Buddhism

The Buddha lived about 2500 years ago - 500 years before Christ. He was born a prince, and pampered throughout his childhood. According to legend, a soothsayer told his father (his mother died soon after giving birth) that the child would either be a great king, or a great spiritual leader. The father set out to make sure that his son would be a great king. The boy was restricted from interaction with the real world, schooled in the ways of royalty, and raised in magnificent palaces. When he was a young man, he demanded that his charioteer take him for a ride outside the palace walls. The charioteer was forbidden to do that, but could not deny the prince. On his exposure to the outside world, the prince saw aging, disease, sickness, and death for the first time in his life. He also saw a 'holy man'. He resolved to fathom these human conditions, and left the royal life, his wife, and his young son. Upon hearing of his departure, his father sent soldiers to bring his son home, but the prince would not come. He renounced all wealth and power, and lived the life of an ascetic seeker of truth. After some time of study and practice, he resolved to sit in meditation until he either achieved enlightenment, or died. He sat under a tree, (the Bodhi tree - bodhi means awake) and meditated. In the early hours of the next morning, after being assailed by all manner of torments, he became enlightened. He spent the remainder of his life teaching what he had discovered.

The Buddha put fourth the Four Noble Truths. These are:

1) There is suffering.

2) There is a cause for suffering. (Greed, Hatred, Delusion)

3) There is a way out of suffering.

4) Following the 8-fold path is the way out of suffering.

What do they mean?
The first means that no person's life is completely happy all the time. One is bound to have times when some large or small thing happens to interfere with happiness. How about a mosquito bite or that fly that won't leave you alone. How about the death of a loved one. Situations that interfere with our complete happiness are bound to happen; ups and downs are the very nature of life. In fact, being happy without regard to situation is considered a measure of enlightenment.
The second explains the reason for the dissatisfaction with life. The cause is craving, and the forms are greed, hatred, and delusion. Basically, not being accepting of life as it is, but demanding that it be somehow different.
The third declares that it is possible to live a life without suffering, by letting go of the craving.
The fourth, the Eight-fold path gives a way of life that will lead to enlightenment, and freedom. The Eight-fold path is broken down into three sections: Wisdom, Virtue and Concentration.

The Eight-fold path

Wisdom
Right thought
Right understanding

Virtue
Right speech
Right action
Right livelihood

Concentration
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right concentration

Click here for a printable version

This path to freedom and enlightenment may be considered to be like the eight commandments, but are not commandments with any religious basis, or overtones. Right action, for instance, includes not killing, stealing, lying, taking intoxicants, and refraining from sexual misconduct. There is, however, no supreme being judging ones actions. The mindfulness aspect of the path makes the individual keenly aware of their actions, and the consequences of those actions. Each part of the path helps to strengthen other parts of the path. Mindfulness of ones actions causes a person to behave in a more mature manner, which will build resolve, increase effort, and increase the likelihood of right views. In this way, each part of the path will augment the others, building an ever increasing spiral of energy. Ones character becomes purified not because of fear of eternal hell-fire, but because the person realizes the consequences of their actions.
Buddhism is based on the practice of meditation. Like the Buddha so many years ago, each person must discover truth for themselves, and meditation is the path toward that discovery. There are many different types of meditation, but they all involve concentration and focus of the mind. When the mind is focused in meditation, a 'knowing' can occur that has nothing to do with studying or learning. This is an arising of wisdom, called insight. It is as if one gets directly connected to truth for an instant. As this happens again and again over the years, the tendencies toward greed, hatred and delusion are slowly eliminated from one's character. When all tendencies toward greed, hatred, and delusion are gone, one is said to be enlightened.

The third Zen patriarch, Sengstan, wrote a poem which says it all quite nicely. It's titled
Hsin Hsin Ming. Click here to read the poem.

Other Buddhist sites:

Shinzen Young Dharmanet IMS Spirit Rock Buddhanet

Vipassana Metta Foundation Bhavana Society Mt. Baldy

Vipassana Hawaii Southwest Sangha

Southwest Insight e-Letter