...Explain the Buddha’s teachings and about the nature and ending of suffering. The Buddha taught people that life is imperfect and that it will be full of suffering and how it is unavoidable. He taught that the earth is plagued with it and that you will have to face it, however he did overcome it as he was able to reach nirvana. He also taught people the way of how they can do it as he taught them the four noble truths and of the eightfold path. He taught people about the nature of suffering in the form of Dukkha and the dissatisfaction of it and the ending of Dukkha in the form of nirvana. Dukkha is the first truth that the Buddha taught it is that life is suffering which is caused by craving i.e. life includes pain, getting old, disease, and ultimately death. We also endure psychological suffering like loneliness frustration, boredom, fear, embarrassment, disappointment and anger. It not only is this the suffering it is the dissatisfaction of the life of suffering that we have to endure and struggle through and that that unsatisfactory feeling is caused by Tanha which is craving. The other truths rest on this dissatisfaction of life and how we can over come it if we can life a dukkha free life. There are also three types of Dukkha which are Dukkha Dukkha, Dukkha Anicca and Dukkha Anatta. Dukkha Dukkha is the natural suffering that goes on in the world and that nothing in life is perfect. Dukkha Anicca is the most important Dukkha as it is the suffering that goes on because...
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...Buddhism – Week 3 | World View Chart | Origin of All Things | One of the first views on the origins of the Universe came from the Buddhist sūtras, and was formulated in the Abhidharma texts. In the sutras it states that the world was created from the collective karma or actions of living beings in the form of a primordial wind. From the Book of Dzyan the account of the origin of the universe describes it as a light or luminosity,” the actual moment of manifestation is described with the words, “darkness radiates light.” The book goes into more detail explaining that the whole world is dependent on a cause [for creation] because something cannot rise by itself, the cause here is light. From the light comes knowledge, from knowledge comes air, from air the fire, from fire the water and from the water the earth is born. If quoted in reverse this tantra also explains the dissolution of the world. (Reigle, 2013)The origins of the religion itself explain the if we can understand where our suffering comes from we can become free. This means that a person must take responsibility for their own lives, and dutifully practice the religious teachings of Buddha in order to achieve the ultimate goal of liberation from suffering or Nirvana. (Fisher, 2011 p. 135) | Nature of God/Creator | Buddhism is a nontheistic religion, which means they do not believe in any supreme being or God. Many People believe that Buddhists worship Buddha; this however is not the case. The Buddha was a human...
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...Buddha’s enlightenment and the meaning of suffering in Buddhism Buddha’s enlightenment come by denying the body nourishment and sleep (Smith pg. 85), thereby mastering pain but he still didn’t feel that he was enlightened so he went and sat under the Bo Tree til he became enlightened. Buddha seem to appear overnight verses its counterpart in Hinduism that is largely imperceptible spiritual accretion. (Smith pg. 92) Buddha preached a religion devoid of authority, devoid of ritual, a religion that skirted speculation, devoid of tradition, a religion of intense self-effort, devoid of supernatural. He went on from there to teach the four nobles. First noble truth the dukkha which is the suffering in life. Second noble truth is selfish that is the cause of suffering. Third noble truth is overcoming selfish craving. Fourth noble truth is how to accomplish overcoming selfishness through the Eightfold Path (Smith pg. 99-103). Correct me if I’m wrong but from what I read the meaning of suffering is denying ones flesh of the worldly things that we believe brings us enjoyment. Joy that may become pain as stated in the book (Smith pg. 100). It goes on to say that the for noble truths stands as the axioms of his system that suffering is a part of life, it can be stopped, it came from the desires and attachments and the way to end suffering is by following the eightfold path. Right Views is what life's problem basically is. Right Intent is what we really want. Right Speech is being aware...
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...Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness is a book written by Bhante Gunaratana about the teachings of Buddha, the Four Nobel Truths, and the Eightfold Path. In 1968, Gunaratana came to the United States to serve as the secretary of the Buddhist Vihara Society of Washington, D.C. In 1980, he was promoted to president of the Buddhist Vihara Society. Gunaratana taught Buddhism at several instituations of higher education, conducted meditation retreats, and lectured on Buddhism throughout the world. He has published many articles and two books, Mindfulness in Plain English and Mindful Steps to Happiness: Walking the Buddha’s Path. Gunaratana has been ordained as a Buddhist monk since the age of twelve. Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness is a book that is easily understood by readers with little knowledge about Buddhism, the fourth largest religion in the world. This book looks into the Four Nobel Truths and the Eightfold Path which is Buddha’s teachings of how to end suffering. Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths: life is suffering, we suffer because we desire, we desire because we become attached, and by following the eight steps of the Eightfold Path we can end suffering and obtain Nirvana....
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...Eastern and Western Philosophers Comparison Aurelia Williams University of Phoenix Axia College 03/12/2011 Eastern and Western philosophical views are greatly different. The philosophy of eastern philosophers tends to deal more with religion whereas western philosophy does not. I will compare the views of western philosopher John Dewey and eastern philosopher Siddhartha Gautama. Born in 1859, John Dewey observed many trials such as World War I and World War II, emancipation, slavery, the Civil War, and women fight for the right to vote. His words were an integral part of the history of the United States (Moore & Bruder, 2008 p. 223). Dewey was an instrumentalism pragmatist because he believed that the actions and thoughts of humans were instruments used in problem solving. He has the thought that nature is experience and that everyone experiences things differently. Dewey believed that each person could take the exact same object and perceive its use as something completely different. For example, one person may see a banana as just a piece of fruit but another person may see it as a weapon. It can be a source of lively hood and to another it can be a burden. Dewey was no idealist; he believed that the perception of any object differed from person to person however these perceptions did not define the object. His argument of usage and importance of items...
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...that he lived for over eighty years during the fifth century BCE. At the age of 29 Siddhartha renounced his wealth and went on a search to find liberation from suffering. Siddhartha spent many years searching, learning and wandering on his journey and one night of the full mon in the sixth lunar month, it is said that he sat in deep meditation beneath a tree, and finally experienced supreme awakening. He spent decades walking and teaching ever-increasing groups of followers all over northern India. Out of the abundant and varied scriptures later attributed to Shakyamuni Budda, historians agree on the validity and centrally of a core of teaching that became known as the Dharma that he taught: the Four Noble Truths and The Noble the Noble Eightfold Path, the Three Marks of Existence, and other guidelines for achieving liberation from suffering.(Fisher, 2013 pp. 138-140) | View of Human Nature | Buddha taught that one should not focus...
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...The Four Noble Truths "I teach suffering, its origin, cessation and path. That's all I teach", Is the what Buddha quoted 2500 years ago. The Four Noble Truths contain the essence of the Buddha's teachings. It was these four principles that the Buddha came to understand during his meditation under the bodhi tree. 1. The truth of suffering (Dukkha) 2. The truth of the origin of suffering (Samudāya) 3. The truth of the cessation of suffering (Nirodha) 4. The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering (Magga) The Buddha is often compared to a physician. In the first two Noble Truths he diagnosed the problem (suffering) and identified its cause. The third Noble Truth is the realisation that there is a cure. The fourth Noble Truth, in which the Buddha set out the Eightfold Path, is the prescription, the way to achieve a release from suffering. The First Noble Truth Suffering (Dukkha) Suffering comes in many forms. Three obvious kinds of suffering correspond to the first three sights the Buddha saw on his first journey outside his palace: old age, sickness and death. But according to the Buddha, the problem of suffering goes much deeper. Life is not ideal: it frequently fails to live up to our expectations. Human beings are subject to desires and cravings, but even when we are able to satisfy these desires, the satisfaction is only temporary. Pleasure does not last; or if it does, it becomes monotonous. Even when we are not suffering from outward causes...
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...REL 133 WEEK 3 A+ Graded Tutorial Available At: http://hwsoloutions.com/?product=rel-133-week-3-2 Visit Our website: http://hwsoloutions.com/ Product Description PRODUCT DESCRIPTION REL 133 WEEK 3, The three marks of reality are the foundation for the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. These key building blocks give Buddhists a way of looking at the world. The first mark of reality is change. This refers to the fact that life and the world is in a constant change. Everything is gradually changing daily but we only notice them after a while. Basically, the universe is in flux. The second mark of reality is no permanent identity. Basically, this is Buddha’s thinking that a human being really isn’t a human being. A human being is made up of all sorts of different parts in which Buddha believes are always constantly changing so a person really isn’t just a person. Buddha believes that we have constantly changing identities, bodies, and souls. The third mark of reality is known as suffering. Basically, Buddha believes that if you are living a conventional life, you will never be truly satisfied because it is ever changing. Even though Buddha clearly admits that living conventionally is worse than non-conventional, no matter what, he admits no one can escape any suffering throughout their lives. The Four Noble Truths consist of Buddhist teachings that link a chain of truths about life. The first noble truth is to live is to suffer. Living means sorrow to sum...
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...teachings of Buddhism. It was the Buddha's first awareness that life brings with it illness, age, misery and death that lead him to search for a deeper understanding of how we live, and ways to end suffering. Siddhartha Gautama, the name of the Buddha who had preached and taught about the Four Noble Truths had experienced, and observed all suffering, and only let out these truths after he had reached his own enlightenment. Buddha said that all people, even if they were rich or poor, have suffered. He says they have suffered because of pains and afflictions, or traveling from endless rebirths/reincarnations. All from the greedy desires of mankind. The Buddha gave a solution to end the suffering, an answer to stop the countless rebirths, and a halt to their selfish wants, and once they have been lifted, they will learn the true meaning of the Four Noble Truths. Each of these lessons explains the Buddhist steps in understanding the truth about life, the reasons behind those truths, the possibility of change and the way of life that can lead to a life free of suffering. All Buddhists study, meditate, think and act in ways that are designed to help them come to a full understanding of each of these Four Noble Truths and to stay on the path the Buddha says will lead them to peace and happiness. The Four Noble Truths are: • The truth of dahkka • The truth of the cause of dahkka • The truth of the cessation of duhkka • The truth of the path leading to the cessation of duhkka ...
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...has much in common with Hinduism in which the two can be called “Eastern” religions, who believe in karma, the cause and effect; maya, the illusory nature of the world; and samsara, the cycle of reincarnation among other things. Buddhists believe that the ultimate goal in life is to achieve “enlightenment” as they perceive their existence. Buddhism came from Hinduism and spread throughout the Eastern countries until reaching global popularity. The most important person and the founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama or Buddha after his awakening. He was the son of the head of the Shakya Warrior class. It is said that the Brahmins examined to the newborn, and predicted his destiny as a universal monarch or Buddha. According to “The Buddha’s Early Life” online reading, Siddhartha started looking enlightenment at age 29, when first saw an old man, a sick man, and a corpse. With the help of his friend Channa, Siddhartha suddenly discovered that suffering is the destiny of all mankind. Then he found a peaceful and serene mendicant monk, and thereafter decided to adopt their way of life, so abandoned his family, wealth and power to start the search for the truth. This decision, which Buddhism called the great renunciation, is celebrated by Buddhists as a turning point in history. For nearly six years he struggled to attain enlightenment through the practice of a severe asceticism. After proved fruitless this method, he then returned gradually to make a normal diet, regained his...
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...figures coming from all corners of the planet. Despite having worldwide influences, philosophy is usually divided into eastern and western schools of thought. Eastern philosophy is centered on cognitive dimensions that revolve around meditative thinking in order to reach enlightenment, while the western school of thought subscribes to the idea of attaining salvation through a leap of faith This paper shall put forth two philosophers, one from each school of thought, discussing their unique ideas and then shall continue on to compare and contrast their ideals. Siddhartha Gautama was born into a life of privilege and wealth, being the son of a king. When Siddhartha experienced the suffering in the world, he left his wife and child to pursue a path that would uncover the cause of suffering and its cure. “After six years of wandering and meditation, he found enlightenment.” (Moore & Bruder, 2008, p.530) With this attained enlightenment, Siddhartha Gautama took up the handle that he is known by today, Buddha which means “the Enlightened One.” Siddhartha’s new enlightenment led to the creation of Buddhism, which “essentially was a philosophical response to what might be called the problem of suffering.” (Moore & Bruder, 2008, p.530) Buddha laid out his answer to suffering in his doctrine of the Four Noble Truths. The four truths of this doctrine were as follows: “(1) There is suffering;( 2) suffering has specific and identifiable causes; (3) suffering can be ended; (4) the way...
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...enlightenment. It includes nuns and monks and accepts women. The Buddha in early Buddhism was a man originally named Siddharta, and he was the son of an Indian king; it was predicted that Siddharta would also be a king in the future. One day, Siddharta was tired of his luxurious prince life and decided to go far away from his common entourage to learn about the real happiness since he did not believe that money, power or luxuries bring happiness to a person. Throughout his adventure, Siddharta came to know that life is suffering because he met tiring old people, sick people, and people going through death. He went on and learned about what causes suffering and what makes end to it; in one word, he learned about the four noble truths and the eightfold path. He became a Buddha (the awaken one) after he meditated and came to enlightenment. This early Buddha showed more reasons through what he experienced to teach others. Contrary to the Buddha in early Buddhism, a Buddha in Mahayana is more about religion. This Buddha valued instant enlightenment, compassion and mindfulness and include many people. Bodhisattva was just mentioned in early Buddhism by the Buddha but was not part of the early Buddhism. It is part of the Mahayana Buddhism. First, as stated in the book “Buddhist Wisdom,” Bodhisattva is one who takes “a vow” out of compassion to not reach nirvana until all sentiment beings have reached Nirvana. This means that Bodhisattva is a person who attains enlightenment but decides to...
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...Ashley Colvin REL 212: World Religion Instructor: Joel Goldstein Week 10: Buddhist Buddhism is a major global religion with a complex history and system of beliefs. Buddhism has been described as a very pragmatic religion. It does not indulge in metaphysical speculation about first causes; there is no theology, no worship of a deity or deification of the Buddha. Buddhism takes a very straightforward look at our human condition; nothing is based on wishful thinking, at all. Historian’s estimate that the founder of Buddhism was named Siddhartha Gautama, and he lived from 566(?) to 480(?) B.C. Siddhartha Gautama was believed to be the son of an Indian warrior-king, Gautama led an extravagant life through early adulthood, reveling in the privileges of his social caste. But when he became bored of the indulgences of royal life, Gautama wandered into the world in search of understanding. After encountering an old man, an ill man, a corpse and an ascetic, Gautama was convinced that suffering lay at the end of all existence. He renounced his princely title and became a monk, depriving himself of worldly possessions in the hope of comprehending the truth of the world around him. The culmination of his search came while meditating beneath a tree, where he finally understood how to be free from suffering, and ultimately, to...
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...Introduction The meaning of life is in the philosophical and religious conceptions of existence, social ties, consciousness, and happiness, and borders on many other issues, such as symbolic meaning, value, purpose, ethics, good and evil, existence of one or multiple Gods, conceptions of God, the soul, and the afterlife. Relating to religion, life means to know and understand the mystery of God; to love and glorify God by enjoying Him forever, be at the heart of the Divine; to have a pure soul and know oneself, others and the will of heaven. Hinduism In hinduism, life's meanings are defined four goals (aims) of human life which are called the four purusharthas. The four purusharthas are: Dharma, Artha, Kāma and Moksha. In Sanskrit, ‘Dharma’ means one's destiny or purpose. In general, it refers to one's vocation or career. Dharma also means righteousness, duty-conscious, being virtual, living morally and ethically at all times. Artha is prosperity, wealth, money or success in worldly pursuits. In addition to leading a virtuous life that meets specific social and personal obligations, a Hindu should strive for success, in any given activity through lawful means within the bounds of dharma. Kama means the physical, emotional, and intellectual desires of a person. As stated in bhagavad gita, “he who performs his prescribed duties out of desire in the right manner will obtain the fulfilment of all the desires and reach the deathless state”. Moksha, the ultimate...
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...Eastern and Western Philosophers have shaped how people of the world reason and think about certain subjects. One of the most debated subjects is religious philosophy. Religious philosophy is comprised of Eastern and Western philosophy based on where the philosopher came from. The philosophers of the East are part of three different groups; Buddhism and Hinduism in India; Zen Buddhism and the Samurai tradition in Japan; and Taoism, Confucianism, and Ch’an Buddhism in China. Western philosophy is broken down more by Christianity, rationale, and scientific theories (Moore & Bruder, 2008). Western philosophy is more about the here and now and the more about the me concept while the Eastern philosophy is about the universal truth of eternal reality and self-liberation by dropping the false self and concentration on the discovering your true “me”. The two philosophers that I have chosen have dramatically different theories of philosophy but at the same time they have similar views. Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha is the Eastern religious philosopher that I have chosen. I also learned about him in my humanities class and I am still fascinated by his story. The second philosopher belongs to the Western philosophy, Friedrich Nietzsche, and he is from Germany. Gautama was a born to the King of India and had never left the castle grounds because his father wanted to keep him sheltered from the world. Finally at the age of 29, Gautama wandered through the city and couldn’t...
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