The Four Noble Truths: The Basics Of Buddhism

The Basics of Buddhism
Cherry Harris
Axia College of University of Phoenix

The religion of Buddhism originated in the country of India, however it is now practiced in many different parts of the world. Buddhism is becoming a vastly popular religion throughout the western continents. Buddhist follow a number of beliefs which are outlined in a number of different doctrines out into motion by the Buddha who lived more than 2,500 years ago. The instructions provided in this doctrine illustrate a life of selfless consciousness, void of negative actions. Although, Buddhism encompasses similar religious principles, the foundation of this religion is unlike any other. Through discussion with practicing Buddhists, it is possible to understand
this foundation and the true meaning of a life of Buddhism. The religion of Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama. Some text also refer to him as Buddha Shakyamuni. The details of the Buddha 's life are not known for certain, but most scholars are in agreement that he was an actual historical figure who lived in northern India around the 5th century BCE (Kumar, 2008). Buddha is described in Buddhists text as rich prince born in India.
Siddhartha lived a life of leisure due to the many riches of his family. Stories say that Buddha 's father protected him from unpleasant things. One day Siddhartha was able to see a sick person, a elderly individual and a dead person and became unsatisfied with temporary fleeting happiness. Buddha later saw a monk in search of liberation from suffering. This changed his life and set into motion the events that would shape Buddhism. The core beliefs of Buddhism are outlined in doctrines known as The Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, and The Five Skandhas. The four nobles truths is a collective teaching in reference to suffering. The first noble truth explains that life inevitably involves suffering. Buddhists believe this is true because suffering is evident in many forms. All individuals, even when they are not experiencing any personal suffering of their own, are still witnesses to the suffering of others. This principle is also known as dukkha. Although this word has no definite English translation, it has come to mean suffering. The second noble truth outlines the causes for suffering. Buddhists believe that the true cause of suffering is desire. They
teach that our wants are the main reason for suffering. Buddhists further believe that human desire can never truly be quenched. This takes us into the third noble truth, which is that the cause of suffering can be ended. Buddhists believe that through determined focus we can end to human desire and consequently end suffering. To do this a person has to abandon all judgments about what life should be. The final truth explores the way to end the causes of suffering. This is commonly known as the path. The fourth truth maintains that an individual must observe and adhere to the eightfold path in order to truly end suffering. The eightfold path follows and ordered outline of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. Right view simply emphasizes the act of seeing the world as it truly is rather than the way we desire it to be. Right intention suggest pure intention and abandonment of all expectations. The third point on the path, right speech proposes only saying what needs to be said; void of any pretense or manipulation. Right discipline suggests the we forgo our habit of complication and uphold simplicity. The next point, right livelihood, involves having simple relationships with factors in your life, such as jobs and income. Right effort means to live void of struggle. Right mindfulness insists that we be mindful of all the details in our lives. The last point of right concentration state that through meditation we can cease absentmindedness. The Five Skandhas tend to further re-emphasize the key principles of Buddhist religion, with a direct focus on ego and selflessness. Buddhist scripture is stored in many different versions. A few well known versions are the Sanskrit, the Pali and the Tipitaka. In order to explore these principles more closely, I visited the Texas Buddhist Association on October 2, 2008. The church is located at 6969 Westbranch Dr. Houston, TX 77072. I had the privilege of interviewing An-nien Lee, church member and practicing Buddhist. As I reached the church directly after one of their weekly evening class sessions, I was greeted by two young ladies who directed me to Mr. Lee as they thought he would be a willing and capable participant. During my interview with Mr. Lee, I inquired about the most difficult practices of Buddhism. He responded with a very interesting position in response to my question. Mr. Lee expressed that to assume life and practices in life as difficult is the problem, he further went on to explain that acceptance of what we have no control over guides the path to enlightenment. I later recognized this principle as the fourth point in the eightfold path; right discipline. During my brief interview, Mr. Lee also explained (personal communication, October 2, 2008) that the goal of Buddhism is “lasting peace for ourselves and those around”. He went on to say that this is done by freeing ourselves from harmful thoughts and actions. Midway through our interview, Mr. Lee had to take a personal phone call. As I sat outside the church, I felt a pleasant calm in the air and noticed that the individuals in my presence, presumably practicing Buddhists, were all of similar composure. The church seemed to be a place of serenity as did the individuals passing through. Upon his return, I continued to question my subject about basics such as Buddhist tradition and celebration. He was able to give me a few pamphlets and encouraged some continued reading on these subjects Before ending our interview Mr. Lee posed a question to me. He asked if I felt I would ever be completely satisfied in this life. He explained that by satisfied, he meant fulfilled and/or accomplished. After pondering for a few seconds, I simply answered, “No, not completely”. Mr Lee went on to tell me that I have realized something that many people will not, but that desire to do so will always cause some suffering in my life. After we parted ways, I considered his statements in a profound manner. I later realized that his statements represented the principles of the four noble truths. Although, I am not in complete agreement with Mr. Lees concluding statements, they helped me to understand Buddhists principles from a real life point of view. Also, the pleasantry of our brief encounter was greatly appreciated as they helped me to see Buddhist principles in action. It is likely that this question is one that is posed to new Buddhists or individuals who seek to learn and understand the way of the Buddha. I must admit that it provoked self reflection and felling of consciousness in regard to my actions and desires. Buddhism is fundamentally unlike any other religion, however there are some similarities to other world religions.
When compared with a religion such as Christianity, the two bare very different beliefs, however some of the key principles are alike. Buddhist believe in what 's known as the Buddhist deity. This is not the Buddha himself, instead it is considered to be the enlightened state in physical form. Many Buddhists call this a state of Buddha and feel that it can be achieved by Buddhist followers through devout living. Christian principles also believe that a deity can possess human form. This is seen in the teachings about Jesus Christ. Jesus, thought to be God 's mortal son, is also believed to be God in Human form. Christians also feel that after acceptance of God 's will, he becomes a part of each follower. Both religions believe in and instruct a degree of private time for spiritual enrichment. Buddhists, however, practice meditation; a time of self reflection and consciousness of all things. Christians use this time for prayer, which is a display of devotion to God. During prayer Christians will repent of their sins, ask for forgiveness, pray for blessings and seek assistance from God with problems. A fundamental similarity between these two religions is the belief in karma. Karma is the belief that an individuals behavior will effect other things in his/her life. Although, Christianity does not adhere to the term Karma, they do emphasize that you reap what
you sow. On the contrary, Buddhist maintain that karma will follow you through different life cycles. More similarities refer to the position on love and compassion within each of these religions. Some Buddhists insist that this is the overall goal of Buddhism. Each individual is to show love and compassion for sentient beings. Christians also insist that love and compassion is the true goal of Christianity. They teach that God 's love is extended to every individual throughout the world over and that his only desire is to, in turn, receive love from mankind. One astounding similarity among the two religions is the role of women. Buddhists traditions differ in regard to women. According to the Vajrayana, both women and men are equally able to attain liberation and enlightenment. However, the Theravada and general Mahayana presentations say that although one can attain liberation with a female body, to attain full enlightenment one has to have a male body in the very last rebirth (Chudron, 2001, p. 113).
In Christianity, the roles of women are somewhat confusing also. In some denominations, such as Baptist and Methodist, women are allowed to hold positions of preachers, pastors, and reverends. In denominations such as Catholic and Amish, women are not allowed to participate in religious teachings. One key difference in the two religions references desire and need. Buddhist believe that desire and wanting are the cause of suffering. This is the particularly outlined in the second Noble Truth and numerous points of the Eightfold Path. On the contrary, Christians believe that God wants to bless them with the desires of their hearts. Additionally, they profess that the reward for devotion to God and Jesus Christ are blessings here on earth and an eternal home in heaven after death. When considering death, Buddhists believe in reincarnation of the spirit. This is where one spirit passes through different life cycles without any memory of its past lives. Another difference in the two is that Christians believe in the devil. He is considered the force of evil throughout the world that desires and attempts to reap havoc in the lives of mankind. In regard to the devil, Buddhists do not subscribe to any similar belief. Yet another difference of these two religions are their belief about shrines. Buddhist consider the practice of displaying shrines as a representation of Buddhist deities. Practicing Buddhists believe that displaying shrines reminds the positive characteristics. They also feel that this helps them to further develop these qualities. Buddhist, however maintain that they do not worship the shrines, they are merely a representation. Christians, on the other hand, strictly prohibit possessing anything thing that is thought to bare a likeness to God. The refer to shrines as pagan or idle gods. They feel that God should be represented in spirituality rather than in physical form. In conclusion, the religion of Buddhism has made a long journey from the country of India throughout the modern world. What may have once been assumed to be an Indian or Asian religion has now solidified its place throughout the western region. An individual interested in learning more about Buddhism only need visit a local church to be exposed to Buddhist history, structure, and teachings. Not only are the local communities growing, but current information about Buddhism can also be found over the Internet and in bookstores. Also, the dharma is now presented in many translations so that the entire world can participate in Buddhism. This falls directly in line with the fundamental principles set in place by Buddha himself. Because of this, Buddhism has secured a permanent places among the world 's religions.
References
Kumar. N. (2008). Life of buddha. Retrieved October 5, 2008, from http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/history/buddha.htm
Chodron. T. (2001). Buddhism for beginners. Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications.
BuddhaNet. (2008). Introduction to Buddhism. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/intro_bud.htm