The first post in this series was about Shintoism, a not-so-well-known religion native to my host country, Japan. To follow that post, I thought I'd continue our world religion lessons with Buddhism, the other most common religion in Japan.
I developed an interest in Buddhism in college, after taking an "Eastern Religions" class. And I've always had a special place in my heart for His Holiness the Dalai Lama (spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism). But I've been surprised by how much more there is to learn when you're living in a Buddhist country. One of the best things that has happened to me while living in Japan has been the friendship I've cultivated with a Buddhist monk. He has been teaching me meditation, and has helped me host "Introduction to Buddhism" classes for the many foreign military personnel living here. Those classes have been eye-opening for me, and while it would take 400 blog posts to tell you about all the things I've learned, I'm going to try to give you a basic introduction to Buddhism for those of you who may have never been exposed to Buddhism before.
Keep in mind that like Christianity, there are many different sects (or denominations) of Buddhism. So while overall beliefs and practices may be the same, there can also be a lot of differences between Buddhists. In Japan, for instance, Shintoism and Buddhism became tightly intertwined. Shinto and Buddhist beliefs make up a kind of Japanese Buddhism that is slightly different from the basic Buddhism I learned about in college.
But enough talking... Let's learn about Buddhism!
The Basics:
How old is it? The origins of Buddhism began about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gotama, known as the "Buddha" became enlightened around 35 years of age.
The story of Siddhartha is that he was a prince born into a royal family in present day Nepal. Though his father tried to shelter him, when he was 29 years old he realized that there was suffering in the world (sadness, sickness, death) and that wealth/luxury did not guarantee happiness. He left his home and family to explore different religions and philosophies to find the key to happiness. After studying and meditating for six years, he became enlightened. He spent the rest of his life teaching the path to enlightenment until he died at 80 years old.
Does Buddhism have a holy text? The Buddha did not write any scriptures, so everything that makes up Buddhist texts today are the teachings that Buddha's followers heard and wrote down themselves. Before a teaching could be included in the scriptures, it had to be verified by others who heard the same teaching (in other words, one random guy couldn't just make something up and say it was from the Buddha). No one Buddhist text is accepted as sacred and authoritative for every school, or sect, of Buddhism. Each school may place emphasis on the texts or scriptures they feel are most important.
Many scriptures are referred to as "sutras" (the Sanskrit word for "thread"). Some of the most popular and well-known Buddhist texts are the "Pali Canon," the "Heart Sutras," the "Dhammapada," and the "Lotus Sutras."
Who or what does Buddhism worship? When you visit a Buddhist temple, and witness people bowing, praying, and bringing offerings in front of a statue of Buddha, you can't help but assume that they are worshipping Buddha as a god. And this was confusing to me because I always learned that Buddhism itself had no god. So let's clear this up.
The Buddha never claimed to be a god. And Buddhism traditionally does not teach a belief in a diety. But so many non-Buddhists are confused by the golden statues of Buddha and the followers praying in front of such statues. One of the monks attending the "Introduction to Buddhism" class I mentioned earlier explained this wonderfully. He said that the statues of Buddha are much like the statue of Jesus on the cross, or the large cross you'd find at the front of many churches. It is a visual reminder of the Buddha, or the teaching. Followers who walk up to the foot of a Buddha statue and pray or bring an offering, are paying respect to the image or teaching of the Buddha - much the same way a Christian might walk to the front of the church to kneel and pray. It is a place of focus, reverence, and contemplation.
What does Buddhism require? Interestingly, Buddhism does not require conversion for someone to follow the Buddhist path. It's entirely possible to be a Christian and a Buddhist because Buddhism is not only seen as a religion by many, but also a way of life and philosophy. Buddhist principles can be integrated into any spiritual practice. The basic concepts of Buddhism are summed up by the Four Noble Truths, and the Noble Eightfold Path.
Where do Buddhist followers worship? Let's change the word "worship" to "practice," since we've already discussed the absence of a diety in Buddhism. There is no holy day in Buddhism, so Buddhist rituals, ceremonies, and practices can happen any day of the week. Buddhists can have a small altar (consisting of a picture or statue of Buddha, incense, a sacred text, and other Buddhist items) in their home, or they can visit the temple to practice with others.
Now, for a few more details....
What are the Four Noble Truths? The first sermon that the Buddha preached after gaining enlightenment was that of the "Four Noble Truths."
1. Life is suffering. Not only do we feel physical pain, sickness, and eventually, death, but we also suffer psychologically, with fear, sadness, loneliness, anger, jealousy, etc.
2. Suffering is caused by both craving and aversion. We will not find happiness if we desire something other than what we have, or if we try to avoid something we do not want.
3. Suffering can be overcome; true happiness is possible. If we give up useless craving/desire, and live in the present (instead of the past or future), we can become happy and free.
4. The Noble Eightfold Path is the path that leads to the end of suffering.
What is the Noble Eightfold Path? The state of being "awakened" is always available to us. It is not "made" by anything - even the Buddha's teachings. To be awakened is to know our true nature, and most of us go through life being unaware of our true nature. The Noble Eightfold Path is a way to "unlearn" all the conditioned responses to life that prevent us from seeing our true nature.
1) Right View: Understanding reality is the awareness of what is going on both outside and inside of us.
2) Right Thought or Attitude: Just as important as our actions, are our thoughts and intentions.
3) Right Speech: We must always aspire to use clear, truthful, uplifting and non-violent communication.
4) Right Action: We act rightfully (without selfish attachment to our work) and mindfully. And we follow the 5 precepts:
- Not killing.
- Not stealing.
- Not misusing sex.
- Not lying.
- Not abusing intoxicants.
6) Right Effort: Use your energies to develop wholesome qualities, and to release unwholesome qualities.
7) Right Mindfulness: To be mindful is to be aware of the present moment with both mind and body. When we are mindful, we are not lost in daydreams, worries, or anticipation.
8) Right Concentration: Often associated with meditation, this part of the path asks followers to spend time focused on one object/mindset. It is said that through meditation, we can be freed from the delusion that we have a separate self (this is the idea of "interconnectedness" that the Dalai Lama so often speaks of).
What happens when we die? There are different ideas about what happens after death, depending on what particular school of Buddhism you adhere to. However, most Buddhists would agree that death is not the end of our mind, or spirit, but simply our body. Some schools of Buddhism believe in reincarnation, and others believe in rebirth in different realms, or heavens.
My friend, Fujio san, who is a Buddhist monk, told me once that many Buddhists are not concerned with knowing exactly what will happen after death because the most important concern is living a mindful life in the present moment. If we are concerned about what will happen in the future, we are not being mindful of the present.
If you'd like to learn more about Buddhism, be sure to check out Buddha Net. Also, if you'd like some books to read, there are many good books by Vietnamese monk, Thich Nhat Hanh that are easy for Westerners/Non-Buddhists to understand and follow. Most of the information here was gained from Buddha Net.
Do you have any other questions about Buddhism? Did you learn something new?
