Christianity and Other World Faiths - ONLINE Week 5: Overview of BUDDHISM I. Introduction 1. Buddhism developed rapidly as a reform movement within Hinduism in the 6 th century BC, primarily due to what Smith calls perversions of its beliefs and practices but it eventually took on other distinctive characteristics and became a world religion unto itself. Its founder Siddhartha Gautama (the original Buddha) disdained control by Hindu priests (Brahmins) as well as the restrictive caste system. He rejected the traditional belief of salvation as found in the Vedas along with the priestly rituals. As in Hinduism, to speak of Buddhism is to refer to a vast array of belief and practice. Buddhists much prefer the term Dhamma meaning that which is true. Some Buddhists use the self-referring term of Sasana to characterize the Buddhist style which seeks for a middle way between extremes. Its basic philosophy is to find ways to free the self from entanglement with this world, especially the reality of suffering. It began slowly as a movement but its appeal to the masses gradually caught on, mainly due to the impact of the charismatic, highly disciplined Siddhartha Gautama. There are approximately 400 million Buddhists worldwide, approximately 6% of the world s population (mostly in Asia; Hawaii has a majority; see Beverly, 49). Statistics Canada says there are 300,000 (1.1%) in Canada and just over 22,000 (2.1%) in Calgary. One of the many interesting things about this world religion is its lack of theistic belief. It is not that Buddhists are atheistic, they fail to see how God belief can help us deal with suffering in this world. They see God as beyond being named anyway, and if He is, he is not separate from humans. Creation evolved by means of natural law, not a Creator. We also need to be reminded that while Buddhists have a huge respect for Buddha, they do not worship him. Of all the world s faiths, Buddhism probably enjoys the friendliest press. Much of its appeal is due to its stress on peace and compassion, especially as it has been embodied by the charismatic Dalai Lama, a monk who is the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet. The name Buddhism is based on the historical Buddha, meaning the truly enlightened one. 2. Several Hindu concepts/beliefs were carried over, namely the law of karma (which is why the eight-fold path below is so important), reincarnation (samsara), and nirvana but note that Buddhists give it a big twist. For Hindus, nirvana is moksha or final union with Brahman, also known as ultimate enlightenment but for Buddhists, since we have NO soul (or no you ), life s journey ultimately ends with non-existence as we dissipate into the energy of the universe. This happens when we gain ultimate enlightenment. Buddhism is often called the middle way mastering desires dispassionately with no self-interest through meditation and without help of the gods.
2 3. It is a missionary faith having many variations. Part of its complexity relates to the main branches and vast sacred texts. Like in Hinduism, we have here another family of religions. But as we observed, Hinduism has diversity yet generally holds to some basic beliefs. The same is true of Buddhism, and we could admit of Christianity with our various denominations. But every form of Buddhism is rooted in the Buddha and his enlightenment experience and the lifelong desire to reach a lasting stage of contentment via much mental, spiritual and moral development by means of meditation. 4. Two key characteristics of the variety of Buddhist life and thought as described by Buddhists are (1) the tendency of being apophatic, describing something by the means of negation (what it isn t: not irrational, not pessimistic, not nihilistic) and (2) always bringing in that which is dialectical by specifying the particulars and then relating them to the whole. 5. The Buddhist initiate takes three vows or confesses what are called the Three Refuges: (1) "I take refuge in Buddha." (2) "I take refuge in the Dhamma" (teachings of Buddha). (3) "I take refuge in the Sangha" (the order of the Buddha's disciples or monks) 6. Buddhism is a lifestyle and a spiritual practice which finds its origin and continuing inspiration from a storied figure who actually lived in the 6th century, BC, who became known as the Buddha or Enlightened One. When reading the prolific stories of his life, one best be cautious. The historical facts are indeed scanty and much legendary embellishment is frequent. "Buddhism begins with a man. In his later years, when India was afire with his message, people came to him asking what he was. Not 'Who are you?' but 'What are you? 'Are you a god?' they asked? 'No. 'An angel?' 'No.' 'A saint? 'No. 'Then what are you?' Buddha answered, 'I am awake'" (cited by Smith, 59-60). II. Who was the Buddha? 1. Early history. Scholars debate his birthday. Smith says he was born ca. 563; R & R think perhaps ca. 500 BC. But all agree he died at age 80 and lived as Siddhartha Gautama (Gotama, Pali) of the Sakya clan in southern Nepal (N.E.India) to a clan chief who gave him a pampered early life. He became known as the sage of the Shakkyas. He was married at age 16 to his cousin, Yasodhara; they had one son, Rahula. Many of the stories about his birth and life appear to non-buddhists as legendary. For example, there is the story of his immaculate conception in which his mother was impregnated when the trunk of a white elephant touched her while she was asleep. 2. Time of personal searching. There are many variants of the following but hopefully what it is offered here is a consensus. At 19 spurred on by the gods, he restlessly encountered for the first time in his life the "Four Passing Sights": a sick man, an old man, a corpse and a recluse, all of which led to the "Great Going
3 Forth", or six years of wandering as he searched for the why of human suffering. Seeking enlightenment on these life issues, he first tried Raja Yoga, then asceticism (extreme self-denial and fasting), nearly starving himself to death. This prompted him to find a mediating way between extreme asceticism and sensual enjoyment. Commitment to this devotional quest of Absolute Truth eventually led to his enlightenment at age 35 earning him the title Buddha. For six years he had exhausted the two main ways of the quest for salvation: strict asceticism and philosophical meditation all to know relief. He determined to meditate beneath a Bo-tree (pipal, a type of fig, signifying the tree of knowledge) until he died if necessary to find the answer to his quest. After 40 days, he finally received enlightenment or perfect knowledge; thus becoming the Buddha, the Enlightened One. He realized finally that the fly in his ointment was desire, the sole source of suffering and pain. He had thereby a foretaste of nirvana no more rebirths! Thus was born the world religion affecting millions of people. By no means do all Buddhist traditions agree on the episodes of Gautama. He is even perceived as pre-incarnate in the eternal realm. 3. Development and spread. He began sharing his experience with others all over N. India for 45 years, making converts and organizing monastic communities (sanghas) trained to focus on virtuous living, life moderation and serious meditation. Initiates confessed the following: I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma (the Truth), I take refuge in the Sangha (the monastic order). Precepts were to be pursued by monks and laity alike, though a higher obligation rested on the monks. Any breach of these by monks required confession in front of the order. Developments eventually prepared the way for inclusion of nuns though in strict subordination to monks. He truly was a fascinating, humble personality admired by all, says Smith. At 80, he died accidently from food poisoning (483 BC). Buddhists claim his final words were: And now, O priests, I take my leave of you; all the constituents of being are transitory; work out your salvation with diligence (emphasis mine). At risk of oversimplifying how did the Buddha arrive at his middle, common sense way of devotion? He corrected the oversight about desire, denied philosophical meditation as a means of salvation, modified the Law of Karma, denied transmigration, and taught suffering results from a twelve-linked chain of causes and effects. All in all: the ceasing of desire as clinging to attachments including the Buddha! His ethical teachings flow out of these thoughts. According to traditional Buddhist history, about 100 years after Buddha's death, there developed a split over points of doctrine and how or whether to moderate the severity of the earliest Buddhist teachings. A schism resulted. The major divisions of Buddhism are two: (1) Theravada (meaning doctrine of the elders ), the conservative branch mainly practiced in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. These devotees follow the Pali Canon focusing on self-liberation by means of monastic living. Monks are called arhats (worthy ones). Their worship is simple yet at times austere. They revere previous
4 Buddhas as well as the future one (Maitreya). (2) Mahayana, (often called the Greater Vehicle ) primarily found in China, Tibet (called Vajrayana), Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Nepal and Mongolia: it also follows the Buddhas but it pursues self-liberation via idealistic speculation as well as mental, moral effort and expressing compassion; it accepts also the Pali Canon but adds Mahayana sutras. Unlike the Theravada branch, it is subdivided into various groups: Pure Land, Zen and Tibetan Buddhism. Its forms of worship/meditation (rituals) are also much more complex involving trances, dances, mantras and other formulas. The Mahayana version believes in bodhisattvas (pronounced bohd-hee-saht-vuh) who postpone their personal enlightenment in order to help others attain theirs. The best known Buddhist leader today is the 14 th Dalai Lama, who is the exiled leader of Tibet. At first glance, Buddhism may appear as a rather simple eastern-style religion centred in moral living and peace. But the seemingly endless guidelines for monks, extremely complex philosophical ideas and its innumerable rituals, some of which are unusually esoteric, all indicate Buddhism and its varieties of expression as anything but simple. Even more so than in Hinduism its vast array of sacred texts and different canons preferred by different branches of Buddhism complicates matters for non-buddhists (and perhaps for Buddhists themselves). III. Sacred Texts of Buddhism (see van Voorst, chapter 3) All of Buddhism s sacred texts are rooted in some way in the life and teachings of Gautama. He did not appoint a successor, preferring instead that his teachings (dhamma) be spread as oral tradition by his monk disciples. Following his death, Buddhist monks gathered for seven months affirming the authentic oral tradition of his legacy which they then memorized. Interestingly, the early monks saw memorization of the oral tradition as the most reliable means of transmission, rather than written texts. Eventual philosophical disagreements over the centuries on how best to achieve buddhahood led to a major division, that of the Mahayana which would require its own body of scripture, with the older tradition, the Theravada (the doctrine of the elders ) devoting itself to monastic discipline. Engagement with the sacred texts reading, teaching or chanting makes up a monk s day. Often the texts are written on palm-leaf material because of its durability. 1. Theravada Scripture Canon (south Asian): called Tipitaka (tih-pee-tah-kuh) or Three Baskets. The tradition is that earliest disciples of Gautama wrote his words on palm leaves and placed them in three baskets called pitakas. Each in turn dealt with discipline, discourse and special teaching. The term for scripture is sutta (SUH-tuh). (1) Vinaya Pitaka contain the rules given by Gautama for monastic living of monks and nuns; it now runs to six heft volumes and gives clear indication of the monastic foundations of Buddhism. These monastic regulations detail prohibitions and what would constitute expulsion. Pronounce Vinaya as vih-nigh-yuh.
5 (2) Sutta Tipitaka consists of various teachings of the Buddha himself. It has five major sections which contain further subdivisions. Because it has sacred writings on beliefs and ethics as well as stories of the previous lives of the Buddha and other famous figures, it is the most popular. (3) Abhidhamma Pitaka (ahb-hee-dahm-muh) is more weighty and contains academic treatises on Gautama s teachings. The deep philosophical nature of most of these texts make them the most advance and refer more to his ideas than his actual words. 2. The Mahayana Scripture Canon (known mainly as the Chinese Canon) is not subdivided. It draws on many of the same texts as the Theravada branch. But it also added new material: sutras about the perfection of knowledge, one called The Description of the Happy Land, and the Lotus Sutra of the True Law, the main text of Nichiren Buddhism. 3. The Tibetan Canon, assembled in the 14 th century, is also quite vast and complex. The Kanjur has 689 books and is divided into Discipline (for monks), Supreme Otherworldly Knowledge, Buddhist cosmology, Nirvana along with others. The Tanjur division is also huge with 225 volumes in two major sections with a vast array of topics. In light of all this, one easily sees why Buddhism is so engaged in monastic activity. They spend a lifetime and studying these scriptures and monasteries are usually the only places which can afford such extended texts. Monks major on either study (the largest number) or meditation. But all start out with study and teaching and if they qualify go on to meditation. Interestingly, their concentration is on the meaning not the actual words themselves for it is in the understanding of their meaning that leads to purification. Even though many lay Buddhists have some sacred texts, most prefer to rely on the teaching of monks, especially at funerals, weddings and in lectures. Nevertheless, the consummate task of the monk is to be faithful to his personal journey of enlightenment. IV. Buddhist Beliefs Buddhist tradition claims that his major teachings trace to his first sermon when Gautama following his enlightenment taught his former begging companions in the deer park in Benares (Varanasi). They consist of what are called The Three Universal Truths, the Four Noble Truths, and the eightfold path which is part of the fourth noble truth. 1. The Three Universal Truths: as the Buddha reflected on reality, his first conclusion was that of annica, that everything remains in flux and impermanence, nothing endures. The second truth he saw as anatta non-self. Originally he had accepted the Hindu belief of the soul, the individual self but with further reflection he concluded the person also consists of flux and is transitory. Thirdly, he moved from the world to the individual to human experience. The one
6 unchanging element of all life experience he concluded is dukkha (sorrow, suffering) from which no one is immune. Then Gautama explicated as a result of these we have: 2. Four Noble Truths with the first of these being the last of the three universal realities: suffering. All humans are cyclically caught up with cravings and desires which bind us to the wheel of suffering, mainly due to our ignorance, grasping for that which does not last, and our endless series of births and rebirths. Thus, the second noble truth is that craving what we have or don t have is the cause of human misery. Thirdly, we cease suffering when we stop our cravings by means of the fourth noble truth, namely, the eightfold path which consists of (in turn) the right view, resolve, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and finally concentration. Thus, (1) Suffering in this life is inevitable. (2) The basic cause of suffering is desire. (3) Suffering is cured by overcoming desire. (4) The way to overcome desire is the Eightfold Path of a. Right understanding UNDERSTANDING b. Right thought c. Right speech d. Right actions ETHICS e. Right (mode of) livelihood f. Right effort g. Right mindfulness MENTAL DISCIPLINE h. Right concentration (meditation) 3. Karma. Pursuing the eight qualities or ideals of life is what makes for good karma in one s present life. Gautama retained the Hindu belief of samsara that we carry the good and the bad of our previous lives into the next. People are responsible for what they are since life is determined by a principle of justice. Karma is both a cosmic law and a law of a person's own being. People create their own destinies; share in the karma of one another and influence each other; karma becomes a web catching people who fail to see the truths of anicca, anatta and the bondage of desire. Freedom comes from following teachings of Buddha. In contrast to Hinduism s goal of reuniting with God, Buddhists see nirvana as extinction as we finally get off the wheel of karma and suffering. Thus, the final goal is non-existence, the Buddhist version of nirvana. 4. Nirvana therefore for Buddhists is emptiness, marked by freedom and peace. All desire is gone as the real occurs, the Truth, the Supreme Reality, the Good. It actually has a dual characteristic. The first is exemplified by Gautama at age 35. He entered nirvana with the final dissolution of his ego; he lost all craving and required no more rebirths. Thus, he remained in this state of nirvana the rest of life. At his physical death, he went to final nirvana (parinirvana). Understandably, Buddhists are hard pressed to fully disclose what ultimate nirvana is like. The Buddha claimed that even to ask about it indicates a still active ego! One could say the most accurate description is that it is. (Note the
7 similarity here with the emphasis in John s Gospel of how with union with Christ, eternal life begins now.) Smith describes ultimate nirvana this way: The ultimate destiny of the human spirit is a condition in which all identification with historical experience of the finite self will disappear, while experience as such will not only remain but be heightened beyond recognition (79). He says it like the stars going out at daybreak. They re still there, we just can t see them. A famous expression favoured by Buddhists is: nirvana is the dewdrop slips into the sea. In any case, the concept of nirvana is a prime example of the Eastern mindset s tolerance of paradox. V. Tibetan Buddhism 1. Indian missionaries brought Buddhism to Tibet in the 7 th century AD where it languished for two centuries of political/religious strife but then caught hold in the 11 th century and since has been the centre of Tibetan culture. The 14 th Dalai Lama has put a global face on this branch which is yet another version of Mahayana Buddhism. Even though Tibet is under the control of China, he functions as the incarnation of the celestial principle of which compassion or mercy is the defining feature (93). 2. It is heavily influenced by Indian Tantra which is inclusive of both Hindu as well as Buddhist ideas making the Tibetan form much more mystical. Tibetan Buddhism more than any other form is probably best known for its teachings about tantric sex. Their art often picture couples in coital embrace. At the same time its elaborate monastic-dominated culture is rooted in the more scholarly traditions in India. Thus the Tibetan form is regarded as highly creative yet centred in the Mahayan division. It produced its version of the Buddhist scriptures in the 14 th century and is a major canonical source for Buddhists. 3. Until mid 20 th century the Dalai Lamas lived in Lhasa, capital of Tibet but in 1950 China took over and during the cultural revolution (1966-72), the Chinese tried to utterly destroy Buddhism in Tibet, including obliterating 6,000 monasteries. This caused many Tibetans to go into exile. The current Dalai Lama has been exiled since 1959. 4. Since the 1600s, the cultural and spiritual leader of Tibet has been Dalai Lamas all of whom are connected with Avalokiteshvara, a compassionate bodhisattva of Mahayanan Buddhism, either as a reincarnation or one of his emanations. VI. Zen Buddhism Worldwide, but mainly in Japan, it strictly belongs to the Mahayana grouping but is difficult to classify. It has a mix of both major groups and much that is unique to its self.
8 1. What it rejects in other branches: (1) reliance on reason and logic; (2) the ancient scriptures which Theravadans emphasize; (3) belief in divine beings and heavens which the Mahayanas accept. 2. Its accents: (1) Insight, intuition, spontaneity, experience rather than explanations; (2) it is more related to art than morality, beauty than behaviour, music and poetry than logic, nature than books. (3) It avoids words as much as possible since they tend to be substitutes for reality instead it prefers a joke, a shout or even silence. (4) It prefers direct experience itself, not statements about it. 3. Its techniques: (1) Innen - an incident such as a slap, sudden demand to do something which must not be affirmation or denial; (2) Mondo - a rapid question and answer session between master and pupil; (3) Koan - an illogical and enigmatic puzzle to "solve" by means of meditation ("Zen" means meditation in Japanese). 4. Overall, its goal is to reach a moment or period of enlightenment (satori) which enables a practitioner to face life as it is. Thus, Zen leads to: (1) serenity, poise, a sense of proportion; (2) liking what you do; (3) claiming nothing for yourself; (4) giving up control; (5) being adaptable and (6) enjoying the present. 5. Its appeal to the West especially in the 1960s and 1970s was likely due to a time of revolt against authority, rejection of ambition, competition. It has great appeal to the theatre of the absurd, modern art and is compassionate and nonviolent. Many who have been attracted to it have discovered that training in Zen monasteries is exceptionally disciplined and arduous. VII. General Reflections. 1. The greatest diversity in Buddhism consists in the differences between the more conservative, older branch called Theravada and the more open (liberal) southern branch of Mahayana. Tibetan Buddhism and Zen add even more fluidity to the mix. But common to all is the abiding influence of the Buddha and the final state of nirvana. 2. In China it is possible to belong to Buddhism and Taoism; in Japan you can be a Buddhist and a Shintoist. 3. There is an eclectic tendency in Buddhism in that as it developed in different areas, it tended to take on some of more ancient beliefs especially in rural areas in places like Sri Lanka. 4. Some question whether it can justifiably be called a religion. Or whether it is better to see it as an ideology. Actually, it appears to be both. It has temples, monasteries, monastic practices, but it also specializes in mind control to avoid improper actions which incur bad karma and enhance calmness apart from any
9 distortions. Basic to its ideas, are the philosophical concepts rooted primarily in Gautama. VIII. What Christians Can Possibly Learn from Buddhists Positively, much of what Gautama said fits in acceptably with the teachings of Jesus. There are several common points of interests and emphasis: the importance of ethics, the impermanence of this world with its frustrations and sufferings ("vale of tears"), human responsibility for actions and freedom of moral choices, retributions for all deeds, whether good or bad, purification and perfection of the individual (though to be sure, the means of receiving it are different). The following mutual values are already a part of Christian teaching but the way they are cast by Buddhists might encourage Christians to live out more fully the claim of Christ. 1. Be less presumptuous about how our thought can capture who God is in terms of His reality. 2. Remind us how radically dependent we are upon God. 3. Refresh our sense of awe and mystery of every moment. 4. How we stubbornly cling to our selfish desires. 5. Meditation techniques can encourage relaxation. 6. Many Buddhists also see radical postmodernists as presumptuously thinking we can never know anything outside of our own heads. IX. Christian Witness to a Buddhist (Next week in the debriefing session on Buddhism we will deal more with the major distinctions between it and Christianity.) 1. What about the advice of Buddha not to accept and tradition until you have tested it? Why reject Christianity before personally examining it? 2. The greatest problem for the Buddhist is the resurrection of Jesus since classical Buddhism does not teach a future life. Point out how Pure Land and others in the Mahayana group are moving this way. 3. For the Buddhist, suffering is the central problem. John 16:33 "In the world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Is all suffering evil? The cross of Christ redeems suffering and vanquishes evil. 4. The Buddhist approach to the nature of sin is: refrain from evil, do good and purify your heart. Christianity claims it's the reverse; sin lodges in our hearts.
10 Thus, we must repent of sin and experience God s forgiveness through his grace and love in Jesus Christ. 5. Mantras are considered sacred utterances ; how does the concept and practice of prayer in Christianity relate to their use?