What Buddhism says about a person. Buddha. The most complete presentation of the Teaching in the most concise execution. Example of completed work

“No matter how many wise words you read, no matter how many you uttered,
what's the use of them if you don't use them in practice? "
Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)

Among the constellation of the great teachers of humanity, whose rays of inexhaustible wisdom still illuminate our unkind sublunary world, one cannot fail to distinguish one of the brightest stars, whose name is Buddha. And nobody is destined to extinguish this luminary until people learn to truly be happy. The wisest of the wisest, the most enlightened of the enlightened - he, like the morning sun, generously lavished his spiritual light in an effort to awaken humanity from mental sleep. After all, "Buddha" in translation just means "awakened." What is more beautiful and sublime than this mission: having awakened yourself - to wake up the rest? The lessons of the Buddha are that cosmic alarm clock for the clouded sleeping spirit of modern man.

The spiritual foundation of Buddhism

There is nothing in Buddhism that could contradict the fundamental foundations of any other philosophical or religious teaching, because it is based on elementary sanity. Examples from the life of the great Mentor teach us extraordinary modesty, responsiveness, forgiveness and understanding. If at the end of our life we \u200b\u200bwant to touch something that has no limit, or just remain human, these qualities must be developed and cherished in ourselves from childhood.

Christ appealed primarily to the emotional component of the consciousness of the lost Jews, demonstrating his superhuman capabilities as the main argument in favor of his divine nature. In the life of the Buddha, such miracles are almost absent, or at least barely noticed. This in itself, of course, does not mean the Buddha's lack of superpowers - he was also endowed with them by nature, for which there is a lot of evidence. The reason lies in the fact that the Indian people were not of little faith, and therefore did not need miracles. Being rather disciplined and inclined to leisurely contemplation of eternity, the people of India needed someone to teach them the spiritual lessons of gaining immortality.

According to the Buddha himself, time is the greatest teacher, but the trouble is that it kills its faithful disciples. And Buddha teaches us how to distance ourselves from the category of time, since it is very conditional, how to take the position of an outside observer and, avoiding corruption, touch eternity. His commandment, addressed to the heart of man, sounded a call for endless compassion, the acquisition of true freedom in renouncing everything that is perishable and transitory, to comprehend the higher spiritual laws of alternation of life with death, the links of which make up the chain of eternity.

Major milestones in the life of the Buddha

At the moment, there is some information that allows us to speak of Buddha as a historical figure. Based on non-canonical versions, one can compose a fairly complete life picture of the Buddha. The boy, who was given the name Siddhartha, was born into a family of an aristocratic Shakya family, who stood at the head of a small state on the border of India and Nepal. Gautama was the family name of the prince. In an attempt to protect his son from the everyday dullness of the environment, the father erected three palaces for him. Having matured, Siddhartha married and gave birth to a son, whom he named Rahula.

But soon the life, which promised only joy, bored the Buddha in its meaninglessness. Since childhood, gifted with special observation, while traveling between the palaces, Gautama regretfully discovered that the people from whose environment his father wanted to protect him were for the most part unhappy. They are incessantly ill, suffer from poverty and hard work, eventually grow old and die, never finding an answer in the search for the meaning of life. It was then that the Buddha matured a desire to help them on this difficult path to truth. At 29, he left the palaces and became a hermit. Having plunged into absolute asceticism, he wandered through the valleys of the Ganges for 6 years, sought wisdom from the elders and preachers, and by the age of 35 he felt that the truth was about to descend upon him. Immersed in meditation for several weeks, Gautama attained true enlightenment and became a Buddha, that is, an awakened one, in whose face all the laws of existence were revealed. Since then, Buddha walked all over India for 45 years with his sermons, until his death, which occurred at 80 years old.

Life of Buddha in pictures

The most important spiritual postulates of the Buddha

Buddha did not allow even the thought of publicly proclaiming himself God or a prophet, he just modestly rivers about what appeared to him at the moment of enlightenment. His lessons reflect the extent of his understanding of the universe and the inner world of man. And this understanding, as time shows, is truly immense. If we try to follow these lessons in a meaningful way, then in our life everything that is destined to blossom will bloom without fading before the deadline due to banal spiritual callousness. The most important of these covenants are:

The greatest power in the universe is Love. The eternal regularity of the universe lies in its victorious power. Hatred and contempt are very dubious weapons against such manifestations. Only love can inspire and fill a good person with vitality and, on the contrary, disarm an evil one.
Every person is characterized not by what he utters, but by what he does. If someone is gifted with eloquence and uses it for good, uttering irrefutable truths, this, of course, is wonderful, but it does not make him a sage. If a person lives according to the laws of the universe - in love, lack of fear, agreement with neighbors, and also shows resistance to innumerable temptations and courage in the face of death - he is truly wise.
No one can live your life for you. Everyone must follow his own path, without involving, if possible, outside people to solve their problems. And even if there is a well-wisher who, of his own free will, wants to do something for you, it will be a disservice that does not allow your own creative potential to unfold properly.
The truth cannot be hidden. Everyone has probably heard that the secret is becoming clear, but this truth was known in hoary antiquity. The great Gautama taught that the sun, moon and truth cannot be hidden, no matter how you try.
Find peace within yourself. Calmness and serenity lives inside each of us and no one is able to bestow them on us from the outside.
The secret to health is fulfilling life in the present. You should not transfer your consciousness completely into vain memories or fruitless dreams of the future. The present is that golden thread that connects us with reality, and only the one who is completely in the present gains mental and physical health.
Good should be addressed to everyone. One should show gentleness to the young, compassion for the elderly and the weak, tolerance for the weak in spirit and the deluded. After all, there were and will be later moments when you imagined or will represent something similar. Nobility and restraint are a real panacea for adversity, for in the future the same manifestations of the human soul will also be mirror-faced to you.
Change envy for admiration. Envy of someone else's happiness, luck or talent drains the soul and de-energizes the human nervous system. You need to try to find the strength to sublimate this destructive feeling into admiration, and by cultivating this state of mind, you can cultivate those qualities that previously caused envy.
Words are a great medicine and a poison at the same time. A thoughtlessly spoken word can have a devastating effect on your neighbor, but vice versa - it has a saving power. It all depends on what these words are, and with what spiritual message they are pronounced.
If you want something to be yours, let it go. There is the most reliable way to lose something - you just need to grab hold of a stranglehold and not want to part with it for a moment. Accordingly, there is also the opposite effect, when the universe embodies in the life of an individual that innermost that he dreamed of, but let go, without appropriating it a priori.
Thoughts shape reality. What we are, we have become thanks to, and only thanks to our thoughts. They are changeable and fleeting, unlike the current moment of life - at first glance, it is static and inert. But it is worth changing your own thoughts and keeping your attention on them for as long as possible - reality will begin to quickly transform in the direction in which we directed it with our thought flow.
Don't take everything for granted. Try with the proper degree of indifference to various speculations and gossip that are heard around, do not let them get too close to your heart and mind, do not let them take over you, otherwise you risk becoming manipulated from the outside. The most valuable thing you have is your individual life experience, which, although it does not insure you against mistakes, but guarantees personal improvement. It is helpful to develop critical thinking without blindly relying on the authority of the speaker. There is, of course, a downside to this truth, which is that you cannot turn into an absolute cynic who does not accept any good advice. Such people are commonly called the unbeliever Thomas. To find harmony in the matter of faith or unbelief, you need to rely on your natural intuition, having previously developed it to the possible limit.
You need to be very selective in looking for friends. There is a modern, rather worn-out saying: tell me who your friend is, then I will tell you who you are. " She just interprets the ancient Buddhist truth that we really gradually, imperceptibly for ourselves begin to resemble those with whom we are friends, or even turn into their spiritual phantoms. There is also a danger lurking in the insincerity and cunning of the so-called friends, who in this case can replace several of the worst enemies.
Spiritual development is not a luxury for the elite, but a vital necessity for everyone. Like a candle that cannot burn without fire, a person cannot live fully without spiritual work on himself. Only an enlightened spirit is able to nourish the physical body with vital energy and prolong its health.
There is no one in the world who is more worthy of your love than yourself. There is almost no person in the entire universe who would appreciate you, especially if you yourself do not feel love for yourself and you are bored with yourself. God has laid in every soul a priceless treasure, beautiful in its uniqueness, and this is the only reason why it is worth finding a reason to love oneself. If, with all the desire, such a reason is not sought, it is worth thinking about returning to your soul the primordial divine appearance, and subsequently love for yourself and for everything around you will become your normal state.
The three most significant things. As the great and kindest Buddha teaches, by and large there are only three most important things that everyone needs to take care of while he is still breathing: how deeply we loved, how easy we lived and how easy it was to part with the unnecessary.

Parables about Buddha and his disciples

The Master's lessons taught to humanity consist not only in instructions or commandments, but also in those life situations in which his fate brought his students together in order to convey to them direct life experience. These incidents from the life of Buddha Gautama, which have come down to us in several variations, still had a genuine historical basis. All these stories, carefully preserved and transmitted to descendants by eyewitnesses, formed the basis of numerous parables. On the example of the actions of the direct participants in these stories, there is a lot to learn from our contemporaries.

The parable of pebbles and oil

Once two newlyweds came to Buddha with the hope that the Master would grant them a way to find family happiness for the rest of their days. The Buddha asked them to bring two pots, one with oil and the other with pebbles. Then he placed both pots in a vat of water, asking the young man for a favor to break them. The young man, having fulfilled the command of the Buddha, saw that the oil then floated up, and the pebbles fell to the bottom of the vat. Buddha said: "Now start praying to your gods and miracle workers, so that they lower the oil to the bottom, and raise the pebbles to the surface of the water, and we will see how it all ends." The young man immediately became indignant and complained that no gods could change the natural course of things, oil could not go down, and pebbles could not rise, since this contradicts the laws of nature.

The Master's answer was as follows: “Speaking about the laws of nature, you have not been able to comprehend the main rule, which is that grave deeds will inevitably pull down like pebbles, and noble deeds that are light as butter will be lifted up, and no gods and miracle workers cannot change their weight afterwards. The sooner you begin to follow this law of nature, the sooner what you asked for will be fulfilled. "

The parable of the boatman and three pennies

Once the Buddha, along with his disciples, waiting for a boatman to cross to the other side, did not waste time and calmly contemplated the beauty of the river. His pacification was interrupted by the following picture: right in front of his eyes, one unknown yogi crossed the river on water without the help of a boatman, gliding along its surface as if on land. Noticing that the great Buddha himself saw all this, he invited him to demonstrate the same, confirming his status as an enlightened one. Buddha asked the yogi how much time he spent to learn this way to cross the river, to which he received the answer: "Master, this was spent all my conscious life, spent in severe endless austerities." At that moment a boatman swam to the shore and the Master asked him: "What is the price of the crossing?" Three pennies. the answer came. Buddha, referring to yoga, said: “Have you heard? This is the real price of your life. "

The parable of the long silence and questions

Once upon a time a famous scholar came to the Blessed Gautama with a large scroll, in which his questions to the Master were written. The scientist read them out so as not to miss anything. The Buddha listened carefully to all the questions to the last, but said that he would answer them without fail on one condition: he must wait one year in complete silence. The scientist agreed, but when he saw one of the Buddha's disciples, sitting under a spreading tree, laughed, embarrassedly asked the Master: "What's the matter, why did he laugh?" The Buddha advised the scientist to ask him himself.

When the visitor turned to the Buddha's disciple for clarification, he replied that the Master was a cunning and a deceiver, that he promised him the same, asking him to wait in silence for a whole year at first, excluding all thoughts and experiences. But it turned out that the thoughts disappeared, and along with them the questions disappeared. Therefore, the disciple told the scientist to ask right now, if he really longs to hear the answers, otherwise he will hardly ever hear them from the mouth of the Master. But Buddha was firm in his thoughts, assuring that there was no trick, and that if a year later asked him, he would definitely answer, if he did not ask, then there would be no need to answer. And so it all happened. After a year, the Buddha asked the former scientist, "Well, my friend, do you still have any questions?" The newly arrived scientist, in turn, also burst out laughing and said: “Only now it became clear why your disciple was laughing. The questions have really disappeared. "

Parable of the Three Types of Hearers

A very cultured and educated person once came to Buddha Gautama, whose knowledge was a matter of special pride for him. In addition, this man held a high position in his state, earning himself fame and honor. The reason for visiting the Master was one question that tormented him for many years. The Buddha, looking at him and not even waiting for the question itself, said that he could not answer now. The man thought that the Master was very busy with something and therefore neglected him for his own affairs. But he had come such a long way, putting aside state affairs. The master immediately dispelled his suspicions, saying that this was not the point at all. "What is it?" - the man was indignant. "Listen to my story about three types of listeners." the Buddha addressed this person.

“The first is like a pot that is turned upside down. Nothing will enter into this, no matter how much you utter truths - it is tightly closed. The second is like a pot, which stands as a container is supposed to, but has a thin bottom. No matter how much water you pour into it, it will all pour out into this hole. A person who is like such a pot can perceive what he is taught, but will soon forget. And the third type is exactly like a pot filled with impurities. Firstly, there is nowhere to pour - it is already filled, and secondly, even if a certain amount of water breaks through these impurities, it will mix with this dirt at the same moment, ceasing to be pure water. You are exactly this type of listener - you are not ready to accept what will be said, because you are overflowing with your own conjectures and judgments. At best, if you still manage to perceive something, your consciousness will distort it beyond recognition. First clear your mind and then come. "

The parable of gains and losses

When Gautama Siddhartha became an enlightened Buddha, he was asked what he had achieved. In response, he said, smiling: "Gautama has not achieved anything, on the contrary, he has lost too much." The one who asked the question was seriously surprised: “It seemed to us that becoming a Buddha means reaching unattainable perfection, eternity, and impeccable knowledge, and you, the Teacher, say that you have not achieved anything, and even lost a lot. How is this to be understood? " The Buddha immediately replied, “Literally. Gautama lost everything that he had by that time: his knowledge, his heart, his ignorance, his body. Gautama lost thousands of expensive things, ceased to be himself, and in the end did not gain anything, because what he received was already with him. This was his original nature. Gautama just walked away from himself to return to himself. This should not be considered an achievement. To think in this category is to be in an illusion. "

These are the behests of the great ascetic of the spirit, the blessed Buddha Gautama. Everything that Buddha teaches us so unobtrusively is absolutely devoid of any boring edification. And Buddhism is not a religion in the usual sense of the word. Rather, it is an ancient source of knowledge, a collection of immutable truths about the universe, similar in some way to the scientific theories of the great Newton or Einstein, with the only proviso that the picture of the world they offer may become outdated, and what Buddha teaches us will forever remain indisputable, in the power of its divine universality.

“Speaking about the foundations of Buddhism, one cannot dwell on the later complications and ramifications. It is important to know that the idea of \u200b\u200bpurifying the teachings is always alive in Buddhist consciousness. Soon after the death of the Master, famous cathedrals began in Rajagriha, then in Vaishali and Patna, returning the teaching to its original simplicity.

The main existing schools of Buddhism are Mahayana (Tibet, Mongolia, Russia - Kalmyks and Buryats, China, Japan, North India) and Hinayana (Indo-China, Burma, Siam, Ceylon and India). But in all schools, the qualities of the Teacher himself are equally remembered.

Qualities of Buddha: Shakya Muni - wise from the Sakya clan; Shakya Sinha - Shakya Lion; Bhagavat - Blessed One; Sattha - Teacher; Tathagata - Passed the Great Path; Gina - Winner; Lord of the Good Law.

This arrival of the king in the guise of a mighty beggar is unusually beautiful. "Go, you beggars, bring salvation and benefit to the peoples." In this parting words of the Buddha, in one definition of "beggars" there is a whole program.

Knowing the teachings of the Buddha, you understand where the Buddhist assertion comes from: "Buddha is a man." His teaching on life is beyond any prejudice. The temple does not exist for him, but there is a meeting place and a house of knowledge, the Tibetan dukang and tsuglakang.

Buddha denied the existence of a personal God.

Buddha denied the existence of an eternal and unchanging soul.

Buddha gave the teaching of life every day.

Buddha effectively opposed property.

The Buddha personally fought against caste fanaticism and class privilege.

The Buddha affirmed empirical, reliable knowledge and the value of labor.

Buddha commanded to study the life of the world in its full reality.

Buddha laid the foundation for the community, anticipating the triumph of the Community of Peace.

Hundreds of millions of Buddha worshipers are spread all over the world and everyone states:

"I resort to Buddha, I resort to the Teaching, I resort to the Community."

"Fundamentals of Buddhism". Helena I. Roerich

Shakyamuni Buddha

Shakyamuni Buddha lived and worked for the benefit of humanity in India in the 6th century BC.

He was born in India, in the city of Kapilavastu, in a kshatriya family - in the caste of warriors and rulers.

His father was King Shudhodana from the Kshatriya family of Shakyas, which is why Buddha is called Shakyamuni, that is, the Sage of the Shakya family. The Buddha's mother is Mahamaya, the king's wife.

Seven days after the birth of the prince, the mother died.

Siddhartha was raised by his aunt named Mahaprajapati, who became the wife of King Sudhodana. She loved the boy very much.

Astrologers predicted that Siddhartha would leave the palace and become a Buddha upon seeing old man, sick, dead and hermit.

The king decided to save his son from such dangerous encounters and built wonderful palaces for him, surrounded by a high wall, and at the right time he married him to a beautiful princess who gave birth to his son Rahula.

If the prince lived an ordinary life and met not only with her joys, but also with sorrows, maybe nothing would have happened. But attempts to escape from fate usually lead to the opposite result, and the prince rushed towards the fate that chose him.

He asked the chariot to show him the world outside the palace fence.

On the very first departure Siddhartha saw an ancient old man wandering towards him and heard from the charioteer that this fate would not escape anyone. All the joy of youth left Siddhartha.

Second exit brought him a meeting with a stretcher, on which lay a man who was terribly suffering from an incurable disease. The charioteer said that this fate will not escape anyone. The joy of health and strength left the young man.

On the third walk a sad funeral procession was moving towards the royal chariot, carrying a seemingly withered body. The charioteer explained that this is death; it comprehends every living person.

For the fourth time Did they meet a hermit, and the charioteer said that this person follows the true Teaching.

Siddhartha returned to his palace pensive. The dancers and musicians who entertained him were tired and fell asleep, dispersed in a dream. The prince looked at them, and it seemed to him that he was in the cemetery and there were only corpses in front of him. And Siddhartha Gautama understood that it was time to radically change his life, since worldly joys after the shocks he had experienced lost all meaning for him.

He went to see his sleeping wife and son, and then left his hometown of Kapilavastu. He was 29 years old at that time.

As soon as the prince went outside the city gates, the demon Mara appeared before him. From now on, he promised to follow him like a shadow, tempting with temptations and instilling terror in order to force the prince to leave his chosen path.

To everyone who has left the sphere of everyday life and delved into the jungle of his unconscious, such a demon will certainly emerge from the depths of his own essence and never leave him..

But the prince Siddhartha immediately rebelled against Mara and rejected his evil spell. Having reached the bank of the river, he dismounted from his horse, whose name was Khantaka, and immediately exchanged clothes with a beggar hermit. Then he continued on his way in complete solitude, for this is the only way find the truth of the way.

For six years the prince wandered around India, passing from one group of hermits to another, assimilated all their teachings and experienced all the practices they proposed. But not a single teaching and not a single Teacher could bring him the desired peace of mind.

One day, coming out of another strict austerity with nothing, he sat down under the bodhi tree and concentrated in deep meditation.

Immediately he was able to remember all his previous rebirths.

From the very depths of his being came a clear realization four noble truths:

first of allthat a series of deaths and births is inextricably linked with suffering,

secondlythat this suffering has a reason,

thirdthat this suffering can be stopped,

fourthlythat there is a path leading to the end of suffering.

All knowledge of the past, present and future was revealed to him and entered the very core of his being, and a feeling of deep and indestructible peace was imprinted in his heart.

From that moment on, the former prince Siddhartha seemed to have awakened from a heavy, oppressive sleep and became buddha, awakened, enlightened, all-seeing.

Buddha came out of deep meditation and touched the earth with his hand, calling it to witness that he had attained Enlightenment.

Gesture " touching the ground"Captured on numerous sculptural and pictorial images of Buddha Shakyamuni, or Gautama Buddha, as he is usually called.

Buddha received enlightenment. To reach it, he had to go all the way of a person, imbued with his suffering and compassion for him.

The Buddha initially had no support, because he rejected all the teachings and experiences of all the Teachers, on the beaten track which he refused to follow .

Now he had to walk alone, he had no companion equal to him. It remained to rely only on myself.

Now he was faced with the task of leading people along the path of Liberation that had opened to him, taking upon himself the feat of the Teaching.

Buddha understood that people would not believe him when he tried to convey his experience to them, that they would not understand him and would distort his words.…

But His great mission was foreordained - this mission to save humanity!

So the Buddha, whom everyone knew as a simple prince Siddhartha, began to preach Buddhist teachings, Buddhist dharma, adapting as much as possible to the perception of the people around him.

For, as the beautiful Buddhist text of the Dhammapada says, if something has to be done, do it, do it with firmness, as a relaxed wanderer only kicks up more dust.

Teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni. The main points of the Teaching.

The Buddha established 4 noble truths, the knowledge of which everyone should devote himself to:

1. Life is full of suffering.

2. Suffering has a cause.

3. Suffering can be stopped.

4. The path leading to liberation from suffering.

The first truth - "Life is full of suffering", says that suffering is nothing but birth, desire, hatred, envy, condemnation, sadness, despair, grief, illness and death.

Many thinkers in India, like Buddha, believed that only short-sighted people consider worldly joys to be pleasure. These pleasures are so short-lived that the following series of adversity and illness, fears and losses nullifies all the joy of the pleasure experienced.

Second Truth - "Suffering Has a Cause", explains that the origin of suffering and evil on Earth is nothing more than a causal relationship. Buddha explained the Law of Karma. Every thought, decision and action of a person leads him to a certain consequence.

Harmony and balance reign in the Universe. If a person breaks the harmony by sending negative to the surrounding space, he will certainly receive a hundredfold return. This happens in order to teach a person to live in peace and love.

If a person does not understand why he is doing this, and does not want to understand, then the situation from time to time gets worse and one day leads a person to such a state that he finally asks a question to which he will definitely receive an answer.

So ignorance of the truth gives rise to the desire for a new birth and the passing of the lessons not passed.

If a person knew the transient (not eternal) nature of earthly existence, which is full of limitations and suffering, then the wheel of Samsara (the circle of reincarnations) would be stopped, since there would be no reasons that would generate new karma.

The third truth - "Suffering can be stopped", follows from the second.

By fulfilling certain conditions, a person can free himself from suffering already in this life.

They lead to true wisdom:

- complete control over emotions,

- liberation from attachments to the material,

- constant reflection,

- striving for knowledge of the truth.

Attaining nirvana does not mean complete inactivity. Having achieved wisdom, one should not remain in thought. For 45 years after his enlightenment, Buddha, while traveling, preached and founded the Brotherhood.

In his teaching, Buddha spoke about the fact that there are two types of human actions.

The former are committed under the influence of blindness, hatred and attachment. They give rise to the seeds of karma, and therefore, new births to fulfill karmic tasks.

The second actions are not burdened by any influence, they are devoid of attachment and, accordingly, do not give rise to knots of karma.

A person who has removed a particle of ignorance, who defeated passion, acquires benevolence, purity, courage, indestructible calm, self-control. This encourages him and gives him strength to continue on the difficult path towards the goal of attaining enlightenment.

The fourth truth - "The path leading to liberation from suffering"... Buddha points out in detail this path to liberation from suffering. He himself followed this path.

"EIGHT WAY" - it is so named because the path consists of eight steps.

The Eightfold Path is available to everyone. And everyone who follows it achieves the eight virtues.

1. Correct views... Ignorance and delusions about oneself and about the world are the cause of suffering, therefore, for spiritual development, you need to have the right views, which imply an understanding and knowledge of the four truths.

2. Correct determination... Knowledge of the truths is useless without the determination to grow spiritually and transform the surrounding reality in accordance with the truths. Therefore, a person striving to develop spiritually must give up attachment to anything, give up enmity and bad intentions.

3. Correct speech... Correct resolve must control and guide our speech. This is abstaining from profanity, slander, lies and insults.

4. Correct behavior... Right determination must also manifest itself in right action and right behavior, the Buddha taught. It is a refusal to do wrong - stealing, destroying living beings, satisfying lust.

5. Correct lifestyle... Earning a living should be done in an honest way, rejecting bad language and bad deeds.

6. Correct effort... A person, guided by correct behavior, speech, determination, tries to change, but old habits lead him astray. At this stage, it is important to control your thoughts, speech, behavior... That is, to lead a conscious way of life, suppressing not our bad thoughts in time, not allowing the habits of the past to return us to the wheel of depravity. Fill the void with good ideas and knowledge.

No one is immune to the risk of slipping, so it's too early to celebrate a moral victory.

7. Correct thoughts... At this stage, you should remain vigilant and constantly remember and practice the previous material learned. We must think about everything as it is. That is, a shovel is a shovel, I am me. Exaggerated, but intelligible. Wrong thoughts have taken deep roots. Behavior based on false stereotypes has become unconscious. It is necessary to uproot all the trash, throw it away and forget. You should not look back, otherwise you can be petrified, stuck in the past.

8. Correct concentration... Walking and striving for wisdom focuses his tranquil mind on exploring and making sense of truths... This is the first stage of contemplation and knowledge.

The first stage of contemplation and cognition- a person enjoys the peace of detachment from everything earthly and the joy of pure thinking.

Second stage of concentration arises when faith in the truth dispels doubts, there is no need for research and reasoning. A person feels inner peace and joy.

The third stage of concentrationIs when a person attempts to move to a conscious state of indifference. Here a person renounces the joy of concentration and experiences complete equanimity.

The fourth stage of spiritual concentration - the seeking wanderer tries to free himself even from the consciousness of equanimity.

There comes a state of indifference, perfect equanimity and self-control - enlightenment comes.

All suffering ceases. Perfect wisdom and righteousness comes.

Summing up the "Eightfold Path", Buddha sums up that it consists of three harmonious stages - KNOWLEDGE, BEHAVIOR and CONCENTRATIONS.

Spiritual development and cognition it is impossible without voluntary control of prejudices, emotions and passions.

After that, one more and last step becomes possible - this is focusing on the contemplation of truthwhich results in supreme wisdom, perfect behavior, revealing the secret of existence.

Buddha called the Shackles, the so-called 10 great obstacles to the spiritual development of a person:

1. Illusion of personality

2. Doubt

3. Superstition

4. Bodily passions

5. Hatred

6. Earth attachment

7. Desire for pleasure and tranquility

8. Pride

9. Complacency

10. Ignorance

Buddha taught his followers not to get attached to anything, even to his Teachings! Every moment has its own meaning! The following parable testifies to this.

One day the Blessed One said to his followers:

- Imagine a person who went on a long journey. It was stopped by a wide flood of water. The nearest side of this stream was full of dangers and threatened him with destruction, but the far side was solid and free from dangers.

There was no boat to cross the stream, no bridge thrown to the opposite bank. This man said to himself: “Truly, this stream is swift and wide, and there is no means to get to the other side, but if I gather enough reeds, branches and leaves and build a raft from them, then I can, working diligently with my hands and feet , safely cross the raft to the opposite shore. "

And so he did. The man built a raft, lowered it into the water and, working with his feet and hands, safely reached the opposite shore.

Having got over and having achieved what he wanted, he said to himself:

“Verily, this raft was of great benefit to me, for with its help, working with my hands and feet, I safely got over to this shore. I'll take this raft with me, load it on my shoulders, and continue my journey! "

Having done so, would a man do the right thing with his raft? What do you think, my disciples? What will be the correct attitude of man to his raft?

Verily, this man must say to himself: “This raft was of great use to me, for, supported by it and working with my legs and arms, I safely reached the distant shore.

But I will leave him ashore and continue on my way!»

It is in this that the correct attitude of man to his raft will be.

In the same way, oh, disciples, I also offer you my Teaching precisely as a means to liberation and achievement, but not as a permanent property. Understand this analogy of the Teaching with the raft.

Dhamma (teaching) must be abandoned by you when you cross over to the shore of Nirvana.

The above parable shows how little importance was attached by the Buddha to everything - in this world of illusion, or Maya. It was everything, even the teaching of the Buddha himself, that was considered as having a conditional, passing and relative value.

Also in this parable it is emphasized that everything is achieved only by one's own labor: human hands and feet..

Teaching will be effective only when personal efforts and personal labor are put in place.

Buddha about God... The Buddha's Teaching lacks the concept of God as such. Buddha denied the existence of a personal God.

The question of caste differences was resolved unequivocally: Buddha declared all people equal and did not make any distinctions between castes;

Buddha called a woman a full person, for development is impossible if one of the principles is oppressed.

Siddhartha Gautama was a great spiritual master and founder of Buddhism in ancient India. In most Buddhist traditions, he is considered the Supreme Buddha. Translated, the word "Buddha" means "awakened" or "enlightened".

Siddhartha is the main figure in Buddhism, and information about his life, teachings, monastic principles after his death were systematized and immortalized by his followers.

Today I want to discuss a few important life lessons that I learned from the Buddha's teachings.

1. It's okay to start small

"The jug is filled gradually, drop by drop."

Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "Every master was once an amateur."
We all start small, don't neglect small. If you are consistent and patient, you will succeed! No one can succeed overnight: Success comes to those who are willing to start small and work hard until the pitcher is full.

2. Thoughts are material

“Everything that we are is the result of what we think about ourselves. If a person speaks or acts with bad thoughts, he is in pain. If a person speaks or acts with pure intentions, happiness follows him, which, like a shadow, will never leave him. "

Buddha said, “Our consciousness is everything. You become what you think about. " James Allen said: "Man is the brain." To live right, you must fill your brain with “right” thoughts.

Your thinking determines your actions; your actions determine the result. Right thinking will give you whatever you want; wrong thinking is evil that will eventually destroy you.

If you change your thinking, you will change your life. The Buddha said, “All misdeeds are due to reason. If the mind changes, will wrongdoing remain? "

3. Forgive

“Keeping anger in oneself is like grabbing a hot coal with the intention of throwing it at someone else; you will burn "

When you release those who are imprisoned in the prison of unforgiveness, you release yourself from that prison. You cannot suppress anyone without suppressing yourself too. Learn to forgive. Learn to forgive faster.

4. Your actions matter

"No matter how many commandments you read, no matter how much you say, what will they mean if you do not follow them?"

They say: "Words are worthless," and this is so. To develop, you must act; to develop quickly, you need to act every day. Glory will not fall on your head!

Glory is for everyone, but only those who constantly act will be able to know it. The proverb says: "God gives every bird a worm, but does not throw it into the nest." Buddha said, "I do not believe in the fate that falls on people when they act, but I believe in the fate that falls on them if they are inactive."

5. Try to understand

"Arguing with the present, we feel anger, we stopped fighting for the truth, we started fighting only for ourselves."

Stephen Covey said: "First try to understand, and only then try to understand you." Easy to say and difficult to do; you must do your best to understand the other person's point of view. When you feel overwhelmed by anger, destroy it. Listen to others, understand their point of view, and you will find peace of mind. Focus more on being happy than being right.

6. Defeat yourself

“It is better to defeat yourself than to win thousands of battles. Then the victory is yours. Neither angels, nor demons, nor heaven and hell can take it away from you "

The one who conquers himself is stronger than any master. In order to conquer yourself, you need to conquer your mind. You have to control your thoughts. They shouldn't rage like sea waves. You might be thinking, “I cannot control my thoughts. The thought comes when she pleases. " To this I answer: you cannot prevent the bird from flying over you, but you can undoubtedly prevent it from building a nest on your head. Drive away thoughts that do not correspond to the life principles by which you want to live. Buddha said: "It is not an enemy or an ill-wisher, but it is the consciousness of a person that lures him into a crooked path."

7. Live in harmony

“Harmony comes from within. Don't look for her outside "

Don't look outside for what can only be in your heart. We can often look outside, just to distract ourselves from the truth. The truth is that harmony can only be found within yourself. Harmony is not a new job, not a new car or a new marriage ... harmony is new opportunities and they start with you.

8. Be grateful

“Let's stand up and thank you for the fact that if we didn't study a lot, then at least we studied a little, and if we didn't study a little, then at least we didn't get sick, if we got sick, then at least we didn't die. Therefore, we will be grateful "

There is always something to be thankful for. Do not be so pessimistic that for a minute, even in a moment of argument, you are not able to realize a thousand things that are worth being grateful for. Not everyone was able to wake up this morning; yesterday some fell asleep for the last time. There is always something to be grateful for, understand it and thank it. A grateful heart will make you great!

9. Be True to What You Know

"The main offense is not to be faithful to what you know for sure."

We know a lot, but we don't always do what we know.
If you fail, it won't happen because you didn't know what to do; it will happen because you didn't do what you knew. Do as you know. Don't just internalize the information, but focus on the thoughts of who you want to become until you have a strong desire to prove it.

10. Travel

"It's better to travel than to arrive at the place"

Life is a journey! I am happy, satisfied and satisfied with today. I can go to the best places and taste the best wines, but I travel. Don't put off your happiness indefinitely in an effort to achieve a goal that you think can make you happy. Travel today, enjoy your journey.

Shakyamuni Buddha, also known as Gautama Buddha, lived according to traditional dating from 566 to 485 BC. in the central part of North India. In various Buddhist sources there are many different descriptions of his life, and many of its details appeared in them only over time. The accuracy of this information is difficult to establish, given that the first Buddhist texts were compiled only three centuries after the death of Buddha. Be that as it may, these details cannot be considered incorrect just because they were written about them later than about others: they could be transmitted orally.

As a rule, the traditional biographies of Buddhist masters, including the Buddha, were not compiled for the preservation of history, but served a moral purpose. Biographies were compiled to educate followers of Buddhism about the spiritual path to liberation and enlightenment and to inspire them to achieve these goals. To benefit from the life story of Buddha, you need to view it in this context, analyzing what can be learned from it.

Sources describing the life of the Buddha Arrow down Arrow up

The earliest sources that describe the life of the Buddha are several Pali suttas from the Medium Length Collection of Teachings (Pali: Majima-nikaya) in the Theravada tradition and several Vinaya texts on the rules of monastic discipline from other Hinayana schools. However, each of these sources contains only fragmentary descriptions of the life of the Buddha.

The first detailed biography appeared in Buddhist poetry at the end of the 2nd century BC, for example in the text "Great Matter" (Skt. Mahavastu) the Mahasanghika school. So, in this source, which is not included in the "Three baskets" (Skt. Tripitaka), that is, in the three collections of Buddha's teachings, it is first mentioned that Buddha was a prince in the royal family. A similar poetic work is the Vast Play Sutra (Skt. Lalitavistara Sutra) - also found in the Hinayana school of the Sarvastivada. Later Mahayana versions of this text borrowed portions of this earlier version and supplemented it. For example, they explained that Shakyamuni attained enlightenment millennia ago and manifested as Prince Siddhartha only to show others the path to enlightenment.

Over time, some of the biographies were included in the Three Baskets. The most famous of these is the Acts of Buddha (Skt. Buddhacharita) of the poet Ashvaghosha, written in the 1st century A.D. Other versions of the Buddha's biography appeared even later in the tantras. For example, the Chakrasamvara texts say that the Buddha simultaneously manifested as Shakyamuni to teach the Sutra of Far-reaching Discrimination (Skt. Prajnaparamita-sutra,The Sutras of the Perfection of Wisdom) and as Vajradhara to teach tantras.

Each of these stories teaches us something and gives us inspiration. But let's first look at the texts that describe the historical Buddha.

Birth, early life and renunciation Arrow down Arrow up

According to the earliest biographies, Buddha was born into a wealthy aristocratic military family in the Shakya state, whose capital was in Kapilavastu, on the border of modern India and Nepal. These sources do not say that Shakyamuni was a prince Siddhartha: information about his royal origin and the name of Siddhartha appear later. Buddha's father was Shuddhodana, but the name of his mother, Mayadevi, is mentioned only in later biographies, where a description of the miraculous conception of Buddha in a dream appears, in which a white elephant with six tusks enters Mayadevi's side, and the story of the predictions of the sage Asita that that the baby will become a great king or a great sage. After that there was a story about the pure birth of Buddha from the side of his mother in the Lumbini grove, not far from Kapilavastu, where he immediately took seven steps and said: "I have appeared"; it also mentions Mayadevi's death during childbirth.

Buddha's youth passed in pleasure. He married a girl named Yashodhara, and they had a son, Rahula. When Buddha was 29 years old, he renounced family life and the royal throne, leaving to wander as a mendicant spiritual seeker.

The Buddha's renunciation must be viewed in the context of his contemporary society. Having abandoned everything to become a spiritual seeker, he did not abandon his wife and child in a difficult situation or in poverty: members of his large and wealthy family would surely take care of them. In addition, the Buddha belonged to the warrior caste, which means that one day, undoubtedly, he would have to leave his family and go to war: this was considered a man's duty.

You can endlessly fight with external enemies, but the real battle is fought with internal opponents: this is the fight that Buddha went to. The fact that he left his family for this purpose means that it is the duty of a spiritual seeker to devote his whole life to this. If in our time we decide to leave our family to take monasticism, we need to make sure that our family is well taken care of. We are talking not only about the spouse and children, but also about the elderly parents. Whether we leave the family or not, it is our duty as Buddhists to reduce suffering by overcoming the addiction to pleasure, as the Buddha did.

Buddha wanted to cope with suffering by realizing the nature of birth, aging, illness, death, rebirth, sorrow and delusion. In later texts, there are stories of Channah the charioteer taking the Buddha out of the palace. Buddha sees in the city the sick, the old, the dead, as well as ascetics, and Channa tells him about each of these phenomena. Buddha understands what suffering everyone is experiencing and thinks about how to get rid of them.

The episode in which the driver helps the Buddha on the spiritual path recalls the story from the Bhagavad-gita about how the charioteer Arjuna explained to Krishna that as a warrior he should fight with his relatives. In both Buddhist and Hindu history, one can see the great importance of going beyond a comfortable life in search of truth. The charioteer symbolizes the mind as a vehicle that takes us to liberation, and the charioteer's words symbolize the power that prompts us to seek the truth.

Buddha's teaching and enlightenment Arrow down Arrow up

As an itinerant spiritual seeker who took a vow of celibacy, the Buddha learned from two teachers the methods of achieving mental stability and formless absorption. He reached the highest levels of these deep states of perfect concentration, in which he no longer experienced gross suffering or even ordinary worldly happiness, but he did not stop there. The Buddha saw that such states are just temporary relief from polluted feelings. These methods did not relieve the deeper, universal suffering that he sought to overcome. Then the Buddha and his five companions practiced severe asceticism, but this also did not save them from the deeper problems associated with the uncontrollable cycle of rebirth (samsara). Only in later sources does the story appear of how the Buddha broke a six-year fast on the banks of the Nairanjana River, where the girl Sujata brought him a bowl of milk rice porridge.

The Buddha's example shows that we should not be content with complete peace and bliss of meditation, let alone artificial means of achieving these states, such as drugs. Plunging into a deep trance or exhausting and punishing yourself with extreme practices, there is no solution. We have to go all the way to liberation and enlightenment, not stopping at spiritual methods that do not lead to these goals.

Abandoning asceticism, Buddha went alone to meditate in the jungle to overcome fear. Any fear is based on clinging to the “I” existing in an impossible way, and on an even stronger selfishness than that which prompts us to uncontrollably seek pleasure and entertainment. Thus, in the text "Disc with Sharp Blades", Dharmarakshita, an Indian master of the 10th century AD, used the image of peacocks looking for poisonous plants in the jungle as a symbol of bodhisattvas who use and transform the poisonous emotions of desire, anger and naivety to overcome selfishness and clinging to the impossible "I".

After prolonged meditation, Buddha attained complete enlightenment; he was then thirty-five years old. Later sources describe the details of this event and tell that the Buddha attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree, where Bodhgaya is today. He repelled the attacks of the envious god Mara, who tried to thwart the Buddha, manifesting in terrifying and seductive forms in order to disturb his meditation.

The very first texts describe that Buddha attained full enlightenment by gaining three types of knowledge: perfect knowledge of all his past lives, karma and rebirths of all beings, as well as the four noble truths. Later sources explain that after attaining enlightenment, Buddha attained omniscience.

Buddha Gives Teachings and Founds a Monastic Community Arrow down Arrow up

After enlightenment, the Buddha began to doubt whether it was worth teaching others how to achieve this goal: he felt that no one would understand him. However, the Indian god Brahma, the creator of the universe, and Indra, the king of the gods, begged him to give teachings. In making the request, Brahma told Buddha that if he refused to teach, there would be no end to the suffering of the world, and that at least a few people could understand his words.

Perhaps this episode has a satirical meaning, showing the superiority of the Buddha's teachings over the traditional methods of the Indian spiritual tradition of the time. Even if the highest deities recognized that the world needs the teachings of the Buddha, because even they do not know the methods that would forever end universal suffering, then ordinary people need his teachings even more. Moreover, in Buddhist concepts, Brahma personifies arrogance and pride. Brahma's delusion that he is the all-powerful creator symbolizes the delusion that there is an impossible “I” that is capable of controlling everything that happens. This belief inevitably leads to disappointment and suffering. Only the Buddha's teachings on how we really exist can bring about a true end to true suffering and its true cause.

Hearing the request of Brahma and Indra, the Buddha went to Sarnath, where in the Deer Park he taught five of his former companions the teachings of the four noble truths. In Buddhist symbolism, the deer personifies softness. Thus, Buddha teaches a moderate method that avoids the extremes of hedonism and asceticism.

Soon the Buddha was joined by several young men from the vicinity of Varanasi, who strictly adhered to the vow of celibacy. Their parents became lay disciples and supported the community with alms. A disciple who achieved a sufficient level of training was sent to teach others. The group of followers of the Buddha, living on alms, grew rapidly: they soon founded "monastic" communities in different places.

The Buddha organized monastic communities following pragmatic principles. When accepting new candidates into the community, monks (if it is permissible to use this term at an early stage) had to follow certain restrictions in order to avoid clashes with secular authorities. Therefore, at that time, in order to avoid difficulties, Buddha did not allow the admission of criminals to the community; tsarist officials, such as the military; slaves who were not freed from slavery; as well as people affected by contagious diseases such as leprosy. Moreover, those under the age of twenty were not admitted to the community. The Buddha sought to avoid problems and maintain people's respect for the monastic communities and for the teachings of the Dharma. This means that as followers of the Buddha, we must respect local customs and act with dignity so that people have a positive opinion of Buddhism and they also treat it with respect.

Soon the Buddha returned to Maghada, a kingdom that occupied the territory where Bodhgaya is now. King Bimbisara, who became the patron and disciple of the Buddha, invited him to the capital of Rajagriha (modern Rajgir). Here Shariputra and Maudagalyayana joined the growing community, who became Buddha's closest disciples.

Within a year after Buddha attained enlightenment, he visited his home in Kapilavastu, where his son Rahula joined the community. By then, Nanda, the Buddha's half-brother who was famous for his beauty, had already left home and joined the community. King Shuddhodana, the Buddha's father, was very sad that their family line was interrupted and asked that in the future his son should always ask his parents for consent before becoming a monk. Buddha completely agreed with him. The point of this story is not that the Buddha did cruelty to his father: it emphasizes how important it is not to dislike Buddhism, especially in his family.

In later descriptions of the Buddha's meeting with his family, there is a story about how he, using supernatural powers, went to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods (in other sources - to the Heaven of Tushita) to give teachings to the mother who was reborn there. This story illustrates the importance of appreciating and repaying mother's kindness.

Buddhist monastic order grows Arrow down Arrow up

The first monastic communities were small: no more than twenty men. They maintained their independence, respecting the boundaries of the area in which each community collected alms. To avoid controversy, actions and decisions were approved in a vote in which all members of the community took part, and no one person was considered the only authority. The Buddha taught that the Dharma teachings themselves should be the authority for the community. If necessary, it was allowed to change even the rules of monastic discipline, but any changes had to be adopted unanimously.

King Bimbisara advised the Buddha to adopt the customs of other spiritual communities living on alms, such as the Jains, who held meetings every quarter of the month. Traditionally, community members gathered at the beginning of each of the four phases of the moon to discuss the teachings. The Buddha agreed, showing that he was open to suggestions to follow the customs of his day. As a result, he adopted from the Jains many aspects of the life of the spiritual community and the structure of the teaching. The founder of Jainism, Mahavira, lived about half a century before Buddha.

Shariputra also asked the Buddha to write a code of rules for monastic discipline. However, the Buddha decided that it was better to wait for certain problems to arise and establish vows in order to avoid repeating similar difficulties. He also followed this approach with regard to both naturally destructive actions that harm anyone who commits them, and morally neutral actions, prohibited only by certain people in certain situations and for certain reasons. The rules of discipline (vinaya) were practical and problem-solving, because the Buddha was primarily concerned with avoiding difficulties and not offending anyone.

Then, based on the rules of discipline, the Buddha established a tradition: at community meetings held at the beginning of each quarter of the lunar month, the monks read aloud vows and openly confessed all their violations. Only the most serious offenses were expelled from the community: usually violators faced only a shameful trial period. Later, these meetings were held only twice a month.

The Buddha then began the tradition of the three-month retreat, which was held during the monsoons. During this time, the monks stayed in one place and avoided travel. This was done so that the monks did not harm the crops of cereals, bypassing the roads flooded by rains in the fields. The tradition of closures led to the founding of permanent monasteries, and this was practical. Again, this was done in order not to harm the laity and earn their respect.

The Buddha spent twenty-five summer retreats (starting with his second retreat) in the Jetavana grove near Shravasti, the capital of the Kosala kingdom. The merchant Anathapindada built a monastery here for the Buddha and his monks, and King Prasenajit continued to support the community. Many important events in the life of the Buddha took place in this monastery. Perhaps the most famous of these is the victory that Buddha won over the heads of six non-Buddhist schools of the day, competing with them in supernatural abilities.

Probably now none of us has miraculous powers, but Buddha used them instead of logic to show that if the opponent's mind is closed to reasonable arguments, the best way to convince him of the correctness of our understanding is to show him the level of comprehension through actions and behavior. There is an English proverb: "Actions speak louder than words."

Establishment of a Women's Buddhist Monastic Community Arrow down Arrow up

Later, the Buddha, at the request of his aunt Mahaprajapati, founded a community of nuns in Vaishali. At first he did not want to do this, but then he decided that it was possible to create a female community if more vows were made for nuns than for monks. The Buddha did not imply that women are less disciplined than men, and therefore they need to restrain themselves more by having more vows. Rather, he feared that the female monastic order would bring a bad reputation to his teachings and they would disappear ahead of time. Moreover, the Buddha sought to avoid disrespect for the community as a whole, so the female monastic community had to be above suspicion of immoral behavior.

However, in general, the Buddha did not want to make rules and was ready to cancel those minor rules that would be unnecessary. These principles show the interplay of two truths: deepest truth combined with respect for conditional truth in accordance with local custom. From the point of view of the deepest truth, there is no problem in founding a female monastic community, but in order to prevent disrespect for Buddhist teachings from ordinary people, more vows had to be made for the nuns. At the level of deepest truth, it does not matter what the society says or thinks, but in terms of conditioned truth, it is important for the Buddhist community to earn the respect and trust of the people. Therefore, in our days in modern society, when prejudice against nuns, against women in general, or against any minority will cause disrespect for Buddhism, the essence of the Buddha's approach is to change the rules in accordance with the customs of the times.

After all, tolerance and compassion are key ideas in the Buddha's teachings. For example, the Buddha advised new disciples who previously supported another religious community to continue doing so. He taught members of the Buddhist community to take care of each other when, for example, one of the monks or nuns fell ill, because they are all members of the Buddhist family. This important rule applies to lay Buddhists as well.

Methods by which Buddha taught Arrow down Arrow up

The Buddha taught both through oral instruction and by example. When giving oral instruction, he followed two methods, depending on whether he was teaching a group of people or one person. When giving teachings to the group, the Buddha would explain them in the form of a lecture, saying the same thing over and over again in different words so that the audience could better understand and remember. When giving personal instruction — and this usually happened in the home of lay people who invited the Buddha and his monks to dinner — he took a different approach. Buddha never objected to the listener, but accepted his point of view and asked questions to help the student clarify his ideas. In this way, Buddha guided a person to improve his own understanding and gradually comprehend reality on a deeper level. Once the Buddha helped a proud Brahmin understand that superiority does not depend on what caste a person was born in, but on the development of positive qualities.

Another example is the Buddha's instructions for a desperate mother who brought him her dead child and begged him to resurrect the child. The Buddha asked the woman to bring a mustard seed from a house where death had never come, saying that he would then try to help her. She went from house to house, but in every family she was told about the loss she had experienced. Gradually, the woman realized that death would inevitably overtake everyone, and was able to take a calmer attitude to the cremation of the deceased child.

The method taught by Buddha shows that in order to help those around us with whom we meet in person, it is better not to contradict them. The most effective way is to help them think for themselves. However, when teaching groups of people, it is better to explain everything unambiguously and clearly.

Video: Dr. Alan Wallace - Are We Asleep or Awake?
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Conspiracies against the Buddha and schisms in the community Arrow down Arrow up

Seven years before the Buddha passed away, Devadatta, his envious cousin, decided to lead the monastic community instead of Buddha. And Prince Ajatashatru wanted to overthrow his father, King Bimbisaru, and become the ruler of Magadha. Devadatta and Prince Ajatashatru conspired to work together. Ajatashatru made an attempt on the life of Bimbisara, and as a result, the king gave up the throne in favor of his son. Seeing the success of Ajashatra, Devadatta asked him to kill the Buddha, but all attempts were unsuccessful.

Frustrated, Devadatta tried to lure the monks over to him, claiming that he was even more "holy" than Buddha, and proposing to tighten the rules of discipline. According to the text "The Path of Purification" (Pali: Visuddhimagga), written by Buddhaghosha, a Theravada master of the 4th century A.D., Devadatta proposed the following innovations:

to sew monastic clothes from rags;
wear only three robes;
limit yourself to offerings and never accept invitations to a meal;
when collecting offerings, do not miss a single house;
eat everything that was brought up in one meal;
eat only from the begging bowl;
refuse other food;
live only in the forest;
live under trees;
· Live outdoors, not in houses;
· Be mainly in burial places;
· Constantly wandering from place to place, be content with any place to sleep;
· Never sleep lying down, only sitting.

Buddha said that if monks wish to follow additional rules of discipline, they can do so, but it is not possible to oblige everyone to follow such rules. Some monks followed Devadatta and left the Buddha's community to found their own.

In the Theravada school, the additional discipline introduced by Devadatta is called the "thirteen branches of practice." Apparently, it is on this set of rules that the forest monastic tradition is based in the form in which it can still be found in modern Thailand. Buddha's disciple Mahakashyap was the most famous of the followers of these stricter disciplines, much of which are observed by itinerant saints (sadhus) in Hinduism. By their practice, they probably continue the tradition of itinerant and mendicant spiritual seekers from the time of the Buddha.

In the Mahayana schools there is a similar list of twelve aspects of the practice. However, the prescription “not to miss a single house when collecting offerings” was removed from it, added “to wear discarded clothes”, and the rules “to collect offerings” and “eat only from the begging bowl” were combined into one. Later, most of these rules were followed by Mahasiddhis - followers of the Indian tradition of highly accomplished tantric practitioners - from both Mahayana Buddhism and Hinduism.

In those days, there was no problem in separating from the Buddhist tradition and establishing another community (in our terms, it would be like creating a new Dharma center). This action was not viewed as one of the five grave crimes - creating a "split in the monastic community." Devadatta, on the other hand, made a split because the group that followed him was very hostile to the Buddha community and severely condemned it. Some sources claim that the bad consequences of this split have been felt for several centuries.

The case of a split in the community shows the Buddha's extraordinary tolerance and the fact that he was not a supporter of fundamentalism. If his followers wanted to borrow a harsher code of discipline than the Buddha had drawn up, that was acceptable. If they didn't want to comply with the new rules, that was also considered normal. No one was required to practice what the Buddha taught. If a monk or nun wanted to leave the monastic community, that was also acceptable. However, it is truly destructive to provoke a split in the Buddhist community, especially in the monastic community, when the community is divided into two or more hostile groups that are trying to dishonor and harm each other. It is disastrous even to join one of these communities later and participate in a vicious campaign against the rest of the groups. However, if one community engages in destructive acts or practices harmful discipline, it is compassionate to warn people of the dangers of joining that group. In doing so, our motives should not be mixed with anger, hatred, or desire for revenge.

“Speaking about the foundations of Buddhism, one cannot dwell on the later complications and ramifications.It is important to know that the idea of \u200b\u200bpurifying the teaching is always alive in the Buddhist consciousness.Soon after the death of the Master, famous cathedrals began in Rajagriha, then in Vaishali and Patna, returning the teaching to its original simplicity.

The main existing schools of Buddhism are Mahayana (Tibet, Mongolia, Russia - Kalmyks, Buryats, China, Japan, North India) and Hinayana (Indo-China, Burma, Siam, Ceylon and India). But in all schools, the qualities of the Teacher himself are equally remembered.

This arrival of the king in the guise of a mighty beggar is unusually beautiful. "Go, you beggars, bring salvation and benefit to the nations." In this parting words of the Buddha, in one definition of "beggars" there is a wholeprogram.

Knowing the teachings of Buddha, you understand where the Buddhist assertion comes from: "Buddha is a man." His teaching on life is beyond any prejudice. The temple does not exist for him, but there is a meeting place and a house of knowledge, the Tibetan dukang and tsuglakang.

Buddha denied the existence of a personal God.

Buddha denied the existence of an eternal and unchanging soul.

Buddha gave the teaching of life every day.

The Buddha personally fought against caste fanaticism and class privilege.

Buddha affirmed empirical, reliable knowledge and the value of labor.

Buddha commanded to study the life of the world in its full reality.

Buddha laid the foundation for the community, anticipating the triumph of the Community of Peace.

Hundreds of millions of Buddha worshipers are spread all over the world and everyone states:

"I resort to Buddha, I resort to the Teaching, I resort to the Community."

Fundamentals of Buddhism. Helena I. Roerich

Shakyamuni Buddha

Shakyamuni Buddha lived and worked for the benefit of humanity in India in the 6th century BC.

He was born in India, in the city of Kapilavastu, in a kshatriya family - in the caste of warriors and rulers.

Seven days after the birth of the prince, the mother died.

Siddhartha was raised by his aunt named Mahaprajapati, who became the wife of King Sudhodana. She loved the boy very much.

Astrologers predicted that Siddhartha would leave the palace and become a Buddha, seeing the old man, sick, dead and hermit.

If the prince lived an ordinary life and met not only with its joys, but also with sorrows, perhaps nothing would have happened. But attempts to escape fate usually lead to the opposite result, and the prince rushed towards the fate that had chosen him.

He asked the chariot to show him the world outside the palace fence.

On the very first departure Siddhartha saw an ancient old man wandering towards him and heard from the charioteer that this fate would not escape anyone. All the joy of youth left Siddhartha.

On the third walk a sad funeral procession was moving towards the royal chariot, carrying a seemingly withered body. The charioteer explained that this is death; it comprehends every living person.

For the fourth time Did they meet a hermit, and the charioteer said that this person follows the true Teaching.

He went to see his sleeping wife and son, and then left his hometown of Kapilavastu. He was 29 years old at that time.

As soon as the prince left the city gates, he appeared demon Mara.He promised from now on to follow him like a shadow, tempting with temptations and instilling terror in order to force the prince to leave his chosen path.

To everyone who has left the sphere of everyday life and delved into the jungle of his unconscious, such a demon will certainly emerge from the depths of his own essence and never leave him. .

The prince wandered through India for six years, passing from one group of hermits to another, learned all their teachings and experienced all the practices they proposed. But not a single teaching and not a single Teacher could bring him the desired peace of mind..

One day, coming out of another strict austerity with nothing, he sat down under the bodhi tree and concentrated in deep meditation.

Immediately he was able to remember all his previous rebirths.

From the very depths of his being came a clear realization four noble truths :

first of allthat a series of deaths and births is inextricably linked with suffering,

secondlythat this suffering has a reason,

thirdthat this suffering can be stopped,

fourthlythat there is a path leading to the end of suffering.

All knowledge of the past, present and future was revealed to him and entered the very core of his being, and a feeling of deep and indestructible peace was imprinted in his heart.

From that moment on, the former prince Siddhartha seemed to have awakened from a heavy, oppressive sleep and became a Buddha, Awakened, Enlightened, Omniscient.

Buddha came out of deep meditation and touched the earth with his hand, calling it to witness that he had attained Enlightenment.

Gesture "Touching the ground" captured on numerous sculptural and pictorial images of Buddha Shakyamuni, or Gautama Buddha, as he is usually called.

Buddha received enlightenment. To reach it, he had to go all the way of a person, imbued with his suffering and compassion for him.

The Buddha initially did not have any support, since he rejected all the teachings and experiences of all Teachers, according to well-trodden the way which he refused to follow .

Now he had to walk alone, he had no companion equal to him. It remained to rely only on myself.

Now he was faced with the task of leading people along the path of Liberation that had opened to him, taking upon himself the feat of the Teaching.

Buddha understood that people would not believe him when he tried to convey his experience to them, that they would not understand him and would distort his words ...

But His great mission was foreordained - this mission to save humanity!

So, the Buddha, whom everyone knew as a simple prince Siddhartu, began to preach Buddhist teachings, Buddhist dharma, if possible adjusting to perception the people around him .

For, as the beautiful Buddhist text of the Dhammapada says, if anything has to be done, do it with firmness, for a relaxed wanderer only throws up more dust.

Teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni. Highlights of the Teaching .

Buddha established 4 noble truths, the knowledge of which everyone should devote himself:

1. Life is full of suffering.

2. Suffering has a cause.

3. Suffering can be stopped.

4. The path leading to liberation from suffering.

The first truth- "Life is full of misery"says that suffering is nothing but birth, desire, hatred, envy, condemnation, sadness, despair, grief, illness and death.

Second truth - "Suffering has a cause", explains that the origin of suffering and evil on Earth is nothing more than a causal relationship. Buddha explained the Law of Karma. Every thought, decision and action of a person leads him to a certain consequence.

So, ignorance of the truth generates the desire for a new birth and the passage of the lessons not passed.

Third truth - “Suffering can be stopped,” follows from the second.

Fulfilling certain conditions, a person can free himself from suffering already in this life.

Lead to true wisdom:

- complete control over emotions,

- liberation from attachments to the material,

- constant reflection,

- striving for knowledge of the truth.

In his teaching, Buddha spoke about the fact that there are two types of human actions.

The first committed under the influence of blindness, hatred and attachment. They give rise to the seeds of karma, and, consequently, new births to fulfill karmic tasks.

Second deeds they are not burdened by any influence, they are devoid of attachment and, accordingly, do not give rise to knots of karma.

Fourth truth - « The path leading to liberation from suffering. "Buddha points out this path to liberation from suffering in detail. He himself followed this path.

« THE EIGHT WAY”, It is so named because the path consists of eight steps.

The Eightfold Path is available to everyone. And everyone who follows it achieves the eight virtues.

1. Correct views... Ignorance and delusion about yourself and the world are the cause of suffering, therefore, for spiritual development, you need to have the right views, which imply understanding and knowledge of the four truths.

3. Correct speech.Correct resolve must control and guide our speech. This is abstaining from profanity, slander, lies and insults.

5. Correct lifestyle... Earning a living should be done in an honest way, rejecting bad language and bad deeds.

6. Correct effort... A person, guided by correct behavior, speech, determination, tries to change, but old habits lead him astray. At this stage, it is important to control your thoughts, speech, behavior ... That is to say conscious lifestyle, suppressing in time not our bad thoughts, do not allow the habits of the past to return us to the wheel of depravity. Fill the void with good ideas and knowledge.

No one is immune to the risk of slipping, so it's too early to celebrate a moral victory.

7. Right thoughts.At this stage, you should remain vigilant and constantly remember and practice the previous material learned. We must think about everything as it is. That is, a shovel is a shovel, I am me. Exaggerated, but intelligible. Wrong thoughts have taken deep roots. Behavior based on false stereotypes has become unconscious. It is necessary to uproot all the trash, throw it away and forget. You should not look back, otherwise you can be petrified, stuck in the past.

8. Correct concentration... Walking and striving for wisdom focuses his tranquil mind on exploring and making sense of truths... This is the first stage of contemplation and knowledge.

The first stage of contemplation and cognition, man enjoys the peace of detachment from everything earthly and the joy of pure thinking.

Second stage of concentration arises when faith in the truth dispels doubts, there is no need for research and reasoning. A person feels inner peace and joy.

The third stage of concentrationit is when a person makes an attempt to move to a conscious state of indifference, where one gives up the joy of concentration and experiences complete equanimity.

The fourth stage of spiritual concentration -the seeking wanderer tries to free himself even from the consciousness of equanimity.

A state of indifference, perfect equanimity and self-control comes - enlightenment comes.

All suffering ceases. Perfect wisdom and righteousness comes.

Summing up the "Eightfold Path", Buddha sums up that it consists of three harmonious stages - KNOWLEDGE, BEHAVIOR and CONCENTRATIONS.

Spiritual development and cognition impossible without voluntary control of prejudices, your emotions and passions.

After this, one more and last step becomes possible - this is concentration on the contemplation of truth, the result of which is the highest wisdom, perfect conduct, the disclosure of the mystery of existence.

Buddha called Shackles,so called

10 great obstacles to the spiritual development of a person:

1. Illusion of personality

2. Doubt

3. Superstition

4. Bodily passions

5. Hatred

6. Earth attachment

7. Desire for pleasure and tranquility

8. Pride

9. Complacency

10. Ignorance

Buddha taught his followers not get attached to anything, even to your Teaching! Every moment has its own meaning!The following parable testifies to this.

One day the Blessed One said to his followers:

Imagine a person on a long journey. It was stopped by a wide flood of water. The nearest side of this stream was full of dangers and threatened him with destruction, but the far side was solid and free from dangers.

And so he did. The man built a raft, lowered it into the water and, working with his feet and hands, safely reached the opposite shore.

Having got over and having achieved what he wanted, he said to himself:

Having done so, will the man do the right thing with his raft ? What do you think, my disciples? What will be the correct attitude of man to his raft?

Verily, this man must say to himself: “This raft was of great use to me, for, supported by it and working with my legs and arms, I safely reached the distant shore.

But, I will leave him on the shore and continue on my way! "

It is in this that the correct attitude of man to his raft will be.

In the same way, oh, disciples, I offer you my Teaching exactly as a means to liberation and achievement, but not as permanent property... Understand this analogy of the Teaching with the raft.

Dhamma (teaching) must be abandoned by you when you cross over to the shore of Nirvana.

From the above parable, you can see how little importance the Buddha attached to everything in this world of illusion, or Maya. It was everything, even the teachings of the Buddha himself, that were considered as having a conditional, passing and relative value.

Also in this parable it is emphasized that everything is achieved only by one's own labor: human hands and feet.

Teaching will be effective only when personal efforts and personal labor are put in place.

Buddha about God. The Buddha's Teaching lacks the concept of God as such. Buddha denied the existence of a personal God.

The question of caste differences was resolved unequivocally: Buddha declared all people equal and did not make any distinctions between castes;

Buddha called a woman a full person , for development is impossible if one of the principles is oppressed.

He spoke about the existence of the Great Laws . He determined the laws of life every day.

The law of fearlessness

Courage, in the teachings of Gotama, was the basis of all achievements.

“There is no true compassion without courage; self-discipline cannot be achieved without courage: patience is courage; without courage one cannot penetrate deep into true knowledge and acquire the wisdom of an Arhat. "

Gotama demanded from his students the complete destruction of fear. Fearlessness of thoughts, fearlessness of actions are commanded.

The very nickname of Gotama Buddha - Singh - "Lion" and his personal calls to go through all obstacles, like rhinos and elephants, show what depth of fearlessness was commanded to him. And therefore, the teachings of Gotama Buddha can, first of all, be called the Doctrine of Fearlessness.

“Warriors, warriors, that is how we call ourselves, about disciples, for we are fighting.

We are fighting for noble valor, for lofty aspirations, for the highest wisdom, therefore we call ourselves warriors. "

Property relinquishment law

The Buddha effectively opposed property.

The abandonment of property was severely carried out. Moreover the rejection of property had to be revealed not only externally, but how much to accept it with consciousness.

“One day the disciples asked the Blessed One:“ how understand execution commandments fromkaza from property? " One disciple left all things, but the Master continued to reproach him for property... Another remained surrounded by things, but did not deserve a reproach. Ownership is not measured by things, but by thoughts ... ... You can have things and not be the owner. So the Blessed One said and asked not to think about propertybecause fromspeech is the washing of thought. For only through the washed channels can the main striving break through. " (Community, 85)

Buddha constantly advised to have as few things as possible, so as not to give them too much time.

The law of the value of labor.

The Buddha affirmed empirical, reliable knowledge and the value of labor. Only in labor can the will and armor for battle be forged; only in labor can one temper character and acquire the best qualities.

The law of the dignity of the human person outside of classes and external differences

The Buddha personally fought against caste fanaticism and class privilege. It was the Buddha who pointed out the absurdity and injustice of the caste distinction of people.

The law of real knowledge

Buddha announced ignorance - the cause of all human troubles, and knowledge the only salvation. And he made this knowledge available to everyone.

He approved knowledge as the only way of liberation from the shackles of the earth, and ignorance is the most serious crime, commanded everyone to follow the path of knowledge.

Along with the condemnation of ignorance, the Buddha also condemned frivolity with the same harshness: "A fool, an ignoramus, are their own greatest enemies, for they commit evil deeds that bear bitter fruits."

"A fool can be the companion of the wise throughout his life, and yet he will remain ignorant of the Truth, just as a spoon does not know the taste of soup."

“Long is the night for the watchman, long is the way for the weary. Long is the rotation of the wheel of life and death for fools who do not know the Truth. "

Especially often he instructed family people to teach their children all the sciences and arts and thus contribute to the growth and expansion of their consciousness. He also constantly pointed out the urgent need for travel. He saw this as a true enlightening goal, for travel, separating a person from ordinary conditions, develops in him mobility, resourcefulness and adaptability - the qualities necessary for preparing the process of expanding consciousness.

The teaching of the Blessed One insisted on certainty , but there was no dogma in it , which would be offered on faith, since the Teacher, while affirming knowledge in everything, did not see any benefit in blind faith for the development of consciousness. "Therefore, I taught you," said the Buddha, "not to believe only because you heard, but only when it is verified and accepted by your consciousness."

In a conversation with a young Brahmin, the Blessed One pointed out how a worthy disciple reaches the mastery of the truth:

“When, after a mature discussion, the disciple admits that a given person is completely free from delusion, he believes this person.

Approaching him with confidence, he becomes his student.

After becoming his student, he opens his ear.

Opening his ear, he hears the teaching.

Having heard the teaching, he keeps it in mind. He discusses the meaning of the truths he has withheld. He reflects on them. Hence his determination is born.

What he decided, he did. He evaluates the significance of the undertaken.

After evaluating, he makes every effort. With his efforts, he approaches the truth. Penetrating deep into it, he sees.

But all this is just the recognition of the truth, but not the mastery of it . To fully master it, you need to apply and tirelessly repeat this psychological process.».

From this conversation it is clear how much the student was free to discuss the teachings taught to him, and that only through independent efforts is the knowledge and mastery of the truth achieved.

« Honor your faith and do not blaspheme the faith of others ", - one of the axioms of Buddhism. So Buddha's Teaching is an example non-denial of previous Teachings.

The Buddha found a way to the hearts of people not by miracles, but by the practical teaching of improving the life of each day and by personal example of great cooperation.

His tolerance and desire for close cooperation with people was so great that he never spoke against their rites or beliefs.

The Buddha's teaching, as the teaching of truth, covered all the great teachings that preceded him, and therefore, emphasizing their truth, it banished denial.

By banishing negation, the teaching did not enslave anyone. Awareness of the great principle of community opened all the paths.

***

Gautama Buddha laid the foundation for the community. is he was one of the first community members. Buddha Organized Communities - Sangha.

The communities of the Buddha were not monasteries, and the entry into them were not initiations, for, according to the Teacher, only the realization of the teaching made a new person and community member out of the entered Buddhist.

The community accepted everyone without distinction of race, caste and gender.

Two rules were required to enter the community:

1.complete waiver of personal property

2.moral purity.

The rest of the rules were about harsh self-discipline and community responsibilities.

In the community, full equality of all members was carried out. One community member differed from another only in the period of his membership.

When choosing an older person, age was not taken into account. Seniority was not measured by gray hair. About the one who had all the dignity only in old age, it was said that he was "vainly old."

But “ the one in whom justice speaks, who knows how to control himself, who is wise, he is the elder».

The Buddha did not force people to live in a cramped community. From the very beginning, among the students there were those who preferred a life of solitude.

Of those who are too secluded, He said: "A lonely life in the forest is useful for those who follow it, but it does little to the good of people."

Buddha didn't want to set too many ruleshe strove to avoid the pedantry and monotony of regulations. He avoided making many of the prohibitions binding. All the rules sought to protect and preserve the complete independence of the student.

The commune was obliged to observe simplicity and decency, but since there is no advantage in what to eat or what to wear, the Buddha gave his disciples a certain freedom.

Encouraged by Devadatta, a cousin of Gautama Buddha, several members of the community asked the Buddha to impose stricter discipline on his disciples and prohibit the consumption of meat and fish in diet. The Buddha refused this request, saying that everyone is free to apply these measures on himself, but they cannot be imputed as an obligation for everyone.

The same tolerance in clothing, for it is unacceptable that freedom degenerate into a privilege for some. So, there is a known case when the Blessed One, convinced of the wisdom of the venerable Sona and seeing his bloody feet, said to him:

Sona, you were raised to be sophisticated, I order you to wear high-soled boots.

Sona requested that this decision be extended to all members of the community, and the Blessed One hastened to fulfill this desire.

All the rules of the community established by the Blessed One were always prompted vital necessity ... So, for example, one touching episode served as the basis for a new rule for the community.

“One bikshu fell ill with an intestinal disorder and, exhausted, fell and lay on the ground in his mud. It happened that the Blessed One, accompanied by the highly esteemed Ananda, walked around the cells of the community members. Entering the cell of the sick bikshu and seeing him in such a helpless state, he approached him and asked:
- What's with you, bikshu, are you sick?
- Yes, Vladyka.
- But is there no one to help you?
- No, Vladyka.
- Why don't the other bikshu look after you?
- Because, Vladyka, now they are of no use to me.

To this, the Blessed One turned to Ananda: "Go, Ananda, and bring water, we will wash this bikshu." “Yes, Lord,” Ananda replied and brought water. Then the Blessed One began to pour water, and the revered Ananda washed the sick man. After that, the Blessed One took the patient under the head and Anand by the legs, so they lifted him up and put him on the bed.

In connection with this incident, the Blessed One called the community members and asked them: "Bikshu, is there a sick community member in any cell?"

Yes, Master.
- What is this bikshu sick with?
“He has an intestinal disorder, Lord.
- Is there no one to look after him?
- No, Vladyka.
- But why did none of the bikshu help him? Bikshu, you have no fathers or mothers to look after you. If you, bikshu, will not look after each other, then who will help you? Anyone who wants to serve me must serve the sick. "

“Whoever has a mentor, a mentor should take care of him until he recovers, and just as surely if he has a teacher or fellow disciple in the same vihara, or a disciple living with him. If he does not have any of the named, then the whole community must look after him. And whoever does not do this will be guilty of an offense against the community. "

The Teacher's dislike for the establishment of numerous, fixed rules, especially prohibitions, and the desire to preserve the vitality of the community are clearly expressed in his subsequent instruction to his disciple Ananda:

"I instruct the community to change the rules of the smallest and smallest."

But many weak souls are calmer if their duties are strictly defined, hence the increase in rules and prohibitions in later Buddhism.

It is much easier to obey the rules, even shy ones, than to manifest the personal conscious energy that the Teacher demanded from his students.

The Buddha community did not strive to depersonalize its members, but to amicably weld them together with a single aspiration for the common good..

The community did not want to smooth out individual characteristics, on the contrary, the Buddha appreciated every initiative, every individual manifestation, for in the Teaching, which asserted that everyone is their creator and liberator and that completely personal efforts are needed to achieve this high goal, the individual beginning had all the data for development.

“Avoid quarrels, asserting yourself in yourself, not excluding others,” was the rule in the community.

And so little was Buddhism afraid of individual manifestations that often the inspired words of one of the community members were accepted and became canonical along with the statements of the Blessed One himself.

Severe discipline, constant vigilance over thoughts, words and deeds made the community a school, as much educational as educational.

In the communities of the Buddha, refusal was allowed, but personally conscious; but denial equated ignorance.

With the Buddha community, one could give up petty considerations, but denial was tantamount to leaving the community. It was customary to never remember the retired - the community had to live in the future. In addition, the dropout often returned; then the return was not accompanied by any questions, except for one: "Do you deny?"

At the beginning of the teachings, the discipline was mainly concerned with cleansing the heart and mind of prejudice and evil qualities. As it was successful, the teaching was transferred to the expansion of consciousness.

It is difficult for one person to rise if he has not gone through the harsh path of purification.

“If matter is contaminated, no matter how much the dyer immerses it in blue, yellow, red or purple paint, its color will be ugly and unclean - why? Due to the pollution of matter. if the heart is unclean, the same sad result should be expected. "

Buddha never told the interlocutor that he was wrong ... With his deep knowledge and reasoning, he covered the knowledge of the interlocutor, telling him about many things. And so he caused admiration and gratitude. (example, with nadir and zenith):

“Once the Blessed One, on the way to the bamboo grove, near Rajdagriha, where he was then staying with his disciples, met a householder named Shrigala, who, in wet clothes, with his hair loose and with folded hands, was bowing to all four directions of the world, and also in towards the zenith and towards the nadir.

The Blessed One, knowing that he was performing a ceremony that, according to traditional religious superstition, should avert misfortunes from his home, asked Shrigal:

"Why are you doing this strange rite?"

Shrigala replied, “Do you think it strange that I am guarding my home from the influence of evil spirits?

I know that You, O Gotama Shakyamuni, whom people call Tathagata, the Blessed Buddha, think that invocations are useless and do not have any saving power.

But listen to me and find out that by performing this rite, I honor, respect and fulfill my father's behest. "

Then the Tathagata said:

“You are doing well, O Shrigala, that you honor, respect and fulfill your father's behest; and it is your duty to protect your home, your wife, your children and the children of your children from the harmful influences of evil spirits.

I do not see anything wrong with performing the rite bequeathed by your father. But I see that you do not understand the rite.

Let the Tathagata, who is now talking to you as a spiritual father, and who loves you no less than your parents loved you, let him explain to you the meaning of these six directions.

These ceremonies are not enough to guard your home. You must protect him with good deeds in relation to the people around him.

Turn to your parents to the east, to your Teachers to the south, to your wife and children to the west, and to your friends to the north, and precisely establish the zenith of your pious veneration and nadir of relations with your servants.

This is the kind of piety your father wants from you. Let the ceremony remind you of your responsibilities. "

And Shrigala looked at the Blessed One with great reverence, as at his father, and said:

“Verily, Gotama, You are the Buddha, Blessed and Holy Teacher.

I never understood what I was doing, but now I know. You revealed to me the truth that was hidden, like the one that brings the lamp into the darkness.

I run to You, the Blessed Teacher who has attained enlightenment, I resort to the Truth that gives enlightenment, I resort to the refuge of my brothers. "

Buddha pointed out the imperfection of austerity .

Being the enemy of all ritual, Buddha denied the purifying power of douches. “A person will not be morally clean because he was purified in water for a long time. A pure person, a brahmin, one in whom truth and virtue dwell. "

“All your rules,” the Buddha said to fanatics, “are low and ridiculous.

Some of you go about naked, covering yourself only with your hands;

another will not drink from a jug or eat from a dish, will not sit at the table between two interlocutors, between two knives or two dishes;

some will not sit down at a common table and will not accept alms in the house where there is a pregnant woman, where he will notice many flies or meet a dog ...

Others eat only vegetables, rice broth, cow or deer droppings, tree roots, branches, leaves, forest fruits or grains.

Some wear a dress, throwing it only on the shoulders, or cover themselves with moss, tree bark, plants or deerskin; loosens her hair or puts on a horse hair band.

Some wear the clothes of sorrow; constantly holds his hands up; does not sit on benches and mats, or constantly sits in an animal position ...

Others lie on thorny plants or on cow dung.

I will not list other similar means with which you torment and exhaust yourself ...

What do you volunteer workers expect for your hard work?

You expect alms and veneration from the laity, and when you achieve this goal, you are strongly addicted to the comforts of temporary life, you do not want to part with them, and you don’t know the means for that.

As soon as you see visitors from afar, you immediately sit down and pretend that you have been caught in deep thought, but after parting with them, you again do what you want, walk or rest in freedom.

When coarse food is brought to you, you, even without having tasted it, give it away, and leave any tasty food with you.

Indulging in vices and passions, however, you put on the guise of modesty.

No, this is not true asceticism!

Toiling is only useful when under it not selfish intentions are hidden».

Asceticism has no value for liberation from the bonds of the earth.

It is much more difficult to find a patient person than one who feeds on air and roots, clothe himself with bark and leaves.

"When a person is weakened by hunger and thirst, when he is too tired to control his feelings and ideas, can he achieve the goal that looks back only with the clear mind of the expanded consciousness."

Or another example:

“In order for the strings of guilt to emit a harmonic sound, they should not be too taut or loosened. Likewise, every effort, if excessive, ends in a waste of energy; if not enough, it turns into passivity.

Exercise in proportion, observe exact measure in tension, and balance your abilities.

A disciplined person is free, being free, he is joyful, he is calm and happy. "

And more about those to whom the Buddha's teaching wasnot like:

Much evidence speaks of the hostility he met among the ascetics and Brahmins who hated him.

The former for condemning their fanaticism, the latter for refusing to recognize their rights to social benefits and to knowledge of the truth by birthright.

He was the first to say: "If it were possible to achieve perfection and liberation from the bonds that bind man to the earth, only by giving up meat food and human conditions, then the elephant and the cow would have achieved it long ago."

Second - “By deeds a person becomes a pariah, by deeds he becomes a Brahmin.

A fire kindled by a brahmin and a fire kindled by a sudra have the same flame, brightness and light.

What has your separation led to?

For bread, you go to the general bazaar and appreciate the coins from the shudra purse.

Your separation is simply called robbery.

And your sacred things are just instruments of deception.

Isn't the wealth of a rich Brahmin a reproach of the Divine Law?

You think of the south as light and the north as darkness. There will be a time when I come from midnight, and your light will be darkened. Even birds fly north to bring chicks to the world. Even the gray geese know the value of property on earth.

But the Brahmin is trying to fill his belt with gold and collect treasures under the threshold of the house.

Brahmin, you lead a miserable life and your end will be miserable. You will be the first to be destroyed. If I go north, then I will return from there. "

The word "Buddha" is not a name, but a state of mind that has reached the highest point of development, literally translated - one who has learned, or one who has mastered perfect knowledge - wisdom.

Buddha never asserted his omniscience, which was bestowed on his disciples and followers.

The powers that Buddha possesses are not wonderful, for a miracle is a violation of the laws of nature. The supreme power of the Buddha is quite consistent with the eternal order of things.

"Buddha, according to one text, is only the eldest of people, no more different from them than the first hatched chick from other chickens of the same hen."

The humanity of the Buddha is especially emphasized.

The ancient writings always emphasize the vitality of his teaching. Gotama did not turn away from life, but penetrated into all the everyday life of ordinary workers. He sought to dispose them to the teachings and was not afraid of visits from courtesans and rajas.

He tried not to offend traditional customs in vain; moreover, he was looking for an opportunity to give them his teachings, finding support in a particularly revered tradition, without compromising the basic principles.

Buddha's favorite trick was comparison and this simple and vital approach imparted brilliance and persuasiveness to his teaching.

Undoubtedly, his knowledge exceeded the Teaching he gave, but the caution prompted by great wisdom kept him from giving out concepts that could be not learned consciousness of the listeners and, for this reason, become destructive.

This is evidenced by the following story:

“One day the Blessed One was staying in a bamboo grove in Kosambi. Taking a handful of leaves, the Blessed One asked the disciples:

What do you think, my disciples, which is greater: is this a handful of leaves in my hand or leaves that remain on the trees of this grove?

The leaves in the Hand of the Blessed One are few in number; The number of leaves in the whole grove is incomparable, the disciples answered.

Truly so, and what I have known and did not tell you is much more than what I have passed on to you. And why, O disciples, did I not tell you this? Because it would not be of any use to you, for it would not contribute to a higher life. It also leads to disillusionment in this earthly world, to the destruction of all sensitivity, to the cessation of desire, to peace, to higher knowledge, to awakening, to Nirvana. That is why I did not give it to you.

But what did I tell you? That which is suffering, the source of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and indicated the path leading to the cessation of suffering. "

Buddha talked about meaning of the futureand his priority over the present.

“Once a woman stopped between the images of the Blessed Buddha and Maitreya, not knowing to whom to bring reverence. And the image of the Blessed Buddha said: “According to My commandment, honor the future. Standing in defense of the past, gaze at the sunrise. " Remember how We work for the future, and direct your whole being to the future! Let us bring the Teaching alien to the light in the rays of knowledge, for the light of the world is covered with darkness. " (Community, 95)

Buddha pointed to the coming of a new teacher in the future .

History has never shown us such an effective example of self-denial. According to the legend, the Blessed One established the Bodhisattva Maitreya as his successor.

“And the Blessed One said to Ananda:

I am not the first Buddha to come to Earth, nor will I be the last.

In due time, another Buddha will rise in the world, the Intimate, of the highest illumination, gifted with wisdom, happy, containing the entire Universe, the incomparable Leader of nations, the Lord of Devas and mortals.

He will reveal to you the same eternal truths that I have taught you.

He will establish his Law, glorious in its principles, glorious in its apotheosis, and glorious in purpose in spirit and word.

He will proclaim a righteous life, perfect and pure, which I am now preaching.

His disciples will number in the thousands, while mine will only be in the hundreds.

And Ananda asked: "How do we know Him?"

The Blessed One said: "His name will be Maitreya."

The coming Buddha, Maitreya, as his name indicates, is the Buddha of Compassion and Love.

Throughout the Buddhist region, on the roadside rocks, the images of Maitreya point the way.

From ancient times to the present, this image has been created by Buddhists who know the approach of a new century.

The venerable lamas, accompanied by their students, artists and sculptors, travel today through Buddhist lands, creating new images of the symbol of the aspirations of a brighter future.

The great Buddha, bequeathing to Maitreya, gave the path of all existence.

The phenomenon of new evolution calls to these wise and clear Covenants.

The demand for purification of the Teaching is not accidental, the time is approaching. The image of Maitreya is ready to rise.

All Buddhas of the past have combined the wisdom of experience and imparted it to the Blessed Conqueror.

Quotes from the teachings :

“Irrigators take water wherever they want; archers straighten an arrow; carpenters bend the tree as they please; the wise bend themselves! "

"Hatred was never destroyed by hatred, only kindness stopped it, this is the eternal law."

"From the moment the solution of evil arises, a person is already guilty - whether it is revealed or not."

“Of the three types of action,” the Buddha said, “the most destructive not word, not bodily act, but thought. "

“The main element in everything is thought. Above all is thought. Everything is done by thought.

If a person speaks or acts with an evil thought, suffering accompanies him, like a wheel follows the hoof of an animal that drags a cart. "

"It is difficult for one person to ascend if he has not gone through the harsh path of purification."

“If matter is contaminated, no matter how much the dyer immerses it in blue, yellow, red or purple paint, its color will be ugly and unclean - why? Due to the pollution of matter. If the heart is unclean, the same sad result should be expected. "

"If a person speaks or acts with a good thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him."

“The rejection of everything personal gives rise to a feeling of true freedom,

joy is born from freedom,

from joy - satisfaction,

from satisfaction - a feeling of peace and happiness. "

BUDDHA

Natalia Dmitrievna Spirina

From the radio broadcast (cycle "Lights of the World")

“Truth is the only source of courage,” so Buddha said. Study of fundamentals of all religions there is an approach to Truth. Truth can only be alone, just as the foundations are the same for the entire universe. And "there is no religion higher than Truth," as stated on the title page of The Secret Doctrine.

Temporary forms, laws are eternal. Forms belong to the changing world, laws - to unchanging Being.

Agni Yoga - Living Ethics, the synthesis of all religions and yogas - gives us then an understanding that helps to approach all beliefs, not denying them, but finding something in common that unites them.

The Living Ethics Teaching continues to develop all the basic provisions given in Buddhism, according to our era. If Buddha laid foundation for the community, then in Living Ethics the community is indicated as an inevitability for all mankind. All the provisions of Buddhism regarding self-improvement are given in the new Revelation in a widespread scientific justification, according to the level of development achieved to date.

Thanks to what is said in the books of Living Ethics, the teachings of the Buddha, cleansed of the layers of past centuries, gains new strength and significance for the present moment. “Every moment has its own need, and this is called the justice of action,” says Buddha. And return to study fundamentals Buddhism does not mean a return to the past, but, in the light of Living Ethics, this is a new step in future, on the threshold of which we are already very close.

We recommend everyone who is interested in Buddhism issues to read a simple and understandable book. "Fundamentals of Buddhism", written by Helena Ivanovna Roerich, under the pseudonym Natalia Rokotova.