RG ST 21 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Dukkha, Four Noble Truths
Document Summary
The wheel of life / the wheel of becoming. (cid:862)(cid:272)(cid:455)(cid:272)li(cid:272) e(cid:454)iste(cid:374)(cid:272)e(cid:863) (samsara) = uncontrolled birth and rebirth. Moral and/or ritual conduct (karma) conditioned by our behavior. Buddhism accepts the idea of cyclic existence and its liabilities, but universalizes the (cid:374)otio(cid:374) of (cid:862)sufferi(cid:374)g(cid:863) This suffering has a cause, and that cause is (cid:272)ra(cid:448)i(cid:374)g of (cid:862)thirst(cid:863) (trsna) To be released from this cycle of suffering and rebirth, one must practice spiritual discipline. Serious followers of buddhism were expected to renounce lay life and become wandering ascetics. All followers, laypeople & monks/(cid:374)u(cid:374)s e(cid:454)pe(cid:272)ted to (cid:862)take refuge(cid:863) i(cid:374) the (cid:862)3 je(cid:449)els(cid:863) These tea(cid:272)hi(cid:374)gs (cid:449)ere (cid:272)e(cid:374)tered arou(cid:374)d ak(cid:455)a(cid:373)u(cid:374)i"s e(cid:374)lighte(cid:374)(cid:373)e(cid:374)t (cid:894)bodhi(cid:895) e(cid:454)perie(cid:374)(cid:272)e. The noble 8-fold path (cid:272)a(cid:374) (cid:271)e su(cid:373)(cid:373)arized i(cid:374)to the (cid:862)3 trai(cid:374)i(cid:374)gs(cid:863): morality/ethics (sila) Right effort, mindfulness, concentration: meditation/concentration (samadhi, wisdom/insight (prajna) discernment. There is suffering = the first words out of his mouth as official buddha. Ethical conduct is to calm the mind and reduce distractions.
