4. Buddhism (2)

Basic Teachings

Buddhism is in part an extension and in part a reformation of Hinduism. In Buddhism, any person awakened from the “sleep of ignorance” by directly realizing the true nature of reality is called a Buddha. Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, is thus only one among other buddhas before or after him. Fundamental Buddhist beliefs are:

• Reincarnation and Rebirth. Like Hinduism, Buddhism teaches reincarnation; most individuals pass through many cycles of birth, living, death, and rebirth. A practicing Buddhist differentiates between rebirth and reincarnation. In reincarnation, a person can return to life repeatedly. In rebirth, a person does not necessarily return to earth as a human entity again. Buddha compares it to a leaf growing on a tree. When the withering leaf falls off, a new leaf will eventually replace it. It is similar to the old leaf, but it is not identical to the original leaf.
• Nirvana. After many such cycles, if a person releases his attachment to desire and the self, he can attain Nirvana, a state of liberation and freedom from suffering. Buddhism teaches humans are trapped in a repetitive cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. One's goal is to escape this cycle and reach Nirvana. The mind experiences complete freedom, liberation, and non-attachment. Suffering ends because desire and craving, the causes of suffering, simply end.
• The Four Noble Truths. The Buddha's Four Noble Truths explore human suffering. They may be described (somewhat simplistically) as:
• Dukkha: Suffering exists, life involves suffering. Suffering is real and almost universal. Suffering has many causes: loss, sickness, pain, failure, the impermanence of pleasure, and so on.
• Samudaya: There is a cause for suffering. Its cause is the desire to have and control things. It can take many forms: craving of sensual pleasures; the desire for fame; the wish to avoid unpleasant sensations such as fear, anger or jealousy.
• Nirodha: There is an end to suffering. Suffering ceases with the final liberation of Nirvana. The mind experiences complete freedom, liberation, and non-attachment. It lets go of any desire or craving.
• Magga: In order to end suffering, you must follow the Eightfold Path.

The form in which one is reborn, animal or human, in heaven or in hell, depends on karma, an impersonal ethical law (like Hinduism). One can escape from this process by attaining Nirvana or enlightenment. Nirvana can be reached by following the Eightfold Path.

Table 31- 1 : The Eightfold Path to Enlightenment

The Founder

I've heard many questions related to Jesus compared to Buddha. Some are: Are Jesus and Buddha relatives? Did Jesus mention Buddha? Did Jesus and Buddha have a common ancestor? And so on. The answer to all these questions is very short: No. Jesus and Buddha had nothing to do with each other. So who was Buddha?

The Buddhist tradition is founded on and inspired by the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama who lived 566-486 BC. Born a Hindu in the foothills of the Himalaya in modern day Nepal (in those days Northern India ), Siddhartha Gautama was the son of a local rajan, or chieftain. Siddhartha means “one who has achieved his aim.” Gautama was his clan name. He was a member of a privileged and wealthy family and grew up comfortably.

After receiving four visions (other traditions claim he made four trips) of suffering and poverty, he was disillusioned with his wealthy life.  He left home and adopted the life of a wandering ascetic and embarked on a spiritual quest.

One night in 535 BC, at the age of 30, he sat in meditation underneath a large tree, later known as the Bodhi tree, on the banks of the Nairangana in Northern India . He had a profound experience and he believed he had gained a deep understanding of the nature of suffering, its cause and a way to stop it. He assumed the title Lord Buddha (one who has awakened; the one who has attained enlightenment by himself). Lord Buddha then devoted the rest of his life (about 45 years) to traveling and teaching the way to cease suffering. By the time of his death at about the age of 75, he had a considerable following and had established an order of monks and a corresponding order of nuns.

The Buddha did not choose a successor. He believed that the Dharma, his teachings, plus the Vinaya, his code of rules for the monks and nuns, would be a sufficient guide. It took at least one and a half century (some say even 250 years) before a council of Buddhist monks collected his teachings and the oral traditions of the faith into a written form.

The Writings

During his life Lord Buddha wrote nothing. There is a gap of at least 150 years between his spoken words and the first written records. A gap of that duration (compared to the gospels written within 25-70 years of the resurrection and all by personal witnesses) with multiple generations of oral tradition is likely to raise serious questions about the reliability of the texts.

An additional challenge is that Buddha taught for 45 years, and a staggering amount of material has been attributed to him in one way or another. This raises the obvious question of how to discern what was taught by Buddha and what was added later by his followers.

Buddhist scriptures and other texts exist in great variety. Different schools of Buddhism place different values on them. Some schools venerate certain texts as religious objects in themselves, while others take a more scholastic approach. The Buddhist canon of scripture is known as the Tripitaka. This included a large collection of commentaries and traditions; most are called Sutras (discourses). Tripitaka literally means “three baskets,” and refers to the three main divisions of the canon, which are:

• The Vinaya Pitaka, containing disciplinary rules for the Buddhist monks and nuns, as well as a range of other texts including explanations of why and how rules were instituted, supporting material, and doctrinal clarification.
• The Sūtra Pitaka which contains the actual discourses of the Buddha.
• The Abhidharma Pitaka which contains commentaries or systematic expositions of the Buddha's teachings.

Buddhism has no single central text universally referred to by all traditions.  

(3) Buddhism vs. Christianity