The Buddhist Path

[Brandybuck]

Hello everyone,

I feel indebted to write about one of the paths that I follow that has made such a difference in my life. The path that has completely changed the way I view the world. I no longer take things for granted the way that I once did. I find myself very thankful for the dearly loved ones that I have in my life, and my good health. I find myself thankful to nature, and all that resides within. I find myself looking inside of everything bad to spot the flicker of Light within it. I have reduced my anxiety to almost nothing..I do not get anxious every day anymore. I did this without the need of medications..just meditation and faith. I also feel that my tolerence level is better than ever. Sure things still irritate me (like sloppy people--that will never go away), but not to the extent as a year ago.

I also feel that I have been a better help to those around me, and more people seem drawn to me. That is because I have noticed the Light within myself, so now others can see it. I owe this change in my life to my spiritual path in general (which is a mixture of many). However, the one that has helped me discover who I really as is Buddhism.

I do not pretend to know all there is to know about the Buddhist path..I am far from a master. However, certain things have already shone like a beacon to me..just while reading it. For those interested, one of the best books that I have sen written on Buddhism is a book titled:
THE BUDDHA BOOK
Buddhas, Blessings, Prayers, and Rituals to Grant
You Love, Wisdom, and Healing
By: Lillian Too
It os from this book that I have learned so much, and which I use all the time. Sort of like a Buddhist "Book of Shadows" if you will. It is from this book that I shall refer.

~The story of Shaykamuni Buddha~

More than 2000 years ago, in the 6th century b.c., in what is now southern Nepal, a prince and heir is born to the Shakya clan. He is called Siddhartha and has the family name Gautama. His father is the ruler of the state, King Shudodhana. His mother, Maya, dies soon after Siddhartha's birth and it is his aunt, Mahaprajapati, who brings up the boy under the watchful eye of the king.

A glorious future is predicted for the young prince. He will grow up to be a great and holy teacher or a powerful monarch, the astrologer Assita tells the king. But the king wants his son to succeed him and instinctively fears this might not be. He knows that the young prince's sensitive nature could turn him into a philosopher, thereby causing him to surrender his birthright. So the king takes extreme measures to screen his son from the harsh realities of the outside world, and Siddhartha grows up in plesaurable isolation within the palace walls, carefully protected from the real world. Eventually he married the beautiful princess Yasodhara.

Alas for the king, his carefully laid plans crumble when, at the age of 29, Siddhartha discovers the reality of city life beyond the palace gates. He encounters in quick succession the manifestations of life's suffering and impermanence--sickness, old age, and death--aspects of life that had been carefully shielded from him. The young prince realizes that all his worldly pleasures, his strong body, and even his life cannot protect him from the creeping forces. He has to confront the inevidabiliity of suffering caused by the impermanence of life and of all things. Siddhartha realizes that his luxurious existence will one day cease and crumble away. These revelations bring despair and his thoughts weigh heavily on his mind. An intense compassion wells up within him.

One day Siddhartha encounters a homeless wanderer dressed in monk's robes, whose demeanor belies his appearance, for the man carries himself like a nobleman. Siddhartha is inspired by the wandering merchant's search for the true nature of life and identifies with the goal of finding the truth. He makes up his mind to quit the palace to search for answers that can overcome the suffering nature of existence.

The birth of his son, Rahula, strengthens his resolve. Compassion again wells up within him as he realizes that one day his son, too, will have to confront the inevitability of illness, old age and death. On the night of a Full Moon, Siddhartha steals out of the palace and rides into the night on his white horse, Kanthaka, while deities support its hooves to muffle the sound. Turning his back on his family and his princely life, he hopes one day to return with answers.
~~~~~~~~To be continued~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Due to the length of the life story of the Buddha, I will have to continue it tomorrow. Sorry for any inconvienence this may have caused reading the story.

[Laurasia]

Hi Brandybuck.

Please do keep this coming. You have sparked an interest in Buddhism within me in these past few months or so. Yet it also seems so unattainable at times. Balance, calm, etc. I'm so used to life being complex that the sheer simplicity of it sometimes makes me wary.

Sorry I'm rambling. Anyway, please do keep it coming.

Sincerely,
Laurasia

[Lomelindo]

heres a nice link concerning the four noble truths of buddhism:
www.buddhanet.net/4noble.htm
It would be a good read for anyone interested in buddhism.
Keep on with the story Brandybuck, I will add stuff later on.....

Artanaro

[Laurasia]

Hi Artanaro.

Thank you very much for that link. I will have to look at it more closely soon.

Sincerely,
Laurasia

[Brandybuck]

Laurasia,

You have sparked an interest in Buddhism within me in these past few months or so.

Oh dear, I had no idea. *blushes*. I am very pleased to hear it sweetie. Believe me, if it is diversity you are worried about, I have three other spiritual paths that I add to my Buddhist beliefs. It can never be "unattainable".

Artanaro,

Keep on with the story Brandybuck, I will add stuff later on.....

Thank you for adding the link artanaro. Also take your time and add at your own pace. I will continue posting the Buddha's story tomorrow.

[twilight]

I can only add my thanks to you for starting this topic, Brandybuck! I also have been interested in Buddhism, but I know only a little about it. I will be eagerly awaiting the reast of the story!

~Aelish~

[Lomelindo]

I would also like to post some buddhist koans...This is one from the Soto sect of Zen Buddhism with commentary given by Gudo Nishijima Roshi from the book "Master Dogens Shinji Shobogenzo 301 Koan stories"

Master Sozan Honjaku asked Acarya Toku : It is said that the true universal body of the buddhas is like space, and that the way it manifests itself in everything is like images of the moon reflected in the surface of the water. What can we say that will explain the basic principle?

Acarya Toku said : It is like an a** looking down a well

Master Sozan said : Although you have stated it very well, you have expressed only eighty or ninety percent.

Acarya Toku said : What about you, Master?

Master Sozan said : It is like the well looking up at the a**.

Commentary
Master Sozan explained the relative nature of the relationship between subject and object. We would normally say that an a** looks down into the well, but the principle of relativity in Buddhist theory says that the well also looks up at the a**. That is, the relationship between the well and the a** is always a mutual relationship. On one side is the a** and on the other side is the well. they exist mutually - one in front of the other, an interaction that is not divided into two.

I plan to post more because they are very "enlightening" and explain some buddhist theories in a practical way I think.

May Elbereth protect you
Artanaro

[Laurasia]

Hi Artanaro.

Very interesting indeed. You guys both keep it coming. ;D

Sincerely,
Laurasia

[Brandybuck]

~The Story Of Shaykamuni Buddha continued~

The prince's determination leads him to study with two famous spiritual teachers, Alara Kalama and Udraka Ramaputra. From them, he acquires techniques of deep meditative absorption, which enable him to attain heightened states of consciousness that brings feelings of great bliss. But these states do not provide the answers that Siddhartha is seeking. Death still remains the final reality.

Next he tries the path of intense asceticism. Looking at his body, he surmises that this is the cause of suffering, so perhaps answers may be found in overcoming its physical demands. Denying the body food ans sustenance will perhaps enable it to reach a state whereby he can escape the sufferings of illness and old age. So Siddhartha fasts until he is skin and bone. He practices breath control until he nearly keels over. In his determination to discover a realm beyond old age and death, he subjects his body to intense agony and austerity. This discipline transforms his will into steel.

Five other ascetics practice alongside him, and for six years Siddhartha lives in this state of self-denial. But the answers and wisdom he seeks continue to elude him. He begins to realize that denying the body may not be the solution. His health suffers and this makes his mind weak; it is getting clouded and he is making no progress. It seems important to try another way, perhaps a middle road. So Siddhartha accepts some milk rice from Sujata, the wife of a local farmer. This disgusts his fellow practioners, who believe that his will has weakened, so they abandon Siddhartha and leave for the Deer Park at Sarnath.

Alone, Siddhartha contemplates the new-found strength of his body. Making a cushion from patches of cut grass, he sits in the shade of what will later be identified as the bodhi tree. He resolves to meditate until he finds the path that will lead him to some answers and so bring a permanent end to all suffering.

His mind now takes on an intense clarity, lighting up vast beacons of memory from deep within--he remembers all his past lives and notes the cyclical patterns of birth, death, rebirth and death, moving relentlessly in a never-ending rhythum. He sees all the beings of the world going through the same cycle. He contemplates how those who have been generous, kind, and loving experience rebirth in happy circumstances, while those who act with jealousy, hatred, anger, and greed inevitably fall back into the suffering realms. It is all very clear. Birth and death seemed wrapped around the sensations of craving, attachment, and the desire for living. It seems as if the cycle goes on forever.

It is the night of the Full Moon when Siddhartha begins, and as he sits in contemplative meditataion he is continually "attacked" by maras--disturbing forces of delusion that try every way to break his concentration. First come temptations that are placed in his path-wealth and pleasure; then come threats that use fear as an agent of distraction; when this fails the final weapon is the planting of seeds of doubt in his mind.

But the prince sits unmoved and undisturbed. Then, without breaking his concentration, he extends his right hand and touches the earth with his middle finger. Instantly the earth goddess appears to testify that the meditating prince has in past lives practiced the Six Perfections of generosity, morality, patience, enthusiastic preservance, concentration, and wisdom. In touching the earth, the mara forces are defeated and Siddhartha attains a total cessation of all suffering of body and mind, all ignorance and self-centeredness. Time and space vanish, and all ties melt away. In their place there is only total clarity, compassion, and wisdom consciousness, a state that is formless, with no beginning and no end--the state of all-knowing; the state of no sorrow; the state of never ending happiness and bliss!

The human personality of Siddhartha dissolves, and in its place emerges Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, the supreme emanation, the enlightened One, the fully awakened One, the foe-destroyer. Buddha continues to sit, allowing the impact of the new wisdom to permeate his whole being. He is 35 years old when he attains enlightenment, and for seven weeks thereafter he remains in meditative repose, enjoying the state of matchless bliss.

That concludes the longhand story of the Buddha attaining enlightenment. I would like to close for now with this quote from Lama Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche.

Those who are not upset with suffering
and not attached to the happiness
are free of obstacles to Dharma practice
are liberated from suffering and happiness
and will go to the city of the sorrowless state-
a blissful state of peace.

[Laurasia]

Hi Brandybuck.

Thank you for finishing that story. I enjoyed it. About the quote at the bottom, there was a part that bothered me a bit & I was hoping that one of you Buddhists could elaborate for me.

are liberated from suffering and happiness

This sounds pretty horrible to me. Like when I was forced to take antidepressents that I didn't need. I wasn't able to feel either sorrow or happiness without getting physically ill. It was an awful state in which to live. Being forced not to feel anything. I certainly hope that this is not the "balance" that is so often spoke about being attained. I would rather feel every emotion to the utter extreme than nothing at all.

Sincerely,
Laurasia

[Lomelindo]

I think it is more like liberation from attachment to suffering and happiness. It arises and passes away. One thing that I learned from buddhism is that nirvana includes pain, you feel everything so much more deeply...We all have these emotions and feelings, doubts, etc. but when we attach ourselves to these things and try to cling to them, it causes suffering.

Change is inevitable , Growth is optional
Pain is inevitable, Suffering is optional
Buddhism is not about detachment from reality and from everything as is commonly thought, it teaches you to embrace the good and the bad with compassion and to let go. It is detachment from attachment and craving for things to be as you want them to be , not as they simply are.
(Hope this made sense !!)
Artanaro

[Laurasia]

Hi Artanaro.

Yes, that made sense. Thank you for explaining. It's just that...It seems wrong to not hold on to the happiness in our lives. Maybe this is something that many people have trouble with when first learning of the Buddhist path, I don't know. I can understand the need to let go of the pain & sorrow in our lives, it just seems horribly wrong to try & let go of the happiness as well.

Sincerely,
Laurasia

[Brandybuck]

Laurasia,

Believe me, I would never think of deserting the feeling of happiness. What artanaro said is basically the case. I would further like to add to that in saying this: I think the point is that you do not cling so to speak to happiness as the only thing you live for. It is not happiness itself that is shunned, it is extreme attachment to any emotion that can force you through samsara again and again. I do not think this applies to all cases. True happiness will always be valued. What you have to watch for is a false sense of happiness..basically this..if you won a million dollars, would you REALLY be happy in the truest sense of the word? Sure your bills would be paid and you would never have to work again, but then..does it actually change you as a person? Are you going to become greedy and want more money? Or perhaps boredom sets in, and then your life becomes dull...then your "happiness" would subside. I can understand your confusion, but I have read many different books on this, and it usually means "attachment to MATERIAL happiness". Loved ones and feeling true bliss in life are ALWAYS valued. That is how I perceive it as well.

I hope that I explained it good enough for you. Also, to adopt the Buddist morals does not mean that you have to follow it to a T. Like I stated above, you can adopt what positivity you can find out of the religion to improve your own life, like I have done. Then, you can add it to your other practices.

[Lomelindo]

THE GREAT HEART OF WISDOM SUTRA

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva
when practicing deeply the Prajna Paramita
perceived that all five skandhas are empty
and was saved from all suffering and distress.

Shariputra, form does not differ from emptiness;
emptiness does not differ from form.
That which is form is emptiness;
that which is emptiness, form.
The same is true of feelings, perceptions,impulses, consciousness
Shariputra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness;
they do not appear not disappear
are not tainted or pure,
do not increase or decrease.

Therefore in emptiness, no form,
no feeling,perceptions,impulses,consciousness;
no eyes,no ears,no nose,no tongue, no body, no mind;
no color,no sound,no smell,no taste,no touch,no object of mind;
no realm of eyes and so forth until no realm of mind-consciousness;
no ignorance and also no extinction of it, and so forth until no old age and death and also no extinction of them;
no suffering, no origination, no stopping, no path;
no cognition, also no attainment.
With nothing to attain
the bodhisattva depends on Prajna Paramita
and attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
Therefore know the Prajna Paramita
is the transcendent mantra,
is the great bright mantra,
is the utmost mantra,
is the supreme mantra,
which is able to relieve all suffering
and is true and not false.
So proclaim the Prajna Paramita mantra,
proclaim the mantra that says:
Gate, Gate, paragate,parasamgate!Bodhi!Svaha!

The commentary to this shall follow in subsequent posts ...This is taken from the book "Hardcore Zen, Punk rock, monster movies, and the truth about reality" by Brad Warner...He is the student of Gudo Nishijima of the Soto sect of Zen. All this might be confusing at first but in time all will be clear

May Elbereth protect you!
Namarie
Artanaro

[Brandybuck]

~Buddha's Twelve Deeds~

The life story of Buddha is usually summarized as the twelve deeds of the Buddha, which are the twelve significant events of his life.

1. Buddha descends from Tushita heaven to this world.
2. Buddha enters into his mothers womb.
3. Buddha's birth in Lumbini Garden, Nepal, to King Shuddhodana and Queen Maya.
4. Buddha becoming skilled in the arts and playing sports of youth.
5. Buddha's marriage to Princess Yasodhara, and his taking charge of the kingdom.
6. Buddha's renunciation at the age of 29.
7. Buddha's practicing austerities for 6 years.
8. Buddha sitting under the bodhi tree.
9. Buddha defeating the maras.
10. Buddha attaining enlightenment.
11. Buddha turning the wheel of Dharma.
12. Buddha attaining final parinirvana (complete nirvana, or liberation).

Buddhist art depicts each of these deeds in various ways, but it is the eleventh deed, the turning of the Dharma wheel (or the Buddhist teachings) that is the most significant.