What is Buddhism?
Siddhartha Gautama was born in Lumbini (624-544BC) in Northern India (modern Nepal), where his father, Suddhodana was the ruler. He sheltered his son from the outside world and was surrounded by pleasures and wealth. Despite his father’s efforts, Gautama one day encountered an old man, a sick man, a dead man and a mendicant and changed his life forever. Profoundly distressed by the suffering encountered, he then decided to leave the luxury of palace life and began his search to find the answer to the problem of pain, human suffering (dukkha, better translated as unsatisfactoriness) and meaning of life.
Gautama left his household and soon after his son Rahula was born. At age 29, he sought after a solution through the traditional methods of observing extreme austerity. However, he was not satisfied and he abandoned this as a methodology to find answers to his questions. While deep in meditation under a Bo tree known as the Bodhi tree (tree of wisdom), Gautama at the age of 35 attained ‘enlightenment’ (in Gaya – modern Bihar). He preached for 45 years and mingled and taught among all categories of people, men & women, kings & peasants, brahmins & outcasts, bankers & beggars, holy men & thieves. He passed away at age 80 in Kusinar (modern Uttara Paradesh) by which time his teaching had become a major force in India. Three centuries later it had spread to all Asia. Buddha never claimed to be a deity, rather considered him a pointer to reality (akkhataro tathagata). However, 700 years later the followers began to worship him as deity which he himself shunned.
If one understands the Buddha’s teaching and if one is convinced that his teaching in the right Path and if one tries to follow, then one is a Buddhist according to an unbroken age-old tradition in Buddhist countries.
One is considered a Buddhist if one takes refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma (the teaching) and the Sangha (community of monks). It’s generally called the Triple Gem (thisarana-three refuges). One’s adherence to the Triple Gem is the first step towards a fuller observance of the Five Precepts (panchasila). The Buddha’s teaching was ethical in all its aspects and presents a basic moral code for virtuous and wholesome living.
Five precepts (panchasila)
- I understand the precept to abstain from killing any form of life
- I undertake the precept to abstain from taking what is not given
- I undertake the precept to abstain from misbehaviour including adultery
- I undertake the precept to abstain from lying
- I undertake the precept to abstain from taking any kind of intoxicants (that is losing mindfulness).
Buddha’s approach was neither pessimistic no optimistic but realistic. His primary concern was to positively respond to the current predicament which he identified as human unsatisfactoriness (dukkha).
However, his lifetime teaching was based on observable categories that were empirically possible for the human beings to manage if they wish to tread the path. He was of the opinion that his teaching (dhamma) must be mobilised like a raft to crossover and not to make the means the end of the pursuit. Buddhist view is that to be born human is a rare opportunity; therefore it must be lived virtuously to attain ultimate freedom.
The Buddha was of the view that to be born as a human being is as rare as a single eyed turtle, seeing the full moon through the eye of a floating yoke in the ocean. His proposal for people was to understand things as they are. Faith and belief may be important but was seen as a means to this fundamental goal in order to attain ultimate freedom. He expounded that the nature of reality was that human being are entangled in a rollercoaster of unsatisfactoriness (dukkha). His insight into this reality is called The Four Noble Truths.
Four Nobel Truths
- The truth that there is unsatisfactoriness (dukkha)
Pain and unsatisfactoriness in the world is a reality. The Buddha realised that pain and unsatisfactoriness are omnipresent in all of nature and human life. To exist means that all will encounter unsatisfactoriness. Birth is painful and so is death. Sickness and old age are painful. Throughout life, all living things encounter unsatisfactoriness. It is the most existential predicament in human condition and interaction.
- The truth that there is a cause to this unsatisfactoriness (dukkha samudaya)
The cause of suffering. Gautama believed the root cause of suffering is desire (tanha). It is the craving for wealth, happiness, and other forms of selfish enjoyment which cause suffering. These cravings can never be satisfied for they are rooted in ingnorance.
- The truth that unsatisfactoriness can cease (dukkha nirodha)
Unsatisfactoriness will cease when a person can rid oneself of all desires
- The truth of the way that leads to the cessation of this unsatisfactoriness (dukkha magga)
The eight-fold path is a system of therapy designed to develop habits and behaviour which will release people from the restrictions caused by ignorance (avijja) and craving (tanha). It is in extinguishing of all unwholesome desires by following the eight-fold path that one adopts a Buddhist way of life. Buddha thus expounds the Forth Truth and calls it the Noble Eight Fold Path (majjhima patipada/middle path)
The Noble Eight Fold Path
- Right understanding (samma ditthi)
- Right thought (samma sankappa)
- Right speech (samma vaca)
- Right action (samma kammanta)
- Right livelihood (samma ajiva)
- Right effort (samma vayama)
- Right mindfulness (samma sati)
- Right concentration (samma samadhi)
1 and 2 of the Eight Fold Path is in the pursuit of wisdom (panna)
3, 4, and 5 are in the pursuit of an ethical path (sila)
6,7, and 8 are in the pursuit of mental Discipline (samadhi)
Training in this spiritual culture leads one to the realisation of ultimate reality, complete freedom, happiness and peace through moral, spiritual and intellectual perfection. It is a path that trains one to defeat the three unwholesome or unskilful roots or defilements; greed (raga), hatred (dosa) and delusion (moha).
This path can be seen in three aspects of Buddhist training and discipline:
- Ethical path (sila)
- Mental discipline (samadhi)
- Wisdom (panna)
Holy Days
There are many special or holy days held throughout the year by the global Buddhist community. Buddhist Festivals are always joyful occasions. There are two aspects to take into consideration regarding Buddhist festivals. Most Buddhists, with the exception of the Japanese, use the lunar calendar and the dates of Buddhist festivals vary from country to country and between Buddhist traditions and other ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Most Mahayana Buddhist schools of thought celebrate the birthdays of Bodhisattvas or other significant dates in the Buddhist calendar.
Festival of Vesak
The most significant celebration takes place across all Buddhist traditions every May on the night of the full moon. Buddhists all over the world celebrate the Vesak festial when they commemorate the Birth, the Enlightenment and the demise of the Buddha 2,500 years ago. It has also become known as Buddha Day among western Buddhists and other global institutions.
Some Buddhists also commemorate the life and practice of the Buddha and his teaching on each of the full moon day of each month of the lunar calendar. Typically on such a festive day, lay people visit the local temple (vihara) or monastery and offer alms (dana) to the monks and observe the Five Precepts (panchasila) and listen to preaching (dhamma discourse). In the afternoon, they distribute alms (dana) to the needy as a meritorious act in honour of the Buddha. They also take part in a ceremony of circumambulation of a stupa/pagoda three times as a sign of respect to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. The day will conclude with an evening chanting of the Buddha’s teachings and meditation.
Buddhist New Year
In Theravada countries, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos, the new year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April. In Mahayana countries (China, Japan) the new year starts on the first full moon day in January. However, the Buddhist New Year depends on the country of origin or ethnic background of the people. As for example, Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese celebrate late January or early February according to the lunar calendar, whilst the Tibetans usually celebrate about one month later.
