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What!!! You are a Buddhist By William Bartels
I added a short interesting article, entitled "What!!! You are a Buddhist " by William Bartels to the MBMCmichigan.org. I do not know William Bartels personally. His short article is used as a pamphlet for MBMC visitors. I think it might be a good reading for some who are getting to know Buddhism.
Surprised?
Yes, I am a Buddhist and most likely the first you've ever met. These are a lot of us in the United States, it’s estimated between 3-4 million, and we are growing. But enough of that. You may have some questions, so go ahead and ask.
Who is the Buddha?
The name Buddha is an honorific title applied to a man named Siddhattha Gautama who lived in north east India about 2600 years ago. After seeing that all beings were subjected to a cycle of suffering from birth through sickness, to old age, and death, he began a quest for truth searching for release from this continually turning wheel of life. After many years of study, self denial, and meditation the man called Gautama rediscovered the truth of existence and the path to the end of suffering. He then became a Buddha.
The translation of the word “Buddha” is “The Enlightened One.” The Buddha is not a God. He died as well all must die, and he had no resurrection.
Do you worship him?
No, instead we pay respect to him for providing us a rational explanation of life and a solution to its problems.
What are his teachings?
The four noble truths
1. All lives are dominated by suffering, discontent.
2. This suffering is caused by man kind’s constant craving for physical and psychological desires.
3. The way to end suffering is to eliminate craving.
4. By following the Eightfold Path we can eliminate craving.
What is the eightfold path?
1. Right View: To thoroughly understand the Four Noble Truths and not be deceived by appearances of desires.
2. Right Thought: Thoughts free from lust, thoughts free from ill-will, and thoughts free from cruelty.
3. Right Speech: Avoid idle or abusive language, to abstain from harsh language, do not lie, to abstain from vain talk.
4. Right Action: Do not kill or hurt anyone, do not steal, do not commit sexual wrong doing, abstain from intoxicants or mind altering drugs.
5. Right Livelihood: Avoid all types of occupation that would harm any living beings.
6. Right Effort: Try your best to live by right ideas and work on ending the mental defilements of greed, hatred, and self-delusion, replacing them with charity, love and understanding.
7. Right Mindfulness: This is probably the most important and profound aspect of Buddhist mental development and includes a variety of different meditation practices and techniques varied according to one’s individual spiritual needs and personality structure and include developing awareness of unconscious motives and impulses.
8. Right Concentration: The Buddha taught and millions have discovered, that the way to calm one’s mind and eliminate craving is through regular meditation practice.
Do you believe in life after death?
Good question. The goal of all Buddhists is a Attainment of Nibbana (Nirvana). This is an existence where suffering has been eliminated. A central Buddhist teaching is that we are ach responsible for out own actions, and hat we do in this life will effect out next life. Therefore, we strive to eliminate the craving and suffering in our present and following lives until Nibbana is realized. Incidentally, history is filled with evidence pointing to rebirth. It is not a soul that passes on but what we have though and done which conditions out next life.
Do Buddhists have clergy or priests?
In a way, we have a community of monks. The Buddha established what is called the Sangha before his death, the Sangha exists and preserves intact the Dhamma, the original teachings of the Buddha to this day. We revere monks for following Buddha’s path (called the Middle way), which is neither extreme asceticism nor materialism. The monks follow a code of conduct laid down by the Buddha 2,578 years ago. Monks also provide lay people with guidance and act as teachers.
If I believe in Buddha will this help me reach the goal of Nibbana?
No, we do not seek Nibbana through the help of any super-natural entity or power. Buddhists seek their own liberation through wisdom, meditation, and the practice of moral self-discipline.
Is Buddhism broken up into different sects like Christianity?
Sort of, but it is more like a stew which has different seasonings. However, all Buddhists profess the basic teachings outlined in this pamphlet.
How do I become a Buddhist?
Easily, if you read and understood the Eightfold Path and believe that it describes a reasonable and peaceful way of life, you are a Buddhist at heart already.
If you want more information go to the Wat Dhammaram (7059 W. 75th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60638 Tel: (708) 594-8100, 594-8114), MBMC (29750 Ryan Road, Warren, MI 48092-2244 Tel: (586) 573-2666 or any Buddhist Temple in the area and inquire about accepting the “Triple Gem” and Five Precepts.
This means entrusting yourself to the guiding ideals of the Buddhist Path, which makes possible deliverance from the suffering, discontent, and danger of existence in this rapidly changing world.
Any final thoughts?
The information contained in this pamphlet does not cover the Buddhist Path in great detail. Buddhism is rich in thought and ideas. It is my hope you will get some sense of Buddha’s Path explore the teachings of this religion accepted by over 350 million people world wide. Please contact the below mentioned temple for more information.
“Practice kindness, for thereby all hates will be abandoned. Practice compassion, for thus will all vexations be abandoned. Practice sympathy, for thereby all accessions will be abandoned. Practice equanimity, for thereby will all revulsion be abandoned. Meditate, and all lust will be abandoned. Think about impermanence, and then will pride be abandoned.”
Have no fear
William Bartels
What!!! You are a Buddhist
By William Bartels
Surprised?
Yes, I am a Buddhist and most likely the first you've ever met. These are a lot of us in the United States, it’s estimated between 3-4 million, and we are growing. But enough of that. You may have some questions, so go ahead and ask.
Who is the Buddha?
The name Buddha is an honorific title applied to a man named Siddhattha Gautama who lived in north east India about 2600 years ago. After seeing that all beings were subjected to a cycle of suffering from birth through sickness, to old age, and death, he began a quest for truth searching for release from this continually turning wheel of life. After many years of study, self denial, and meditation the man called Gautama rediscovered the truth of existence and the path to the end of suffering. He then became a Buddha.
The translation of the word “Buddha” is “The Enlightened One.” The Buddha is not a God. He died as well all must die, and he had no resurrection.
Do you worship him?
No, instead we pay respect to him for providing us a rational explanation of life and a solution to its problems.
What are his teachings?
The four noble truths
1. All lives are dominated by suffering, discontent.
2. This suffering is caused by man kind’s constant craving for physical and psychological desires.
3. The way to end suffering is to eliminate craving.
4. By following the Eightfold Path we can eliminate craving.
What is the eightfold path?
1. Right View: To thoroughly understand the Four Noble Truths and not be deceived by appearances of desires.
2. Right Thought: Thoughts free from lust, thoughts free from ill-will, and thoughts free from cruelty.
3. Right Speech: Avoid idle or abusive language, to abstain from harsh language, do not lie, to abstain from vain talk.
4. Right Action: Do not kill or hurt anyone, do not steal, do not commit sexual wrong doing, abstain from intoxicants or mind altering drugs.
5. Right Livelihood: Avoid all types of occupation that would harm any living beings.
6. Right Effort: Try your best to live by right ideas and work on ending the mental defilements of greed, hatred, and self-delusion, replacing them with charity, love and understanding.
7. Right Mindfulness: This is probably the most important and profound aspect of Buddhist mental development and includes a variety of different meditation practices and techniques varied according to one’s individual spiritual needs and personality structure and include developing awareness of unconscious motives and impulses.
8. Right Concentration: The Buddha taught and millions have discovered, that the way to calm one’s mind and eliminate craving is through regular meditation practice.
Do you believe in life after death?
Good question. The goal of all Buddhists is a Attainment of Nibbana (Nirvana). This is an existence where suffering has been eliminated. A central Buddhist teaching is that we are ach responsible for out own actions, and hat we do in this life will effect out next life. Therefore, we strive to eliminate the craving and suffering in our present and following lives until Nibbana is realized. Incidentally, history is filled with evidence pointing to rebirth. It is not a soul that passes on but what we have though and done which conditions out next life.
Do Buddhists have clergy or priests?
In a way, we have a community of monks. The Buddha established what is called the Sangha before his death, the Sangha exists and preserves intact the Dhamma, the original teachings of the Buddha to this day. We revere monks for following Buddha’s path (called the Middle way), which is neither extreme asceticism nor materialism. The monks follow a code of conduct laid down by the Buddha 2,578 years ago. Monks also provide lay people with guidance and act as teachers.
If I believe in Buddha will this help me reach the goal of Nibbana?
No, we do not seek Nibbana through the help of any super-natural entity or power. Buddhists seek their own liberation through wisdom, meditation, and the practice of moral self-discipline.
Is Buddhism broken up into different sects like Christianity?
Sort of, but it is more like a stew which has different seasonings. However, all Buddhists profess the basic teachings outlined in this pamphlet.
How do I become a Buddhist?
Easily, if you read and understood the Eightfold Path and believe that it describes a reasonable and peaceful way of life, you are a Buddhist at heart already.
If you want more information go to the Wat Dhammaram (7059 W. 75th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60638 Tel: (708) 594-8100, 594-8114), MBMC (29750 Ryan Road, Warren, MI 48092-2244 Tel: (586) 573-2666 or any Buddhist Temple in the area and inquire about accepting the “Triple Gem” and Five Precepts.
This means entrusting yourself to the guiding ideals of the Buddhist Path, which makes possible deliverance from the suffering, discontent, and danger of existence in this rapidly changing world.
Any final thoughts?
The information contained in this pamphlet does not cover the Buddhist Path in great detail. Buddhism is rich in thought and ideas. It is my hope you will get some sense of Buddha’s Path explore the teachings of this religion accepted by over 350 million people world wide. Please contact the below mentioned temple for more information.
“Practice kindness, for thereby all hates will be abandoned. Practice compassion, for thus will all vexations be abandoned. Practice sympathy, for thereby all accessions will be abandoned. Practice equanimity, for thereby will all revulsion be abandoned. Meditate, and all lust will be abandoned. Think about impermanence, and then will pride be abandoned.”
Have no fear
William Bartels
0
Comments
i know a lot of times when people are asking me for a quick
lesson on the teachings of Buddhism, i feel overwhelmed and
start rambling on and on about random things and maybe i confuse
them.now i'll just point them to this thread:)
thank you!
New to the forum, so just thought I'd peek in. I never have any problem explaining Buddhism - I just ask people to imagine themselves as a perfect being but with no Ego or conceit. that's usually enough to stop them in their tracks (!) and then I tell them that that's what they really are like, if they'd only stop trying so hard. I blew away a catholic priest once, when he asked me that question! had a wonderfully animated dicussion, which ended with him saying to me 'I think I'm going away from this with more than you are! Thanks!!' Ain't that nice?
I usually say something along the lines of "Buddhism is not a religion, and does not involve worship. Buddhism is the application of a set of guiding principles in order to acheive peace and perfection in this lifetime."
I've never actually said those words, but that's the idea I try to get across in the 45 seconds that is a normal person's attention span.
Welcome to the forums, federica
Flyte534 :bigclap:
that was a great way of summing up the teachings!
Except that whenever i read the last bit about eliminating craving, a stubborn question kept popping into my head! hehe
Eliminating craving isn't entirely possible, is it? I mean if men did not have the desire to fly, there wouldn't be any aeroplanes now... perhaps we would still be living in caves... catching fish... roasting potatoes over the fire... yum yum!
Unless the definition of craving is different all together... as in craving for em... someone's fabulous jewellery? (the desire to steal it and so on?)
Do share your opinions!
yeah i think that what he means, but is the craving for knoweledg bad? i mean since man (and woman) kind wanted to fly they bulit a airplane?
It is almost inevitable that craving or 'grasping' will bring dissatisfaction, stress and pain. The Dharma shows us a way out of such stress. We can choose a different path, for example the path of obsession for knowledge of for comfort or for anything else. It's up to us: we shall have a price to pay whatever we choose.
I would say that my own experience of reduced craving is that it brings a peaceful mind from whicvh I can learn or play or love with greater freedom and engagement.
though it may not be the best of analogies, i still agree with simon, if you didn't like my post look at his
:mullet:
Hope this helps.
_I ain't very good at it myself_
That information helped me
You might like to look at this:
http://www.buddhistinformation.com/entering_the_buddha.htm