The Dialogue With Prince Bodhi, Research Paper Example

Buddhism

A teaching study and a philosophical study of spirit, harmony, connection between mind and body arose around the fourth century BC. Nowadays, Buddhism is well spread and popular in Asia in such countries as India, Tibet, China, Thailand, Japan, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Mongolia, Vietnam and Korea.

Even though Buddhism has no sacred basic book, such as Koran or Bible, scriptures cover the teaching of Buddha and dharma. With a help of scriptures, it is possible to find out, research and analyze how Buddha and Buddhism teaching study views the human body and its relationship to the self, and to understand the connection between the mind and body. Furthermore, it is possible to know more about sentient beings and its regard to the physical body.

Understanding the mind and the body of the human is a very important aspect in Buddhism teaching. It is essential to realize that even though the mind is comprehended and understood, the body should be understood too. Without this, it is impossible to understand the essence of human beings. According to Buddhism teaching study, the basic principles of each person are to control senses and mind, to be self-examination, to refuse worldly dreams and desires, to worship Buddha (Lopez 3-18).

Buddha compares a person with a moist and raw “peace of wood” (Gethin 179) that had been left in the water or on dry soil and someone should arrive with a fire-stick to light a fire and warm. According to Buddha, a person should not renounce himself / herself from “sense pleasures either physically or mentally” (Gethin 179) because he / she would feel tiredness, disillusionment and disappointment.

Buddha underlines that each person should respect himself / herself, because everyone has his / her own energy, faith, concentration and wisdom (Gethin 176). At the same time, it shows that all human beings are equal and should show “the highest respect” (Gethin 177) to each other. “You are as I am and I am as You are” (Gethin 177) is one of the main and significant features in Buddhism teaching study, which underlines that human beings should live to see “a companion in the spiritual life” (Gethin 177).

Either good or bad is done, only human “reap the fruit of it” (Lopez 5). Buddhist teaching study says that each human being should make complete and clear analysis of his / her action (Gethin 197). When a person carries out an “act intentionally by body, speech, or mind” (Gethin 197) one feels desire and pleasure or misfortune and pain, or neither desire and pleasure nor misfortune and pain. “Acts of the body are futile, acts of speech are futile, acts of the mind are alone real” (Gethin 196).

Whomever in the past who felt a severe, cruelty, grim, pain because of his / her performance “it was not beyond this extreme” (Gethin 183). Whomever in the future will be abstemious or ascetics who will feel a severe, cruelty, grim, pain because of his / her performance it will not be outside this extremity. Whomever in the present feel severe, cruelty, grim, pain as a consequence of his / her performance in the present, it is not “beyond this extreme” (Gethin 183).

Buddhism study underlines that “bad actions certainly do exist” (Gethin 198) and that bad behavior has its outcome. On the other hand, “beautiful actions certainly do exist” (Gethin 199) and that good behavior has its outcome.

Buddha teaching study and philosophical study found that there is performance that is luckless and appears luckless, at the same time there is performance that is luckless but appears lucky. On the other hand, there is performance that is both lucky and appears lucky and there is performance that is lucky but appears luckless (Gethin 198-204).

According to Buddhist study, those humans, who “behaved badly in body, badly in speech, badly in thought” (Gethin 185) and are scornful the noble ones are born in hell, a field of loss, adversity and misery. At the same time, those people who “behaved well in body, well in speech, well in thought” (Gethin 185) and are not scornful the noble ones were born in a pleasure and happy heaven world.

When a person hurts or harms creatures, “takes what is not given” (Gethin 198), treats incorrectly and wrongly sexually, says what is false, talks darkly and ill-disposed, cruel, avaricious, odious and has fallacious views after death such a person reborn in a state of unhappy and adversity (Gethin 198). On the other hand, when a person keeps from hurting and harming creatures, taking what is not granted, treats incorrectly and wrongly sexually, says what is false, talks darkly and ill-disposed, cruel, avaricious, odious and has fallacious views, after death such a person is reborn in a heaven and happy world (Gethin 198).

However, it is also possible that when a person keeps from hurting and harming creatures, taking what is not granted . . . and has fallacious views, after death, such a person is reborn in a heaven and happy world (Gethin 198-202) and vice versa.

The teaching of rebirth and karma are basic to Buddhist practice and theory. According to Buddhism teaching, there are eight prominent and great hells where the human goes in case of bad behavior in a body, in mind and in thought. They are the “Sañjiva, Kãlasutta, Sañghãta and also the Roruva, the Mahãroruva, Tapana, Mahatapa and Avici” (Lopez 5).

Sañjiva, or what is also called “Revival Hell” (Lopez 5) is where those people which kill or murder creatures because of avidity, anger, dread or illusion go. In contrast to Sañjiva, Kãlasutta or “Black Thread Hell” (Lopez 6) is where calumniators, cheaters and people that show hostility and animosity to their parents, friends, and affectionate people go. Another prominent and great hell is Sañghãta or “Crushing Hell” (Lopez 6) which is described as the place where people which kill rams, goats, deer, rabbits, rats and so on go and are “slain in a total slaughter” (Lopez 6). Roruva or “the Hell of Those Screaming Aloud” is for those people which cause physical and mental pain and torture to creatures.

Buddhism teaching describes Mahãroruva, another prominent and great hell, as the place for those who “take the property of devas, brahmans and gurus, by causing suffering to them” (Lopez 6) the same way as those people who pilfer what was given in charge to them. Whoever burns creatures in forest conflagration, go to Tapana or “the Burning Hell” (Lopez 7). The person which affirms that “dharma is non-dharma” (Lopez 7) is eliminated by fire in Patapana. People showing hostility to virtue, parents and teachers are reborn in Avici or “the Hell without Intermission” (Lopez 7).

At the same time, Buddhist teaching study distinguishes four “secondary nirayas for each and every niraya: the Mihakupa, the Kukkula, the Asipattavana and the Nadi” (Lopez 7) which fall into a cesspool and are punctured with a terrible swarm of worms. Those creatures issuing from Malhikupa run into Kukkula after which they are “cooked like mustard seeds” (Lopez 7). Issuing from the “embers, they see trees shining, green and abounding in leaves” (Lopez 7) which means the relaxation, comfort and eases, they approach.

By following the traditions and teaching studies of Buddha and Buddhism it is possible to achieve a considerable level of pleasure and happiness, and progress in attaining goals. Happiness and pleasure are accompanied by thoughts and analyzes, and is born of solitude. It is impossible to reach and attain happiness with a body that had become so greatly wasted and physically exhausted (Gethin 183-184). Happiness can be achieved through happiness (Gethin 176).

For relaxation, concentration and put the thoughts to rights Buddha proposes to practice “the absorption without breathing” (Gethin 181) by way of mouth, nose and ears.

To live solitary and secluded from feeling and sense desires and unhealthy qualities of mind, having achieved the happiness and pleasure of the “first absorption” (Gethin 184) which is connected with thinking and analyzing, and born of solitude. The second adsorption is a condition of inside perspicuity and mental integration without thinking and analyzing, and born of concentration. To feel “bodily happiness” (Gethin 184) is the third absorption. The last absorptions are “free of happiness and unhappiness” (Gethin 184).

Nowadays, Buddhism teaching study and philosophical study remain the most spread and popular not only within Asia. The growing interest and popularity of Buddhism among English-speaking world is connected with the aspect that this teaching using various means and techniques that help people to control their mind, body and senses. Exactly, these perspectives are important and significant in our stressful and anxious world.

Works Cited

Gethin, R., ed. “An Analysis of Acts.” Sayings of the Buddha: a Selection of Suttas from the Pali Nikayas. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2008. 195-204.

Gethin, R.ed. “The Dialogue with Prince Bodhi.” Sayings of the Buddha: a Selection of Suttas from the Pali Nikayas. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2008. 173-194.

Lopez, D. S., ed. “The Realms of Rebirth.” Buddhist Scriptures. London, UK: Penguin Classics, 2004. 3-18.