Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register
Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04
Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.

What were Buddha's highest teachings and accomplishments?

BeachHouseGuyBeachHouseGuy
edited June 2011 in Buddhism Basics
,

Comments

  • taiyakitaiyaki Veteran
    "Vast emptiness and no essence at all!" - Bodhidharma
  • santhisouksanthisouk Veteran
    The Buddha taught "The Middle Way" as the framework for practice. Creating a religion is one of his greatest accomplishments.
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    Accomplishment: Enlightenment.

    Highest teachings: The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

    Everything else is based on these.
  • BeachHouseGuyBeachHouseGuy
    Why call it emptiness? is that not a negative term? WHy not call it inner peace? I'm only commenting on this because everyone seems to refer to this nothingness, emptiness using words that sound like they could have a negative connotation, why not keep it at peace? Is it referred to like this by Buddha or many scholars?
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    Emptiness merely means that nothing in the phenomenal world in and of itself, that is, things in the world are empty of inherent existence. Yes, Buddha taught emptiness of inherent existence and used the word. But once we arrive at that point, we can move on to the inner peace of which you speak. I don't know so much about Theravada, but in Mahayana and Vajrayana there are extensive variations on the theme of inner peace and equanimity.
  • BeachHouseGuyBeachHouseGuy
    cool
  • TakuanTakuan Veteran
    @girllikesam

    If you want to understand emptiness, you should read a commentary on the heart sutra. In my opinion, emptiness is one of the highest teachings of the Buddha. It's quite intriguing.
  • jlljll Veteran
    Buddha speaks the truth. To many people, it is negative. Eg. Buddha talks about sickness, old age & suffering. That if you do bad things, there will be bad karma. Christianity & Islam says as long as you believe in God, you will enjoy in heaven forever. That is very positive but it is not true.
    Why call it emptiness? is that not a negative term? WHy not call it inner peace? I'm only commenting on this because everyone seems to refer to this nothingness, emptiness using words that sound like they could have a negative connotation, why not keep it at peace? Is it referred to like this by Buddha or many scholars?
  • thickpaperthickpaper Veteran
    Accomplishment: Enlightenment.

    Highest teachings: The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

    Everything else is based on these.
    I agree, but would add that the above are based on the Three Marks of Existence.

    I think his approach to Doubt was also huge.
  • stewartstewart
    The highest teachings in Mahayana Buddhism is the concept of emptiness, also called Selflessness,Voidness or Shunyata; this is the Wisdom side of the Buddhas teachings: Phenomena has "no self" - being absent of no intrinsic reality.
    It is said by many Buddhist masters that without this realisation of emptiness it is impossible to overcome suffering and its origins completely and therefore liberation is not possible - " Selflessness is a vital tool to achieve ultimate happiness" (Geshe Tashi Tsering)
  • cazcaz Veteran United Kingdom Veteran
    It depends who you would ask. Accordingly though Vajrayana is the quick path for accomplishing full enlightenment in one life rather then the many countless aeons it would take for one to create the merit in order to do so using Sutric methods, Sutra is an important base for Tantra the two are needed to practice properly.
Sign In or Register to comment.