Monday, 11 October 2004

My Notes On Buddhism #01

I have discovered my little book of Wisdom, was actually started this year when I was living in WA. I will attempt to write and put as much meaning to all the notes I have here. Some of the Information was noted from the FPMT Centre in Bunbury and some are self notes.

Now Buddhism is a very beautiful religion or philosophy as some call it. It deals with the life you live now. Not your future not your past but the present moment, It doesn't make claims about God or the afterlife and it does't reject any of those claims either. Buddhism is very compatible with many other religions in the world too. Buddhism deals with happiness and how to obtain the highest form of happiness also. Buddha was not a God he was just a man, he never claimed to be anything more. If you want to see proof that Buddhas teachings work just try them yourself. But as I said Buddhism simply is just being, living the now in the simplest way. At least this is what Buddhism is to me.

Buddhism Notes

The Three Marks of Existence:
pain, impermanence, egolessness.

Everything is impermanent, A brick, a loved one, a car. A permanent relationship with anything is not possible

Internet Reference to the Three Marks of Existence: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/intro_bud.htm

The Four Noble Truths:
1. Life is frustrating and painful
2. All suffering has a cause
3. The cause of suffering has an end
4. The path to end the cause of suffering - Meditation

Internet Reference to the Four Noble Truths:
http://www.buddhanet.net/4noble.htm

The Mind:
The mind is the biggest thing in the world. The mind is the cause of suffering, happiness and all other things. The mind is a seperate entity to the body.

The mind is powerful enough to heal the body, the mind is powerful enough to kill.

Avoid unwholesome states in the mind, also make sure you do something about any negativity in the mind.

The Five Precepts:
-Avoid taking the life of other beings
-Avoid taking things not given
-Avoid Sensual misconduct(includes but not limited to sexual misconduct)
-Refrain from false speech
-Abstain from mind altering substances

Internet Reference to the Five Precepts:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/budethics.htm

Best Resource:
Aside from the above the best place to locate information and a good starting point for beginners or people interested in Buddhism is the following link:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/guide.htm


I do have other notes but they are extensive notes form various sessions I have attended. It would take much time to change them into a valid format. Also much I have read I have not taken notes on. I am not an expert on the Dhamma so I do not see myself qualified to write about various things I have learnt in this post on Buddhism. You will probably see other texts about what I have learnt in life itself in the future.

Hope this made interesting reading for you all

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