The Goals (4)

1
The Goals (4)

• What is the final aim of existence?
• The final aim of existence is to attain
  Enlightenment.

2
Sub-topics

• The Third Noble Truth Nibbana as awakening to
  the true nature of Reality and becoming one with
  Reality as blowing out of the fires which lead
  to rebirth.
• Theravada and Mahayana beliefs about
  Enlightenment should be addressed.

3
Therevada Buddhism

• The way of the elders
• Historical Buddha, now dead and beyond our
  contact. He is Tathagata thus gone.
• Nibbana achieved through life as a monk or nun.
• Ideal is to be an Arhat (worthy one), a living
  Buddha who has attained Buddhahood entirely by
  his own efforts.

4
Theravada Buddhism

• Nothing can help you through prayer.
• Sees its task as transferring the purity of the
  Buddhas Dharma from generation to generation.

5
Theravada

• Historical Buddhas teachings only.
• Siddhartha achieved enlightenment after many
  lifetimes.
• By his own efforts alone.
• Buddha is Tathagata. Beyond our contact.

6
Therevada who are they?

• Strongest in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Cambodia.
• Remain close to original teachings of Buddha.

7
Therevada Understanding

• Only achievable by following Noble Eightfold
  Path.
• Lay people can only hope to be reborn as a male
  monk.
• Lay support monks, monks give good Karma to Lay.

8
Check Your Learning

• Therevada Buddhism

9
Mahayana

• Ultimate goal is not to be an Arhat but a
  Bodhisattva (a being who is free from Samsara but
  who returns to save others still locked in the
  cycle).

10
Mahayana

• The heavenly Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can help
  those who call upon them in devotion.
• More ritual in Mahayana as a means of focus and
  fulfillment of emotional needs of a broad variety
  of Buddhists.

11
Mahayana

• Most important virtue in Mahayana is compassion
  for others.
• Along with compassion there is wisdom.
• The word Mahayana means great vehicle. It is
  called this because it has so many different
  forms that one is bound to suit everyone.
• Great variety WITHIN Mahayana.

12
Mahayana

• Three bodies of the Buddha
• Earthly Buddhas like Siddhartha Gautama
• Heavenly Buddhas who have their paradises
• Buddha as representing ultimate reality without
  body

13
Mahayana Buddhism

• Believe that Therevada Buddhism is too narrow and
  individualistic.
• Bodhisattvas are dedicated to helping others
  attain enlightenment.
• Many varieties

14
Pure Land(China/Korea/Japan)

• Began because Amitabha (left) believed that
  people are too attached to world and cannot leave
  Samsara without assistance.
• If you call upon his name he will help. Seen as
  a saviour.

15
Pure Land cont.

• Pure Land Buddhists believe that through chanting
  Amitabhas name they may be reborn into a better
  world- the Pure Land.
• The Pure Land is a place where it is easier to
  achieve Nibbana.

16
Tibetan Buddhism

• Tibetan Buddhists believe that everyone has a
  Buddha nature.
• Each Buddhist has gained a perfect rebirth and so
  should devote their life to spiritual progress
  and attaining Nibbana.

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Tibetan cont.

• Being reborn as a human (particularly as a
  Buddhist) is as rare as a blind turtle swimming
  in a vast ocean, only surfacing once a century
  and putting its head through a small ring
  floating at the surface.
• The opportunity shouldnt be wasted!

18
Zen BuddhismJapan in particular

• Zen Buddhism finds enlightenment out with
  scriptures and even words an letters.
• The essence of Zen is to understand the meaning
  of life directly without being misled by logical
  thought or language
• All beings by nature are Buddhas, as ice by
  nature is water. Apart from water there is no
  ice apart from beings, no Buddhas.

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Zen cont.

• Zen looks inward for enlightenment. There is no
  need to search outside ourselves for the answers
  we can find the answers in the same place that we
  found the questions.
• Human beings can't learn this truth by
  philosophising or rational thought, nor by
  studying scriptures, taking part in worship rites
  and rituals.

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Zen cont.

• The first step is to control our minds through
  meditation and other techniques that involve mind
  and body to give up logical thinking and avoid
  getting trapped in a spider's web of words.
• Can you experience a satori?

21
Zen koans

• A Cup of Tea
• Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era
  (1868-1912), received a university professor who
  came to inquire about Zen.
• Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup
  full, and then kept on pouring.
• The professor watched the overflow until he no
  longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull.
  No more will go in!"
• "Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of
  your own opinions and speculations. How can I
  show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

22
Zen koans

• Obedience
• The master Bankei's talks were attended not only
  by Zen students but by persons of all ranks and
  sects. He never quoted sutras not indulged in
  scholastic dissertations. Instead, his words were
  spoken directly from his heart to the hearts of
  his listeners.
• His large audience angered a priest of the
  Nichiren sect because the adherents had left to
  hear about Zen. The self-centered Nichiren priest
  came to the temple, determined to have a debate
  with Bankei.
• "Hey, Zen teacher!" he called out. "Wait a
  minute. Whoever respects you will obey what you
  say, but a man like myself does not respect you.
  Can you make me obey you?"
• "Come up beside me and I will show you," said
  Bankei.

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Zen koans

• Obedience
• Proudly the priest pushed his way through the
  crowd to the teacher.
• Bankei smiled. "Come over to my left side."
• The priest obeyed.
• "No," said Bankei, "we may talk better if you
  are on the right side. Step over here."
• The priest proudly stepped over to the right.
• "You see," observed Bankei, "you are obeying me
  and I think you are a very gentle person. Now sit
  down and listen."

24
Zen koans

• Announcement
• Tanzan wrote sixty postal cards on the last day
  of his life, and asked an attendant to mail them.
  Then he passed away.
• The cards read
• I am departing from this world.This is my last
  announcement.
• TanzanJuly 27, 1892

25
Zen koans

• The Most Valuable Thing in the World
• Sozan, a Chinese Zen master, was asked by a
  student "What is the most valuable thing in the
  world?"
• The master replied "The head of a dead cat."
• "Why is the head of a dead cat the most valuable
  thing in the world?" inquired the student.
• Sozan replied "Because no one can name its
  price."

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Zen koans

• The Stone Mind
• Hogen, a Chinese Zen teacher, lived alone in a
  small temple in the country. One day four
  travelling monks appeared and asked if they might
  make a fire in his yard to warm themselves.
• While they were building the fire, Hogen heard
  them arguing about subjectivity and objectivity.
  He joined them and said "There is a big stone.
  Do you consider it to be inside or outside your
  mind?"
• One of the monks replied "From the Buddhist
  viewpoint everything is an objectification of
  mind, so I would say that the stone is inside my
  mind."
• "Your head must feel very heavy," observed
  Hogen, "if you are carrying around a stone like
  that in your mind."

27
Zen koans

• If you see Buddha, kill him.

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Therevada and Mahayana

• Way of the elders.
• Accept only the teachings of the historical
  Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama).

• Greater vehicle.
• Interpret and adapt teachings to suit.
  Furthermore, there have been and are many
  Buddhas who can help you attain Nibbana.

29
Therevada and Mahayana

• The highest aim is to become an Arhat, or worthy
  one. To escape from the cycle of suffering,
  Samsara. To attain liberation from Dukkha.

• The highest aim is to become a Bodhisattva, or
  enlightened being and help others reach
  Nibbana, to become an Arhat could be seen as
  selfish. The key concept to emphasise here is
  compassion. The Bodhisattva deliberately chooses
  to stay in the Samsaric cycle to help the
  unenlightened reach Nibbana.

30
Therevada and Mahayana

• 3 Areas for personal development Morality
  (Sila), Concentration (Samadhi) and Wisdom
  (Panna).

• Bodhicitta motivation of compassion and the
  liberation of all beings from suffering.

31
Therevada and Mahayana

• To become an Arhat there are 4 stages of
  progression p.83

• Develop the 6 perfections generosity, morality,
  patience, effort, concentration and wisdom. The
  Bodhisattva is the perfect combination of wisdom
  and compassion.

32
Therevada and Mahayana

• To attain Enlightenment you must be a male monk
  (no need to worry about daily responsibilities
  and obligations of lay person).
• Reaching Nibbana is down to ones self-effort
  alone.

• Anybody can attain Nibbana (some believe you are
  enlightened already).
• There are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas that can
  help you on your quest.

33
Therevada and Mahayana

• To attain Enlightenment you must follow the Noble
  Eightfold Path.
• Methods follow the teachings of the historical
  Buddha, emphasis on causing no harm and
  meditation.

• There are many means to reach Nibbana e.g. Zen
  Koans.
• Generally more ritual as a means of focus.

34
Therevada and Mahayana

• Takes many lifetimes and involves following the
  eightfold path rigorously.

• Satori, for example, can happen instantly.

35
Mahayana Role Models

• The Dalai Lama so spiritually developed almost
  godlike. Often people pray and bow to them.
• A criticism is this what the Buddha taught?

36
Other Mahayana Differences

• Skillful Means or upaya a Bodhisattva will
  know what to do in any situation.
• Ultimate emptiness or shunyata. All things are
  ultimately empty

37
Other Mahayana Differences

• There is no distinction between nirvana and
  samsara
• Nagarjuna
• Ultimate emptiness or shunyata. All things are
  ultimately empty. Nirvana and Samsara are to be
  understood within the framework of the Two
  Truths, Ultimate and Relative. Although
  relatively speaking Nirvana and Samsara are
  opposed, they are both ultimately empty (due to
  Anicca) and are therefore the same.

38
Other Mahayana Differences

• The Ultimate Goal. Mahayana distinguishes
  nirvana (freedom from suffering) from complete
  buddhahood.
• The final aim is to liberate all beings from
  rebirth.

39
Other Mahayana Differences

• Tathagatagarbha nirvana is not something we lack
  and are trying to attain, it is there all the
  time.
• We must only rid our ignorance to it rather than
  acquire new wisdom that we lack.