智覺學苑

1. 智覺學苑 Lecture #2.2 Who was the Buddha? Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha

2. Definition of Buddha The word “Buddha” simply means “One who is awakened”, in the sense of having “Waken up to perceive the total Reality” Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha

3. Siddhartha Gautama The Prince • Around the year of 623 B.C., in the district of Nepal in North East India, a prince of the Sakya family was born. His name was Siddhartha Gautama. • Brought up in wealth and luxury, he received comprehensive education befitting a prince. He married and had a son. • One day, he saw a farmer ploughing the field. The overturned soil uncovered a worm which was quickly eaten by a bird. He was bewildered by the irony that the life of the bird relies on the death and suffering of the worm and the cause-effect of the farmer’s seemingly unrelated activity. Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha

4. The Initial Drive 原動力 • Contemplating on life and death, he was deeply concerned with the sufferings and sorrow of old age, sickness and death, and he realized he would face the same reality. • Motivated to seek salvation for humanity, he unleashed himself from ruling a small kingdom and the associated fleeting material pleasures of a royalty. Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha

5. The Progress 努力苦修 • He practiced strenuously all forms of rigorous ascetic practices and meditation for six years. • The painful austerities he practiced proved absolutely futile and he found that whenever he stopped meditation; all his tranquility would simply vanish. • His severe practices reduced his body to almost a skeleton and resulted in the lassitude of his spirit. Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha

6. The Paramita Road Map • Paramit = the other shore; ta = arrived 到彼岸 • the historical incident was that Gautama after receiving milk from the Shepherd girl, jumped into the river to wash his body. He left behind the severe asceticism, physical austerities and futile meditation practices on the one shore and swam to the other shore to start his heart journey to enlightenment. Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha

7. Prajna Paramita 般若波羅蜜多 • The Sanskrit word paramita means to cross over to the other shore; from the shore of Avidya (無明) to the shore of enlightenment, the attainment of perfect wisdom • Paramitas is the road map to enlightenment • Prajna is the interconnected dynamic forces and activities among all things within the cosmic web. • Prajna Paramita is the propelling force to navigate this journey of the heart (e.g. Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra). Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha

8. The awakening • On the other shore, Gautama sat under a tree, gazed at the cosmic night sky and remembered the farmer, the worm, and the bird. It dawned on him that everything that arises could only arise out of conditions that cause it to arise or to be created. The creation of the universe is no exception. The arising of all phenomena depends on pre-existing conditions. He formulated the doctrine of dependent origination "Pratitya-Samutapada"(緣起). • He also found out that the ignorance of the Reality (無明 Avidya) is the root of all sufferings. Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha

9. Wholesome Enlightenment • He eradicated all defilements, purified himself totally and realized things as they truly were and attained enlightenment by his own striving at the age of 35. • People called him the “awaken one” (Gautama Buddha or Sakyamuni). He served humanity as a living example of perfect enlightenment. He taught precepts and ideology and eradicated all self-benefits. • He passed away in his 80th year as an ordinary human being who had lived out a perfect life of virtue. Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha

10. Advancing the Truth • He exhorted his disciples to regard his dharma as their teachers. • He never arrogated to himself any sort of divinity or deity. • He exhorted his disciples to depend on themselves for their deliverance through purification of defilements. • Enlightenment is not only for oneself but for all beings. Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha

11. The Dharma is the Teacher • Again and again he reminded his followers it was superficial and futile to seek redemption through benignant saviours and to crave for illusionary happiness in after-life through the propitiation of imaginary gods or by irresponsive prayers and meaningless sacrifices. • His iron will, profound wisdom, universal love, boundless compassion, selfless service, historic renunciation, exemplary methods employed to promulgate the teachings — all these have influenced 6% of the population of the world today to hail him as their teacher. Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha

12. Prajna Paramita 般若波羅蜜多 • The Sanskrit word paramita means to cross over to the other shore; from the shore of Avidya (無明) to the shore of enlightenment, the attainment of perfect wisdom • Paramitas is the road map to enlightenment • Prajna is the interconnected dynamic forces and activities among all things within the cosmic web. • Prajna Paramita is the propelling force to navigate this journey of the heart (e.g. Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra). Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha

13. The awakening • On the other shore, Gautama sat under a tree, gazed at the cosmic night sky and remembered the farmer, the worm, and the bird. It dawned on him that everything that arises could only arise out of conditions that cause it to arise or to be created. The creation of the universe is no exception. The arising of all phenomena depends on pre-existing conditions. He formulated the doctrine of dependent origination "Pratitya-Samutapada"(緣起). • He also found out that the ignorance of the Reality (無明 Avidya) is the root of all sufferings. Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha

14. Lecture #2.2 Who was the Buddha? THE END Thank You Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha

15. Transfer of merit By this effort, may all sentient beings be free of suffering.  May their minds be filled with the nectar of virtue.  In this way may all causes resulting in suffering be extinguished, And only the light of compassion shine throughout all realms.  Lecture L2.2: Who was the Buddha