ZADAN ~ Mind

What is Buddhism?

Buddhism is a tradition that has existed for 2,500 years that's core teachings are contained in a 57 volume set of books called the Tripitika. It might seem that with a 2,500 year old Encyclopedia at it's center that it is quite possibly in-accessible or out dated. This article will deal with the central hypothesis of the Tripitika, which is just as relevant today as it was 2 and a half millennia ago.

These are four truths about reality that are 'noble' to understand, commonly called "the four noble truths":

1. Dissatisfaction/suffering exist

2. Dissatisfaction/suffering have a natural origin

3. Uprooting that origin will end it's arising.

4. There is a path to do this

Then it gives an 'noble' 8-fold path (don't think of these as commands, think of them as guide markings along a path):

(The first two deal with wisdom)

1. Correct Perception

2. Correct Intention

(The next three deal with conduct)

3. Correct Speech

4. Correct Action

5. Correct Livelihood

(The last 3 deal with disciplining the mind)

6. Correct Effort

7. Correct Mindfulness

8. Correct Concentration

Keep in mind that this is a training program. If an athlete wants to train for the Olympics, she needs to follow very specific methods, rigorously. Just changing you diet won't get you in shape, just plain exercising won't get you in shape, just mental discipline wont get you there, you need the whole program. I've heard coaches say "practice doesn't make perfect: perfect practice makes perfect."

Think of India in 500 BCE as being a form of mental Olympics, and Buddhism being the culmination of all of those disciplines aimed at an uncompromising elimination of suffering and pursuit of selfless compassion.

But Siddhartha Gautama was realistic. He knew and understood that everyone deals with reality on their own level, and not everyone going to the Olympics. So when people came to him and asked him for advise he addressed them where they were, and in a practical manner.

For people who wanted his advise on helping them deal with their circumstances he gave a wide and diverse set of teachings, all of them involving directing you to closely watch your own actions and see the results. Many of them revolving around these 5 precepts:

1. Train yourself to refrain from killing

2. Train yourself to refrain from stealing

3. Train yourself to refrain from miss-using sexuality

4. Train yourself to refrain from speaking what is false

5. Train your self to refrain from using substances that cause negligence

Central to these is the notion of skillful action and developing compassion for all beings. These 5 are consider skilful means of conduct, skilful conduct gets skilful results, unskillful conduct gets unskillful results.

Further article on Buddhism are in the works, to go deeper into the training methods, meditation and the advice of The Buddha for people of all places in life.

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