The Means (6)

1. The Means (6) Which practices help to achieve the goals? Human beings progress towards Enlightenment by following the Eightfold Path.

2. The Means (6) Sub-topics • The Noble Eightfold Path — focus on Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood; the Threefold Way. • Ethics — the Five Precepts in principle and practice; the Bodhisattva and Arhat ideals. • Meditation and worship — purpose and practice. • (The differences in Theravada and Mahayana practice should be addressed).

3. The Means (6) Introduction • To achieve the goal of enlightenment, Buddhists first take refuge in the 3 Jewels: Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. • Following this, the way in which Buddhists live their lives is all important. • So what can Buddhists actually do to attain nibbana?

4. The Means (6) Introduction • This ties in to the 4 Noble Truths: • All life is suffering. • Suffering is caused by craving. • Suffering can end. • You can end suffering by following the middle way. • Put simply, it is the way the Buddha described to escape samsara – importantly it was a practical response to avoid suffering and is based on avoiding extremes (magga). Little Buddha...

5. The threefold way

6. The Noble Eightfold Path Important: these are not to be seen in isolation.

7. BREAK Visual/Kinesthetic Auditory • Make up gestures and a list that will help you to remember each of the eightfold path within Wisdom, Morality and Meditation. • Discuss the meaning of Right Intention, Speech, Action and Livelihood. Be able to explain practical examples of each.

8. Wisdom: Right Intention • All about the motivation for an action, not the consequences. To avoid choices influenced by the 3 Root Poisons of ignorance, craving and hatred. • Skilful (kusala) intentions are ones which: • Resist desire • Show good will • Act on that good will

9. Morality: Right Speech • Ties into realms as a distinction from animal realm. • Buddha taught (through speech) to avoid: • False speech (lying) • Using words as weapons against others e.g backstabbing and slander • Hurtful, impolite or rude words • Gossip, chatter and ‘empty words’ which waste time and misuse the power of speech

10. Morality: Right Action • You cannot attain enlightenment by sitting about and meditating... You would be wasting an opportunity for a positive rebirth. • The Buddha encouraged honourable and honest conduct and taught you should avoid: • Harming living things (link with compassion) • Taking what is not given • Sexual misconduct • Gambling

11. Morality: Right Livelihood • Living in a skilful way: honestly, legally and peacefully, while causing no harm. Avoid: • Working in weapons • Buying and selling living beings • Working with death (meat industry) • Working with poisons and intoxicants • Most importantly is that you choose a profession that does not break any of the Five Precepts.

12. BREAK Auditory/Visual Kinesthetic • Make a colour-coded mindmap that explains Right Intention, Speech, Action and Livelihood. Be sure to add two examples of each in practice (you should have to discuss it). • Skim read pp. 129-130. Then split into a group of 5 be able to explain one of them in depth without using the book or your notes as a reference.

13. Buddhist Ethics • Ethics is about how we behave in everyday life. • For Buddhists ethical behaviour ultimately depends on the mind and not on the body. Even so the Buddha gave advice on what is harmful and should be avoided.

14. Buddhist Ethics • Buddhist rules are never however, dogmatic or rigid. It is accepted that everyone will do their best and there is a general atmosphere of moral tolerance. • We can divide Buddhist ethics into guidelines for lay people and guidelines for monks and nuns.

15. Buddhist ethics • You become a Buddhist by taking the Three Refuges: wee bit of explanation please... • The main commitment is to refrain from harming others and non-violence: ahimsa. In this world hate never yet dispelled hate. Only love dispels hate. Dhammapada 5 • In other religions there is God whose is feared and sends commands. In Buddhism there is kamma: wee bit more explanation please...

16. Lay morality • As well as taking the Three Refuges, lay people can choose to take one or several of the Five Precepts. These are the basic moral guidelines that underpin the Buddhist way of life. Here’s the ‘negative’ version (‘positive’ on p.130): • Do not take life • Do not take what is not given • Do not distort fact • Refrain from misuse of the senses • Refrain from self-intoxication through alcohol or drugs

17. The five precepts • Preserve life and cause no harm • Including animals, even insects. Meat eating down to practicality. Martial arts link. Anti-war protesting. • Practise being generous and giving • Includes wasting/stealing time. Economic inequality and exploitation. • Speak truthfully and listen carefully • Economical with truth and white lies. Unthinking responses. • Responsibility for the feelings of others • Generally interpreted to mean sex, but it’s not all about this. To do with any way that may cause harm to someone else. About attachment generally. Women: p.134 • Refrain from self-intoxication through alcohol or drugs • Discouraged as they cloud the mind and impair judgement. GIGO.

18. BREAK Kinesthetic/Auditory Visual • Get into 5 stations and perform a mini-carousel (you’ll need 10 people). Imagine you were a Buddhist: how easy would you find it to follow this precept? Have the stationary person take a note of your responses. • Make a list of the additional precepts that monks and nuns have to follow. Be able to explain them using the notes you make.

19. MONASTIC MORALITY • As well as the Five Precepts which all Buddhists are expected to keep, Buddhist monks and nuns have these additional rules to follow: • To abstain from taking untimely meals • No eating after midday, although they can drink. No alcohol and care taken over what is put into body • To abstain from dancing, music, singing and watching mime(!) • Generally taken to mean entertainment seen as a waste of time • To abstain from using perfumes and personal adornment • Think anatta • To abstain from the use of high seats • Relates to comfort • To abstain from handling money • Corrupting effect

20. MONASTIC MORALITY A fully ordained monk in the Therevada tradition takes 227 precepts like not preaching to women alone or taking care of sick monks. If a monk has infringed on a rule they are expected to confess publicly to the community that is supporting them (as they are clearly not a good role model or bring good kamma). The senior monks give punishments according to the Buddha’s teachings.

21. MONASTIC MORALITY There are only some cases where a monk can be expelled from the monastic order and asked to disrobe: sexual intercourse serious theft murder making false claims about supernatural powers

22. MONASTIC MORALITY – for the girls During Buddha’s day women were socially and politically inferior so he took a radical step by accepting women at all into the monastics. Nuns have more rules than monks which emphasises the fact that monks, no matter how young, outrank nuns. Perhaps having these additional rules was the only way to deal with the social beliefs of the time… Check out the daily life of monks and nuns on p.138

23. BREAK Visual/Kinesthetic Auditory Make up gestures and a list that will help you to remember the lay and monastic precepts. Be able to display this to the class. Listen carefully to the story of the burning house. Be able to tell it again to the rest of the class. What do you think it means?

24. Ethics – Mahayana tradition • The principles for Mahayana ethics are basically the same as for Therevada. • The key difference is bodhichitta: the realisation of ultimate wisdom (of shunyata or emptiness) and limitless compassion (to bring all beings to enlightenment) which gives rise to the altruistic path of the bodhisattva.

25. Ethics – Mahayana tradition • Ethical actions are those free from any notion of someone who is acting and someone else who is benefitting. • Possible only through understanding anatta.

26. Ethics – Mahayana tradition • Skillful means or upaya. • What is morally correct will depend on the bodhisattva always to know the right thing to do based on compassion and wisdom. • The story of the burning house. • A bodhisattva is not necessarily constrained by the ethical guidelines of Buddhism we’ve so far described e.g. baby Hitler

27. BODHISATTVA AND ARHAT IDEALS THEREVADA ARHAT Meaning ‘worthy one’ Has attained nibbana and release from samsara Pride, restlessness, ignorance and craving have been destroyed as motives for moral actions Follow the 227 precepts strictly Main motivation is ahimsa: to cause no harm MAHAYANA BODHISATTVA Motivated by bodhichitta - to liberate both themselves and all others from suffering Can deliberately choose rebirth to this end Some considered to be present in Sambhogakaya form and are objects of prayer Upaya (skilful means): can use their compassion and wisdom to ‘override’ traditional values

28. BREAK Auditory/Visual Kinesthetic • Split into 2 groups. Within your group appoint one person as a ‘scribe’ and the other as the ‘voice’. Make two posters for display in the class titled ‘Therevada Ethics’ and ‘Mahayana Ethics’. Be sure to mention the Arhat and Bodhisattva ideals. Ask about the ‘scribe’ and ‘voice’ rules. • Get into 5 pairs. Work together to produce a short presentation for the class about Buddhist Ethics relating to: • Abortion • Vegetarianism • Cloning • The Purpose of Punishment • Capital Punishment

29. BUDDHIST ETHICS IN PRACTICE ABORTION VEGETARIANISM CLONING THE PURPOSE OF PUNISHMENT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

30. THE WEEK(S) AHEAD MONDAY: COMPLETE MEDITATION AND WORSHIP; LOOK OVER DHAMMAPADA FOR GOOD QUOTES. ALL NOTES RETURNED. TUESDAY: EXAM APPROACHES WEDNESDAY: EXAM APPROACHES THURSDAY: ‘VISIT FROM A BUDDHIST’ / EXAM APPROACHES MONDAY: NAB Homework: check out this site http://www.sgi-uk.org/ this is the type of Buddhism practised by our Buddhist visitor. Bring in 3 questions you would like to ask her.

31. Meditation and worship “It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles.” Dhammapada 103 • One of the means to use in achieving nibbana although even the enlightened continue to meditate. • The Buddha gained nibbana while meditating: stilling the mind while trying to perceive reality.

32. Meditation and worship • Not an end in itself, just one of the means Buddhists use to attain enlightenment; to understand meditation you must try it; there are many varieties; there were seven benefits according to Buddha pp.114-115

33. Meditation and worship: SAMATHA

34. Meditation and worship: SAMATHA • Samatha meditation: ‘tranquility meditation’ and is about cultivating stillness and awareness. Leads to peace of mind and ‘calm abiding’- allows busy thoughts to settle. • First step is mindfulness- of body, of feelings, of sensations and of mind. Breathing meditation then develops onto candles, pictures etc.

35. Meditation and worship: SAMATHA • You progress through the jhanas (stages) of consciousness but it does not lead to liberation from samsara on its own. • Buddhists will tend to meditate on four things: • Metta- loving kindness. A genuine wish that everyone should be happy. • Karuna- compassion. Genuine wish to free all beings from suffering. • Mudita- joy and rejoicing at the happiness of others. • Upekkha- equanimity, the loving of all beings equally.

36. Meditation and worship: VIPASSANA

37. Meditation and worship: VIPASSANA • Vipassana meditation: ‘insight meditation’ and is about developing understanding into the reality of the human condition. • Aim is to develop insight into the very nature of things, ultimately leading to wisdom and realisation of the ultimate truth of Nibbana. • Uses intelligence and observation and analysis skills to bring a deeper level of understanding.

38. Meditation and worship: VIPASSANA • General area for focus is 4 Noble Truths and Three Marks of Existence. The mind is trained to see impermanence and suffering and non-self: the Dhamma becomes personal and related to experience. • It is important that there is guidance from experienced meditation teacher.

39. BREAK Auditory/Visual Kinesthetic • Split into A/V pairs. • Visual task: Using one piece of A4 make a representation of Samatha and Vipassana meditation. • Auditory task: Be able to explain all the features of the representation. • Use your notes and the book to research what the differences are between Therevada and Mahayana meditation and worship. Make a note of 3 key differences. (Hint: tathagatagarbha and upaya)

40. THEREVADA / MAHAYANAmeditation and worship THEREVADA MAHAYANA • Rarely involves more than recitation of Dhamma and meditation. • Lay Buddhists will also give offerings to statues of the Buddha. • Simplistic and focus on Buddha. • More elaborate, colourful and varied. • Can include chanting, ritual and other means to achieve nibbana. • Includes Bodhisattvas and may include folklore and local traditions.

41. THEREVADA/MAHAYANA ON MEDITATION: Three main differences • Tathagatagarbha- buddha nature.

42. THEREVADA/MAHAYANA ON MEDITATION: Three main differences • Tathagatagarbha- buddha nature. Every being has the potential to enlightenment. As a result, meditation is described as a way of revealing the qualities one already has. This could be realised at any time.

43. THEREVADA/MAHAYANA ON MEDITATION: Three main differences • Skilful means (upaya).

44. THEREVADA/MAHAYANA ON MEDITATION: Three main differences • Skilful means (upaya). Purpose of meditation is to awaken buddhahood thus any method that does is considered skillful. Thích Quảng Đứcwas a VietnameseMahayana Buddhist monk who burned himself to death at a busy Saigon road intersection on 11 June 1963. He was protesting against the persecution of Buddhists by South Vietnam's administration. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IId55YArfxM

45. THEREVADA/MAHAYANA ON MEDITATION: Three main differences • The last characteristic that is different to Therevada is the relationship between student and teacher.

46. THEREVADA/MAHAYANA ON MEDITATION: Three main differences • The last characteristic that is different to Therevada is the relationship between student and teacher. The teacher has a on-to-one relationship and gives advice according to needs. Often the teacher is seen to be able to do this wordlessly e.g. of shoelace. This relationship is seen as lying at the heart of Mahayana Buddhism.

47. BREAK Visual/Kinesthetic Auditory Make up gestures to explain 4 main differences between Therevada and Mahayana approaches to meditation and worship. Using your notes and book to help, discuss Zen and Tibetan Buddhism. Be able to give an introduction to each to the class.

48. MAHAYANA MEDITATION: Zen • The ultimate truth is beyond words so an intellectual study of the Dhamma is often a hindrance. • Zen stresses the importance of mind to mind transmission. • Rinzai Zen- sudden approach- based on shock or surprise, often zen koans cannot be understood with a rational mind. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to3ObP0PBqU

49. MAHAYANA MEDITATION: Zen • Soto Zen- gradual approach- intense daily meditation. Zazen sitting position, often staring at blank wall, sitting mindfully. Walking meditation can be used to increase an understanding of sensation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pllQ_-ZxEA

50. MAHAYANA MEDITATION: Zen • Meditation and martial arts: Zen archery. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA2EnemzBpk&feature=channel • When I eat, I eat, when I sleep, I sleep’.