WHAT IS BUDDHISM?

AJAHN BRAHMAVAMSO
Abbot of Bodhinyana Buddhist Monastery

Spiritual Director of the Buddhist Society of

Western Australia, Perth, Australia

June 2007

This booklet may be reproduced for free distribution only with

the written permission of the copyright holder.
 Contents
Introduction ................................................................................ 3

The Buddha................................................................................. 3

The Teachings of the Buddha ..................................................... 4

1. The Way of Inquiry ........................................................ 4

2. The Four Noble Truths .................................................. 5

3. The Middle Way or Eightfold Path ................................ 7

4. Kamma ........................................................................... 8

5. Rebirth ............................................................................ 9

6. No Creator God ............................................................ 10

7. The Illusion of a ‘Soul’ ................................................ 11

Types of Buddhism ................................................................... 12

Buddhism’s Relevance to the World Today .............................. 14

About The Buddhist Society of WA ......................................... 16

Regular Activities ..................................................................... 17

Addresses .................................................................................. 18

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 What is Buddhism?
Ajahn Brahmavamso

Introduction

F
or more than 2,500 years, the religion we know today as
Buddhism has been the primary inspiration behind many successful
civilizations, a source of great cultural achievements and a lasting
and meaningful guide to the very purpose of life for millions of people.
Today, large numbers of men and women from diverse backgrounds
throughout the world are following the Teachings of the Buddha. So
who was the Buddha and what are his teachings?

The Buddha

The man who was to become the Buddha was born Siddhattha Gotama
around 2,600 years ago as a prince of a small territory near what is
now the Indian-Nepalese border. Though he was raised in splendid
comfort, enjoying aristocratic status, no amount of material pleasure
could conceal life’s imperfections from the unusually inquisitive young
man. At the age of 29 he left wealth and family to search for a deeper
meaning in the secluded forests and remote mountains of Northeast
India. He studied under the wisest religious teachers and philosophers
of his time, learning all they had to offer, but they could not provide
the answers he was seeking. He then struggled with the path of self-
mortification, taking that practice to the extremes of asceticism, but
still to no avail.

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Ajahn Brahmavamso

Then at the age of 35, on the full moon night of May, he sat
beneath the branches of what is now known as the Bodhi Tree, in a
secluded grove by the banks of the river Neranjara, and developed his
mind in deep and luminous, tranquil meditation. Using the extraordinary
clarity of such a mind, with its sharp penetrative power generated by
states of deep inner stillness, he turned his attention to investigate the
truth of mind, universe and life. Thus he gained the Supreme
Enlightenment experience and from then on he was known as the
Buddha, the Awakened One.

His Enlightenment consisted of the most profound and all-

embracing insight into the nature of mind and all phenomena. This
Enlightenment was not a revelation from some divine being, but a
discovery made by himself based on the deepest levels of meditation
and the clearest experience of mind. It meant that he was free from the
shackles of craving, ill-will and delusion, that all forms of inner suffering
had been eliminated and that he had acquired unshakeable peace.

The Teachings of the Buddha

Having realised the goal of Perfect Enlightenment, the Buddha spent

the next 45 years teaching a path which, when diligently followed, will
take anyone regardless of race, class or gender to the same Perfect
Enlightenment. The teachings about this path are called the Dhamma,
literally meaning the nature of all things or the truth underlying existence.
It is beyond the scope of this pamphlet to present a thorough description
of all these teachings, but the following seven topics will give you an
overview of what the Buddha taught.

1. The Way of Inquiry

The Buddha warned strongly against blind faith and encouraged the

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 What is Buddhism?

way of truthful inquiry. He pointed out the danger in fashioning one’s

beliefs merely on the following grounds: hearsay, tradition, because
many others say it is so, the authority of ancient scriptures, the word of
a supernatural being or out of trust in one’s teachers, elders or priests.
Instead one maintains an open mind and thoroughly investigates one’s
own experience of life. When one sees for oneself that a particular view
agrees with both experience and reason and leads to the happiness of
one and all, then one should accept that view and live up to it!

This principle of course also applies to the Buddha’s own

teachings. They should be considered and inquired into using the mental
clarity born of meditation. As one’s meditation deepens, one eventually
sees these teachings for oneself with insight, and only then do they
become one’s own truth giving blissful liberation.

The traveller on the way of inquiry needs to be tolerant. Tolerance

does not mean that one embraces every idea or view but that one doesn’t
get angry at what one can’t accept. Further along the journey what one
initially disagreed with might be seen to be true. So in the spirit of
tolerant inquiry, here are some of the Buddha’s basic teachings.

2. The Four Noble Truths

The main teaching of the Buddha focuses not on philosophical

speculation about a Creator God or the origin of the universe, nor on
reaching a heaven world ever after. The teaching instead is centred on
the down-to-earth reality of human suffering and the urgent need to
find lasting relief from all forms of discontent. The Buddha gave the
simile of a man shot by a poison-tipped arrow who, before he would
accept a doctor to treat him, first demanded to know who shot the arrow,
his social standing, where he was from, what sort of bow he used, what
the arrow was made of... This foolish man would surely die before his

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Ajahn Brahmavamso

questions could be answered. In the same way, the Buddha said, our
most urgent need is to find lasting relief from recurrent discontent, which
robs us of happiness and leaves us in strife. Philosophical speculations
are of secondary importance and are best left until after one has trained
the mind in meditation to the stage where one has the ability to examine
the matter clearly and see the truth for oneself.

Thus the central teaching of the Buddha, around which all his
other teachings revolve, is the Four Noble Truths:

1. All beings, human and otherwise, are afflicted with all sorts
of disappointments, sadness, discomfort, anxiety etc.
In short they are subject to suffering.

2. The cause of this suffering is craving, born of the illusion

of a ‘soul’ (see below, topic 7).

3. Suffering has a final end in the experience of Enlightenment

(Nibbana), which is the complete letting go of the illusion of
‘soul’ and the consequent ending of craving and ill will.

4. This peaceful and blissful Enlightenment is achieved through

a gradual training, a path called the Middle Way, or the
Eightfold Path.

It would be mistaken to label this teaching as ‘pessimistic’ on

the grounds that it begins by focusing on suffering. Rather, Buddhism
is ‘realistic’ in that it unflinchingly faces up to the truth of life’s many
sufferings, and it is ‘optimistic’ in that it shows a final end to the
problem: Nibbana - Enlightenment in this very life! Those who have
achieved this ultimate peace are inspiring examples that demonstrate
once and for all that Buddhism is far from pessimistic but is a path to
true happiness.

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 What is Buddhism?

3.The Middle Way or Eightfold Path

The way to the end of all suffering is called the Middle Way because it
avoids the two extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification.
Only when the body is in reasonable comfort but not overindulged,
does the mind have the clarity and strength to meditate deeply and
discover the truth. This Middle Way consists of the diligent cultivation
of virtue, meditation and wisdom, which are explained in more detail as
the Eightfold Path:

1. Right Understanding
2. Right Thought
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration

(‘Right’ in the sense of being conducive to happiness and

Enlightenment)

Right Speech, Action and Livelihood constitute the training in

virtue or morality. For a practising lay Buddhist it consists of maintaining
the five Buddhist precepts, which are to refrain from:

1. Deliberately causing the death of any living being;

2. Intentionally taking for one’s own the property of another;
3. Sexual misconduct, in particular adultery;
4. Lying and breaking promises;
5. Drinking alcohol and taking stupefying drugs which lead to a
weakening of mindfulness and moral judgement.

Right Effort, Mindfulness and Concentration refer to the practice

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Ajahn Brahmavamso

of meditation, which purifies the mind through the experience of blissful

states of inner stillness and empowers the mind to penetrate the meaning
of life through profound moments of insight.

Right Understanding and Thought are the manifestations of

Buddha-Wisdom which ends all suffering, transforms the personality
and produces unshakeable serenity and tireless compassion.

According to the Buddha, without perfecting the practice of virtue

it is impossible to perfect meditation, and without perfecting meditation
it is impossible to arrive at Enlightenment Wisdom. Thus the Buddhist
path is a gradual one, a middle way consisting of virtue, meditation and
wisdom, explained in the Eightfold Path and leading to happiness and
liberation.

4. Kamma

Kamma means ‘action’. According to the law of kamma there are

inescapable results of our intentional actions. There are deeds of body,
speech and mind that lead to one’s own harm, to others’ harm, or to the
harm of both. Such deeds are called ‘bad’ or ‘unwholesome’ kamma.
They are motivated by craving, ill-will or delusion, and because they
bring painful results they should not be done.

There are also deeds of body, speech and mind that lead to one’s
own well-being, to the well-being of others, or to the well-being of
both. Such deeds are called ‘good’ or ‘wholesome’ kamma. They
are motivated by generosity, compassion or wisdom, and because they
bring pleasant results they should be done as often as possible.

Much of what one experiences is the result of one’s own previous

kamma. Thus when misfortune occurs, instead of blaming someone
else, one can look for faults in one’s own past conduct. If a fault is

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 What is Buddhism?

found, the experience of its consequences will make one more careful
in the future. When happiness occurs, instead of taking it for granted,
one can look for the past good kamma that caused it. If one can find
such a cause, the experience of its pleasant results will encourage more
good kamma in the future.

The Buddha pointed out that no being whatsoever, divine or

otherwise, has the power to stop the consequences of good and bad
kamma. The fact that one reaps just what one sows gives the Buddhist
a powerful incentive to avoid all forms of bad kamma and do as much
good kamma as possible.

Though one cannot escape the results of bad kamma one can
lessen their severity. A spoon of salt mixed in a glass of water makes the
whole glass very salty, whereas the same spoon of salt mixed in a
freshwater lake hardly changes the taste of the water at all. Similarly,
the results of bad kamma in a person habitually doing only a small
amount of good kamma is painful indeed, whereas the result of the
same bad kamma in a person habitually doing a great deal of good
kamma is only felt mildly.

This natural law of kamma thus becomes the force behind, and
the reason for, the Buddhist practice of morality and compassion in our
society.

5. Rebirth

The Buddha clearly remembered many of his past lives. Even today
many Buddhist monks and nuns, and others also, remember their past
lives. Such a strong memory is a result of deep meditation. For those
who remember their past lives rebirth becomes an established fact which
puts this life in a meaningful perspective.

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Ajahn Brahmavamso

The law of kamma can only be understood in the framework of

many lifetimes because it sometimes takes this long for kamma to bear
its fruit. Thus kamma and rebirth offer a plausible explanation to the
obvious inequalities of birth - why some are born into great wealth
whereas others are born into pathetic poverty; why some children enter
this world healthy and full-limbed whereas others enter it deformed and
diseased. The painful results of bad kamma should not be regarded as
punishment for evil deeds but as lessons from which to learn. For
example, how much better to learn about the need for generosity than to
be reborn among the poor!

Rebirth takes place not only within the human realm. The Buddha
pointed out that the realm of human beings is but one among many.
There are many separate heavenly realms and grim lower realms too,
including the realm of animals and the realm of ghosts. Not only can
we go to any of these realms in our next life, but we may have come
from any of these realms into our present life. This explains a common
objection against rebirth: “How can there be rebirth when there are 10
times as many people alive today than there were a century ago?” The
answer is that people alive today have come from many different realms.

Understanding that we come and go between different realms,

gives us more respect and compassion for the beings in these realms. It
is unlikely, for example, that one would exploit animals when one has
seen the link of rebirth that connects them with us.

6. No Creator God

The Buddha also pointed out that no God or priest nor any other kind of
being has the power to interfere in the working out of someone else’s
kamma. Buddhism, therefore, teaches individuals to take full
responsibility for themselves. For example, if you want to be wealthy
then be generous, trustworthy and diligent, and if you want to live in a

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 What is Buddhism?

heavenly realm then always be kind to others. There is no God to ask

favours from, or to put it another way, there is no corruption possible in
the workings of the law of kamma.

Do Buddhists believe that a Supreme Being created the universe?

Buddhists would first ask which universe you mean. This present
universe from the moment of the ‘big bang’ up to now, is but one among
a countless number in Buddhist cosmology. When one universe cycle
ends another begins, again and again, according to impersonal law and
without discoverable beginning. A Creator God is redundant in this
scheme.

No being is a Supreme Saviour, because gods, humans, animals

and all other beings are subject to the law of kamma. Even the Buddha
had no power to save - he could only point out the truth for the wise to
see for themselves. Everyone must take responsibility for their own
future well-being, and it is dangerous to give that responsibility to anyone
else.

7. The Illusion of a ‘Soul’

The Buddha taught that there is no ‘soul’, no essential and permanent

core to a living being. Instead, that which we call a ‘living being’,
human or otherwise, can be seen to be but a temporary coming-together
of many parts and activities - when complete it is called a ‘living
being’, but when the parts have separated and the activities have ceased
it is not called a ‘living being’ anymore. Like a computer assembled
of many parts and activities, only when it is complete and performs
coherent tasks is it called a ‘computer’, but when the computer is
taken apart and the activities cease it is no longer called a ‘computer’.
No essential and permanent core can be found which we can truly call
the ‘computer’, and just so no essential and permanent core can be
found in a living being which we can call the ‘soul’.

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Ajahn Brahmavamso

Yet rebirth still occurs without a ‘soul’. Consider this simile: on

a Buddhist shrine a candle is burnt low and is about to go out. A monk
takes a new candle and lights it from the old one. The old candle goes
out but the new candle burns bright. What went across from the old
candle to the new? There was a causal link but no ‘thing’ went across!
In the same way, there was a causal link between your previous life and
your present life, but no ‘soul’ went across.

Indeed, the illusion of a ‘soul’ is said by the Buddha to be the

root cause of all human suffering. The illusion of ‘soul’ manifests as
the ‘ego’. The natural unstoppable function of the ego is to control.
Big egos want to control the world, average egos try to control their
immediate surroundings of home, family and workplace, and all egos
strive to control what they take to be their own body and mind. Such
control manifests as desire and aversion, and it results in a lack of both
inner peace and outer harmony. It is this ego that seeks to acquire
possessions, manipulate others and exploit the environment. Its aim is
its own happiness but it invariably produces suffering. It craves for
satisfaction but experiences discontent. Such deep-rooted suffering
cannot come to an end until one sees, through insight based on deep
and powerful meditation, that the idea of ‘me and mine’ is no more
than a mirage.

These seven topics are a sample of what the Buddha taught.

Now, to complete this brief sketch of Buddhism, let’s look at how
these teachings are practised today.

Types of Buddhism

One could say that there is only one type of Buddhism and that is the
huge collection of teachings originally given by the Buddha. These
teachings are found in the Pali Canon, the ancient scriptures of Theravada
Buddhism, widely accepted as the oldest and most reliable record of

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 What is Buddhism?

the Buddha’s word. Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religion in

Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos.

Between 100 and 200 years after the passing away of the Buddha
the Sangha (the monastic community) split over the question, apparently,
of who has influence in Sangha affairs. A controversy over some
monastic rules had been decided by a committee of mostly Arahants
(fully Enlightened monks or nuns) against the views of the majority.
The overruled majority were not reconciled to this decision and they
probably viewed the Arahants as excessively influential. The disaffected
monks subsequently lowered the exalted status of the Arahant and
eventually raised in its place the ideal of the Bodhisattva (an
unenlightened being said to be in training to become a Buddha). This
group of monks and nuns was first known as the ‘Maha Sangha’,
meaning the ‘great (part of the) monastic community’.

After centuries of development, previously unknown scriptures

appeared, attempting to give a philosophical justification for the
superiority of the Bodhisattva over the Arahant. The adherents to these
new scriptures called themselves the ‘Mahayana’. Mahayana retained
most of the original teachings of the Buddha (in the Chinese scriptures
these are known as the ‘Agama’), but these core teachings were mostly
overwhelmed by layers of expansive interpretations and new ideas.

The Buddhism which established itself in China, and which is

still vibrant in Taiwan, reflects the earlier development of Mahayana.
From China Mahayana spread to Vietnam, Korea and Japan, one result
of which was the emergence of Zen. The Buddhism in Tibet and
Mongolia is a still later development, usually referred to as ‘Vajrayana’.

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Ajahn Brahmavamso

Buddhism’s Relevance in the World Today

Today, Buddhism continues to gain ever wider acceptance in many lands

far beyond its original home. People throughout the world, through
their own careful choice, are adopting Buddhism’s peaceful,
compassionate and responsible ways.

The Buddhist teaching of the law of kamma offers people a just,

incorruptible foundation and reason for living a moral life. It is easy to
see how a wider embracing of the law of kamma would lead any country
towards a stronger, more caring and virtuous society.

The teaching of rebirth places this present short lifetime of ours

in a broader perspective, giving more meaning to the vital events of
birth and death. The understanding of rebirth removes so much of the
tragedy and grief surrounding death and turns our attention to the quality
of a life, rather than its mere length.

From the very beginning the practice of meditation has been at

the very heart of the Buddhist way. Today, meditation grows increasingly
popular as its proven benefits to both mental and physical well-being
are becoming more widely known. When stress is shown to be such a
major cause of human suffering, the quieting practice of meditation
becomes ever more valued.

Today’s world is too small and vulnerable for us to live angrily

and alone, and thus tolerance, love and compassion are so very
important. These qualities of mind, essential for happiness, are formally
developed in Buddhist meditation and then diligently put into practice
in everyday life.

Forgiveness, gentleness, harmlessness and peaceful compassion

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 What is Buddhism?

are the well-known ‘trademarks’ of Buddhism, and they are given freely
and broadly to all beings, including animals of course, and also, most
importantly, to oneself. There is no place for dwelling in guilt or self-
hatred in Buddhism, not even a place for feeling guilty about feeling
guilty!

Teachings and practices such as these are what bring about

qualities of gentle kindness, unshakeable serenity and wisdom, identified
with the Buddhist religion for over 25 centuries and sorely needed in
today’s world. In all its long history, no war has ever been fought in the
name of Buddhism. It is this peace and tolerance, growing out of a
profound yet reasonable philosophy, that makes the Buddha’s message
timeless and always vitally relevant.

********

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 The Buddhist Society of WA
and the
Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre in Perth

The Buddhist Society of WA has been established to encourage the

teaching, practice and realisation of the Dhamma (the Buddhist word
for ‘Truth’) with special emphasis on Theravada Buddhism. To fulfil
this aim, the Society has established Bodhinyana Monastery in
Serpentine, 60 km south of Perth, and Dhammasara Nuns’ Monastery
in Gidgegannup, 35 km north east of Perth. The Society actively
supports the monastic communities living there.

The complex which we call Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre at

Nollamara consists of a large Dhamma Hall, used for talks on Buddhism,
instruction in meditation and for major Buddhist Ceremonies; adjoining
meditation and shrine rooms; a Community Hall for Buddhist cultural
activities. A multipurpose building provides accommodation for monks,
offices for the administration of the Buddhist Society, a library containing
many books for loan and sale as well as audio cassettes and CD
recordings of many talks given by monks and nuns and a reception
area and kitchen where visitors can sit down to a cup of tea and friendly
chat. The whole complex of buildings is set in beautiful grounds on a
very quiet street opposite a park, just 5 km north of the centre of Perth.

Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre aims to serve the whole Buddhist

community and others, regardless of age, gender or country of origin.
Our usual schedule of activities is outlined on the following page.

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 Regular Activities at the
Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre
in Nollamara

Friday 7.00 - 7.20pm Chanting.

7.30 - 8.00pm Guided sitting meditation.
8.00 - 9.00pm A talk on Buddhism by one of the
senior monks or by the senior nun.

Saturday 10.30am Food offering to the Sangha.

3.00 - 4.15 pm Instruction, meditation and
discussion. Separate classes for new
and experienced meditators. A four-
week Introduction to meditation
course begins on the first Saturday
of each month.

Sunday 8.30 – 10.30am Sitting and walking meditation.

10.30am Food offering to the Sangha.
3.00 - 4.30pm Dhamma school for children is on
the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each
month.
3.00 - 4.30pm Buddhist Study Group on the 2nd
and 4rd Sundays of each month.

South of the River

Tuesday 7.00 - 9.00pm Meditation Instruction and
Dhamma talk.
Enquires on 9390 1188.

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 Addresses

The Buddhist Society of WA (Inc)

Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre
18-20 Nanson Way
Nollamara WA 6061
Phone: (61-8) 9345 1711
Fax: (61-8) 9344 4220

Website: www.bswa.org
Email address: [email protected]

Bodhinyana Monastery
216 Kingsbury Drive
Serpentine WA 6125
Phone: (61-8) 9525 2420
Fax: (61-8) 9525 3420

Dhammasara Nuns Monastery

203 Reen Road
Gidgegannup WA 6083
Phone/Fax: (61-8) 9574 6583

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MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY

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