Buddhism Midterm Readings (1)

Account of the Beginning

Tells the story of the life of Buddha. How he grew up in a rich kingdom protected from old people, monks, dead people. He then breaks out of the kingdom one night and starves himself to achieve enlightenment. He realizes that is not the right way to go so he finds the middle path and achieves enlightenment.

Great Discourse on Final Nirvana

14 Stages the Buddha gives teachings to different audiences Spends final retreat meditating with Ananda in the forest Questions where authority is once Buddha dies Buddha requests "Pigs Delight" (No one else can survive it) Buddhas skin is bright on 2 occasions Achieves enlightenment Passes into nirvana Death position - propped on right hand about to die Pay respects to 4 places Site of birth Site of enlightenment Site of first teaching Site of parinirvana Body cremated Channa should be shunned for siding w/ nuns instead of monks Last words "All conditioned things are of a nature to decay - strive untiringly" Buddha's remains taken by locals

Discourse on Loving-Kindness

A group of monks go into the forest to meditate during the rains Spirits inhabit the trees were disturbed by the monks and harass them in the night The monks go to the Buddha for help Buddha says to fill the forest with thoughts of loving-kindness and the spirits stopped Buddha says that one who abandons wrong views, is virtuous, has developed insight, and is not attached to the objects of the senses "does not come to lie again in a womb" - never be reborn again. Potential Quotes "Does not come to lie again in a womb"

Legend of Ashoka

Ashoka is the most famous king Ashoka's son Kunala is born with the most beautiful sparkling radiant eyes. Named Kunala because eyes like the Kunala bird Man predicts Kunala will lose his eyes Tishyarakshita, Ashokas wife, comes on to Kunala and he rejects her She wishes revenge and devises a plan to tear his eyes out Ashoka gives her the monarchy for 7 days and she orders people to tear out his eyes King has 2 nightmares of Kunala losing his eyes A ravaged man tears out Kunala's eyes Kunala begs for food and plays music then is eventually brought back to Ashoka He punishes his wife for harming Kunala and because Kunala has no hate he magically gets his eyes back In his past like he took eyes out of 500 gazelles but was reincarnated as a human because he rebuilt the statue of the Buddha.

The Noble Search

Buddha hears monks discussing the dharma. He says there are two kinds of searches, noble and ignoble. Ignoble = someone subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death goes in search for what is also subject to birth, aging, sickness, death Noble = someone subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death goes in search for nirvana Begins to explain this to the Bhikkhus Ex: "And what may be said to be subject to ageing? Wife and children are subject to ageing, men and women slaves, goats and sheep, fowl and pigs..." He leaves his kingdom in search for enlightenment and throws on a robe goes into homelessness. Finds teacher, Alara Kalama, but is not satisfied because quickly reaches the same level as him. Finds second teacher, Uddaka Ramaputta but does the same thing. Eventually achieves nirvana and goes to teach it to those with little dust in their eyes. Begins to teach the Bhikkhus his dharma.

Discourse on Good Fortune

Buddha is approached by a radiant deity Deity asks Buddha to describe true good fortune Buddha describes what good fortune is Starts with "Thus have I heard" Potential Quotes "This is supreme good fortune"

Songs of the Female Elders

Buddha's stepmother Mahapajapati asked Buddha to allow women to enter the order Mahapajapati and 500 other women dressed as monks follow the Buddha Ananda asks if they can enter the order and Buddha refuses again After Ananda's third request, the Buddha decides to let women enter the order Creates the eight "heavy rules" (Codify the inferiority of nuns to monks) Said his teaching would last for 100 years but only 500 after women are allowed in After the Buddha died the monks brought five charges against Ananda Usually women who join order lack protection of father, husband or son Buddha ordains his son as a monk and ordains stepmother as a nun Stepmother and other nuns go on to achieve enlightenment Nuns experiences recounted in book of poems Potential Quotes "Ananda asked him how monks should behave toward women. The Buddha replied, 'Do not look at them.' Ananda asked how monks should behave if they happen to see a women. The Buddha replied, 'Do not speak to them.' 'But if they speak to us?' Ananda asked. The Buddha said, 'Practice mindfulness, Ananda.'"

Path of Purification

Buddhaghosa - a very important monk Composed the Visuddhimagga which explains the three trainings (Ethics, Meditation, Wisdom) This passage talks about Meditation Explains the importance of lovingkindness, compassion, gladness, and equanimity To start review the danger in hate and the advantage in patience Gives the Silavant Birth Story Had no hate even as his head was cut off Has been reincarnated into the body of many different animals and killed each time with no hate Potential Quotes "No Higher rule, the Buddhas say, than patience, And no nibbana higher than forbearance" "No greater thing exists than patience" "Will not this kamma of yours that has anger as its source lead to your own harm?" "Bhikkhus, it is not easy to find a being who has not formerly been your mother... your father... your brother... your son... your daughter." "Be free from enmity, affliction and anxiety, and live happily." "All beings"

Letter to Kanishka

Matricheta, a monk, composed poems of advice to the kings The Buddha predicted that he would be reborn as a great poet in the future The monk wrote advice on how to rule with wisdom and compassion, emphasizing to always remember that death can come at any moment Avoid these things leading to ruin These are true friends, relatives, allies These four types of people are not desirable Do not kill and treat animals with the same compassion you would treat humans

Setting the Wheel of Dharma in Motion

Summary: Buddha sets the wheel of dharma in motion by teaching the Bhikkhus the middle way, four noble truths, and the eightfold path. One of the Bhikkhus (Kodanna) becomes enlightened just by hearing the Buddha speak. Quotes: "This noble truth of suffering is to be fully understood': thus, bhikkhus in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, true knowledge, and light."

The Three Knowledges

There were other competing religions at the time of the Buddha The Buddha says no Brahmins have actually seen Brahma Vashetta and Bharadvaja argue over the path to Brahma and go to the Buddha The Buddha says neither of them are right... no Brahmin has seen Brahma face to face Gives a lot of analogies to explain what a Brahmins teachings are like Like a man trying to cross a river if he is tied down Basically calls their talks pointless They ask the Buddha to teach them the path to seeing Brahma Buddha says they must refrain from desires Once you do this you will experience a great relief... you will see you were living in pain Like you were in a dark world and have finally seen the light They thank the Buddha and announce themselves to be lay followers Potential Quotes "This is the only straight path"

Knowledge of Origins

Vasettha and Bharadvaja, who left their family and Brahmin caste in hopes to become monks, listen to the lord talk on the Dhamma. Vasettha and Bharadvaja explain how they are rejected by their peers for this decision. The Lord explains how people of all castes can be considered ascetics. He goes on to tell the creation story. One mass of water, no moon and no sun, no male or female Sweet substance developed over the Earth and being tried it Moon and sun appeared Continued feasting on the substance Developed difference in looks (people grew conceited) Developed sex organs, built houses to have sex Hoarded rice in their houses and stole from each other Lying, punishment, and power hierarchy developed from this Describes How Caste System was created Brahmin: The people who "Put Aside Evil and Unwholesome Things." Made leaf-huts in forest places and meditated in them. Khattiya: "The People's Choice" Vaishya: "Various" People who paired off, adopted various trades Shudra: "They are base who live by the chase" servant caste