Buddha - Buddhism Religion

Sidhartha Gautama: The Buddha (563-483 BCE)

Quotes on the Philosophy & Metaphysics of
Buddhism
Metaphysical foundations of Nirvana (Truth),
Karma (Interconnection)
Sabbadanam dhammadanam jinati
'The gift of truth excels all other gifts.' (Buddha)
The world is continuous flux and is impermanent. (Buddha)
Transient are conditioned things. Try to accomplish your aim with diligence. (Buddha's
last words)

The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend personal God and
avoid dogma and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based
on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things natural and spiritual as a
meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any religion that could
cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism. (Albert Einstein)

Introduction
On the Life of Buddha, Metaphysics & Philosophy
of Buddhist Religion

Buddhism is a philosophy / religion based upon the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama

(566 - 486 B.C.). He was an Indian prince born in Lumbini (a town situated in what is
now Nepal), destined for a privileged life.
According to legend for his life, before his birth, Gautama had visited his mother during a
vision, taking the form of a white elephant. During the birth celebrations, a seer
announced that this baby would either become a great king or a great holy man. His
father, wishing for Gautama to be a great king, shielded his son from religious teachings
or knowledge of human suffering.

At age 16, his father arranged his marriage to Yashodhara, a cousin of the same age. She
gave birth to a son, Rahula. Although his father ensured that Gautama was provided with
everything he could want or need, Gautama was troubled and dissatisfied. At the age of
29, Gautama was escorted on four subsequent visits outside of the palace. Here
Siddhartha came across an old crippled man, a sick man, a dead body and an ascetic. This
is known as the Four Passing Sights which lead Siddhartha to recognise the reality of
death and suffering and the cyclical nature of human existence (samsara). He then left the
palace, abandoned his inheritance and became a wandering monk, seeking a solution to
an end of suffering. He began with the Yogic path and although he reached high levels of
meditative consciousness, he was not satisfied.

He abandoned asceticism and realised the power of the Middle Way. This is an
important idea in Buddhist thought and practice. To seek moderation and avoid the
extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. At the age of 35, meditating under a
Bodhi tree, Siddhartha reached Enlightenment, awakening to the true nature of reality,
which is Nirvana (Absolute Truth);

The dustless and stainless Eye of Truth (Dhamma-cakkhu) has arisen.

He has seen Truth, has attained Truth, has known Truth, has penetrated into Truth, has
crossed over doubt, is without wavering.
Thus with right wisdom he sees it as it is (yatha bhutam) ... The Absolute Truth is
Nibbana, which is Reality. (Buddha, from the Dhatuvibhanga-sutta (No. 140) of the
Majjhima-nikaya)

Thus Siddhartha Gautama became known as the Buddha. 'Buddha' (from the ancient
Indian languages of Pali and Sanksrit) means 'one who has awakened'. It is derived from
the verbal root "budh", meaning "to awaken" or "to be enlightened", and "to
comprehend".

The Buddha taught that the nature of reality was impermanent and interconnected. We
suffer in life because of our desire to transient things. Liberation from suffering may
come by training the mind and acting according to the laws of karma (cause and effect)
i.e. with right action, good things will come to you. This teaching is known as the Four
Noble Truths:

Dukkha: Suffering is everywhere

Samudaya: There is a cause of suffering, which is attachment or misplaced desire (tanha)
rooted in ignorance.
Nirodha: There is an end of suffering, which is Nirvana (the possibility of liberation
exists for everyone).
Maggo: There is a path that leads out of suffering, known as the Noble Eightfold Path
(right view, right thought, right speech, right conduct, right vocation, right effort, right
attention and right concentration)

Metaphysics of Buddhism

Buddha was correct that The gift of truth excels all other gifts, for only truth allows us to
act wisely. This website is devoted to explaining this fundamental Truth about Reality
(Nirvana) from the Metaphysical foundations of Space and Motion (not Time) and the
Spherical Standing Wave Structure of Matter.

Buddha was very close to understanding Reality as he knew that Matter was both
Impermanent and Interconnected; The world is continuous flux and is impermanent
(Buddha) and as Fritjof Capra writes; The Eastern mystics see the universe as an
inseparable web, whose interconnections are dynamic and not static (Capra). This
impermanence / flux is caused by the continual wave Motion of Space (which causes
both Matter and Time) and the Interconnection of all things is due to the Spherical In and
Out Waves which interact with all other matter in the universe

We hope you enjoy the following quotes on Buddhism. This is a long page, as I have
sourced many interesting ideas and find a lot of truth in Buddhism. Namaste.

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in
anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in
anything because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in
anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in
traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after
observation and analysis, when you find anything that agrees with reason and is
conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.
(Siddhartha Gautama - The Buddha), 563-483 B.C.

What the Buddha Taught and the World Today

If one understands the Buddha’s teaching, that his teaching is the right Path and tries to
follow it, then one is a Buddhist. But according to the unbroken age-old tradition in
Buddhist countries, one is considered Buddhist if one takes the Buddha, the Dhamma
(The Teaching) and the Sangha (the order of monks) -–generally called the Triple Gem-
as one’s refuges and undertakes to observe the Five Precepts (Panca-sila)- the minimum
moral obligations of a lay Buddhist:

(1) not to destroy life

(2) not to steal
(3) not to commit adultery
(4) not to tell lies
(5) not to take intoxicating drinks-
receiting the formulas given in the ancient texts. (p80)

A man named Dighajanu once visited the Buddha and said:

‘Venerable Sir, we are ordinary lay men, leading the family life with women and
children. Would the Blessed One teach us some doctrines which will be conducive to our
happiness in this world and hereafter.’
The Buddha tells him that there are four things which are conducive to man’s happiness
in this world:

(1) To be skilled, efficient, earnest and energetic in whatever profession he is engaged.

(utthana-sampada)
(2) Protect his income, which he has earned righteously, with the sweat of his brow.
(arakkha-sampada)
(3) Have good friends (kalyana-mitta) who are faithful, learned, virtuous, liberal and
intelligent, who will help him along the right path away from evil
(4) He should spend reasonably, in proportion to his income, neither too much or too
little. i.e. Not to hoard wealth avariciously, nor should he be extravagant, live within his
means (samajivikata).

While encouraging material progress, Buddhism always lays great stress on the
development of the moral and spiritual character for a happy, peaceful, contented society.
The Dhammapadatthakatha records that the Buddha directed his attention to the problem
of good government. For a country to be happy it must have a just government. How this
form of just government could be realised is explained by the Buddha in his teaching of
the ‘Ten Duties of a King’ (dasa-raja-dhamma).

(1) Liberality, generousity, charity.

(2) A high moral character.
(3) Sacrificing everything for the good of the people. Prepared to give up all personal
comfort, name and fame in the interest of the people.
(4) Honesty and Integrity.
(5) Kindness and Gentleness.
(6) Austerity in habits. Lead a simple life, not indulge in a life of luxury. Have self-
control.
(7) Freedom from hatred, ill-will, enmity. Bear no grudges.
(8) Non-violence (avihimsa). Should try to promote peace by avoiding and preventing
war and everything which involves violence and destruction of life.
(9) Patience, forebearance, tolerance, understanding. Able to bear insults, hardships and
difficulties without losing his temper.
(10) Non-opposition, non-obstruction. Not to oppose the will of the people. Rule in
harmony with his people. (p85)

The Buddha says: ‘Never by hatred is hatred appeased, but it is appeased by kindness.
This is an eternal truth.’ (Dhp. I. 5) (Rahula, p.86)