Name:vvk •
Title: Are Buddhists Idol Worshippers? •
Date posted: 11/26/11 2:26
Q: A piece of clay or bronze or jade is not the object of our respect and worship. When we bow before Buddha images, we are recalling the qualities of the enlightened beings. It is their impartial love and compassion, generosity, morality, patience, joyous effort, concentration and wisdom that we are showing respect to. The statue or painting serves to remind us of the qualities of the Buddha, and it is the qualities, not the clay, that we are bowing to. We need not have a statue in front of us in order to bow to or respect the Buddhas and their qualities.
For example, if we go to a place far away from our family, we think about them and feel much love. But we also like to have a photo of them with us to remember them better. When we look at the photo and feel love for our family, we are not loving the paper and ink of the photo! The photo merely strengthens our memory. It is similar with a statue or painting of the Buddha.
By showing respect to the Buddhas and their qualities, we are inspired to develop these extraordinary qualities on our own mind streams. We become like the people we respect. When we take the love-kindness and wisdom of the Buddhas as our example, we strive to become like them
Are Buddhists Idol Worshippers?
Buddhists are not idol worshippers but ideal worshippers.
Although it is customary amongst Buddhists to keep Buddha images and to pay their respects to the Buddha, Buddhists are not idol worshippers. Idolatry generally means erecting images of unknown gods and goddesses in various shapes and sizes and to pray directly to these images. The prayers are a request to the gods for guidance and protection. The gods and goddesses are asked to bestow health, wealth, property and to provide for various needs; they are asked to forgive transgressions.
The 'worshipping' at the Buddha image is quite a different matter. Buddhists revere the image of the Buddha as a gesture to the greatest, wisest, most benevolent, compassionate and holy man who has ever lived in this world. It is a historical fact that this great man actually lived in this world and has done a great service to mankind. The worship of the Buddha really means paying homage, veneration and devotion to Him and what He represents, and not to the stone or metal figure.
The image is a visual aid that helps one to recall the Buddha in the mind and to remember His great qualities which inspired millions of people from generation to generation throughout the civilized world. Buddhists use the statue as a symbol and as an object of concentration to gain a peace of mind. When Buddhists look upon the image of the Buddha, they put aside thoughts of strife and think only of peace, serenity, calmness and tranquillity. The statue enables the mind to recall this great man and inspires devotees to follow His example and instructions. In their mind, the devout Buddhists feel the living presence of the Master. This feeling makes their act of worship become vivid and significant. The serenity of the Buddha image influences and inspires them to observe the right path of conduct and thought.
An understanding Buddhist never asks favours from the image nor does he request forgiveness for evil deeds committed. An understanding Buddhist tries to control his mind, to follow the Buddha's advice, to get rid of worldly miseries and to find his salvation.
Those who criticize Buddhists for practising idol worship are really misinterpreting what Buddhists do. If people can keep the photographs of their parents and grandparents to cherish in their memory, if people can keep the photographs of kings, queens, prime ministers, great heroes, philosophers, and poets, there is certainly no reason why Buddhists cannot keep their beloved Master's picture or image to remember and respect Him.
What harm is there if people recite some verses praising the great qualities of their Master? If people can lay wreaths on the graves of beloved ones to express their gratitude, what harm is there is Buddhists too offer some flowers, joss-sticks, incense, etc., to their beloved Teacher who devoted His life to help suffering humanity? People make statues of certain conquering heroes who were in fact murderers and who were responsible for the death of millions of innocent people. For the sake of power, these conquerors committed murder with hatred, cruelty and greed. They invaded poor countries and created untold suffering by taking away lands and properties of others, and causing much destruction. Many of these conquerors are regarded as national heroes; memorial services are conducted for them and flowers are offered on their graves and tombs. What is wrong then, if Buddhists pay their respects to their world honored Teacher who sacrificed His worldly pleasures for the sake of Enlightenment to show others the Path of Salvation?
Images are the language of the subconscious. Therefore, the image of the Enlightened One is often created within one's mind as the embodiment of perfection, the image will deeply penetrate into the subconscious mind and (if it is sufficiently strong enough)can act as an automatic brake against impulses. The recollection of the Buddha produces joy, invigorate the mind and elevates man from states of restlessness, tension and frustration. Thus the worship of the Buddha is not a prayer in its usual sense but a meditation. Therefore, it is not idol worship, but 'ideal' worship. Thus Buddhists can find fresh strength to build a shrine of their lives. They cleanse their hearts until they feel worthy to bear the image in their innermost shrine. Buddhists pay respects to the great person who is represented by the image. They try to gain inspiration from His Noble personality and emulate Him. Buddhists do not see the Buddha image as a dead idol of wood or metal or clay. The image represents something vibrant to those who understand and are purified in thought, word and deed.
The Buddha images are nothing more than symbolic representations of His great qualities. It is not unnatural that the deep respect for the Buddha should be expressed in some of the finest and most beautiful forms of art and sculpture the world has ever known. It is difficult to understand why some people look down on those who pay respect to images which represent holy religious teachers.
The calm and serene image of the Buddha has been a common concept of ideal beauty. The Buddha's image is the most precious, common asset of Asian cultures. Without the image of the Buddha, where can we find a serene, radiant and spiritually emancipated personality?
But the image of the Buddha is appreciated not only by Asian or Buddhists. Anatole France in his autobiography writes, 'On the first of May, 1890, chance led me to visit the Museum in Paris. There standing in the silence and simplicity of the gods of Asia, my eyes fell on the statue of the Buddha who beckoned to suffering humanity to develop understanding and compassion. If ever a god walked on this earth, I felt here was He. I felt like kneeling down to Him and praying to Him as to a God.
Once a general left an image of the Buddha as a legacy to Winston Churchill. The general said, 'if ever your mind gets perturbed and perplexed, I want you to see this image and be comforted.' What is it that makes the message of the Buddha so attractive to people who have cultivated their intellect? Perhaps the answer can be seen in the serenity of the image of the Buddha.
Not only in color and line did men express their faith in the Buddha and the graciousness of His Teaching. Human hands wrought in metal and stone to produce the Buddha image that is one of the greatest creations of the human genius. Witness the famous image in the Abhayagiri Vihara in Sri Lanka, or the Buddha image of Sarnath or the celebrated images of Borobudur. The eyes are full of compassion and the hands express fearlessness, or goodwill and blessings, or they unravel some thread of thought or call the earth to witness His great search for Truth. Wherever the Dhamma went, the image of the great Teacher went with it, not only as an object of worship but also as an object of meditation and reverence. 'I known nothing,'says Keyserling,' more grand in this world than the figure of the Buddha. It is an absolutely perfect embodiment of spirituality in the visible domain.'
A life so beautiful, a heart so pure and kind, a mind so deep and enlightened, a personality so inspiring and selfless -- such a perfect life, such a compassionate heart, such a calm mind, such a serene personality is really worthy of respect, worthy of honour and worthy of offering. The Buddha is the highest perfection of mankind.
The Buddha image is the symbol, not of a person, but of Buddhahood -- that to which all men can attain though few do. For Buddhahood is not for one but for many: 'The Buddhas of the past ages, the Buddhas that are yet to come, the Buddha of the present age; humbly I each day adore.'
However, it is not compulsory for every Buddhist to have a Buddha image to practise Buddhism. Those who can control their mind and the senses, can certainly do so without an image as an object. If Buddhists truly wish to behold the Buddha in all the majestic splendor and beauty of His ideal presence, they must translate His Teachings into practice in their daily lives. It is in the practice of His Teachings that they can come closer to Him and feel the wonderful radiance of His undying wisdom and compassion. Simply respecting the images without following His Sublime Teachings is not the way to find salvation.
We must also endeavor to understand the spirit of the Buddha. His Teaching is the only way to save this troubled world. In spite of the tremendous advantages of science and technology, people in the world today are filled with fear, anxiety and despair. The answer to our troubled world is found in the Teaching of the Buddha.
Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera
Name:sam •
Date: 11/26/11 22:37
A: Hi V V K,
From, "BBC - religion:
"All Buddhist temples contain an image or a statue of Buddha.
Worship
There are as many forms of Buddhist worship as there are schools of Buddhism - and there are many of those.
Worship in Mahayana tradition takes the form of devotion to Buddha and to Bodhisattvas.
Worshippers may sit on the floor barefoot facing an image of Buddha and chanting. They will listen to monks chanting from religious texts, perhaps accompanied by instruments, and take part in prayers."
"At home
Buddhists will often set aside a room or a part of a room as a shrine. There will be a statue of Buddha, candles, and an incense burner."
{BUDDHIST WORSHIP BUDDHA AT ALL TIMES, TODAY THEY TRY TO SAY THAT THEY ARE NOT WORSHIPPING BUDDHA, BUT IT IS JUST A KIND OF RESPECT !!!.}
"Early in the Buddhist tradition, we don't find statues or images of the Buddha, but Shrines."
{NO ONE KNOWS HOW BUDDHA LOOKS LIKE, BUT THEY CREATED AN IMAGE FOR HIM AND USE IT FOR THEIR PRAYERS, AND THAT IS WORSHIPPING BUDDHA. The smart guy who compare that to the picture of a family member, is completely wrong, because when you look at your father picture you are sure that is his real picture, but no one knows exactly how Buddha looks like, and those pictures and statues of Buddha are someone creation.}
"Buddhist worship is very similar to the worship you would find in the Hindu tradition. You make offerings to the image: fruit, flowers, incense, sometimes a candle. Another important thing to do is simply to see the image. In classical Indian worship, one of the things that you do is to go to the image, look at it, and get the sensation that it is looking at you."
"When lay people go to an image and worship it, the principal goal would be to make merit. That is to perform good karma so it would be possible for them to have a better rebirth in a future life."
{V V K, YOU CANNOT DENY THAT YOU BELIEVE IN THE REBIRHT. SO DO YOU THINK BY YOUR WORSHIP TO BUDDHA AND REPEATING HIS WORDS AND STEARING AT HIS FACE, YOU MIGHT GET THE CHANCE TO GET A BETTER REBIRTH, AND INSTEAD OF BECOMING MONKEY , YOU BECAME A DONKEY OR WHATSOEVER.
BY THE WAY DID BUDDHA TOLD , OR MENTION THE KINDS OF ANIMALS THAT THE HUMAN WILL BE REBORN WITH, SINCE THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THEM OUT THERE?.}
"Buddhism and Hinduism have things in commons but they also have enough important differences to make them two distinct religions."
{BOTH HAVE THE SAME ENDING AFTER REBIRTH, MAYBE THE HINDU HAVE MORE COW REBIRTH THAN THE OTHERS.}
Name:vvk •
Date: 11/27/11 8:28
A: BASIC TEACHINGS OF THE BUDDHA Chapter 1
THE THREE UNIVERSAL TRUTHS
One day, the Buddha sat down in the shade of a tree and noticed how beautiful the countryside was. Flowers were blooming and trees were putting on bright new leaves, but among all this beauty, he saw much unhappiness. A farmer beat his ox in the field. A bird pecked at an earthworm, and then an eagle swooped down on the bird. Deeply troubled, he asked, "Why does the farmer beat his ox? Why must one creature eat another to live?"
During his enlightenment, the Buddha found the answer to these questions. He discovered three great truths. He explained these truths in a simple way so that everyone could understand them.
1. Nothing is lost in the universe
The first truth is that nothing is lost in the universe. Matter turns into energy, energy turns into matter. A dead leaf turns into soil. A seed sprouts and becomes a new plant. Old solar systems disintegrate and turn into cosmic rays. We are born of our parents, our children are born of us.
We are the same as plants, as trees, as other people, as the rain that falls. We consist of that which is around us, we are the same as everything. If we destroy something around us, we destroy ourselves. If we cheat another, we cheat ourselves. Understanding this truth, the Buddha and his disciples never killed any animal.
2. Everything Changes
The second universal truth of the Buddha is that everything is continuously changing. Life is like a river flowing on and on, ever-changing. Sometimes it flows slowly and sometimes swiftly. It is smooth and gentle in some places, but later on snags and rocks crop up out of nowhere. As soon as we think we are safe, something unexpected happens.
Once dinosaurs, mammoths, and saber-toothed tigers roamed this earth. They all died out, yet this was not the end of life. Other life forms like smaller mammals appeared, and eventually humans, too. Now we can even see the Earth from space and understand the changes that have taken place on this planet. Our ideas about life also change. People once believed that the world was flat, but now we know that it is round.
3. Law of Cause and Effect
The third universal truth explained by the Buddha is that there is continuous changes due to the law of cause and effect. This is the same law of cause and effect found in every modern science textbook. In this way, science and Buddhism are alike.
The law of cause and effect is known as karma. Nothing ever happens to us unless we deserves it. We receive exactly what we earn, whether it is good or bad. We are the way we are now due to the things we have done in the past. Our thoughts and actions determine the kind of life we can have. If we do good things, in the future good things will happen to us. If we do bad things, in the future bad things will happen to us. Every moment we create new karma by what we say, do, and think. If we understand this, we do not need to fear karma. It becomes our friend. It teaches us to create a bright future.
The Buddha said,
"The kind of seed sown
will produce that kind of fruit.
Those who do good will reap good results.
Those who do evil will reap evil results.
If you carefully plant a good seed,
You will joyfully gather good fruit."
Dhammapada
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Chapter 2
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
Once there was a woman named Kisagotami, whose first-born son died. She was so stricken with grief that she roamed the streets carrying the dead body and asking for help to bring her son back to life. A kind and wise man took her to the Buddha.
The Buddha told her, "Fetch me a handful of mustard seeds and I will bring your child back to life." Joyfully Kisagotami started off to get them. Then the Buddha added, "But the seeds must come from a family that has not known death."
Kisagotami went from door to door in the whole village asking for the mustard seeds, but everyone said, "Oh, there have been many deaths here", "I lost my father", I lost my sister". She could not find a single household that had not been visited by death. Finally Kisagotami returned to the Buddha and said, "There is death in every family. Everyone dies. Now I understand your teaching."
The Buddha said, "No one can escape death and unhappiness. If people expect only happiness in life, they will be disappointed."
Things are not always the way we want them to be, but we can learn to understand them. When we get sick, we go to a doctor and ask:
What's wrong with me?
Why am I sick?
What will cure me?
What do I have to do get well?
The Buddha is like a good doctor. First a good doctor diagnoses the illness. Next he finds out what has caused it. Then he decides what the cure is. Finally he prescribes the medicine or gives the treatment that will make the patient well again.
The Four Noble Truths
1. There is Suffering Suffering is common to all.
2. Cause of Suffering We are the cause of our suffering.
3. End of Suffering Stop doing what causes suffering.
4. Path to end Suffering Everyone can be enlightened.
1. Suffering: Everyone suffers from these thing
Birth- When we are born, we cry.
Sickness- When we are sick, we are miserable.
Old age- When old, we will have ache and pains and find it hard to get around.
Death- None of us wants to die. We feel deep sorrow when someone dies.
Other things we suffer from are:
Being with those we dislike,
Being apart from those we love,
Not getting what we want,
All kinds of problems and disappointments that are unavoidable.
The Buddha did not deny that there is happiness in life, but he pointed out it does not last forever. Eventually everyone meets with some kind of suffering. He said:
"There is happiness in life,
happiness in friendship,
happiness of a family,
happiness in a healthy body and mind,
...but when one loses them, there is suffering."
Dhammapada
2. The cause of suffering
The Buddha explained that people live in a sea of suffering because of ignorance and greed. They are ignorant of the law of karma and are greedy for the wrong kind of pleasures. They do things that are harmful to their bodies and peace of mind, so they can not be satisfied or enjoy life.
For example, once children have had a taste of candy, they want more. When they can't have it, they get upset. Even if children get all the candy they want, they soon get tired of it and want something else. Although, they get a stomach-ache from eating too much candy, they still want more. The things people want most cause them the most suffering. Of course, there are basic things that all people should have, like adequate food, shelter, and clothing. Everyone deserve a good home, loving parents, and good friends. They should enjoy life and cherish their possessions without becoming greedy.
3. The end of suffering
To end suffering, one must cut off greed and ignorance. This means changing one's views and living in a more natural and peaceful way. It is like blowing out a candle. The flame of suffering is put out for good. Buddhists call the state in which all suffering is ended Nirvana. Nirvana is an everlasting state of great joy and peace. The Buddha said, "The extinction of desire is Nirvana." This is the ultimate goal in Buddhism. Everyone can realize it with the help of the Buddha's teachings. It can be experienced in this very life.
4. The path to the end of suffering: The path to end suffering is known as the Noble Eightfold Path. It is also known as the Middle Way.
Chapter 3
THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH
When the Buddha gave his first sermon in the Deer Park, he began the 'Turning of the Dharma Wheel'. He chose the beautiful symbol of the wheel with its eight spokes to represent the Noble Eightfold Path. The Buddha's teaching goes round and round like a great wheel that never stops, leading to the central point of the wheel, the only point which is fixed, Nirvana. The eight spokes on the wheel represent the eight parts of the Noble Eightfold Path. Just as every spoke is needed for the wheel to keep turning, we need to follow each step of the path.
1. Right View. The right way to think about life is to see the world through the eyes of the Buddha--with wisdom and compassion.
2. Right Thought. We are what we think. Clear and kind thoughts build good, strong characters.
3. Right Speech. By speaking kind and helpful words, we are respected and trusted by everyone.
4. Right Conduct. No matter what we say, others know us from the way we behave. Before we criticize others, we should first see what we do ourselves.
5. Right Livelihood. This means choosing a job that does not hurt others. The Buddha said, "Do not earn your living by harming others. Do not seek happiness by making others unhappy."
6. Right Effort. A worthwhile life means doing our best at all times and having good will toward others. This also means not wasting effort on things that harm ourselves and others.
7. Right Mindfulness. This means being aware of our thoughts, words, and deeds.
8. Right Concentration. Focus on one thought or object at a time. By doing this, we can be quiet and attain true peace of mind.
Following the Noble Eightfold Path can be compared to cultivating a garden, but in Buddhism one cultivates one's wisdom. The mind is the ground and thoughts are seeds. Deeds are ways one cares for the garden. Our faults are weeds. Pulling them out is like weeding a garden. The harvest is real and lasting happiness.
UNIT 3
FOLLOWING THE BUDDHA'S TEACHINGS
The Buddha spoke the Four Noble Truths and many other teachings, but at the heart they all stress the same thing. An ancient story explains this well.
Once- a very old king went to see an old hermit who lived in a bird's nest in the top of a tree, "What is the most important Buddhist teaching?" The hermit answered, "Do no evil, do only good. Purify your heart." The king had expected to hear a very long explanation. He protested, "But even a five-year old child can understand that!" "Yes," replied the wise sage, "but even an 80-year-old man cannot do it."
______________________________-__________________________________-__________________________________-__-
THE FIVE PRECEPTS
All religions have some basic rules that define what is good conduct and what kind of conduct should be avoided. In Buddhism, the most important rules are the Five Precepts. These have been passed down from the Buddha himself.
1. No killing Respect for life
2. No stealing Respect for others' property
3. No sexual misconduct Respect for our pure nature
4. No lying Respect for honesty
5. No intoxicants Respect for a clear mind
No killing
The Buddha said, "Life is dear to all beings. They have the right to live the same as we do." We should respect all life and not kill anything. Killing ants and mosquitoes is also breaking this precept. We should have an attitude of loving-kindness towards all beings, wishing them to be happy and free from harm. Taking care of the earth, its rivers and air is included. One way that many Buddhists follow this precept is by being vegetarian.
No stealing
If we steal from another, we steal from ourselves. Instead, we should learn to give and take care of things that belong to our family, to the school, or to the public.
No sexual misconduct
Proper conduct shows respect for oneself and others. Our bodies are gifts from our parents, so we should protect them from harm. Young people should especially keep their natures pure and develop their virtue. It is up to them to make the world a better place to live. In happy families, the husband and wife both respect each other.
No lying
Being honest brings peace into the world. When there is a misunderstanding, the best thing is to talk it over. This precept includes no gossip, no back-biting, no harsh words and no idle speech.
No intoxicants
The fifth precept is based on keeping a clear mind and a healthy body. One day, when the Buddha was speaking the Dharma for the assembly, a young drunkard staggered into the room. He tripped over some monks who were sitting on the floor and started cursing loudly. His breath reeked of alcohol and filled the air with a sickening stench. Mumbling to himself, he reeled out the door.
Everyone was astonished at his rude behavior, but the Buddha remained calm. "Great assembly!" he spoke, "Take a look at this man! He will certainly lose his wealth and good name. His body will grow weak and sickly. Day and night, he will quarrel with his family and friends until they abandon him. The worst thing is that he will lose his wisdom and become stupid."
Little by little, one can learn to follow these precepts. If one sometimes forgets them, one can start all over again. Following the precepts is a lifetime job. If one kills or hurts someone's feelings by mistake, that is breaking the precepts, but it was not done on purpose.
Name:sam •
Date: 11/28/11 0:06
A: Hi V V K ,
In Arabic, we use the word , "BADIHI", and the plural for it , "BADIHIAT", and these words refer to the knowledge which people should know by nature, that is if they had a working brain [NOT DUM], and their senses are open and good to recognize the things which they are part of their life.
As I understand from what you wrote about Buddha main teachings that he came with something new in his philosophy, but there is nothing new.
Everything that he came with is the results of his own life only.
First, in his early life he was living in a palace , and know nothing about the outside world.
Second , he was shocked seeing the truth outside. Poor , sick and dying people.
Third , he spent a lot of time [many years] by himself, trying to find THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION WHY. And even he went and studied Hinduism for that reason.
AND AFTER ALL THAT HE CAME WITH WHAT THE BUDDHISTS CALLS THE TRUTHS:
LET US LOOK AT THOSE TRUTHS AND SEE IF THEY ARE SOMETHING NEW TO THE HUMAN RACE, TO ANY PERSON WHO HAD A GOOD WORKING BRAIN:
Buddha, THREE UNIVERSAL TRUTHS
1. Nothing is lost in the universe . That is "BADIHI" .
2. Everything Changes . That is BADIHI" .
3. Law of Cause and Effect . That is "BADIHI" .
Buddha, Four Noble Truths
1. There is Suffering Suffering is common to all. That is "BADIHI".
2. Cause of Suffering We are the cause of our suffering.
{That is wrong, period. The cause of suffering can come from the outside, and forced unto us, and we are not from the outside force which created our suffering, and we have no power to stop it or eliminate it. For example , a flu virus.}
3. End of Suffering Stop doing what causes suffering.
{ That is another wrong too, the suffering from the flu or any illness is not from our doing.}
4. Path to end Suffering Everyone can be enlightened.
{That is just a philosophy. Forms of Suffering are countless when we talk only about a person, any person, and there is no one on this earth can be enlightened, and live without any suffering [see # 1 , suffering is common to all] , to end suffering that is beyond any logic. Go back to # 3 cause and effect. You got the virus [cause], and you get sick and suffer [effect] , and you cannot stop the cause, and you cannot run from the effect. }
As for THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH , I will give you my opinion in the next post.
Have a good night V V K ,
sam.
Name:vvk •
Date: 11/28/11 8:48
A: Thank for your comment, just take a little time to read philosophy, I will answer you question when it the right time, so it easy to understand.
all above philosophy very easy, (5 year old child can understand.) a little higher step hope it make sense to you.
Conditionality — the fundamental law
The teaching of dependent arising has two aspects:
an abstract principle or what we might call a structural principle
the application of that principle to the problem of suffering
First we’ll briefly explore dependent arising as the most fundamental law underlying every process and all phenomena. This law is beginningless and endless. This structural principle that underlies all phenomena is the law of conditionality. That is, whatever arises, arises in dependence on conditions; everything that exists, exists in dependence on conditions. And without the support of the appropriate conditions, the given phenomena will not be able to remain in existence.
This is illustrated by a formula which explains the conditional arising and cessation of phenomena:
When there is this, that comes to be;
with the arising of this, that arises.
When there is not this, that does not come to be;
with the cessation of this, that ceases.
In order for any factor to come into existence its condition, A, must exist or be operative. B arises through the contribution of its condition, A. As an example, an apple tree exists in dependence on apple seeds. If there is an apple seed, an apple tree can come into existence. If an apple seed comes into being, the tree can come into being.
When A, the condition for the occurrence of B, does not exist, then the phenomenon B will not exist. But as B exists in dependence on A, then with the absence of A, B will not occur, and if A ceases, then B will cease. If there is no apple seed, then there can't be a tree, and if the seed is destroyed, then there can be no growth of the apple tree. For the tree depends on the seed.
A web of events
This law of conditionality is not the creation of the Buddha. It is a law that is always operative whether enlightened ones arise or do not arise. All compounded things come into being in dependence on their conditions.
The apple, for example, does not arise only from the seed. While the seed is the main condition, it also requires soil, water, sunshine, fertilizer, etc. The apple tree in turn has many effects. It gives rise to many apples, and those many apples each contain many seeds, and each of these seeds in turn can become the source for another apple tree which will give rise to more apples.
This whole complex interlocking web of events has no first cause. This is a significant difference between the Buddhist ideas of conditionality and Western ways of thinking. Usually we think that the chain of cause and effect needs a first cause, but for Buddhism there is no original beginning. The succession of causes and conditions has been occurring without any conceivable beginning, without any bounds or limits.
The- twelve factors of dependent arising — the law of causality in effect
The Buddha did not teach dependent arising merely as a theory. Rather it is central to the aim of Dhamma, deliverance from suffering.
The first point to the round of becoming, samsara, cannot be discovered. No matter how far we go back in time, we always find a possibility of going back further. However, though samsara does not have a distinct beginning in time, it does have a distinct causal structure. It is sustained, kept in motion, by a precise set of conditions.
These conditions — the twelve factors — make up the practical side of the Buddha’s teaching on dependent arising. These twelve factors are:
ignorance
volitional formations
consciousness
mentality/materiality,
six sense faculties
contact,
feeling
craving
clingin-g
existence
birth
ageing- and death.
With the arising of this, that arises
The Buddha sets forth these twelve factors of dependent arising as a series of statements — "With A as condition, B arises:"
Dependent on ignorance, volitional formations arise.
Dependent on volitional formations, consciousness arises.
Dependent on consciousness, mentality-materiality arises.
Dependent on mentality-materiality, the six sense faculties arise.
Dependent on the the six sense faculties, faculties contact arises.
Dependent on contact, feeling arises.
Dependent on feeling, craving arises.
Dependent on craving, clinging arises.
Dependent on clinging, existence arises.
Dependent on existence, birth arises.
Dependent on existence, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair arise.
These conditions are the twelve links the chain of causation. That is, they are the most prominent factors in the series of causes and results that make up our experience in samsara. To use another metaphor, they might also be called the twelve spokes in the wheel of existence, a wheel that turns from birth to death and from death back to new birth.
We’ll now explore each of the twelve factors and their conditional relationships.
Ignorance
The Buddha starts the sequence of factors with ignorance, avijja. What is ignorance?
Ignorance is not seeing the Four Noble Truths.
Ignorance, the Buddha says, is not knowing. Not ignorance in the sense of not knowing anything, but rather not seeing the Four Noble Truths — the truth of suffering, its origin, its cessation and the way to its cessation. Ignorance does not mean the mere lack of conceptual understanding of these, but spiritual blindness, not understanding the Four Noble Truths in their full depth and range.
Ignorance is not the 'uncaused' first cause of things. It too arises through conditions. As a mental factor it depends on the minds and bodies of beings. Though it arises through conditions, ignorance is the most fundamental condition. Therefore the Buddha takes this as a starting point for links on the chain of causation.
With ignorance as condition the volitional formations arise
Volitional formations
Dependent on our spiritual blindness we engage in actions grounded in our wrong views, in illusions. We activate our will.
Volitional formations are mental formations. The factor of sankhara is equivalent to kamma, in the sense of volitional formations or acts of will which are expressed outwardly through the body and speech.
With volitional formations as condition consciousness arises
Consciousness
From the Buddhist perspective, consciousness is not regarded as a single persisting entity, a self or a soul which continues unchanged. Consciousness is rather a series of acts of consciousness, each one arising and breaking up like the waves of the ocean. When death occurs the last act of consciousness in this life arises and passes away. But through the force of ignorance and volitional formations, the final act of consciousness generates a new act of consciousness and starts a new existence.
With consciousness as condition mentality-materiality arises
Mentality-materiality
A living being is a compound of five aggregates, the material factor being form and four mental factors being feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness. (See Lesson 6.) On the mental side, associated with consciousness, are the other three factors of feeling, perception and mental formations. These five aggregates continue all the way to death dependent on each other.
With mentality-materiality as condition the six sense faculties arise
The six sense faculties
The six sense faculties are the five physical sense faculties — the eye, ear, nose, tongue and body — as well as the mind faculty. The mind, the organ of thought, coordinates the other sense data and also cognizes its own objects — ideas, images, concepts, etc.
These faculties serve as our means for gathering information about the world. Each faculty can receive the type of sense data appropriate to itself. The eye receives form, the ear sounds, nose smells etc. Thus we come to the next link.
With the six sense faculties as condition contact arises
Contact
Consciousness comes together with the sense objects through the sense faculty. For example, the eye consciousness contacts form through the eye.
With contact as condition feeling arises
Feeling
Feeling is the "effective tone" with which the mind experiences the object, the feeling being determined by the organ through which the feeling arises. For example, there is feeling born of eye contact, feeling born of ear contact, etc. By way of its effective quality, feelings are of three types: pleasant, painful and neutral feelings.
With feeling as condition craving arises
Craving
With this link we take a major step forward in the movement of the wheel of existence. All the factors we have mentioned so far — consciousness, mentality-materiality, the six sense faculties, contact and feeling — arise from volitional formations.
But with the arising of craving, experience moves from the past to the causes operating in the present, those causes which generate a new existence in the future.
When we experience pleasant feelings we become attached to them.
When we experience pleasant feelings we become attached to them. We enjoy them, relish them, crave for a continuation of them. Thus craving arises. When we experience painful feeling, this pain awakens an aversion, a desire to eradicate its source, or to flee from them.
With craving as condition clinging arises
Clinging
Clinging is the intensification of craving. Here we are dealing with the forward movement of the round.
There are four types of clinging:
clinging to sense pleasures
clinging to views, theories and beliefs
clinging to rituals, rules and observances
cling to the notion of a self within the five aggregates
With clinging as condition existence arises
Existence
Bhava is the "kammicly" accumulative side of existence, the phase of life in which we act and accumulate kamma, in which we generate more volitional formations, in which we build up these formations, accumulate them in the flow of consciousness. When these kammas are accumulated after death they bring about a new existence. (You will learn about kamma in the next lesson.)
With existence as condition birth arises
With birth as condition ageing, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair arise
Because we take birth in the future, we pay the inevitable price with ageing and death and also sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair.
The link between feeling and craving is critical. This is why Buddha singles out craving as the origin of suffering in the Four Noble Truths. In our own practice we have to prevent feeling from leading to craving. We have to be mindful and clearly aware of the feeling that arises and not delight in them, hold to them, and cling to them.
Name:sam •
Date: 11/28/11 23:07
A: Hi V V K ,
Thank you for your work.
You said, :
(1) - when it the right time, so it easy to understand.
{WHY trying to avoid answering my question ?. As for me I understand that a smart person can answer few small and easy question right away.
V V K, I am not like you , and I always understand what I read, and I give my answer to the question, and believe me I do fully understand your Buddhist philosophy.
(2)- all above philosophy very easy, (5 year old child can understand.) a little higher step hope it make sense to you.
{ I do agree with you, It is a very simple philosophy, and most of it is known to any person who had a working brain, and who wrote this philosophy lacks the knowledge that they did not come with anything new, specially about the sufferings, and I did explain it well in my other post . all what they came with is "BADIHIAT", that is , "COMMON KNOWLEDGE / COMMON SENSE" no more.
But I do not agree with that a 5 years old will understand your philosphy, and that is a BIG LIE. For example:
Mary ANN Collins , a very well educated NUN wrotes in one of her books ," I BELIEVE IN THE TRINITY BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORK"
[ONE IN THREE AND THREE EQUAL ONE , AND THE FATHER IS THE SON AND THE SON IS THE FATHER !!!!]
So please tell me how can five years old understand the incarnation, and the rebirht after death, and he might turn into monkey or snake or rat after he dies ??????.
..........................-................................
M-y- questions and your answers, side by side:
Q -1- How many books in Buddhism, and how large [pages] they are ?. Are there different books for the Japanese/Chinese/ Tibetans ?
A- 1). 5,320 individual texts(varies, some like bible size, some smaller , some larger) yes they use the same book
{Prof. Dr. Bart Ehrman mentioned that the New Testament has 5700 Manuscripts [if the texts like the manuscripts , then both the Buddhinsm and Christianity have nearly the same volume], and he mentioned that in the manuscripts there are many thousand of contradictions and errors and lies, and all of them written after the death of Jesus [between 35 & 200 years].
Q- 2- When the books were written ? , provide the time.
A- 2)most of them written after the time of Buddha (time varies)
{ ALL of them were written after the time of Buddha, [200 to 500 years]
Q- 3- Which book is written by Buddha ?.
A- 3) I dont know what book written by Buddha.
{As a buddhist , at the least you should know what Buddha wrotes. Your posts are full with knowledge about Buddha and his philosophy, but you tell a lie that you don't know !!!.
Dr. Ehrman, in one of his debates mention a nice story , " while He was teaching a class of 360 students in N. C. Univ. asked his student , "how many of you believe in the Bible as the words of God and holds all the truth" , all the hands were raised. and he asked, "How many of you read the Da vinci book of Dan Brown", all hands raised. and then he asked , "How many of you read the entire Bible ", only scatered hands were raised . Then Dr. Ehrman say to them , " If you believe that the Bible is the words of God , and you read the Da Vincy book cover to cover, YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE WORDS OF YOUR GOD HAD TO SAY ?"
So, V V K, you read all or most of your books, YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW WHAT BOOK bUDDHA WROTE !!! ???.}
Q-4- Who wrote the books which Buddha did not write, provide their names and WHEN ?.
A-4 -a lot of diffence. depending on what book
{The truth is that your religion [Buddhist] books were not written by Buddha, not at all, but by the MONKS , hundreds of them, and everyone put in his book his own thoughts and philosophy, and that went on for hundreds of years, that is exactly how the Christianty evolved, books that no one knows who wrote them but been given names as "accordind to Matthew or according to John etc." and those unknown writers changed the message of Jesus, and ended by make Him God !!!!.
V V K , I think the same happens to the teachings of Buddha, and I think a better term for that religion by collin it "MONKOISM". since it was all come from the Monks.}
Q- 5- Was Buddha a Hindu ?, and did he study Hinduism?.
A- 5 - He Indian Nepalese in the Hindu sociaty, no(no evidence).
{YES , he was a Hindu, lived in India, and he studied Hinduism [He left Rajagaha and practised under two hermit teachers - read the ful story]
And he rejected most of his own religion and kept some of it and what he kept is the incarnation which is the worst of that religion.}
Talk to you later, have a good night.
Name:vvk •
Date: 11/29/11 2:22
A: Hi Sam
I don't argue with you anything. whatever you know that is your knowledge
with you question I refer you can read Buddhist history online. you do not read, and keep ask me again.
i just point out some thing you might not know.
1) Buddhism book , it's not like the Bible or Quran. 1 or 2 book for entire teaching in there
Very subject Buddha talk in one or more book.(in almost 50 year teaching) ( the Sutra about universe his talk in 81 book ) all his book still translate from the ancient language. how can i read all. that why before i tell you i'm still learning you misunderstood i'm new to Buddhism.(monk in Buddhism 80 years pratice still learning too)
2) Buddha study Hindu or not.(his father Indian king, his mom Nepalese queen. He born in Nepal and move back to India) Hinduism been in India for over 8000 year. every one born there all Hindu. like Jesus some source call him Jews. or even say Jesus study Hindu or die in Kashmir India too. so depend on what source you learn from.
Hinduism is very large meaning. . Religion, or all social activities study.... He born and raise in the kingdom. He study or religion, social life or meditation or what. your question is not clear ( Did he study Hinduism)( now kid in school not mean they study Christian in western countries or Muslim in Arab countries)
3)It's like Jesus or Mohammed at the time they die Bible or Quran don't have yet. whatever teaching will collect or write out later. in Buddhism ( refer you read Buddhist council)
4)If you call monk religion it ok , because Buddha he himself a monk too. his student have 4 type: monk, nun, men and women
5) I know you never read any Buddhism book (Sutra)yet, maybe some part here and there . Because all beginning of the book they always say. who wrote it, where it from or who translated...
6)I could not tell you the time. because in different countries they use different calendar. even the time in Theravada or Mahayana (2 main Buddhist group in the world) some different too, about history of Buddha.
7)The monk (his student) write the book it has some value too, They will practice with the way of that monk practice. if it suitable form some one(every one is different)Like the son of Buddha Study Buddhism not from him but from his student.
8)If you don't like me exchange about Buddhism philosophy, I don't,. unless a little to prove somewhere need it.( because it's not your belief system, you might not like to read it)
9)Most what you find out online that is very basic about Buddhism. (because they might not tell you Buddha sutra. if they don't know how you can bear it or not ,They don't like you to create bad Karma for yourself because of them.)
10) With Mahayana Buddhist (Japan, Vietnam, China, Korea ,Taiwan Tibet...), a lot of them learn from Buddha student too, they have their own way to test that method in Buddhism or not., the important to them what's teaching in there, (not like some religion have to be from God, and whatever teaching not important . God's book is sealed no reformation accepted).
