Brief Introduction to SEA Buddhist Ethics and Practices

Life after Enlightenment • • Seven weeks Two Young Girls offer Ricemilk First sermon—middle way 45 years of teaching and walking (suttas, abhidhamma) Dies in Kapilavastu (backwater, bad pork) Cremation and lamp Be a lamp onto yourselves Spread of relics in eight directions

Spread Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkhim, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Tibet, Korea, Japan, Burma, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam His message spread fast among women and men for a few reasons: 1. Jetovimutti and Pannavimutti 2. Any caste could take up path including women 3. King Asoka 4. Narrative literature 5. The story of the Buddha itself was inspiring Disease, break-up of families, money economy and travel at that period in the region Soteriology (Nirvana—next week)

Dharma • • • The Middle Path Transcending context there are some basic “truths” (Dhamma) which Buddhists hold as the basis for developing awareness of yourself and others. The 4 Truths

First Noble Truth • Sabbam Idam Dukkham (The First Noble Truth: All “This” is Suffering) • You perception causes yourself and others to suffer because you are ignorant of Anicca, Anatta and Dukkha • Anicca (Impermanence): Stars, Seasons, Mountains, Lives, Thoughts

Anicca (Impermanence): Stars, Seasons Mountains, live, thoughts, ideologies

Anatta • Anatta (Non-Self/Non. Substance): Self, Family, Culture, Religion, Nation, Ideology. • The false belief in the existence of one true self or soul divides you from others.

Dukkha • Dukkha (Pain): Physical, Psychological, Existential Trauma • Think you should be happy all the time. • Your life comes before other lives.

Second Noble Truth • Dukkham Samudayam (The Second Noble Truth: The Cause of Suffering) • Desire and craving (Tanha): for happiness, for revenge, for success, for peace, for power, even for nirvana, • Desire is selfish, divides you from others, creates false belief that there is a “self” and an “other”

Third-Dukkham Nirodham • Dukkham Nirodham (The Third Noble Truth: Nirvana) • Stop “selfish” desire • Realize anicca, anatta, dukkha

Fourth-Maggam • Maggam (The Fourth Noble Truth: The Eightfold Noble Path) • Sila (Precepts) – right speech – right action – right livelihood • Samadhi (Concentration) – right awareness – right concentration – right effort • Panna (Wisdom) – right view – right wisdom

Wisdom=Radical Selflessness • Right wisdom: Dwelling in the Four Mansions • Metta (Compassion): Dalai Lama) • Karuna (Warmth): Kisa Gotami • Upekkha (Indifference): The Monk and the Maggots • Mudita (Joy in another’s Joy): The Novice and the Samurai

Sila • • 5, 8, 10, 227, 243, 311 Every sila precept Abuse of Speech: untruth, but also belittling, gossip, condescending, even edifying Abuse of Possessions: stealing, but also hoarding, exploitation, slavery, wasting, allowing others to be poor Abuse of Violence: do not kill, but also not allow others to die violently, not working for peace, professions that promote or allow murder, pollution, physical abuse, devaluing others’ lives, as well as not caring and comforting Abuse of intoxicants: also not being “responsible, ” Abuse of sex: not just rape, but also abusing others through sexuality (fashion, pornography, body image, selfish sexual conquests, etc. )