Burma: former Buddhas revered in the Theravada tradition
1. Who founded Buddhism?
Buddhism originated approximately 2,500 years ago in northern India (now Nepal) with the supreme enlightenment of and subsequent teachings by Sakyamuni Buddha. Born around 600 B.C. to King Suddodhana, ruler of the Sakya clan, Sakyamuni Buddha was originally named Prince Siddhartha Gautama. In childhood he led a pampered life of royal wealth sheltered from the world’s miseries. But, when as a young man he was at last allowed to venture from the palace, he saw four sights: A decrepit old man, a person wracked with disease, a corpse, and a monk. He thus learned of life’s inevitable sufferings (old age, sickness, and death) and the transience of all worldly pleasure. He also saw that the wise monastic had found peace in spite of life’s ills.
Determined to find a way to be free from these troubles, Prince Siddhartha renounced his crown and family, and embarked on his journey to seek the truth. After years of cultivation, he attained supreme enlightenment and was thence known as Sakyamuni (meaning “sage of the Sakya clan”) Buddha. Out of endless compassion, Sakyamuni shared his teachings so that others could also discover the Middle Path to end all suffering.
2. Who and/or what do Buddhists venerate?
Buddhists trust in:
The Buddha — a great teacher and exemplar
The Dharma — the Buddha’s Teachings as a guide to enlightenment and essential truth
The Sangha — the Buddhist community, particularly monastics, who teach the Dharma and guide one along the path to enlightenment.
Veneration of this “Triple Gem” is central to Buddhist life.
3. Who is a Buddha?
A Buddha is not a god, but rather one who, through complete wisdom and compassion, has attained full enlightenment and is thus beyond the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha exemplifies the highest form of morality and is the supreme teacher showing peoples the way to relieve suffering. The word “Buddha” is derived from the root budh meaning “to awaken and become aware or completely conscious of.” Buddhists believe that all beings have this Buddha Nature, that is, the potential to become a Buddha.
Cultivating and awakening this potential is what Buddhism is all about. According to the Mahayana thoughts, there are many Buddhas. When Buddhists speak of “the” Buddha, however, they are usually referring to Sakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.
4. What is a Bodhisattva?
Bodhi means “enlightenment”; sattva means “sentient being.” A Bodhisattva is one who is following the path to enlightenment. In so doing, a Bodhisattva altruistically chooses to put off his/her own final stage of enlightenment in order to completely alleviate the suffering of others. He/she practices the virtues of generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, energy, patience, truthfulness, determination, loving-kindness, and even-mindedness to perfection and without self-interest. There are said to be an infinite number of Bodhisattvas. Mahayana Buddhists place particular emphasis on the importance of the Bodhisattva and the Bodhisattva Path as the way to realise one’s Buddha nature.
5. Do Buddhists believe in a god?
If by “god” one means a creator of the universe or a being guiding ultimate human fate, then Buddhists do not believe in such. Buddhism emphasises the concept of conditional causation where everything in this world comes into being according to different sets of causes and conditions. Plants and flowers grow spring, summer, autumn and winter constitute the yearly cycle of the four seasons human beings go through the process of birth, old age, illness and death.
6. Do Buddhists believe in heaven and hell?
Buddhist cosmology includes a variety of heavens and hells into which a being may be born. Existence in any of them, however long, is not forever. Thus, one can “fall” from a heaven or “rise” from a hell. Buddhist texts contain vivid descriptions of different heavens and hells, which, from one perspective, make them, appear as actual locations. On another level, because heavens and hells arise due to the relative presence or absence of the Three Poisons (ignorance, anger, and greed), they are also part of the human world.
Heavens should not be confused with what Buddhists call Nirvana. While heavens may be enjoyable, they are not complete liberation from ignorance, anger, and greed, and are thus still part of the life-death cycle. Nirvana, however, is perfectly free from the Three Poisons, and is therefore outside of the realms of existence. It is often said that Nirvana is the ultimate goal of Buddhists.
One school of Mahayana Buddhism looks to the Western Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha as the best possible realm in which to be reborn. Being purified of imperfections, the Western Paradise is also called the Pure Land. More generally, the Pure Land refers to a place conducive to self-cultivation. Master Hsing Yun was one asked, “When are we in the Pure Land?” He replied, “When inside everybody there exists a pure heart and a clear mind full of kind thoughts, then we are in a Pure Land.”
13. Why do Buddhists meditate?
Meditation is an effective means of cultivating a calm and focused mind. It is an important part of mental development. Buddhists believe it is necessary to gaining wisdom and enlightenment. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are often portrayed in meditating. There are various types of meditation, most of which essentially emphasize concentration on a single object or concept, as well as correct posture and awareness of breathing. One meditative school of Buddhism is Ch’an (commonly referred to by its Japanese name “Zen”). It is based on intuitive insight and spontaneous enlightenment.
Fo Guang Buddhists follow what is called mindfulness and insight meditation. Central to this practice is first observing the mind – how it works, what it thinks – and then learning to let go of its thoughts without being hindered by emotional baggage. This does not mean repressing thoughts and emotions, but rather observing, accepting, and moving on. It may be done sitting, standing, walking, or while doing chores.
To correct some misconceptions about Buddhist meditation: It is not a state of non-doing, dreaming, or hypnosis, and it does not strive to make the mind blank.
Daily meditation practice is most beneficial, even if only done for ten minutes at a time.
16. What is the importance of being vegetarian?
Out of sincere respect for all life and the First Precept to refrain from killing, many Chinese Buddhists are vegetarian. Vegetarianism is consistent with the Buddhist concepts of universal interrelationship (interdependence of life) and rebirth. In accordance with the concept of rebirth, humans may be reborn as other forms of life in past and future lives. It follows that an animal could have in the past been and/or in the future be one's next-of-kin. Therefore, killing an animal could be seen as tantamount to destroying one’s own relatives. While the traditional Buddhist scriptures do not mandate vegetarianism, Fo Guang monastics must take a vow to not eat meat. Lay followers, however, are not required to do so. If not daily vegetarians, however, many Buddhists observe a vegetarian diet during retreats, Dharma functions, and special holidays.
22. The Fundamental Concepts of Humanistic Buddhism
Humanistic Buddhism is the integration of our spiritual practice into all aspects of our daily lives. Humanistic Buddhism has the following six characteristics:
Humanism
Altruism
Emphasis on daily life as spiritual practice
Joyfulness
Timeliness
Universality of wanting to save all beings.
It is difficult for people to see the relevance of Buddhism in their modern daily lives and how it adapts to the trends of the present age rather than merely following traditions blindly. Though Buddhism speaks of the past, present & future, it particularly highlights the universal welfare of the beings of this world and although Buddhism speaks of all beings of the ten-dhrama worlds, it reserves the most emphasis for humans. Through training and cultivating ourselves in this human world, enlightenment can be achieved.
Therefore, we should cherish our lives, and integrate the Buddhist practice in our daily lives. Some people perceive Buddhism as a religion removed from humanity. This perception of Buddhism is characterised by isolation, retreat to forests, self-concern and individualism it has lost its humanistic quality. It has reached the point that many who are interested in entering the gate dare no do so they hesitate as they peer in and wander about outside.
Humanistic Buddhism encompasses all of the Buddhist teachings from the time of the Buddha to the present – whether they are derived from the three traditions. The goal of Humanistic Buddhism is the Bodhisattva way to be an energetic, enlightened and endearing person who strives to help all sentient beings liberate themselves. Also, well as transforming our planet into a pureland of peace and bliss. Instead of committing all our energies in pursuing something in the future, why don’t we direct our efforts towards purifying our minds and bodies, right here and now in the present moment.
Humanistic Buddhism must focus more on issues of the world rather than on how to leave the world behind on caring for the living rather than for the dead on benefiting others rather than benefiting oneself and on universal salvation rather than cultivation for oneself only.
There are five points that help us in applying Humanistic Buddhism in our everyday living. Humanistic Buddhism is:
The practice of basic moral ethics (Five Precepts) and Ten Virtues
To develop the four boundless vows of kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity
Applying the six perfections and the four great bodhisattva virtues – generosity, amiable speech, conduct beneficial to others cooperation
The understanding of cause, condition, effect, and consequence
Encompasses the teachings of Ch’an Pureland and the Middle Path.
All of these demonstrate the changes brought about by conditional causation. Thus, all phenomena in this world cannot exist without their corresponding causes and the necessary and sufficient conditions required. Furthermore, one of the central Buddhists tenets is essentially that each person is his or her own master.
If by “gods,” however, one means one of a number of heavenly beings, then Buddhists do believe in these. In Buddhist cosmology there are six general realms of existence: deities (devas), titans (asuras), humans, animals, hungry-ghosts, and hell-beings. (Buddhas have transcended these six realms). Of the six, deities and titans are most like celestial beings. While their respective realms may be described as “heavens,” they do not exist beyond time and space. The primary difference between deities and titans is that deities are peaceful, whereas titans are competitive and jealous. More>>
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