The Teachings of Buddha
The Four Noble Truths
The root of the Buddha's teaching is the doctrine of the four noble
truths: Suffering exists, Suffering has an identifiable cause, the cause
of suffering can be terminated and there are specific ways in which the
cause can be terminated.
Freedom from suffering brings about the state of nirvana. There are two
kinds of nirvana. The first has a residual basis - an example of this
is the state of nirvana that the Buddha attained underneath the bodhi
tree. The second has no residual basis - for example, the state the Buddha
entered when He finally passed away.
As nirvana lies beyond our normal sphere of experience and is a state
of being rather than a state of mind, it is impossible to describe in
words. But one record of the Buddha's teaching expresses it as a state
in which, "There is neither earth, nor air, nor fire, nor water;
there is no consciousness, nor space, nor void, nor perception, nor non-perception.
There is neither a coming nor a going, neither a standing still nor a
falling away, without one being fixed, nor without moving, nor without
basis. It is the end of suffering."
The Noble Eightfold Path
The Eightfold Path i.e. Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech,
Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right MIndfulness and Right
Concentration, is subdivided into three further elements i.e. Wisdom,
Morality and Meditation, all of which can be combined when following the
Noble Path. These elements are regarded as essential aspects of the way
to reach enlightenment.
Wisdom
Wisdom is inherent in Right Understanding: in order to practise the teachings
we need to be acquainted with the Four Noble Truths and to have started
to penetrate their meaning by testing them against experience. Wisdom
is also inherent in Right Thought - the motive of the practitioner must
not be personal salvation, but a selfless willingness to work in the interests
of the well-being of others. Further, devotion toe the Middle Way requires
that we change our attitude from a self-centred orientation to one that
is more altruistic, tolerant and benign. Right Thought is also the foundation
of Right Action: Buddhist practice is not disengaging from the world,
but rather about helping to create a better one.
Morality
Buddhism does not prescribe a rigid moral code but it does offer guidelines.
Morality is inherent in Right Speech, which is about not lying, gossiping
or backbiting, and in general about not using speech in a wasteful or
harmful ways. It is also about being open and truthful. Morality is also
inherent in Right Action, which concerns decent behaviour. The Five Precepts
of Right Action are: To live a life free from harming any living beings,
To live a life free from stealing or taking what is not yours, To live
a life free from abusing the senses, To live a life free from telling
any kind of untruth and To live a life free from self-intoxication with
alcohol or drugs.
Finally, morality is inherent in Right Livelihood. This means bringing
integrity to our work and being clear about our motives in working; the
Buddhist practitioner does not work to get rick quick; rather, the emphasisis
on working in a way that does not harm others or pollute the world. This
leads directly to Right Effort. Although Buddhism advocates tolerance,
it also requires that we make the effort to stay mindful and alert and
so be fully aware of the effect of our actions. The term "engaged
Buddhism" describes Buddhist morality in action - it is a way of
extending compassion outside one's own personal sphere into a wider framework
such as social or community work, or environmental compaigning.
Meditation
Meditation is encompassed by Rightmindfulness and Right Concentration.
By meditating, the Buddhist practitioner refines his or her appreciation
and understanding of the Buddha's teachings. Meditation is not to be purposed
for selfish motives such as mind power or peak experiences; it is not
to be regarded as serious practice and is best followed under the guidance
of a committed and experienced teacher. In Buddhist meditation two elements
are usually identified: Samatha (tranquillity) and Vipassana (insight).
In samatha, the practitioner brings all the attention to bear on a single,
to the exclusion of all else. In vipassana, by contrast, the mind is opened
and the practitioner watches, in a spirit of neutrality, all the various
thoughts, desires and emotions as they rise and pass away.
Though the practice of meditation, the practitioner arrives at a state
of being is quiet and uninterrupted by transient preoccupations and concerns.
Although formal meditation is typically practised in an undistributed
situation for a prescribed period of time, there is a sense in which meditation
can be brought to bear on other activities. For example, the Vietnamese
teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, among others, advocates driving meditation, telephone
meditation and eating meditation. Walking, as well as sitting meditation,
has been a characteristic of a number of Buddhist schools for many centuries.
Reflections of Buddha: David
Croswell