How the world seems to an enlightened person as per this Buddhism OutlineThis Buddhism outline will cover some of its messages as to the 4 Noble Truths, what is meant by Nirvana and how we can (intellectually at any rate) see what a liberated person sees. According to Buddhism suffering is completely avoided by the enlightened ones. Why?The enlightened person does not see himself as a self separate from the rest of existence. He sees himself as the whole works; the entire Universe is contained within him. He sees himself in terms of relationships and his interdependence with the Universe is known to him.In Hinduism too it is preached that the Body–Mind–Intellect–Feeling bundle is not the Self and that the ego is a convenient fiction that we take so seriously that we are unable to look at the other side of the picture. Concise Buddhism philosophy - the most basic conceptsAny Buddhism outline would stress on the fact of suffering. This fact of suffering is emphasized in the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. This suffering is in the form of chronic frustration as to the unsatisfactory nature of our lives and the Universe. Men and women, animal and even angels – if you believe in them – are subject to suffering.Suffering arises - according to the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism - because ...This suffering arises because of ignorance. It is ignorance of the true nature of ourselves and our relationship with the universe. We are caught up in the delusion that we have or are a self, separate from the rest of existence.However not just mystics but also the science of Quantum Physics informs us that the Universe is one organic whole. Thus the conclusions of Buddhism Outline are corroborated by Modern Science. If this is true than our sense of a separate self is certainly a delusion and a very harmful one at that. For we are continually pre-occupied with the comfort and survival of ourselves. We are filled with fears and anxiety because we know that we cannot avoid death. We crave things that we think we need to survive and live comfortably. According to Buddhism religion or philosophy the sense of a separate self is an illusion. The Hindus say it differently. They say you are the Universe. Seeing the view from the other side (that we are the Universe) changes the way we look of life dramatically since we do not take the delusion or the fiction of a separate self seriously. We are not caught up in the struggle for its survival and well being. We are free then to let go of craving and also fear since we understand that they are not necessary. Life then loses its seriousness. We are in a position to treat it as a game to be played. We do not need to renounce the world. We continue to enjoy our dinners, our creature comforts, the company of our friends and our family. But we can also let go of them – there is no clinging or craving. Then according to Buddhism suffering loses its sting. Thich Nhat Hanh calls Buddhism a clever way to enjoy life and this is being taught in this Buddhism Outline. Alan Watts says that the problem of mankind is that we take seriously that which the gods made for fun. Living our lives without clinging, craving or attachment is also stressed in Hinduism. In the Bhagavad Gita, the doctrine of Nishkama Karma is preached. Here is desireless or passionless action. It is action without attachment and without a craving for a favorable or good result. Practicing Buddhism religion or philosophyHow then are we to gain this understanding (that we are not a separate self; that the universe is are organic whole; that we are the universe)Well to gain a complete and experiential understanding of it you will need to become enlightened. This is something that I cannot help you with as I am not enlightened myself and am in the same boat as you. But I can help you gain an intellectual understanding. I recommend the following way: 1) Meditate on the message of Thich Nhat Hanh’s book The Heart of Understanding. Thich Nhat Hanh has explained the concept of how all forms or beings in this universe are interdependent on each other. No person or thing has an independent self as we all depend on the Universe for our existence and the Universe in turn depends upon us. Read a few paragraphs or at most one chapter at a time and ponder over its message. Do you agree with what has been written? If so why, and if not why not? Also examine the implications of the ideas contained in the book. What difference will these ideas make in the way we look at ourselves and the Universe and the way we live our lives. The Heart Sutra that is commented upon by Thich Nhat Hanh in The Heart of Understanding is one of the holiest sutra in Buddhism. It is chanted out by Buddhists as a part of their daily routine and no doubt pondered over and digested as well. Thus it has to be mentioned in any Buddhism Outline. Thich Nhat Hanh calls the Heart Sutra as Avalokita Bodhisattva’s precious gift to us - the gift of fearlessness. This gift of fearlessness should be stressed in any Buddhism Outline. This is the happy result of practicing Buddhism philosophy in our day to day life.
For an understanding of No Self, of how and why it is said that there is no separate self visit this page one Buddhism religion Experience oneness with the Universe while drinking tea. Please visit this page on Buddha For a complete list of articles visit this page on Buddhism Eastern Philosophy and Meditation Home
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