THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

Once there was a woman named Kisagotami, whose first-born son died. She was so stricken with grief that she roamed the streets carrying the dead body and asking for help to bring her son back to life. A kind and wise man took her to the Buddha.
The Buddha told her, "Fetch me a handful of mustard seeds and I will bring your child back to life." Joyfully Kisagotami started off to get them. Then the Buddha added, "But the seeds must come from a family that has not known death."
Kisagotami went from door to door in the whole village asking for the mustard seeds, but everyone said, "Oh, there have been many deaths here", "I lost my father", I lost my sister". She could not find a single household that had not been visited by death. Finally Kisagotami returned to the Buddha and said, "There is death in every family. Everyone dies. Now I understand your teaching."
The Buddha said, "No one can escape death and unhappiness. If people expect only happiness in life, they will be disappointed."
Things are not always the way we want them to be, but we can learn to understand them. When we get sick, we go to a doctor and ask:

• What's wrong with me?
• Why am I sick?
• What will cure me?
• What do I have to do get well?

The Buddha is like a good doctor. First a good doctor diagnoses the illness. Next he finds out what has caused it. Then he decides what the cure is. Finally he prescribes the medicine or gives the treatment that will make the patient well again. The Four Noble Truths 1. There is Suffering Suffering is common to all.
2. Cause of Suffering We are the cause of our suffering.
3. End of Suffering Stop doing what causes suffering.
4. Path to end Suffering Everyone can be enlightened.
  1. Suffering: Everyone suffers from these thing
    Birth- When we are born, we cry.
    Sickness- When we are sick, we are miserable.
    Old age- When old, we will have ache and pains and find it hard to get around.
    Death- None of us wants to die. We feel deep sorrow when someone dies.
Other things we suffer from are:
    Being with those we dislike,
    Being apart from those we love,
    Not getting what we want,
   All kinds of problems and disappointments that are unavoidable.
 
 
 
The Buddha did not deny that there is happiness in life, but he pointed out it does not last forever. Eventually everyone meets with some kind of suffering. He said:
"There is happiness in life,
happiness in friendship,
happiness of a family,
happiness in a healthy body and mind,
...but when one loses them, there is suffering."
                                              Dhammapada
2. The cause of suffering
The Buddha explained that people live in a sea of suffering because of ignorance and greed. They are ignorant of the law of karma and are greedy for the wrong kind of pleasures. They do things that are harmful to their bodies and peace of mind, so they can not be satisfied or enjoy life.
For example, once children have had a taste of candy, they want more. When they can't have it, they get upset. Even if children get all the candy they want, they soon get tired of it and want something else. Although, they get a stomach-ache from eating too much candy, they still want more. The things people want most cause them the most suffering. Of course, there are basic things that all people should have, like adequate food, shelter, and clothing. Everyone deserve a good home, loving parents, and good friends. They should enjoy life and cherish their possessions without becoming greedy.
3. The end of suffering
To end suffering, one must cut off greed and ignorance. This means changing one's views and living in a more natural and peaceful way. It is like blowing out a candle. The flame of suffering is put out for good. Buddhists call the state in which all suffering is ended Nirvana. Nirvana is an everlasting state of great joy and peace. The Buddha said, "The extinction of desire is Nirvana." This is the ultimate goal in Buddhism. Everyone can realize it with the help of the Buddha's teachings. It can be experienced in this very life.
4. The path to the end of suffering: The path to end suffering is known as the Noble Eightfold Path. It is also known as the Middle Way.

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BASIC TEACHINGS OF THE BUDDHA

THE THREE UNIVERSAL TRUTHS
 One day, the Buddha sat down in the shade of a tree and noticed how beautiful the countryside was. Flowers were blooming and trees were putting on bright new leaves, but among all this beauty, he saw much unhappiness. A farmer beat his ox in the field. A bird pecked at an earthworm, and then an eagle swooped down on the bird. Deeply troubled, he asked, "Why does the farmer beat his ox? Why must one creature eat another to live?" During his enlightenment, the Buddha found the answer to these questions. He discovered three great truths. He explained these truths in a simple way so that everyone could understand them. 1. Nothing is lost in the universe The first truth is that nothing is lost in the universe. Matter turns into energy, energy turns into matter. A dead leaf turns into soil. A seed sprouts and becomes a new plant. Old solar systems disintegrate and turn into cosmic rays. We are born of our parents, our children are born of us. We are the same as plants, as trees, as other people, as the rain that falls. We consist of that which is around us, we are the same as everything. If we destroy something around us, we destroy ourselves. If we cheat another, we cheat ourselves. Understanding this truth, the Buddha and his disciples never killed any animal. 2. Everything Changes The second universal truth of the Buddha is that everything is continuously changing. Life is like a river flowing on and on, ever-changing. Sometimes it flows slowly and sometimes swiftly. It is smooth and gentle in some places, but later on snags and rocks crop up out of nowhere. As soon as we think we are safe, something unexpected happens. Once dinosaurs, mammoths, and saber-toothed tigers roamed this earth. They all died out, yet this was not the end of life. Other life forms like smaller mammals appeared, and eventually humans, too. Now we can even see the Earth from space and understand the changes that have taken place on this planet. Our ideas about life also change. People once believed that the world was flat, but now we know that it is round. 3. Law of Cause and Effect The third universal truth explained by the Buddha is that there is continuous changes due to the law of cause and effect. This is the same law of cause and effect found in every modern science textbook. In this way, science and Buddhism are alike. The law of cause and effect is known as karma. Nothing ever happens to us unless we deserves it. We receive exactly what we earn, whether it is good or bad. We are the way we are now due to the things we have done in the past. Our thoughts and actions determine the kind of life we can have. If we do good things, in the future good things will happen to us. If we do bad things, in the future bad things will happen to us. Every moment we create new karma by what we say, do, and think. If we understand this, we do not need to fear karma. It becomes our friend. It teaches us to create a bright future. The Buddha said, "The kind of seed sown will produce that kind of fruit. Those who do good will reap good results. Those who do evil will reap evil results. If you carefully plant a good seed, You will joyfully gather good fruit." Dhammapada

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Buddhist Views of the Afterlife By Jason D. Gray

There are variations among the Buddhist views of what occurs after death. However, the unifying feature of each is that the cycle of death and rebirth (reincarnation) is to be avoided by achieving nirvana. Nirvana, which means “extinction” or “blowing out”, also often translated as “bliss”, is the letting go of individual identity and desires (Ashton and Whyte, p 46). Thus, in the state of nirvana (the state toward which enlightenment drives one) there is no longer an ‘individual’ and there is no survival of subjective experience. However, this is desirable from the Buddhist perspective because, according to Gautama Buddha (the supreme Buddha) the essential nature of embodied life is suffering caused by desire for (in part) permanence and identity (in general for earthly things). One striking aspect of the Buddhist view is that there is no soul, as it is understood in the Judeo-Christian or scholastic philosophy traditions. That is, there is no permanent substance or essence which endures after death. Rather the elements of individual identity necessary for Buddhism to have an intelligible view of reincarnation are predicated on, “…an endless array of phenomena making up the individual. These can be divided into five basic categories: physical phenomena, emotions, sensory perceptions, responses to sensory perceptions, and consciousness.” (Coward, p 89) In the Buddhist view these elements can continue to exist after the death of the physical body, although they do not take the form of an immortal soul. The phenomena have a finite longevity and are, for instance, dissolved upon the attainment of nirvana or even upon reincarnation (according to one Buddhist tradition). There are two major Buddhist schools: Theravada (which is more closely associated with the teaching of Gautama Buddha) and Mahayana (which differs from the Theravada school in that it includes a ‘pure-land’ view of the afterlife, as well as some liturgical differences). These schools of thought reflect one major difference in Buddhist views of the afterlife (i.e. in the experience of the unenlightened immediately after death), however even within the Theravada school of thought there is some variation in afterlife belief. What follows are the various afterlife beliefs of some of the Buddhist schools of thought: 1. The Pali tradition (Theravada school) which dates from the earliest stages of Buddhism holds that only Karma and nothing else from a previous life continues to exist in reincarnation.[1] On this view reincarnation is really just one life coming to an end and another life with similar karma beginning. In the Pali tradition, “…an earlier process comes to an end, yet provokes another process that has structural similarity to the first.” (Coward, 92) Buddhaghosa, a great commentator and interpreter in this tradition, says that the five categories (previously mentioned) disintegrate upon death but are reformed in the life of one coming to be. Reincarnation can be thought of as, “…the reciting of a text by the teacher, which is repeated in the disciple’s mouth… [or] like the flame of a candle igniting another candle.” (Coward, 92) In this tradition reincarnation is instantaneous and at the moment of death a new embodiment is born. 2a. One prominent Buddhist view (from the Theravada school) is that following death there is an “intermediate state” which occurs after death but prior to reincarnation. In one version (the Abhidharmakosha tradition) the intermediate being has complete sensory faculties but is non-physical (so the tactile sensations are illusory).[2] According to this tradition the intermediate state is a conduit to rebirth or nirvana. However, it is the karma from the person’s life that determines which will be realized and there is nothing that can be done in the intermediate state to alter a continuation to nirvana or rebirth. Unlike the Pali tradition the Abhidharmakosha tradition maintains that there is a continuation of the idiosyncratic nature of the deceased person, although in a “drastically transmuted nature” (Coward, 93). 2b. Another view of the intermediate state (the Tibetan tradition in the Theravada school) is that the intermediate state after death is a time that a person may still achieve nirvana by giving up their cares/desires/woes from the previous life (i.e. there is still a chance to avoid rebirth).[3] According to the Tibetan tradition, “One who gained enough spiritual insight and practice in life will become aware of the primordial luminosity at the moment of death… [and] will not go into the intermediary state but actualize nirvana.” (Coward, 97) If one does not immediately achieve nirvana upon death, then one will proceed into the intermediary state where one will have visions. The first of these visions is, “…a light of the utmost brilliance manifesting as the five Buddha(s)…” (Coward, 98).[4] The five Buddhas first take on peaceful, then wrathful forms. Even the wrathful form is a reflection of the compassion of the Buddha, meant to, “…arouse persons from their stupor so that they can progress on the path toward enlightenment.” (Coward, 99) In the next part of the intermediary stage the person is presented with visions of their past life and shown nightmare visions. They are allowed to observe the world of the living, but being disembodied cannot interact with it. The emotional response of the person to these memories, visions, and observations determines their future embodiment. If the person feels lonely, sad, or afraid they will be reincarnated. The Tibetan Book of the Dead advises those at this stage to give up their earthly concerns: “Although you had been exposed to the intermediary state of true being, you did not grasp its sense…If you can now find the strength to surrender to suchness (i.e. things as they are), then…you will not enter a womb but realize liberation.” (Coward, 100) If a person in the intermediate state can give up their desires to cling to life, be with loved ones, or retain their individuality they are an enlightened spirit which will not need to be reborn and has achieved nirvana. 3. Pure Land Buddhism (in the Mahayana school) which first emerged in India (and later in China and most prominently in Japan), views the afterlife (at least in part) as a ‘heaven-like’ place that is free from fear, want, or sadness. The purpose of the pure land is to provide for the dead rebirth into a life from which it is easier to achieve nirvana. The Pure Land (or the Buddha Field) is the creation of Buddha Amitabha (a Bodhisattva -or saint- because he dedicated himself to the salvation of others). It is decorated with jewels and precious metals and lined with banana and palm trees. Cool refreshing ponds and lotus flowers abound and wild birds sing the praises of the Buddha three times a day (Ashton and Whyte, 50). There are so few miseries in the Pure Land that, “… one could look forward to being in it not as a means to an end (nirvana) but as an end in itself.” (Ashton and Whyte, 48) However, the ultimate goal of the Pure Land Buddhist remains nirvana. The biggest difference between Buddhist and western religious beliefs about the afterlife is not reincarnation. Rather it is the belief that the ideal end state (nirvana) is a complete dissolution of the self. In the Buddhist picture the immortality of personal identity and perspective is not desirable. In fact it is by desiring or clinging to these things that one thwarts the ultimate goal of nirvana.

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in a few sentences... by the Monk Dhamma Sāmi

Before all, we should know that this bhikkhu Gotama's teaching (alias Buddha) is totally contradictory with all our spiritual fantasies and that it is not always pleasant to hear. But let us make up our mind well about what we actually want; do effective medicines always have a pleasant taste? En tout cas, le dhamma est une chose totalement incolore, inodore, dépourvue de goût, insonore et intactile. Which purpose does it serve? Buddha's teaching has only one goal and the whole of that which constitutes it are only elements which lead to this point: Leading one's fellow beings to the ultimate aim by inciting them to perform what ought to be performed so that they understand by themselves the benefits yielded by this path while explaining them how to follow and handle it. In pali language, the ultimate goal is named: nibbāna. As Buddha has imparted his teachings in pāḷi language, let us use this dialect whose words sometimes have very different definitions from the Sanskrit ones supposedly corresponding to them as their equivalents. For instance, the use of the word "nirvana" calls for a definition that some other schools ascribe to it, which is in contradiction with the meaning conveyed by the word nibbāna. All that which is known now a day under the name " Buddhism ", is a mere huge salad into which anyone adds his or her own ingredients. This is done to the uttermost extent that we totally forget at last what has to be done in order to everlastingly put an end to all sorrow, to reach the understanding of reality, mental peace or else at the worst even: We are not aware that something has to be fulfilled. These are the four questions that everybody can ask as follows: Does life give us a perfect, unswerving and endless happiness? Why do we inevitably come across problems, dissatisfaction or any other hassles? Does an alternative to suffering exist, hence means to irreversibly emancipate ourselves from it? What should be done in order to escape from this hellish circle, of an unsteady and endless nature, which entangles the life of each of us? What is the practice that leads to the final eradication of all sorrows and all defilement (impurities). Answering to these questions is the raison d'être of Buddha's teaching. In the big salad of Buddhism and religions, some so-called great masters will assert that to succeed in dressing the choicest salad, one must pour a very large quantity of tomatoes. Hence, their disciples will strive to put in their salad as many tomatoes as they can, without even knowing the reason why they are doing it. Moreover, the master with whom we presently deal doesn't himself know why he advised so. In order to concoct the perfect salad, others will claim that we should emphasize on large quantities of olives and onions. For some others too, the success of the concoction will lie in pouring into the salad bowl everything that is at reach of our hands. On the other hand, others will stress out the importance of pouring into it a strict minimum of food in order to enhance its quality. Whereas another fellow will explain that the perfect salad is obtained owing to having put into it all the ingredients in their fairest proportional quantities. However, according to Buddha, the contents of the salad ... do not have the slightest importance. The only worthy thing is to know it, while observing it mindfully in order to find out and understand what it is made of, whatever its nature may be. No matter if it is small, nourishing, fresh, shrivelled, soft, spicy, varied, tasteless, light, fat... There is no perfect salad. Only our skill to take the highest benefit from its concoction is essential, and this former can be of a high or low range. The best thing we could do is to utilize all the groundwork we have at disposal, without ceaselessly trying to modify everything. The one who goes around in circles, if he speeds up the pace, if he changes the direction or if he transforms his outlook, will nevertheless always keep on going around in circles. Let's well understand that by adding some lettuce leaves in order to conceal the ingredients whose sights displease us, we won't solve the problem.

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What is Buddha's teaching?

What is Buddha's teaching? There are manifold ways to answer this question. To give an answer to this question, I am going to tell an anecdote connected with his lifetime. One day, Buddha travelled with a group of monks. They passed in front of a monk who was giving a teaching. He was a very skilful speaker. Buddha then asked the monks: "Monks, can you hear this monk giving a teaching so skilfully?" The monks answered: "Yes, Respectable Buddha, we hear him". Buddha continued by uttering a very important sentence. He says: "Monks, when a monk expounds the teaching, it is not "my" teaching that he expounds – that is to say the one of Buddha. Monks, when a monk expounds a teaching, it is not "his" teaching that he expounds – that is to say his personal teaching. Monks, when a monk expounds the teaching, it is only the reality of things as they are, which he expounds". This sentence takes part among small key sentences that Buddha, during his life, left to us here and there. Crudely speaking, his teaching is a "lesson about things" (the word "dhamma", moreover, means "thing", "phenomenon"), and nothing is to be added to it. Admittedly, nothing is to be removed from it too. Owing to monks (or people) who will add to or remove things from this teaching, this later will regrettably get lost. There will only remain the empty shell, that is to say: ceremonies, recitations, big doctrinal studies in the university, etc. Moreover, this is the way it already is at the present moment. However, we still find nowadays, particularly in Burma, monks who do stick to the essence of the teaching. They are monks who truly experienced this teaching, or in all cases, monks who put it into practice. Little by little, it is going to disappear. Buddha's teaching is an endangered species.

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The decline of Buddha's teaching

The sunset that just took place reminds me of something: that which is on the decline. The day elapses, the night arrives... Buddha also spoke about the decline of his teaching. His teaching will disappear from this world one day, because it is a necessity: all that which has arisen must inevitably pass away. All civilisations of the past finally disappeared. That which deserves to be known on this subject, is that according to him, the root causes of his teaching's decline, those are neither wars, nor famines, or religions, or political ideologies... but those are monks! The ones whom he entrusted for preserving his teaching are those who, in the course of time, will be responsible for its destruction. Why? Because, there were already, in Buddha's time, and there will be more and more monks, who will introduce into this teaching notions that are completely personal. That is to say, they will, little by little, add their personal opinions, their personal doctrine, they are going to mix up, they are going to dig up into such and such philosophy various elements by saying that "finally, everything is only one", or that "somewhere, Buddha also spoke about it". One will be caught up amid a mixture in which one will finally no more succeed in "discerning the diamond from the pebbles", in which it is found. Thus, these monks are going to introduce views and opinions that bear little resemblance with Buddha's teaching.

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What is the use of statues and monuments?

 A teaching is something, that which people make out of it is otherwise. When one sees all these statues and all these monuments, one can say unto himself: "With regard to all that which has just been explained – virtue, wisdom, etc.-, what do all these things have to do here?" What all these things have to do here, merely is that humans cannot refrain from doing so. There are always people who are interested into the teaching, who do observe the five precepts, who lead a virtuous life, who practise meditation. But as Buddha claimed it, humans do have very strong religious sentiments. They therefore cannot refrain from erecting all sorts of things. Even though, originally, we find a teaching that seems to be terse enough, sufficiently purified, we could even say technical, we couldn't avoid coming to this point. That is to say, that we finally cope with this religious aspect, which lies in building monuments, in performing ceremonies, in making a whole set of recitations. Sometimes, one sees a group of tourists who watch monks reciting before a monument. This group can say unto himself: "That's religion, they are praying a god, they invoke Buddha, so pious are they!" If there was a translator, each among them would come to know that they simply repeat excerpts of Buddha's word in his maternal dialect (Pali language). It would then be surprising, even amusing, to find out that they say for example: "Here are described the thirty two parts of this body... They are: eyes, teeth, hairs, gall-bladder, liver, loins, urine, excrement, blood, etc." And that they finish their sentence by saying: "this body is disgusting, this body is a bag of skin filled with barren parts, with particularly loathsome things". Among the monks and the novices who regularly recite this kind of texts, there are also ten years old children. It does always remain a statement of things as they are. We always come down to this idea. Nevertheless, human beings cannot refrain from putting a frame, from putting decorations on it. It is true that if one only sticks to its words, Buddha's teaching is not that "attractive", because it is a scientific, technical account, of the world just as it is. So obviously, it does miss a lot of aesthetics. Thus, one couldn't avoid adding a little to it. It is advisable to wisely discriminate between things. It is necessary to avoid sticking too much to these popular, grandiose aspects of monuments, frescoes, Buddha statues. One day or the other, we should ultimately succeed in freeing ourselves from all this so as to reach the essence of the teaching. This process does apply to everything: what does really matter, that is the main point. For example, a big university adorned with magnificent monuments and a beautiful architecture, it is beautiful, it is pleasant. However, if you enter the university, you do not lose a track that it is meant for studying a very specific subject. When you are fully immersed into the study of your subject, you do not give a damn at all about the external environment, the architecture, and the beauty of the fountains and the parks. The same thing exactly applies to Buddha's teaching; it is necessary, at the right time, to know how to forget all that!

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How to overcome suffering?

Buddha has expounded suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering and the path leading to the cessation of suffering. Certainly, but from a more practical viewpoint, the question that arises is: "What to do, concretely , to succeed in overcoming this ignorance, in rooting out the causes of this misery?"

There is all the same a small work to be done; it does not occur as if by magic. To hope that the "great spirit" is going to bestow us its grace, according to him, that does not work – I besides myself tried it over ten years, and it didn't work! He therefore proposes another approach, a little more pragmatic one, which is a work to be done within us. Besides, he utilises the word "work". This work is threefold...
At first, it is advisable to manage to evolve in a living environment which is based on a fundamental ethics and to lead a virtuous life. That doesn't forcibly mean to "become a monk", remote prospect. The monk is supposed, at virtue's level, to be a kind of professional in this field. Regrettably, it is not always the case. The idea of this virtuous behaviour, in fact, lies in not being aggressive: no murder, no violence, no theft, no adultery, no lie, no consumption of any intoxicating drinks. To him, it does constitute the basic pillar.
At a second stage, backing up with this virtuous behaviour, we will be fit to do this work remaining to be done. Then, we do proceed to concentration and meditation. These meditative exercises are useful to develop concentration, a full presence of mind. A completely fickle spirit, which is not controlled, won't be able to do much.
At a third stage, once we have laid down these two foundations, which are virtue and meditation, we are going to proceed to the development of that which Buddha calls "intelligence", "wisdom", which is the pinnacle of the practice. It is the final straight line, which leads to awakening, to liberation. It is neither a meditation, nor an exercise, even less a prayer or a ritual. It is direct inner sight into reality, that's all! It is easy to say, but no easy task to do.

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A statement of things as they are

Buddha's teaching is neither a religion, nor a philosophy, not a system even, it merely is a statement of things as they are. Admittedly, it does contrast with this very religious aspect which one finds in Burma – and as much as anywhere else; all these statues, all these monuments, etc. It is the outcome of people's need to indulge into this religious aspect, these prayers, devotions. Originally, if we truthfully stick to his discourses, we find ourselves very remote from all that. Buddha is a discoverer. He is likened to a scientist who discovers something: he does not make a religion out of it, neither a cult. He discovered a new law, and expounded this law. His pupils listen to and learn this law. Once they well master the way to give sermons at their turn, they are will be able to teach it. It is of no use to reinvent the wheel because it has already been made.

It is of no use to rediscover anything whatsoever because the ground was already cleared. So, in the wake of Buddha's predication, we are "auditors" (this is how we call Buddha's pupils) who listen to his teaching. We try to understand these natural laws, and once we understand them, we can pass on this teaching at out turn.
Thus, there are no prayers, no rituals, no invocation of divinities. We do not expect anything from anyone else than ourselves. It is merely about a work to do on ourselves. It is mainly a work of understanding, because in fact, we are nothing else than big ignorant children. Besides, he does claim it himself: "My teaching is not meant for little children".

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definition of Buddhism by the monk Sāsana

Suffering and the end of suffering

What does Buddhism mean to you? In your opinion, what is the heart of the philosophy?

It is not a philosophy. Thus, I will be in trouble saying that it is the heart of a philosophy. The heart of the teaching? It is simple, Buddha does himself claim it. When somebody came to see him one day, by asking him: "And among all these things, after all, what do you teach then?" Buddha answered him(her): "My teaching is all about suffering and the end of suffering". Here is the sentence that summarises the core of Buddha's teaching. Suffering, and the end of suffering.

What does bring suffering to an end?

That which is the cause of the end of suffering is the attitude that is opposite to the one which does beget suffering. That which does beget suffering, it is ignorance. Hence, that which is the cause of the end of suffering is the cessation of ignorance, simply.

And what is the root cause of ignorance?

When somebody asked this question to Buddha, he answered: "That which is the root cause of ignorance, that is consciousness". The person asked him then: "But then, what is the root cause of consciousness?" He answered: "That which is the root cause of consciousness, that is ignorance". This simple small sentence deserves three hours of discussion to be suitably explained.
However, without getting involved into these too technical considerations, let us roughly say: That which is the root cause of ignorance, it is the simple fact to be here.

What does cause suffering to arise, apart from ignorance? Is there not attachment too?

Yes, naturally. Basically, the source, that is ignorance, but ignorance is mainly found among three kinds of behaviours, which he calls factors of perpetuation, which maintain the world into its ceaseless revolving cycles.

• In the first place, it is the set of our philosophic beliefs, our religious beliefs too, our views and opinions.
• Secondly, it is the set of our attachments, our desires, our fascinations.
• Thirdly, it is our pride – which does prevail within all beings (except arahantas). It is interesting to notice that Buddha says: "humility is another form of pride".

When one has eliminated these three things – which does imply the fact of having eradicated ignorance –, one has reached the end of all our pains, problems and difficulties.

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the 8 precepts

The persons who observe all the time eight precepts (otherwise the nine or the ten): The nuns. (sīladhara). See also: Nuns' discipline

Meaning and usefulness

As a part of the tradition, in Buddhist countries, the laity wishing to cultivate a pure mind do observe the eight precepts. Usually, these people follow the five basic precepts at all times. These five precepts are already extremely beneficial on their own. They are so natural that many people being inclined to a virtuous living, do observe them without being aware of it.

Being zealous in improving their conduct and being detached from things deemed to be relatively futile, some people have had the habit to observe the eight precepts for an approximate one day period weekly. Buddhist countries following the lunar calendar, it will be about new moon, full moon and half-moon days. Admittedly, anyone can undertake the observance of the eight precepts any day whatsoever (for example each Sunday) or even better, at any time, as it is the case regarding nuns. Usually, yogīs who come to do a retreat in a meditation centre are requested to follow these eight precepts.
What are these eight precepts meant for? Their usefulness is so obvious: To purify one's mind. To train it to be more aware of things, to be less indulging into bad or useless things. All this to enable us to perform good actions. In fact, those are not so much good things that ought to be done, but essentially evil ones to be avoided. Indeed, it is not that much about good things that ought to be performed, but essentially bad things that ought to be avoided. The simple fact to refrain from committing these evil actions, that IS a good action indeed. Good actions mainly lie in doing from time to time little efforts that lie in avoiding bad habits, bad reflexes, bad things. The secret of a clean country doesn't lie that much in not cleaning it but in not making it dirty instead. Well, what does apply to a country also does in the same way concerning our own mind.
Doesn't Buddha teach us that the greatest, the best, the most beneficial, the most honorable among all good actions is the mental noticing? In other parlance, the minimum effort that lies in observing the perceptions as they do appear. This direct insight into reality, obtained by this mere sustenance of attention, in Pali, Buddha calls it "vipassanā".

At a time during which we turn our attention to a physical or mental object, which action do we perform? None! We just give to the mind the opportunity to know, to see directly, face to face, the object that appears. That is to say what is being perceived: What is heard, what is touched, what is seen, what is smelt, what is tasted and what is thought. On the other hand, at this moment, during which we simply turn our attention on the sensation that is being perceived, we do abstain. We do abstain from everything as a whole. We do nothing else except ABSTAINING.
Thus, the eight precepts lie in abstaining. Abstaining from all things that can be detrimental, unhealthy, painful, to ourselves or our environment. All these precepts are extremely easy to observe as all we have to do is Not to do. All the difficulties only lie in the fact to avoid to do detrimental things, to prevent oneself from indulging into bad habits, that, according to the various classes of individuals, can be more less strongly ingrained in these latter. Besides, all the job of mental purification mainly rests on this point, whether for monks or lay men. It is a training aimed at avoiding bad habits.
Each of these precepts corresponds to a very specific spirit. They are reference points that are of precious help in our daily lives. They do enable us to develop a right and virtuous conduct.
To observe these precepts, once the refuge into Buddha, dhamma and saṃgha has been taken, what is sufficient lies in reciting them one by one, in Pali. So that each one could understand what he does recite, here is a summarized meaning of these precepts:
All these precepts are ending by the words: "veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādhiyāmi. " Which could be translated by: " I will refrain from doing this, so as to develop a good conduct. "

The eight precepts

1^st precept

«pānātipātā veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādhiyāmi.» «I will abstain from being harmful to living beings.»
That is to say: I will not kill, I will not cause injuries to other beings, whatever and whoever they are. Not even to the mosquitoes that bite me.

2^nd precept

«adinnādānā veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādhiyāmi.» «I will abstain from stealing.»
That is to say: I will not appropriate others' property, I will not take possession of that which has not been given to me. I will not even take the metro, even for a station distance, without paying.

3^rd precept

«abrahmacariyā veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādhiyāmi.» «I will abstain from all sexual practices.»
That is to say: No copulation, no masturbation. I will even avoid to indulge in petting.
Beware: When we only deal with the five precepts, the 3rd thus becomes:
«kamesu miccacara veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādhiyāmi.» «I will abstain from all inconvenient sexual practices.»
That is to say: I will not commit adultery, I will not indulge into any illegal sexual relationship, neither through prostitution, etc.

4^th precept

«musāvādā veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādhiyāmi.» «I will abstain from uttering lies.»
That is to say: I will not lie, I will be honest while facing all situations. Whatever one might think and whatever the intention underlying it might be, a lie will always bear a negative result. I will even avoid to speak ill of anyone, swear and indulge in vain talks. (this precept is perhaps the most difficult to observe).

5^th precept

«surāmeraya majjapamādaṭṭhānā veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādhiyāmi.» «I will refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness.»
That is to say: I will not consume any substance likely to intoxicate my body or my mind, such as alcohol, drugs, tobacco, etc. I will even avoid to drink too much coffee. Due to health reasons, the medicines are authorised.

6^th precept

«vikālabhojanā veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādhiyāmi.» «I will abstain from eating after noon time.»
That is to say: I will never consume any solid foods after the solar noon (which, in Paris, befalls around 1:30 P.M. during the summer time, and around 12:30 A.M. during the winter time) and this, until the following dawn. During this period, I will no even drink milk, which is considered as a solid food, as it is very nourishing. In case of severe hunger or a great lack of energy, honey, molasses, liquid sugars, oil and butter are also authorised.

7^th precept

«nacca gīta vādita visukadassanā mālā gandha vilepana dhārana mandana vibhūsanaṭṭhānā veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādhiyāmi.» «I will abstain from listening or playing music, songs, wearing flowers, jewellery and other ornaments.»
That is to say: I will not listen to some music, I will not watch any show whatsoever, I will not watch films, neither go for entertainment, nor read any fashion magazines, play games, etc.
I will not wear perfumes, I will not arrange my body for an aesthetic purpose (make up, fashion clothes, sophisticated hair dressing, jewellery, etc.) I will even avoid dressing myself in an attractive way. For health reasons, skin care products are authorised.

8^th precept

«uccāsayana mahāsayana veramaṇi sikkhāpadaṃ samādhiyāmi.» «I will refrain from lining or seating on high and luxurious places.»
That is to say: I will not sit or lie down on places located higher than those of the noble ones (bhikkhu, bhikkhunī or sāmaṇera, kings, etc.) or in places reserved for these beings.
See also: ten precepts

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How to Practice Buddhism in the Hospital.

It's important to have a practice before you get sick, the more months/years of practice the better. The hospital is not the place to find Buddhist practice, it's the place to practice Buddhism. The practice of Buddhism starts with precept practice and meditation. Buddhism is about building a foundation of skillful Karma and the cultivation of mind; the five precepts and mental training. I encourage anyone new to meditation to start with Mindfulness and Loving-Kindness.

"Mindfulness is a doorway to the present moment experience of life... Love is the profound unconditional acceptance of the way things are... This unconditional acceptance is expressed through the activity of kindness... Love is acceptance... Kindness is activity... Love is Mind... Kindness is Body... Loving-Kindness." -- Kusala Bhikshu

Mindfulness and Loving-Kindness meditation can transform both the Buddhist patient and those around him.

Below is an eBook packed with useful tips and insights on Mindfulness and Loving-Kindness meditation... It's a great place to start, and it's free. You can read it online or download it to your computer. It's 58 pages @ 2.7 MB... If you're like me with phone modem it may take a minute or two to download, but it's worth the wait.

Be Well and Happy... Kusala Bhikshu

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A Buddhist Approach to Patient Health Care -- by Kusala Bhikshu

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"Good health is simply the slowest way a human being can die." -- Unknown

"To talk of Buddhism we must first talk about its origins. I have suggested that the origin of religion was the fear of danger, but this is not true of Buddhism, which arose from the fear of suffering. Please note this distinction. Dealing with the origins of religion we talk about danger, but when dealing with Buddhism we talk about suffering, which has a more specific meaning. The fear of danger has its object in external factors, such as floods, earthquakes, and so on, but suffering includes all the problems experienced in life, including those within the mind." -- Bhikkhu P. A. Payutto

"The Buddhadharma is not far off. It's as close as your mind. Reality is not somewhere outside. How can you find it, if you turn away from yourself. Whether you're deluded or awake depends upon you. Make up your mind, and you will be there. Whether you're in the light or in the dark doesn't depend on others. Have faith and practice, and you will soon know the truth. If you don't take the medicine of the Great Physician, when will you see the light of the sun?" -- Ming-K'uang - Disciple of the Tientai patriarch Chang-an.

***

Twenty-five centuries ago a man awoke to a new reality, he was known as the Buddha. Without the aid of gods or men, he found his way through the tangled web of birth, sickness, old age and death into the everlasting peace of nirvana.

Over the years many commentaries have been written to add clarity and understanding to his teachings. Buddhist monks and nuns have taught and still teach his Dharma (Truth). New schools of Buddhism based on culture and meaning arose in every part of the world spreading his message, “Suffering is Optional.”

The Buddha achieved his nirvana at the age of thirty-five. He shared and taught his practice for forty-five years. Buddhist practice is designed to end suffering, transform karma and halt all future rebirths.

Buddhist practice includes both precept practice and meditation practice. The goal of precept practice is the transformation of speech and action. The goal of meditation practice is the transformation of consciousness.

Buddhist practice is also about technique and discipline. Technique, the technical methods and procedures used in Buddhist practice are found in the eight-fold path. The eight-fold path is; right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. Discipline in Buddhism, is the control gained by the practice of training precepts and meditation.

The training precepts are; not to kill, not to take what is not given, not to indulge in sexual misconduct, not to lie and not to consume intoxicants.

Buddhist meditation is composed of both tranquility meditation and insight insight meditation. Meditation allows the cultivator to see clearly, beyond a limited self view and facilitates positive change through heightened awareness.
The practice of the precepts is a key support to the practice of meditation. The training precepts are a necessary and often overlooked component. The goal of nirvana hinges on a combination of precept practice, meditation practice and simplicity (renunciation).

Over time a Buddhist comes to realize he or she has the power to change certain conditions through choice, and accept other conditions through practice. Choice and practice allow the Buddhist to actively participate in his or her own liberation.

Skillful choice is a direct result of Buddhist meditation practice. Meditation adds clarity and understanding to the flux and change of everyday life. What seemed disconnected and arbitrary before, comes together in a web of interconnected cause and consequence.

Karma is the cause, and vipaka (Pali word) is the consequence. Karma can be thought of as the transformation of energy through intention, speech and action. Karma is the principle of conditionality operative on the moral plane.

The potential for suffering is found in every human desire, according to the Buddha. To end our suffering we need to end our desire for existence, for non-existence and for sense pleasure. Nirvana is the end of suffering, because it brings an end to those desires and cravings. It also brings an end to our karma and all future rebirths.
Buddhist cosmology defines rebirth as the transmigration of karma from one life to another. Rebirth is different from reincarnation, as rebirth is not dependent on a soul.
All forms of existence according to the Buddha are ultimately unsatisfactory because of impermanence. The early Buddhists did not believe in the existence of a permanent or fixed reality which could be referred to as God or soul. According to Buddhism what is apparent and verifiable about existence is the continuous change it undergoes.
Early Buddhist teachings proclaim that in this world there is nothing that is fixed or permanent. Every thing is subject to change and modification. "Decay is inherent in all component things," declared the Buddha, our existence is in a state of flux and continuous becoming. Impermanence and change are the undeniable truths of the human experience.
Rebirth can be viewed as a cause for suffering, sickness, old age and death. When the Buddha entered pari-nirvana - nirvana after death - birth was no longer a condition of his existence. His existence was now established in nirvana, beyond birth and death. Pari-nirvana is the ultimate transformation, beyond space and time. It is existence without birth!

At the age of eighty the Buddha passed and left this advice:
“O bhikshus! Do not grieve! Even if I were to live in the world for as long as a kalpa (336,000,000 years), our coming together would have to end.
You should know that all things in the world are impermanent; coming together inevitably means parting. Do not be troubled, for this is the nature of life. Diligently practicing right effort, you must seek liberation immediately. Within the light of wisdom, destroy the darkness of ignorance. Nothing is secure. Everything in this life is precarious.
Always wholeheartedly seek the way of liberation. All things in the world, whether moving or non-moving, are characterized by disappearance and instability.
Stop now! Do not speak! Time is passing. I am about to cross over. This is my final teaching.”

When the Buddha was young, he learned the science of medicine. He became knowledgeable about the nature and cure of diseases. The Buddha’s realization of the perpetual cycle of rebirth and the stages of aging, illness, and death, enabled him to guide others to live a healthy life.
His pragmatic approach includes the insistence on proper hygiene and medicine, but more to the point, he never resorted to what might be considered "faith healing." Instead, he offered rational, practical instruction for dealing with both physical injury and mental illness.
Early Buddhism gives us the five Niyamas, or the five aspects of cosmic order. These Niyamas deepen our understanding, and give meaning to why things happen. Niyama is a Pali term for cosmic order. The Niyamas show how certain conditions, laws of nature, work at different levels of cause and effect.
The First Niyama (Utu Niyama) is the law of physical matter. It is the physical, inorganic order of existence. Seasonal changes, earthquakes, floods, gravity and heat are some of the many examples. It roughly embraces the laws of physics and chemistry.
The Second Niyama (Bija Niyama) is the law of living matter, the physical organic order, like cells and genes, whose laws are similar to the science of biology.
The Third Niyama (Kamma Niyama) is Karma. Karma is the activity of transforming energy through intention, speech and action. The result of this energy transformation is only considered wholesome or skillful if less suffering or no suffering is produced. Karma is the cause, and Vipaka is the result. It is the principle of conditionality operative on the moral plane. This sequence of cause and consequence replaces a divine law giver. In Buddhism there is a moral law, but no lawgiver and no one to administer it. This Niyama pertains to the world of ethical responsibility.
The Fourth Niyama (Dhamma Niyama) is the Spiritual or transcendent. This principle of conditionality operates on the spiritual level. The natural phenomenon that occurs with the birth of a Buddha, and the reasons for Buddhist Practice are in this group. This Niyama has to do with the spiritual laws that govern ultimate reality.
The Fifth Niyama (Citta Niyama) is mind. This Niyama implies mental activity such as consciousness, perception, conception, etc. Mental phenomenon arises because of conditions; the mind is not an independent agent. This is like the science of psychology.
The Utu, Bija, Kamma, and Citta Niyamas are types of conditionality in the relative sense, the cause and consequence of everyday life. Dhamma Niyama has to do with the spiritual laws that govern ultimate reality, like emptiness, not-self or our progress through the different stages of the Buddhist path.
These ever changing physical, biological, psychological, ethical and spiritual components give life to our pain and suffering. Our existence and ultimately our death and rebirth, or nirvana depend on a complex combination of aggregates. There is no 'One Thing' that determines anything in Buddhism it is always the interconnected and interdependent flux of many things.
The Buddhist approach to health and healing is its emphasis on spiritual practice. Buddhism asserts that spiritual practice makes it possible for an individual not only to see opportunity for practice in the face of adversity, including sickness and injury, but use the opportunity for personal transformation and transcendence.
Buddhist practice allows for a deep awareness of cause and consequence, and insight into the nature of conditioned interdependence. Choice and practice, are the two factors the Buddhist patient has most control over. As a result of precept practice, meditation practice and skillful choice, the Buddhist patient suffers less and has a greater sense of confidence and well-being.
Practice can replace the feelings of being a victim with being a victor. Inspire the patient to view the world as being interconnected and living beings as brothers and sisters, and lastly to turn his or her thoughts towards nirvana and the welfare of all living things.
Buddhism doesn’t tell the patient the meaning of sickness, so much as it tells him what he needs to do. Buddhism is a present moment path of action in life, sickness and death. The Buddhist patient can't change the past, but he does have some control over the future, if he can act with skill and clarity in the present moment.
There is a story about an Indian king on the battlefield shot through the chest with an arrow. The medic ran to his side, prepared to pull out the arrow. The king said, “No, not yet. I need to know from what caste the archer came, what type of feathers were used, and who made the bow.” The medic said, “If we take the time needed to answer those questions, you will die.”
In Buddhism it's not about, "Why me?” It's about, “How can I use this in my practice?”
When medical professionals and Buddhist clergy work together, the Buddhist patient will have a greater sense of acceptance, be encouraged to focus on both mind and body, and in the process transcend pain and suffering.

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* A note on Buddhist words. Pali (Language of Early Buddhism) and Sanskrit (Language of India) are often used in the place of English when explaining Buddhism. It can be a bit confusing at first because of there similarity. For instance; Sutra (Sans) Sutta (Pali), Karma (Sans) Kamma (Pali), Dharma (Sans) Dhamma (Pali), Nirvana (Sans) Nibbana (Pali).

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Buddhist Beliefs and Practices Affecting Health Care - Chaplaincy Services
University Virginia Health System - Charlottesville, VA © 2004

Overview of Health/Illness: The goal of Buddhist practice is to develop the mind to its fullest potential which involves the perfection of compassion and wisdom. Spiritual well-being involves developing a compassionate mind and working with the suffering of illness and death in a maximally optimal way. Buddhist clergy, as well as lay practitioners are available to assist those who are interested in these practices.

Birth: Buddhists believe in rebirth. In accordance with this belief, human birth is viewed as the beginning of a highly precious opportunity. Human birth is unique in that it is a rare opportunity for the complete development of the mind and practice of compassion.

Abortion and Birth Control: Buddhists believe that conception occurs when consciousness enters a fertilized egg. This is considered the beginning of life and it is regarded as killing if the life of the future person is aborted after that point. Birth control that prevents conception is acceptable.

Death: The time of death is extremely important to a Buddhist since this is a transition point to the next life. Buddhists devote considerable religious practice to preparing for death. It is very important for everything possible to be done to provide as much peace and quiet for the dying person, as possible. For the Buddhist, death is a series of stages involving disintegration of physical elements into more and more subtle elements until finally the consciousness leaves the body. The more composed and calm the mind is at death, the greater the opportunity for a better rebirth. Prayers are said for the person who is dying and sometimes a special text is read to the dying person.

After Death: Once all of the stages of death have occurred, some Buddhists believe the consciousness enters a “Bardo” or intermediary spirit body, which is the precursor to the next life. The consciousness may remain in this intermediary form a very brief time or up to 49 days before the new life is begun.

Immediately following signs of physical death, Buddhists believe that it is best to keep the body in a peaceful state. Traditionally, the body is taken to the home and for a period of 3 days or so, the body is not touched and extensive prayers are said. This facilitates the process of the person’s consciousness letting go of its prior body and life and all of its attachments and more easily moving to the next.

Bereavement: At the time of and following the death of a loved one (particularly the first 49 days), prayers are said for the person to achieve the most auspicious rebirth possible. Buddhists also meditate on the Truth of Impermanence -- a key Buddhist teaching, as a precious loved one leaves this life.

Dietary Regulations: Within various branches of Buddhism, there are vegetarians, as well as non-vegetarians. Some branches have strict dietary regulations, while others have few.

Personal Devotions: Buddhist devotions involve verbal prayers, mantra repetition, analytical meditations, as well as a variety of other meditation practices.

Religious Objects: Common religious objects involve prayers beads and images of Sakyamuni Buddha as well as other Buddhist deities. Other religious objects are utilized for specific meditation practices.

Special Care of Women: While men and women are viewed as equals in Buddhist philosophy, mothers are regarded as even more important than fathers due to their more primary role in bringing children into the world and traditionally taking care of them. Thus, when a mother is sick, special kindness is shown towards her.

Holiday Observance: The major Buddhist holy day of the year is Vesak which is the observance of Sakyamuni Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and parinirvana. This holiday falls on the full moon day of May. It varies from year to year as it is determined by a lunar calendar. In observance, some Buddhists fast for part of or all of this day.

Bioethical Decision-Making: While Buddhists believe that it is good to continue living as long as possible, it is not believed that this should be done under all circumstances. For example, life support machines are not believed to be helpful if the person’s mind is no longer alert. Having an alert mind and not being in excessive pain are the two primary factors that affect a Buddhist decision regarding the appropriate time of death. Once the conditions are quite difficult, it is believed that it is better to die. Allowing the person to die in a natural, peaceful manner is considered more essential.

Privacy/Space: A quiet and peaceful atmosphere is most beneficial when one is sick or dying. This allows for the sick person to rest better, as well as to practice meditation and prayer.

Visitors/Connecting With Community: Maintaining a calm and peaceful atmosphere for the sick person is again the essential aspect.

Ethnic (Language) and Cultural Sensitivity: Maintaining a positive, caring attitude when interacting with the patient is the traditional cultural norm.

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The Buddhist Concept of Impermanence

Early Buddhism dealt with the problem of impermanence in a very rationale manner. This concept is known as anicca in Buddhism, according to which, impermanence is an undeniable and inescapable fact of human existence from which nothing that belongs to this earth is ever free. 

Buddhism declares that there are five processes on which no human being has control and which none can ever change. These five processes are namely, the process of growing old, of not falling sick, of dying, of decay of things that are perishable and of the passing away of that which is liable to pass. Buddhism however suggests that escape from these is possible and it's through Nirvana.

Hinduism also believes in the impermanent nature of life. But it deals with this problem differently. According to Hinduism, impermanence can be overcome by locating and uniting with the center of permanence that exists within oneself. This center is the Soul or the self that is immortal, permanent and ever stable. 

According to Hinduism, Atman is the fundamental truth that exists in every being, while at the microcosmic level it is Brahman who is the fundamental and supreme truth of all existence. He who realizes Atman verily becomes Brahman and attains immortality.

The Buddha differed radically with this most fundamental concept of Hinduism and in line with his preaching the early Buddhists did not believe in the existence of a permanent and fixed reality which could be referred to as either God or soul. According to them what was apparent and verifiable about our existence was the continuous change it undergoes.

Thus early Buddhism declares that in this world there is nothing that is fixed and permanent. Every thing is subject to change and alteration. "Decay is inherent in all component things," declared the Buddha and his followers accepted that existence was a flux, and a continuous becoming.

According to the teachings of the Buddha, life is comparable to a river. It is a progressive moment, a successive series of different moments, joining  together to give the impression of one continuous flow. It moves from cause to cause, effect to effect, one point to another, one state of existence to another, giving an outward impression that it is one continuous and unified movement, where as in reality it is not. The river of yesterday is not the same as the river of today. The river of this moment is not going to be the same as the river of the next moment. So does life. It changes continuously, becomes something or the other from moment to moment.

Take for example the life of an individual. It is a fallacy to believe that a person would remain the same person during his entire life time. He changes every moment. He actually lives and dies but for a moment, or lives and dies moment by moment, as each moment leads to the next. A person is what he is in the context of the time in which he exists. It is an illusion to believe that the person you have seen just now is the same as the person you are just now seeing or the person whom you are seeing now will be the same as the person you will see after a few moments. 

Even from a scientific point of view this is true. We know cell divisions take place in each living being continuously. Old cells in our bodies die and yield place continuously to the new ones that are forming. Like the waves in a sea, every moment, many thoughts arise and die in each individual . Psychologically and physically he is never the same all the time. Technically speaking, no individual is ever composed of the same amount of energy. Mental stuff and cellular material all the time. He is subject to change and the change is a continuous movement.

Impermanence and change are thus the undeniable truths of our existence. What is real is the existing moment, the present that is a product of the past, or a result of the previous causes and actions. Because of ignorance, an ordinary mind conceives them all to be part of one continuous reality. But in truth they are not.

The various stages in the life of a man, the childhood, the adulthood, the old age are not the same at any given time. The child is not the same when he grows up and becomes a young man, nor when the latter turns into an old man. The seed is not the tree, though it produces the tree, and the fruit is also not the tree, though it is produced by the tree.

The concept of impermanence and continuous becoming is central to early Buddhist teachings. It is by becoming aware of it, by observing it and by understanding it, one can find a suitable remedy for the sorrow of human life and achieve liberation from the process of anicca or impermanence.

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The Problem With Sex in Buddhism -- by Kusala Bhikshu (From a talk given at a High School in Los Angeles.)

Photo - Bob Heide

It seems these days in Los Angeles, it's OK to do or be anything you want sexually... And if you're lucky enough to find your true sexual identity, you will be happy and fulfilled the rest of your life.

Well, in this world of *Samsara it just doesn't work that way.

The Buddha more than anything else was a man, who went from childhood to manhood, got married, and at the age of 29 had his first child. He went through all the stages men go through sexually, but at the age of 35 ended his sexual desire forever in *Nirvana.

The big question today is... Does the desire for sex always lead to suffering? The answer is, Yes! But the reason may surprise you.

The Buddha in everything he said about sex implies... The activity of sex will never ultimately satisfy the desire for sex.

Now this is a real bummer if you think about it. You can have sex a 1000 times, and want it a 1001. You can be 90 years old... Blind and cripple... Still want to have sex, and not be physically able to. You will never get rid of your sexual desire by having sex. In fact, it seems the more sex you have, the more sex you want.

I think sex is a lot like hunger... And to be honest with you, I'm so tired of being hungry. I have been hungry every day of my life. I'm hungry in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening. Think of all the time and money I could save if I gave up eating!

So what if tomorrow, I get up real early and eat as much as I desire, and anything I want. Whatever looks good, I'm going to eat it and keep eating it, until I am so full and satisfied, I will never want to eat again.

Well, if I were to do that what would happen? I would wake up the next morning and still be hungry and sex works the very same way!

You might be saying to yourself, "Well Kusala is a monk, and monks don't have sex, so maybe if I choose celibacy I won't have to suffer."

I wish life were so easy!

The people who choose a celibate lifestyle ('desire' not to have) suffer in a different way from people that choose to have sex ('desire' to have). But all people (monks too) suffer when it comes to sex, if they have desire.

The only way to have sex and not suffer, is to have no desire to have sex. It sounds like a 'Zen Koan' doesn't it? To end our suffering we need to end our desire, our craving, our thirst.

When a Buddhist does end his/her desire in Nirvana, would there be any reason to have sex simply for pleasure???

The problem with sex according to Buddhism... Is not the activity of sex, but the desire for sex. The sexual desire of a human being will never be ultimately satisfied through sexual activity.

____________

* Samsára: 'round of rebirth', lit. perpetual wandering', is a name by which is designated the stages of life ever restlessly heaving up and down, the symbol of this continuous process of ever again and again being born, growing old, suffering and dying.

* Nibbána, (Sanskrit Nirvána): lit. 'extinction' (nir + Ö va, to cease blowing, to become extinguished); according to the commentaries, 'freedom from desire' (nir+ vana). Nibbána constitutes the highest and ultimate goal of all Buddhist aspirations.

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Buddhism and Vegetarianism

1. From John Kahila (talk.religion.buddhism newsgroup): Are all Buddhists vegetarians?
No. The First Precept admonishes us to refrain from killing, but meat eating is not regarded as an instance of killing, and it is not forbidden in the scriptures. (We are speaking here mainly of the Pali scriptures. Some of the Mahayana scriptures, notably the Lankavatara Sutra, take a strong position in favor of vegetarianism. Also see Note below)
As recorded in the Pali scriptures, the Buddha did not prohibit consumption of meat, even by monks. In fact, he explicitly rejected a suggestion from Devadatta to do so. In modern Theravada societies, a bhikkhu who adheres to vegetarianism to impress others with his superior spirituality may be committing an infringement of the monastic rules.
On the other hand, the Buddha categorically prohibited consumption of the flesh of any animal that was "seen, heard or suspected" to have been killed specifically for the benefit of monks (Jivaka Sutta, Majjhima Nikaya 55). This rule technically applies only to monastics, but it can be used as a reasonable guide by devout lay people.
To understand this "middle path" approach to meat-eating, we have to remember that there were no "Buddhists" in Shakyamuni's time. There were only mendicants of various kinds (including the Buddha's disciples), plus lay people who gave them alms out of respect without necessarily worrying about the brand name of the teachings.
If meat was what a householder chose to offer, it was to be accepted without discrimination or aversion. To reject such an offering would be an offense against hospitality and would deprive the householder of an opportunity to gain merit -- and it could not benefit the animal, because it was already dead. Even the Jains may have had a similar outlook during the same period of history, despite the strict doctrine of ahimsa.
Vegetarianism could not become a source of serious controversy in the bhikkhu sangha until the rise of fixed-abode monastic communities in which the monks did not practice daily alms-round. Any meat provided to such a community by lay people would almost certainly have been killed specifically for the monks. That may be one reason for the difference in Mahayana and Theravada views on meat eating -- the development of monastic communities of this type occurred principally within Mahayana.
The issue of meat eating raises difficult ethical questions. Isn't the meat in a supermarket or restaurant killed "for" us? Doesn't meat eating entail killing by proxy?
Few of us are in a position to judge meat eaters or anyone else for "killing by proxy." Being part of the world economy entails "killing by proxy" in every act of consumption. The electricity that runs our computers comes from facilities that harm the environment. Books of Buddhist scriptures are printed on paper produced by an industry that destroys wildlife habitat. Worms, insects, rodents and other animals are routinely killed en masse in the course of producing the staples of a vegetarian diet. Welcome to samsara. It is impossible for most of us to free ourselves from this web; we can only strive to be mindful of entanglement in it. One way to do so is to reflect on how the suffering and death of sentient beings contributes to our comfort. This may help us to be less inclined to consume out of mere greed.
All of that having been said, it cannot be denied that the economic machine which produces meat also creates fear and suffering for a large number of animals. It is useful to bear this in mind even if one consumes meat, to resist developing a habit of callousness. Many Buddhists (especially Mahayanists) practice vegetarianism as a means of cultivating compassion.
The Jivaka Sutta hints that one could also make a good case for vegetarianism starting from any of the other brahmaviharas (loving-kindness, sympathetic joy, equanimity). Interestingly, it is loving-kindness rather than compassion that is mentioned first in the Jivaka Sutta.
If you are considering trying out vegetarianism for the first time, we suggest discussing it with someone who has experience. There are a few issues that ought to be considered regarding balanced diet, etc.
Note (by Binh Anson): The Lankavatara Sutra, although recorded the Buddha's teaching in Lanka (Sri Lanka), is essentially a product of later Mahayana development. According to H. Nakamura (Indian Buddhism, 1987), there are several versions of this sutra, one fairly different in content from the other. Most scholars concluded that this sutra was likely compiled in 350-400 CE. In addition, according the the popular Zen master D.T. Suzuki (The Lankavatara Sutra - A Mahayana Text, 1931), the chapter dealing with meat eating was indeed added much later in subsequent versions. He also agreed that this sutra was not the authentic words by the Buddha, but was compiled much later by unknown authors following Mahayana's philosophy.


2. From Ven. S. Dhammika (Australian BuddhaNet):
Vegetarianism
There are differences of opinion between Buddhists on this issue so we will attempt to present the arguments of those who believe that vegetarianism is necessary for Buddhists and those who do not.
Vegetarianism was not a part of the early Buddhist tradition and the Buddha himself was not a vegetarian. The Buddha got his food either by going on alms rounds or by being invited to the houses of his supporters and in both cases he ate what he was given. Before his enlightenment he had experimented with various diets including a meatless diet, but he eventually abandoned them believing that they did not contribute to spiritual development.
The Nipata Sutta underlines this point when it says that it is immorality that makes one impure (morally and spiritually), not the eating of meat. The Buddha is often described as eating meat, he recommended meat broth as a cure for certain types of illness and advised monks for practical reasons, to avoid certain types of meat, implying that other types were quite acceptable.
However, Buddhists gradually came to feel uncomfortable about meat eating. In 257 BC King Asoka said that in contrast to before, only two peacocks and a deer were killed to provide food in the royal kitchens and that in time even this would be stopped. By the beginning of the Christian era meat eating had become unacceptable, particularly amongst the followers of the Mahayana although the polemics against it in works like the Lankavatara Sutra indicates that it was still widespread or a least a point of controversy (see footnote in the previous section). Tantric text dating from the 7th and 8th centuries onward, frequently recommend both drinking alcohol and eating meat and both are considered fit to offer to gods. This was probably as much an expression of the freedom from convention which Tantra taught as it was a protest against Mahayanists to whom practices like abstaining from drink and meat had become a substitute for genuine spiritual change.
Today it is often said that Mahayanists are vegetarian and Theravadins are not. However the situation is a little more complex than that. Generally Theravadins have no dietary restrictions although it is not uncommon to find monks and lay people in Sri Lanka who are strict vegetarians. Others abstain from meat while eating fish. Chinese and Vietnamese monks and nuns are strictly vegetarian and the lay community try to follow their example although many do not. Amongst Tibetans and Japanese Buddhists, vegetarianism is rare.
Buddhists who insist on vegetarianism have a simple and compelling argument to support their case. Eating meat encourages an industry that causes cruelty and death to millions of animals and a truly compassionate person would wish to mitigate all this suffering. By refusing to eat meat one can do just that.
Those who believe that vegetarianism is not necessary for Buddhists have equally compelling although more complex arguments to support their view: (1) If the Buddha had felt that a meatless diet was in accordance with the Precepts he would have said so and in the Pali Tipitaka at least, he did not. (2) Unless one actually kills an animal oneself (which seldom happens today) by eating meat one is not directly responsible for the animal's death and in this sense the non- vegetarian is no different from the vegetarian. The latter can only eat his vegetables because the farmer has ploughed his fields (thus killing many creatures) and sprayed the crop (again killing many creatures). (3) While the vegetarian will not eat meat he does use numerous other products that lead to animals being killed (soap, leather, serum, silk etc.) Why abstain from one while using the others? (4) Good qualities like understanding, patience, generosity and honesty and bad qualities like ignorance, pride, hypocrisy, jealousy and indifference do not depend on what one eats and therefore diet is not a significant factor in spiritual development.
Some will accept one point of view and some another. Each person has to make up his or her own mind.
REFERENCES:
(1) Ruegg, D.S. "Ahimsa and Vegetarianism in the History of Buddhism" in Buddhist Studies in Honour of Walpola Rahula. S. Balasooriya,(et.al) London, 1980;
(2) P. Kapleau, To Cherish All Life, London, 1982.

3. From Samanera Kumara Liew ( dhamma-list@quantrum.com.my, 06 June 1999)

Is there something spiritually wholesome about being a vegetarian?

I'm aware there are some people whom are vegetarians here. Being somewhat health conscious myself, I'm almost one too. However, I can see that there are some seem to hold a view that I think they might like to reconsider -- i.e. the view that there is something spiritually wholesome about being a vegetarian.
As the suttas (discourses) clearly shows, the Buddha himself -- with his great wisdom -- did not ask his disciples, renunciate or lay, to be vegetarians. And so, you might like to reconsider that view that there is something spiritually wholesome about being a vegetarian.
The Buddha himself was not a vegetarian. And so, you might like to reconsider that view that there is something spiritually wholesome about being a vegetarian.
Some may argue that somewhere along the line someone might have modified the suttas. It would seem quite unlikely, as the Suttas (of the Theravada tradition at least) are brought to the present by a very large group of monks, not individuals. As such they can check each other for deviations. One person can't change anything without the agreement from others. For about 500 years the purity of the suttas was maintained by the oral tradition by large groups of chanting monks. When it eventually had to be put into writing in the first century due to wars, the monks who have such faith and respect for the Buddha would certainly have made much effort to ensure accuracy.
Assuming that despite all that, some people did attempt to modify the suttas, it wound have been quite impossible as there's *not* even a *single* trace in the voluminous Tipitika (the Vinaya, Sutta, and Abhidhamma Pitakas) which even suggests that the Buddha advised on being vegetarians. And so, you might like to reconsider that view that there is something spiritually wholesome about being a vegetarian.
Even if the above cannot convince you, try asking yourself this: "Why do I consider being a vegetarian to be spiritually wholesome?" You may say that "If I eat meat, I would be indirectly encouraging killing of animals"; or that, "If I eat meat, I would be indirectly a killer"; or that "If I'm a vegetarian, it would mean that less animals will be killed."
Noble considerations, I must admit. But let's examine this further to gain a better perspective. Try asking yourself this: "Where do my vegetables come from?" "From farms," you might say. To prepare the soil for cultivation, wouldn't it have to be tilled? And when the plants are grown, wouldn't pesticides have to be sprayed? Wouldn't all that kill lots of animals, though they may be smaller and seem insignificant to humans? Don't they suffer too?
Some may still continue to argue that one should get one's vegetables from hydroponic farms. A good argument, I must admit. But let's examine this further to gain a better perspective. Such farms use much water -- for the sake of the plants, for the sake of washing things, for the sake of keeping the place clean, and others. Wouldn't such use of water kill lots of animals too, though they may be smaller and seem insignificant to humans? Don't they suffer too?
And let's consider the boxes and pipes in which such farming is so dependent upon, and also the materials to built the green houses. They need to be manufactured. And so indirectly factories are needed; and so lands need to be cleared. Wouldn't all that kill lots of animals too, though they may be smaller and seem insignificant to humans? Don't they suffer too?
The machines and equipment needed by the factories too needs to be manufactured. And so indirectly more factories are needed; and so more lands need to be cleared. Wouldn't all that kill lots of animals too, though they may be smaller and seem insignificant to humans? Don't they suffer too?
Let's also further consider the supply of electricity, water, telecommunication services, and other infrastructures. Just consider all that needs to be done to supply those things. Wouldn't all that kill lots of animals too, though they may be smaller and seem insignificant to humans? Don't they suffer too?
And consider all those transporting this and that here and there that goes about to set up the factories and the factories for the factories, the infrastructures for all those factories, so that materials can be supplied to them, so that the boxes and pipes and the material to build the green houses can be made for the hydroponic farms, and that they may be sent to the farms, so that hydroponic vegetables can be cultivated, so that you may buy and eat them. Wouldn't all that kill even lots more animals, though they may be smaller and seem insignificant to humans? Don't they suffer too?
Wouldn't it then be proper to consider that "If I eat only vegetables I too would be indirectly encouraging killing of animals;" or that, "If I don't eat meat, I would be indirectly a killer too;" or that "If don't eat meat, it wouldn't mean that less animals will be killed. And in fact perhaps more are killed."
I could go on and on, but I should assume that you should get the message by now. And so, you might like to reconsider that view that there is something spiritually wholesome about being a vegetarian. We must understand: We live in 'samsara'; and it's not called 'samsara' for no reason. In this world, there IS suffering. That the Buddha has declared. Its cause too has been declared. So has its end. And so has the way to the end of sufferings.
Having drawn such reasonable arguments, some may *still* insist on arguing further that eating meat may reduce our craving (tanha), and so there must be something spiritually wholesome about being a vegetarian. I'd ask: "Who says meat tastes better than vegetables?" Have you tasted meat without any additives before? A raw carrot would taste much better. I myself can easily have more craving for chocolates than meat. I'd say durian (a local fruit) tastes much better. So it would not be proper to say that eating meat may reduce our craving. Besides, having aversion over a neutral thing such as meat seems quite unnecessary and even obstructive to one's spiritual progress. And so, you might like to reconsider that view that there is something spiritually wholesome about being a vegetarian.
Consider what the Buddha said: "Action (kamma) is intention (cetana)." When we eat meat we do not think: "Oh, may they kill more animals so that I may have more meat to eat. Never mind if being have to suffer and die." When we eat vegetables, fruits and other non-meat food, we do not think: "Oh, may they plant more of such food. Never mind if beings have to suffer and die." When we eat, our intention is to eat.
However, we may try practicing a few things:

- We may be moderate with our intake. Not indulge more than what we really need. That's what the Buddha advised, and there is something spiritually wholesome about this; and not simply not eat meat.
- We may choose to eat only "at the right time" (dawn to noon). This is encouraged even for lay people on certain days. That's what the Buddha advised, and there is something spiritually wholesome about this; and not simply not eat meat.
- When we eat we may eat mindfully, chew mindfully, taste mindfully and swallow mindfully. This would then help us eat without craving and strengthen our mindfulness. That's what the Buddha advised, and there is something spiritually wholesome about this; and not simply not eat meat.

If you choose to be a vegetarian, well go ahead. Do check with other knowledgeable vegetarians about having a balanced vegetarian diet. You need to make sure that you have adequate protein, B12, and zinc.
But for your own sake, do not hold to that view that there is something spiritually wholesome about being a vegetarian. Also, it would certainly not be wise to think oneself superior due to one's choice of food. Check yourself whenever you see others eat meat. Furthermore, it would be definitely improper to impose such wrong view upon others.
This message has been written to inform, and not criticize or offend. Hope it has been regarded in proper light.

Samanera Kumara Liew
06 June 1999

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