Buddhism in a 'Nutshell'

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thornbush
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Re: Buddhism in a 'Nutshell'

Post by thornbush »

The Shastra on the Door to Understanding the Hundred Dharmas
Derived and condensed from: http://cttbusa.org/100shastra/100dharmas.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
As the World Honored One has said,
“All dharmas have no self.” What are “all dharmas,” and what is meant by “having no self”?
All dharmas may be generally grouped into five categories.
I. Mind Dharmas (citta-dharmah).
II. Dharmas Belonging to the Mind (chaitasika-dharmah).
III. Form Dharmas (rupa-dharmah).
IV. Activities Dharmas Non-interactive with the Mind (citta-viprayukta-samskara-dharmah).
V. Unconditioned Dharmas (asamskrita-dharmah).


They are in this sequence because
the first are supreme,
the second interact with the first,
the third are the shadows manifest by the previous two,
the fourth are separate from the positions of the previous three,
and the fifth are revealed by the previous four
The first, Mind Dharmas, include in general eight:
1. the eye consciousness (cakshur-vijnana);
2. the ear consciousness (shrotra-vijnana);
3. the nose consciousness (ghrana-vijnana);
4. the tongue consciousness (jihva-vijnana);
5. the body consciousness (kaya-vijnana);
6. the mind consciousness (mano-vijnana);
7. the manas consciousness (manas-vijnana); and
8. the alaya consciousness (alaya-vijnana).
The second, Dharmas Belonging to the Mind, include, in general, fifty-one.
They are grouped into six categories:

1. Five universally interactive (sarvatraga);
2. Five particular states (viniyata);
3. Eleven wholesome (kushala);
4. Six fundamental afflictions (klesha);
5. Twenty derivative afflictions (upaklesha); and,
6. Four unfixed (aniyata).

One, the five universally interactive are:
1. attention (manaskara);
2. contact (sparsha);
3. feeling (vedana);
4. thinking (samjna); and,
5. deliberation (cetana).

Two, the five particular states are:
1. desire (chanda);
2. resolution (adhimoksha);
3. recollection (smriti);
4. concentration (samadhi); and,
5. judgment (prajna).

Three, the eleven wholesome dharmas are:
1. faith (shraddha);
2. vigor (virya);
3. remorse (hri);
4. shame (apatrapya);
5. absence of greed (alobha);
6. absence of anger (advesha);
7. absence of foolishness (amoha);
8. light ease (prashrabdhi);
9. non-laxness (apramada);
10. renunciation (upeksha); and,
11. non-harming (ahimsa).

Four, the six fundamental afflictions are:
1. greed (raga);
2. anger (pratigha);
3. foolishness (moha);
4. arrogance (mana);
5. doubt (vichikitsa); and,
6. improper views (drishti).

Five, the twenty derivative afflictions are:
1. wrath (krodha);
2. hatred (upanaha);
3. rage (pradasa);
4. covering (mraksha);
5. deceit (maya);
6. flattery (shathya);
7. conceit (mada);
8. harming (vihimsa);
9. jealousy (irshya);
10. stinginess (matsarya);
11. lack of remorse (ahrikya);
12. lack of shame (anapatrapya);
13. lack of faith (ashraddhaya);
14. laziness (kausidya);
15. laxness (pramada);
16. torpor (styana);
17. restlessness (auddhatya);
18. distraction (mushitasmriti);
19. improper knowledge (asamprajanya); and,
20. scatteredness (vikshepa).

Six, the four unfixed are:
1. sleep (middha);
2. regret (kaukritya);
3. investigation (vitarka); and,
4. examination (vichara)
Last edited by thornbush on Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
thornbush
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Re: Buddhism in a 'Nutshell'

Post by thornbush »

The third is the Form Dharmas. In general, there are eleven kinds:
1. eyes (cakshus);
2. ears (shrotra);
3. nose (ghrana);
4. tongue (jihva);
5. body (kaya);
6. forms (rupa);
7. sounds (shabda);
8. smells (gandha);
9. flavors (rasa);
10. objects of touch (sprashtavya); and,
11. dharmas pertaining to form (dharmayatanikani-rupani).
The fourth is Activities Dharmas Non-interactive with the Mind. In general, there are twenty-four:
* attainment (prapti);
* life-faculty (jivitendriya);
* generic similarity (nikaya-sabhaga);
* dissimilarity (visabhaga);
* the No-thought Samadhi (asamjnisamapatti);
* the Samadhi of Extinction (nirodhasamapatti);
* the Reward of No-Thought (asamjnika);
* bodies of nouns (namakaya);
* bodies of sentences (padakaya);
* bodies of phonemes (vyanjanakaya);
* birth (jati);
* dwelling (sthiti);
* aging (jara);
* impermanence (anityata);
* revolving (pravritti);
* distinction (pratiniyama);
* interaction (yoga);
* speed (java);
* sequence (anukrama);
* time (kala);
* direction (desha);
* numeration (samkhya);
* combination (samagri); and,
* discontinuity (anyathatva).
The fifth is the Unconditioned Dharmas, of which there are, in general, six:
1. unconditioned empty space (akasha);
2. unconditioned extinction attained by selection (pratisamkhyanirodha);
3. unconditioned extinction that is unselected (apratisamkhyanirodha);
4. unconditioned unmoving extinction (aninjya);
5. unconditioned extinction of feeling and thinking (samjnavedayitanirodha); and,
6. unconditioned True Thusness (tathata).
thornbush
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Re: Buddhism in a 'Nutshell'

Post by thornbush »

What is meant by there being no self?
There are, in general, two kinds of Non-self:
one,the Non-self of Pudgala, and two, the Non-self of Dharmas.
Read on:
Commentary on "The Shastra on the Door to Understanding the Hundred Dharmas"
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DNS
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Re: Buddhism in a 'Nutshell'

Post by DNS »

Lots of overlap between the Theravada/Mahayana. :thumbsup:

It is interesting that in the Mahayana there are 6 paramitas, whereas in Theravada there are 10.

It seems Mahayana has combined some of them and then that there is no renunciation paramita in Mahayana as it is sometimes more leaning toward lay people.
genkaku
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Re: Buddhism in a 'Nutshell'

Post by genkaku »

No disrespect intended, but here is a somewhat smaller 'nutshell' I wrote for a teenager who came here to snoop the edges of "Buddhism." FWIW

BUDDHISM

The truth of Buddhism does not come from a book. It does not come from a temple. It does not come from someone else. It is not written on a piece of paper. The truth of Buddhism comes from the individual effort to investigate, verify and actualize a clear understanding of this life.

Shakyamuni Buddha, the man most often referred to as the founder of Buddhism, was born on the border of India and Nepal in about 565 BC. He attained what is sometimes called enlightenment at 35 and preached until his death at 80. Many schools of Buddhism sprang from his teachings … in India, Tibet, China, Korea and Japan among others. Uncertain estimates put Buddhist numbers at about 350 million worldwide.

All Buddhist schools agree on at least two things:

1. THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS: These are observations about the world around us.

The Four Noble Truths are:

*** 1. There is suffering (dukkha – the uncertainties and doubts that life can dish up); 2. There is a cause of suffering; 3. There is an end to suffering; 4. There is a way to end suffering.

2. THE EIGHTFOLD PATH: These are the tools suggested as most useful when seeking out a truly peaceful life in a changing world.

The Eightfold Path is:

*** 1. Right View 2. Right Intention 3. Right Speech 4. Right Action 5. Right Livelihood 6. Right Effort 7. Right Mindfulness 8. Right Concentration.

The word "right" is sometimes translated as "complete." A “complete” effort is thorough-going and whole-hearted. Nothing is held back. Buddhism is not a threat-based persuasion: You won’t go to heaven (right) if you practice it and you won’t go to hell (wrong) if you don’t.

The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path carry with them the verifiable observation that everything in life changes. There is nothing that does not change. Joy turns to sorrow, love turns to anger, birth turns to death, and the family car always gets a flat. All Buddhist schools agree on such things, but how they approach them may vary.

But as the Dalai Lama put it once, "Everyone wants to be happy." And that is probably as good a summary of the Buddhism as any.
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retrofuturist
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Re: Buddhism in a 'Nutshell'

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,
TheDhamma wrote:t is interesting that in the Mahayana there are 6 paramitas, whereas in Theravada there are 10.

It seems Mahayana has combined some of them and then that there is no renunciation paramita in Mahayana as it is sometimes more leaning toward lay people.
Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if Mahayana Buddhism came up with the paramitas, and the Theravada commentarial tradition just copied them back.

Metta,
Retro. :)
Live in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.
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DNS
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Re: Buddhism in a 'Nutshell'

Post by DNS »

retrofuturist wrote: Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if Mahayana Buddhism came up with the paramitas, and the Theravada commentarial tradition just copied them back.
:jawdrop:

(just kidding) :D

That would be great if that theory is true; I like the overlaps that sometimes show and how both traditions can learn from each other.
thornbush
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Re: Buddhism in a 'Nutshell'

Post by thornbush »

...how both traditions can learn from each other.
Indeed and this is the most important and useful part in my opinion :thumbsup:
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