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Repeating
after him, the monk will say the following passage three times:
NAMOTASSA
BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMA SAMBUDDHASSA
Homage
to the Blesed One, the Exalted One, the Perfectly Self Enlightened
One.
Again you repeat after him the
following on the acceptance of the Triple Gems as the highest refuge:
BUDDHAM
SARANAM GACCHAMI
I go
to the Buddha for refuge.
DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI.
I
go to the Dhamma for refuge.
SANGHAM
SARANAM GACCAHAMI.
I
go to the Sangha for refuge.
DUTIYAMPI
BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI.
For the
second time, I go to the Buddha for refuge
DUTIYAMPI
DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI.
For the
second time, I go to the Dhamma for
refuge.
DUTIYAMPI SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
For
the third time, I go to the Sangha
for refuge.
TATIYAMPI
BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI.
For
the third time, I go to the Buddha
for refuge
TATIYAMPI
DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
For
the third time, I go to the Dhamma
for refuge.
TATIYAMPI
SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI.
For
the the third time, I go to the
Sangha for refuge.
Completing the above
passage, the monk concludes:
TISARANAGAMANAM
NITTHITAM
The going
for the Triple Gems is complete.
Then you respond thus:
AMA
BHANTE
So
it is, Venerable Sir.
Now come
the most important part. You must attentively repeat each Sila
after the monk, one
as follows:
1.
PANATIPATA, VERAMANI, SIKKHA -PADAM, SAMADIYAMI.
I undertake the precept to abstain from killing and harming living beings.
2.
ADINADANA, VERAMANI, SIKKHA -PADAM SAMATIYAMI.
I undertake the precept to abstain from stealing.
3.
KAMESU, MICCHACARA, VERAMANI, SIKKHA- PADAM, SAMADIYAMI.
I undertake the precept to abstain
fro adultery and sexual misconduct.
4. MUSAVADA,
VERAMANI, SIKKHA-PADAM, SAMATIYAMI.
I undertake the precept to abstain from lying
and false speech.
5. SURAMERAYA,
MUJJA -PAMA -DATTHANA, VERAMANI, SIKKHA - PADAM, SAMADIYAMI.
I undertake the precept to abstain from intoxicating
frinks and harm fuldrugs.
Having finished Pancasila, the monk concludes in Pali.
Then you say: SADHU BHANTE three
times (meaning "Very well, Sir")
and prostrate before him three times. The steps of takig
Sila are now complete. Keep in mind that the more you can observe
Sila, the more happy and peaceful you will be.
Why is it
good to take Sila?.
Because
to take or observe to Precepts is good for all people. It brins peace
and happiness to
family and community as benefits
below;
1. The person with Sila leads a
happy life.
2. Nobody hates a person who practice
Sila.
3. The person with Sila is regarded
as a complete human being.
4. The person with Sila is good
friend to everyone.
Wthat will happen
to the person without Sila?.
The people with out Sila cause many problems
in siciety as shown below;
1. One becomes cruel.
2. One may become a criminal.
3. Nobody loves or trusts such
a person.
4. One always causes trouble for oneself
and others.
5. One is not a good
Buddhist.
Good people do not want to associate with such a person.
How to observe
Pancasila
For
the
beginner, there are steps that can be taken: If you cannot
observe all the Sila, then you
just choose and observe any one
of the five that you can. After some time, increase the number
of
Sila up to five. If
you can not observe Pancasila daily, you can observe one day a week, choosing
the day on which you were born
or your family members were born or birthday of your parents.
NOTE:
Usually all Buddhists are expected to observe the Five Precepts completely.
If all people
observed Five Precepts, sincerely,
families would be peaceful and happy. If the individual
family
has peace and happiness, society
will be peaceful and the world will be a good pleace to live in.
Lesson 8
The Four
Noble Truths
Objectives:
1.
To teach the student the basic teaching
of the Buddha
2. To
teach the student how to scientifically
solve his or her problems in daily life
3. To
cultivate rational thinking in the student,s
mind.
Consequences:
1.
The student able to explain the Four
Noble Truths, the basic teaching of the Buddha.
2. The
student knows how to find out the
causes of the problems and how to solve them
scientifically and property.
3. The
student understands the meaning of dissatisfaction, the cause of dissatisfaction
and how
to stop dissatisfaction.
Buddhist
students may ask, "What is the foundation of Buddhism?. The foundation
of Buddhism
is the Four Noble Truths.
This Truths were explained to the first group of the Buddha,s five disci-
ples at Samath, near Benares,
a city in Northstern India about 2551 years ago. We now
shall study
some details of the four Noble
Truths.
1.
The
Noble Truth of Suffering
Suffering
or dissatisfaction on the basic level deals with the problems of daily
life such as birth,
old age, disease, death, sorrow,
lamentation and frustrations of every kind. Getting an
undesirable
things ispainful, as well as not
getting what is desired. People try their best
to avoid suffering and
to be free from trubles.
This truth
treat the problems and situations that are to be observed and comprehended.
without
self-investigation we cannot know
if these statements are really true!. With careful observation
in life, we can see that all conditions of life are unstable.
Many people who are new to Buddhism, said that Buddhist view is pessimistic
religion. No! Buddhist view is neither pessimistic
nor optimistic.
Buddhist view is realistic view.
Buddhism offers opportinity to people to look analyze, examine and realize
the truth of life, the law of natural phenomena.
Buddhism gives times to people to see
the things as it really is, as
they really are without believing in some one or some things blindly.
2.
The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering
In this Truth, the Buddha explained how
suffering arises through various causes and conditions.
Every kind of suffering has its
origins in craving or selfish desire, which is the result of ignorance
or delusion. Sometimes problems happen in your classroom at
school. When you try to study, if the
room is too noisy or your friends
disturb you, you may feel unhappy, you may suffer.
Sometimes
unjust or unfair events happen
that make you feel unhappy or suffer. If you pay
attention to your feelings, you will find that calmness, quietness, fair
play and peace usually brings happiness.
It can be said that causes of suffering are Hatred, Selfish desire or greedy
mind, and ignorance.
Suffering or problems in daily
life were caused by these three are three origins or any of these.
There
are three kinds of craving, namely:
1.
Craving
for pleasure
2.
Craving for existence
3.
Craving for non-existence or self - annihilation.
Our excessive wants and desires are the causes of our problems in daily
life. For example,
Mr. Vichai wants to get a
car. He works hard and saves his money to by a car. Then he
wants boat,
a house and more cars.
He must work long hours sometimes 15 or 16 hours each day.
He has no
time to rest and enjoy his life.
He becomes weak and ill. He is suffering. This
illustration shows that excessive wants and desires are the cause of problems.
Therefore, a lay person should be happy
with that he has.
This does not mean a lay person should live in poverty, but moderation
is suggested in all things.
3. The
Noble Truth of Extinction of Suffering (problem
Solving
The highest goal of Buddhism is to end
suffering, greed, hatred and delusion. When craving or
"thirst" to possess is completely
destroyed, Nirvana, Nibbana, the state of perfect peace will be realized.
To end the problems of greed, hatred and delusion, a person needs to understand,
practice
and folow the Eightfold Path, the
Fourth Noble Truth, given below. The Four Noble Truth
consists
of three levels of training namely;
moral training, meditation or mind training and wisdom training.
4. The
Noble Truth of the Path Leading to
the Extinction of Suffering
This Truth defines the Buddhist way of
life. It contains all the ethical teachings and practics
of
Buddhism. It
provides the way and means to realize the goal set forth in the Third Truth.
This way is called the Noble Eightfold Path since it consists of eight
factors. It is also known as
the
Middle Way.
They are as follows:
1. Right Understanding,
2. Right Thought,
3. Right Speech,
4. Right Action,
5. Right Livelihood,
6. Right Effort,
7. Right Mindfulness, and
8. Right Concentration.
The Path will be studied in the next lesson. In short,
to solve any problem, we have to observe
Sila (self control, morality),
Samadhi (mind control), and Panna (wisdom) by following the Eightfild
Path.
Teachers explain three kinds of craving clearly, giving examples of craving
for pleasure, craving for existence and craving for nonexistence.
Buddhism teaches us the causes of problems
and techniques of problem solving.
Lesson 9
The Middle
Way of Life
(Teaching of the Buddha)
Part 1
Objectives:
1.
To teach the student about Buddhist
ways of life
2. To
teach the student about living-kindness and
compassion
3. To
teach the student the Five Principles
of Buddhism
Consequences:
1.
The student can understand the meaning of
the Middle Way of life.
2. The
student develops some ideas about liveloing-kindness
and compassion.
3. The
student can explain the Five Principles
of Buddhism.
In
this lesson we will study the Buddhist way of life, the Eightfold
Path. This path eliminates
our unwholesome thoughts and improper
harmful conduct. One can end suffering by understanding,
adopting and following the path
of the Middle Way, which is a practic way of life.
The Middle Way is a path of self-conquest which leads to the ultimate
goal, real happiness, perfect peace, Nibba
na.
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( May, 10, 2008)
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