A Playful Misconception, A Childhood's Dream

After realising (not why this post is titled) that my previous debates on issues of religion have been somewhat baseless, I am now on a mission to understand the religion of Buddhism, rather than living like an atheist.

So first thing I googled was “History of Buddhism”, and up pops this site, www.ahistoryofbuddhism.com. And what have I learned today?

That anyone can reach Nirvana through meditation and removing of desire and lust, but it’s unachievable in one life time. Hence, reincarnation comes into the picture. And with each lifetime karma is collected.

Karma is defined by “actions, bad or good, that we do intentionally, with sense of what is right or wrong”. The level of one’s karma determines the nature of one’s present life. But once a soul gathers enough good karma, “the chains of birth and reincarnation is finally broken”.

The soul then rises into a state of Nirvana, the heavenly rest.

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Buddha has made The Four Noble Truths that will help a Buddhist to achieve the Middle Way. The Middle Way is simply the balancing of one’s body and mind so one does not “fall in the extremities of asceticism and total lust”.

The Four Noble Truths are: all is suffering, desire and lust are the causes of all sufferings, to end suffering one must first remove all desire and lust, and in order to end suffering one must follow the Noble Eight-Fold Path.

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The Noble Eight-Fold Path is a set of rules to remove desire and lust.

1) Right Views – understanding the concept of Buddhism and self-study and meditation.

2) Right Intent – the will to renounce all worldly desires.

3) Right Speech – self-control to not lie, slander or abuse.

4) Right Action – the will to refrain from doing bad things.

5) Right Livelihood – to refrain from unethical activities or actions.

6) Right Effort – to discipline and show resolve in the face of temptations.

7) Right Mindfulness – this rule is self-implied if the rest are followed.

8 ) Right Concentration – the meditation through long periods of time to practice these 8 rules as well as the Four Noble Truths.

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So, depending on one’s level of karma, one would fall under the Ten States of Being:

10) Hell – consists of monstrous creatures or fallen men and they live in total suffering with no capability to change their state.

9) Preta – a.k.a. realm of hungry ghosts, is a transitory realm between earth and hell. The ghosts here are consumed by lust and tormented by their hunger for pleasure.

8 ) Beasts – beings governed by instincts only with the mentality of ‘survivial of the fittest’.

7) Asura – the realm of anger and hostility consisting of ‘fighting spirits’, lead by uncontrollable desire to control others.

6) Human Beings – the middle realm where Buddhists learn how to control their environment, body and mind. (And there’s a red arrow pointing here that says “You are here”. Looks like I have a long way to go…)

5) Heavenly Beings – “the being reaches this state is overwhelmed by pleasure and ecstasy. As soon as the being starts to progress in life, these feelings go away, leaving room for ‘humanly’ problems.” (I did not get that.)

4) Sravka – the direct servants to Buddha himself, free from worldly influences.

3) Pratyekabuddha – these beings achieved enlightenment for their own means, and not the same level as Buddha who achieves this state to help others.

2) Bodhisattva – beings achieved enlightenment but still remain on earth to teach others. The same state as Siddharta was in before reaching Buddha.

1) Buddha – the supreme being. A Bodhisattva that has allowed himself to reach Nirvana.