A Glimpse of Buddhism

Understanding Buddhism and your relationship to the teachings is a lifelong endeavor. For those of you who are new to Buddhism, we hope that the following pages will provide a helpful introduction to the Buddha-dharma, the Buddhist teachings.

A Glimpse of Buddhism is divided into several sections: The Teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha introduces the philosophy that originated with the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, and served as the foundation for all schools or sects of Buddhism. Jodo Shinshu Buddhism introduces the teachings of Jodo Shinshu’s founder, Shinran Shonin (1173-1262), along with contemporary perspectives of American Buddhist ministers. Finally, we include Suggested Reading and other resources for further study.

At SFVHBT, you are welcome to participate in study classes and seminars, or browse through books and other resources in the temple library. The minister is also here to discuss your questions. Dharma School is an opportunity for younger students to learn the teachings and bring them to life by sharing them with others. Through our national organization, the Center for Buddhist Education (CBE) offers special seminars, conferences, and a two-year correspondence course on Jodo Shinshu. The Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS), a graduate school and seminary in Berkeley, includes online courses as part of its graduate studies program.

As the Buddhist saying goes, there are 84,000 paths, and one of them is just right for you!

The Teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha

The goal of Buddhism may be expressed in many ways: enlightenment or liberation, realizing Truth or awakening to ultimate reality, becoming a Buddha or attaining Buddhahood, nirvana or extinction of suffering. The path of Buddhism may be expressed through many different practices: contemplation, meditation, visualization, chanting, bowing, prostrations, offerings, stupa worship, keeping precepts, and so on.

Buddhist history began more than twenty-five centuries ago with the life of Shakyamuni Buddha. Born as Siddhartha Gautama (c. 485-405 BCE) on the border between Nepal and India, he was the son of one of the rulers of the Shakya clan. According to the pro­phecy of a seer, Siddhartha would become either a great ruler of the Shakya clan or a great religious teacher. Shuddhodana, wanting his son to rule the Shakya, did all he could to insulate Siddhartha, surrounding him with extravagant material comforts. However, even as a child, Siddhartha was troubled by the sufferings of others, and as an adult, he abandoned a life of privilege, leaving a wife and son, to seek Truth.

After six years, Siddhartha abandoned the rigorous ascetic practices that nearly led to his death by starvation. He sat beneath a tree to meditate. With the passage of the three watches of a moonlit night, Siddhartha awakened to the three-fold knowledge of Truth and realized perfect enlightenment with the arrival of dawn.

Overcoming initial hesitation and doubts about sharing what he had awakened to, Shakyamuni Buddha proceeded to teach for forty-five years, until his death at eighty.

What does the Buddha teach?

The first sermon of the Buddha, the first turning of the dharma wheel, is called “The Discourse Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dharma.” He discusses the Four Noble Truths: the existence of suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Eightfold Path to the cessation of suffering. The Noble Eightfold Path includes: right view or understanding, right thought, right speech, right action or conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right meditation or concentration.

In his second sermon, the Buddha teaches of not-self: a permanent, unchanging, independent, or substantial “self” does not exist; or in other words, no thing exists independently of, nor separately from, all other things. In another discourse, he explains causality, the arising, existence, and dissolution of all things, of all phenomena. The Buddha also teaches about karma (action)—a mental (thought), verbal (word), or physical (deed) act of volition—which, like a seed, bears fruit (karmic results). An action is “skillful” or “wholesome” if it brings about a healthy mental state. An action is “unskillful” or “unwholesome” if it causes harm to oneself, to others, or to both self and others.

As his death approaches, Shakyamuni Buddha emphasizes to his followers that they must rely on the teachings and not on the teacher. After his death, followers meet in the so-called First Council to record the words of the Buddha, preserving the teachings to benefit generations of followers to come.

Continue to Buddhism and Other World Religions

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