Transcript Buddhism - John Provost

Buddhism
Bodhi

Enlightenment
Dharma

The Dharma means the sum total of
Buddhist teachings about how to view
the world and how to live properly.
Sangha

The Sangha is the community of monks
and nuns. More generally, it is all people
who are trying to follow the teachings of
the Buddha.
Anichcha

Anichcha means impermanence and
constant change. Nothing we
experience in life ever remains the
same.
Anatta


“No self”; the doctrine that there is no
soul or permanent essence in people or
things.
This could simply mean that our sense
of being separate is false, not that there
is not “something.”
No Self

Ultimately, the Buddha is asking us to
question our normal assumptions and
not take basic concepts for granted.
What do we mean when we say
“myself?” Do we mean our body? Our
personality? What is our essence?
Dukkha

Dukkha is usually translated as
:suffering” or “sorrow,” but it also means
“dissatisfaction” or “dis-ease.” it refers to
the fact that life, when lived
conventionally, can never be fully
satisfying because of its inescapable
change.
Samsara

Samsara refers to the everyday world of
change, rebirth, and suffering.
The First Noble Truth

The First Noble Truth: To Live Is to
Suffer. Although the message sounds
dark, this truth urges us to be realistic,
not depressed; it is also hopeful in the
sense that if we recognize why suffering
come about then we can lessen it.
The Second Noble Truth

The Second Noble Truth: Suffering
Comes from Desire. The problem is that
we become attached to things as they
are and so we resist change. The
Buddha says so often we are not
satisfied with what we do have and that
we want what we don’t have.
The Third Noble Truth

The Third Noble Truth:To End Suffering,
End Desire. The essence of this truth is
this: I cannot change the outside world,
but I can change myself and the way I
experience the world.
The Fourth Noble Truth

The Fourth Noble Truth: Release from
Suffering Is Possible and Can Be
Attained by Following the Noble
Eightfold Path. This is the way of life
prescribed for Buddhists who want to
enter nirvana.
Nirvana

The ultimate goal of Buddhism is
nirvana. The term nirvana suggests
many things: end of suffering, inner
peace, and liberation from the
limitations of the world. To reach
nirvana, Buddhism suggests the Noble
Eightfold Path.
The Noble Eightfold Path

1. Right Understanding: I recognize the
impermanence of life, the mechanism of
desire, and the cause of suffering. The
idea is to have as good a “map” of the
journey and of reality as possible.
The Noble Eightfold Path

2. Right Intention: My thoughts and
motives are pure, not tainted by my
emotions and selfish desires.This can
also be described as commitment to
ethical and mental self-improvement.
The Noble Eightfold Path

3. Right Speech: I speak honestly and
kindly, in positive ways, avoiding lies,
exaggeration, harsh words. This is the
first principle of ethical conduct in the
eightfold path. To think carefully about
what you are going to say in a
mindfulness practice.
The Noble Eightfold Path

4. Right Action: My actions do not hurt
any other being that can feel hurt,
including animals; I avoid stealing and
sexual conduct that would bring hurt.
Unwholesome actions lead to unsound
states of mind, while wholesome actions
lead to sound states of mind.
The Noble Eightfold Path

5. Right Work: My job does no harm to
myself or others. Any occupation that
would violate the principles of right
speech and right action should be
avoided. When you consider how much
time we spend at work, it is good to
have a job that facilitates spiritual
practice.
The Noble Eightfold Path

6. Right Effort: With moderation, I
consistently try to improve. Right effort
also hold out the idea that we can use
our energy properly or improperly. The
goal is to not waste our precious
energy, especially in negative emotions.
The Noble Eightfold Path

7. Right Meditation: I use the disciplines
of meditation (dhyana) and focused
awareness to contemplate the nature of
reality more deeply. This includes the
practice of mindfulness, that is, seeing
things as they are, with clear
awareness.
The Noble Eightfold Path

8. Right Contemplation: I cultivate
states of blissful inner peace (samadhi).
I do this by cultivating one-pointedness
of mind, meaning a state where all
mental faculties are united. I
concentrate on wholesome thoughts
and actions. Meditation is a key tool.
Dhyana

Dhyana means “meditation.” Often it
refers to the focusing of the mind.
Sometimes it refers to stages of trance.
Ultimately it is about learning to
experience “choiceless awareness,”
simple attention, without judgment, to
the present moment.
Samadhi

Samadhi is a state of deep awareness,
the result of intensive meditation.
Theravada

The Theravada school takes its name
from its goal of passing on the Buddha’s
teachings unchanged. Its name means
“the way of the elders.”
Arhat

In Theravada, a person who has
practiced monastic discipline and
reached nirvana, the ideal.
Sutra

A sutra is a sacred text, especially one
said to contain the words of the Buddha.
Tripitaka

Tripitaka refers to the three “baskets,” or
collections, of Buddhist texts. These are
the earliest of the Buddha’s teachings.
Stupa

A stupa is a Buddhist shrine, usually in
the shape of a dome, used to mark
Buddhist relics or sacred sites.
Mahayana

Mahayana is the second great branch of
Buddhism, a word that is usually
translated as “big vehicle.” Mahayana
emphasizes that nirvana is not only
attainable by monks but is a possibility
for everyone.
Compassion

In Mahayana, wisdom remained an
important goal, but the pairing of
wisdom and compassion was central to
its teachings. Compassion became an
essential virtue and the preeminent
expression of wisdom.
Bodhisattva

A bodhisattva is an “enlightenment
being”; in Mahayana, a person of deep
compassion, especially one who does
not enter nirvana but is constantly
reborn to help others; a heavenly being
of compassion.
Shunyata

Shunyata is the Mahayana notion of
emptiness, meaning that the universe is
empty of permanent reality. The notion
of emptiness suggests that everything is
related. Nothing is independent. There
are no barriers between things.It also
implies potentiality.
Tathata

Tathata means “thatness,” “thusness,”
or “suchness.” Tathata represents a
view of experience that says that reality
is revealed in each moment, as we
savor patterns, relationships, and
change.
Mandalas

Mandalas are geometrical designs that
present reality in symbolic form. They
often represent totality, the self, or the
universe. They are used for meditation
as well as decorative art.
Satori

In Zen, satori is the enlightened
awareness. It brings an awareness of
the unity of oneself with the rest of the
universe. This experience of ultimate
unity brings new insights and emotions
to the art of living; less anxiety over
attaining goals, less concern about
death, and an appreciation for the
preciousness of everyday life.
Zazen

The most fundamental Zen technique
for reaching enlightenment is regular
‘sitting meditation,” called zazen. The
mind becomes more peaceful, and
ideally, with long practice, a state of
simple awareness takes over as one’s
“true nature” is revealed.
Koan

A koan is a special kind of question
used for attaining awareness. It is a
question that cannot be answered
logically. It frustrates the brain and
facilitates an opening to pure
awareness, bringing awakening.
Vajrayana

Vajrayana means the “vehicle of the
diamond” or “vehicle of the lightning
bolt. Some consider this school to be a
part of Mahayana Buddhism, but many
consider it a third major a school of
Buddhism. It is the Buddhism of Tibet
and the Dalai Lama.
Lama

A lama is a Tibetan Buddhist teacher. It
is a title of honor given to all Tibetan
monks.