Chapter 3: Buddhism "Religion of Release"

________ (Suffering): moral and sentient existence includes change, pleasure, pain, and desire- these lead to attachment which leads to suffering and anguish.

(nirvana) is not personal or individual; all fields of suffering must be liberated.

It is the cycle of birth and death which is all marked by suffering.

the origin is obsessive attachment to what we want and obsessive aversion to what we dont want.

nothing is truly metaphysically independent; all things exist in relation to everything else.

________ mix indigenous religious practice with Buddhism (arriving around the 5th- 7th c. CE)

virtues that are practiced collectively cure the aspirants of suffering.

________ are spiritual warriors who delay their own salvation until all sentient beings achieve enlightenment.

The ________ is suffering and anguish caused by ignorance, and the cure is understanding the noble truths and practicing to "wake up "to achieve enlightenment.

they can overcome the misery of the world and reach their own Buddha status by a process of mental, spiritual, and moral purification.

Suffering

reach Nirvana

Theravadin, Mahayana, and Tibetan

find the root cause of suffering and cure it (enlightenment)

virtues that are practiced collectively cure the aspirants of suffering

nothing is truly metaphysically independent; all things exist in relation to everything else

the origin is obsessive attachment to what we want and obsessive aversion to what we dont want

the cure is to practice ridding oneself of such obsession

suffering, track the symptoms of sickness

origin of suffering, diagnosis based on assessment of symptoms (the problem is attachment & aversion)

physical form, sensation-affection, perception, habits, consciousness

"way of the elders" (sometimes called Hinayana, the smaller vehicle)

"the great/larger vehicle"

Vajrayna

Nichiren (Japan), Pure-Land Buddhism, more devotional in nature

zero, or formlessness

Problem: Suffering Solution: reach Nirvana

Old age, disease, death, and a monk

virtues that are practiced collectively cure the aspirants of suffering

nothing is truly metaphysically independent; all things exist in relation to everything else

1. Duke: meaning suffering; pleasure, pain, and desire lead to attachment which leads to suffering and anguish

2. Samudaya: meaning origin of suffering; the origin is the obsessive attachment to what we want, and obsessive aversion to what we don't want

3. Nirodha: meaning cessation of suffering; the cure is to practice ridding oneself of such obsession

4. Marga: meaning the path - Eightfold Path; best accomplished through right views, intentions, right speech, action, etc.

1. understand the 4 Noble Truths

2. Follow the Eightfold Path

3. Understand everything is impermanent

4. Understand the 5 Skandhas (physical form, sensation-affection, perception, habits, consciousness)

Theravada & Mahayana

"way of the elders"; practiced in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and south-east Asia

"the great/larger vehicle"; practiced in Tibet, China, Thailand, and all of America/Europe

A subdivision of Mahayana; a Lamaism/form of Mahayana with Tantric elements and indigenous Tibetan shamanism

• Bodhisattvas are spiritual warriors who delay their own salvation until all sentient beings achieve enlightenment

• emphasis on compassion and altruism

• enlightenment (nirvana) is not personal or individual

1. Vinaya Pitaka, "Discipline Basket"

2. Sutta Pitaka, "Discourse Basket"

3. The Abhidhamma Pitaka, "Special Teaching Basket"