buddhism

This article will cover some of its messages as to the 4 Noble Truths, what is meant by Nirvana and how we can (intellectually at any rate) see what a liberated person sees.

The enlightened person does not see himself as a self, separate from the rest of existence. He sees himself as the whole works; the entire Universe is contained within him. He sees himself in terms of relationships and his interdependence with the Universe is realized by him.

This view of whether we have a self and the relationship of the self with the rest of existence is covered in this Buddhism outline.

The Chinese have considered the Universe to be an organic whole since ancient times, influenced by the philosophy of Taoism. This view is now corroborated by Modern Science.

In Hinduism too it is preached that the Body ̈CMind ̈CIntellect ̈CFeeling bundle is not the Self and that the ego is a convenient fiction that we take so seriously that we are unable to look at the other side of the picture described in this Buddhism outline.

Any Buddhism outline would stress on the fact of suffering. This fact of suffering is emphasized in the 4 Noble Truths. This suffering is in the form of chronic frustration as to the unsatisfactory nature of our lives and the Universe. Men and women, animal and even angels ̈C if you believe in them ̈C are subject to suffering.

According to the Second Noble Truth the cause of suffering is ignorance (avidya) and desire (trishna).

This suffering arises because of ignorance. It is ignorance of the true nature of ourselves and our relationship with the universe. We are caught up in the delusion that we have or are a self, separate from the rest of existence.

However not just mystics but also the science of Quantum Physics informs us that the Universe is one organic whole. If this is true than our sense of a separate self is certainly a delusion and a very harmful one at that.

For we are continually pre-occupied with the comfort and survival of our body. We are filled with fears and anxiety because we know that we cannot avoid death. We crave things that we think we need to survive and live comfortably.

This fear and anxiety, this feeling of alienation from ourselves and the outside world makes life a burden and sometimes is so painful that life is hardly worth living. We fill our lives with frantic activity concerned as we are with our own survival and well- being.

Seeing the view from the other side (that we are the Universe) changes the way we look of life dramatically since we do not take the delusion or the fiction of a separate self seriously. We are not caught up in the struggle for its survival and well-being. We are free then to let go of craving and also fear since we understand that they are not necessary.

Life then loses its seriousness. We are in a position to treat it as a game to be played. We do not need to renounce the world. We continue to enjoy our dinners, our creature comforts, the company of our friends and our family. But we can also let go of them ̈C there is no clinging or craving.

Alan Watts says that the problem of mankind is that we take seriously that which the gods made for fun.

Living our lives without clinging, craving or attachment is also stressed in Hinduism. In the Bhagavad Gita, the doctrine of Nishkama Karma is preached. Here is desireless or passionless action. It is action without attachment and without a craving for a favorable or good result.

According to the Hindus there are 4 main paths to attaining God. These are Raja Yoga (the path of meditation), Karma Yoga (the path of action), Bhakti Yoga (the path of prayer or devotion) and Jnana Yoga (the path of knowledge). Buddhism for most path stresses meditation that is Raja Yoga. And through meditation we can transform our understanding of ourselves and of our relationship with the Universe.

How then are we to gain this understanding (that we are not a separate self; that the universe is are organic whole; that we are the universe)?

Well to gain a complete and experiential understanding of it you will need to become enlightened. This is something that I cannot help you with and is beyond the scope of this short Buddhism outline as I am not enlightened myself and am in the same boat as you.

But I can help you gain an intellectual understanding. The experience of emptiness is stressed in this Buddhism outline. We are empty of a self, separate from the rest of existence. I recommend the following way:

Contemplating our relationship with the universe - This second method is described by Osho Rajneesh in his book And the Flowers Showered available at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/8172610025/ref=no sim/eastephiloand-20 Basically it examines the question of whether we have or are a self, separate from our relationships with the rest of the universe. At various times we play the role of a son or daughter, a business man, an employee, husband or wife, customer, commuter, meditator and so on. Is there a self within us independent of these various relationships.

Any Buddhism outline would say that there is not.

This meditation technique is described in the opening chapter of the above book. Osho says that if we do this meditation we will ourselves come to realize that there is in fact no self, separate from our relationships. In fact the concept of an ego separate from the rest of the world is a fiction. So this is a second way of understanding intellectually our relationship with the world.

Then we will understand the point of view of any Buddhism outline.

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In actual fact Buddhism covered almost the whole of Asia - excluding perhaps Russia. But I cannot cover all these details in a short article.

The Shakyamuni Buddha founded Buddhism through his enlightenment and teaching. He livd between 563 BC and 483 BC

Buddhism gained in popularity in India mainly during the reign of King Asoka (274-236BCE) because of his patronage. Asoka is remembered in countries as far away as Japan because of his efforts to promote and spread Buddhism. Asoka played an important role in Buddhism religion history.

The doctrine which arose as a result of the original Buddha's teaching is Theravada Buddhism - or the Path of the Elders. It is also called Hinayana Buddhism.

Around and between the period 0-500 of the Christian era Mahayana Buddhism took shape in India. Mahayana is also called the Greater Vehicle as it contains many more skillful means to attain enlightenment as compared to the Theravada tradition.

So this is another important fact that must be mentioned in a Buddhism religion history.

Alan Watts describes the evolution of Mahayana Buddhism as a response to the psychological needs caused by following the original Theravada doctrine. There was also a need for transformation to meet the needs of new ages, new populations and different social circumstances. The old doctrine had become stale and was producing very few sages or Arahats. Thus, a new literature came into being and this is one of the most magnificent outbursts of creative energy in human history. The realized master Nagarjuna lived in this period, which lasted for almost 500 years. During this period also Mahayana Buddhism came in touch with non-Indian influence. In North- west India where it developed it came in touch with Greek culture as well as influences from the Mediterranean and the Iranian world. This is an important stage in Buddhism religion history.

This incidentally rendered Buddhism fit for export outside India as for it to spread to other countries it first had to go through a preliminary phase of de-Indianization.

Anyway, Buddhism spread over the next 1500 years starting around the beginning of the Christian era. Mahayana has conquered the entire Northern half of the Buddhist world and the Buddhists of Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, China, Korea and Japan are nearly all Mahayanists.

In India itself Buddhism came to an end about 1200 A.D. though is some States and districts such as Magadha, Bengal, Orissa and South India it lingered on for another 200 or 300 years.

The main reason for this decline and extinction was the Muslim invasions. These ruthless conquerors - with their zeal and hatred of idolatry - burned down flourishing monasteries and universities in Sindh and Bengal and killed all the monks. This however was not the only reason as Hinduism and Jainism were subject to the same fury and stood their ground. The other reasons were:-

1) Hinduism had itself assimilated much of Mahayana Buddhist thought the Buddhist were now not teaching anything different and new.

2) Buddhism failed to benefit the laity substantially and depended for its patronage mostly on kings. Where such patronage was lacking, it declined. Jainism on the other hand had wealthy merchants patronizing them who considered it an honor to support ascetics. this is an important shortcoming of Buddhism in India and must be mentioned in any Buddhism religion history.

3) Buddhism had lost its creative impulse and no new literature and doctrines were being developed at that time.

4) The other- world Buddhist monks did not consider the country of their residence very important. When they were unable to practice their monastic discipline they simply left for other countries such as Nepal, Tibet, China, etc. Thus the very reasons that led to the spread of Buddhism to other countries in Asia caused its decline in India.

5) The Buddhist monks themselves regarded their own doctrine as having a limited shelf life. All is transient according to Buddhism and their own religion is not excluded. Thus when circumstances were such as existed at that time the only thing to do was to retire gracefully from the scene. So this then is Buddhism religion history in India.

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Some of these facts are:

1) The Universe is an organic whole: - The Universe is one organism just as your body is an organic whole.

This is stated by the science of quantum physics through its discoveries in the 20th century ̈C in particular the Bell¡ ̄s theorem. For more on this subject please refer The Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukhav which explains the recent discoveries and also their connection with the mystical experiences and philosophies of the East.

I have not read any Buddhist scriptures, which state in so many words that the Universe is an organic whole. But this concept is certainly not alien to it. Osho Rajneash says of the experience of Nirvana or Moksha that it is similar to a raindrop merging with the ocean and losing its individuality - its separate existence. Not only that but the experience is similar to the raindrop experiencing what it is like to become the ocean.

So, this is one point ̈C as stated in the earlier paragraphs where Buddhism and facts agree.

2) The sense of a self separate from the rest of existence is false or illusory: - If we accept that the Universe is an organic whole then our everyday common perception that we are a self separate from the rest of existence is an illusion.

A red blood corpuscle in the body ̈C if it had consciousness ̈C might imagine that it has a separate existence. But it cannot exist apart from the body. And in fact - in another sense ̈C the red blood corpuscle is just a concept that is useful to medical science. Science needs such concepts to cure diseases. But in actual fact there is just the body, which exists and is an organic whole. Their blood corpuscle is just a useful concept and it has no existence apart from the body.

This is similar to our relationship with the Universe. We imagine that we have an existence apart from it, but in fact we don¡ ̄t. Our sense of a separate self is an illusion.

This is one of the basic concepts of Buddhism and another point where Buddhism and facts agree.

3) All is transient and everything comes to an end: - This basic concept of Buddhism is also verified by modern science and simple common sense.

According to the Second law of Thermodynamics this Universe will surely come to an end one day. What to talk of the individual objects and beings within it. So, modern science supports the Buddhist conclusion that all forms are transient.

Also anyone who has lived for a few years on this planet will know that change is the only constant in life. We ourselves change from day to day and year to year. Our relationships change, our possessions change, everything is in a state of constant flux.

So this is another agreement between Buddhism and facts.

4) Suffering arises through desire and the sense of self arises through ignorance:

These are concepts basic to Buddhism.

The second point is simple common sense. Since we do not have the experience of our oneness with the Universe we are ignorant of our true relationship with it. And out of this ignorance arises the sense of a separate self.

The first point of suffering arising due to desire is also common sense. Whenever our desires are frustrated we suffer. And it is inevitable that we will not all the time get whatever we want.

So, this is another point where Buddhism and facts agree.

5) Meditation and contemplation: Buddhism stresses on meditation as a method and a way to attain enlightenment and the mystical experience of oneness with the Universe.

Medical science may not be much interested in mystical experience, but a keen interest is now being taken by science in meditation. It is now recognized by medical science that through meditation we can transform our self and increase our well being.

So, this is another point where Buddhism and facts agree.

6) All is unsatisfactory: - The Buddhist doctrine stresses on the unsatisfactory nature of life that we are living. Birth is a suffering, sickness, old age, death is all suffering and they are all inevitable.

So, this again is a point where Buddhism and facts agree and it is verified by simple logic and common sense.

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Buddhism first developed in India through the teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha about 2500 years ago. His teaching is carried on in the Theravada tradition of Buddhism or the Teaching of the Elders. So the Theravada tradition is the Shakyamuni Buddha's original teaching. It is called the Path of the Elders. It is also called Hinayana Buddhism or the lesser vehicle. This is in comparison with Mahayana Buddhism - the Greater Vehicle.

An interesting fact about Buddhism is that it is a living seed and the Buddhist teaching has grown over the centuries under the influence of other enlightened masters. Shakyamuni Buddha - the original Siddharth Gautama - is only one of the many enlightened masters who form part of the Buddhist tradition. The Buddhist teaching grew under the influence of these other masters in North India, Tibet, China and Japan. In all these places Mahayana Buddhism took root. So an interesting fact about Buddhism is the variety of methods that developed over time.

Alan Watt's says that Buddhism is Hinduism stripped for export. The Buddhist teaching spread as I said earlier to Tibet, China, Japan and other East Asian countries. In each country it adapted itself to its culture and traditions. The teaching and tradition (of Buddhism) gave birth to many enlightened masters and they in turn enriched the teaching. The peculiar genius of these masters and of the people of these countries colored the way Buddhism took shape in each of these countries. In Tibet, Mahayana Buddhism took root and influenced by many masters permeated the lives of the common people. In addition there were many monasteries and the tradition of the Dalai Lama as the spiritual and temporal head of the country also took shape there. The current Dalai Lama lives in exile in India after the Chinese invasion of Tibet in the 1950s. He is a highly respected figure and has won the Nobel peace prize. So an interesting fact about Buddhism is the way it changed to adapt itself to local customs in various countries.

In China, in addition to the Mahayana tradition, Zen Buddhism took root. The founder of Zen Buddhism in China is supposedly Bodhidharma who came to China from India. To Bodhidharma is attributed the saying, "This very mind is the Buddha." This one sentence has had a profound influence on my growth and maturity as a human being.

So this is another interesting fact about Buddhism - just one in fact of the many skillful means (upayas) that you will find in this tradition

Zen Buddhism flourished in China in the first millenium after Christ and during part of the second. It influenced and was influenced by the peculiar Chinese genius - by the philosophy of Confucius and of Taoism. And from China Zen Buddhism spread to Japan.

And it is in Japan that we can now find Zen Buddhism practiced. The word Zen in fact is corruption of the Chinese word "Chan" which in turn is a corruption of the Sanskrit word "Dhyana" There are many schools of Zen Buddhism in Japan and in fact Mahayana Buddhism is also practiced over there.

Zen is unique in the sense that it has no doctrine or philosophy or teachings that can be learned from books. It stresses only experiential understanding. Zen is thought of as being the fastest way to enlightenment. Slower than it is the Mahayana teaching and slowest of all is the Theravada tradition.

In the Zen monasteries in Japan today we many skillful means to aid the student in his quest. Prominent amongst these methods are Zazen meditation and the Koan.

One interesting fact about Buddhism as regards Zazen is the attitude that the monk is expected to bring to it. Normally we do all tasks - including meditation - because we expect a certain result. We meditate because we want happiness peace, enlightenment and the like. This however is just grasping or craving in another form. Monks doing Zazen are for this reason instructed to do their sitting meditation practice for the sake of doing the practice. And not because they want to gain something from their practice - whether enlightenment or anything else.

It is just this attitude that monks are expected to bring to Zazen meditation. And should we apply this to our meditation practice and day to day life it is quite enough to transform our lives

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Buddhism originally arose out of the teaching and enlightenment of Siddharth Gautama. Siddharth Gautama was the first of many Buddhas or enlightened masters - who have enriched the Buddhist tradition.

Buddhism is a living seed and contains many powerful methods to attain enlightenment. Its teaching have helped many persons to become enlightened.

The Buddha lived approximately between the years 563-483 BCE. He attained understanding in around 531 BCE and spent the rest of his life preaching and propagating his teaching.

The Buddha lived a life of luxury in a royal household till he was 29. On coming in touch with the fact that suffering is inevitable he decided to leave this life and take to monastic ways.

The Buddha practiced severed austerities for about 6 years and learned meditation from many masters of his time. The austerities were so severe that he was reduced to mere skin and bones.

It was only when he gave up this extreme also and practiced the Middle Way that he achieved his breakthrough. He found himself in Gaya (in the present state of Bihar in North India) and after a long time had a meal of milk and rice. Then refreshed, he did an all night meditation sitting. And he was enlightened towards the dawn when the morning star arose.

So, this is when was Buddhism founded. The Buddha must have been around 35 at that time.

After that the Buddha went to some five ascetics with whom he had practiced austerities earlier. These ascetics had abandoned him in Gaya when they had seen him eating and drinking. They were determined not to welcome the Buddha now.

But when the Buddha approached his sense of presence and majesty was such that they welcomed him and offered him water to drink. The Buddha then preached to them the first sermon that about suffering, the cause of suffering and the cessation of suffering.

The Buddha taught his teaching for the next 45 years till his death. He won over the people and gathered many followers, who became monks, to follow his way. He ultimately died at the age of 80 at about 483 BCE.

This teaching became the Theravada tradition of Buddhism. It is also called the Path of the Elders or the Southern school and is regarded as the Buddha's original teaching.

There is also the Mahayana tradition, Tibetan Buddhism and Zen all of which developed later.

So, this is an answer to the question when was Buddhism founded.

Buddhism then spread to many countries in East and North Asia. Burma, China, Tibet, Japan, and Vietnam are some of the countries to which it spread.

Buddhism at all times has been a living seed and has grown and changed and adapted itself to suit the different countries in which it found itself.

There have been many enlightened masters who have enriched and grown the Buddhist teaching. Nagarjuna, Padmasambhava and Bodhidharma are only three names in a distinguished list.

So, this is the answer to the question when was Buddhism founded.

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Thomas Merton, famous Catholic monk belonging to the cloistered Trappist tradition (Order of Cistercians of the strict observance), once said that he wanted, "to become as good a Buddhist as I can."

Before he converted to Catholicism at age twenty-three, he read about Christian mysticism. He read works such as Augustine's "Confessions" and Thomas a Kempis' "The Imitation of Christ," and other books that subconsciously embedded within him a taste of directly experiencing God through the process of negation.

After ordaining as a monk, Merton was interested only in Catholicism for many years and nothing else, but little by little, as he became older, and after reading such authors as St. John of the Cross and Meister Eckhart, he began to become increasingly interested in mysticism, or a direct experience of God.

Merton then began to understand the universal nature of mysticism, and that Buddhism, especially, addressed mysticism more clearly than Christianity did regarding how to understand it, and more importantly provided a non-religious method to make a fundamental change in one's life. This attracted him to Zen, and eventually he co-authored "Zen and the Birds of Appetite" with D. T. Suzuki which uniquely spelled out the similarities of Buddhism and Christianity at deeper, mystical levels. Merton began to explore universal spiritual truth within the structure of his Catholic faith.

For some, Buddhism has become an organized religion just like any other religion, with beliefs, ceremonies and rituals. However, the original Buddhism, as taught by the Buddha, was all about personal transformation, and not about religion at all.

This is what makes fundamental Buddhism compatible with other religions; that there are no requirements of belief involved. It is completely experiential, and deals with life and the problems of life directly. It addresses the reality that we all experience stress, and answers all the questions surrounding this stress. Buddhism also lays out a logical plan to end this stress forever.

So Buddhism could be called a philosophy of how to live one's life day to day. It explains why just trying to be good doesn't work without an understanding of good and bad, and of our fundamental selves. We scrunch up our determination to change, but it never quite works out as we meet our same old self time and again when the going gets rough.

Buddhism could also be called a psychology because it delves into areas of the mind at deeper levels than modern psychology that only dabbles in the surface irregularities, never getting to the root.

Buddhism could also be called a religion because it explains the experience after death, but in a neutral way that doesn't involve a creator God, or the necessity of any worship or belief. Everything becomes self evident while practicing Buddhism, and Buddhist practice itself is non- denominational as well, regarding the non-religious convictions it presents. The Buddha once said, "Believe nothing unless you can prove it true for yourself."

And a great scientist, Einstein, once said, "The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a personal God and avoid dogmas and theology. Covering both natural and spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual and a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs, it would be Buddhism."

Therefore, according to Einstein and the Buddha, one should not fear that Buddhism competes with one's beliefs, because it doesn't. Gandhi once said a very wise thing; that one could find the deeper roots of one's own religion by looking to other religions, and then returning to one's own faith with new eyes.

E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, http://www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-nine years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit http://www.AYearToEnlightenment.com

What exactly is Buddhism? A religion? A philosophy? Actually, Buddhism is a religion, but then again, it really isn't! Is Buddhism a philosophy? Yes and no!

Philosophically, the Buddha explained what we are faced with as human beings - we suffer, (eventually growing old, becoming diseased and dying in addition to all of life's other foibles) He further explains that there is a clear reason for this suffering - that we can end the suffering - and how we can end the suffering. The Buddha also pointed out, very logically, the workings of the universe as a cause and effect, and how karma fits into the entire picture.

In contrast to most philosophies that rely on the power of reason and theory, Buddhists use direct experience instead. True understanding and insight are results of perfecting certain skills, such as meditation, mindfulness, and investigation of body and mind, with little speculation; only direct experience is involved.

Because there is that which cannot be explained in Buddhism (the Buddha called it Nibbana), Buddhism is narrowly defined as a religion. Nibbana is beyond what we can experience within existence, therefore it is called ineffable - not explainable - and is the ultimate goal. This transcendent quality of Nibbana is what characterizes Buddhism as a religion.

However, Buddhism, unlike other most mainstream religions, does not believe in a creator God. Buddhism does not believe in a soul, either, or anything that accumulates goodness or evil as it travels through time. Therefore, Buddhism is not religious in the broad sense of the term. A Buddhist relies only on his or her own efforts for their salvation; there are no saviors to rescue them. This encourages Buddhists to be very responsible for their own actions, and they will typically pay close attention to how their actions affect others, hopefully positively.

Buddhists believe in rebirth, which is different from reincarnation. The easiest way to understand the difference between rebirth and reincarnation is within the context of personality. When a Buddhist is reborn, the person does not follow along, but when a "person" is reincarnated, it's as if that person's personality is reincarnated. So, what is reborn in Buddhism? Only karma, or the actions of the last body. Actions (Karma) are impersonal, and this tendency of the old actions is what the new body takes on. If the old person was angry, the new "person" will probably have angry tendencies as well. But the new person will not be "Bob" reincarnated.

This brings up metaphysical questions, such as; "If the world only relies on people being reborn for its repopulation, how does the population of the earth increase? Where do the extras come from?" In Buddhism, there are many planes of existence, thirty-one to be exact. They range from temporary hell realms, to heaven realms, to realms of subtle bodies called devas, all the way up to Brahma realms where even Brahma Gods are still subject to eventual demise and return to the human realm someday (although it could be nine- million earth years before they return). The interesting thing about the Brahma gods, according to Buddhism, is that they are still so deluded that they believe that they created the universe! Therefore, the increase of the world population is a result of all these other realms depositing their occupants on the earth or other planets. It's a big universe!

Another good question is, "If there is no personality that is reborn, who is it that becomes enlightened and reaches Nibbana?" We can speculate that the "self" or personality that we think is real, is only a fabrication of thought (this can be confirmed by meditation), and when Nibbana is reached, that which never existed in the first place no longer exists now. The difference is that now we know it. Who knows it? Only mind, and mind is merely the present emanation of that transcendent reality that Buddhism hints at, called Nibbana - the undying, the unformed, the unborn, the unchanging. This is the Reality that we cannot know directly; the pure awareness called by such things as; the void, emptiness, sunyata. It's this pure awareness that creates consciousness through our mind and sense organs so that we can exist, but this awareness is not part of existence per se, it is reality. So, we cannot know it directly because we are caught within existence, and therefore we are not real. And Reality, conversely, does not exist.

Finally, people are increasingly asking what they have to do to become a Buddhist. It's easy -no baptism, no vows, nothing like that, only a commitment to find the truth within yourself. It is between you, . . . and you. You are your own teacher. The Buddhist precepts are helpful, the Buddhist teachings are helpful, Buddhist groups and monasteries are helpful, but they are all only suggestions for you to work with yourself. You are the one who must do it; no one will do it for you. There are no sins or damnation in Buddhism, only karma, which is a universal truth, and not only a Buddhist truth. You will be responsible for your actions.

There are many other questions that people ask about Buddhism; it is a very interesting subject. Feel free to email Janet and myself with any questions you may have. Our email address is on our websites below.

E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, http://www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-eight years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit http://www.AYearToEnlightenment.com

When I first entered a Zen monastery almost thirty years ago, I was very egotistical. I thought that because I was so smart, I could become enlightened in a few weeks - maybe a month or two at the outset. Hah! I must admit after six months of strenuous effort, something did happen, but it was only the first step of a long and interesting journey. After that first experience at Shasta Abbey, however, I must admit that I couldn't see myself ever doing anything not involved with meditation.

So I started at the top, with the pursuit of enlightenment, and over the years had to work my way back down to complete the steps that I skipped. Therefore, this article is about where one should begin and how one should practice so that he or she does not have to backtrack!

The Buddha once said that listening is similar to a vessel. If a vessel has a lid on it, nothing can enter. This would be likened to someone who listens to the Buddha speaking, but has his or her mind already made up.

And if a vessel has a hole in it, this would be likened to someone who hears but cannot retain a word, in which case the teaching is useless.

And if a vessel has some spoiled milk at the bottom, then any new milk that is introduced will be soon spoiled and useless. This is likened to someone who listens to the Buddha for the purposes of using the information to gain knowledge, which they can then use for their own recognition, instead of using the knowledge to train their minds and become enlightened for the good of all humanity.

In some religions, faith is paramount, or perhaps study, meditation and prayer. In Buddhism, however, faith is preliminary, and study and meditation but a method. The goal in Buddhism is transcendental wisdom.

Buddhism is broken down into three main components that must be balanced: Morality, mental development, and wisdom.

Morality, the first component, is separated into Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood.

Right speech involves restraint from lying, slandering, backbiting, and gossiping.

Right action involves not killing, lying, stealing, inappropriate sex, and intoxicants.

Right livelihood involves abstaining from slaughter, slave trade, arms, poisons and intoxicants.

The morality of this first component of Buddhism is the foundation where we must begin.

Mental development, the second component of Buddhism, is broken down into Right Effort, Right mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

Right Effort involves enthusiasm, confidence and not being too tight or too loose. Also, Right Effort involves preventing unwholesome thoughts from arising, rejecting unwholesome thoughts once arisen, cultivating wholesome thoughts, and maintaining wholesome thoughts.

Right Mindfulness involves moment to moment awareness and also investigating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness which are; body, feelings, consciousness, and mental objects such as thoughts and memories.

Wisdom, the third component, is broken down into Right Thought, and Right Understanding.

Right Thought involves cultivating renunciation of frivolous things, of love and compassion, of avoiding either attachment or aversion, and of observing the suffering involved with the cycles of birth and death.

Right Understanding is at two levels. The first level is happiness and prosperity that involves not only this lifetime but the next. The second level involves freedom or nibbana, which is the ultimate aim of Buddhism. Right Understanding at the second level is not intellectual, but insightful. It involves seeing into the nature of things, or becoming enlightened and experiencing Nibbana. Right Understanding involves the Three Characteristics of Existence: Anatta, Aniccca, and Dukkha (no-self, impermanence, and suffering). Right understanding begins with study and observation, then examination of what one has studied, and finally meditation in order to understand directly instead of only intellectually.

Finally, Right Understanding involves the Four Noble Truths:

First Truth: That this is the Noble Truth of Suffering; birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.

Second Truth: That this is the noble truth of the origin of suffering: it is this craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there, that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination.

Third Truth: That this is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: it is the remainderless fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and that relinquishing of it, freedom from it, nonreliance on it.

Fourth Truth: That this is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: it is the Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

Enlightenment is one of the last things mentioned in the Fourth of the Four Noble Truths (The Eightfold Path) under "Right Understanding," the very last aspect of the Eightfold Path. If we try to attain Right Understanding without integrating the remainder of the eightfold path simultaneously, however, our practice becomes unbalanced, and instead of enlightenment, we will attain something but not what the Buddha had in mind and it will not be freedom at all, only continued bondage.

Therefore, my advice, if you truly want to attain enlightenment in this lifetime, is to embrace all of the above. Not only will your life and outlook improve, but you might just see things that few have ever seen, and be as shocked as I was thirty years ago in a Zen monastery.

E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, http://www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-nine years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit http://www.AYearToEnlightenment.com

Maitreya, the future Buddha, is a bodhisattva, which is a Sanskrit word that roughly means wise, enlightened being. A bodhisattva is dedicated to helping others achieve enlightenment. Some sects of Buddhism believe that Maitreya will appear when the teachings of Gautama Buddha are no longer taught and are forgotten. But the meanings and beliefs about Matireya are many and varied within Buddhist beliefs.

The laughing Buddha was a Ch'an Buddhist Monk that lived in China over 1000 years ago. The Ch'an sect of Buddhism is called Zen in Japan. Tradition says that this monk's name was Hotei, or Pu Tai (which means cloth sack). Tradition also says that he was a man of good and loving character, and as such he was linked with the traditions of Maitreya the future Buddha. Because of his large belly and smile he was also called The Laughing Buddha.

The Laughing Buddha is often times portrayed as carrying a cloth sack which is filled with various things. Money, candy for children, food, even the woes of the world. Sometimes he is portrayed as sitting, fanning himself with a type of fan called a 'wish giving' fan. He is sometimes portrayed with a begging bowl. But whether sitting or standing, he is always bald with a big pot belly and a smile on his face.

Belief in The Laughing Buddha is mostly based on legend. It is said that rubbing his protruding belly brings good luck Statues of Maitreya are displayed in Buddhist temples, Chinese and Japanese homes, and other places around the world. The many schools of Feng Shui, the art of arranging spaces to fit the environment to achieve balance and harmony, utilize statues of Maitreya in many ways. In the office or in the home, a statue of this wandering monk can bring wealth, peace and joy.

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