TOUCHING THE HEART OF THE DHARMA

The Core Teachings of Buddhism

The Buddha Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BC)

Some Buddhist Celebrities Bruce Lee

Richard Gere (with the Dalai Lama) Tina Turner

BUDDHISM
Buddhism BUDDHA BUDH awake = one who is awake

To be asleep is to be ignorant of our true nature.

If only we could open our eyes and be awake, then we too, can be Buddhas. Potential Buddhas all we need to do is nurture the seed of enlightenment.

Anything is possible when you have inner peace. Shifu

How did he awaken?

What path did he take?

HOW DID HE AWAKEN? WHAT PATH DID HE TAKE?

 Your story may not

have such a happy beginning, but that doesnt make you who you are, it is the rest of your story, who you choose to be So who are you Panda? ~ ~ Soothsayer

Life story of Buddha

Buddha kyamuni (Siddhrtha Gautama), an Indian prince was born around 560 BC in Southern Nepal
Prophecy: (right after he was born) will become either a Great King or a Great Spiritual Leader. King Shuddhodana: I dont want my son to be a spiritual leader; I want him to be king. He made sure that his son wont be exposed to the difficulties/ sufferings of life surrounded him with all the possible pleasures in life

Life story of Buddha

4 events: - old man - sick man - dead man - holy man

The Four Passing Sights: realization

Aging: everything is ravaged by time Sickness Renunciation: happiness and contentment Death: we dont live forever
He wanted to find a cure for suffering. Left home at 29 yrs old, lived an ascetic life.

Life story of Buddha

One day while meditating under the bodhi tree, during a full moon, he attained enlightenment he was able to find the cure. He decided to teach what he had learned he started with his friends and taught them the four noble truths.

Buddhist Practice
Concisely put, the aim of Buddhist practice is to put an end to this mass of suffering we call existence. "I teach one thing and

one thing only: suffering and the end of suffering" (The Buddha).

Preface to the Four Noble Truths: The Middle Path

Two extremes to be avoided: Hedonism VS Asceticism

This Middle Path is the Noble Eightfold Path.

By avoiding these two extremes, we discover a Middle Path, a path which opens the eyes, which bestows understanding, and which leads to peace of mind, to wisdom, to full enlightenment, to Nirvana.

The Teachings of the Buddha

The Four Noble Truths

The Four Noble Truths

1. Dukkha: human existence is characterized by
suffering

2. Samudaya: that there is a cause for suffering

3. Nirvana: that there is a way out of suffering

through the elimination of its cause

4. Marga: that there is a path leading to the

cessation of suffering

1. The Noble Truth of Suffering

Birth is suffering; Aging and deterioration is suffering; Disease is suffering; Death is suffering. The presence of hateful objects is suffering; The absence of lovable objects is suffering; Not getting what we desire [i.e., getting what we dont want and not getting what we do want] is suffering. To put it briefly, the five-fold clinging [attachment] to existence [through the body, sensation, consciousness, perception, and volition -- the five skandhas or components of human personhood] is suffering.

2. The Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering

The cause is the selfish craving [trishna,

thirst, desire]. We suffer because

we have too many wants and needs. This selfish craving takes three main forms: (a) craving for pleasure, (b) craving for [continued] existence, and (c) craving for the cessation of existence.* All these inevitably lead to suffering because we cant possibly fulfill all of them all. *Some traditions make (c) a craving for prosperity or for personal happiness.

3. The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

Suffering ceases with the complete cessation of selfish craving a cessation which consists in the absence of every passion [nirvana, no passion, the

blowing out of samudaya].

Suffering ceases with the laying aside of, the giving up of, the being free from, the dwelling no longer upon this selfish craving.

4. The Noble Truth of the Path that leads to the cessation of suffering

1. Right Understanding / Views

The Four Noble Truths The doctrine of no-self (anatta, anatman) Transitoriness (anicca): impermanence
The Five Components or Aggregates (skandhas) of human personhood Interdependent Origination

Karma & Samsara (rebirth) Nirvana

Wisdom (Sanskrit: praj, Pli: pa)

2. Right Thought/Intent
Wisdom (Sanskrit: praj, Pli: pa)

Right intent or resolution is the intent or resolution to live & act in accordance with right views.

3. Right Speech
No lying No slander No harsh or rude talk No profanity No impolite or Strive to use language

abusive language No idle or foolish chatter

meaningfully & usefully, with wisdom & kindness Learn to maintain noble silence

Morality/Ethical conduct (Sanskrit: la, Pli: sla)

4. Right Conduct/Action
No harming & killing
No stealing No lying &
Eat moderately & not after

deceitfulness No sexual immorality No use of intoxicants

The Five Precepts (for everybody) & the Ten Precepts (for monks & nuns)

noon. Stay away from dancing, singing, & dramatic spectacles. Do not use garlands, scents, unguents, or ornaments. Do not use high or broad (soft) beds. Do not accept gold or silver (money in general?).

Morality/Ethical conduct (Sanskrit: la, Pli: sla)

5. Right Livelihood (Vocation)

Choose professions that promote life, peace, &
Specifically prohibited professions: poison

spiritual progress (especially life in the Sangha).

peddler, slave trader, prostitute, butcher, manufacturer & trader of liquor & other intoxicants, weapons manufacturer & trader, tax collector, caravan trader.

Morality/Ethical conduct (Sanskrit: la, Pli: sla)

6. Right Effort

(purification of the mind)

Preventing evil & unwholesome states of mind from

arising Getting rid of such states of mind that may already exist Bringing about good & wholesome states of mind Developing & perfecting good & wholesome states of mind that are already present

Mental discipline/Meditation (Sanskrit and Pli: samdhi)

7. Right Mindfulness

Focusing of attention on:

Activities of the body (breathing, walking, sitting,

eating, heartbeat, etc.) Feelings (anger, fear, joy, pleasure, pain, etc.) States of mind (thoughts, ideas, etc.) Ways of conceptualizing things (the Four Noble Truths, the Wheel of Becoming, etc.)
Mental discipline/Meditation (Sanskrit and Pli: samdhi)

Mental discipline/Meditation (Sanskrit and Pli: samdhi)

One-pointed concentration and the four absorptions:

8. Right Concentration

1 Detachment from all sense objects & from negative states of mind; thought processes accompanied by joy 2 Cessation of all mental activities; internal calm, peace of mind, joy to the point of great elation 3 Cessation of all passions & prejudices; continued sense of joy 4 Cessation of joy; total tranquillity & equanimity -- Nirvana (& arhatship)

SUFFERING
Between the two general forms of suffering, the physical

and the mental, the one which is most important, and which Buddhism tries to address, is the mental. Why? Because it is the more serious type of suffering. When you are sick with a fever, you can make yourself feel better by changing your attitude about your sickness. However, if you are suffering from some sort of mental anguish, it doesnt quite help if you work on the body. In fact, people do not commit suicide because of a toothache, but there are those who would commit suicide because of heartache.

The Role of the Mind

CF: short folktale about a Jewish man who goes his rabbi

for advice about something that distresses him. If you really think about it, you might conclude that happy persons do not need to be told to be good because they will be naturally forgiving, kind, and helpful. It is easier to be kind, forgiving and helpful if youre happy, and more difficult to be kind, helpful, and forgiving if youre miserable. For this reason, Buddhists emphasize the need to develop states of mind which contribute to the feeling of happiness. A happy person needs no

commandments.

The Buddhist Solution To The Problem Of Suffering:

TRAINING THE MIND

TRAINING THE MIND

The solution to the problem is

simple: in order to live a better life, in order to be happier, in order to minimize suffering = what we need to do is to discipline the mind, to transform the mind. First, we must examine the mind and its contents. The Buddhist tells us that if we look closely at the human mind, we will discover that it is like a vast field with many seeds.

Mr. Ping: The secret ingredient is nothing! Po: Huh? Mr. Ping: You heard me. Nothing! There is no secret ingredient. Po: Wait, wait its just plain old noodle soup? You dont add some kind of special sauce or something? Mr. Ping: Dont have to. To make something special you just have to believe its special. [Po looks at the scroll again, and sees his reflection in it]

TRAINING THE MIND

The mind has good and bad seeds: compassion,

humility, loving kindness VS anger, pride, hate. Awareness of the good and bad seeds. Train and discipline the mind to be receptive of the good seeds and express the good seed.

Antidotes
If you have thoughts

going on opposite directions, you cannot experience them at the same time:

Cultivate the

opposite !!!

anger vs compassion; pride vs humility

THE ANTIDOTE
The question that may naturally come to mind at

this point is this: how is one to cultivate the positive beneficial seeds? And how is one to get rid of those seeds which cause suffering?

Buddhist solution:

if you have two thoughts going in opposite directions, you cannot experience them at the same time (See Dalai
Lama 1999).

THE ANTIDOTE
the best way to deal with a negative or

unproductive state of mind (such as anger) would be to cultivate its opposite. In order to fix anger, it is the best to develop its opposite, which is compassion or loving-kindness. This approach is a little different from the approach taken by modern psychology. Many psychologists tell us that the best way to deal with anger is to express it. They say that when you feel anger, you should hit your pillow or kick a punching bag to release the energy. Then the anger will dissipate.

THE ANTIDOTE
The Buddhists say, on the other hand, that every time

you express anger, you are actually practicing it. You are turning it into a habit. The next time someone insults you or accuses you of something you didnt do, you will get angry more quickly this time. This is because anger has become second nature.

The Buddhist approach is different. The best way to deal with a negative, unproductive

state of mind is by cultivating its opposite. This means that for every negative or destructive emotion, there is an antidote.

THE ANTIDOTE
The antidote to greed is generosity, the antidote

to pride is humility, and the antidote to hatred and anger is compassion. In some Buddhist texts, it is said that there are 4,000 types of destructive emotions, and there are 4,000 antidotes as well.

Meditation on Lovingkindness
Anger vs lovingkindness

Lovingkindness is that warm, benevolent feeling

you have for a close friend, that kind of feeling where you feel a natural fondness for the other without expecting anything in return. The more you give, share lovingkindness the more you experience it. Your whole life will be full of bliss!!

CONCLUSION
The most important feature is the

training of the mind. This means that one must take the time to cultivate positive states of mind, because these are what ultimately lead to the end of suffering, both for oneself and for others.

TOUCHING THE HEART OF THE DHARMA

The Core Teachings of Buddhism