The Tenets of Tibetan Buddhism

1 The Tenets of Tibetan Buddhism Buddha was a man that left his luxurious home and discovered the main principles of life. He spent years and years meditating and becoming something greater that what he was. He became enlightened which is our highest calling. The term “Buddha” means enlightened. It can be hard to understand Buddhism if you have never been exposed to the belief system. While most religions in the world focus on the worship of one God or deity Buddhists focus on the positive and negative energy in our own lives. Buddha recognized that life is suffering with the greatest suffering being death. The goal is a happy life to achieve that happy life the mind and body must work as one. In Buddhism, the negative actions like stealing and killing are not prompted by a God but by our own choices. Those choices can either lead to a good path or a bad path. In every action, there is a reaction and we ourselves control those things. Karma is the payback so to speak. If you do not correct your deeds in this life than you will likely pay for them in the next. What are the Four Noble Truths? The first teaching ever given by the Buddha was to five student monks in a deer park. The Buddha spoke of the Four Noble Truths he had discovered while struggling for enlightenment, these are the central teachings of Buddhism. It was the Buddha's first awareness that life brings with it illness, age, misery and death that lead him to search for a deeper understanding of how we live, and ways to end suffering. It was these four principles that the Buddha came to understand during his meditation under the Bodhi tree. The four noble truths that Buddha discovered are: 1. The truth of suffering (Dukkha) Suffering is seen in our lives every day, things like frustration, feelings of not being satisfied with our lives and stress. Although this may sound very negative it is a positive to recognize the causes of suffering and the goal of reaching Nirvana by recognizing the causes of suffering and the human condition. After his experiences as a prince and as a wandering monk, the Buddha had learnt that all people have one thing in common: if they think about their own life, or look at the world around them, they will see that life is full of suffering. Suffering, he said, may be physical or mental. The Buddha's most important teachings were focused on a way to end the suffering he had experienced and had seen in other people. His discovery of the solution began with the recognition that life is suffering. Physical suffering takes many forms. The pain of disease, which strikes young and old alike, is a reality for us all from time to time. The moment of birth gives pain both to the mother and the child that is born. The pain of death brings much grief and suffering. The First Noble Truth is that the suffering of birth, old age, sickness and death is unavoidable. What is also true is that this suffering — whether it is a cold, an injury or a sad event — must be borne alone. When you have a cold, it is your cold and only you experience how it feels for you. In another example, a man may be very concerned that his mother is growing old. No matter how much he cares for her he cannot take her place and suffer the pains of aging on her behalf. In the same way, if a child falls very ill, 2 the parents cannot experience the pains of the illness. The Buddha taught people to recognize that suffering is part of life and that it cannot be avoided. Mental Suffering The Buddha also taught that suffering does not only come in the physical form. There are also forms of mental suffering. People feel sad, lonely or depressed. They suffer with attachment, grief and separation. They feel irritated or uncomfortable when they are with people they dislike or who are unpleasant. People also suffer when they are unable to satisfy their limitless needs and wants. A baby cries when he cannot communicate his hunger, or when he wants something he cannot have. Teenagers may feel utterly frustrated and dejected if their parents won't let them join a late-night party, watch certain movies or buy the clothes they want. Adults too can feel unhappy when they cannot pay their bills, frustrated when their job bores them or lonely when their relationships are unfulfilling or complicated. All these experiences are examples of what Buddhists call mental suffering — they can be summed up as painful feelings that arise from being separated from the people we love, or having to be with people we don't like, or not getting what we want. Happiness in Life When the Buddha said that there is suffering in life, He also spoke about happiness. Buddhists speak of many kinds of happiness; the happiness of friendship; of family life; of a healthy body and mind; happiness from celebration and gifts, as well as from sharing and giving. Buddhists believe that happiness is real but impermanent — that is does not last forever — and that when happiness fades it leads to suffering. Buddhists learn that many people try to escape from the suffering in life by distracting themselves with temporary pleasures. There are many examples of people who try to block out sadness, pain, loss and grief by indulging in pleasures they think will bring happiness but end up disguising their real feelings, and making them feel even worse when the temporary happiness runs out. Imagine a person who likes chocolate, for example, and thinks that the wonderful experience of eating chocolate will always make them happy. If that person has a toothache and tries to make themselves feel better by eating chocolate, it might work once or twice, but the chocolate will never solve the toothache and soon it will make it worse. In this way, the Buddha taught his followers not to be distracted by momentary pleasures, but to look at the bigger picture of their life experiences. He taught that happiness and pleasures are temporary and therefore that people should learn more about what Buddha taught as the True way to end suffering. He taught these lessons in the next Three Noble Truths. 2. The Causes of Suffering - The truth of the origin of suffering (Samudāya) After the Buddha learnt that suffering is a part of life, he realized he could not find a way to end suffering without finding out what causes it. By watching people Buddha found out that the causes of suffering are craving and desire, and ignorance. Craving What are things we crave for? Food we love to eat, entertainment, new things, popularity, money, beauty, holidays and so many more things and experience, depending on who we are and where we are. Craving can be explained as the strong desires that people have for pleasing their senses and for experiencing life itself. Buddhists believe that anything that stimulates our senses or our feelings can lead to craving. None of the pleasures we crave for ever give us lasting happiness or satisfaction. Therefore, people can crave to repeat these experiences again and again, and become unhappy and dissatisfied until they can satisfy their craving. The trouble is, even if these pleasures are repeated, again 3 and again, we can still feel unhappy. It is all our craving that leads to desire; the constant seeking to fill our craving. Ignorance Craving is like a great tree with many branches. There are branches of greed, bad thoughts and of anger. The fruit of the tree of craving is suffering but how does the tree of craving grow? Where can we find it? The answer, says the Buddha, is that the tree of craving has its roots in ignorance. It grows out of ignorance, and its seeds fall and flourish whenever they find ignorance. What is ignorance? Real ignorance is not just being uneducated, or not knowing many things. Buddhists see ignorance as the inability to see the truth about things, to see things as they really are. This ability to see the truth is not a question of either eyesight or education. Buddhists believe that there are many truths about the world that people are ignorant of, because of the limits of their understanding. Buddhists teach that as long as people remain ignorant of things about the world, they will suffer from all kinds of misunderstandings and delusions. But when people develop their minds and acquire wisdom through study, careful thought and meditation, they will see the Truth. They will see things as they really are. They will understand the Buddha's teachings about suffering and impermanence of life. The Buddha said that overcoming craving and ignorance leads to true happiness and Enlightenment. 3. The truth of the end of suffering (Nirodha) - Nirvana After the Buddha realized the Truth about suffering and its causes, he spent six years committed to discovering a realization about the end of suffering — that, and his achievement of Nirvana, were his ultimate achievements. In those six years, the Buddha tried all the methods available to end suffering without success. Eventually He found his own solution to the problems of life and they are now the core of Buddhist thought, teachings and practice. This is what he discovered: there is an end to suffering; it can happen to anybody, anywhere, here and now; and the key to ending all suffering is to remove all desire, ill will and ignorance. After suffering, the Buddha taught, there is supreme happiness. Every step of the way to removing the causes of unhappiness brings more joy. On the path to the end of suffering, which is a path that Buddhists may spend their whole lifetimes practicing, there are levels of happiness and freedom from craving and ignorance that can be achieved. In the beginning the happiness might be through more contentment, better spiritual conditions; more peace and enjoyment of life. These are the reasons Buddhists can live happily without greed — even among people in cities overcome with materialism. They can live happily without anger even among people harboring anger and ill will. The Buddhist teachings say that the more people free themselves from desire, ill will and ignorance, the greater their happiness is — no matter what is going on around them. When they have completely removed desire, ill will and ignorance the Buddha says they will experience the same supreme happiness he discovered. The second fruit of the end of suffering is what Buddhists call supreme Enlightenment. Enlightenment can be called liberation — a total, absolute and permanent end of all suffering. It is the ultimate and final goal of Buddhism. There are many, many qualities to enlightenment, but the most important are 4 perfect wisdom and great compassion. They are the result of complete freedom from craving and from ignorance and the tremendous transformations from ordinary life that Buddha's teachings exemplified. Through perfect wisdom we can understand the real nature of all things. Through great compassion we can help countless beings overcome their suffering. The experience of Enlightenment or Nirvana, is very difficult to explain. Nirvana cannot be put into words. Enlightenment is an experience that a person must have for themselves to understand. The Buddha has described Nirvana in different ways. He has called it supreme happiness, peace, immortality; uncreated, unformed, as beyond the earth, as beyond water, fire, air, beyond the sun and moon, unfathomable, immeasurable. It is also described as freedom from conflict and selfishness, the eradication of craving, hatred and delusion. The Buddha said, and demonstrated through his own life, that Nirvana can be achieved in our lives, while living — it is not a place to which we go after death. Buddhists believe that we can eradicate all the causes of suffering in this life, and achieve enlightenment and live in bliss. 4. The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering (Magga) - The Noble Eight-fold Path to Nirvana The Middle Path In the beginning, Prince Siddhartha, (Buddha) lived in luxury and wealth in his father's palace. After he renounced his privileged life and became a wandering monk, he experienced the hardship and difficulty of a life with nothing. He spent years torturing his mind with hard thoughts and solitude and starved his body, enjoyed no comforts and suffered all the experiences of a life without belongings. Not long before he achieved his insights and attained enlightenment, he realized both these extreme ways of life were as fruitless as each other. He realized that the true way to happiness was to avoid these extremes, to follow a moderate a way of life. He called this way of living the Middle Path. Those who follow this way, avoid the extremes of indulgence and denial. They do not seek endless pleasures, and they do not torment themselves with pain, lacking and self-torment. The Fourth Noble Truth is that the Middle Path leads to the end of suffering. The Middle Path is the Buddha's treatment for the problem of suffering in all our lives. In the time, he spent learning about the cause and nature of suffering he learnt also about its cure and set out to teach it. Buddhists describe the teachings as a formula which is described in simple steps and includes both physical and mental treatment for ridding a person of suffering. Like all Buddhist teachings, this formula, which is called the Noble Eightfold Path, can only work if a person chooses to apply it to their lives, and takes full responsibility for following the steps. 1. Right Understanding - To understand the Law of Cause and Effect and the Four Noble Truths. 2. Right Attitude - Not harboring thoughts of greed and anger. 3. Right Speech - Avoid lying, gossip, harsh speech and tale-telling. 4. Right Action - Not to destroy any life, not to steal or commit adultery. 5. Right Livelihood - Avoiding occupations that bring harm to oneself and others. 6. Right Effort - Earnestly doing one's best in the right direction. 7. Right Mindfulness - Always being aware and attentive. 8. Right Concentration - To making the mind steady and calm in order to realize the true nature of things. 5 Following the Eightfold path leads, ultimately, to a life free of suffering. The Path develops character and personality by showing the way to live a virtuous life, then to cultivate concentration, develop wisdom and finally to blossom into an individual complete with compassion and wisdom — one of the highest qualities of a human being in Buddhism. The Path is specifically aimed at developing behavior, mind and knowledge and the eight steps are divided into those three ways of practice. Good Conduct /Morality (sila) Right Speech Right Action Right Livelihood The power of speech is a unique gift of man. It is a power which, when properly used, helps to bring harmony, happiness and wisdom. If it is abused it can bring ignorance, delusion, pain and deceit. Right Speech is about controlling the abuse of speech and cultivating its best potentials. Students of the Eightfold Path learn to control their words. They avoid lies, tale-bearing, harsh words and nonsense while practicing speaking truth, gentle words, and speaking sensibly and meaningfully. Right Action is concerned with what we do; avoiding actions that damage ourselves and others and taking action that improves our sense of self, adds to a healthy society and brings goodness and culture, which lay the foundations for Mental Development and Wisdom. Right Livelihood shows the way for a person to choose in which way to become a useful, productive citizen who contributes to his or her own welfare and the welfare of others as well as bringing about social harmony and economic progress. Buddhist Teachings advise against harmful professions such as trading in weapons, living beings, flesh, intoxicants and poison. Buddhists also avoid occupations of soldiering, fishing, hunting, and teach against cunning and persuasive practices as well as cheating and gambling. Mental Development Meditation (Samadhi) Right Effort Right Mindfulness Right Concentration Through Mental Development Buddhist learn to be alert and aware in body and mind. Right Effort is fourfold; 1. Avoid evil and unwholesome states of mind from arising 2. Overcome evil and unwholesome states of mind already present 3. Cause good and wholesome states of mind not yet present to arise 4. Develop and perfect such states of mind already present Right Mindfulness focuses us on the truth about what is happening in the body, in feelings, with the mind, and through our ideas, thoughts, etc. Right Concentration is a development of this attention, enabling a Buddhist student to develop onepointedness of the mind which brings many strengths and freedoms, including the clarity of mind and calmness to stay on the path of Good Conduct. Wisdom (panna) Right Attitude Right View 6 Wisdom is Right Attitude and Right View. The practice of developing Right View is about distinguishing between right and wrong, good and bad, and leads to a complete understanding of the Four Noble Truths. Right View is free from delusion and ignorance and moves very easily into deep wisdom, clear sightedness and acceptance. Freedom from negative thoughts which distract, debilitate or lead to wrong speech, actions, effort, mindfulness or concentration is what Buddhists call Right Attitude. A follower of the Eightfold Path who follows Right View and Right Attitude may achieve the wisdom to understand things as they are, to perceive the relationship between cause and effect and thus to remove ignorance and craving and experience the end of suffering. This is the ultimate goal of the Eightfold Path and all eight ways of practice must be followed in order to attain it. Aum in Tibetan