DOCSLIB.ORG

Chapter Summaries of Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Chapter Summaries of Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha The Biography of SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA Graphic Chapter Summaries as told by the Buddha’s Birthday Education Project Welcome Welcome to the Graphic Chapter Summaries of Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s The Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha. This compilation provides a distilled summary of each chapter of the book from the perspective of the members of the BBEP (Buddha’s Birthday Education Project) Book Club and has been revised by Venerable Dr. Juewei of the Nan Tien Institute (NTI) Humanistic Buddhism Centre (HBC). In 2014, the Humanistic Buddhism Centre was established in Australia. The Centre focuses on using research, education and innovation to bring the Buddha’s message to life. As one of the teams under the HBC, BBEP is proud to continue the story. We are passionate about utilising art, technology and media to convey the extraordinary wisdom of the Dharma. Do visit our other projects including our Humanistic Buddhism podcast series on Soundcloud, and the Turning Points: Stories of Humanistic Buddhism page on Facebook. Humanistic Buddhism Centre Turning Points: Stories of Humanistic Buddhism We hope you enjoy this commentary of the Buddha’s life in graphic form, and are inspired to engage in the practice of Humanistic Buddhism. Chapter 1 Introduction Venerable Master Hsing Yun explains the necessity of evidence in choosing a religious path - that we take into account the promises and demeanour of the path and leader to assess its appropriateness for us as followers. As an introduction, Venerable Master gives a short historical overview of the founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha, and describes his qualities in matching the criteria for an appropriate religious leader. The leader must have existed, as proven by historical records. The leader must have taken the path they have promised to bring happiness. Their nature must be pure and their character perfected. Most importantly for us, can we trust them and their promises? Chapter 2 Ancient Indian Society The caste system: Brahmans Hindu priests, ruled the hierarchy through assertion of the Manusmrti. Ksatriyas Noblemen and kings who divided and ruled land among themselves. Vaisyas Farmers and traders who were denied basic education by higher classes. Sudras An underclass of slave-like labourers “born to work for the upper classes.” Chapter 3 Ancient Indian Thought While the Brahmans asserted brutal authority, philosophers began to develop theories to explain the phenomena of the universe both physical and metaphysical. This resulted in an over-abundance of belief systems, ranging from pure materialism to pure austerity, leading society into confusion as to what to follow. Chapter 4 The Buddha’s Family History City of Kapilavastu City of Devadaha King Simhahanu & Kaccana King Anjana Yashodhara King Suddhodana Queen Maya Siddhartha Chapter 5 King Suddhodana and Queen Maya “My lord, we are slowly growing older and yet we have no children to call our own. You are the king of this land. How can a king be without an heir? All of the kings of the past had concubines in their royal families...You should invite more women to the palace, so that they may bear you a son.” “No, if it is my fate to have no heir, then even if all the women in the world came to the palace, it would not make a difference.” Chapter 6 Birth at Lumbini Grove “This is my last birth into this world. It is for the sake of realizing Buddhahood that I have come into this world. I am the greatest enlightened being, and am here to liberate all beings.” Chapter 7 Prophecy of the Seer “An heir of great wisdom and ability has been born, and he shall become the savior of the world...If he would succeed the throne,...he would unite the countries in the four directions and rule as a sagely monarch...However, if the prince chooses to renounce the distractions of the world,...he shall realize the path of liberation and become a fully enlightened Buddha.” “...just as you imagine. The prince will renounce the householder’s life and fulfill the spiritual path. He will attain supreme enlightenment.” The prince possessed the complete thirty-two marks of excellence and eighty notable characteristics of a Buddha Chapter 8 Education of the Young Prince Within the shortest span of time, the prince had mastered each and every skill presented to him. The Five Sciences: The Four Vedas: Language Rigveda (health) Art and Mathematics Samaveda (ritual) Medicine Yajurveda (military) Logic Atharvaveda (spells) Philosophy Chapter 9 The Beautiful Yasodhara Even though he had all the riches and prestige one could dream of, Siddhartha remained in existential depression. King Suddhodhana then desperately arranged Siddhartha’s marriage to Princess Yasodhara, which brought them a son, Rahula (meaning Fetter). Chapter 10 The Prince Ventures Outside Siddhartha convinced King Suddhodana to let him venture outside of the palace walls. The King conceded, but (unsuccessfully) staged each of the ventures so that Siddhartha would remain oblivious to the realities of life: Old-age Sickness Death Chapter 11 The Greatest Temptation “Beloved Prince, you are still young...Why do you reject these women?...there is nothing in this world that brings more happiness than love... The love of women is a prize countless men chase after..Prince, do not cast away this rare opportunity.” “This world is a great sea of aging, illness, and death. It is the focal point of all suffering. After realizing this, who would still have the heart to chase after momentary pleasures?” Chapter 12 Renunciation “If you leave to pursue spiritual practice, you will not find what you are looking for.” “If you are able to grant me four requests, then I can reconsider my wish to renounce:” Eliminate old-age Eliminate sickness Eliminate death Create equality “I have left home to become a renunciant...My only wish is to reach the exalted state of equality in all things...If I do not work to liberate beings from the great sea of birth and death, who will?” Chapter 13 Chandaka and Kanthaka Siddhartha traveled to the forest where ascetic Bhargava lived. He gave his horse, crown and jewelries to his servant Chandaka and commanded him to return back to the palace. “Look at these birds chirping in the woods. Every day at dusk...they gather together in the forest. But when the dawn comes, they disperse. Is this not like life?” Chapter 14 Forest of Ascetics Siddhartha met many ascetics in the forest who practiced many different austerities in order to seek rebirth in heavenly realms. Ascetic practices will not lead to liberation from birth and death. To find the true path Siddhartha left the forest and went to the Vindhya mountains looking for the sage Arada. Chapter 15 Grief of the Kingdom Chandaka returned to the city and told everyone that the prince had become a renunciant. The people panicked, the Queen Mahapajapati was devastated. His wife Yasodhara was heartbroken. The king Suddhodana was suffering too. He sent his ministers and many soldiers to find the prince and bring him home. Chapter 16 The Troops Give Chase After some time the grand procession caught the prince in the middle of the road. The king asked the prince to return to the palace and succeed the throne. Siddhartha explained that his resolve would not change. He was determined to find the truth for himself. One cannot hope to reach the truth by following old traditions. “A wise man does not trust the directions given to him by a blind man on dark night.” Chapter 17 King Bimbisara Tempts the Prince When the prince was passing Magadha, the King Bimbisara tempted him by offering half of his kingdom. The king was convinced that a man must attain the pleasures of the five desires when young, power in middle age and truth as an elder. But Siddhartha declined; over time, the five desires become overwhelming, the seeking for power and wealth causes war and anxiety, the elderly lack the power, energy and determination of youth. Chapter 18 Visiting the Sage Arada The sage Arada was master of scriptures. He taught Siddhartha all he knew. But the prince had doubts about this teaching. He still had some questions unanswered. After much fruitless searching, he decided to practice in solitude and look for the truth for himself. Chapter 19 Practicing on Mount Gaya Siddhartha pursued his ascetic practices far more strictly than most, but realised liberation could not be achieved by torturing the body. When he collapsed, a shepherd girl was passing by. Seeing the emaciated prince, she offered him some milk. “I vow never to rise from this seat until I am liberated from birth and death and realise enlightenment.” Chapter 20 Defeating Mara’s Army Many heavenly beings rejoiced, they hoped he would soon open the gates to enlightenment. But Mara was upset and sent his army to attack with arrows and various temptations. Siddhartha sat, remaining unmoved and after some time Mara had no choice but to retreat. Chapter 21 Supreme Enlightenment Siddhartha entered deep meditation, where he could perceive the experience of all his past lives, millions of births and deaths as different beings. Seeing all phenomena clearly, he became the Buddha, the Awakened One. Understanding the Universal Dharma, he came to know the Six Realms of existence and the Causes and Conditions of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. He saw how all beings were suffering. After having attained enlightenment, the Buddha continued to meditate for 21 days under the bodhi tree. He saw that liberation is only possible through the practice of what would come to be called the Noble Eightfold Path. Chapter 22 Turning the Dharma Wheel The Buddha left for Deer Park to teach the Dharma and was met by Upaka on the way: “Who are you? Why do you possess such auspicious characteristics?” “Upaka, I have become the Buddha of this world.” On meeting his former ascetics: “If you wish to be free of suffering, you must practice the ‘path’..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Bad Karma of the Buddha1
    Buddhist Studies Review 19, 1 (2002) 70 other THE BAD KARMA OF THE BUDDHA 1 In conclusion, the spiritual progress of the early Buddhists in the Pali Canon depends on their understanding and practice of the GUANG XING Dhamma, rather than their status as lay people or monastics. If the latter are more likely to make substantial progress, this is because important The bad karma of the Buddha is more than probable an of their unique situation. The householder who is fully engaged in because it is historical issue concerning the concept of the Buddha working and supporting his or her family may have to concentrate Mahayana and found in all three Buddhist traditions: Theravada, slla, teachings to lay people by the deeds are on dana and and the offered Vairayana. In the Pali Canon, the Buddha's unskilful and also Buddha and by senior monks usually concentrate on various as- recorded in the Pubbakammapiloti of the Apadana ot the pects of these two methods of acquiring punna, 'merit' or 'karmic referred to in the Milindapanha. In the Chinese translation the fruitfulness'. But teachings on the Four Noble Truths, or on Tripitaka, they are found in ten different texts, while in five texts concerning this matter. various aspects of meditation, may also be included if the hearers Tibetan Canon there are at least are seen as ready to understand more of the Dhamma. While many became Stream-Winners, those lay disciples in particular who have 1 conference, SOAS, 3 July 2001. a measure of independence from worldly ties, or those who are Originally presented at the UKABS 2 issue, a tradition there is another source relevant to this coming to the end of their lives, seem to have a genuine oppor- In the Theravada Dasabalasrlmitra in his list of sixteen incidents transmitted by tunity to become nee-Returners, or even Non-Returners, and (in Sammatlya O list a Sinhalese Samskrtasamskrtaviniscaya.
    [Show full text]
  • APA Newsletter on Asian and Asian-American Philosophers And
    NEWSLETTER | The American Philosophical Association Asian and Asian-American Philosophers and Philosophies FALL 2018 VOLUME 18 | NUMBER 1 Prasanta Bandyopadhyay and R. Venkata FROM THE EDITOR Raghavan Prasanta S. Bandyopadhyay Some Critical Remarks on Kisor SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND Chakrabarti’s Idea of “Observational INFORMATION Credibility” and Its Role in Solving the Problem of Induction BUDDHISM Kisor K. Chakrabarti Madhumita Chattopadhyay Some Thoughts on the Problem of Locating Early Buddhist Logic in Pāli Induction Literature PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE Rafal Stepien AND GRAMMAR Do Good Philosophers Argue? A Buddhist Approach to Philosophy and Philosophy Sanjit Chakraborty Prizes Remnants of Words in Indian Grammar ONTOLOGY, LOGIC, AND APA PANEL ON DIVERSITY EPISTEMOLOGY Ethan Mills Pradeep P. Gokhale Report on an APA Panel: Diversity in Īśvaravāda: A Critique Philosophy Palash Sarkar BOOK REVIEW Cārvākism Redivivus Minds without Fear: Philosophy in the Indian Renaissance Reviewed by Brian A. Hatcher VOLUME 18 | NUMBER 1 FALL 2018 © 2018 BY THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION ISSN 2155-9708 APA NEWSLETTER ON Asian and Asian-American Philosophy and Philosophers PRASANTA BANDYOPADHYAY, EDITOR VOLUME 18 | NUMBER 1 | FALL 2018 opponent equally. He pleads for the need for this sort of FROM THE EDITOR role of humanism to be incorporated into Western analytic philosophy. This incorporation, he contends, has a far- Prasanta S. Bandyopadhyay reaching impact on both private and public lives of human MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY beings where the love of wisdom should go together with care and love for fellow human beings. The fall 2018 issue of the newsletter is animated by the goal of reaching a wider audience. Papers deal with issues SECTION 2: ONTOLOGY, LOGIC, AND mostly from classical Indian philosophy, with the exception EPISTEMOLOGY of a report on the 2018 APA Eastern Division meeting panel on “Diversity in Philosophy” and a review of a book about This is the longest part of this issue.
    [Show full text]
  • 41. Buddhism As the Buddha's Perfect and Wholly Complete Education
    Verse of Praising the Buddha The Buddha is the Supreme One Both in heavens and on earth. So is he without comparison In the ten directions of space. Among all things in the world That I can possibly see, No other beings can ever be Comparable with the Buddha. Verse of Praising the Buddha The Buddha is the Supreme One Both in heavens and on earth. So is he without comparison In the ten directions of space. Among all things in the world That I can possibly see, No other beings can ever be Comparable with the Buddha. An Illustration of Buddha’s speaking of the Ten Dharma Realms Pratyekabuddhas Buddhas Bodhisattvas Deities Sravakas MIND Humans Asuras Animals Hungry Ghosts Hell Explaining in words the Illustration of Buddha’s speaking of the Ten Dharma Realms Knowing that dharmadhātu is one mind, and having accomplished the three The Realm of kinds of enlightenment with tens of thousands of virtues is the mind of a next Buddhas— Buddha. The Realm of Keeping altruism in mind, broadly cultivating the six paramitas, and practicing Bodhisattvas— the Middle Path is the mind of a bodhisattva. Practicing in the way of the four noble truths, knowing what suffering is and The Realm of how to end its aggregation, being eager for nirvana and cultivating the Way Sravakas— to reach it is the mind of an arhat. Apprehending the twelve nidanas, keeping substance of things in mind, The Realm of being awakened to Void, and enjoying being alone and quiet is the mind of a Pratyekabuddhas— pratyekabuddha.
    [Show full text]
  • The Life of the Buddha -Penguin Classics
    P ENGUIN CLASSICS THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA T ENZ IN CHÖGYEL (1701–1767) was a prominent Bhutanese intellectual in the eighteenth century. He was an ordained monk and a prominent leader in the Drukpa Kagyu school of Buddhism. As the tenth Lord Abbot of Bhutan, he served as the state’s highest ecclesiastical authority. A prolific author, he composed an influential history of Bhutan, The Religious History of the South; a biography of his teacher Tenzin Döndrup; several works of narrative literature; an abundance of exquisite liturgical verse; and, most famously, The Life of the Lord Victor Shakyamuni, Ornament of One Thousand Lamps for the Fortunate Eon, better known as The Life of the Buddha (completed in 1740). KURT IS R. SCHAEFFER is an avid translator of classical Tibetan literature and a lifelong student of Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhist culture. He is the author or editor of nine books, including Himalayan Hermitess, The Culture of the Book in Tibet, and Sources of Tibetan Tradition (with Matthew T. Kapstein and Gray Tuttle). He lives with his family in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he teaches in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. PENGUIN BOOKS Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) LLC 375 Hudson Street New York, New York 10014 USA | Canada | UK | Ireland | Australia | New Zealand | India | South Africa | China penguin.com A Penguin Random House Company This translation first published in Penguin Books 2015 Translation, introduction, and notes copyright © 2015 by Kurtis R. Schaeffer Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture.
    [Show full text]
  • Mindfulness and the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path
    Chapter 3 Mindfulness and the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path Malcolm Huxter 3.1 Introduction In the late 1970s, Kabat-Zinn, an immunologist, was on a Buddhist meditation retreat practicing mindfulness meditation. Inspired by the personal benefits, he de- veloped a strong intention to share these skills with those who would not normally attend retreats or wish to practice meditation. Kabat-Zinn developed and began con- ducting mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in 1979. He defined mindful- ness as, “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment to moment” (Kabat-Zinn 2003, p. 145). Since the establishment of MBSR, thousands of individuals have reduced psychological and physical suffering by attending these programs (see www.unmassmed.edu/cfm/mbsr/). Furthermore, the research into and popularity of mindfulness and mindfulness-based programs in medical and psychological settings has grown exponentially (Kabat-Zinn 2009). Kabat-Zinn (1990) deliberately detached the language and practice of mind- fulness from its Buddhist origins so that it would be more readily acceptable in Western health settings (Kabat-Zinn 1990). Despite a lack of consensus about the finer details (Singh et al. 2008), Kabat-Zinn’s operational definition of mindfulness remains possibly the most referred to in the field. Dozens of empirically validated mindfulness-based programs have emerged in the past three decades. However, the most acknowledged approaches include: MBSR (Kabat-Zinn 1990), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT; Linehan 1993), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT; Hayes et al. 1999), and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT; Segal et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Lankavatara-Sutra.Pdf
    Table of Contents Other works by Red Pine Title Page Preface CHAPTER ONE: - KING RAVANA’S REQUEST CHAPTER TWO: - MAHAMATI’S QUESTIONS I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXV XXVI XXVII XXVIII XXIX XXX XXXI XXXII XXXIII XXXIV XXXV XXXVI XXXVII XXXVIII XXXIX XL XLI XLII XLIII XLIV XLV XLVI XLVII XLVIII XLIX L LI LII LIII LIV LV LVI CHAPTER THREE: - MORE QUESTIONS LVII LVII LIX LX LXI LXII LXII LXIV LXV LXVI LXVII LXVIII LXIX LXX LXXI LXXII LXXIII LXXIVIV LXXV LXXVI LXXVII LXXVIII LXXIX CHAPTER FOUR: - FINAL QUESTIONS LXXX LXXXI LXXXII LXXXIII LXXXIV LXXXV LXXXVI LXXXVII LXXXVIII LXXXIX XC LANKAVATARA MANTRA GLOSSARY BIBLIOGRAPHY Copyright Page Other works by Red Pine The Diamond Sutra The Heart Sutra The Platform Sutra In Such Hard Times: The Poetry of Wei Ying-wu Lao-tzu’s Taoteching The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain The Zen Works of Stonehouse: Poems and Talks of a 14th-Century Hermit The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma P’u Ming’s Oxherding Pictures & Verses TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE Zen traces its genesis to one day around 400 B.C. when the Buddha held up a flower and a monk named Kashyapa smiled. From that day on, this simplest yet most profound of teachings was handed down from one generation to the next. At least this is the story that was first recorded a thousand years later, but in China, not in India. Apparently Zen was too simple to be noticed in the land of its origin, where it remained an invisible teaching.
    [Show full text]
  • Proquest Dissertations
    Daoxuan's vision of Jetavana: Imagining a utopian monastery in early Tang Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Tan, Ai-Choo Zhi-Hui Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 25/09/2021 09:09:41 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/280212 INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are In typewriter face, while others may be from any type of connputer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overiaps. ProQuest Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 DAOXUAN'S VISION OF JETAVANA: IMAGINING A UTOPIAN MONASTERY IN EARLY TANG by Zhihui Tan Copyright © Zhihui Tan 2002 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF EAST ASIAN STUDIES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2002 UMI Number: 3073263 Copyright 2002 by Tan, Zhihui Ai-Choo All rights reserved.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhist Doctrines (Source: Phillip Novak
    Buddhist Doctrines (source: Phillip Novak. The World’s Wisdom. Edison, NJ: Castle Books. 1994:65-83.) a. The Three Jewels (The Buddha “the Awakened One,” Dharma (Sanskrit)/Dhamma (Pali) – the way of truth he taught, and the Sangha – the community of those who live by that teaching, are called the Three Jewels because of their purity and inestimable value. They are held as essential by all schools of Buddhism. The triple recitation of the following formula is a basic Buddhist act of piety.) I go for refuge to the Buddha. I go for refuge to the Dharma. I go for refuge to the Sangha. b. The Four Noble Truths (from the Buddha’s first sermon, “Setting Rolling the Wheel of Truth.”) Suffering (Dukkha), as a noble truth, is this: Birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, sorrow and pain . and despair are suffering, association with the loathed is suffering, dissociation from the loved is suffering, not to get what one wants is suffering – in short suffering is the five (groups) of clinging’s objects (the five skandhas/skandas or “groupings of existence,” that make up a human individual). Thus the origin of suffering, as a noble truth, is this: It is the craving that produces renewal of being, accompanied by enjoyment and lust – in other words, craving for sensual desires, craving for being, craving for non-being (Tanha). Cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, is this: It is remainderless fading and ceasing, . letting go and rejecting, of that same craving (Nirvana/Sunyata). The way leading to the cessation of suffering, as a noble truth is this: It is simply the eightfold path of (Prajna) right view and right intention, (Sila) right speech, right action and right livelihood, and (Dhyana) right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter II DEFINITION of the TERM SATI and SAMMĀSATI
    Chapter II DEFINITION OF THE TERM SATI AND SAMMĀSATI The word “Sati” has been used in Buddhist psychology in the sense of “mindfulness" for over 2500 years. Sati is the most important for cultivation of mind, and Vipassanā (insight meditation). There are different ways to explain the term Sati, it may be so useful to take a fresh look at mindfulness to clarify its meaning. The approach in this chapter is to seek the nature of mindfulness by studying the Suttas in which the Buddha and his students have used the term. In these Suttas we find a number of themes associated with mindfulness. It consists of the concept of the word Sati and also of the word Sammāsati, which is used to give the sense of correct (right) mindfulness. The definition and the meaning of Sati and Sammāsati, the types of the Sammāsati and different functions of Sati are also discussed in this chapter. Now we should go in detail in order to understand the Term Sammāsati clearly. II.1. Concept of Sati (mindfulness) The psychological concept of mindfulness involves the non- judgmental acceptance of thoughts, feelings and body sensations. 16 Mindfulness and a practicing of mindfulness can also decrease negative thoughts that intrude upon a leader‟s mind.8 The research has shown that Sati (mindfulness) leads to a better quality of life through feeling better and having less emotional distress. Sati plays a central role in the teachings of Buddhist meditation where it is affirmed that "correct" or "right" mindfulness is the critical factor in the path to liberation and subsequent enlightenment.
    [Show full text]
  • Curriculum Elementary Level – Level 1
    Curriculum Elementary Level – Level 1 U.S. version 2014 Atammayatarama Buddhist Monastery Preface On behalf of the Council of the Thai Bhikkhus in the USA, I am happy to have witnessed much interest in the teachings of the Lord Buddha among people in America. Our Dhamma Studies Program has grown year by year. Thailand’s Dhamma Studies Program includes three levels: Elementary (Level 1), Intermediary (Level 2) and Advance (Level 3). You are encouraged to learn beyond what are in the curriculum. The standard collection of the teachings of the Buddha, The Pāli Cannon or Tipitaka, (three baskets) entail 48, 000 subsections. More importantly, practicing the Dhamma in your daily life by being mindful in all you do will help you reach the Buddha’s intent for all of us: to be kind to one another, to be truly happy and at peace, and, ultimately to be free from all suffer- ings. Enjoy learning and practicing the Dhamma. I would like to thank the editorial committee of the Royal Dhamma Studies Office for their work writing and assembling this curriculum, enabling us to benefit from the fruits of their efforts. We have attempted to enhance this translation in order to make it beneficial to English speaking students in America. To this end, I am grateful to a number of lay supporters who have devoted their time and kind assis- tance to bring the Atammayatarama Monastery version to what you are about to read. I in particular, wish to thank Ms. Pecky Baknett. Ms. Patriya Silpakit.T. Ms. Supaporn Vathanaprida and Santidhammo Bhikkhu May the Buddha’s teachings bring you much peace in your hearts, with happiness and joy in life.
    [Show full text]
  • Pali Terms Abhidhamma/Abhidharma (Pali/Sanskrit) the Third Section of the Buddhist Canon Devoted to Human Psychology and Philoso
    Pali terms Abhidhamma/Abhidharma (Pali/Sanskrit) The third section of the Buddhist canon devoted to human psychology and philosophy Anapanasati (Pali) Mindfulness of breathing Anatta (Pali) Not self, insubstantiality, one of the three characteristics of existence Anicca (Pali) Impermanent, one of the three characteristics of existence. Buddhist teachings emphasize that all conditioned mental and physical phenomena are impermanent - nothing lasts, nothing stays the same. Beginner’s mind A mind that is open to the experience of the moment, free of conceptual overlays; first made popular by the Zen teacher Suzuki Roshi Bhikkhu (Pali) A Buddhist monk Bhikkhuni (Pali) A Buddhist nun Bodhi (Pali/Sanskrit) awakening Brahma-Vihara (Pali, Sanskrit) Divine or sublime abode, the four mind states said to lead to a rebirth in a heavenly realm: lovingkindness (metta), compassion (karuna), appreciative joy (mudita) and equanimity (upekkha) Buddha (Pali, Sanskrit) Fully awakened one; specifically the historical Buddha, Sakyamuni, who lived and taught in India 2,500 years ago; one of the three jewels of refuge Buddha-Dharma/Dhamma (Sanskrit/Pali) The teachings of the Buddha Dana (Pali/Sanskrit) The practice of giving; generosity. Dana is the first of the ten paramis, or qualities to be perfected in order to become a Buddha Dhammapada (Pali) The best known of all the Buddhist scriptures; a collection of 423 verses, spoken by the Buddha, that focuses on the value of ethical conduct and mental training Dependent origination The doctrine that all mental and
    [Show full text]
  • Foundations of the Noble Eightfold Path © Rick Hanson, 2007
    Foundations of the Noble Eightfold Path © Rick Hanson, 2007 Outstanding behavior, blameless action, open hands to all, and selfless giving: this is a blessing supreme. The Buddha Introduction The Eightfold Path is the fourth of the Noble Truths. Traditionally, the Buddha emphasized that people should establish a foundation of everyday virtue and morality before confronting the profound teachings of enlightenment contained in the Four Noble Truths: the truths of suffering, its cause, its ending, and the path to its ending. As Buddhism has moved to America, that order is often reversed, and people are first introduced to the dharma through the Four Noble Truths. That's fine, but it can skip over an important building block for your efforts to bear real fruit. So we invite you to consider the foundations of your practice, in the original terms the Buddha taught. How to Approach the Teachings Themselves Take nothing on faith The Buddha advised each person to "see for yourself." He stressed that people should not just take the word of some teacher or text, but should directly observe their inner and outer worlds to see what was true. Unlike other major religious figures, such as Jesus or Mohammed, he did not claim any special divine inspiration as authority for his teachings: he asked people to judge them on their merits alone. To paraphrase Ajahn Chah slightly (Being Dharma, p. 127): "The Buddha said he is only the one who points out the way. He teaches you how to swim. It's not that he swims for you. If you want the Buddha to swim for you, you are only going to drown." The Pali Canon Buddhism has three major strands: Theravadan, Tibetan, and Zen.
    [Show full text]