mAs A I Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction Bee RE Danan Kern 3000 wR Dk WANE. 2013.6 (201s.10mREN) Note on Citations and Pronunciation SLC Rb BFE RE From time to time the reader will encounter references in the form D.ii.95 iS Dade AR aS Af oa BE AOS Scheie, film: “D.ii 9S". These are references to Buddhist scriptures, specifically the Pali Text Society editions of the early Buddhist canon, SKA BERL, SAUL ERO A CBE The key to the reference is as follows. The initial letter refers to one of the divisions (nikayas) into which the Buddha's discourses (suttas) are collated. JUST LE Be AS RHE PRE REI IZ, uy D__Digha Nikiya D_Ckiy M_ Majjhima Nikaya Maha ‘A Anguttara Nikaya A CHIT RID S__Samyuita Nikaya The Roman numeral (ii) denotes the volume number, and the Arabic numeral (95) denotes the page number. tate, LAA “OSE TIM. Thus the reference D.ii.95 is to volume two, page 95, of the Digha Nikaya RUE DiS a CAD ROSH". ‘A small number of references with the prefix Vin will also be encountered. These refer to a division of the Pali canon known as, the Vinaya or Monastic Rule, which contains material relating to monastic life. TES EDAD 5] CHR “Vin”, BIER, AEF MBSE HDTTAB ETE LAR RAE Translations of the entire Pali canon have been published by the Pali Text Society. Other, more recent, translations are also available and are mentioned in the section on ‘Further Reading’ at the end. ABE ASC TE LB A C8 AE SPREE Mie eS HM, SEA JWT SCE Ea HERE HUH 6 ‘Language and Pronunciation ie RHR Buddhist texts were composed in and translated into many languages including Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Thai, Burmese, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. PREECE HANI TEE HCPA, HE HE iA, SB DLE UO except where the Sanskrit form has become wis. The convention, however, is to cite Buddhist HUB AIL NSIT, BR technical terms in either their Pali or Sanskrit | fi] 2A oR TE. forms. In this book I will generally use the Pali form, | As) BAIA, BRAS IESR Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet established in English usage, as in words such as ‘karma’ and ‘nirvana’, > Wi karma” (FR 1) Al“nirvana” C282) GE. Transliterated versions of proper names which are common in the secondary literature (e.g Ashoka) will also be retained. BABES Be HW RH Ay Ashoka) JRHREFRA Sanskrit and Pali equivalents for the most important terms will be shown in brackets HE BAA LEASCANIE CT RA, SUG MARZ Transliteration from Sanskrit and Pali requires the use of diacritics such as in the letters ‘a and “MY seen above, since the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet are insufficient to represent the larger number of characters in Asian languages. a EAL) SALA MY PES, Gua A RAE, BASE MOPAP TAREE S WAL BAM KRZ TH. ‘A horizontal line (macron) above a vowel lengthens it, such that the character ‘A’ is pronounced as in “far” rather than “fat” TOL EAN CRET SY BP ir. MOEA ie torstar et aE “fat” sh TEA For the most part the other marks do not affect pronunciation enough to be of any concern, with the following exceptions: LRT SME AA, DLA Th. DAE UT BilSbs c pronounced ‘ch’ as in “choose” © iach”, fAHIZE“choose” i © oF § pronounced “sh” as in ‘shoes! sats “shoes”? etrsh”, lute pronounced “ny” as in Spanish ‘mafiana” BEM ny”, PAAUE URE mafana” ft. ‘A dot beneath a consonant (t, d, etc.) indicates that the tongue touches the roof of the mouth when pronouncing these letters, to give the characteristic sound of English when spoken with an Indian accent. AOE Pk Clem. AR) RAR AE AL GRA EAS, AEE OT ABR, WAST. Chapter | Buddhism and Elephants BH MSH The Buddha once told the story of the blind men and the elephant (Udana 69f,), PE BBVE PARR Wek CHM) [1JOOR FH) ‘A former king of the town of Savaithi, he Bi EF IE is SBA A EF head, trunk, legs, tail, and so forth related, ordered all his blind subjects to be EAIGRE SIRS alse assembled and divided into groups. Each group was then taken to an elephant and | HIN AMA WOBIA RSM, Be introduced to a different part of the animal —the | (ty (y48t#-k SMS HI3E— AWA, A Shen St ta ta 2G ‘Afterwards, the king asked each group to describe the nature of the beast RFE WATTS SAI AK BITE: a Those who had made contact with the head described an elephant as a water-pot; those BOL RAP RBA RATE, BEL REG D Ohi, HAT BARE Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet familiar with the ears likened the animal to a winnowing-basket; those who had touched a leg said an elephant was like a post, and those who had felt a tusk insisted an elephant was shaped like a pes BK SoU AE, in MbsL SH AM EASA The groups then fell to arguing amongst themselves each insisting its definition was correct and all the others were wrong. BARCAR AECL, USER A AMAA EOIN. TSCA i ABE EE. The study of Buddhism over the past century or so has resembled the encounter of the blind men and the elephant in many ways. BEDE ME Bb OT FLEE FS AAA RAYE ia ‘Students of Buddhism have tended to fasten onto HOHE BLE EEE AE HEF tb little like the elephant’s tusks — a striking, but unrepresentative, part of the whole animal. a small part of the tradition and assume their | feet yt—earr, HLA Sth conclusions held true about the whole Dia 4 BAEC ECA AAO Often the parts they have seized on have been a | (WAH nIeI T&D 4 PRR HFA RG) AGE EL, E03 FA KGS bik HA ARATENI ASD ‘Asa result, many erroneous and sweeping generalizations about Buddhism have been RAT EOF FE, Wes BA". SR. AL, -generalizations made on the basis of familiarity made, such as that it is ‘negative’, AE» ‘world-denying’. ‘pessimistic’, and so forth ‘Although this tendency to over-generalize is TRIAS FAO ABE now less common, itis still found in some of the | sj mule, {e142 BEA IMIR clr Tenure whe muhord iid to aR PIATRA, RHE HER MAE exaggerate certain features of the tradition or | 3:1 “it, RE assume that what was true of Buddhism in one peg ee cee culture or historical period held good pee nee Te at everywhere. ge SOT EAA PT The first lesson the story of the blind men Blt, HAR RMR ARO teaches us, then, is that Buddhism is a large and | hill ee hEs TS wid Ze, complex subject, and we should be wary of (EATON ALAS LIA, asking whichBuddhists are being referred to, which tradition of Buddhism they follow, which school or sect they belong to, and so forth, before these statements can be of much value. with any single part E20) RRR Ct Sa — ERE AER PTS» RIE AE AL (EDA BEBE VON. In particular, statements which begin ‘Buddhists | "2?" BOER... FP ATUL believe...” or ‘Buddhism teaches.” must be | 3:, d=yEMU AiR PLA HE. treated with cireumspection, We need to qualify them by BRAT ET IE | i, Wal TAPE oa Oe” (ATTRA tT PEEK, AMD Bat 2, SRA BEAR Z BEA MIL 4 Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet Some scholars would go further, and claim that the transcultural phenomenon known to the West as ‘Buddhism’ (the word “Buddhism” only became established in Western usage in the 1830s) is nota single entity at all but a collection of subtraditions. Ae REA. TAM BT TD By PPE G IB 4 FCP, “PB iw Z 8 19th 28304810) IRAE — SEHK, ETE SWARM. Ifo, perhaps we should speak of ‘Buddhisms” FRI, WIN WSLEIER in other words to assume that Buddhism was a monolithic institution which was everywhere the same. (plural) rather than ‘Buddhism’ (singular) DELON EL A IE emo. The tendency to ‘deconstruct’ Buddhism in this | RAE DAR RTT ae MEM BA way, however, is probably best seen as a Mir, BS TTRLB TE APR, reaction to the earlier tendency to ‘essentialize’ | jieep ty 5. He OAR LIER JHB BBE ThA ASI “HE, RPA I He The middle way here is to think of Buddhism as resembling the elephant in the story: it has a curious assembly of somewhat unlikely parts but also a central bulk to which they are attached. AE Nae EPL, EE BORER AAA MCE HY Re EE EW AAK MD HB Ee fi — PTL EAA ABD TI A second lesson we might learn from the story — one less obvious but no less important — is that there are many kinds of blindness, PUI A AA PAARL Shi NL, ARATE Ho AAU, ARAL, material which does not fit their model of reality AMS EA Experiments in visual perception have shown MUAH EMS Ga TM tt that the mind has a great influence on what we | i: WL 4eyytty HR ¥E EOF, see Toa large extent human beings see what they TEAR APE LE, AFRICA, expect — or want — to see, and screen out ry aA TALL PP LS itd AES MSY AHS IES In different cultures children are brought up to see and understand in different ways, which is why alien customs often seem curious or strange to outsiders but quite natural to members of the culture concerned, AAAI AOUIL TRA, 9 JUAN ERIE AE ED TT AAS, 3 AY DA AEE A BCH ih I AB EF DNFRA ET RE, TORS APTA Ak BEI FS Td 2 When dealing with other cultures, itis easy to project our own beliefs and values and then magically ‘discover’ them in the source material FG SEA CHAT Set UIT ae. ATTA FANE A CHMAMEL, BERD ERA SMG PERE PEE i HK. Buddhism thus becomes exactly what we hoped (or feared) it would be. PREP RE AR ARATE GR FED CRAWAH. Even experts are not immune from anachronistically ‘reading back’ their own SOC fa Ae BO ME HE ee, AAT CAL 2 BB Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet assumptions into the data, and many Westen scholars have interpreted Buddhism in ways which clearly owe more to their own personal beliefs and upbringing than to Buddhism itself. NWR: WOES ITE EME BOT 5 SEBEL IET OH 7, ROBE RAT kinds, there is also the risk of cultural stereotyping which arises in any encounter with “the other’ ALR ALAC ‘Apart from the susceptibility of individual ORT ARSE Ae PEATE perceptions to subjective influences of various | (2 (#431: LASEP™ A: HUREIZ 4b, TARE — PEI, BAA eB Fa Abe FFP AY SCA EAN. Contemporary writers such as Edward Said have drawn attention to the West’s tendency to construct in its art and literature an ‘Orient’ which is more a reflection of its own shadow-side than an accurate depiction of what is really there, ARE acto EE EBA (HI, ATE AR epee eh REI AR A” eA BA aD VTA TDA ER Se ew #5. There is no need to accept Said’s elaborate conspiracy theory to the effect that the West stereotyped the Orient intellectually as a prelude to colonizing it politically to realize that in approaching the study of other cultures we cannot help but be influenced by residual attitudes and assumptions within our own culture of which we are barely conscious BATA AT SCP IE HOHNER IG, DEAT AEA HERE RTT eA, (EA AEB La POA AHFC. POAT AT LUA BA APE SE MC ACHE AT OF AL MG I, EES ARE Het SLY EGR AB FEL 4 SCAR A ae IA A In connection with the study of Buddhism, then, we must be alert to the risk of “culture-blindness’, and the misunderstandings which can arise from the assumption that Westem categories and concepts apply to other cultures and civilizations PALER SU BOE, BAN ARE Sat, DURFP SCHL nH fea, Se LAS EH LF SUTRA, Gy A HBL A SLT WE YURI HE SEAM SC HEALS bee Is Buddhism a Religion? PREUEAE~BRBO Problems of the kind just mentioned confront us as soon as we try to define what Buddhism is, FRE A Ghee Phe M, SALA il (Ee ST Isit a religion? EGE REO A philosophy? RAPE? ‘Away of life? RTE TTR? A code of ethics? He Ais dE? Ttis not easy to classify Buddhism as any of these things, and it challenges us to rethink some of these categories, BR CET AREAL DER PDEA BGM, BEAR ATT Ay dae itm. What, for example, do we mean by ‘religion’? Most people would say that religion has something to do with belief in God. EGIL, BRANT eB PURE AAI MTB EEA BU AE Bat AVM Ke God, in tum, is understood as a Supreme Being 15 3 I AE Gi PG Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet ‘who created the world and the creatures in it TiN i FE LE 5 Furthermore, God takes a close interest (or at least has up to now) in the course of human history, by entering into covenants, making his awill known in various ways, and intervening miraculously at critical junctures. Wi As EARL A TERR RELATION A RIP D BESTE) » thts ARAB, ZEA CHR, AFHE, ERBMALLUNT A. Ifbelief in God in this sense is the essence of religion, then Buddhism cannot be a religion PRL a HEI ee ERO RANI, BGA ERE AP Ro Buddhism holds no such belief and, on the contrary, denies the existence of a creator god. REO AEE RE, BLES HR, HARV ANTE HE. categories, this Fe Hee FEAT AB UB, SURE BRE aoa” fe ‘One problem with this designation, however, is that Buddhism recognizes the existence of supernatural beings such as gods and spirits, RAR ELENA FL, BA PUTT La Dek PP SATE» Another is that Buddhism seems not to have RHE, MEMRAM much in common with other atheistic ideologies | yy, Hein 3 BLa: XL, SEL a> such as Marxism, AUDA. Perhaps, then, the categories of “ and | wll. ‘atheistic’ are not really appropriate here. aR Ae: ARIES Some have suggested that a new category —that | 4j A EL ASHE HH im 22 — PY SUTIN, of the ‘non-theistic’ religion ~is needed to ODF RISA ORR encompass Buddhism. hY Another possibility is that our original definition | 47 AV ARANRUE ME LARTL is simply too narrow. BOE. Could it be that the idea of a creator god, while a central feature of one religion — or family of religions ~ is not the defining characteristic of all religions? SESE TAPE Bd eFC BE SERRE Pia, Heaps SEAS IIA ae PE? While this notion is certainly central to the “Abrahamic” ot ‘Semitic’ religions, namely Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, there may be other systems of belief ~ such as Confucianism and Taoism — which resemble Western religion in many ways but lack this ingredient. FRIST MEAT BA AAA OR PERL, AMAR BAU Ok veers JUS 2 WE he AF 1 REN fei —§ taf. HH. “EAN REDD SHA RAARMA, A ak REBT 6 The Seven Dimensions of Religion BL Since the discipline of comparative religion began in eamest in the postwar period, Buddhism has posed something of a puzzle for EAA es ECAC BS 19 OE FE PE FGDOK, hE thet — ee RAGES HS {MT LE A Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEpoints Merit scholars who have attempted to provide @ ANCOR SA satisfactory definition of their subject. z. One of the most successful approaches to this problem is that adopted by Ninian Smart, who, rather than offer a definition, has analysed the phenomenon of religion into seven major dimensions BAG ASE fl GL ROD RTT BMAGERP ZL. (hit ARABELLA NE My FE RBH aL WARD, ChE RIT wi. Thus religions may be said to have a practical and ritual dimension; an experiential and emotional dimension; a narrative or mythic dimension, a doctrinal and philosophical dimension, an ethical and legal dimension; a social and institutional dimension; and a material UCT BL, MUTI Boat Aa PAE Res (—) ScAURLANAKStHE, (=) SOYA RYE, (=) AURAL Wit, (OD SReaeeet, CHO ARSE YEAUARIETE, CS) 4 periods shows that generally they do not. fimension Sete ANAS, DLR CY ORE. The attraction of this approach is that it does not | 3A) AVA M APA GE id We CBE reduce religion to any single doctrine or belief, | yé53< 84 Hi) yab Jy fapVLAL AL ee a or suggest that all religious believers have one} (s(n, th As aE REELED thing in common, AAAS Hee The data from different cultures and historical RSCG ANASTASIA 1 DAS el oe 2 — ABT IEAM HAIER AR Nevertheless, there seems to be a cluster of things which collectively give substance to the phenomenon we call ‘religion’ RBRIESZ Is How does Buddhism shape up in terms of these seven dimensions? Eesti a ‘Analysing it through each of them in tum should give us an advantage over the blind men in providing seven parts of the elephant to get hold of rather than one. AE Ti Ty EP HM AS BB HY RE Be ALTHE Se BEE FTA, ATLA MIVA ARM oT, WARRRA Pe The Practical and Ritual Dimension SEAL PEATE The practical or ritual dimension is less pronounced in Buddhism than in faiths of a strongly sacramental kind, such as Judaism and Orthodox Christianit RZ TRUS Hi PIELER, AES HBAS. WRAL. AER Nevertheless, Buddhism has rites and ceremonies of both a public and a private nature, many of which surround monastic life. TL BI SEAL EAA ARAL RATAMER, Sip AES BE: PAGE Mi EIA. Rituals of initiation are performed when a person becomes a monk (for example, the head is shaved), and there are periodic ceremonies such as the communal rehearsal of the monastic rules (the patimokkha) on the days of the full RABAT BIR, ne Re AEM, EA AREER OMITTED < Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEestat ks smart moon and new moon each month. ‘An important annual ceremony is ‘the kathina festival at which the laity offer new material for robes when the monks end their retreat for the rainy season. A PT ELE fie” OMA 2 HZ, Fie WARIO SAVIN. Monks, however, do not normally perform sacramental rituals for the laity, and would not normally officiate at baptisms and marriages. EI ARTE ALE RAE AT AS AL, WARD ARES AEA These are thought of as family rituals rather than religious ones, although the participants may visit the temple later for a blessing. SHA HL AS HA HL MAE BES» LA MZ Ia ADRS HEE NMS BETA DAZ ae Buddhist monks have no priestly role — they are not intermediaries between God and mankind ~ and their ordination confers no supernatural powers or authority PREAME IEA A S808 2 F{—§$ HUIS AZT, BAR SE tr FL ARR IH FL Monks do attend funerals, however, since death is the gateway to an unseen world about which Buddhism has much to say RARLRAZE HTH A WAL, TE MEA ANI fe, TAR AE Tt Ae te FEN ah A Buddhists also believe that the dying person's state of mind is particularly important in influencing the circumstances of the next rebirth. EE, AA ee AR ASAT DAZ 4 i SE AB mB. ‘A Religion without God? BA Lif? Some scholars have denied that Buddhism is @ religion because Buddhists do not believe in a Supreme Being or in a personal soul AEH BEE Aa Aenea 3 FE LAG FELE. ALIA MH RR. Butis this judgement based on too narrow a definition of “religion’? ROMA IIT RET TA HZ RD According to Ninian Smary, religions have the following ‘seven dimensions’. If Smart is correct, it seems justifiable to classify Buddhism asa religion EMA. HRB AA PI “tH”, SSL, MEO WAREZ I: 1. Practical and Ritual (—) SeALPEALDGR HE, 2, Experiential and Emotional (ZY B56 PA EEE, 3. Narrative and Mythic (2) BGA HATE, 4. Doctrinal and Philosophical iD BCR AAT PTE, 3, Ethical and Legal CH) EAT ARETE 6, Social and Institutional CS) th HATA, different Buddhist schools, and the influence of local traditions as well as demand from lay Buddhists (including those in the West) have 7. Material CE) iit There are wide variations in the liturgies of REAM ARS A Sey Les) WA Fe eA, HA FRR AAR CELE TT BEE) ADE eAiese: wwwall-terms com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet combined to lead to the development of new ceremonies (a marriage ceremony, for example) to parallel those offered by other religions BER, HAA Pee ase (aa CALHIMEAL » DLS eta PORDAS RH MT The influence also works the other way round, PRBS TE le Be BE. and there are signs that certain Buddhist rituals ~ | 4 2544 22 1], eae fi 484 such as the mizuko kuyd rite which is performed | iy 5 fcc 4k.ch ALR BEAT in Japan following abortions ~ are being yoke EAE RU incorporated into some Westem liturgies. uO, SR SCAT. The Experiential and Emotional Dimension EEG VE ANTE RE The experiential and emotional dimension of Buddhism — Buddhism as a lived experience ~is extremely important. ‘RAC IE SS AI RB AE $f 79 IED. aTaee Ha. ‘The Buddha’ s personal experience of enlightenment is the bedrock of the entire Buddhist tradition PRIETO PPE SIET - Time and again he invoked his own experience as authority for his doctrines, and suggested that teachings not validated by personal experience were of little value. PEAS HMR JEP, JF ELIAS, DAHL WHEARBS ACIS (Be Fitri The Buddha's enlightenment also included an emotional aspect in the form of a profound compassion which motivated him to propagate his teachings, or Dharma ‘HBP HH Ca LAE tA Jak, OTRAUI EAE. TERI BY BRE PR BIB Ae fee A Bim, oh Out of compassion for the suffering of mankind he spent the greater part of his life spreading a teaching which he realized was ‘hard to see and understand, subtle, to be experienced by the wise’, for the benefit of the few ‘with little dust in their eyes who are wasting through not hearing it” (M.i.168). HT at ACT a8 a NE A Be HE PAR ABTE RATE MEA 6 fh PRL TER AHA A EF ZZ, RR, MI A er RMT fs FEZ, WF Ab Je ie MRE, AAR SE HG BaMae” (Mi.168) The experiential dimension is of great importance because Buddhism regards the religious life as essentially a course in self-transformation. OZ T haz AT DAR is aE, Dy fib Bea as ey — AR FALMER. Spiritual exercises such as meditation generate altered states of consciousness that can accelerate spiritual development (ET INA, MAELA, AVR RES RA, AMAT MT i In terms of its importance, meditation may be likened to prayer in Christianity, although Christian prayer and Buddhist meditation usually have different objectives: when Buddhists meditate, for example, they are not asking God to grant their wishes but eer AL, FS Re PITT M9 AR DH EAE AS FA: PRU, HEE AEN IEE (El APSR LP, TEES ANE ACMA SMBEZD. Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet endeavouring to cultivate wisdom and compassion This emphasis on the interior experiential dimension of religious practice links Buddhism with the mystical traditions of ancient India, such as yoga. ELSE Pa LE BG SAA, fae ERE A fe eA THK. In yoga, various exercises ~ such as control of the posture and breath — are used to gain control over body and mind and harness their latent powers. gp (F.1d DA BR Hs Hi) FF E # DANKE, DUM PSIG AE. ‘We will see in the next chapter that the Buddha experimented with some of these methods himself. TERR PRN A SEAR A ARTI APT A TA These techniques are not unique to India and are found in other parts of the world. ATT WHE CUBE IF AS BE OIE AE HELA SE Ad PANS AS A There are now signs of a revival of interest in the mystical dimension of Christianity, a development which has been triggered at least in part by the contemporary interest in Indian spiritualit ADRDA, HT EAU TE PoE SLI. I AA ETI BALA BE The Narrative and Mythic Dimension BUBYE ALE HE Like other religions, Buddhism has its share of myths and legends, Iba FE, ERA A Ab AEB. A ‘myth’ in this context does not mean something that is false: rather, myths are stories which have a compelling force by virtue of their ability to work simultaneously on several levels. AoE h, MR AEM se, Wipe — YEA AST ARIA EWC, ALES ASA a ER They have a narrative content but also —like a parable — a metaphorical one which can be understood and interpreted in many ways FEM. ie BAT REE A ZEB WS ABE, HESS RE (Se A A 5 Freud, for example, thought that the myth of Oedipus — who killed his father and married his. mother -contained important universal truths about human sexuality and the unconscious mind. AE Bil IPRA Wy SR AE RAM MIME ROR AK Hy ALES UR EP SH. ‘Sometimes it is difficult to know whether the content of a myth is to be taken at face value or not, ALN RAT 4k ET A, LA i AAS AR Oe TOS ‘See ARCA IR Those who believe in the literal truth of the Bible will tend to read the story of creation in Genesis as a factual account of how the world began. Others may prefer the scientific version of events while accepting that the Genesis account reveals a profound truth about the Hafeae BCE) FOS HE Ate COED pba eS Weary LZ HE EIR I SE x Tig SE th AUT BES PTAA FRE AIRS ALE EE ELD NS Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstmt ie relationship between God and the universe. SUE SEIS Ai, COMET) Hee FON HART bs SH ZIAD AR LEA ALERT HB ES Early Buddhism has iis own “creation myth in the Aggafifia Sutta, and there are many popular narratives such as the Jatakastories, a collection of moral tales about the Buddha’s previous lives. 46 CI) oh, UBT HOON MP IR”, EATERS OTE Oh ARE”, VRB AB BBE Buddha reveals that he himself was the principal character in a former life AA NV HT WR 6 In some of these tales the characters are animals, | EHH PV2: ML, PR not unlike Aesop’s Fables, and at the end the | sp areeh2 ASTI, asak Hes Bt, PRPC AES PEM te BE GE A TEE Many dramatic episodes involving the supernatural enliven Buddhist literature, becoming more exaggerated and elaborate as the centuries pass. PFA FARRAH PER RE ERNIE TRY ELC Sh, BO A ewig Hak Sak. Eat. Even in the earliest sources gods and spirits PATER EMS CAR BERT PER make frequent appearances. aa ESE They are commonly depicted in Buddhist art and | 4e PRE GC AE ATER PM a literature as forming part of the audience at AOR UF et) PRS), BLE significant episodes in the Buddha’s life. bbe AEA eet zl One vivid narrative recounts how just prior to his enlightenment the Buddha did battle with Mara, the Evil One, winning a great victory and scattering his legions, ESERIES ENE RAZ, METS ERY Ki, MAMTA EAE ME IE AT EP ME. There are also more mundane narratives and chronicles which recount the history of Buddhism in various cultures, although these too contain their fantastic elements HEA BEE HE AFA He BE Be HE, AEG T ASCH BWR, REP RINGS AS ATHUSY the term ‘doctrine’ to their beliefs, secing this as having overtones associated with Western religion, The Doctrinal and Philosophical Dimension RACE Buddhistsin Asia do not use the term SEPIA BEE AE A AD ae “Buddhism” to describe their religion and refer | (2s(uns 3A EAI HEC” to it as either the Dharma (‘Law’) or (Buddhism) &— 4351, WERE. the Buddha-sasana (‘teachings of the Buddha’), | y.cssonnp rsp seis, Some would be unhappy about the application of | 47H KELL (VAIN Ao EMT doctrine) XSF, He CAEN REE. ‘However, if by doctrine” we understand the systematic formulation of religious teachings in an intellectually coherent form, it does not seem unreasonable to apply it to Buddhism. ST Fhe) RATS a RA RAS RRR IE RAE BIG AU i, IDR EEN a BEA eAiese: wwwall-terms com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEestat ks smart Ke The core doctrinal teachings are contained in a set of interlinked propositions known as the Four Noble Truths, which were formulated by the founder. PAU ek BOL HH OU A SERIE GUE, BERS fe DUH. The task of studying, clarifying, and expounding, doctrines is typically the responsibility of a literate, educated élite FEAT OF FE « PAL ANH SERS 22 LTE In Buddhism, the custody of the texts and their interpretation is the responsibility of the Sangha, or Order of monks FER ES CI REID PRUE A NR B= Not all monks, however, are philosophers, and within the Buddhist tradition there have been those who have felt that mystical experience — of the kind gained through meditation — was a surer path to liberation than the study of texts. MAZE TAL AIS A HUE HA AC, 4E BEBE ATE AA UO A %— iit We RA —_ 2 ES EAL GE A Feit In spite of this, Buddhism down the centuries has invested enormous intellectual energy in scholarship, as can be seen from the voluminous texts and treatises preserved in many Asian languages FAB AIAN EE ARE KEAAD ATER ETI PX ASIII EH He LAE HE z ia PLR AE EA Fi Hh Only a small percentage of this literature has so far been translated, although many of the most important scriptures are now available in English or other European languages. BS RA ADEM OL RE PRG SC, FRB LP Ay BT BR OBA WIE AL HI Wie Sie B The Ethical and Legal Dimension (eae Buddhism is widely respected as one of the world’s most ethical religions. ‘BRUTE TEE FE EEG SE PE 2 ‘At the heart of Buddhist ethics is the principle of non-harming (ahimsa), which manifests itself in the respect for life for which Buddhism is renowned, PACH é HU, EAT te Jk SIE BO" as Buddhists have a scrupulous respect for all living creatures, whether human or animal, and regard the intentional destruction of life as a grave wrong PAGER dt, AIGA R.A ) SEAT RAZ AA = This philosophy has led many (though by no means all) Buddhists to become vegetarians and to adopt pacifism as a way of life. SEALE ASI LED FFE ( ALAR) PR BE RAH CF IF HAC AL The principle of non-hanming also takes on a positive role in the practical contribution made by Buddhist monks and laity in founding, hospitals, hospices, schools, and charitable institutions of many kinds. FER NS SAAS HE” TSU FITS UBT SPRITE (0 AF OY RSE bs TR ib A is RES MEP TP LI GL AS REAR. eAiese: wwwall-terms com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet Violence of any kind is abhorrent to most Buddhists, and the use of force to further the aims of religion — for example in the form of a crusade or jihad ~ seems incomprehensible WKS BOB OE AT » FEAT AR IT BAS ARABI: WY T aR BASE AS AT AY. This is not to say that the Buddhist record is entirely spotless, and there have been episodes in Asian history where Buddhism has been exploited for political purposes and used to justify military campaigns. SEPA AE Bb A EE HEN E Was baa se Sew LL ES EAU, Dh AICHE BG B yak etme ieee 45 However, there has been little to compare to the crusades and religious wars in medieval and carly-modem Europe. fA EEE AB AES AP HELE UC EWA ALAR PIE ES This century, Tibetan Buddhists have adopted a policy of peaceful resistance to the invasion of their country by the Chinese in 1950, in the aftermath of which itis estimated a million Tibetans died and 6,000 monasteries were destroyed, Serious abuses of human rights have continued ever since, The five dimensions described thus far are all of an abstract nature. WARNS HAT TE AK BRL RNY A BAIT. The final two concer religion as embodied in social and physical form SERIA ARIUS AUD LAS The Social and Institutional Dimension UST Alfred North Whitehead defined religion as “what a man does with his solitariness’, but there is more to religion than private interior experience (in terms of our present framework, we can see that this definition places too much emphasis on the experiential dimension). a A a ee I PES GE SOS ATED TITER” EL RATE WEB ALIA G1 OER Religious believers commonly Feel themselves to be part of a community, and have often seen this as having a political as well as religious significance, as in the medieval concept of ‘Christendom’ PR, UA ASE BEAT SABA BOE, OP et Sent SE HIE MLS RE ‘Such a perspective is also apparent in Islam, which regards religious law as holding sway over all aspects of public and private life PS ATE SHOAL, UATE AU itt BAA A, ASNT TT The social nucleus of Buddhism is the order of monks and nuns (Sangha) founded by the Buddha, MEALS ROPE H ERA SLAB TE LB HE CAD While the Buddhist Order is the central social institution, however, Buddhism is not just a FRA Je ELD il RE AE BB BSE MEAS UGINE, ALLEN Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet religion for monks. Early sources offer a sociological classification of Buddhism as ‘The Fourfold Order’, consisting of monks, nuns, and devout male and female lay disciples (upasaka/upasika). FEE BORE ib 3 1 Hea LS} BC PO AAR”, ARUN AE ALT oe Wick COUR IEANDLIEIE) The emphasis here is on inclusivity and interdependence, both with respect to gender and the lay and monastic estates SCE PPS AIS AE 5 ALAR 188 ZT) HELE ALAR TAREE ‘While a clear distinction exists between monastics and laity in much of the Buddhist world, there have also been attempts to blur or remove the boundaries between the two, a PRRUEIED AS BL BES UNI TER, SIEM, ha HAR RZ i xe EHAR tendency which has met with the greatest pt” Br RRAH ARE success in Japan. Rm The social organization of a religion can take ARAM SASUE RAS many forms, from small groups led by individual | )% Pe, kei 48 SHAS AL teachers to large hierarchically structured BULB VB UL ELT een ALS institutions with millions of adherents WUBI. Many permutations are found in Buddhism, FEB TARRY HF The Buddha was originally a wandering teacher who attracted followers through his personal charisma. BBE ACK Fe fir oH PN HS JB, BASE PAAR 51 EB As their numbers grew, an institutfonal infrastructure developed in the form of a monastic community with rules and regulations. BORA AAI HOLT Ha RAR UE AH OE. The Buddha, however, stated that he did not regard himself as the leader of this community and declined to appoint a successor when he died (VERE Ss 6 CRRA Sa ABR Z PRA DEBE A Instead, he encouraged his followers to live according to his teachings (the Dharma) and the Monastic Rule, and be ‘lamps (or islands) unto yourselves’ (D.ii.100) fu A BA A CHET) AMARA, FEZ “OT CRI) RSL” (D.ii.100) » While different countries today have their ecclesiastical authorities, Buddhism has never BY PATA AAR, ME PEN AAU Bt, Buddhism has tended to fissure readily when disagreements arose over matters of doctrine and practice. had a single head and there has been no central | jj 4-23 opus, ie JPME office corresponding to that of the Pope in 1 ciel. Christianit HI SE HE ASAT. Given the absence of central authority, BERATED RBI, — BX AUEAT Hi ME AE LAR MN HTS A I RAS ‘Buddhist chronicles speak of eighteen schools existing within a couple of centuries of the Buddha's death, and many more have arisen PBA LEK, ABE LZ at BCE SE Tad ep CELL AR Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet since then. Buddhist Sects and Schools EWR (Over the centuries, many sects and schools of Buddhism have developed, A major division is between the conservative Buddhism of south Asia found in countries such as Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand, and the more doctrinally innovative schools of the north encountered in Tibet, central Asia, China, and Japan. PUMESEDLK, PERI TS ARPANSA SRR. BENS Sh Sl CET ‘aa He BCA BE AN & iil a) Fl 2 FAG Ae) FMS SUT HEAT fi PE GU A AL A BL AEC. FP FE AU AL ARE > Zia. Tn south Asia the Theravada school predominates. FASEDL ERE a. Its name means the “Abiding Teaching’, or SEER % BRE 8 Bi a BR, authentic early teachings which date back to the, Buddha himself. “Original Teaching’, although it iscommonly | jee MMe NEL, RABE translated as the ‘Doctrine of the Elders FE es A ee a This school regards itself as the custodian of the IEA CE Ea Fy TPE ERAN Xe The schools of north Asia belong to the movement known as the Mahayana, meaning the “Great Vehicle’ Act 2 URE ITA ARR Bis Bn “KI BO EAM ATK 4 Individual Buddhists would identify themselves. as belonging to one or other of these two ARAB UU T PADRE TR SEAT UO “families’, in a way that Muslims would regard | jay-iayayzae bnbiie, sig Wy A themselves as Sunni or Shiite, or Western ce Mk MCA SR PGE ae ni Chri _ Ska a VOI A mee eo vistians would think of themselves as either | fh pe Protestant or Catholic. = ° In terms of social organization the Buddha DEBRA, PRBEAAY tilted TZ assemblies’ (D ii.76) and to take decisions on the basis of consensus. seems to have preferred a republican model of | (254.2 fi)sk 47 —AWILANIINE the kind in use among his own people. He encouraged monks to hold ‘full and frequent | (@W ERE A Wid ATER BE (Dii.76) , BOLIE MTU aE SHEL Bens wl: fe th 6 The social organization of Buddhism varies from one culture to another, and it has demonstrated great flexibility in adapting to the traditions of the indigenous cultures with which it came into contact. HP ERO, RS ASA RARS EMAL, SAT Sa PE AE AT DU, BEG Z SEAR NY Nb SCHL EB. As it spreads in the West, itis to be expected that democratic forms of social organization will evolve as Buddhist communities develop social structures appropriate to their needs, BO hee ONT Ne, AEA Wife Ob aL wh aes BA BRR, DIL a Ea ae AL PAPA BS ERA RE. The Material Dimension Spyick: The seventh and final dimension is to a large BUH Et eset — 7 Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet extent derivative from the social one. FRAP. LI ES Fel 6 The material dimension includes objects in which the spirit of a religion becomes incarnate, such as churches, temples, works of ar, statues, sacred sites, and holy places like pilgrimage sites 4) eT FT 4 OI YU A POAC, LUBE. i F. MAR, ME, BSE ZI, MABE In India, various sites connected with the Buddha’s life have become important centres of pilgrimage, such as the place of his birth, his enlightenment, and the park where he gave his first sermon, TECNNE, PES UBER AP, TARA BB AH, AUPE A BEE Dh, TERIAL Bb SED ZW. Elsewhere in Asia there are numerous Buddhist sites of archaeological, historical, and legendary significance. These include huge rock carvings, such as those at Polunnaruwa in Sri Lanka, Bamiyan in Afghanistan, and Yun-Kang in China. AENEAN SE (any. 145 AS ALN Gh ee Ae SE eS BE CRATE. Seep oF HY MEER, MCE BS RDS Wi, a ERA Es ies The most common reminder of the presence of Buddhism in Asia, however, is the ubiquitous stupa, a dome-shaped monument which under the influence of east Asian architectural styles evolved into the pagoda (TES, HRS AG: BB a RETA ENSAE IS » TEAR EES RO, RBM SERA AES WL IER ‘Another artefact of great importance in Buddhism is the text PE — MEGS EA Li ie Hh BLZE Religious scriptures are treated with great respect since they contain the teachings of the Buddha and embody his wisdom. REAR AEE BREN Bim, AEB T Ath Wes, PDA. To copy, recite, or memorize texts is regarded as a pious activity, as is the work of translating them into different languages. Pe, MERIAL AE EEE BATA, HS SRR a SE LR thE GER. Summary Asi We can see from the above that religion is a complex phenomenon to which no simple dictionary-style definition can do justice, especially not one distilled pre-eminently from the religious experience of the West. SEAT WL, BOMB UE SS Ak, BA APF MRM GE LAT BL SARL, WAI DUA RL ‘POS HE HNO ES FY Lm BL BE 4AM. Once we begin to think ofa religion as an organism with various dimensions, however, it becomes easier to see how Buddhism — despite its unusual and distinctive features ~ can take its place among the family of world religions — FRR RUE — TAA SHE BEAT ATBLUS, BARA 4 8 —€§$ BR SABLE AE VS ie AS FL Fi PAT EA 9 fe Ls Bs RAPED. Returning (0 our original question, we can also see why it would be inadequate to define el SUR AIR 76 9 RE, BRAT A A 1 fT BAAS fh fl HE Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet Buddhism simply as a philosophy, a way of life, FBG ERE TI RRS seems to present itself predominantly in one of these modes. or a code of ethics. CHINES. Itincludes all of these things and sometimes XCAR, AT SU Se Fe Hh GE IW SE HE BP WR. However, this depends largely on the perspective from which it is being viewed, and the extent to which some of its dimensions are being ignored HARPER OT AMT AL, WD WE ABE bam 7 epee HERE If someone wishes to see Buddhism as a rational philosophy free of religious superstition, then — by focusing on the doctrinal and philosophical dimension — it can be understood in this way. RABE RE RAE (ERE PERT EMT, AMEE a: BLAM SRORT LT. If another wishes to see it essentially as a quest for mystical experience, then — by making the WRAL STORES RAL: SH AYR Ae, BE AA as a set of humanistic moral values will also find justification for that view by making the ethical and legal dimension primary experiential dimension central ~ that too is taser DISA. possible, Finally, someone who wishes to see Buddhism | Rin 20EG AMID APEC HEAR OTM, te EM et BL HEE EE ANTS LOE T Thave mentioned these particular interpretations of Buddhism because they are ones which have proved popular with Westerners in the course of the last century. RZ AAA Eee hE RBA MHL, HAAR ULTRA BE HE. While not altogether ilegitimate, they suffer from being incomplete, and typically represent a reaction of some kind to the perceived deficiencies of religion in the West. SUP AE — PAAR BAS BEE HL Bi, MIRA THM. KEE tt GIN BUTT tk BMF a AE RRB To focus on just one of the dimensions of Buddhism in this way is to make the same mistake as the blind men did in grasping hold of just one part of the elephant. RAEI ETE AE BS RAMA T HMR, HERE FT MERE PLC ta SAR Hii. Having concluded that Buddhism is a religion, our task in the following chapters is to explore some of its dimensions in more detail. The ones which will receive most attention in this book are the doctrinal, experiential, and ethical dimensions, although reference will be made to others at appropriate points. REIT GRE BUNCE FL JUTEAIEES BIE BR ARR A AEE, HALE PCE BR. HEIGL REEL. First, however, we must learn something about the life of the founder of Buddhism, Siddhattha Gotama SRM ATE, (LE TWEE BORA BIS TE SAS NYE SE a Oi) Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet (C1) RES tS, Pa RA iL SE 5 SEE A HU AER BL. ai Ye, UAE ABE. Chapter 2 The Buddha Be BE ‘The Buddha was born in the Terai lowlands near the foothills of the Himalayas just inside the borders of modern-day Nepal ROE A A AE SEL A ARG, STA. Hlis people were known as the Sakyas and for this reason the Buddha is sometimes referred to as Sakyamuni or ‘the sage of the Sakyas’. TURAL RAM” ERK, WOK RPE AE Pee”, BOWIE Aro To his followers he is known as the Bhagavat or ‘Lord’ fei GENUINE A Aa IE BR Be AE me “Buddha’ is a not a personal name but an honorific title which means ‘awakened one’ Although siricily speaking the title can only be used of someone after he has attained enlightenment, I will use it here to refer to the Buddha in the earlier part of his life as well. The Buddha's personal name, as noted above, was Siddhattha Gotama (Sanskrit: Siddhartha Gautama). PRG TE pe SAE EZ TTA, St, HEHE DS DUR ARE RE SBE AIA 4 SESE HE ARIA & FRAMES The conventional dates for the Buddha's life are 566-486 BC, although more recent research indicates that some time around 410 BC would be a more likely date for his death (chronology at this period is only accurate to within ten years). The traditional sources suggest that the Buddha and his kin belonged to the second of the four Indian castes - the aristocratic warrior caste known as the khattiyas (Sanskrit: ksatriyas), although there is no other evidence that the caste system was current among the Sakya people. BBE EAE A HBR fe SFE HBT ATEHISOOTE FATE AT48O4F, 34 DE FLU Py SOE OLE 2S 7 S1O4F AEA GIN ISITE SEAR, BME+EZA), RRRAG A PBBE SEA FT EE PDK Bee ZY R$ BT FAY Se AGEN AIR 5 AE MERAH, Beet TRAY References to the royal status of the Buddha's father, Suddhodana, and to the pomp and ceremony of his court, as found particularly in later texts, are most likely an exaggeration ABRBE RIE LEE SUL DA SI SE Hd wT PP SRA AI IL aL. SMM Be Nevertheless, the Buddha's noble birth and high status are popular themes in Buddhist art and literature, and his aristocratic background ~ although perhaps not quite as lofty as the sources would have us believe — undoubtedly helped him make a favourable impression at the courts of FRPP HONE, DEE EH A AMPH Ba SC 2 Rep gee SDL, (TD we SE ASU FE BRA DH Cre 9 SSR FSET WF Ds (AT ET Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet north-east India which he visited as a wandering teacher, CEE A i FS EP SEE. ‘A certain amount of information is preserved in the Pali Canon (see text box) about the Buddha's life, but no attempt was made to piece the details together into a continuous narrative until about five hundred years after his death ARIE HY ASRS RAE ACERS OTB FUATHED 0 HEIL Mb eS HWE SE RE ASE THE A IS I PE RHE TTA He Earlier, within a couple of centuries of his passing, partial accounts of his life began to appear, suggesting increasing curiosity about the life of this remarkable man, Het, ASVeH =e, FERRE HP ESF A HE WA. BA AA BLA ASS ARTES Kee ‘The most famous and elegant account of the Buddha's life is an epic poem known as the Buddhacarita or ‘Acts of the Buddha’, composed in the first century ad by the famous Buddhist literary figure ASvaghosa. GRIME EM SOR RAE 4th, BOI SUE 8 RE CR PTAT EY. ye WEIN BZ KANG AR. By this time the early biographical fragments had become embellished with fanciful details which makes it difficult to separate fact from legend. SBE E er. AR WTA 1 EH ALIA NLM Sti, Bee aE Seg LEH. These narrative accounts of the Buddha's life may have inspired the creation of images of the Buddha, which are not found until around the second century ad FERGIE T (BDL TE Se Gili. WK — EDA Z AT MARR, Before then he was representedin art only through symbols, such as a tree, a wheel, or a parasol, either out of respect or because of the difficulty of giving aesthetic expression to the transcendent state he had attained, ELLE HIME RHEE ROE ARUVAGGEMN ATA EL, Bilt et Ay 4a, EEE, ME, RC ALE ETS A fb TRA NY BeAR ASS th — AP SEF tl RHE I ZS Gk, MSR ARB SIN ATK In due course, however, artists began to create representations of the Buddha in stone and other media and these became the focus of popular devotion, (EAE, ERAA SERA le fet BEI Ry ME ERE NON EN ‘canons’ HR. Early Scriptures SE at The teachings of the Buddha are recorded in | GRIEM¥ Raa (De Pke aI various collections of scripture known as BZ, MERE IEE". These derive from an oral tradition which goes back to the time of the Buddha, and which was preserved through a method of communal chanting, CLE ANAESTH CI hess AEBEAY DLE PASI ROE AER, “ST SEAR ICE RAE EIN TT The only one of these early canons which has SHE GRE Se PF HE A Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATEstant A sweet ‘been preserved intact is the Pali Canon, so called because it is written in Pali, a vernacular language related to Sanskrit and close to that spoken by the Buddha. SCTE ML, ZAI PAIS FE BOE AE AS SULA IDR, BAC RIE HT a. BOE PE A BL TART AOALB . The Pali Canon was committed to writing in Sr Lanka around the middle of the first century be and consists of three divisions or ‘baskets’ (pitaka), These are (1) the Discourses (Sutta Pitaka) or sermons of the Buddha, which are subdivided into five divisions known as nikayas, (2) the Monastic Rule (Vinaya Pitaka), which contains the rules of monastic discipline; and (3) the Scholastic Treatises (Abhidhamma Pitaka), a slightly later compilation of scholastic works. BEAL SC IE MUR (a AEA 70 HEP HAR S m. DVS ATR k”, ULM: (—) Hemet, ZBL, MATA ATM: (=) FE, UCM it BL. PRR Fee. Mat The Life of the Buddha BE AEE The information about the Buddha's life found in the earliest sources is fragmentary. BADE EF AG FE BE AS aI EBA. Sometimes when teaching on a subject, the Buddha recalled an episode from his early life which he then proceeded to narrate. FAR AE SUE AO a ROE BE Ld ECE. YR ea Ar ie he Some of these biographical fragments are JERE WTR, AMER of the Buddha based on the extant sources is no easy task detailed while others are vague, and the ESB: EET 1 WOE MU chronology of the episodesis not always clear. | jay fe ra isoift). For reasons of this kind, producing a biography | Hi-Fik PER BiAl ABER HA He The concept ofa biography, furthermore, is @ comparatively recent Western invention, and biography did not exist as a literary genre in ancient India Wid HBTS IC, AL tae UT (MMAR, mice AED BE, SESS ASE LE EDS SCA A eid. Similar difficulties have beset attempts to construct biographies of other early religious figures such as Jesus, and it is unlikely that a quest for the ‘historical Buddha’ would meet with any greater success, An added complication is that since Buddhists believe in reincarnation, a complete biography of the Buddha would need to include his previous lives! AU RE Fat RRS FURBO CUBR) FID A {Maths A8 fe ims ae EA BEER A EARN ARB BY 1, HAA RUMINRL: BER BOE IRA FE I, ISA ES TH re iE a A AY ‘Although there is no early continuous narrative of the Buddha's life, there is general agreement on the relative chronology of certain key episodes in his career. EE EE SE OH iL Aiea. wwwall-terms.com/bbs ATMA RAIA, SIAL EAT, NATE