| Beneath the Bodhi tree the future-buddha
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| | end to suffering. By dispelling ignorance
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| entered four subsequent states of
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| | and quenching the flames of sense-desire,
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| meditation, and from these, he remembered
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| | the realm of conditional existence, along
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| his previous lives and gained
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| | with all impermanence and suffering that
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| understanding of the processes of samsara
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| | distinquishes it, can be
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| that all forms of life are subject to. He
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| | transcended:There is an island which you
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| saw that the cause of rebirth was
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| | cannot go beyond. It is a place of
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| ignorance which would only cease when the
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| | nothingness, a place of non-possession
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| need for sense-pleasures were quenched.
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| | and of non-attachment. It is the total
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| As his ignorance of the truth was
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| | end of death and decay, and this is why i
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| dispelled he was set free, and seeing
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| | call it Nibbana (the extinquished, the
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| things as they truly are, he became an
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| | cool).
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| enlightened being. A Buddha.After the
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| | 'Kappas Question in the Sutta-Nipata'
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| Buddha had singlehandedly found the path
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| | (Saddhatissa. H, in Beckerlegge, 2001,
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| that leads to freedom, he returned to his
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| | p.349)The root meaning of Nirvana, or
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| former ascetic companions and shared with
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| | Nibbana, is to 'blow out' such as the
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| them the truth (Dharma/Damma) of his
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| | blowing out of a fire. The word 'skanda'
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| discovery, at the deer park in Benares.
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| | means 'heap' or 'bundle' and can refer to
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| This was the setting for his first sermon
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| | a bundle of wood. As already mentioned,
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| known as the Dhamma-cakka-pavattana
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| | the burning of individuals by their
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| sutta, which means 'discourse on the
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| | desire for sense-objects has them caught
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| setting in motion the wheel of truth'.
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| | up in samsara and a state of
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| The Buddha revealed the Four Noble Truths
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| | ever-becoming. the skandas which
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| concerning Dukkha/Duhkha, a word,
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| | constitute the self, or rather, the
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| originally sanskrit, that can be
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| | no-self, can be compared to a burning
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| translated as meaning 'suffering' or
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| | bundle of wood that needs to be
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| alternatively as 'anguish',
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| | extinquished. And when the desires for
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| 'unsatisfactoriness' or 'ill'.The first
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| | sense-objects are 'blown out' Nirvana is
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| noble truth is that the nature of
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| | attained.The fourth noble truth is the
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| existence, as experienced by all living
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| | path that is to be followed if there is
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| things is suffering. this truth was the
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| | to be an end of suffering. It is the
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| cause of the Buddha's initial agitation
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| | practice of Buddhism Itself, known as the
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| when he first encountered old age,
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| | Eight-Fold Way, which is often divided
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| disease, and death. Everything that is
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| | into three categories.These are:A)
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| born is subject to decay and death and is
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| | wisdom. which includes, 1) perfect
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| therefore recognized as 'Anicca', that
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| | understanding and 2) perfect resolve,
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| is, impermanent. within samsara all are
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| | which are both related to a correct
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| fated to suffer this process repeatedly,
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| | knowledge and application of the Buddha's
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| not only in this world, but also in the
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| | teachings in the life of an individual.B)
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| other various levels of existence that
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| | morality, which includes, 3) perfect
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| can be both heavenly and hellish, the
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| | speech, that is, talking in a kind and
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| destination determined by an individuals
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| | truthful manner, and 4) Perfect action by
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| particular karma. Greed, Hatred, and
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| | dealing honestly with others and avoiding
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| Delusion, being specific to the nature of
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| | sense-pleasure. Also 5) perfect
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| samsara, are also states of
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| | livelihood, that is, earning an honest
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| suffering.Both dukkha and anicca are
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| | living that doesn't exploit other human
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| categorized as two of the 'three marks of
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| | beings or cater for sense-pleasures.C)
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| conditioned existence', the third being
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| | mental discipline, which includes 6)
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| 'Anatta' or 'no-self'. According to
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| | Perfect effort, which is the development
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| Buddhism the individual self is not
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| | and maintenance of skilled mental states
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| really a 'self' at all but an illusionary
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| | and ridding oneself of unskilled mental
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| construct of five aggregates known as
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| | states; 7) perfect mindfulness of the
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| Skhandhas/skandas. these are; 1)Rupa
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| | body, feelings, mind and mental states,
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| (form); 2) Vedana (feeling); 3) Sanna
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| | and finally 8) perfect concentration,
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| (perception); 4) Sankaras (skilled or
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| | which is to be acheived through the
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| unskilled actions or tendencies); and 5)
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| | disipline of 'Jhana', that is,
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| Vinnana (consciousness). It is these
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| | meditaion......The forth noble truth is
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| skandas, in interaction with one another,
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| | also known as the Middle Way. Buddhist
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| that are to be understood as being
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| | meditation should conform with the middle
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| subject to samsara rather than the
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| | way, as reflected in the legend of the
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| individual, who does not really exist.In
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| | Buddha when he positioned himself beneath
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| a Buddhist text known as 'Milinda's
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| | the tree of awakening. the mind needs to
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| Questions' the body is likened to a
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| | be balanced if the realm of extremes is
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| chariot. Here, the monk Nagasena
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| | to be transcended. the middle way lies
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| demonstates for the benefit of the
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| | "between the two extremes of
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| inquiring King Milinda that as the
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| | self-indulgence..." as reflected in the
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| individual parts of the 'self' do not
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| | person of Siddhartha the prince, "...and
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| contain the 'self' within themselves,
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| | self-torture" as reflected in the person
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| then "How can there be a self?", when the
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| | of Siddhartha the emaciated ascetic
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| individual parts are viewed collectively?
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| | (Horner, I.B, in Zaehner R.C 'ed',
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| Likewise, the seperate parts of a chariot
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| | 2001,p.271). The Hindu practice of
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| have no 'chariot' within them, so how is
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| | extreme self-denial, that was, and
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| it that a chariot exists when the parts
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| | continues to be performed by ascetics in
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| are connected? The answer is "there is no
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| | the pursuit of Moksha/Mukti was rejected
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| chariot" and similarly neither is there a
| |
| | by the Buddha. Such overt zelousness is
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| self. the 'self' is merely a convenient
| |
| | concidered to be without true value, as
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| label of no real substance (Horner, I.B
| |
| | is indifference towards spiritual
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| 'trans', in Beckerlegge, 2001, p.349-51).
| |
| | attainment.However, individuals must
|
| And so, the individual is seen as
| |
| | apply themselves to the way of the
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| anatta.The second noble truth concerns
| |
| | Buddha, and are encouraged to investigate
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| the cause, or 'Uprising', of suffering.
| |
| | spiritual matters for themselves, and not
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| Dukkha is born from ignorance and
| |
| | blindly accept what a prestigious teacher
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| perpetuated through our desire for
| |
| | may claim, out of respect. It is when you
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| sense-pleasures. Existence is perceived
| |
| | know the truth yourself, that it is to be
|
| as a series of conditions that function
| |
| | accepted (Woodward, F.L 'trans', 'Kalama
|
| within a wheel of cause and effect known
| |
| | Sutta' in Beckerlegge, 2001, p.348).
|
| as Paticcasamuppada, which means
| |
| | Also, the monastic lifestyle can be
|
| 'Dependent Origination' or 'Conditional
| |
| | viewed as embodying the principle of the
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| Arising'. It is all wrong desires that
| |
| | middle way. For two and a half millennia
|
| keep the wheel turning. As all wrong
| |
| | it has remained the prefered enviroment
|
| desires have adverse causes, they also
| |
| | conducive to the attainment of Nirvana.
|
| have adverse effects, which in turn
| |
| | Harvey observes that it lies between the
|
| become causes of more forms of suffering.
| |
| | extremes of a reclusive existence and the
|
| The Buddha regarded individuals to be 'on
| |
| | life of a brahmanic householder.
|
| fire' through their attachment to objects
| |
| | Concerning the four noble truths,
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| of desire (Horner, I.B 'trans', in
| |
| | cousins tells us that the first truth is
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| Beckerlegge, 2001, p.344). In feeding the
| |
| | to be 'fully comprehended'; the second is
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| flames of the senses, we perpetuate the
| |
| | to be 'abandoned'; the third is to be
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| false belief that we are real, and as we
| |
| | 'made visible'; the fourth is to be
|
| persist in 'Ever-Becoming' samsara
| |
| | 'brought into being'.It is for the
|
| retains its awful hold:If this is, that
| |
| | transformation from a negative to a
|
| comes to be;
| |
| | positive state that the path of Buddhism
|
| From the arising of this, that arise;
| |
| | is the be followed. It requires the
|
| However;
| |
| | rejection of what is unskilful and the
|
| If this is not, that does not come to
| |
| | cultivation of what is skillful, such as
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| be;
| |
| | generosity, compassion for all beings,
|
| From the stopping of this, that is
| |
| | and wisdom (the opposites of greed,
|
| stopped
| |
| | hatred, and delusion mentioned above). It
|
| 'Majjhima-Nikaya 2.32'
| |
| | is a path that leads to calm, balance and
|
| (Horner, B.I 'trans', in Zaehner, R.C,
| |
| | detatchment from desire, and the
|
| 'ed', 2001, p.277)With the third noble
| |
| | indescribable Nirvana that awaits
|
| truth the Dharma of Buddhism makes the
| |
| | beyond.BibliographyBeckerlegge, Gwilym
|
| transition from darkness to light as it
| |
| | (Ed), 2001 'The world Religions Reader.
|
| reveals, optimistically, that there is an
| |
| |
|
