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PDF of Buddhist Beliefs & Information Buddhist Beliefs 1. Spiritual Belief: The Buddha did not deny the existence of higher beings, e.g. beings in the deva and brahma realms. However, these beings, according to the Buddha, are not to be regarded as one’s refuge or saviour. As recorded in the Dhammapada, an authoritative Buddhist text: Oneself, indeed, is one’s savior, for what other savior would there be? With oneself well controlled one obtains a savior difficult to find (Verse 160). By oneself, indeed, is evil done; by oneself is one defiled. By oneself is evil left undone; by oneself, indeed, is one purified. Purity and impurity depend on oneself. No one purifies another (Verse 165). These higher beings, like us, are subjected to birth, old age, sickness and death 2. How We Pray – House of worship, rituals and practices: Worship, prayers and rituals are generally conducted in the main hall before a Buddha image or statue in Buddhist temples and monasteries and are led by members of the monastic community. Some Buddhists prefer to conduct these practices in their homes before a Buddha image or statue. Buddhists generally chant verses of veneration to the Triple Gems – The Buddha, Dharma (Teachings) and Sangha (Community). In addition, Theravada practitioners chant the Discourse of Loving Kindness (Metta Sutta); Pure Land practitioners chant the Amitabha Sutra; Zen practitioners chant the Heart Sutra; and Vajrayana practitioners chant the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum. Buddhists also offer food and other daily necessities to members of the monastic community in temples and monasteries and in turn the monks and nuns chant verses of blessings to the donors and sponsors. Buddhists bow with palms together or prostrate before a Buddha image or statue and to members of the monastic community. Though the style of prostration differs among Buddhist traditions, the main purpose of prostration is to show reverence and to lower one’s ego. 3. Dietary Laws: No particular fixed laws. Mahayana Buddhists usually adopt a vegetarian diet. 4. Holy Books and Sacred Stories: The teachings are classified into 3 sections: Sutras (Discourses), Vinaya (Discipline) and Abhidharma (Higher Teachings). Collectively, they form the Buddhist Canon. The Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions have a larger Canon which includes mantras and esoteric practices. 5. Religious observations: • Vesak Day (full moon day in May) – birth, enlightenment and final nirvana of the Buddha • Vassa (after full moon day in July) – beginning of the rains retreat for Theravada monks/nuns • Ullambana (full moon day of the 7th Chinese lunar month) – Remembrance Day observed by Mahayana practitioners • Kathina (after full moon in October) – offering of robes and other requisites to Theravada monks/nuns after the 3 months rains retreat 6. Life Cycle Rituals: No specific rites of passage. Traditionally, a person becoming a Buddhist participates in the Threefold Refuge Taking and the Undertaking of the Five Precepts Ceremony. Threefold Refuge means refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. 7. Death and the Afterlife: Traditional teaching of rebirth. When a living being dies, he/she/it seeks rebirth in another realm depending on his/her/it’s karmic activities. There are 6 realms in which rebirth can take place: Gods, Demi-gods, Humans, Animals, Hungry Ghosts and Hell Beings. Links: Buddhanet (www.buddhanet.net) Plum Village (http://plumvillage.org/) Information network on Buddhist centres around the world, Mindfulness practice centre in the tradition of Vietnamese meditation techniques and readings in the three Buddhist Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh traditions. Also contains educational activities for children. Homepage of The 14th Dalai Lama (http://www.dalailama. Access to Insight (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/) com/) Theravada Buddhist website providing access to many trans- lated texts from the Tipitaka, and contemporary materials Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition published by the Buddhist Publication Society and many (http://fpmt.org/) teachers from the Thai Forest Tradition. Organisation devoted to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist (Tibetan) tradition and values worldwide through The Zen Site (www.thezensite.com) teaching, meditation and community service Website dedicated to a better understanding of Zen Bud- dhism. Access to a wide variety of materials about Zen Bud- dhism, its history, teachings, and philosophy as well as some critiques of Zen. As told by Patrick Lim. Information collected as part of The Golden Rule Interfaith Exhibition 2016 held at the Adelaide City Library 7 September - 9 October 2016, for further information visit www.abrahaminstitute.com.au Buddhism What is Buddhism The non-aggressive, moral and philosophical system expounded by the Buddha, which demands no blind faith from its adherents, expounds no dogmatic creeds, encourages no superstitious rites and ceremonies, but advocates a golden mean that guides a disciple through pure living and pure thinking to the gain of supreme vision and deliverance from all evil, is called the Dhamma and is popularly known as Buddhism. Venerable Narada Maha Thera (1896 – 1988) Buddhism Today Over the past centuries, different schools of Buddhism have emerged. Each school has its own set of religious and spiritual beliefs and practices. Notwithstanding these differences, all Buddhist schools uphold the Four Noble Truths as the central Buddhist doctrine. These schools can be classified into three broad traditions (see Table below). Theravada Form of Buddhism as practised in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and Laos. Empha- sises practice of asceticism and meditation (usually Concentration and Insight meditation). Mahayana Form of Buddhism as practised in China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Emphasises the practice of devotion (Pure Land School) and meditation (Zen school). Vajrayana Form of Buddhism as practised in Tibet, Nepal, Sikkhim. Emphasises practice of tantra. The Four Noble Truths: The First Noble Truth – Truth of Suffering: Human existence, in essence, is unsatisfactory and problematic. We suffer when we are unable to deal with these unsatisfactory and problematic situations. The Second Noble Truth – Truth of the Cause of Suffering: The source of our suffering lies in our egoistic perception of an independent self in us. This false perception leads to arising of craving and ill-will in us. The Third Noble Truth – Truth of the End of Suffering: There is a state called Nirvana (Pali: Nibbana) in which we no longer cling to the false notion of a permanent self. When we abide in this state, we no longer experience suffering even though suffering still exists. The following statement succinctly summarises this phenomenon: Suffering exists but no sufferer is found - Ven Buddhaghosa (5th century Buddhist monk) The Fourth Noble Truth – Truth of the Path Leading to the End of Suffering: The Noble Eightfold Path is the way towards achieving Nirvana (Nibbana). The Noble Eightfold Path is made up of 8 factors which can be further grouped into 3 facets of practice (refer to table below). Right Understanding; Right Thought; Right Speech Wisdom Right Action; Right Livelihood Morality Right Effort; Right Mindfulness; Right Concentration Concentration The vast discourses expounded by the Buddha have been classified into 3 categories: Sutras (Pali: Suttas), Vinaya (Monastic Rules) and Abhidhamma (Higher Teachings). Practitioners of Buddhism can be classified as monastic or lay. Monastic practitioners undertake the monastic vows and wear robes representative of their school of practice. Some members of the monastic communitiy are vegetarians and practise celibacy while some do not, depending on which school they belong to. Lay Buddhists usually undertake the five precepts of: refraining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and taking intoxicants. As told by Patrick Lim Information collected as part of The Golden Rule Interfaith Exhibition 2016 held at the Adelaide City Library 7 September - 9 October 2016, for further information visit www.abrahaminstitute.com.au Local Buddhist Links Adelaide Jodoshinshu Benkyokai (Japanese Pure Land) Contact: Tenzin Tel: 0403335721 Upeksa Meditation Village (Vietnamese Zen) Website:www.georgegatenby.id.au Address: Lot 3A Womma Road Penfield SA 5121; Tel: 82847344 Website: upeksameditationvillage.wordpress.com/ Contact: Rev George Gatenby Adelaide Shambhala Meditation Group (Tibetan) Contact: Ven Thich Thong Chieu Website: adelaide.shambhala.info Wat Buddhist Khmer Krom (Theravada, Cambodian) Address: Lot 96, Symes Road, Waterloo Corner, SA 5110 Adelaide Sri Lanka Buddhist Vihara (Sri Lanka, Theravada) Address: 13 Brookside Road, Athelstone. SA 5076; Tel: 81650326; Wat Khmer Santipheap (Theravada, Cambodian) Website: adelaidebuddhistvihara.org.au/index.html 172 Burton Rd, Paralowie, SA 5108; Tel: 8281 9835 Contact: Ven. Udugabbala Sumedha Thero Wat Rattanaprateep Vihara (Theravada, Thai) Adelaide Sunyata Meditation (Vietnamese Zen) Address: 45 Smith Street, Thebarton, SA 5031; Tel: 8443 5856 Tel: 0411 367 116 Wat Preah Puth Mean Chei (Theravada, Cambodian) Website: ttkadelaideen.wordpress.com Address: Lot 32 Argent Road, Penfield SA 5121; Tel: 82849111 Contact: Nhu Uyen Adelaide Triratna (Western Buddhism) Zhu Lin Buddhist Temple (Chinese Pure Land) Tel: 0439 839 785 Address: 151 - 155 May Terrace, Ottoway, SA 5013; Tel: 8447 4022 Website: www.zhulin.com.au/ Website: adelaidetriratna.com Adelaide Zen Group (Zen, Western) Website: www.azg.org.au Links about Buddhism: Buddhanet (www.buddhanet.net)
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