Introduction to Buddhism ②

Professor Aaron Proffitt will lay the foundation for exploring Buddhist ideas and practices. Learn what Buddhism is?
Is it a religion or philosophy?
Who was the founder? What do Buddhist believe?
How does one become a Buddhist?
How did Buddhists come to practice in North America?
Introduction to Buddhism Series by Professor Aaron Proffitt.
• Introduction to Buddhi...
American Buddhist Study Center in NYC Home Page - Bringing together Buddhist Wisdom and Japanese Culture for more than Seventy Years.
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Here is the video of　
Introduction to Buddhism Part 1 - part 1
• Introduction to Buddhi...

[@needleocanvas]

these lessons are so incredibly valuable, especially as someone born into western society and has no access to local teachers. watching these videos help me understand and feel confident with my practice as i begin my path. thank you so much!!

[@carloselfrancos7205]

Fascinating ! I'm so glad that there's such an amazing playlist available for free !

[@soezone208]

Free lunch is the foundation of Buddhism. Love it!! sign me up as well..

[@TheLouisamite]

Thanks for sharing this with us and the world

[@Knaeben]

A Buddhist teacher once told me Buddhism doesn't really take up the question of the existence of God because it is a philosophical question, the exploration of which has no real use for achieving liberation.

[@joa8593]

This is incorrect, Buddhism directly addresses God. there's a sutra that says basically "God" is a guy who had lots of good Karma and got a crazy god complex because he was a much higher existence than everybody else.

[@COFFEEWITHBUDDHA]

Great video. ❤

[@joa8593]

What a great presentation that tries to get out of Western biases.
My comments would be:
1. Dukkha translated as stress" is strange when you consider it's used also to refer to physical pain (ie dukkha and sukha). I think this is an overcorrection by Western teachers. The Buddha in the Dharmachakkra sutra means Samsara sucks, Mahayana says he actually means our perceptions make it suck, neither is saying it's hunky dory.
2. The fifth precept means no alcohol. In Japan it's looser because of the Meiji reformation/Kamakura sects, not because it's interpreted to mean something different. Of course alcohol in food and medicine doesn't count, so there's some fudging that went on even before Meiji (i.e. "wisdom water" in winter).
3. Traditionally monastics in East Asia were Buddhist vegetarian, which often meant vegan. Again, that's relaxed today in Japan because of the Meiji reformation/Kamakura sects, not lower expectations. Major monasteries of Heian and Nara sects still only serve vegetarian food (usually vegan or lactovegetarian.)

[@AmericanBuddhistStudyCenter]

Thank you for watching the video.
PLEASE JOIN WITH US our Zoom Event ↓↓↓
Introduction to the Heart Sutra With Professor Aaron Proffitt
Click ink to the FREE Zoom event
2/24/2024 from 1-2pm (EAT. New York Time)
www.ambuddhist.org/events
Professor Aaron Proffitt is going to answer questions you may have.

[@AlanPhan128]

TLDR: Buddhism is a diverse and adaptable religion that offers a path to enlightenment through understanding the nature of the human condition and following the four noble truths and the eightfold path.
1. 00:00 🕉 Buddha renounces extreme asceticism, receives a meal from a young woman, gains insight into reality through meditation, and remains unmoved by attacks from the god Mara.
1.1 Buddha renounces extreme aesthetic path, receives free lunch from a young woman, has a healthful meal, and begins to understand the nature of reality in a state of meditative absorption.
1.2 Buddha is attacked by the god Mara, who is worried that if Buddha escapes samsara, he will be out of a job, but Buddha remains unmoved and ultimately touches the earth, causing Mara to run away.
2. 02:54 🕉 Buddhism incorporates traditional narratives of gods but no single capital-G god, and is being described in terms of psychology and adapted to different cultures as it spreads globally.
2.1 Buddhism incorporates traditional narratives of gods, but there is no single capital-G god, and the gods are seen as beings in need of liberation and are there to help along the path to enlightenment.
2.2 Buddhism is being described in terms of psychology and is being adapted to different cultures as it spreads globally.
3. 04:41 🕉 Buddha becomes aware of past lives and the interconnected web of life, inspiring diverse Buddhist traditions.
3.1 Buddha becomes aware of his past lives, the interconnected web of life, and the dependence of all things on causes and conditions.
3.2 The Buddha's awakening is to see how all things are interconnected, and his teachings on dependent origination inspire diverse Buddhist traditions.
4. 06:58 🕉 The Buddha discovered the nature of the human condition and the four noble truths, including the truth of dukkha, which is often misunderstood as life is suffering but can also be translated as stress, and the problem of craving and seeking ultimate satisfaction can be solved by uprooting our ignorant clinging to ephemeral things.
4.1 Nothing is permanent, everything is interdependent and constantly changing, and the Buddha discovered the nature of the human condition and the four noble truths.
4.2 The first noble truth in Buddhism is the truth of dukkha, which is often misunderstood as life is suffering, but some contemporary Buddhist teachers translate it as stress.
4.3 Stress can be both good and bad, and the eight kinds of dukkha, such as birth, old age, sickness, and death, are fundamental parts of the human problem.
4.4 The problem of craving and seeking ultimate satisfaction can be solved by uprooting our ignorant clinging to ephemeral things, leading to liberation, freedom, bliss, peace, and possibly even salvation.
5. 11:07 🕉 The Buddhist path includes the four noble truths and the eightfold path, leading to Nirvana described as beyond ordinary thinking and unconditioned.
5.1 The Buddhist path consists of the four noble truths and the eightfold path, which includes right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation, all integral to the Buddhist path.
5.2 Nirvana is described as beyond ordinary thinking, beyond dualistic conception, and as the unconditioned, unborn, and deathless.
6. 13:39 🕉 Buddhists take refuge in the three jewels and make offerings to the sage to become a Buddhist.
6.1 Buddhists take refuge in the three jewels, with the Buddha achieving awakening under a tree according to tradition.
6.2 They make an offering to the sage, take refuge in the buddha, dharma, and sangha, and recite a ritual to become a buddhist.
7. 15:52 🕉 Buddhism includes the five precepts, three vehicles, and two paths to enlightenment: Pratyaka and bodhisattva.
7.1 Buddhism encompasses shared traditions, including the five precepts which vary in interpretation, such as abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants.
7.2 The three vehicles in Buddhism are the shravakayana, which is the vehicle of the listener, the mahayana, and the tarabata, all recognizing three spiritual vocations.
7.3 Pratyaka Buddhism is the solitary path to enlightenment, while the bodhisattva strives to achieve awakening and reveal the dharma at a time when Buddhism does not exist.
8. 18:39 🕉 Buddhism encompasses Terra Vada and Mahayana traditions, with monks and lay people practicing vinaya, meditation, and dharma study, while also engaging in acts of generosity and taking vows.
8.1 The Terra Vada and Mahayana traditions in Buddhism draw upon the early Buddhist community, with a focus on practice and community rather than doctrine and belief.
8.2 Buddhists, both monks and lay people, follow different practices such as the vinaya, meditation, and dharma study.
8.3 Monks in Buddhist countries provide counseling and serve as a field of merit, with the belief that good karma leads to better lives and rebirth in higher realms.
8.4 Monks and nuns serve as fields of merit, purify the space around them, perform funerals and rituals, and lay people engage in generosity to support them.
8.5 People may take vows to abstain from certain things, and in countries like Thailand, it is common for young people to enter the monastery for a period of time and live as a monk before returning to their ordinary lives.
8.6 Lay people engage in chanting, dharma study, meditation, and vegetarianism, but it is not necessarily required in Buddhism.

[@JM-se2gh]

Thanks, alot for these nuggets!