What is Buddhism?
A Brief introduction to the teachings of the Lord Buddha Phraalan Nyan Avajiro A booklet from the 1970's
Web Publication by Mountain Man Graphics, Australia

Introduction

Firstly I would like to acknowledge the author of the following text, What is Buddhism? as Praalan Nyan Avajiro who, at the time of the booklet's publication, was located at Wat Kiriwong, Paknampho, Nakhon Sawan, Thailand. When I first read this article it was the year of 1976, and I was travelling through the Kingdom of Thailand. The article is quoted in full in this web publication, as part of a global collection of writings sub-titled the Publications of Peace and Of Great Souls.

Secondly I wish to state that this publication is entirely non-commercial and represents my own personal research notes during my life's travels. I understand that there may be issues of copyright involved in the reproduction of the entire article, but this work has been done not for commercial but for spiritual gain. The author, I believe, sees his article as one which provides an introduction to the teachings of the Lord Buddha, and as such has awakened an interest to know more. It is the kindling, or rekindling, of the flame of this spirit of awakenment and interest which is a primary concern for the author and myself.

Thirdly, I wish to thank my daughter Jessica, for the transcription of this work. Those readers who see themselves to be the students of life will appreciate the gift of this work by the original author. It is hoped that the following is a resource to all folk.

Pete Brown
Mountain Man Graphics, Australia
In the southern winter of 2001

"If thou would worship in the noblest way,
bring flowers in thy hands.
Their names are these :
Contentment...Peace...Justice"

--- Thus spoke the Tathagata.

A brief introduction to the teachings of the Lord Buddha
by Phraalan Nyan Avajiro

It is of no avail to speculate on whether Buddhism, meaning here the teachings of the Lord Buddha, could best be described as a philosophy, a religion or a metaphysics, for it has most aptly been said on more than one occassion that Buddhism is all things to all men. This brief introduction to the Buddha's teachings will try to show some of the major points and, in particular, their vital relevAnce to the lives of each and every one of us. It should be pointed out at the start that the Buddha spoke against anything being accepted on blind faith. His teachings should, he insisted, be tested like everything else for the truth against the light of this experience should they be accepted by an individual, he said.

A few words on the Buddha himself. He lived more than 2,500 years ago in an area of what is now northern India and Nepal. Born Siddhatta Gotama, he came from an aristocratic family and, although he had all the luxuries life could provide, he renounced this life while still a young man and left his home, including his wife and infant son, in order to seek the truth of existence. For seven years through great mental struggles and severe self-discipline he strived. Then one day seated in meditation under the Bodhi tree, the Tree of Enlightenment, at Buddha-Gaya, he attained his goal after which he was the Buddha, the Enlightened One. For the next 45 years until his death at the age of about 80, the Buddha taught all classes of men and women that which had been revealed to him whilst he was under the Bodhi tree. Today his teachings are followed by millions throughout the world.

THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

The heart of the Buddha's teaching can be found in what are known as The Four Noble Truths. These Universal Truths were the subject of his first sermon given to a group of five ascetics shortly after his Enlightenment. On hearing it, they became his first followers - the first Buddhists, in fact. The Four Noble Truths explain the ills of mankind as being the result of "dukkha". Duukkha is often translated as suffering, giving it is felt, an entirely unnecessary pessimism to the overall teachings. A far more revealing translation is to be found in "unsatisfactoriness". The Four Noble Truths may thus be rendered as:
1. There is unsatisfactoriness.
2. The arising or origin of unsatisfactoriness.
3. The cessation of unsatisfactoriness.
4. The way leading to the cessation of unsatisfactoriness.


UNSATISFACTORINESS

The Buddha did not deny that there could be periods of comparative happiness in the world, but the very fact that such happiness was transient meant that it was unsatisfactory. Happy occasions soon gave way to unhappy ones. True, there was much ordinary suffering in life such as birth, old age, sickness, death, association with unpleasant persons and conditions, separations from loved ones and other pleasant people and conditions, not having ones desires fullfilled, grief and all forms of mental and physical illnes. All of these may be grouped as together as "ordinary suffering". But the Buddha also saw that the impermanence of anything and everything was, in itself, completely unsatifactory. Nothing in this world of ours, even the solar system itself, is free from this transient state. There is yet another aspect of the inherent unsatisfactoriness in life which the Buddha found the most pernicious. To explain this, it is necessary to examine for a moment that which we commonly call the human being.

The Buddha looked closely at the physical and the mental phenomena of existence. There are to be found five groups or aggregates: the body or matter, feelings, perception, mental formations and consciousness. The body is composed of varying amounts of what are sometimes called the four great elements, but attributes would perhaps be better. These are: solidity, fluidity, heat and motion. From these elements come our sense organs and their corresponding objects in the environment: The eye and visible form; the ear and sound; the nose and odour; the tongue and taste and the body and tangible things. There are also mind objects. All of these are included in the aggregate of matter. The feelings may, according to their nature, be one of five kinds: bodily agreeable, bodily disagreeable, mentally agreeable, mentally disagreeable or indifferent. Of perceptions there are six: form, sound, odour, taste, touch and mental. The mental formations, which arise with each and every consciousness, determine the moral quality of feelings, perception and consciousness.

In these five aggregates there is not to be found anything of a lasting nature. In the flux of life, in fact, everything is found to have but a fleeting existence to be replaced each in its turn by a new phenomena. Everything and every sentient being has, the Buddha found, three characteristics of existence. The first of these is impermanence. Nothing in the mind, body or in the environment remains in the same state for even two consecutive instants. The second characteristic revealed by a close examintation of the composition of the aggregate is that nowhere is there to be found a self, a non-changing "soul" or being. Our idea of an abiding, unchanging self, manifest in our conception of the ego, just does not stand up to investigation. Thus with the whole of existence being in a state of flux, impermanent and without an abiding self, comes the realisation that it is a condition or state that is highly unsatisactory.

The Buddha stressed these characteristics again and again. One thing appears, then disappears conditioning the appearance of the next in a never beginning and never ending series of cause and effect. There was no first cause. There will be no last effect. Buddhaghosa, a great Buddhist commentator, stated:

"Mere suffering exists, but no sufferer is found;
Mere deeds are, but no doer is found."

This, in brief, is the message of the First Noble Truth. The cause of such an unsatisfactory state of affairs will now be considered.

THE ARISE OF UNSATISFACTORINESS

Many times in his sermons, the Buddha stressed that the root of the trouble lay in craving. It is this craving which produces re-existence and re-becoming, and which is bound up with passionate greed and finds fresh delight now here, now there. This craving is: (1) craving for sense pleasures, (2) craving for existence and becoming and (3) craving for non-existence and self-annihilation. Craving is, however, not a first cause. It arises as part of an endless chain and it is itself dependant on sensation for its arising. This in its turn, is dependant upon contact.

It may safely be said that this craving or thirst for existence and for things both material and immaterial derives from the previously mentioned ego concept which falsely leads one to think that there is an "I" who wants or desires things, that there is an "I" whose needs have to be stated. This craving is not only for sensual satisfaction but pervades such traits as wealth and power, ideas and ideals, and views, opinions and theories. All the troubles in the world can be laid at the door of craving. All wars, and political and economic problems are the result of this selfish craving on the part of individuals both past and present.

In our ordinary lives all that we are aware of through our sense organs is distorted by the conditioning that we, as individuals, have been subjected to since the day that we were born. Our early socialisation forces these distortions into our system just as the socialization of our forbears did to them since time immemorial. We cannot know absolute truth through recognised methods. All we know has been distorted by our senses. Yet we continue to learn by such assimilation. All experience, everything we know, is but a distortion, great or little, of the truth.

In this lies the roots of craving, the origins of the unsatisfactoriness shown by the Buddha in the Second Noble Truth. All actions on the part of an individual have what is called a kammatic result. The English translation for "kamma" is, in fact, action. It is the fruits of our actions that keep us bound to the wheel of existence. It is the consciousness behind any action, sometimes called volition or intention, that deems whether such action is good, bad or neutral. Thus the intention is all important, more important even than the manifestation of the intention, the action experienced.

Bad actions are rooted in greed, hatred or delusion. It is true to say that until we know ourselves fully, we often remain ignorant of the root causes of our actions: such causes may be buried deep in the subconscious.

With such a seemingly gloomy picture of life, you must be wondering why I said that the teachings of the Buddha were not pessimistic. This will become apparent when we examine the two final Noble Truths. Firstly we will look at the stopping or cessation of all this unsatisfactoriness and then we will consider the Buddha's way to attain this realization.

THE CESSATION OF UNSATIFACTORINESS

The cessation of unsatisfactoriness is to be found in Nibbana. To attain this state it is, of course, necessary to eradicate the craving from our system. Much has been written trying to explain Nibbana. Here, no such attempt will be made for the simple reason that words cannot describe something that is beyond all words and concepts. Mostly you will find that Nibbana is said to be not this, not that and not the other - all negative. Suffice it here to say that it is a state where there is happiness, pleasure, joy and bliss. But these words must not under any circumstances be understood in their mundane, wordly sense. It is absolute Truth. Absolute Truth is not a result nor an effect. Absolute Truth is. There is a path, which will now be discussed, leading to the realisation of Nibbana. But Nibbana is in no way the result of the path. It is far, far better not to speculate on what Nibbana is or is not, but to usefully spend one's time in following the Buddha's path leading to its realisation. Then we shall know.

THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH

The Noble Eightfold Path to eventual realisation and eradication of unsatisfactoriness is known as "The Middle Way". It is one that avoids two extremes. One extreme is the search for happiness through the sense pleasures. This is, said the Buddha, low, common, unprofitable and the way of ordinary people. The other extreme he tried with very painful results during his seven-year quest for Enlightenment. It was through his personel experience, then, that he found the Middle Way which "gives vision and knowledge, which leads to calm, insight, Enlightenment and Nibbana". This is the way called the Noble Eightfold Path, viz:

	1. Right understanding.
	2. Right thought.
	3. Right speech.
	4. Right action.
	5. Right livelihood.
	6. Right effort.
	7. Right mindfulness.
	8. Right concentration.	

Before discussing this path in detail, it is necessary to consider the implications of the word "right" which prefaces the eight steps. Normally we think of the word "right" as just the opposite of "wrong", but in this case it would be foolhardy so to do. Many, many accusations might be deemed "right" in one society or social group but wrong in another. Customs of clan, race, nation or creed are not, in themselves, the governing factor as to whether an action is "right" or not. And the self same action performed by two different people from different motives may be "right" in one case and "wrong" in the other. Take giving, for instance. This is a most meritorious action and is certainly "right" if the giving is tainted with desire, albeit sub-conscious, for some kind of return on the investment of giving. Then such an action would not be "right" at all. "perfect" and "harmonious" should well be applied to give a suitable modification of the word "right", then a far better idea will be aquired of just what is the intention in the step to be undertaken.

The eight steps of the path are undertaken by those who would perfect themselves in the Buddha's teachings. But the universality of them means that they are a perfect guide to the life style of the Buddhist and the non-Buddhist alike. The eight are often divided into three sections. These three sections, or qualities, cover respectively: morality, calmness or concentration, and wisdom. They have each to be perfected on both the emotional and intellecual level.

MORALITY

The practise of right speech, right action and right livelihood, the three steps grouped together as "morality", are essential for the attainment of the moral quality necessary for calmness and concentration. Moral conduct is based on having equanimity, loving kindness and compassion for all sentient beings. In "right speech" the first essential is to refrain from telling lies, but the implication goes far deeper. One should also refrain from telling tales, harsh language and from vain and unnecessary talk. Much better to keep a noble silence than to cause hurt by ones words. "Right action" aims moral, honourable and peace conduct. Include in this is to obstain from taking life, from doing anything dishonest like stealing or corrupting, and from taking intoxicating drinks or drugs. It also limits one to normal sexual relatons in the married state. It must be always borne in mind regarding "right action" that customary action does not always imply right action.

The last step in this morality section is that which stresses "right livelihood". This, of course, means that one should earn ones living and support ones family by pure and honourable means. Work which entails the killing of any animals is, for instance, not right livelihood. If anyone suffers as a result of one's work then such work is not right livelihood. The Buddha stressed that the life of a monk was the purest and surest way or following this edict.

It will be apparent that in the following these three steps linked together as "morality", a guilt-free mind will be a result. One would have a stainless conscience, an essential if one is to aquire calmness ans concentration; the subject of the next section.

CALMNESS AND CONCENTRATION

Both the concentration section and the wisdom, together forming five steps in the path , should rightly be considered in conjuction with Buddhist meditation. But this important aspect of the Buddha's teachings will be discussed seperately shortly. In the concentration section are included "right effort", "right mindfulness" and "right concentration". "right effort" is aimed at the prevention of the arising of unwholesom or bad states of mind and to get rid of such states that have already arrived. If one practises "right mindfulness", the next step, one will be aware of unwholesome or bad states at the moment of their arising. Such awareness is a prerequisite to seeing that they do not gain a hold on one's feelings and consciousness. It also means that one should be mindful of all ones actions whilst awake. Those done mindlessly often lead to later regret. A mindful person is also one who stands a far greater chance of realizing for himself the truth of the three characteristics of existence. Mindfulness is also an essential in gaining a deeper understanding of the five groups of aggregates mentioned earlier. You will recall that these are the body or matter, feelings, perception, mental formations and consciouness. These will be looked at further shortly. Lastly there is "right concentration". This helps in the development of a clear, one- pointed mind necessary if wisdom or insight, contained in the final section, is to manifest itself.

WISDOM

The last two steps of the Eightfold Path are "right understanding" and "right thought". These two mean the attainment of wisdom or insight through a deep, inner understanding of the Buddha's teachings to realise for oneself their truth. It was earlier stressed that all knowledge we ordinarily aquire is distorted. Thus even the teachings of Buddha cannot be understood by mere intellectualisation. He, himself, fully appreciated this when he advised us to put them to the test of the truth. This truth has to be experienced for oneself. It has to come from within the person, not from external sources. Words are mere words: they are not, in themselves, the truth. Words, even the words of the Buddha, are like the menu at a resturant. We read the menu to see what there is to eat. We cannot eat the menu to satisfy our hunger. Thus wisdom is the end result of practising the Noble Eightfold Path: all three section of it. Practised together they will enable one to realize the truth for himself. How is this possible? The Buddha's way is through mind training, usually referred to in English as meditation. It is this supremely important subject that will be considered now.

BUDDHIST MEDITATION

You will recall that the Buddha gained his Enlightenment whilst meditating under the Bodhi tree at Buddha-Gaya. How can such meditation help us to gain the inner understanding of his teachings referred to previously? Because meditation appears to be inaction, some people are afraid of it or contend that they haven't the time to spare for practise. But when we stop to think of the vast amount of time we spend doing useless or reprehensible things, then 15 or 30 minutes which could usefully be spent in mind training through meditation is negligible.

There are two principle types of meditation. The first of these is called samadhi or concentration. This certainly helps to calm the mind and was, in fact, the type of meditation practised by the Buddha during his early search for Enlightenment. It is very benificial to those who practise it, but it has one great limitation: it does not enable the practitioner to see into the nature of existence. In other words it does not allow for the experiencing of the Four Noble Truths. Great mental feats are possible by adepts, to be sure. The jhanas or mental trances are experienced, and at its highest stages the mind is quietened almost to the point of extintion. But it is, the Buddha found, only a dead end as far as insight or wisdom is concerned.

In the pure samadhi type of meditation there is an external object which is taken as the object of meditation. It may be a disc, for instance. This brings with it, providing one has good morality and thus a calm, guiltless mind, a very pure state of expanded consciousness. But defilements which we have inherent in our minds are not, by this process, eradicated. They are merely sublimated in the sub-conscious and can reappear at any time in the future.

The Buddha found that the internal action of breathing in and breathing out was an ideal meditation object and one that brought about not only concentration but also wisdom in the form of pure insight into the nature of things. This type of meditation, known as samatha-vipassana, is the type commonly practised in Thailand and other Theravada countries such as Ceylon and Burma. In the continual rising and falling of the abdomen, an integral part of the breathing process, we have a microcosm of life itself. The bare awareness on the rising and falling, and incidentally, stimuli of other sense organs, allied to a calm, concentrated mind, is vastly different from pure samadhi. This is because we have what might be called a "living" rather than a static object of meditation. The continued meditation on this inner object can reveal to us the truth of the three characteristics of existance. These are, you will recall, impermanence, non-self and, thus, the complete unsatisfactoriness of all compounded things.

As the meditator becomes more and more proficient, he will be able to rid himself completely of the defilements in mind by seeing their true nature. He will also be examining both himself and his environment in terms of the five aggregates: matter, feelings, perception, mental formations and consciousness. He will realise that there is nothing in life apart from these aggregates and that even these are in a state of flux, never the same for two consecutive moments. He will be able to experience that there is that which is known and that there is a knowing. He will find no knower apart from this knowing.

It will later be found that, as a proficient meditator, the ways of life will not leave so many traces on the person. How can one become very embroiled in mere illusion? Like spectators in the cinema we can become mere observers to the phenomena of the flux of life without ourselves constantly contantly getting bruised in the process. Remember the lotus flower rises above the muddy water. It is not stained by it. The muddy water provides it with the sustenance of life. The Buddha's teachings do not make for a selfish way - far from it. It is true that only an individual can help himself in the task of realistion. But with the true knowledge comes compassion and loving kindness. These cannot be practised with a heart full of greed, hatred and delusion. When, through our meditation, the ego casing is shattered, there is no more craving thus there is perfect purity.

CONCLUSION

It is hoped that this all too brief outline of the teachings of the Lord Buddha has awakened an interest to know more and further has helped to show that the practicalness of its message is perhaps more important today than in any time in history. We live in a troubled world, but it is a world wholly of our own making. The Buddha, in the opening words of Dhammapada, says that all we are is a result of the mind. The only salvation is in the breaking of the bonds of craving which bind the illusionary "I" by actions to the ndless chain of existence. The Buddha showed, through his great wisdom and compassion for all creatures, the practical way to lift ourselves out of the quagmire. As he so rightly said:
Sabbadanam dhammadanam jinati
"The gift of Truth excels all other gifts"

The author is happy to help any readers on any points concerning Buddhism.

Please write to:
Phra Alan Nyanavajiro, Wat Kiriwong, Paknampho, Nakhon Sawan, Thailand.

Mountain Man Graphics | The Gospel of Buddha | E-Mail