Post by pitbull on Aug 23, 2007 20:25:30 GMT -5
BUDDHISM
Origins
Buddhism was founded around the fifth century BCE by Siddhartha Gautama, hereafter referred to as "the Buddha".
Name
Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means roughly the "teachings of the Awakened One" in Sanskrit and Pali, languages of ancient Buddhist texts.
Doctrines/Beliefs
The Four Noble Truths
1. Suffering: Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.
2. The cause of suffering: The craving which leads to renewed existence (rebirth) (the cycle of samsara)
3. The cessation of suffering: The cessation of craving.
4. The way leading to the cessation of suffering: The Noble Eightfold Path
The Noble Eightfold Path
o Sila is morality — abstaining from unwholesome deeds of body and speech. Within the division of sila are three parts of the Noble Eightfold Path:
• Right Speech — One speaks in a non hurtful, not exaggerated, truthful way
• Right Actions — Wholesome action, avoiding action that would do harm
• Right Livelihood — One's way of livelihood does not harm in any way oneself or others; directly or indirectly
o Samadhi is developing mastery over one’s own mind. Within this division are another three parts of the Noble Eightfold Path:
Right Effort/Exercise — One makes an effort to improve
Right Mindfulness/Awareness — Mental ability to see things for what they are with clear consciousness
Right Concentration/Meditation — Being aware of the present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion.
o Prajñā is the wisdom which purifies the mind. Within this division fall two more parts of the Noble Eightfold Path:
Right Understanding — Understanding reality as it is, not just as it appears to be.
Right Thoughts — Change in the pattern of thinking.
The Buddhist canon of scripture is known in Sanskrit as the Tripitaka and in Pāli as the Tipitaka. These terms literally mean "three baskets" and refer to the three main divisions of the canon, which are:
o The Vinaya Pitaka, containing disciplinary rules for the Sanghas of Buddhist monks and nuns, as well as a range of other texts including explanations of why and how rules were instituted, supporting material, and doctrinal clarification.
o The Sūtra Pitaka (Pāli: Sutta Pitaka), contains the actual discourses of the Buddha.
o The Abhidharma Pitaka (Pāli: Abhidhamma Pitaka) contains commentaries or systematic expositions of the Buddha's teachings.
Subdivisions/Splinter Groups
Theravada
East Asian Buddhism
Esoteric Buddhism
Hinayana
Tibetan Buddhism or Lamaism
Mantrayana
Tantrayana or Tantric Buddhism
Vajrayana
Origins
Buddhism was founded around the fifth century BCE by Siddhartha Gautama, hereafter referred to as "the Buddha".
Name
Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means roughly the "teachings of the Awakened One" in Sanskrit and Pali, languages of ancient Buddhist texts.
Doctrines/Beliefs
The Four Noble Truths
1. Suffering: Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.
2. The cause of suffering: The craving which leads to renewed existence (rebirth) (the cycle of samsara)
3. The cessation of suffering: The cessation of craving.
4. The way leading to the cessation of suffering: The Noble Eightfold Path
The Noble Eightfold Path
o Sila is morality — abstaining from unwholesome deeds of body and speech. Within the division of sila are three parts of the Noble Eightfold Path:
• Right Speech — One speaks in a non hurtful, not exaggerated, truthful way
• Right Actions — Wholesome action, avoiding action that would do harm
• Right Livelihood — One's way of livelihood does not harm in any way oneself or others; directly or indirectly
o Samadhi is developing mastery over one’s own mind. Within this division are another three parts of the Noble Eightfold Path:
Right Effort/Exercise — One makes an effort to improve
Right Mindfulness/Awareness — Mental ability to see things for what they are with clear consciousness
Right Concentration/Meditation — Being aware of the present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion.
o Prajñā is the wisdom which purifies the mind. Within this division fall two more parts of the Noble Eightfold Path:
Right Understanding — Understanding reality as it is, not just as it appears to be.
Right Thoughts — Change in the pattern of thinking.
The Buddhist canon of scripture is known in Sanskrit as the Tripitaka and in Pāli as the Tipitaka. These terms literally mean "three baskets" and refer to the three main divisions of the canon, which are:
o The Vinaya Pitaka, containing disciplinary rules for the Sanghas of Buddhist monks and nuns, as well as a range of other texts including explanations of why and how rules were instituted, supporting material, and doctrinal clarification.
o The Sūtra Pitaka (Pāli: Sutta Pitaka), contains the actual discourses of the Buddha.
o The Abhidharma Pitaka (Pāli: Abhidhamma Pitaka) contains commentaries or systematic expositions of the Buddha's teachings.
Subdivisions/Splinter Groups
Theravada
East Asian Buddhism
Esoteric Buddhism
Hinayana
Tibetan Buddhism or Lamaism
Mantrayana
Tantrayana or Tantric Buddhism
Vajrayana