KEY POINTS OF BUDDHISM.

 

In short:

• 1. Suffering exists
• 2. Suffering arises from attachment to desires
• 3. Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases
• 4. Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path

Noble Eightfold Path

Three Qualities (the eight aspects of the path can be grouped into three qualities as follows)

• Wisdom (panna)
  • a. Right View
  • b. Right Thought
• Morality (sila)
  • a. Right Speech
  • b. Right Action
  • c. Right Livelihood
• Meditation (samadhi)
  • a. Right Effort
  • b. Right Mindfulness
  • c. Right Contemplation or concentration or meditation

Three Jewels

• Buddha
• Dharma
• Sangha (the three jewels explained)

Three Characteristics of Existence

• 1. Transiency (anicca)
• 2. Sorrow (dukkha)
• 3. Selflessness (anatta)

Five Aggregates (skandhas)

• 1. Form (rupa) is made up of
  • earth
  • water
  • fire
  • wind
• 2. Feeling (vedana) is one of
  • pleasant,
  • unpleasant
  • neutral
  Feelings arise when there is contact between the six internal organs (Eye, Ear, Nose, Tongue, Body, Mind) and the six external objects (Sight, Sound, Odour, Taste, Touch, Mental Object).
• 3. Perception (samjna) is related to the six external objects
• 4. Volition (samskara) is the response of the will to the six external objects
• 5. Consciousness (vijnana) grasps the characteristics of the six external objects
  • Visual consciousness
  • Auditory consciousness
  • Olfactory consciousness
  • Gustatory consciousness
  • Tactile consciousness
  • Mental consciousness

Five Hindrances

• Sensuous lust
• Aversion and ill will
• Sloth and torpor
• Restlessness and worry
• Skeptical doubt

Seven Factors of Enlightment

• Mindfulness
• Investigation
• Energy
• Rapture
• Tranquillity
• Concentration
• Equanimity
• Perfections (paramis)
• Generosity (dana)
• Morality (sila)
• Renunciation (nekkhamma)
• Wisdom (panna)
• Energy (viriya)
• Patience (khanti)
• Truthfulness (sacca)
• Resolution (adhitthana)
• Loving-Kindness (metta)
• Equanimity (upekkha)

Four Boundless States

The boundless states or brahmaviharas are considered friends on the way to Nirvana. They help in dissolving the idea of a separate self.

• Loving kindness
• Compassion
• Sympathetic Joy
• Equanimity

In the below table, the "NearEnemy" is a quality that can masquerade as the original, but is not theoriginal. The Far Enemy is the clearly opposite quality.

Pali	English	Description	Near Enemy	Far Enemy or Antidote for
metta	loving kindness	good-will, friendship, unconditional love for all beings	selfish love	hatred
karuna	compassion empathy	to feel with someone instead of for someone	pity	cruelty
mudita	sympathetic joy	spontaneous joy in response to others success	hypocrisy	envy
upekkha	equanimity	even-mindedness based on insight into the nature of things	indifference	anxiety

Ten Fetters of Existence

• Self-delusion
• Doubt
• Clinging to Ritual
• Sensuous Lust
• Ill Will
• Greed for Fine Material Existence
• Greed for Immaterial Existence
• Conceit
• Restlessness
• Ignorance .END=OM MANI PADME HUM.( 3 TIMES ).23/12/2011.