DHARMA


The Dharma is the teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha.

  • difficult to grasp is the idea of interconnectivity – that all things living and not living are really part of a whole – known as the dharma of dependent origination
  • difficult to practice is the idea of looking into ourselves (in the west we often use mindfulness) – achieving a position of belonging to the interconnection
  • the Middle Way – living to seek only pleasure or total self denial are not of benefit to us – learn to live in between
  • the Four Noble Truths – the True Aspect of Life, the Truth of the Cause of Suffering, the Transcending of Suffering, the Eightfold Path
    • the True Aspect of Life – Buddha saw 8 types of suffering
      • birth
      • old age
      • sickness
      • death
      • being apart from those we love
      • associating with those we dislike
      • not getting what we want
      • the 5 aggregates – form, perception, conception, volition, and consciousness
    • the Truth of the Cause of Suffering
      • worldly desires or blind passions
      • mostly greed, anger, and unawareness (although there are many more)
    • the Transcending of Suffering
      • the seeking of Nirvana (a state in which we are no longer controlled by our worldly desires or blind passions)
        • all things are impermanent and constantly changing
        • everything is connected and dynamic
        • by transcending suffering we have peace of mind
    • the Eightfold Path
      • Right (in the sense of appropriate) View
      • Right Thought
      • Right Speech
      • Right Conduct
      • Right Livelihood
      • Right Endeavor
      • Right Mindfulness
      • Right Meditation
        • there are 3 types of traditional parts to the Eightfold Path (Buddhist Ethics and Deportment, Meditation and Concentration, and Higher Wisdom)
        • additionally in Mahayana tradition there are 6 practices (giving and generosity, ethics and deportment, perseverance, diligence, meditation, wisdom)
  • Sutras
    • the written teachings of Buddha compiled after his death are called the Sutras
    • there are more than 17,00 sutras (about 10 major)

(From the writings of the Buddhist Churches of America and the Book “Jodo Shinshu – A Guide”)