Monday, September 28, 2015

Buddhism
Day 1: Life of Buddha Video

- grew up in palace, surrounded by indulgences

- considered 1st world religion
actively sent missionaries, expanded to others
- buddhism almost died out
- birthplace of buddha: Lumbini (623 bce Nepal)
- Maya (mother of buddha) carried by four deities to mountaintop and brought gifts/
prepared for conception

lotus flower placed in womb

- named child Siddhartha, meaning: every wish fulfilled
- born with marks on body
soothsayer determined 2 possible destinies
- become buddha, religious leader
- become political leader, take over for father
- Siddhartha became more interested in nature than military teachings
- realized all actions have consequences after watching a bird eat a worm unearthed
from the ground

- father arranged marriage, Siddhartha fought for her hand

- father removed Eye sores from around palace to not tempt Siddhartha
- Siddhartha went on 4 journeys out of the city/country with his charioteer, Channa
1st: old man painfully making his way through town
- learned about aging; everyone gets old
2nd: sick man, diseased
- learned about sickness; everyone gets sick

Monday, September 28, 2015

3rd: corpse bound in linen

- learned about inevitable death; all men are mortal
- destined to be continuously reborn, suffer through life, and die again
4th: man in simple robes with begin bowl
- abandoned lifes pleasures
- learned that giving up indulgences brings one closer to discovering
enlightenment

- Siddhartha left home/wife/child to focus on journey to enlightenment

- exchanged robes for rags, removed jewelry, cut hair
- first time being on his own
experienced new form of suffering, around and within
- had to challenge pre-existing brahman beliefs to move forth on journey
believed a solution to suffering should be available to all, not just brahmins and
their families

- Siddhartha excelled at meditation

gained group of about 5 followers at first
- began to test self physically
- fasted for so long his life held on by a thread
saved by a young girl who offered him a bowl of milk/rice
came to realize self-inflicted harm wouldnt bring him to enlightenment; would have
accomplished nothing

followers deemed him unprepared for his journey and left him
- came across musician tuning a sitar
middle way harmonious and would lead to inner peace
- traveled for 6 years
- sat beneath bodhi tree
vowed to not leave tree until he reached enlightenment
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Monday, September 28, 2015

- Mara appeared
demon king (NOT like Satan)
psychological force; evil within mind
unleashed army of demons to attack Siddhartha
- Siddhartha turned their weapons into lotus blossoms
unleashed its daughters (passion, lust, etc)
- Siddhartha acknowledged them objectively
- daughters began to rot and disappeared into earth
- spent 7 days under the tree
mind in complete, blissful state
saw way to remove suffering from life
- remove things from life
start of buddhism
- 4 truths
identify the presence of suffering
seek to determine the desire of suffering (immortality, material goods, etc)
cure for desire/end suffering
method for achieving enlightenment/ Noble Eightfold Path
- dedicated rest of his life to expand ideas to others
- buddhism in two words: PRACTICE MINDFULNESS
morality, meditation, wisdom
- journeyed back to palace/family
father forgave him and understood why he chose the path he did
step-mother joined sangha, became first nun
- left family again to continue teaching
ordained son as monk before leaving
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Monday, September 28, 2015

- buddhist monks today learn mantras

test memory/commitment to buddhist teachings
- westerners are often attracted to the idea of meditation
way of sorting through life
- Buddha (Siddhartha) wanted to be remembered as human being, as he suffered like
all other humans

- died at age of 80, likely due to food poisoning

before dying he entered a trance of eternal bliss
cremated, remains preserved
- sites associated with buddha/buddhism attract tourists/pilgrims to this day

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Day 2: Four Truths, 8 Fold Path

- Siddhartha = Buddha
- Dharma: 4 truths
life involves suffering (dukha)
- anicca: impermanence
- nothing is long lasting
- anatman: no eternal self
- no mergin soul back to brahman because there is no such thing
suffering originates in our desires
- we dont like change
- attachments = desires

* believe in reincarnation
but its not a soul/eternal
self being reborn

suffering will cease if all desires cease

there is a way to realize this
- 8 fold path of liberation
- 8-fold path of liberation
right understanding
right thoughts/motive
right speech
right action
right livelihood
right effort
right mindfulness
right meditation/concentration

Speech
Action
Livelihood
Understanding
Thoughts/motive
Effort
Mindfulness
Meditation/concentration

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

1. Right Understanding
everything is impermanent
must see through illusions of world
2. Right Thoughts/Motives
uncover unwholesome emotional roots
desire to hide imperfections, avoiding contact with others
3. Right Speech
vain talk, gossip, decisive, harsh, lying, etc
speak with positive manner in your mind
important what you say about your self
4. Right Action
do not destroy life (kill)

Just 5 of the many precepts

do not commit adultery

do not deceive (lie)
do not take intoxicants
5. Right Livelihood
dont go against the precepts
need to find/follow balance in life
6. Right Effort
continuously striving to cut off unwholesome parts of past, present, and future
7. Right Mindfulness
way of liberation is through the mind
be aware of every moment
8. Right Meditation
quieting of the mind
the mind is subtle, invisible, treacherous
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