- BUDDHISM IN A NUTSHELL
- Narada Mahathera
- Chapter 5
- Some Salient Features of Buddhism
The foundations of Buddhism are the four Noble Truths -- namely, Suffering (the raison
d'etre of Buddhism), its cause (i.e., Craving), its end (i.e., Nibbana, the
Summum Bonum of Buddhism), and the Middle Way.
What is the Noble Truth of Suffering?
"Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, disease is suffering, death is
suffering, to be united with the unpleasant is suffering, to be separated from the
pleasant is suffering, not to receive what one craves for is suffering, in brief the five
Aggregates of Attachment are suffering."
What is the Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering?
"It is the craving which leads from rebirth to rebirth accompanied by lust of
passion, which delights now here now there; it is the craving for sensual pleasures (Kamatanha),
for existence (Bhavatanha) [*] and for annihilation (Vibhavatanha)."
[**]
* [Craving associated with "Eternalism" (Sassataditthi)
(Comy)]
** [Craving associated with "Nihilism" (Ucchedaditthi)
(Comy)]
What is the Noble Truth of the Annihilation of Suffering?
"It is the remainderless, total annihilation of this very craving, the forsaking
of it, the breaking loose, fleeing, deliverance from it."
What is the Noble Truth of the Path leading to the Annihilation of Suffering?
"It is the Noble Eightfold Path which consists of right understanding, right
thoughts, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right endeavor, right mindfulness,
and right concentration."
Whether the Buddhas arise or not these four Truths exist in the universe. The Buddhas
only reveal these Truths which lay hidden in the dark abyss of time.
Scientifically interpreted, the Dhamma may be called the law of cause and effect. These
two embrace the entire body of the Buddha's Teachings.
The first three represent the philosophy of Buddhism; the fourth represents the ethics
of Buddhism, based on that philosophy. All these four truths are dependent on this body
itself. The Buddha states: "In this very one-fathom long body along with perceptions
and thoughts, do I proclaim the world, the origin of the world, the end of the world and
the path leading to the end of the world." Here the term world is applied to
suffering.
Buddhism rests on the pivot of sorrow. But it does not thereby follow that Buddhism is
pessimistic. It is neither totally pessimistic nor totally optimistic, but, on the
contrary, it teaches a truth that lies midway between them. One would be justified in
calling the Buddha a pessimist if He had only enunciated the Truth of suffering without
suggesting a means to put an end to it. The Buddha perceived the universality of sorrow
and did prescribe a panacea for this universal sickness of humanity. The highest
conceivable happiness, according to the Buddha, is Nibbana, which is the total extinction
of suffering.
The author of the article on Pessimism in the Encyclopedia Britannica writes:
"Pessimism denotes an attitude of hopelessness towards life, a vague general opinion
that pain and evil predominate in human affairs. The original doctrine of the Buddha is in
fact as optimistic as any optimism of the West. To call it pessimism is merely to apply to
it a characteristically Western principle to which happiness is impossible without
personality. The true Buddhist looks forward with enthusiasm to absorption into eternal
bliss."
Ordinarily the enjoyment of sensual pleasures is the highest and only happiness of the
average man. There is no doubt a kind of momentary happiness in the anticipation,
gratification and retrospection of such fleeting material pleasures, but they are illusive
and temporary. According to the Buddha non-attachment is a greater bliss.
The Buddha does not expect His followers to be constantly pondering on suffering and
lead a miserable unhappy life. He exhorts them to be always happy and cheerful, for zest (Piti)
is one of the factors of Enlightenment.
Real happiness is found within, and is not to be defined in terms of wealth, children,
honors or fame. If such possessions are misdirected, forcibly or unjustly obtained,
misappropriated or even viewed with attachment, they will be a source of pain and sorrow
to the possessors.
Instead of trying to rationalize suffering, Buddhism takes suffering for granted and
seeks the cause to eradicate it. Suffering exists as long as there is craving. It can only
be annihilated by treading the Noble Eightfold Path and attaining the supreme bliss of
Nibbana.
These four Truths can be verified by experience. Hence the Buddha Dhamma is not based
on the fear of the unknown, but is founded on the bedrock of facts which can be tested by
ourselves and verified by experience. Buddhism is, therefore rational and intensely
practical.
Such a rational and practical system cannot contain mysteries or esoteric doctrines.
Blind faith, therefore, is foreign to Buddhism. Where there is no blind faith there cannot
be any coercion or persecution or fanaticism. To the unique credit of Buddhism it must be
said that throughout its peaceful march of 2500 years no drop of blood was shed in the
name of the Buddha, no mighty monarch wielded his powerful sword to propagate the Dhamma,
and no conversion was made either by force or by repulsive methods. Yet, the Buddha was
the first and the greatest missionary that lived on earth.
Aldous Huxley writes: "Alone of all the great world religions Buddhism made its
way without persecution censorship or inquisition."
Lord Russell remarks: "Of the great religions of history, I prefer Buddhism,
especially in its earliest forms; because it has had the smallest element of
persecution."
In the name of Buddhism no altar was reddened with the blood of a Hypatia, no Bruno was
burnt alive.
Buddhism appeals more to the intellect than to the emotion. It is concerned more with
the character of the devotees than with their numerical strength.
On one occasion Upali, a follower of Nigantha Nataputta, approached the Buddha and was
so pleased with the Buddha's exposition of the Dhamma that he instantly expressed his
desire to become a follower of the Buddha. But the Buddha cautioned him, saying:
"Of a verity, O householder, make a thorough investigation. It is well for a
distinguished man like you to make (first) a thorough investigation."
Upali, who was overjoyed at this unexpected remark of the Buddha, said:
"Lord, had I been a follower of another religion, its adherents would have taken
me round the streets in a procession proclaiming that such and such a millionaire had
renounced his former faith and embraced theirs. But, Lord, Your Reverence advises me to
investigate further. The more pleased am I with this remark of yours. For the second time,
Lord, I seek refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha."
Buddhism is saturated with this spirit of free enquiry and complete tolerance. It is
the teaching of the open mind and the sympathetic heart, which, lighting and warming the
whole universe with its twin rays of wisdom and compassion, sheds its genial glow on every
being struggling in the ocean of birth and death.
The Buddha was so tolerant that He did not even exercise His power to give commandments
to His lay followers. Instead of using the imperative, He said: "It behooves you to
do this -- It behooves you not to do this." He commands not but does exhort.
This tolerance the Buddha extended to men, women and all living beings.
It was the Buddha who first attempted to abolish slavery and vehemently protested
against the degrading caste system which was firmly rooted in the soil of India. In the
Word of the Buddha it is not by mere birth one becomes an outcast or a noble, but by one's
actions. Caste or colour does not preclude one from becoming a Buddhist or from entering
the Order. Fishermen, scavengers, courtesans, together with warriors and Brahmins, were
freely admitted to the Order and enjoyed equal privileges and were also given positions of
rank. Upali, the barber, for instance, was made in preference to all other the chief in
matters pertaining to Vinaya discipline. The timid Sunita, the scavenger, who attained
Arhatship was admitted by the Buddha Himself into the Order. Angulimala, the robber and
criminal, was converted to a compassionate saint. The fierce Alavaka sought refuge in the
Buddha and became a saint. The courtesan Ambapali entered the Order and attained
Arhatship. Such instances could easily be multiplied from the Tipitaka to show that the
portals of Buddhism were wide open to all, irrespective of caste, colour or rank.
It was also the Buddha who raised the status of downtrodden women and not only brought
them to a realization of their importance to society but also founded the first celibate
religious order for women with rules and regulations.
The Buddha did not humiliate women, but only regarded them as feeble by nature. He saw
the innate good of both men and women and assigned to them their due places in His
teaching. Sex is no barrier to attaining Sainthood.
Sometimes the Pali term used to denote women is Matugama,
which means "mother-folk" or "society of mothers." As a mother, woman
holds an honorable place in Buddhism. Even the wife is regarded as "best friend"
(parama sakha) of the husband.
Hasty critics are only making ex parte statements when they reproach Buddhism with
being inimical to women. Although at first the Buddha refused to admit women into the
Order on reasonable grounds, yet later He yielded to the entreaties of His foster-mother,
Pajapati Gotami, and founded the Bhikkhuni Order. Just as the Arahats Sariputta and
Moggallana were made the two chief disciples in the Order of monks, even so he appointed
Arahats Khema and Uppalavanna as the two chief female disciples. Many other female
disciples too were named by the Buddha Himself as His distinguished and pious followers.
On one occasion the Buddha said to King Kosala who was displeased on hearing that a
daughter was born to him:
"A woman child, O Lord of men; may prove Even a better offspring than a
male."
Many women, who otherwise would have fallen into oblivion, distinguished themselves in
various ways, and gained their emancipation by following the Dhamma and entering the
Order. In this new Order, which later proved to be a great blessing to many women, queens,
princesses, daughters of noble families, widows, bereaved mothers, destitute women,
pitiable courtesans -- all, despite their caste or rank, met on a common platform, enjoyed
perfect consolation and peace, and breathed that free atmosphere which is denied to those
cloistered in cottages and palatial mansions.
It was also the Buddha who banned the sacrifice of poor beasts and admonished His
followers to extend their loving kindness (Metta) to all living
beings -- even to the tiniest creature that crawls at one's feet. No man has the power or
the right to destroy the life of another as life is precious to all.
A genuine Buddhist would exercise this loving-kindness towards every living being and
identify himself with all, making no distinction whatsoever with regard to caste, colour
or sex.
It is this Buddhist Metta that attempts to break all the barriers which separate one
from another. There is no reason to keep aloof from others merely because they belong to
another persuasion or another nationality. In that noble Toleration Edict which is based
on Culla-Vyuha and Maha-Vyuha Suttas,
Asoka says: "Concourse alone is best, that is, all should harken willingly to the
doctrine professed by others."
Buddhism is not confined to any country or any particular nation. It is universal. It
is not nationalism which, in other words, is another form of caste system founded on a
wider basis. Buddhism, if it be permitted to say so, is supernationalism.
To a Buddhist there is no far or near, no enemy or foreigner, no renegade or
untouchable, since universal love realized through understanding has established the
brotherhood of all living beings. A real Buddhist is a citizen of the world. He regards
the whole world as his motherland and all as his brothers and sisters.
Buddhism is, therefore, unique, mainly owing to its tolerance, non-aggressiveness,
rationality, practicability, efficacy and universality. It is the noblest of all unifying
influences and the only lever that can uplift the world.
These are some of the salient features of Buddhism, and amongst some of the fundamental
doctrines may be said -- Kamma or the Law of Moral Causation, the Doctrine of Rebirth,
Anatta and Nibbana.
Chapters [1]
[2] [3] [4]
[5] [6] [7]
[8] [9] [10]
[11] [12] Appendix