If you want to know what Buddhism is and how Buddhism can lead you to liberation from suffering and true happiness, then read the article to the end and you will have an idea about all the basic concepts of this teaching. In different sources you can find different information about Buddhism. Somewhere Buddhism is more like Western psychology and explains how, through meditation, you can become calm, free from attachments and desires. But somewhere Buddhism is described as an esoteric teaching that explains all the events in a person's life as a natural consequence of his karma. In this article I will try to consider Buddhism from different angles and convey what I myself heard from one of the followers of Buddhism, a Vietnamese monk who was born in a monastery and practiced Buddhism all his life.
What is Buddhism? Buddhism is the most popular religion in the world, followed by over 300 million people around the world. The word "Buddhism" comes from the word "budhi" which means "to wake up". This spiritual teaching originated about 2500 years ago when Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, himself awakened or gained enlightenment.
What is Buddhism? Is Buddhism a religion?
Buddhism is said to be one of the first world religions. But the Buddhists themselves consider this teaching not a religion, but rather a science of human consciousness, which studies the causes of suffering and ways to get rid of them.
I, too, am closer to the opinion that Buddhism is more of a philosophy or a science in which there are no ready-made answers, and each person himself is a researcher of his mind, consciousness and, in general, himself. And in the process of studying oneself, a person finds true unshakable happiness and inner freedom.
The Buddhist path can be described as follows:
- Lead a moral life
- Be mindful and aware of your thoughts, feelings and actions
- Develop wisdom, understanding and compassion
How can Buddhism help me?
Buddhism explains the purpose of life, it explains the apparent injustice and inequality throughout the world. Buddhism provides practical instructions and a way of life that leads to true happiness as well as material prosperity.
How does Buddhism explain the injustice of the world? Why can one person have a thousand times more blessings than millions of other people? By saying that this injustice is explained in Buddhism, I cheated a little, because in this spiritual teaching, there is no such thing as injustice.
Buddhism claims that the external world is something like an illusion, and this illusion is individual for each person. And this illusory reality is created by the human mind itself. That is, what you see in the world around you is a reflection of your mind. What you carry in your mind is what you see in the reflection, isn't that fair? And most importantly, each person has complete freedom to choose how to fill his mind.
You probably thought that this knowledge can be used to change your reality, fulfill all your desires and become happy? It is possible, but Buddhism does not teach this.
Man's desires are endless, and achieving the desired will not bring real happiness. The fact is that desire is an internal state of a person, and, I must say, this state causes suffering. When a person gets what he wants, this state does not disappear anywhere. It's just that a new object of desire is right there, and we continue to suffer.
True happiness, according to Buddhism, is achieved not by changing what you carry in your mind, but by freeing the mind from all predispositions.
If you compare the mind to a film, then you can choose which movie to watch: sad with a bad ending or easy with a happy ending. But true happiness is not watching a movie at all, because a movie is a pre-programmed predisposition.
The predispositions of the mind are just that its content, which, being reflected as if in a mirror, creates the reality of a person. It can also be thought of as a mentally written program that plays out and creates reality.
This program in Buddhism is called karma, and predispositions are also called mental imprints or samskara.
We ourselves create imprints in our mind, reacting to external events. Notice that when you are angry, a kind of imprint of this emotion appears in your body, when you are grateful it is a completely different imprint. It is these bodily imprints of your reactions that will cause the events that will happen to you in the future.
And you have already understood that everything that is currently happening around you is the result of your past imprints. And these events are trying to evoke in you the same emotions that caused them.
This law in Buddhism is called law of cause and effect.
Therefore, any reaction to external events (vedana) becomes a cause that will lead to an event in the future, which will again cause the same reaction in you. Here is such a vicious circle. This causal cycle is called in Buddhism wheel of samsara.
And this circle can only be broken awareness. If an unpleasant situation happened to you, you automatically react in the way you are used to, thereby creating another such situation in the future. This automatism is the main enemy of awareness. Only when you consciously choose your reactions to everything that happens, you break this circle and get out of it. Therefore, reacting to any situation with gratitude, no matter how it contradicts the logic of the mind, you fill your mind with good good imprints and form a completely new, better reality in your future.
But I will repeat once again that the goal of Buddhism is not only to create favorable imprints in the mind, but in principle to get rid of any programs and predispositions, both bad and good.
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Selfishness is the cause of all suffering
Buddhism teaches that all suffering comes from a false concept of "I". Yes, the existence of a separate Self is just another concept created in the mind. And it is this Self, which in Western psychology is called the Ego, and suffers.
Any suffering can only stem from a person's attachment to himself, his ego and selfishness.
What the Buddhist Master does is to destroy this false Ego, releasing the disciple from suffering. And it's usually painful and scary. But it is effective.
Probably one of the most famous practices for getting rid of selfishness is tonglen. To fulfill it, you need to imagine a familiar person in front of you and with each breath mentally draw into yourself, into the area of the solar plexus, all his suffering and pain in the form of a black cloud. And with each exhalation, give all your happiness and all the best that you have or that you would like to have. Imagine your close friend (if you are a woman) and mentally give her everything that you want for yourself: a lot of money, a better man, talented children, etc. And take away all her suffering for yourself. It is even more effective to do this practice with your enemies.
Practice tonglen twice a day in the morning and evening for 5-10 minutes for 3 weeks. And you will see the result.
Practicing tonglen is what will give you positive mental imprints that will come to you after a while in the form of something that has been abandoned and given to another person.
What are reactions in Buddhism
Imagine that a loved one has betrayed you. It causes you anger, resentment, anger. But think, are you obliged to experience these feelings? The question is not whether you can experience something else at this moment, such as gratitude. But is such an option purely theoretically possible? There is no such law, according to which you must necessarily feel resentment or anger in this situation. You yourself make the choice.
We react to situations with negative emotions only because we are in ignorance. We confuse cause and effect, swapping them, believing that situations make us feel. In fact, situations cause feelings, and situations only tend to evoke in us the same feelings that caused them. But we are not obliged to respond to them in the way they want. We can make our own conscious spiritual choice.
The world fully reflects our feelings.
We do not see this only because this reflection occurs with a delay in time. That is, your today's reality is a reflection of past feelings. What's the point of reacting to the past? Is this not the greatest stupidity of a person who is ignorant? Let's leave this question open and smoothly move on to the next fundamental principle of Buddhist philosophy.
open mind
It was not in vain that I suggested leaving the question from the last part open. In one of the most widespread forms of Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, it is not customary to create concepts of the mind. Feel the difference between reasoning and contemplation.
Reasoning always has a logical conclusion - a ready answer. If you like to reason and have an answer to any question, you are a smart guy who has yet to grow and grow before awareness.
Contemplation is a state of open mind. You ponder the question, but consciously do not come to a logical complete answer leaving the question open. This is a kind of meditation. Such meditation develops awareness and promotes the rapid growth of human consciousness.
In Zen Buddhism, there are even special tasks-questions for meditative reflection, which are called koans. If someday a Buddhist master asks you such a koan problem, do not rush to answer it with a smart look, otherwise you can get hit on the head with a bamboo stick. The koan is a riddle without a solution; it is designed to reflect, not to be clever.
If you decide to follow Zen Buddhism, you can close this article and discard any other ready-made answers to your eternal questions. After all, I'm here, too, building concepts. Is it good or bad?
Non-judgmental perception in Buddhism
So is it good or bad? How did you answer the question from the last chapter?
But a Buddhist would not have answered in any way. Because nonjudgmental perception is another cornerstone of Buddhism.
According to Buddhism, such assessments as "good" and "bad", "good" and "evil" and any duality exist only in the human mind and are an illusion.
If you draw a black dot on a black wall, you won't see it. If you draw a white dot on a white wall, you won't see it either. One can see a white dot on a black wall and vice versa just because the opposite exists. Also, there is no good without evil and evil does not exist without good. And any opposites are parts of one whole.
When you create in your mind any assessment, for example, “good,” you immediately create its opposite in your own mind, otherwise how would you discern this “good” of yours?
How to Practice Buddhism: Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the core practice of Buddhism. One can sit in meditation like a Buddha for many years. But for this you need to go to the monastery and renounce secular life. This path is hardly suitable for us ordinary people.
Fortunately, you don't have to sit under a banyan tree to practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness can be practiced in everyday life. To do this, you need to impartially and carefully observe what is happening at the moment.
If you have carefully read the article, then you already understand that the present moment that all the Masters are talking about is not what is happening around you. The present moment is what is happening inside you. your reactions. And first of all, your bodily sensations.
Indeed, it is bodily sensations that are reflected in the mirror of the world - they create imprints in your mind.
So, be aware. Focus on the present moment, here and now.
And watch carefully:
- Body sensations and emotions are reactions to what is happening in the outside world.
- Thoughts. Buddhism teaches that thoughts are not you. Thoughts are the same events of the "outside world", but which take place in your mind. That is, thoughts are also predispositions, which also leave their imprints. You cannot choose your thoughts, thoughts appear out of nowhere on their own. But you can choose your reactions to them.
- Surrounding area. In addition to the “present” moment, you also need to be very sensitively aware of the entire space around you, be attentive to people and nature. But keep all the senses under control, not allowing them to influence your inner state.
Buddhism in questions and answers
Why is Buddhism becoming popular?
Buddhism is becoming popular in Western countries for a number of reasons. The first good reason is that Buddhism has solutions to many of the problems of today's materialistic society. It also provides a deep understanding of the human mind and natural treatments for chronic stress and depression. Mindfulness meditation or mindfulness is already used in mainstream Western medicine to treat depression.
The most effective and advanced psychotherapeutic practices are borrowed from Buddhist psychology.
Buddhism is spreading in the West primarily among educated and wealthy people, because, having closed their primary material needs, people strive for conscious spiritual development, which ordinary religions with outdated dogmas and blind faith cannot give.
Who was the Buddha?
Siddhartha Gautama was born into a royal family in Lumbini in what is now Nepal in 563 BC.
At the age of 29, he realized that wealth and luxury did not guarantee happiness, so he researched various teachings, religions and philosophies of the time to find the key to human happiness. After six years of study and meditation, he finally found the "middle way" and became enlightened. After his enlightenment, the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching the principles of Buddhism until his death at the age of 80.
Was Buddha God?
No. The Buddha was not God and did not claim to be. He was an ordinary person who taught the path to enlightenment from his own experience.
Do Buddhists worship idols?
Buddhists respect Buddha images, but do not worship or ask for mercy. Buddha statues with hands resting on their knees and a sympathetic smile remind us of the desire to develop peace and love within ourselves. The worship of the statue is an expression of gratitude for the teaching.
Why are so many Buddhist countries poor?
One of the Buddhist teachings is that wealth does not guarantee happiness, and wealth is impermanent. In every country people suffer, whether they are rich or poor. But those who know themselves find true happiness.
Are there different types of Buddhism?
There are many different types of Buddhism. The accents vary from country to country due to customs and culture. What does not change is the essence of the teaching.
Are other religions true?
Buddhism is a belief system that is tolerant of all other beliefs or religions. Buddhism is consistent with the moral teachings of other religions, but Buddhism goes further, providing a long-term purpose for our existence through wisdom and true understanding. True Buddhism is very tolerant and does not deal with labels such as "Christian", "Muslim", "Hindu" or "Buddhist". That is why there have never been wars in the name of Buddhism. This is why Buddhists do not preach or convert, but only explain when an explanation is required.
Is Buddhism a science?
Science is knowledge that can be turned into a system that depends on observation and verification of facts, and on the establishment of general natural laws. The essence of Buddhism fits into this definition because the Four Noble Truths (see below) can be tested and proven by anyone. In fact, the Buddha himself asked his followers to test the teaching, not to accept his word as true. Buddhism depends more on understanding than on faith.
What did the Buddha teach?
The Buddha taught many things, but the basic concepts in Buddhism can be summed up in the four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.
What is the first noble truth?
The first truth is that life is suffering, that is, life includes pain, aging, disease, and ultimately death. We also endure psychological suffering such as loneliness, fear, embarrassment, frustration and anger. This is an irrefutable fact that cannot be denied. This is more realistic than pessimistic because pessimism expects things to go badly. Instead, Buddhism explains how suffering can be avoided and how we can be truly happy.
What is the second noble truth?
The second truth is that suffering is caused by desire and aversion. We will suffer if we expect other people to live up to our expectations, if we want others to like us, if we don't get what we want, etc. In other words, getting what you want is not guarantees happiness. Instead of constantly fighting to get what you want, try changing your desires. Desire robs us of satisfaction and happiness. A life full of desires, and especially the desire to continue to exist, creates a powerful energy that makes a person be born. Thus, desires lead to physical suffering because they cause us to be reborn.
What is the third noble truth?
The third truth is that suffering can be overcome and happiness can be achieved. That true happiness and contentment are possible. If we give up the useless craving for desires and learn to live in the present moment (not dwelling in the past or imagined future), then we can become happy and free. Then we will have more time and energy to help others. This is Nirvana.
What is the Fourth Noble Truth?
The fourth truth is that the Noble Eightfold Path is the path that leads to the end of suffering.
What is the Noble Eightfold Path?
The Noble Eightfold Path or the Middle Path consists of eight rules.
- correct view or comprehension of the four noble truths from one's own experience
- the right intention or unshakable decision to follow the Buddhist path
- correct speech or rejection of lies and rudeness
- correct behavior or refusal to harm living beings
- the right way of life or earning a living in accordance with Buddhist values
- the right effort or development in oneself of qualities that contribute to awakening
- right awareness or continuous awareness of body sensations, thoughts, mind images
- correct concentration or deep concentration and meditation to achieve liberation
What is karma?
Karma is the law that every cause has an effect. Our actions have results. This simple law explains a number of things: inequality in the world, why some are born disabled and some gifted, why some live a short life. Karma emphasizes the importance of each person's responsibility for their past and present actions. How can we test the karmic effect of our actions? The answer is summarized by considering (1) the intention behind the action, (2) the effect of the action on oneself, and (3) the effect on others.
Name: Buddhism (Teachings of the Buddha)
Time of occurrence: 6th century BC.
Founder: Prince Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)
Major sacred texts: Tripitaka
At the age of 35, Prince Gautama achieved enlightenment, after which he changed his life and the lives of many people who followed him. He was called "Buddha" by his followers (from the Sanskrit "buddha" - enlightened, awakened). His sermon lasted 40 years, Siddhartha died at the age of 80, without leaving a single written composition about himself. Before and after him, there were other enlightened personalities - Buddhas, who contributed to the spiritual development of civilization. Followers of some branches of Buddhism consider the preachers of other religions as teachers-Buddhas - Mohammed and others.
Some individual traditions revere the Buddha as God, but other Buddhists see him as their founder, mentor and enlightener. Buddhists believe that enlightenment can only be achieved through the infinite energy of the universe. Thus, the Buddhist world does not recognize a creator god, omniscient and omnipotent. Every person is a part of God. Buddhists do not have one permanent God, every enlightened one can achieve the title of "Buddha". This understanding of God makes Buddhism different from most Western religions.
Buddhists seek to purify clouded states of mind that distort reality. These are anger, fear, ignorance, selfishness, laziness, jealousy, envy, greed, irritation and others. Buddhism cultivates and develops such pure and beneficial qualities of consciousness as kindness, generosity, gratitude, compassion, diligence, wisdom, and others. All this allows you to gradually learn and clear your mind, which leads to a lasting sense of well-being. By making the mind strong and bright, Buddhists reduce the anxiety and irritation that lead to adversity and depression. Ultimately, Buddhism is a necessary condition for the deepest insights that lead to the final liberation of the mind.
Buddhism is not so much a mystical religion as a philosophical one. The Buddhist doctrine contains 4 main "noble truths" about human suffering:
- about the nature of suffering;
- about the origin and causes of suffering;
- about the cessation of suffering and the elimination of its sources;
- about ways to end suffering.
The last, fourth truth points to the path to the destruction of suffering and pain, otherwise called the eightfold path to achieve inner peace. This state of mind allows one to plunge into transcendental meditation and achieve wisdom and enlightenment.
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Thailand is a country where Buddhism is practiced, so it is rich in magnificent temples that are known throughout the world. Buddhist philosophy is deeply integrated...
Hello dear readers!
Today in our article we will talk about what Buddhism is and give a brief description of this religion.
Buddhism is one of the main world religions along with Christianity and Islam. There are about 500 million "pure" Buddhists in the world who profess only Buddhism. However, this religion does not prohibit adherence to any other faith. Lately Buddhism has become very popular in the Western world, many people come to the desire to join it on their own. Perhaps not the last role in this is played by the peacefulness and tranquility of this religion.
Story
To begin with, let's find out where and how this religious and philosophical trend appeared.
Buddhism originated in the 6th century BC. in India. Buddhism spread from India to other Asian countries. The more popular it became, the more branches formed.
The founder of Buddhism was Prince Gautama Siddhartha. He was born into a wealthy family, and his life was full of luxury and fun.
According to legend, at the age of 29, an insight came to the prince: he realized that he was wasting his life. Deciding to leave the former existence, he becomes an ascetic. For the next six years, Gautama was a hermit: he traveled and practiced yoga.
Legend has it that at more than 30 years old, having achieved spiritual enlightenment, the prince began to be called, which means "enlightened." He sat under a tree and meditated for 49 days, after which his mind became detached and bright. He attained a state of joy and peace.
In the future, the Buddha's disciples called this tree "", or the tree of enlightenment. The Buddha had many followers. The disciples came to him, listened to his talks about the teachings, or dharma, listened to his sermons, meditated in order to become enlightened too.
Buddhism says that anyone can become enlightened by reaching a high awareness of his soul.
Basic concepts in Buddhism
Since there are many philosophical concepts in Buddhism that reflect the essence of this Eastern ideology, let's dwell on the main ideas and analyze their meanings.
One of the main views is the concept. Samsara is the wheel of earthly reincarnations of all living beings. In the process of this life cycle, the soul must “grow”. Samsara depends entirely on your past actions, your karma.
- these are your accomplishments in the past, noble and not very. For example, you can reincarnate into higher forms: a warrior, a person or a deity, or you can reincarnate into lower forms: an animal, a hungry ghost or a resident of hell, i.e. karma directly depends on your actions. Worthy deeds lead to reincarnations in higher forms. The end result of samsara is nirvana.
Nirvana is a state of enlightenment, awareness, the highest spiritual being. Nirvana frees us from karma.
is the teaching of the Buddha. Dharma is the maintenance of world order by all living beings. Everyone has their own path and it is necessary to follow it in accordance with ethical standards. Since Buddhism is a very peaceful religion, this aspect is incredibly important: do not harm another.
Sangha is a community of Buddhists who adhere to the rules and laws of the teachings of the Buddha.
Buddhism is based on four noble truths:
- Life is suffering. We all suffer, experience anger, anger, fear.
- Suffering has its causes: envy, greed, lust.
- Suffering can be stopped.
- The path to nirvana will help you escape from suffering.
The goal of Buddhism is to get away from this suffering. Stop experiencing negative feelings and emotions, get rid of various addictions. According to the Buddha, the true path, which is also the path to the state of nirvana, is the middle path, it is between excesses and asceticism. This path is called in Buddhism. It must be passed in order to become a noble conscious person.
Stages of the Eightfold Path
- Correct understanding, worldview. Our actions are the result of our thoughts and conclusions. Wrong actions that bring us pain, not joy, are the result of wrong thoughts, so we need to develop awareness, monitor our thoughts and actions.
- Right aspirations, desires. You need to limit your selfishness and everything that hurts. Live in peace with all living beings.
- Correct speech. Do not swear, avoid gossip, evil expressions!
- Right actions, deeds. Do not harm the world and all living things, do not commit violence.
- Right way of life. Right actions will lead to a righteous way of life: without lies, intrigue, deceit.
- Right effort. Focus on the good, monitor your thoughts, move away from the negative image of consciousness.
- Correct thinking. It comes from right effort.
- Correct concentration. To achieve peace, to give up disturbing emotions, you need to be conscious, focused.
Concept of God in Buddhism
As we have already seen, Buddhism is a very unusual ideology for our mentality. Since in any religion one of the basic concepts is the concept of God, let's see what this means in Buddhism.
In Buddhism, God is all living things that surrounds us, a divine essence that manifests itself in man, in animals, and in nature. Unlike other religions, there is no humanization of God. God is everything around us.
This religion or even spiritual teaching focuses on the psychological state of a person, his spiritual growth, rather than on ritual or symbolic actions, during which we honor the main deity. Here you yourself can achieve the divine state by working on yourself.
Directions of Buddhism
Buddhism is divided into three main branches, which we will now talk about:
- Hinayana (Theravada), or the Little Chariot is southern Buddhism, common in southeast Asia: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam. It is considered the earliest school of this religious teaching. The essence of Theravada lies in individual spiritual enlightenment, i.e. one must pass the eightfold path, become liberated from suffering and, therefore, achieve nirvana.
- , or Great Vehicle - Northern Buddhism. Has received the distribution in the north of India, in China, Japan. It arose as an opposition to orthodox Theravada. From the point of view of the Mahayana, Theravada is a rather selfish teaching, because provides the path of enlightenment of the individual. Mahayana, on the other hand, preaches helping others to achieve a state of awareness, divinity. Anyone who chooses this path can reach Buddhahood and can count on help.
- , or Tantric Buddhism was formed within the Mahayana. It is practiced in the Himalayan countries, Mongolia, Kalmykia, Tibet. Ways to achieve enlightened consciousness in the Vajrayana are: yoga, meditation, recitation of mantras and worship of the teacher. Without the help of a guru, it is impossible to begin one's path of realization and practice.
Conclusion
So, dear readers, today we talked about what is included in the concept of Buddhism, about its principles and essence, got acquainted with this teaching. I hope that getting to know him was interesting and useful for you.
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All the best to you and see you soon!
Buddhism, along with Islam and Christianity, is considered a world religion. This means that she is not defined by the ethnicity of her followers. Anyone can profess it, regardless of race, nationality and place of residence. In the article we will briefly consider the main ideas of Buddhism.
A summary of the ideas and philosophy of Buddhism
Briefly about the history of the emergence of Buddhism
Buddhism is one of the most ancient religions in the world. Its origin took place as a counterbalance to the Brahmanism then dominant in the middle of the first millennium BC in the northern part of India. In the philosophy of ancient India, Buddhism occupied and occupies a key place, closely intertwined with it.
If we consider the emergence of Buddhism briefly, then, according to a separate category of scientists, certain changes in the life of the Indian people contributed to this phenomenon. Approximately in the middle of the VI century BC. Indian society was overtaken by a cultural and economic crisis. Those tribal and traditional ties that existed before that time began to gradually undergo changes. It is very important that it was during that period that the formation of class relations took place. There were many ascetics roaming the expanses of India, who formed their own vision of the world, which they shared with other people. So, in opposition to the foundations of that time, Buddhism appeared, which earned recognition among the people.
A large number of scholars believe that the founder of Buddhism was a real person named Siddhartha Gautama , known as Buddha Shakyamuni . He was born in 560 BC. in a wealthy family of the king of the Shakya tribe. From childhood, he knew neither disappointment nor need, he was surrounded by boundless luxury. And so Siddhartha lived his youth, being ignorant of the existence of disease, old age and death. The real shock for him was that he once encountered an old man, a sick man and a funeral procession while walking outside the palace. This influenced him so much that at the age of 29 he joins a group of wandering hermits. So he begins the search for the truth of being. Gautama tries to understand the nature of human troubles and tries to find ways to eliminate them. Realizing that an endless series of reincarnations is inevitable if one does not get rid of suffering, he tried to find answers to his questions from the sages.
After spending 6 years wandering, he tested different techniques, practiced yoga, but came to the conclusion that such methods of enlightenment cannot be achieved. He considered reflections and prayers as effective methods. It was while he was spending time meditating under the Bodhi tree that he experienced enlightenment through which he found the answer to his question. After his discovery, he spent a few more days at the site of a sudden insight, and then went to the valley. And they began to call him Buddha ("enlightened"). There he began to preach the doctrine to people. The very first sermon took place in Benares.
Basic concepts and ideas of Buddhism
One of the main goals of Buddhism is the path to nirvana. Nirvana is a state of awareness of one's soul, achieved through self-denial, rejection of the comfortable conditions of the external environment. The Buddha, after spending a long time in meditation and deep reflection, mastered the method of controlling his own consciousness. In the process, he came to the conclusion that people are very attached to worldly goods, overly worried about the opinions of other people. Because of this, the human soul not only does not develop, but also degrades. Having reached nirvana, you can lose this addiction.
The essential four truths underlying Buddhism are:
- There is the concept of dukkha (suffering, anger, fear, self-flagellation and other negatively colored experiences). Everyone is affected by dukkha to a greater or lesser extent.
- Dukkha always has a cause that contributes to the appearance of addiction - greed, vanity, lust, etc.
- Addiction and suffering can be overcome.
- It is possible to be completely free from dukkha through the path leading to nirvana.
The Buddha was of the opinion that it is necessary to adhere to the "middle way", that is, each person must find the "golden" mean between the well-to-do, satiated with luxury, and the ascetic, devoid of all the benefits of humanity, way of life.
There are three main treasures in Buddhism:
- Buddha - he can be both the creator of the teaching himself, and his follower who has achieved enlightenment.
- Dharma is the teaching itself, its foundations and principles, and what it can give to its followers.
- Sangha is a community of Buddhists who adhere to the laws of this religious teaching.
In order to achieve all three jewels, Buddhists resort to fighting three poisons:
- removal from the truth of being and ignorance;
- desires and passions that contribute to the emergence of suffering;
- intemperance, anger, inability to accept anything here and now.
According to the ideas of Buddhism, every person experiences both bodily and mental suffering. Sickness, death and even birth are suffering. But such a state is unnatural, so you need to get rid of it.
Briefly about the philosophy of Buddhism
This doctrine cannot be called only a religion, in the center of which is God, who created the world. Buddhism is a philosophy, the principles of which we will briefly discuss below. The teaching involves assistance in directing a person to the path of self-development and self-awareness.
In Buddhism, there is no idea that there is an eternal soul that atones for sins. However, everything that a person does and how, finds its imprint - it will definitely return to him. This is not divine punishment. These are the consequences of all actions and thoughts that leave traces on one's own karma.
In Buddhism, there are basic truths revealed by the Buddha:
- Human life is suffering. All things are impermanent and transitory. When it arises, everything must be destroyed. Existence itself is symbolized in Buddhism as a flame that devours itself, and fire can only bring suffering.
- Suffering comes from desire. Man is so attached to the material aspects of existence that he craves life passionately. The more this desire is, the more he will suffer.
- Getting rid of suffering is possible only with the help of getting rid of desires. Nirvana is a state upon reaching which a person experiences the extinction of passions and thirst. Thanks to nirvana, a feeling of bliss arises, freedom from the transmigration of souls.
- To achieve the goal of getting rid of desire, one should resort to the eightfold path of salvation. It is this path that is called the "middle" one, which allows you to get rid of suffering by refusing to go to extremes, which is somewhere between the torture of the flesh and the indulgence of physical pleasures.
The Eightfold Path of Salvation suggests:
- right understanding - the most important thing to do is to realize that the world is full of suffering and sorrow;
- right intentions - you need to take the path of limiting your passions and aspirations, the fundamental basis of which is human egoism;
- correct speech - it should be good, so you should watch your words (so that they do not exude evil);
- right deeds - one should do good deeds, refrain from non-virtuous deeds;
- the right way of life - only a worthy way of life, not harming all living things, can bring a person closer to getting rid of suffering;
- right efforts - you need to tune in to good, drive away all evil from yourself, carefully following the course of your thoughts;
- right thoughts - the most important evil comes from our own flesh, getting rid of the desires of which you can get rid of suffering;
- correct concentration - the eightfold path requires constant training, concentration.
The first two stages are called prajna and suggest the stage of attaining wisdom. The next three are the regulation of morality and right conduct (sila). The remaining three steps represent the discipline of the mind (samadha).
Directions of Buddhism
The very first who supported the teachings of the Buddha began to gather in a secluded place for the period while it was raining. Since they renounced any property, they were called bhiksha - "beggars". They shaved their heads, dressed in rags (mostly yellow) and moved from place to place. Their life was unusually ascetic. When it rains, they hide in caves. They were usually buried where they lived, and on the site of their graves a stupa was built (structures-crypts of a domed shape). Their entrances were made blindly immured and buildings of various purposes were built around the stupas.
After the death of the Buddha, a convocation of his followers took place, who canonized the teaching. But the period of the greatest flourishing of Buddhism can be considered the reign of Emperor Ashoka - III century BC. BC.
Can be distinguished three main philosophical schools of Buddhism , formed in different periods of the existence of the doctrine:
- Hinayana. The monk is considered the main ideal of the direction - only he can get rid of reincarnations. There is no pantheon of saints who could intercede for a person, there are no rituals, the concept of hell and paradise, cult sculptures, icons. Everything that happens to a person is the result of his actions, thoughts and lifestyle.
- Mahayana. Even a layman (of course, if he is pious), along with a monk, can achieve salvation. There is an institution of bodhisattvas, who are saints who help people on the path to their salvation. The concept of paradise, the pantheon of saints, images of buddhas and bodhisattvas also appear.
- Vajrayana. It is a tantric teaching based on the principles of self-control and meditation.
So, the main idea of Buddhism is that human life is suffering and one should strive to get rid of it. This teaching continues to spread steadily across the planet, gaining more and more supporters.
In our series of articles about Nepal, there are several materials dedicated to Buddhist shrines (for example, stupa), which are important tourist attractions in the country. Many tourists like to visit these places, but Russians know very little about Buddhism, and they simply do not understand much. This small series of articles will give you some knowledge about this religion and make your excursions more interesting.
Key points about Buddhism
The first thing to know is that Buddhism is not a religion in the traditional sense of the word by Russians. Rather, it would be more accurate to call Buddhism an ideology.
Buddhists do not believe in the existence of God, the supreme being and creator of the universe. Of course, in Buddhist cosmology one can find "devas", who are sometimes called "gods". But this notion is wrong. Devas did not create this world and do not decide the fate of people. We can say that they are just people, but from an alternate reality.
You ask: "Who is the Buddha?". He is just a man, a great teacher and a real historical figure who lived about 2,500 years ago. His name is Siddhartha Gautama, he was a prince of one of the Indian principalities.
Therefore, the question is: “Do you believe in Buddha?” sounds as awkward as "Do you believe in Julius Caesar?" or “Do you believe in Ivan the Terrible?”.
Let us dwell in detail on the essence of the concept of Buddha, since most people associate it with Shakyamuni Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama), but this is not entirely true. The word "buddha" is translated as "enlightened" or "awakened" and it refers to any person who has attained enlightenment. There were many such living beings, and they were all buddhas.
It is customary to write only the Great Buddhas with a capital letter, and all the rest with a small letter. Among the Great Ones there is the Badda of the Present - these are Shakyamuni and several Great Buddhas of the past. Past Greats according to the canons of different schools from 6 to 21.
Branches of Buddhism
Buddhism has three main branches: Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana.
It is correct to call them the word “flow”, and they should not be associated with the division of churches in Christianity, which many do.
The division of churches among Christians (Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant) is, first of all, an organizational division. Buddhists do not have churches and generally a single organization.
The currents differ in the details of ideology, the list of revered bohitsatvas, views on the processes of purification of the mind and enlightenment.
The well-known Dalai Lama is not the leader of all Buddhists, much less similar to the Pope. His name is Tenjin Gyamtsho, and he is the main Buddhist teacher for Tibetans and Mongols. For example, in neighboring China, Buddhists do not recognize him, but respect him.
Vajrayana is a very small branch, which many consider an integral part of the Mahayana. It is derived from the word "vajra", which translates as "diamond". There is a sacred object with this name. It can be seen in Nepal near the stupa in Kathmandu.
The relationship of schools of Buddhism
They have always been exceptionally peaceful. Buddhism is generally a very peaceful religion, forbidding any harm to living beings.
Distribution of schools by region
Theravada (or Mahayana or the Little Vehicle) is considered the most ancient school and is often awarded the epithet "orthodox Buddhism". Theravada is widespread in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Theravada followers are estimated at 100-200 million people.
Mahayana (or Great Vehicle) is much more widespread. This scale of Buddhism is common in Tibet, China, Japan and Korea.
The number of Mahayana followers is much more difficult to estimate, since there is no exact data on the percentage of believers in China. Approximately the number of followers is estimated at 500,000,000 people.
And a separate large branch is the schools of Buddhism in China, many of which are difficult to rank anywhere.
Basic concepts of the philosophy of Buddhism
There are a lot of them, we will dwell on each of them a little, and in the following articles we will describe them in detail.
Karma. It is a fundamental principle that explains the causes and consequences of all actions and events that happen to us. Briefly, the principle of karma can be characterized by the phrase "as you sow, so shall you reap."
incarnations. The principle of rebirth of some living beings in others. This doctrine differs slightly from the principle of "transmigration of souls", as it does not recognize the existence of a permanent soul, as, for example, the "atman" of the Hindus. Karma as a result of reincarnation passes from one living being to another.
Four noble truths. They were formulated by the Buddha Shakyamuni and are the basis of the ideology of Buddhism. Their translation into Russian is very inaccurate, since there is a serious difference in concepts between languages. In one of the following articles we will talk about this in detail.
We will present four noble truths, but please do not take them too literally.
1. Our whole life is dissatisfaction and suffering.
2. The cause of suffering is thirst.
3. The cessation of suffering - the destruction of thirst.
4. The way is the eightfold path.
As you have noticed, these definitions are very general, they can and should be deciphered, which we will do in one of the following articles.
Enlightenment. A state of mind that has been cleansed of negative thoughts, emotions, and urges to see all things as they really are and achieve nirvana.
Nirvana. A condition that cannot be described in human language. Therefore, we will not describe it.
Samsara. Or the wheel of life. This is the state in which all living beings arrive, except for enlightened minds.
In the following articles, we will cover all this in detail. .
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