle. We might ask: Is the flame now burning in the match? The answer can be either yes or no. Similarly, the Buddha said there are two extremes. One extreme is to say that when a man dies that same person is born again, and the other extreme is to say that at death that person is forever annihilated. The Buddhist position is between these two.
Furthermore, the Buddha noted that which we call mind or self is continually changing from moment to moment and day to day. Different and often opposing moods, attitudes, opinion and concepts continually arise and fall in the focus of awareness. No one of these is the true self; rather the self is the total of all them. Or again, one’s personality at ages fours is quite different from that at age 12, which is different still from the personality of that “same” person at age 20 or again at age 40. Like the match flame burning in the pressure lantern, the self is not the same person but rather an evolving process. Similarly the phenomenon of rebirth as taught in Buddhism is the continuation of process rather than the transfer of an entity or substance.
As most people go through life, they are influenced by their families, societies and other feature of their environments. As a result, the development of their personalities is largely a matter of chance. The purpose of Buddhism is to guide and direct the evolution of one’s personality so that such development is no longer fortuitous. Nirvana is the ultimate goal in this process of maturation, and with Nirvana rebirth comes to an end.
“What is it, Venerable Sir, that will be reborn?”
“A psycho-physical combination, O King, is the
answer?”
“But how, Venerable Sir? Is it the same psycho-physical
combination as this present one?”
“No, O King. But the present psycho-physical
combination
produces karmically wholesome and unwholesome
volitional
activities, and through such karma a new psycho-physical
combination will be reborn.” (Milinda-Panha
46)
Karma which has been produced in one lifetime
and has not manifested its results by the time of death will manifest itself
in the following life and can even determine the time and circumstances
of the new birth. Consequently, the condition in which each man finds himself
is the result of his own former thoughts and deeds. His present behaviour
is what will determine his future state. Thus each man makes his own destiny.
10 Knowledge and Intelligence
On this matter, the Buddha said:
“If a man can become pure simply by changing his
views,
if by mere knowledge he can be freed of sorrow,
then some-
thing other than the Noble Eightfold Path makes
pure and
puts an end to sorrow. But this cannot be.”
(Sutta-Nipata 789)
The understanding of only a few important facts is necessary for salvation. Once can go on indefinitely acquire faith and yet never achieve the understanding which leads to Nirvana. Thus, Knowledge of oneself is more important than knowledge of the world. Said the Buddha:
“It is from views, from tradition, from mere knowledge,
nor from virtue and achievement, that purity
is attained,
Magandiya. Nor is it from being without views,
without
tradition, without knowledge, without virtue
of achievement
that purity is attained.” (Sutta-Nipata 839)
Intelligence, like knowledge, is regarded as a
valuable tool, a means to an end but not an end in itself. In the final
analysis, reality transcends normal human understanding, and thus one of
the highest achievements of the intellect is seen when it points beyond
itself to reality.
11 Discipline
Said the Buddha:
“Though he may conquer a thousand thousand men
in battle, greater still is the man who conquers
himself.”
(Dhammapada 103)
Discipline is essential. Only through persistent self-discipline, said the Buddha, can one overcome passions and sloth and eventually achieve Nirvana. Yet, though a man must purify himself, he cannot take himself to Nirvana, for Nirvana is beyond the realm of finite human endeavour and becomes manifest of its own when one has finally established the prerequisite conditions. Again the Buddha is quoted:
“He who does not rouse himself when it is time
to rise, who,
though young and strong, is full of sloth, whose
will and
thought are weak, that lazy idle man never finds
the way to
wisdom.” (Dhammapada 280)
12 As an Institution
Buddhism regards itself as a group of important
truths, which, when properly understood, can be of great value to almost
any human being. It is important that these teachings become institutionalised
and an indigenous part of a society, for there is no other way that they
can reach all levels of humanity and also last for a period of many generations.
In additions, if such a teaching does not exist, intolerant ideologies,
superstitions and erroneous theologies will necessarily arise to satisfy
the spiritual needs of a given culture. At one time the Enlightened One
spoke:
“Released am I, monks, from ties both human and
divine. You
also are delivered from fetters human and divine.
Wander
for the welfare and happiness of many, our of
compassion for
world, for the gain, for the welfare and happiness
of gods
and men. proclaim the Teaching excellent in the
beginning,
excellent in the middle and excellent in the
end, in the spirit
and in the letter. Proclaim ye the life of consummate
purity.”
(Samyutta-Nikaya I, 105)
On the other hand, once a man becomes concerned with Buddhism as an institution and works for this as his primary cause, he has lost sight of the fact that truth is universal. The word “Buddhism” is only a symbol which represents certain beliefs and concepts. These truths could be equally as well represented by some other word, institution, or symbol. One we become prejudiced towards Buddhism, we cease to be Buddhists in the true sense of the word. Each Buddhist has the opportunity to give his knowledge to others. It is not really necessary that he gives it to them under the name of Buddhism, but to do so helps to insure an embodiment of this knowledge and thus advances the opportunity for it to be acquired by others. In Digha-Nikaya I the Buddha said:
“Monks, if others were to speak against me, or
against the
teaching, or against our monastic order, you
need not on
that account entertain thoughts of ill-will and
spite and be
dissatisfied with them. If you do harbour hatred,
that will
not only impede your mental development, but
you will also,
fail to judge how far that speech is right or
wrong. But also,
monks, if others speak highly of me, highly of
the Teaching
and our monastic order, you need not on that
account be
elated for that too will mar your inner development.
You
should acknowledge what is right and show the
truth of what
has been said.”
To its credit, Buddhism can claim that in the 2,500 years of its history, it has not burned one with, nor fought one holy war and has had few instances of persecution of heretics.
However, no religion can exist for long among
millions of people without undergoing some change and corruption. Prayer
wheels, the worship of images and the offerings to the Buddha are all examples
of this. Also, later Buddhists, especially in China and Japan, created
many legendary stories about the Buddha and his teachings. Nirvana was
replaced by a glorious heaven where the Lord Buddha sits on His throne,
and faith became more important than understanding.
The most fundamental and important aspect of human existence is not one’s beliefs, nor social status, nor intellect, nor material possessions; rather it is motives, emotions, feelings. Almost by definition it is feelings, and feelings alone, which give purpose, meaning, value and significance to our every action and encounter. Without feeling or motives there would be no incentive for one to think, speak or act; life would be chronic apathy. Yet some feelings are more rewarding, wholesome and meaningful than others. And quite often feelings be they mental or physical) are unpleasant, empty, sorrowful, disharmonious, worrisome, irritating, frustrating or in some way of negative value; in other words, dukkha.
Thus the Buddha summarised his doctrine into the Four Noble Truths, which are:
1 Dukkha (i.e. suffering) in all its varied forms is an inherent and universal aspect of conscious existence.
2 The cause of this suffering is desire or craving. (Desire in this sense should not be confused with the simple recognition of a pleasurable or happy experience. The recognition and acceptance of such an experience is not in itself unwholesome; rather the danger arises from craving or attachment to such an experience)
3 There is end of dukkha which man can realise.
4 This end of suffering is achieved by following the Noble Eightfold Path.
However, it is not the mere attainment of a blissful existence which should motivate one towards moral behaviour. On this matter the Buddha said:
“To be seized by spirits (allegorically) means
living a virtuous
or religious life chiefly in the hope of being
born, as a result
of one’s merit, in a heavenly world, as an angel,
or a divine
being (and this is to be avoided.(“ (Two Buddhist
Parables
by Nyanasata Thera, Buddhist Publication Society:
Kandy,
Ceylon).
The Noble Eightfold Path consists of:
1 Right Understanding - the development and application of one’s intellectual capabilities for the sake of understanding and resolving the problems of selfishness and suffering.
2 Right Thought - thoughts free from lust, thoughts free from ill-will and thoughts from ill-will and thoughts free from cruelty.
3 Right Speech - to abstain from harsh language, lying and vain talk.
4 Right Action - to abstain from killing, stealing, intoxicating drink and sexual misconduct. (For monks complete celibacy is expected; laymen are advised to abstain from adultery or other inappropriate sexual behaviour).
5 Right Livelihood - the avoidance of any occupation which leads to harm or undesirable conduct, such as dealing in intoxicating drinks, slavery or murder weapons.
6 Right Effort -
the exertion of one’s will and self-discipline to develop wholesome mental
states and overcome unwholesome states.
7 Right Mindfulness
- This is probably the most important and profound aspect of Buddhist mental
development and includes a variety of different meditation practices and
psychological techniques. Such practices and techniques are varied according
to one’s individual spiritual needs and personally structure and include
developing awareness of unconscious motives and impulses.
8 Right concentration - the training of the mind to remain concentrated on a single object and not wander from thought to thought.
These steps are not taken one at a time, but rather are worked on simultaneously in the maturation of one’s personality. No man finds Nirvana overnight, and to rigidly force oneself to abandon all worldly conduct before one is capable of such a step can be as detrimental as clinging to habits of excessive sensual indulgence. In the words of Buddha:
“Just as, brethren, the mighty ocean deepens and
slopes gradually
down, hollow after hollow, not plunging by a
sudden
precipice; even so, brethren, in this dhamma-discipline
the
training is gradual, it goes step by step; there
is no sudden
penetration of insight.” (Udana 54)
“By degrees, little by little, from time to time
a wise man
should remove his own impurities, as a smithy
removes the
dross from silver.” (Dhammapada 239)
This fickle, unsteady mind, difficult to guard,
difficult to
control, the wise man makes straight, as the
fletcher straightens
the arrow.
“As the fish drawn from its watery abode and thrown
upon
control, the wise man makes straight, as the
fletcher straightens
the arrow.
“Hard to control, unstable is this mind; it flits
wherever it
likes. Good it is to subdue the mind. A subdued
mind brings
happiness.” The Buddha (Dhammapada 33-35)
We live in the eternal ‘Now, and it is ‘Now that
we create our destiny. If follows, that to grieve over the past is useless
and to make plans for the future is a waste of time. There is only one
ambition that is good, and that is: so to live Now that none may weary
of life’s emptiness and none may have to do the task we leave undone.
From The Book of Sayings of Tsiang Samdup
Printed for free distribution
Printed in Thailand at:
Mahamakut Rajavidyalaya Press
Phra Sumeru Road
Bangkok 2
|
New Zealand Khmer Community |
|
