Buddhism -The Worlds Wisdom

The World’s Wisdom, Buddhism

Main Ideas of Buddhism

1. Anatta

Anatta means that each person does not have an inner substance or soul and that each physical body is just a constantly changing mixture of thoughts and physical appearances. It is related to how we do not see a machine, such as a car, as anything other than a combination of the parts that make up the machine.

2. Right Mindfulness

The practice of right mindfulness comes from the Satipatthana Sutta and is very important to Buddhists for meditation. It contains information on the four foundations of mindfulness, which are awareness of the body, sensation, mind, and mind-objects. To be aware of one’s body, he or she tries to be aware of his or her body by meditating while controlling one’s breathing, being mindful of one’s posture, the parts of the body, bodily acts, and recognizes that at some point, they will die and the body will decay like all others do. To be aware of sensations, one must constantly be aware of what he or she is feeling and what kind of sensation they experience. To be aware of the mind, one must try to recognize his or changes in feelings and be in control of his or her feelings and mental states. To be aware of the mind-objects, one must always try to be aware of the five Hindrances, the five Skandhas, the six-sense bases, the seven factors of enlightenment and the four noble truths. The five hindrances are lust, anger, sloth, restlessness and doubts and one must try to always be aware of when he or she has or does not have these. Skandhas are groups of existence and they are materiality, sensation, perception, moods, and thoughts. The seven factors of enlightenment are mindfulness, investigation of the “law”, energy, enthusiasm, tranquility, concentration, and equanimity. One must try to recognize when these qualities are within him or her and if they are not, one must try to bring about these qualities and develop them.

3. Description of Nirvana

There are five qualities of Nirvana that help describe it, although it is impossible to truly describe Nirvana. The first quality of Nirvana is that it is the end of Karma and therefore the end of rebirth and attachment to the physical world or craving. The second quality is that in Nirvana the three poisons (greed, hate, and delusion) do not exist. Also, there is no such thing as death or aging in Nirvana and one’s heart is delivered to Nirvana to be in bliss. It is also emphasized that Nirvana is real and is a tangible state of existence.

4. Description of Arahat

An Arahat is an individual who has followed the four noble truths and the eightfold path and has reached enlightenment and Nirvana. An Arahat is different from a Buddha because a Buddha is someone who is considered to have reached Nirvana without outside aid or information. An Arahat is someone who does not have any more spiritual progress to make and are happy because they have detached themselves from craving.

Mahayana Buddhism

1. Emptiness

In Mahayana Buddhism, the concept of Anatta is emphasized a lot and it is believed that things are empty, including the Buddha and his teachings. Therefore, the only thing that is permanent is the emptiness in the world. Mahayana Buddhists believe that even Nirvana is empty and that the emptiness of the world should be embraced and that people should try to recognize it as much as possible. They believe that we are all already enlightened, therefore there is no problem and no solution in life because we are all already enlightened.

2. The ideal Bodhisattva

A Bodhisattva is someone who has reached enlightenment but does not move onto Nirvana in order to help others reach enlightenment. Through this process, a Bodhisattva eventually realizes that because we are all born enlightened, there is no one to help. A Bodhisattva is also someone who’s compassion for humanity causes them to make this decision, instead of wanting to be remembered as a Bodhisattva or enlightened one. A Bodhisattva also tries to display their enlightened state to others and “radiate” their enlightenment in order to help lead others toward Nirvana.

3. Devotional Buddhism

Mahayana Buddhists created new scriptures when it was developed that provide a way for people to be devotional within their practice of Buddhism. The scriptures allow Buddhists to call on Bodhisattvas and Buddhas for guidance in the journey, and they do this through devotion like prayer or meditation. There are many texts on the greatness of the Buddha and how he has allowed all being to reach salvation and this is a reward for devoting oneself to the different Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. One of these Buddhas is Amitabha, who resides in a pure world that humans can go to after death in order to reach enlightenment more easily. The Lotus Sutra is also a prominent part of this scripture as it portrays the Buddha as a savior and someone who has come to help humanity and that we should devote ourselves to him because this will lead to our salvation.

1. The first question is whether or not other people's actions affect each individual or if other's actions have no effect on the outcome of one's life. The second question is whether or not humans are independent of fate and what happens in their life relies solely on free will, or if humans are not independent of fate and there is a reason for everything that happens. The third question is whether or not the mind or the heart is the best or most important part of humans. Smith argues that these distinctions have divided humanity throughout history including within Buddhism because they contribute to our basic fundamental beliefs of the world around us.

2. The main division between the different sects of Buddhism is that one group of Buddhists believed that it was more important for one to work towards enlightenment through extreme diligence and meditation, while the other group believed that it was more important to be compassionate and love others. This main difference translated into other important differences between the two sects and the sect that believed in the importance of compassion was called Mahayana which means "big raft" because it focused more on the ordinary person. The sect that focused on meditation and gaining wisdom was called Hinayana, which means "little raft".

3.

a)In Theravada Buddhism, one's progress relies specifically on his or her actions. In Mayahana Buddhism, one's progress is linked and connected to all other individuals.

b)Theravada Buddhists believe that there is no god and that humans are alone in the universe and do not focus on metaphysics. Mayahana Buddhists believe that there is a supreme power that does not directly controls everything, but keeps the universe in balance and focus more on metaphysics.

c)In Theravada Buddhism, the best way to enlightenment is Bodhi, or wisdom while in Mayahana Buddhism, the main path to enlightenment is Karuna or compassion.

d) Due to the emphasis on wisdom in Theravada Buddhism, the Sangha is very important. Mayahana Buddhism is designed for the normal everyday person.

e) Theravada Buddhists emulate the Arhats, who seek nirvana and enlightenment on their own while Mayahana Buddhists emulate the Bodhisattvas, who help others reach nirvana and enlightenment.

f) All of the differences between the two contribute to how they view the Buddha. In Theravada Buddhism, he is viewed as a saint and more of as an example of what to do. In Mayahana Buddhism, he is viewed as a savior who used his knowledge to help others. This difference in how they view the nature of the Buddha sums up the main differences between the two religions.

g) Theravada Buddhism minimizes ritual and focuses and meditation while Mayahana Buddhism emphasizes ritual and includes prayer as well as meditation.

Smith Buddhism Assignment

1. What is the biggest problem faced when trying to understand some of the core ideas/beliefs of Buddhism?

The biggest problem in trying to understand Buddhism is that Buddha did not teach on certain topics such as cosmology but focused on developing a way to live one's life. He only taught about how to live a life that leads to ending suffering, but did not teach as much about more abstract metaphysical topics.

2. How does Smith describe/define nirvana? Is it possible to conceive of what Nirvana is? Why or Why not?

Smith explains that Nirvana has a duality of what is left once one reaches Nirvana. The negative view is that all of the finite things that restrict the infinite self have been destroyed. The positive view is that it is a state in which only the infinite self exists. Some believe that Nirvana can be interpreted to be the closest definition to a God-head that Buddhism has, but the Buddha never confirmed this belief in his teachings. According to Buddha and his followers, one cannot explain or conceive of what Nirvana is because it is a state in which nothing physical or finite exists, so there is no way for humans to understand it.

3. How/what is Anatta according to Smith?

Anatta is the Buddhist doctrine which says there is no permanent soul within each person. It does not mean that there is no soul, but the doctrine denies the traditional Hindu beliefs that it a "spiritual substance" that always has a separate identity. There is a sense of a soul in Buddhism, the concept of Anatta just clarifies that Buddhism does not hold the same view of the soul as Hinduism.

4. How does Smith describe the concept of transmigration and its relation to Karma?

In Buddhism, Transmigration is like a flame being passed from one candle to another indefinitely. There is always a flame, but it is not exactly the same flame as the flame that was on the first candle. This means that Buddhists view transmigration as a continuing cycle of events. One's present condition is due to Karma in the sense that what has already happened causes what is happening presently even if it was in a past life because the world is seen as a sequence of actions and affects of those actions. This also affirms the Buddhist concept that there is no spiritual substance transmitted from one life to the next.

5. According to Smith, why did the Buddha belabor the concept of Anicca?

The Buddha emphasized the concept of Anicca because he believed that if people really accepted this concept it would be easier for them to separate themselves from the physical world, making it easier to reach Nirvana.

6. What is the biggest problem, according to Smith, when trying to answer the question “Do Humans survive bodily death?”

It is hard to answer this question because human’s can only describe things within our physical parameters because that is the only consciousness we have ever known. The problem is that after death or once one has reached Nirvana, everything that we have experienced in the physical world is eliminated. This means that it is hard to describe what happens after death because the idea that the soul does survive bodily death usually makes humans think of a physical soul, which cannot exist after death.