Buddhism: Religion without a
God
The Buddha
• Shakyamuni (Siddartha or Guatama Buddha) was born approximately
in 560 B.C. in what is now Nepal
• Siddartha was of noble birth of the “warrior” caste
• It was prophesized that he would become a great king or great
spiritual leader (Buddha)
• To prevent him from becoming a spiritual leader, his father shielded
him from the outside world. He lived a hedonistic life of luxury
• He married at 16 and bore one son. He was familiar with the Vedas
and Upanishads
Buddha (continued)
• At 29 years of age he made 4 trips outside the palace walls
• On these trips he saw an old man, a sick man, a corpse and a holy
man (an ascetic)
• He left the palace forever. For 6 years he became a wandering
ascetic, a master of austere practices.
• He subjected himself to extreme forms of privation and suffering so
that suffering itself could be finally overcome.
• At 35 he realized suffering was not the way to overcome suffering
Buddha (continued)
• Sidhartha meditated, remaining completely unmoving under the Bodhi tree. He was
present in the moment for all of the time he was there. How long he meditated is
immaterial. In this stillness the temptations of the Mara did not even rise to the level of
a nuisance to him. In this stillness, in this equanimity, one can see the bottom of the
lake, the sky that is in the lake and everything else that is reality.
•
• The Buddha arose from the Bodhi tree, an enlightened being, the awakened one. Our
attachments are the cause of our suffering, said the Buddha. Yes, our love is real as is
our pain. It is our graspings of these things that cause suffering. It is how we own them
and incorporate them as part of our being that brings suffering. We must let our
attachments go and realize they are all nothing as we are nothing. At the same time we
are everything and part of everything. There is no distinction. Meditation, like exercise,
sleep, food and good relationships are part of a discipline that allows equanimity and
happiness in one's life.
•
Jesus
• Several hundred years later, Jesus Christ descended from the mountain after his retreat
of 40 days and 40 nights. For these 40 days and 40 nights, Jesus was tempted by the
devils of the past, by the devils of past ancestors and by enticements of the future.
• “I am ready,” he said, when he descended from the mountain. "I have to die for you
because you are hopelessly weighed down by sin." “I have to die so your sins will be
forgiven, your debts will be paid. Sins have to be paid for. This you cannot do by
yourself.” What does this mean? It means all past fighting and wars can stop since you
are all forgiven. There is no more reason to fight or live a life of hate, retribution or
vengeance.”
• “I also say you have to believe in me. What does this mean? It is the catch-22. Since
you have no reason to fight then what is there to do? You love your neighbor as
yourself. No more of these man-made distinctions between peoples, families and
individuals that maintain that one is better than the other. Your sins are forgiven and you
are clean.
• I cannot die again.”
Socrates
• By way of comparison, Socrates (the Socrates of early the dialogues and not
Plato), the model of the western philosopher, declared that an unexamined life is
not worth living. Wisdom is the noblest goal.
• Yet, to Socrates, his being wise consisted of knowing what he did not know.
• The search of the truth involves a continuous discourse with oneself by way of
contemplation and also by way of discourse with others. In a discourse, all
members are united in the search for the truth. The method is the dialectic
where each member of the group questions and examines all aspects of the
subject at hand be it beauty, truth, existence, etc.
• Socrates never wrote anything down because by so doing the quest for the truth
would end.
• By the method of searching for the truth, one becomes the truth and knows that
everything is related and connected to everything else.
Buddhism: there is no God, prayer or worship
• There is no God or creator in Buddhism. There is no prayer.
• The images in Vayjarana Buddhism are representations of who we
are. They serve as visual aids in the quest for enlightenment.
• Instead of worship, one can pay homage to the enlightened.
• There is no divine intervention
There is no faith or leap of faith in Buddhism
• Faith is meant in terms of the confidence one has about someone or
something that may happen in the future. “I have faith you will follow
through with what you say you will do.”
• In a “leap of faith” if one acts, believes, and trusts something to be case,
then in fact one can understand and know the truth. Faith leads to an
understanding of the truth. Faith leads to knowing. Presumably it is a
knowing that cannot be explained to be understood. It can only be a
knowing that can shared by those that have taken similar leaps. It is a
knowing that is declared unconditionally without discussion or argument.
• Of course this defies reason altogether. Buddha advocated discernment
and caution not to believe his words because he said them.
Sources
A lot of the information on Buddhism comes from
“The Basics of Buddhism,” written, complied and edited by Lama
Changchup Kunchok Dorje (Chuck Stanford), available at Amazon.com
There is no dogma, doctrine, “ought,” or
“guilt”
• All the lessons or Sutra's are guides and aids to that help one along the way to enlightenment and
the end of suffering.
• Buddhism is a do-it-yourself endeavor. One is not answerable to anyone. Neither is one checked
or monitored to ensure that are correct in their practice.
• The word ought comes form the word “owe.” If there is a God that created the universe, then we
ought, or owe allegiance, obedience and loyalty to this being. There is no direct or necessary
connection between being a creator and obedience to this creator other than because it is a
projection of normative paternal relationships on this earth. Part of this relationship is the
implication that the father has enormous power over us, which may or may not be true.
• In Buddhism there is no such thing as “ought.” It doesn't exist. There is no “promise” in
Buddhism. In Buddhism one takes a vow to live in the Buddhist way. This vow is not a promise.
How one is to live is specified and one ought not take the vow if difficulty is anticipated. One
should not take the vow if the person cannot live by the vow. There is a trial period of living the
vow before taking the vow. If one's situation changes, then one can return “his/her” vows. This is
what Robert Thurman did. He returned his vows, married and bore Uma Thurman.
• Guilt may be viewed as a form of self-punishment.
Is Buddhism a religion?
• Buddhism can be a way of life as can being a Christian.
• Buddha's teachings spanned over 30 years. Christ’s ministry was only for 3
years
• Neither the Buddha nor Christ formed a religious organization nor did they
advocate one
• Their teachings were later drafted by followers long after their passing.
During the time of Constantine the St. James Bible became the official
dogma along with an official creed. Buddhist teachings after 300 years
were recorded in the Tripitaka, a recording of the Buddhist oral tradition.
• Both were supported by monastic practice
• In Christianity there is authoritarian system of priests. In Buddhism there is
a system of mentors and ordination.
Is Buddhism a Religion (continued)
• There are many Buddhisms. After the Second Council to resolve
disputes, 18 schools of Buddhism flourished.
• They all probably share only (1) non-theism/deism, (2) the four noble
truths, (3) no-self and (3) the 8-fold path.
• Becoming a Buddhist involves adopting the three Jewels (1) the
Buddha (2) the dharma and the (3) sangha.
• Buddhism adapted the culture of the land
• Buddhism is not incompatible with science but is not "scientific.“
Three schools of Buddhism: Theravada
• Practiced primarily in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and
Cambodia
• Emphasis on preserving the actual words of the Buddha in the Tripaka
(Pali cannon). Hinayana (lesser vehicle)
• Emphasis on monastic practice
• Spiritual ideal (arhat) – one who has permanently rooted out all
mental defilements and attachments (unshakable tranquility and
bliss).
School of Budhhism: Mahayana
• Practiced in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam
• Goal and emphasis is on liberating all sentient beings from suffering
(which is enlightenment)
• Bodhisattva ideal – “..enlightened being who has not yet reaxhed final
enlightenment but rather vows to help lead all beings to
enlightenment”
• Emphasis on developing “bohichitta” or the attitude to alleviate
suffering of all beings without distinction
• Zen – meditation alone is necessary – complete enlightenment
immediately available here and now.
School of Buddhism: Vajrayana
• Practiced in Tibet, Mongolia, Japan and Bhutan
• Includes teachings of both Theravada and Mahayana with emphasis on
developing bodhichitta
• Tantric Buddhism – includes a host of spiritual practices that revolve
around a deity.
• Deities are psychological representations for different states of mind (like
wisdom and compassion)
• Tantric Buddhism works with energies like passion and attachments to
transform them to positive states of mind (like wisdom and compassion).
Enlightenments includes directly knowing we have always been one with
everything.
The role of meditation and suffering
• Meditation is not specific to Buddhism. It is widely practiced and
need not have anything to do with religion.
• Meditation can lead to many health benefits and adopted for stress,
blood pressure and pain management.
• Meditation changes one’s relationship with one’s emotions
• Meditation brings calm and equanimity to one’s experience.
• Meditation allows the release of universal child-like, playfulness,
happiness, love and the joys of the moment
• Meditation helps to develop compassion
Meditation and enlightenment
Meditation helps in one’s “letting go” of dualisms and false
dichotomies. These include
• Good buys versus bad guys: good and bad: sin
• The “self”
• Body versus mind
• Creationism versus evolution
• Man versus nature
Meditation is the practice that leads to enlightenment