Lord Buddha is neither a God nor a prophet nor the incarnation of a God. But a Great Man who reached the final deliverance from the world and attained perfect wisdom. He became the precious master of both divinities and men.Rev. Anantha Bodhi.
CENTRE DE MEDITATION SATIPATTHANA
8244 Rue Lajeunesse
Montreal, Quebec. Canada. H2P 2E5
TEL: (514) 277-5802LORD BUDDHA & HIS TEACHINGS
Lord Buddha whose name was Siddattha Gautama, was once living in the Northern pan of India (i.e. modern Nepal) in the sixth century B.C. He was a son of the Governor of Sakya Kingdom. At the age of 29, after the birth of his only son, he abandoned his kingdom and became an ascetic to learn about the reality of life and to find a way to end the suffering of mankind. For six years. Ascetic Gauttama wandered through the Valley and met some famous religious Masters, He denied their traditional beliefs and went his own way.
Until one evening while sitting under a tree (called Bodhi, or "Bo" tree) after a long continuous struggle. Gautama finally reached enlightenment. He was 35. Since then, he was know as Lord Buddha, the Enlightened One.
The heart of his teachings is combined with the Four Noble Truths:
1. Dukkha:
Suffering i.e. birth, sickness, old age and death.
2. Samudaya: The origin of
Dukkha
3. Nirodha:
The cessation of Dukkha
4. Magga:
The path, which leads to the cessation of Dukkha, is considered as the most
essential truth.
It consists of eight noble elements, so called the path of the Eight Fold,
which can also be
summarized in three categories
Wisdom:
Right understanding, Right thinking
Morality:
Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood
Concentration: Right effort, Right mindfulness, Right
concentration.
The three characteristics of all existence are:
1. Anicha: Impermanence.
2 Dukkha: Suffering or dissatisfaction.
3 Anatta: Non self
or none.
To avoid false religious, blind faith, rites and rituals in the future, Lord Buddha gave his teachings as principles found in the scripture of Kalama Sutra:
1. Not to be guided discourses.
6. Not to be guided by inferences
2. Not to be guided by tradition.
7. Not to be guided by appearance
3. Not to be guided by hearsay.
8. Not to be guided by personal prejudice
4. Not to be guided by authority of text.
9. Not to be guided apparent possibilities
5. Not to be guided by simplistic logic.
10. Not to be guided by the idea “This is our teacher”
The following Five Precepts are elementary teachings that everyone should observe at all time as basic practice in everyday life.
1. Refrain from killing or molesting any living creature
2. Refrain from stealing
3. Refrain from sexual misconduct
4. Refrain from lying
5. Refrain from all intoxicants
THIS IS WHAT IS TO BE DONE BY ONE WHO IS SKILLFUL IN RESPECT OFLOVING KINDNESS SUTTA
AND HE SHOULD NOT DO ANY MEAN THING, ON ACCOUNT OF WHICH OTHER
WISE MEN WOULD CRITICIZE HIM. LET ALL CREATURES INDEED BE HAPPY
AND SECURE; LET THEM BE HAPPY MINDED.
WHATEVER LIVING CREATURES THERE ARE, MOVING OR STILL WITHOUT
EXEMPTION, WHICHEVER ARE LONG OR LARGE, OR MIDDLE SIZED OR SHORT,
SMALL OR GREAT.
WHICHEVER ARE SEEN OR UNSEEN, WHICHEVER LIVE FAR OR NEAR, WHETHER
THEY ALREADY EXIST OR ARE GOING TO BE, LET ALL CREATURES BE
HAPPY MINDED.
ONE MAN SHOULD NOT HUMILIATE ANOTHER, ONE SHOULD NOT DESPISE
ANYONE ANYWHERE. ONE SHOULD NOT WISH ANOTHER MISERY BECAUSE OF
ANGER OR FROM THE NOTION OF REPUGNANCE.
JUST AS A MOTHER WOULD PROTECT WITH HER LIFE HER OWN SON, HER
ONLY SON, SO ONE SHOULD CULTIVATE AN UNBOUNDED MIND TOWARDS ALL
BEINGS, AND LOVING KINDNESS TOWARDS ALL THE WORLD. ONE SHOULD
CULTIVATE AN UNBOUNDED MIND, ABOVE AND BELOW AND ACROSS, WITHOUT
OBSTRUCTION, WITHOUT ENMITY, WITHOUT RIVALRY.
STANDING. OR GOING, OR SEATED, OR LYING DOWN, AS LONG AS ONE IS
FREE FROM DROWSINESS, ONE SHOULD PRACTICES THIS MINDFULNESS.
THIS THEY SAY IS THE HOLY STATE HERE.
NOT SUBSCRIBING TO WRONG VIEWS, VIRTUOUS, ENDOWED WITH INSIGHT,
HAVING OVERCOME GREED FOR SENSUAL PLEASURES. A CREATURE ASSU-REDLY
DOES NOT COME TO LIE AGAIN IN A WOMB.