Nasthika Darshanas – 3

Buddhism

Buddhism is a Nasthika Darshana that had its origins about 2,500 years ago when prince Siddhartha got enlightenment and transformed to Buddha, the Enlightened one, at the age of 35.  Buddha did not teach any systematic philosophy but collection of  his sayings, Dhammapada, is one of the widely followed well-known scripture of Buddhism.  Buddhism does not have a concept of  Almighty God and the relationship between Buddha and his followers is that of a teacher and students.    Buddha discouraged his followers from indulging in intellectual arguments for its own sake, as it is fruitless and distracting from true awakening.  He also remained silent when asked some contentious metaphysical questions like existence of God, the eternity of the Universe etc.  He wanted his disciples to concentrate on the task of freeing themselves from the cycle of suffering instead of asking too many questions even about Nirvana. Buddha asked all his followers not to take his word as true, but rather to test the teachings for themselves.  This makes Buddhism more of a teaching which each person learns and uses in their own way and less of a fixed package of doctrines to be accepted in its entirety. 

The basic concepts in Buddhism can be summed up as the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.  Buddha rejected speculation about such matters as God, the nature of the Universe and the after-life and urged his followers to focus on Four Noble Truths and free themselves from suffering.  The Four Noble Truths are:

1.    The truth of suffering (Dukkha)

2.    The truth of the origin of suffering (Samudaya)

3.    The truth of the cessation of suffering (Nirodha)

4.    The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering (Magga)

The truth of suffering is that Existence itself is suffering as life includes physical suffering due to disease, pain, old age, and death besides psychological suffering like frustration, fear, anger, disappointment and loneliness. The truth of the origin of suffering is that suffering is caused by craving and attachment.  A desire fulfilled fuels more desires leading to more struggles and suffering.  The truth of the cessation of suffering is freeing ourselves from attachments and learning to live in the present controlling our desires. The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering is the Noble Eight-fold Path, which leads to the end of suffering. The Eightfold Path is also called the Middle Way as it avoids both indulgence and severe asceticism. The state of cessation of suffering is the state of total bliss, called Nirvana or liberation. These eight stages support and reinforce each other. They are:

1.    Right Understanding (Accepting Buddhist teachings)

2.    Right Intention (A commitment to cultivate the right attitudes.)

3.    Right Speech (Speaking truthfully, avoiding slander, gossip and abusive speech)

4.    Right Action (Behaving peacefully and harmoniously; refraining from stealing, killing and overindulgence in sensual pleasure)

5.    Right Livelihood (Avoiding making a living in ways that cause harm, such as exploiting people or killing animals, or trading in intoxicants or weapons.)

6.    Right Effort (Cultivating positive states of mind; freeing oneself from evil and unwholesome states and preventing them arising in future)

7.    Right Mindfulness (Developing awareness of the body, sensations, feelings and states of mind.)

8.    Right Concentration (Developing the mental focus necessary for this awareness)

The eight stages can also be grouped as Wisdom (right understanding and intention), Ethical Conduct (right speech, action and livelihood) and Meditation (right effort, mindfulness and concentration). 

The great tragedy of existence, from a Buddhist point of view, is that it is both endless and subject to impermanence, suffering and uncertainty. These three are called the tilakhana or three signs of existence. Existence is endless because individuals are reincarnated over and over again, experiencing suffering throughout many lives. It is impermanent because no state, good or bad, lasts forever. Our mistaken belief that things can last is a chief cause of suffering. It is uncertain because when we examine our experience, no knower can be defined and no enduring essence of experience can be located. Only achieving liberation, or Nirvana, can free a being from the cycle of life, death and rebirth.

Buddhism holds two Pramanas, Prathyaksha and Anumana only, as valid Pramanas.  Buddhism also believes in the theory of Karma and re-birth.  Karma underlines the importance of all individuals being responsible for their past and present actions. The Karmic effect of our actions is determined by (1) the intention behind the action, (2) effects of the action on oneself, and (3) the effects on others.  Karma has implications beyond this life as Karma determines where a person will be reborn and their status in their next life. Good Karma can result in being born in the heavenly realm. Bad karma can cause rebirth as an animal, or torment in a hell realm.  Karma is not a system of punishment or reward dealt out by God. Karma is a natural law similar to gravity.

Buddhism has no Creator God to explain the origin of the universe. Instead, it teaches that everything depends on everything else: present events are caused by past events and become the cause of future events. In Buddhism the cyclical change of coming into being, survival and destruction of Time and Space happens naturally without the intervention of God. Universe has six realms in any one of which one can be reborn.  They are:

1.    Heaven, the home of the Devas

2.    The realm of humanity

3.    The realm of the asuras

4.    The realm of the ghosts

5.    The animal realm

6.    Hell realm

The first two levels are good realms to be born. The inhabitants of the next three levels suffer a particular defect (greed, hatred, ignorance), and hell is the worst level.

The realms of life are depicted in a diagram known as the Bhavachakra, the Wheel of Life or Wheel of Becoming. The wheel itself is a circle, symbolising the endless cycle of existence and suffering.  In the middle of the Wheel are the three fires of greed, ignorance and hatred, represented by a rooster, a pig and a snake. These are the cause of all suffering and are shown linked together, biting each other's tails, reinforcing each other. In the next circle out, souls are shown ascending and descending according to their Karma.  The next ring out is composed of six segments showing the six realms: Devas, humans and Asuras above and ghosts, animals and hell below.  The outer ring shows twelve segments called nidanas, illustrating the Buddhist teachings.

There are the five precepts that all followers of the Buddha must observe if they hope to be reborn as a human being. They are:

1.    Refrain from killing living things.

2.    Refrain from stealing.

3.    Refrain from unchastity (sensuality, sexuality, lust).

4.    Refrain from lying.

5.    Refrain from taking intoxicants.

Buddhism which had its origin in India has spread all over the world and now has 376 million followers worldwide. There are many subdivisions within Buddhism but most can be classified into two main branches-Theravada (“Way of the Elders”) and Mahayana (“Greater Vehicle”).  The well-known Zen school of Buddhism is a sub-division of Mahayana Branch.  All of them are rooted in the basic teachings of Buddha, and they emphasise the individual search for liberation from the cycle of samsara (birth, death, rebirth and suffering).   They differ only in the methods or practices for doing that.

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