Lesson TWO

 Questions:

I:   The Four Noble Truths, which include the Eightfold Path, describe the true nature of existence, and the means to live in harmony with that nature.

By tradition, the preaching of the Four Noble Truths was the first sermon given by the Buddha, after he became the Awakened One.

It is said that The Four Noble Truths, and what they infer, are Buddhism itself. There are many traditions, schools, sects of Buddhism, but the Four Noble Truths are acknowledged in all of them, because they are foundational. They describe why Buddhism is needed, and what constitutes the essence of the practice of Buddhism. There may be various practices and ideas within Buddhism, but they are merely different expressions of the essence as expressed in the Four Noble Truths.

2.  What is the unifying concept of these guidelines?

The Four Noble Truths includes the Eightfold Path, describing the true nature of life, and the means to harmonius existence with that nature.

3.    What do you think the Buddha would have to say today about "Right Livelihood?" Can you think of any positions in today's workforce that he might use as an activity one should avoid?

Right Livelihood is, first, a way to earn a living without compromising the Precepts. It is a way of making a living that does no harm to others. In the Vanijja Sutta (this is from the Sutra-pitaka of the Tripitaka), the Buddha said, "A lay follower should not engage in five types of business. Which five? Business in weapons, business in human beings, business in meat, business in intoxicants, and business in poison."


Reverend Ronald Gilbertson, O.S.B.
Jose Morelos No. 76
Tangancicuaro 59750 Michoacan Mexico
Tel: U.S.A. ~ 775-378-5107‏
Home; (011-52 from USA) + 355-553-5618
Cellular: 351-548-8456
Skype:  ronald.james.gilbertson

Lesson 16. Women in Buddhist. Exercise.

1. She was Buddha's Wife.

2.  Not Really,  Why not: because the 8 strict rules make senses if you learn them wright.

3. The Women is your mother lets us respect them .

Emily Stevenson

Wise Owl 

 

Esha'al Reja

Buddhism

Buddhism stresses mindfulness, minding mind, and meditation as a way to calm and train our restless minds. Rather than worrying about sin and guilt, it teaches us how to eliminate suffering in this life and hopefully come to full awareness so that we can help others eliminate their suffering in this world.

Buddhism is about learning objectivity in all things. Clearing our lives of attachment and desire, we can go about our lives in peace and tranquility. Clearing the mind of clutter, we can see clearly what we were meant to do and the path to doing it.

With Buddhism there is no condemnation of others beliefs, no charge from the Sangha to go forth and try and change all of humanity into becoming Buddhists. There is a quiet sanity in Buddhism that seems to be lacking in other major religions.

Yes, Buddhism has undergone some of the schisms that other major religions have but the differing schools still teach minding the mind, compassion for all sentient beings, non-violence and meditation as a tool to focus on enlightenment.

I am of the Mahayana tradition, but I study some of the Theravada school teachings, read the Pali Canon and the Abhidhamma studies and it in no way interferes with my practice. My only desire in this lifetime is that I reach as high a state of awareness as possible and that I might be able to eliminate suffering for a few sentient beings.

By practicing mindfulness, we allow ourselves to accept others’ beliefs, frailties, and attachments knowing that we all suffer when we become mired in the muck of what we call reality. I tell people who ask me what Buddhism is about that it is mostly about compassion for all beings and holding everything with an open hand. (By this I mean not clinging to or desiring anything of this reality.)

I perform marriages for all different religious beliefs but I have very few people who have me perform Buddhist ceremonies for them. I think they prefer to promise that they will be together forever rather than answer “yes” to the following question:

When it comes time to part, do you pledge to look back at your time together with joy--joy that you met and shared what you have--and acceptance that we cannot hold on to anything forever?

Impermanence is the main belief in Buddhism, the teaching that everything comes into existence through cause and effect and ceases to exist the same way. So clinging to anything is futile and will in the end cause suffering in this lifetime and the next.

Karma is an effect of the causes of our ignorance and craving, so as we learn to relinquish our hold on the things that we think are important, we will we reap the rewards of our actions. Right action, right effort, and right speech, these are the ways we can accomplish mindfulness and create a better life now and in the next lifetime.

The quote from Einstein pretty much says it all: "Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural & spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity."

Rev. Vicki A Bennett D.D.

*******************************

The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.We also offer many free wedding ceremonies for your use.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Questions to Part I - Buddhism

- One -

Does the story of Siddhartha Guatama, particularly in the years before he became the Buddha, ring true? Is it legend or hearsay? Does it matter?

Response:  It does not matter.  I've read Hesse's SIDDHARTHA and as when I read The Life of Christ, I was inspired to want to know more about the principles, the Noble Truths and the progression of the Buddha's followers through the ages.  Whether or not the back story is legendary, fact, or both is inconsequential to the fact that a spark was ignited that began a movement based on real teachings of one man (perhaps a conglomerate of several people) that began a movement that attracted followers of all intellectual and religious levels and culminated in one of the great religions of the world by 2011.

- Two -

What does enlightenment mean to you?

For me, Enlightenment is the cognizant knowledge that reality is perception and that our individual Truths are perception...totally relative to each individuals experience and vision.  With ACCEPTANCE, perceptions become clear as to whether they are right or wrong.  Knowing right from wrong is clarity...and clarity opens us up to the cosmic experience...being aware of all, accepting that we are moving through this life in pain...and that the way out is full circle to Enlightenment and Acceptance.  Enlightenment moves us forward to Truth...the great mystery...the next level of life experience.

- Three -

Do you believe that enlightenment is possible? Is there more than one way to be enlightened? If so, what?

We can not know if Enlightenment is possible until we have attained it...we can not know there is a heaven until we have entered it.  The path to Enlightenment, and/or Salvation, is through meditation, living in the present moment, acceptance, gratitude and compassion for other beings.  It has occurred to me that by consistent living the path to enlightenment IS Enlightenment.

Note to instructor:  Are answers to the questions to be more expanded upon and should they include reference points in the written material at hand?

Thank you.

Ron
Jose Morelos No. 76
Tangancicuaro 59750 Michoacan Mexico
TEL: Home; (011-52 from USA) + 355-553-5618
Cellular - 3515488456
Skype:  ronald.james.gilbertson

Buddhism Lesson. 15 : Buddhist Laity.

1.  Yes the place of pilgrimage are still there as an example of existence.

2. Meet the living Buddha.

3. a.no

b. They can get married.

Emily Stevenson

Wise Owl

Esha'al Reja

Buddhism

Michael S Barth

Master of Buddhism Final Essay

      This course about Buddhism was fascinating.  I have heard people talk about it but I never knew too much about Buddhism.  I felt that this course was presented well with great explanations of Buddhism terms and ideas/concepts were.  I started learning things about Buddhism from the very first lesson that I received to the very last lesson.

      I really loved the first lesson and how Buddhism got started.  I did not know that Buddha meant the enlightened one.  I always had thought that Buddha was the actually name of the person who started and founded Buddhism.  I did not know that the Buddha's actually name was Siddhartha Gautama.  I found his early life, before founding Buddhism, very fascinating.  I was very surprised that he had never left his home until he was 29 years old.  I also learned that the Bodhi Tree- the Tree of Enlightenment- was the tree that Siddhartha Gautama was sitting/meditating under when he experienced enlightenment.  I also enjoyed how he set out to explain to people how he had found enlightenment.

      I also liked learning about the Four Noble Truths.  I had heard of the term the Four Noble Truths before taking this class but did not know what the Four Noble Truths consisted of.  I am glad that this class went into each of the Four Noble Truths and how the Buddha explained them to his first disciples.  I had also had heard the term the Eightfold Path but did not know what the eight different points were in the Eightfold Path.  I enjoyed how this course described the Eightfold Path.

            The topic of the Three Jewels was totally new to me.  I had never heard of the Three Jewels before.  I was really grateful that the Three Jewels (The Buddha, The Dharma, and The Sangha) were explained beautifully in this class.  This class went into some detail about the Three Jewels and learned quite a lot about the Three Jewels.  Also, I enjoyed the lesson about the Buddhist Councils that were held and what was discussed at these council meetings.  I liked how this course explains how the world ended up with different branches of Buddhism that came out of the Second Buddhist Council.

            I liked the section on how Buddhism spread into the different countries in Asia and then into the West.  I feel that it is too bad that some of these countries that people practice Buddhism have tried to control Buddhism or eliminate Buddhism (e.g. China, etc.).  I was surprised that the Dalai Lama had been exiled from Tibet since 1979.  I know who the Dalai Lama is but did not know he had been exiled for so long.

            Karma was covered in this class and I was glad that I learned how and what Karma is and is not.  The Wheel of Life was something totally new to me.  I did not know that there is a pig, rooster, and a snake at the very center or that the two paths around the center are the dark path and the white path.  I also did not know before about the six realms around the Wheel of Life.

            Some other topics I enjoyed learning about include enlightenment, meditation, and the different branches of Buddhism.  I did not know that the Dalai Lama was the leader of Tibetan Buddhism.  I had previously had thought that he was the leader of all Buddhists in the world.

            This was a great course for me.  I learned a lot and each lesson contained a lot of information that I had never known before and could go on much longer about all the other things that I learned in this course.  I am glad that I took this course because I think it is important for me to know about other religions/philosophies when I do my work with people.  I think this class is worth taking and I think that this course would broaden the horizons of a lot of people who do not know very much about Buddhism.

********************

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Lesson 14. Monastic. Exercise:

1. The understanding of the faith like a code to live by.

2. Only if you wish to no longer to stay in the Monastery.

3.  You mean he must wake up the Unwakable.

 Emily Stevenson

Wise owl

Esha'al Reja