Buddhist teachings
The 3 Marks of Existence
• In Hinduism, the goal is to be liberated
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1.
2.
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from Samsara and become one with
Brahman- the ultimate reality.
The Buddha discovered something else:
no self.
Everything, within and without, is
changing
The Buddha summarizes this changing
nature of reality by noting Three Marks
of Existence:
No self (Anatta)
Impermanence (Anicca)
Suffering (Dukkha)
No-self (Anatta)
 Anatta (no-self)
• Anatta means there is no ultimate reality within, no essence underlying
existence
• Rather than finding Atman, the Buddha found “no-self”
• The essence of Buddhism is, there is no essence
• Example: where were you 10 years ago?
• You simply did not exits 10 yrs. ago
• You simply do not exist now
• You, in the future, will not be the “you” you are now
Impermanence (Anicca)
 Anicca means impermanence
 It focuses on the idea that existence is
constantly changing
• Life is a constant change
• Nothing we experience in life ever remains
the same
• We get used to things – our own face, family,
friends, house, car, neighborhood- that seem
to remain the same but that is an illusion for
they are changing daily
 E.g. a river
 We may perceive the river as a real and
unchanging thing, but actually it is an
ongoing flow, a constant sequence of
change.
 The same occurs to the self: it appears to
be real and unchanging, but in fact it is an
ongoing flow
Suffering (Dukkha)
 Dukkha means suffering
or sorrow but also
dissatisfaction
 It refers to the fact that
life can never be fully
satisfying because of its
inescapable change.
 It is the natural result of
anicca and anatta
3 Marks exercise
The four noble truths
•The 4 noble truths are the
creed for Buddhism
•The 4 noble truths lead to
liberation/nirvana
•During the Third Watch of the
night of his enlightenment
Gautama perceived the Four
Noble Truths:
1. To live is to suffer
2. Suffering is caused by
desire
3. Suffering can be brought to
cessation
4. The solution to suffering is
the Noble Eight-fold path
1st Truth: To live is to suffer
(Dukkha)
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Birth, old age, disease,
death
To live means to
experience anxiety,
loss, and even anguish
Having a body means
that we can be tired and
sick
Having a mind means
that we can be troubled
and discouraged
The past cannot be
relived and the future is
uncertain
2nd Truth: Suffering comes from desire
(Tanha)
 The Buddha saw that
suffering comes from
wanting what we cannot
have and from never
being satisfied with what
we do have
 Tanha can be translated
as desire, thirst, craving
 Some desires are: food,
clothing, friendship,
beauty
 Desire is insatiable
3rd Truth: Suffering has an end

this truth goes against
Western notions
 Any kind of attachment will
bring suffering
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Material possession
Loved ones
 The shaven head and special
clothing of monks and nuns
symbolize their radical
detachment from worldly
concerns
 The essence of this truth is
this: I cannot change the
outside world, but I can
change myself and the way I
experience the world
4th Truth: the solution to end suffering

The solution to end suffering is the 8-fold
path:
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The way to inner peace
The 8-fold path is represented in Buddhist
art by a wheel with 8 spokes
The 8 steps of the path form a program that
leads to liberation from the impermanence
and suffering of reality.

The word right in the following list is a translation
of a word that might better be translated as
correct
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Right views
Right intentions
Right speech
Right conduct
Right livelihood
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right meditation
•Karma in Buddhist world:
•The moral law of cause and effect
•It functions hand in hand with samsara
•The nature of one’s rebirth depends on the status of one’s karma
•Because Buddhism denies the transference of any self or soul, personal
identity depends entirely on karma.
•When an individual dies, his or her karma continues on its particular
trajectory, as it were, bringing about rebirth.
•At conception the new person is possessed of this particular status
brought on by the karma of the previous life.
The 5 Pricepts
•Because karma is affected by the
moral adequacy of one’s actions,
morality is of pressing concern for
Buddhism.
•The moral life requires
observance of the Five Precepts:
1.Do not take life
2.Do not take what is not given
3.Do not engage in sensuous
misconduct
4.Do not use false speech
5.Do not drink intoxicants
• The five precepts apply to all
Buddhists.
•The following precepts are
added for monks and nuns:
6. Do not eat after noon (12:00)
7. Do not watch dancing or
shows
8. Do not use garlands,
perfumes, or ornaments.
9. Do not use a high or soft bed.
10. Do not accept gold or silver.
Nirvana
 So, if you follow the 8-
fold path, and you end all
desires, then what?
 Nirvana literally means
“blowing out” (ie like a
candle). Nirvana
happens when all desires
stop.
 No desires = No more
Karma
 No Karma = No more rebirth.
Nirvana vs. Final Nirvana
 Wait…The Buddha obtained Nirvana by becoming
enlightened. For the next 30-40 years he teaches the
dharma, so we know he continued to exist. If Nirvana
means the end of Karma, why didn’t the Buddha just
disappear after becoming enlightened?
 Answer: Nirvana simply means you stop producing Karma
because he stopped all desires and hence all actions. All
individuals who reach enlightenment still have “residual
karma” they have to “burn up.”
 When that residual Karma is “burned up,” then the
enlightened being can enter into “Final Nirvana” by dying
and not returning to Earth by being reborn.
Buddha dies at age 80
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So, what is this “Final Nirvana?” Is it an afterlife? Will you enjoy it?
The Buddha specifically refused to answer this and many other
philosophical questions concerning God or an afterlife. How could the
Buddha describe something he hadn’t yet done?
The Buddha promised only two things about final nirvana: It was the end
of suffering and the end of re-birth.
Arhat
 An arhat is someone
who has attained
enlightenment but has
not died yet
 The Buddha was an
arhat
 Arhats are considered
saints