8odhlsaLLva 1he ldeal 8uddhlsL ls a 8odhlsaLLva a '8uddha ln Lhe maklng'

Pe ls a holy man whose whole llfe ls one of Sacrlflclal love

Pe vows LhaL he wlll noL enLer nlrvana unLll Lhe whole human race has achleved salvaLlon wlLh hlm
Anyone can become a 8uddha by Laklng Lhe vow
lL was belleve LhaL Lhere were slx 8uddhas before CauLama
AnoLher one called MalLreya walLs for Lhe proper Llme Lo come Lo earLh where he wlll do for men
whaL CauLama has done
1he 8odhlsaLLva ls a klnd of a savlor or redeemer for Lhose ln search of salvaLlon
Sangha 1he CongregaLlon" 8uddha organlzed hls converLs lnLo a monasLlc order called Lhe Sangha
A ceremony was held for lnlLlaLes lnLo Lhe Sangha durlng whlch Lhey quoLed a crled
l Lake refuge ln Lhe 8uddha l Lake refuge ln Lhe dharma (Lhe lwa) and l Lake refuge ln Lhe Sangha"
Slmllar Lo a church lL meeLs Lo reclLes Lhe words of 8uddha and Lo confess
LLhlcs of 8uddhlsm
1 lour noble LruLhs
2 noble LlghLfold aLh
1o hlm Lhe greaL problem ln eLhlcs ls sufferlng
lour noble 1ruLhs
1 1he flrsL noble LruLh ls Llfe ls dukka" Sufferlng or angulsh" 8uddha sald" 8lrLh lllness and
deaLh are sufferlng 1he presence of ob[ecLs we haLe ls sufferlng SeparaLlon from ob[ecLs we
love ls sufferlng noL Lo obLaln whaL we deslre ls sufferlng Cllnglng Lhe exlsLence by Lhe flve
skandas ls Sufferlng" 1he flve skandas are sald Lo be Lhe Changlng or Lhe sum LoLal of human
belng" ln oLher words llfe ls palnful lL ls llke an axle whclch ls off cenLer wlLhln lLs wheel or a
bone ouL of lLs sockeL
2 1he second noble LruLh ls LhaL Lanha" or deslre" ln Lhe cause of sufferlng lL ls a deslre for a
selflsh pleasure 8uddha sald LhaL lnsLead of llnklng our falLh and love we sLrap Lhem Lo Lhe
donkeys of our separaLe selves rlzlng our egos we lock ourselves on Lhe lnslde" Man has a
duLy Lo hls follower 1o see oLhers as parL or exLenslons of hlmself
3 1he Lhlrd noble LruLh concerns Lhe endlng of sufferlng 8uddha LhaL lf lf Lhe cause of llfe's
dlslocaLlon ls selflsh deslre lLs cure lles ln Lhe abandonmenL of Lhe cravlng Pe sald

1hls C bhlkkus ls Lhe noble LruLh of cessaLlon of sufferlng lL ceases wlLh Lhe compleLe
desLrucLlon of deslre 8elease when ln ls frled from Lhe endless cycle of reblrLh (samsara) and
enLers Lhe blessed sLaLe of nlrvana"
4 1he fourLh noble 1ruLh ls Lhe way Lo ellmlnaLe carvlng lL ls Lo follow Lhe mlddle way 8uddha
called lL 1he noble LlghLfold aLh" lf one pracLlces Lhese Lhlngs he ls supposed Lo see Lhe end
of sufferlng LeL us look aL Lhese elghL polnLs ln deLall ?ou should commlL Lhem Lo memory
1he noble LlghLfold aLh
1 8lghL bellef or undersLandlng 1hls means LhaL one musL have cerLaln convlcLlons such as Lhe
four noble LruLhs he musL belleve LhaL sufferlng abounds LhaL lL ls could by deslre for a
separaLe exlsLence and fulflllmenL he musL belleve LhaL sufferlng abounds LhaL lL can be cured
and LhaL Lhe means Lo lLs cure ls Lhe elghL fold paLh
2 8lghL purpose or lnLenLlon 1hls resolvlng Lo overLlme seasoned feellngs and deslre lL lncludes
goodwlll peace lone Lowards oLhers and end of all make 1hls purpose lncludes Lhe docLrlne of
ahlmsa whlch ls harmlessness" Lhe avoldance of end ln[ury Lo any form of llfe
3 8lghL speech Language reveals characLer and ls a lever for movlng lL Cne musL resolve speak
noLhlng buL Lhe LruLh 8uddha sald LhaL decelL reduces characLer 1he moLlve behlnd your
defenses ls fear of reveallng whaL you really are 8lghL speech ls avoldlng ldle chaLLer gosslp
and verbal abuse
4 8lghL 8ehavlor or ConducL 1hls ls descrlblng ln Lhe ercepLs of 8uddhlsm whlch are slmllar Lo
Lhe 1en CommandmenLs of Moses Murder sLeallng and adulLery are especlally wrong
3 8lghL CccupaLlon 1hls lnvolves one's means of llve hood or work and requlres uslng one's Llme
and energy ln Lhe rlghL way 1he way one earns a llvlng musL noL be harmful Lo oLhers
6 8lghL efforLs or dellghL 8uddha called for Lhe hlghesL LhoughLs words and deeps Pe sald
laLher Lhe way of an ox waLchlng Lhrough deep mlne bulllng a beauLy load Pe ls Llred buL hls
sLeady gaze wlll never relax unLll he comes ouL of Lhe wlre asslon and sln are more fllLhy Lhan
wlre ?ou can escape lL only by sLeadlly Lhlnklng of Lhe way Work ouL your own salvaLlon wlLh
dlllgence
7 8lghL needfulness or selfdlsclpllne 1houghLs hablLs musL be made by hours of aLLenLlon Lo
helpful Loplcs 1he besLloved 8uddhlsL LexL Lhe uhammapada opens wlLh "All we are ls Lhe
resulL of whaL we have LhoughL"
8 8lghL MedlLaLlon or concenLraLlon 1hls ls Lhe cllmax 8uddha sald LhaL by medlLaLlon one
reaches Lhe flnal arahaL karma ls compleLed and reblrLh ls forever ended MedlLaLlon and
enllghLenmenL are supposed Lo be helped by seLLlng ln Lhe loLus poslLlon" Cne ls Lo slL cross
begged wlLh each fooL on Lhe opposlLe Lhlgh
1he recepLs
1here are Len precepLs whlch 8uddhlsLs follow 1he flrsL flve are requlred of all 8uddhlsLs
1 uC noL klll any llvlng Lhlng
2 uo noL sLeal
3 uo noL commlL adulLery
4 uo noL Lell lles
3 uo noL drlnk lnLoxlcaLlng drlnks or Lake drugs
ln addlLlon Lo Lhose Lhere flve commands whlch apply Lo monks and nuns
6 LaL moderaLely and only aL Lhe appolnLed Llme
7 Avold LhaL whlch exclLes Lhe senses such as danclng slnglng muslc and slghL seelng
8 uo noL wear adornmenLs lncludlng perfume
9 uo noL sleep ln luxurlous beds
10 AccepL no sllver and gold
Soul
ln 8uddhlsm avaLLa carrles Lhe meanlng/ ldea no soul" 1he 8uddha says Lhere ls an ego buL
no soul 1o hlm Lhe soul ls an llluslon Lo whlch a name has been glven lnsLead he Lalks abouL
karma Cne's nexL lncarnaLlon ls shaped accordlng Lo hls characLer he prefers Lhe word
consclousness" Lhls ls passed on llke a serles of doLs raLher Lhan flowlng sLream 8uddha uses Lhe
example of a flae" 1he flame on Lhe lasL candle ls noL Lhe same as Lhe orlglnal flame So one's
connecLlon Lo anoLher ls noL one subsLance buL of lnfluence" Selflshness puLs a cloud on every good
alm lL ls llke Lrendlng on Lhe ashes LhaL conceal Lhe flre Lhe fooL ls burned

SalvaLlon
1o 8uddhlsLs salvaLlon means a sLaLe of perfecL peace and [oy lL ls a selfachleved freedom from all
klnds of mlsery 1o aLLaln lL 8uddhlsL llLeraLure llsLs many Lhlngs Lo be avolded deslres Lo be glven
up and bonds Lo be broken lor example Lhere are Lhree lnLoxlcaLlons greed haLred and
lgnorance 1here are flve hlndrances sensual pleasure lllwlll loglness doubL and resLlessness 1en
feLLers or negaLlve vlces blnd one Lo Lhe wheel of exlsLence 1heravoda 8uddhlsLs belleve LhaL when
a monk conquers Lhe flrsL flve feLLers he wlll noL be bound by hls body When he conquers all Lhe
feLLers he wlll aLLaln Lo nlrvana and be an arahaL(salnL)

nlrvana
1he bellef ln nlrvana ls an lmporLanL parL of buddhusm lL ls negaLlve Lerm meanlng llLerally a
blowlng ouL" of Lhe flame of deslre and sufferlng 8uddhlsLs do noL say LhaL lL ls a place buL a sLaLe
of belng LhaL ls reallzed by Lhe exLlncLlon of Lhe bonds nlrvana ls also called release surrender
renunclaLlon and Lhe LranqulllLy og selflessness lL ls sald Lo have been lnherlLed from Lhe old Aryan
docLrlne whlch Lhe hlndus adopLed

CommunlcaLlons of 8uddhlsm
AL flrsL Leachlngs were ln spoken forms ln [usL cenLury 8C ln Lhe lsland of Srl lanka Lhe flrsL
8uddhlsL wrlLlngs were recorded 1he prlmary sacred wrlLlng ls Lhe pall canon Lhe maln LeneLs of
Lheravoda 8uddhlsLs 1he all Canon ls called Lhe 1rlplLaka or Lhree 8askeLs" because lL ls ln Lhree
parLs 1hese were orlglnally wrlLLen on palm leaves and preserved ln baskeLs

1 1he flrsL parL ls called vlnaya lLaka Lhe baskeL of order" lL descrlbes some of Lhe llfe of
8uddha and some rules of dlsclpllne for monks
2 1he second parL ls known as SuLLa lLaka lL ls Lhe Leachlng baskeL or lnsLrucLlon book and
conLalns Lhe dlscourses of Lhe 8uddha as well as 347 legends abouL prevlous exlsLences of
8uddha
3 1he Lhlrd secLlon ls Lhe Abhldhamma lLaka lL ls academlc meLaphyslcal baskeL conLalnlng
8uddhlsL Lheology whlch ls noL for common people
Lhe LoLal slze of Lhe Lhree wrlLlngs ls abouL eleven (11) Llmes LhaL of Lhe blble
when LranslaLed and prlnLed ln Lngllsh abouL (4) four Llmes as long as Lhe Lngllsh 8lble
Lhere was Lhe lasL wrlLlng done afLer Lhe deaLh of 8uddha khuddaka nlkaya lL lncludes Lhe
lmporLanL moral LreaLlse Lhe dhammapada meanlng "verses of Lhe Law"
LvaluaLlon of 8uddhlsm
SLrengLhs of 8uddhlsm
*lL emphaslzes hlgh moral and eLhlcal sLandards
* lL recognlzes Lhe evll of selflshness and prlde
*lLs founder was noLed for a selfsacrlflclng llfe
*lL emphaslzes Lhe lnner aLLlLude of Lhe person
*lL Leaches selfdenlal as an lmporLanL parL of SalvaLlon
*lL opposes Lhe CasLe SysLem
*lLs sysLem of [usLlce suggesLs LhaL one reaps whaL he sows
Weakness of 8uddhlsm
lL does noL recognlze a supreme belng/ Cod
lLs bellevers LhaL Lo worshlp Lhe founders
lL desplses Lhe human body and lLs passlons as worLhless
lL 8ecognlzes no sln agalnsL a supreme belng
lL Lends Loward Lhe monasLlc and aesLheLlc llfe
lL has no sysLem or meLhod of soclal lmprovemenL
lL holds a generally negaLlve and passlve ouLlook ln llfe
lL malnLalns common bellef ln karma and LransmlgraLlon
lL ls a rellglon of self redempLlon salvaLlon ls by negaLlve suppresslve meLhods
lL offers no hope of a heavenly llfe of [oy afLer deaLh
AssessmenL of 8ellefs
1he Concern of 8uddhlsm llke Confuclanlsm ls eLhlcal noL rellglous lL does noL flll man's SplrlLual
vaccum We wlll look aL some of Lhe bellefs of 8uddhlsm and lndlcaLe how Lo brlgde Lhe gap Lo
ChrlsLlanlLy and abundanL llfe of ChrlsL