BUDDHA DHARMA

The Buddha Dharma is a
teaching in which one does not
rely on a God entity, rather it
teaches to rely on oneself and
ones own efforts alone. Through
right understanding of the way
things truly are one gains trust
and faith in the Buddha Dharma,
and may take up the path of
Buddhism to practice as ones
way toward the end of suffering
or sorrow, and towards
permanent bliss and liberation.
The Dharma could be said to be a
doctrine of selflessness and
impermanence, this may sound a
little confusing at first but with
time one comes to see that
nowhere, neither internally nor
externally, can there be anything
anywhere that can be rightly
called ‘self’. The Buddha Dharma
teaches investigation into the
imperanence of this self, and of
our place in the cyclic existence
of birth and death in which we
undergo many re-births in a
cyclic existence we call samsara,
eventually ended up where we
are now. The Buddha teaches
that we are fortunate to be born
into this life as a human where
we can spend time in
development and cultivation of
our qualities such as morality,
concentration, and wisdom,
whilst encompassing
compassion and generosity also
into ones practice, developing
these virtues one practices with
the intent to be of benefit to
oneself and others with the final
goal of Nirvana or Nibbana.
Nirvana is the ending of the cyclic
rounds of re-births in samsara, it
is the immaculate and
conditionless state of our
original primordial nature, which
is called several things within
different traditions, one common
term used is Buddha Nature. The
Buddha teaches that all beings
have this Buddha Nature. To
develop these qualities which are
necessary for a good life, and to
comprehend our place in this
existence we first need to
understand how we come into
being, how we exist with our
body, senses, and mind, as what
we really are, and what we often
mistake for a permanent entity in
some way. We learn how our
experiences come from a cause,
what this cause is, how we react
to our experiences and create
karma, karma is the law of cause
and effect teaching us that
things come from a cause, every
action coming from a cause has
an effect, a result which in turn is
also a cause for further results,
and so our existence continues
in this way from a time beyond
knowing.
The Dharma teaches that ;
*All things which are
impermanent are a cause for
suffering.
*All things are impermanent and
constantly changing in a state of
flux.
*All things are inter-dependant,
nothing exists as a separate and
independent self entity.
To comprehend this is to then
begin the way out of this
impermanent self caused
suffering which is difficult to
comprehend. In order to
understand this we learn and
follow the teachings of the
Buddha, he teaches through
investigation of the Four Noble
Truths.
The Four Noble Truths are
timeless truths which stand the
test of time and apply to life in all
circumstances. They are the
teachings which are essential in
understanding our true nature
and the way which leads to
independence and peace. To
begin the journey in
transforming our
discontentment and suffering in
life, to contentment and
happiness which is permanent,
we need to comprehend and
practice through contemplation,
concentration and active
investigation of the teachings, so
that we understand properly our
position in life. The first three
Noble Truths are to be
thoroughly examined and
comprehended, while the fourth
also needs to be put into practice
once understood, and when one
is satisfied that there is good
reason.
The Four Noble Truths;
*Life is impermanent and as such
is associated with, and a cause
for suffering.
This is to be understood correctly
through contemplation of our
impermanence, of our suffering
which we experience
throughout life from birth until
death, how our suffering is
associated with the fact that
things in life are impermanent.
*Our suffering in life is caused
through our attatchment to
sensous desires and cravings for
both material and immaterial
things.
We believe these things which
we seek will bring us happiness,
but because they are
impermanent our clinging and
attatchment to them cause us
suffering, therefore they don’t
bring us real happiness or
contentment, . we search for
happiness in external things
which bring us only temporary
pleasure, when these resources
run out we are unhappy and
dissatisfied with life again and
seek happiness somewhere else,
but wherever we seek
permanent happiness we
become dissatisfied when the
conditions change. We seek
good health yet we all get sick,
we seek happiness for our
families and loved ones yet we
still encounter sadness and
despair when things go wrong,
we seek financial wealth and
happiness in material things yet
still we are not content while
always find we want something
more, we seek good friends yet
our friends come and go and we
find ourselves alone again, we
seek love and we relish in it yet
conditions change and where
there was once love we find our
life empty again and seeking love
somewhere else, we seek
happiness in artificial ways
through drinking alcohol or
drugs yet all this only causes us
more dissatisfaction in life, we
are constantly trying to satisfy
our desires and when we
manage to satisfy them our
conditions change and we find
we need to change with our
conditions yet this isn’t always
possible and we become
unhappy and negative feelings
arise when we realise that things
aren’t going our way, the way
we want them to. Wherever we
encounter suffering it is
associated with desire and
craving for things to satisfy ones
self.
*There is a way out of this
suffering which is caused
through our ignorance of the
way things are.
In all things where there is a
problem there is a remedy, in our
life our suffering is caused
through our own ignorance of
the way things really are.
Because we are able to realise
this we are also able to find our
way out of the tangle of
emotions and feelings which
control our lives. We are able to
do this with thanks to The
Buddha for leaving us valuable
teachings in the Buddha Dharma,
the way which we follow is the
way taught by The Buddha.
*This way is the eightfold path ;
Magga.
The Eightfold Path consists of
eight ways in which we should
practice according to The
Buddhas teachings, these eight
ways are considered to be
aspects of the one way which
leads to the immacualte state
known as Nirvana and are
practiced in such a way that they
are practiced as a whole system,
each way is associated with
practice in every other way so
we should begin to practice each
aspect of this way known as
magga in a way which
incorporates them all into our
practice at the same time. It is
only by following this way that
one is able to attain the
permanent bliss of Nirvana. It
should be understood that time
is a series of moments and these
moments pass rapidly, therefore
in practice one should always
attempt to remain mindful of the
pattern of the way things occur
and the way which we follow
which is in accordance to that
way.
The aspects of the eightfold path
are to be understood as being
the right way as opposed to any
wrong way, it is a way which is
conducive to good and a cause
for great benefits for oneself and
others, and a way which leads
away from harm and suffering
created through ignorance.
The eight aspects of the path
are ;
*Right view … or otherwise
known as right understanding.
This means one should first have
the right view of the nature of
our misgivings, sufferings, and all
the negative afflictions we
accumulate throughout life, how
they are caused or come into
being, of the impermanence of
life and the aspect of all things
existing in inter-dependance,
how there is no self indentifiable
entity we can call our permanent
self, and how coming to know
these things we can lead a better
life and find a better way.
*Right Thought … All speech and
actions are preceded by the
mind, if we are going to begin to
take control of our lives we first
need to learn to think in a way
which is beneficial and
conducive to good, we need to
recognise those things which
lead to harm and suffering, and
choose which way we are to
follow up on our thoughts. If we
do not think rightly then it
naturally follows that we will fail
to speek or act rightly which will
in turn lead to further
dissatisfaction in life. So all things
must be preceded with right
thought, thoughts which are free
from ill-will, Greed, selfishness,
hatred, and self gain at the
expense of others. We need to
adopt thoughts which are
associated with good will
towards others, generosity,
kindness, friendliness, and
compassion towards oneself and
others.
*Right Speech … Relative to our
speech is how we are heard by
others, it is important to begin
our practice by taking up speech
which is truthful, honest, worthy,
respectable and non-harmful,
speech which is free from lying,
slander, harsh language, gossip,
or foolish talk about things
which breed contempt or
confusion amongst others.
Speech can be a powerful tool in
society and if we are to begin to
have a positive effect in our life
then we need to begin to speak
in a way which is beneficial and
conducive to good both for
ourselves and others.
*Right Action … Our actions
determine the effects which
follow, we should refrain from
actions which will cause harm to
ourself or to others. We should
avoid doing actions such as
intentionally harming or killing
other living beings and even
plants, stealing and taking things
which don’t belong to us, having
unlawful sexual relations or
associating with others who act
foolishly causing harm in many
ways, indulging in alcohol or
drugs which cause us to act
irrationally and carelessly. Any
actions which are conducive to
harm should be distinguished
and avoided, likewise any actions
which are conducive to good
and are beneficial to oneself and
others should be taken up
heedfully and put into practice.
*Right Livelihood … One should
understand their livelihood, is it a
livelihood which is free from
such tasks as killing animals or
slaughter, manufacture or sales
and distribution or dealing with
firearms and ammunition or
such things which are conducive
to killing and warfare, trading in
drugs or alcohol, deceit and
corruption, exploitation of
others, if it is a livelihood which
is conducive to harm then one
should consider changing to an
occupation which is beneficial to
oneself and others, or at least
one which is not harmful in any
way.
*Right Effort … Right effort needs
to be maintained throughout life
and ones practice, one should
put a sincere effort into things
which are conducive to good
and wholesome, leading to
benefits, and effort into avoiding
doing things which are harmful.
*Right Mindfulness …
Mindfulness and awareness
should be applied in
contemplating such things as the
Body, Feelings, The Mind
(Consciousness), Mental objects,
… Mindfulness is the key to
proper learning and practice. We
should learn to be mindful both
in our daily situations, and in
practicing methods of insight
contemplation and meditation
techniques which are a
necessary component of ones
path in Buddhism. We should
apply mindfulness in an
appropriate manner, directing
our attention to things which are
beneficial and conducive to
cultivating good qualities.
*Right Concentration … This
applies to methods which are
associated with cultivation of the
mind leading to wholesome
states. We should apply
concentration of the mind
towards those subtle qualities of
consciousness in development of
insight leading to wisdom
concerning dependant
origination, and to the levels of
mental absortion known as
jhana, . In practicing the Dharma
one learns methods of
meditation in which the mind is
developed in accordance to
seeking those qualities which are
in relation to higher wisdom,
compassion (loving kindness),
equanamity, such qualities of the
mind which are subtle and
difficult to comprehend at such
high levels under normal
circumstances. One takes up the
practice of meditation in order
the cultivate the mind through
various methods, some methods
are unique in some traditions,
and some are common practices
which are found throughout
different traditions within
Buddhism, all are practiced with
the goal of developing
concentration in the jhanas and
achieving a state known as
samadhi, a state which is tranquil
and entering beyond the realms
of duality, in which one
experiences the essence of the
Buddhas teachings.
‘Dharma’ can take on two
meanings, one is that the
Dharma is the teachings of the
Buddha. The Buddha teaches
sentient beings the way to
freedom from worldly fetters
through various means.
Throughout the lifetime of Prince
Gautama Siddhattha as the fully
enlightened Buddha,
Shakyamuni, he taught the
Dhamma to many people
through various means, he was
an ascetic wandering from one
township in one place to
another, throughout several
different kingdoms, meeting
others of different
characteristics, temperaments,
capabilities, and dispositions in
life, he knew how to teach them
according to how they needed.
This being the case there has
been recorded many such
conversations in scripture form,
known as Sutra or Sutta.
Throughout these discourses
which were spoken by the
Buddha, there are many valuable
lessons to be discovered and
learnt which are beneficial when
they can be understood in
different context, and known to
mean the true meaning
accordingly so that we can learn
things by a clearer viewpoint.
There is generally speaking those
Sutta from the Pali Canon, the
Tipitaka, and the sutras from the
mahayana canon. Each Sutra has
a purpose in the way that they
are in association with practice
and also used as a contemplative
guide to practice. Even with the
vast amount of these Sutras
which have been translated into
the English language there are
still some which have not been
translated, however there are
many, and to know which
tradition or method of practice is
most suitable for oneself, one
may have to study and
investigate things such as
commentaries, methods of
practice including meditation,
insight, different contemplation
of the sutras, traditional aspects,
etc etc, there are many aspects to
the Dhamma, it is a vast teaching
which reaches out wherever the
eye may see, wherever the ear
may hear, wherever one turns
there is a lesson to incorporate
into our life.
These days we are lucky, there
are numerous sources where we
can gain access to the teachings
of the Buddha, through a vast
array of books written by
accomplished monks and lay-folk
alike there is teachings which are
suitable for everyone whether a
monk or a civilian lay-person, on
the Internet there are many
websites which have great
information regarding sutras,
teachings, methods of
meditation, commentaries, and
more, there are even discussion
boards where one can discuss,
on-line, topics in association and
with regard to the Buddha
Dharma. There is a variety of
sources to learn the Dharma
from and in that way we are
fortunate.
The best and most usual way is
to attend a Buddhist Centre, a
Temple, Vihara, or any abode
where a monk or several monks
abide. One can visit a residence
of the Sangha* and learn
meditation and listen to and even
become involved in discussions
on various aspects of the
Dharma. This is the most valuable
way to learn the Dharma, by
means of the Sangha*.
Unfortunately we don’t always
have access to a local Sangha or
a Sangha nearby and so we have
to practice at home, or or we
may sometimes choose to
practice somewhere where we
can meditate with some degree
of peace, perhaps in a garden or
some parkland, near a creek or
somewhere where we can relax
a bit, but also somewhere safe
and free from harm. If one is able
to it is better to learn from
members of the Sangha, perhaps
even on a weekly or fortnightly
visit, whatever is suitable and
appropriate for your learning.
Another meaning for Dharma
which is also in relation with,
and not separate to the
teachings, is that it refers to the
truth of the way things are,
reality as it is, without our
disginguishing thoughts, and
discriminatory judgements being
thrust upon it, it is simply the
way it is beyond compare.
The reason that this meaning is
also associated with the
teachings is that the teachings
are true to the way that things
really are, it is by learning the
teachings of the buddha that
that we learn how to put it into
practice and gain wisdom where
there was little, compassion
where we were before selfish,
generosity where we were once
stingy or greedy, strength and
courage where we were meek,
and so by learning and practicing
the Dharma as a teaching we
also come to know the Dharma
as it is.
This being the Dharma, … we
could say ‘what isn’t Dharma’,
Dharma is to be found
everywhere we turn our
attention, so the teachings of the
Buddha have mindfulness
stamped on them, whatever we
learn from, whether a book, a
teacher monk, another person,
anywhere we turn, we should
practice mindfulness and be
attentive, it is a way of skillful
means. We should awaken from
sleep, and become aware of the
Dharma which pervades our very
being in existence.
*Sangha … ‘Sangha’ is the term
used for the order of monks
(bikkhus), and nuns (bikkhuni),
who practicing buddhists learn
from through association with
them, it can apply to those who
we find solace in within the
order of Buddhism. In Buddhism
it is said that when decides to
take up Buddhism one can ‘Go
for refuge’ , this is a term which
implies that one has taken the
teachings of the Buddha as ones
own way, and has taken it up
whole-heartedly. The triple
refuge involves going for refuge
in the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha*.