Wat Buddharangsi of Miami 15200 Southwest 240th Street Homestead, FL 33032 Religions are found all around the

world. Each has a unique worldview and specific characteristics, but all religions have basic fundalmemtal structures. They all have group activities, official leaders, prayers to appeal to deities and every one deals with major issues. Among these religions is the revered and ancient Buddhism. Before duelving in the fundamentals of Buddhism; however, one must understand the history that led to its bloom. Around 2800 to 1800 B.C.E. in the Indus Valley there was a peaceful civilization known as the Harappa. This civilization extended from modern day Pakistan to Bombay and easternly from Simala to the Himalayas. It was an agrarian civilization that is believed to have been highly developed spiritually and mentally. Based on archeological findings it is also believed that they were literate and had developed a script that is unfortunately undicipherble at the moment (Sumedho 12). Between the year 1800 and 1500 B.C.e. the peaceful Harappa were invaded by the nomadic, warlike Aryans. Before the Aryans could completely destroy the Harappa civilization, however, they were greatly influenced religiously. This influence has lead to the fortunate anthropological understanding of the Harappa people (Sumedho 13). Archeologist have discovered images of people sitting in cross legged position with hands on their knees and eyes narrowed thus the Harappa people maybe the founders of meditation. Furthermore, there have been many Aryan recounts of the Harappa lifestyles which often included celibacy, abandonment of austere lifestyles, wearing little to no clothing, and the teachings of life after death. All of which are considered to be important elements later found in Buddhism (Sumedho 14-16). The Aryan religion is believed to have influenced Buddhism to some extent as well. The concepts of sons being the highest good and the practice of sacrifices can be traced back to their beliefs. Furthermore, the Aryans believed in a heaven that was a perfected version of this life. They developed a caste system and believed in the authority of scripture, in their case the
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Vedas (Sumedho 16). These two civilizations with opposing religions continued to interact for hundreds of year. Gradually they began to interact, influence, and eventually the merged. By 600 B.C., the estimated time of the Buddhas birth, India was home to a heterogenous religious system. These existing belief systems greatly influenced the values that would eventually emerge from the life of the Buddha (Sumedho 19). Renunciation, the first value to arise in the young Buddhas life, allowed him to recognize that all existence is suffering. Prince Siddhartha learned this value on a visit to the annual ploughing ceremony. There the young Prince witnessed an unearthed worm being devoured by a bird. He began to understand the realities of life and concluded that all life consisted of suffering then there must be something else worth looking for (Sumedho 22-23). The values that followed were loving-kindness and compassion. The story of his lesson goes like this: young Prince Siddhartha and his cousin, Devadatta, were playing in a park around the palace when Devadatta shot down a swan. The boys ran to the wounded swan and began to fight over whom the swan belonged to; Siddhartha who wanted to nurse the swan back to health or Devadatta who shot it down. The boys torn in their disagreement brought their dilemma to an old wise man that resided in the courtyard. The old wise man concluded that the swan belonged to he who sought to preserve life, not he who destroyed it. Thus the Buddha took this lesson to heart, eventually making it a key value in Buddhism (Sumedho 25). Wisdom is the final value to emerge out of the Buddhas life. Wisdom is considered the most important of all qualities in Buddhism; being the key to enlightenment. The Buddha believed that wisdom is attained through meditation, a routine found primarily in the Harappa religion (Sumedho 26). The Four Noble Truths are the predecessors of the values that emerged in the Buddhas life. The Buddha believed that failure to understand the Noble Truths resulted in long cycles of

Wat Buddharangsi of Miami 15200 Southwest 240th Street Homestead, FL 33032 birth and death, thus the idea of reincarnation begins. The Four Noble Truths are considers to be the summary of the Buddhas teachings and indicate the importance of cause and effect. When taught, the Four Noble Truths are separated into two groups. The first, samsara, is represented as a circle. It includes suffering, and the cause of suffering. The next group, represented by a spiral includes the end of suffering and the path to the end of suffering. The spiral is said to indicate and upwards movement which is mention to represent cause and effect (Sumedho 31; Ven 13). Duhkha is the truth of suffering. The Buddha taught that there are two categories of suffering: physical and mental. Physical suffering can take many forms. The first is birth; the physical pain an infant must suffer and the beginning of all suffering. Other forms of suffering are sickness, old age and death. Mental sufferings also take many forms; separation from loved ones due to work or contact with people that dislike us or that we dislike are to examples. Another form is frustrated desires such as the inability to get what we want (Sumedho: Ven 28). Samudaya is the truth of the cause of suffering. The Buddha believed that craving (Trishna) or desire (Raga) are the causes of suffering. He taught that the craving for life is the reason we are born again and again. This again refers to the belief of reincarnation (Sumedho 34; Ven 28). The end of suffering, Nirodha, is the third Noble Truth that the Buddha taught. He preached that the elimination of craving (Raga), ill-will (Dosha) and ignorance (Avidya) would cease all suffering. Before this could happen, however, one must overcome all doubt and be completely faithful in the ability to end suffering (Sumedho 34; Ven 37). Marga, or the Buddhist path, is the final Noble Truth. The Buddha taught that happiness and suffering are results of actions done in the past; be it this life or the one before. He preached that the goal of Buddhism was happiness, prosperity in this life and the next, and
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liberation (Sumedho 41: Ven 48). Liberation of the greatest kind is called Nirvana. Once this type of liberation is reach you are considered to be a Buddha, which means enlightened one. Nirvana is said to be many things. It is supreme happiness, peace, immortality. It is uncreated, unformed, beyond Earth, unfathomable, immeasurable. To achieve this level of liberation you must eliminate all causes of suffering: Raga, Dosha, and Avidya (Sumedho 44). The Path to the end of suffering is known as the Noble Eightfold Path. The path consists of eight steps that are divided into three groups. The groups are: Shila, which deals with morality and good conduct; Samadha, which consists of meditation and mental development; and Prajna, which has to do with wisdom or insight (Sumedho 47). Shila is the foundation of the Path. Behind three steps that deal with morality are the principles of equality and reciprocity. The principle of equality states that all living things are equal in essential attitudes. This means that every living creature wants to be happy, carefree, and stress free. The principle of reciprocity states that all living beings want to not be killed, or robbed, etc (Sumedho 49). The first step underneath Shila is Right Speech. Harsh words are believed to wound more deeply than the sharpest weapon. Likewise, gentle words have the power to change the heart and minds of even the cruelest of criminals. This ability is what Buddhist believe differentiate man from animal. This step also relies on the respect for truth and the welfare of others. In other words, you must avoid lying, idle talk, and backbiting (Sumedho 50; Ven 59). Right Action covers the importance of the respect for life. In other words, you mustn't kill others. Furthermore, this step the respect for prosperity, and personal relationships. What this means is you should not steal, cheat, or lie to others (Sumedho 52; Ven 59). The final step in Shila is Right Livelihood. This step explains a persons role in society. It discourages five specific types of livelihood for reasons that violate the teachings of the Path.

Wat Buddharangsi of Miami 15200 Southwest 240th Street Homestead, FL 33032 Trading animals for slaughter is considered a violation of the respect for life. The dealing of weapons and poisons also violate the respect for life. Dealing slaves violates respect for life and that of personal relationships since slaves often become victims of sexual assault. The dealing of intoxicated is considered a violation of the welfare of others (Sumedho 56; Ven 59). In Buddhism the underlying goal is that of happiness. Along with happiness you will find that good fortune and freedom follow suit. These goals all fall under Samadhi. The Buddha expressed these goals as part of mental development because they are only attainable through wisdom. You'll find that Samadhi is broken into three steps: Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.Right Effort is divided into four parts: prevent and reject unwholesome thoughts and cultivate and maintain wholesome thoughts. Right Mindfulness is based on awareness and attention. This means you must avoid distractions and clouded states of mind. Right Concentration refers to a focused state of mind. A mind with single objective is proclaimed to have two benefits: a mental and a physical. These benefits turn the mind into an instrument that allows you to see situationist and things as they are (Sumedho 62-66; Ven 60). At the core of Buddhism you will find that wisdom is everything. This final step, Prajna, restates this value through two crucial teachings. Right Understanding is believed to remove all ignorance from a person. This means that if one sees things as they are you are able to remove all causes of suffering. Buddhists believe these are two forms of understanding. These forms understand acquired by ourselves and understanding throughout others (Sumedho 69-74; Ven 50). Right Thought, the last step in the Noble Path and in Prajna, is believed to remove all desires and ill-will. This step is attainable through renunciation of all pleasures. Furthermore, you must recognize the essential equality of all living beings through love and compassion (Sumedho 77-79; Ven 54).
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Buddhism teaches you that there are infinite differences among living beings, even more between animals and humans. These differences are all due to Karma. Karma explains why some beings are more fortunate than others and why there are so many differences among all living beings. Karma is a misunderstood concept that is mention to do. Karma is dynamic since every action has an equal or greater reaction (Sumedho 81). These are three kinds of karma; positive, negative, and neutral. Positive karma is called Kushala. It is considered wholesome and comes from intelligent and skillful action. Akushala is negative karma it is the opposite of Kushala and is considered to be unwholesome and a result of unintelligent and unskillful action. Neutral karma has no moral consequence and is caused by unintentional action. All forms of karma can be experienced in this life or the next. It is believed that if karma is experienced in this life, it usually occurs within short amount of time from the action that caused it (Sumedho 83). Rebirth is an extremely important topic in Buddhism. You are believed to be reborn at the time of death but also at every moment. To understand this you might think of the cells in your body. As a cell dies a new one is born which represents a continuous process of change like that of rebirth (Sumedho 91). I had the opportunity to partake in some Buddhist ceremonies and to interview a monk and a lay practitioner. The following is a detailed description of my experiences. The temple is a building with typical ancient architecture. The walls re painted white with gold trimmings and there are large garden areas of green grass with flowers of every color. These colors, white, yellow (gold) and green are all significant to Buddhism. White represents learning, knowledge, purity, and longevity. The yellow represents renunciation and earth; the green balance, harmony, and action.inside the temple, the walls are once again white, but the rug is red. Red in Buddhism represents the sacred, preservation, and life force. The room is filled with golden statues of Buddhas and if Dally Lamas all surrounding a large golden statue

Wat Buddharangsi of Miami 15200 Southwest 240th Street Homestead, FL 33032 of the Buddha, which is located in the center of the wall facing the entrance. All practitioners in Buddhism are expected to behave in different ways. Monks wear orange robes with sandals and practice samadiha. Theye sit in the front of the meditation room with the head monk in the center. Nuns wear long white skirts with white sleeved shirts and a white throw over. They practice samadika. Lay practitioners are to wear conservative clothing and sit behind the nuns. Before entering the temple everyone is required to take off their shoes and bow three times. The bows signify the Triple Jem which are the Buddha the dharma and the sangha. After bowing the monks sit in the front rows followed by the nuns and then the lay practitioners. The males sit with their legs crossed as in meditation and the women sit twith their legs folded to the right. Once this is done the ceremony begins. The first ceremony I attended was Sart Thai. Sart Thai is a memorial day for the dead. During almns food, drinks, and money are offered to the monks. Rituals, prayers and occasionally food and paper money is offered to benefit the deceased. Once the offerings are over practitioners are welcome to eat with the monks. There is a special food that is served during ceremonies called Krayasart. It is a sweet dessert that consists of rice, peanuts, sugar and honey. When lunch is done there is a dharma teaching session followed by a period of three hour meditation. Ook pansa-tak baht tewo is the other ceremony I had the opportunity to attend. It is mention to signify the end of a three month retreat. This retreat is similar to that of the Buddhas which is when monks are to stay in a fixed residence; in this case the temple.The ceremony begins with a forty-five minute chant about the Triple Gem. Afterwords, practitioners present almns to the monks and are once again invited to eat lunch with them. As mentioned before I had the opportunity to interview two Buddhists; a monk and a lay practitioner. I'm afraid there was a bit of a language barrier between the monk, Thanee, and
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I but I was able to learn a little from him. Thanee has been a monk for about twenty years but has been a Buddhist his entire life. According to Thanee the dharma represents the Buddhas voice. He says that almns is offered as a way of showing good will. Furthermore, he explained the difference between the monks and nuns and their roles in Buddhism. Nelson Gomez, the lay member I was able to interview converted to Buddhism about four years ago. I asked him what interesting facts he knew about Buddhism and his response was "It took me a long time and a lot of research to find out why Buddhist took of their shoes before entering a house or temple. I asked a lot of people, monks and practitioners alike but none could tell me the reason until one day a gentleman from Tennessee emailed me with an explanation. He told me that to Buddhist the ground is where impurities are found. When the foot is placed on the floor it gathers these impurities. Shoes prevent impurities from entering the feet. Therefore as a sign of respect one takes off the shoes and enters the temple free of impurities from the ground." I also asked Mr. Gomez about any interesting stories he knows about Buddhism and he told me the story behind the Jade Buddha. According to him the story goes like this: the largest chunk of Jade was found in Canada a few years ago. Millions of dollars were raised to have the rock transferred to India and China. They gathered the 7 most talented sculptors and asked them to sculpt the Buddha in a tiny piece of jade. The only sculptor that succeeded was chosen to sculpt thee image of the Buddha on the giant chunk of jade. Once the sculpture was completed the Jade Buddha traveled the world to every single Buddhist temple as a sign of respect. My final request to Mr. Gomez was to share any personal stories he may have experienced since becoming a Buddhist. His answer was as follows: "I don't have any but a friend of the family did experience something. Her daughter had gone missing around the same time that the Jade Buddha was in town. She was desperate to hear from her daughter and

Wat Buddharangsi of Miami 15200 Southwest 240th Street Homestead, FL 33032 decided to go pray to the Buddha for guidance. Suddenly the flower that the Buddha held in his hand fell by her and she took it as a sign. When she got home the missing child called telling her mother she was alright." Overall, I believe that I have gained extensive personally knowledge and understanding of this culture. Having the opportunity to not only read up on a belief system but to experience it first hands has given me tremendous insight into a wonderful culture. I can know understand why Buddhism is seen as a philosophy and not just a religion. Now that I have understanding of the mythology behind their beliefs, I will incorporate some of their practices into my life. The concepts of Right Understanding, Right Concentration, and Right Thought all inspired me to focus on single objectives and to gain wisdom in all aspects of my life. I truly feel this religion has given me the opportunity to grow as a person and I can feel my worldview has already begun to change.

Reference Page: Gomez, Nelson. "Buddhism Interview." Personal interview. 15 Oct. 2011 Santina, Peter D. Fundamentals of Buddhism. Buddha Dharma Educaion Association Inc. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.
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Thanee. "Buddhism Interview." Personal interview. 25 Sept. 2011. Ven, Ajahn Sumedho. The Four Noble Truths. Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc. Web. 1 Nov. 2011