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The Enlightened One.

Who is Buddha?

The Asian sage, commonly known as the Buddha was a prince of the region of Nepal; his given name was Siddhartha Gautama, and he lived approximately between 560 b.c. and 480 b.c. Given his royal status, he lived a very sheltered and protected life, full of pleasure and every imaginable material commodity. Nonetheless these circumstances did not fulfill all of the aspects of this young man’s life, which is the main reason he decided to embark in a search for the meaning of life; to find out what was beyond the walls of the artificial world he was living in.  To his surprise he found what he was looking for; a world that was not perfect, a world completely different to what he was accustomed to. This is the beauty of his life story, a young man who sets out to experience life, not only for the good aspects, but learn of the bad and the tragic. And what makes it even more interesting, is to see gradual evolution of a great philosopher, who as he progresses and experiments with different lifestyles and rituals to come to find answers, grows to become one of the most influential figures of all time. His life became his discoveries that he willingly imparted to everyone. And since he did not keep a written record of anything he said or did, we are left to rely on the oral tradition that has been handed down after his death by his followers. His main discourses can be found in what is known as the Sutra Pitaka and the Vinaya Pitaka. The first six years of his learning were devoted to practicing yogic meditation, and also a form of extreme ascetism, which he found to not be as profitable in the quest for nirvana (the liberation from pain, sickness old age and so on), and actually rather destructive to the person. This experiences lead him to follow a more a middle or moderate lifestyle.

            The key moment for Siddhartha, is when he literally becomes enlightened, while meditating under a Bodhi tree. In this state he is able to see what nirvana is, and then makes the decision to help others achieve this state of nirvana as well.

Teachings of the Buddha.

Before exploring the teachings of the Buddha, it is helpful to define the goal he is trying to help others people reach. Thus the term Nirvana becomes very relevant as it is that goal that humans must reach.

Nirvana can be defines as a state of pure bliss, of pure consciousness; a state that allow humans beings to escape suffering while being conscious There is no sense of individuality, discrimination or intellectualizing. It cannot be explained in words. (Douglas)

According to his teachings, life is suffering, and we people are trapped in an endless cycle of rebirth and death (There are five kinds of destinations : hell, animal kingdom, realm of ghosts, humankind, and realm of devas or radiant beings, commonly translated as gods (M.I.73).), until the person can find a way to break the cycle and attain the state of nirvana. The suffering (dukkah) can be traced to natural occurrences in life, and also self-inflicted as a result of desire: tendency of unenlightened minds to construct or fabricate concepts conducive to suffering, especially essentialist and ego-related concepts such as “I” and “mine,” concepts which lead to a variety of negative mental states such as craving, conceit, and dogmatic views about the self (Ñāṇananda 1971).

            One of the key elements of the teachings of the Buddha deal with the term Karma; which is the natural consequences of actions words and even thoughts, whether they be good or bad.

Many of the teachings of Buddha evolve around the idea that life must be balanced and avoid extremes. For example, what it is most interesting about the philosophies of the enlightened one is the fact that he uncovers the so called “four noble truths” and then establishes a method to achieve nirvana known as the “eight fold path” and further enhances these teachings by providing five “precepts” to have a balanced life

THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS:

1. Dukkha: The noble truth of suffering

Life is full of suffering, full of sickness, and unhappiness. Pleasures are ephemeral

1. Samudaya: The noble truth of the cause of suffering

People suffer because they desire things, and that desire is never satisfied.

1. Nirodha: The Noble truth of the End of suffering.

It is possible to end suffering, but the person must be aware of their own desires.

1. Magga: the noble truth of the path

By changing ones thinking and behavior, a new awakening can be reached by following the eight fold path.

(World Religions)

THE FIVE PRECEPTS:

1. Do not harm any living thing.
2. Do not steal. Take only what is given
3. Avoid over stimulation
4. Do not say unkind things
5. Do not take alcohol or drugs

(World Religions)

THE EIGHT FOLD PATH

1. Right Understanding

Try to clearly understand the four noble truths, and also the workings of your mind.

1. Right thought

Think kindly of others and avoid dwelling on the past or the future.

1. Right Speech

Speak kindly and truthfully

1. Right action

Act kindly toward all living things. Do not be attached to the results of actions

1. Right work

Have a vocation that does not harm others.

1. Right effort

Be determined to cleanse the mind.

1. Right mindfulness

Be fully aware of what you are doing, always with concern for others.

1. Right concentration

Intensely concentrate during meditation to focus on being one with any situation.

Personal Reflection on the Buddha

The reason I decided to explore and spend more time with the teachings of this philosopher, is because of the four noble truths, the eightfold path, and the five precepts. Although I am primarily part of a western Christian upbringing, I believe the methods the Buddha proposes in order to escape suffering are very applicable to our individual lives; especially in today’s society, which society increasingly heading towards the accumulation of material objects as a means to achieve happiness and demonstrate success. Therefore the teachings of the Buddha become more relevant, because their main focus is to break away from the cycle of endless desire.

            At the same time, I do not believe a lot of the before mentioned teachings are far from the religious philosophies of other religions.  It is significant that the ideal is to reach a balance in right doing in whatever aspect of life. One aspect that it is highlighted in the eightfold path, deals with the idea that we must have the “right thought” This step is crucial in order to demonstrate that at the root of our actions, first a thought must be conceived; thus by controlling our thoughts, the liberation process can begging. It is interesting that these eight steps follow sequential order, which becomes more evident as one realizes how the right understanding leads to thoughts, which then are manifested in both speech and actions; which actions lead to right work, which requires effort, and that effort in turn focuses us on aiding others. As one starts forgetting about the self by minding others instead, and portion of the desire starts to be suppressed, this in turn helps to reduce the self-inflicted and often unnecessary suffering Buddha refers to.

 Works Cited

“Buddha’s teachings” World Religions. Teacher created materials, Inc. 1995

Soccio, Douglas “Archetypes of wisdom”, Wadsworth Cenage Learning, 2010

Velez, Abraham “Buddah” www.iep.utm.edu. Web. 12 Jul, 2011