Buddhism For Dummies

Chapter 4: The Development of Buddhism on the Indian Subcontinent 67
Convening the First Buddhist Council 68
Gathering the council 68
Categorizing the teachings: The three baskets 69
Spreading the Teachings — Peacefully 70
A Fork in the Road: Managing a Developing Split in the Buddhist Community 71
Convening the Second Council 71
Advancing the teachings in different ways 72
Making Buddhism a Religion of the People: The Emperor Ashoka’s Influence 73
Transforming his approach 73
Promoting Buddhism beyond India 74
Two Levels of Practice in Early Buddhism 76
Witnessing Shifting Allegiances and New Ideals 77
Turning to the stupas 78
Taking a ride in the Great Vehicle: Mahayana Buddhism 78
Recognizing the Major Mahayana Themes 79
Chronicling the Rise of the Mahayana Teachings 80
White Lotus of the Good Dharma Sutra 80
Exposition of Vimalakirti Sutra 81
Perfection of Wisdom Sutras 81
Descent into Lanka Sutra 82
World-Array Sutra 82
Land of Bliss Sutras 83
Looking at the Decline and Reappearance of Buddhism in India 84
Disappearing act 85
Reappearing in India 86
Moving Mountains: Buddhism in Nepal 86
Delving into Buddhist traditions of Nepal 87
Narrowing in on Newar Buddhism 87

Chapter 5: Watching Developments Continue to the Present Day 89
Tracing the Two Routes of Buddhism 90
Spreading the Way of the Elders Across Southeast Asia Theravada Buddhism takes root in Thailand 92
Vipassana meditation gains popularity in the West 94
Driving the Great Vehicle to China and Beyond 97
Watching Mahayana Buddhism evolve in China 98
Examining Flower Ornament and Tiantai: The great unifying systems 101
Chronicling Pure Land and other devotional schools 102
Zen: Taking root in the Far East — and the West 108
From Tibet to the West: Charting the movement of the Diamond Vehicle 114

Part 3: Behaving Like a Buddhist 125
Chapter 6: Turning to Buddhism 127
Proceeding at Your Own Pace 127
Taking responsibility for your own life 128
Determining your level of involvement 129
Getting Acquainted with the Teachings of Buddhism 130
Reading books on Buddhist teachings 131
Choosing a tradition 131
Receiving meditation instruction 132
Developing a meditation practice 133
Finding a teacher 133
Formally Becoming a Buddhist 135
Focusing on the importance of renunciation 135
Taking refuge in the Three Jewels 136
Receiving the precepts 137
Exploring further stages of practice 139
Entering the Monastic Way 140
Renouncing the world 140
Ordaining as a monk or nun 141
Dedicating your life to Buddhist practice 142

Chapter 7: Meditation: A Central Practice of Buddhism 145
Dispelling Some Meditation Myths 146
Defining Meditation 147
Exploring the Benefits of Meditation 149
Examining how neuroscientists see it 149
Recognizing the condition you’re in 150
Cultivating equanimity 152
Turning an old phrase upside down: Don’t do something — just sit there 153
Appreciating your life 156
Understanding the Threefold Nature of Buddhist Meditation 157
Developing mindful awareness 158
Deepening concentration 160
Developing penetrating insight 161
Developing the Three Wisdoms As the Foundation for Insight 162
Cultivating wisdom from listening to the teachings 163
Cultivating wisdom from reflecting on what you heard 164
Cultivating wisdom from meditating on what you understand 164

Chapter 8: A Day in the Life of a Buddhist Practitioner 167
Surveying the Role of Monasteries in Buddhism 168
Renouncing Worldly Attachments: A Day in the Life of a Western Buddhist Monk 169
Following a day in the life 170
Punctuating the calendar with special events 171
Growing a Lotus in the Mud: A Day in the Life of a Zen Practitioner 175
Following a day in the life 176
Attending silent retreats 179
Gathering for special events 181
Devoting Yourself to the Three Jewels: A Day in the Life of a Vajrayana Practitioner 181
Trusting the Mind of Amida: A Day in the Life of a Pure Land Buddhist 185

Chapter 9: Walking in the Buddha’s Footsteps 187
Visiting the Primary Places of Pilgrimage 187
Lumbini: A visit to the Buddha’s birthplace 189
Bodh Gaya: Place of enlightenment 190
Sarnath: The first teaching 193
Kushinagar: The Buddha’s death 195
Seeing Other Important Pilgrimage Sites 195
Rajgir 195
Shravasti197
Sankashya 197
Nalanda 198
Going on Pilgrimage Today 198

Part 4: Exploring the Buddhist Path 201
Chapter 10: What is Enlightenment, Anyway? 203
Considering the Many Faces of Spiritual Realization 204
Reviewing the Theravada Tradition’s Take on Nirvana 206
Defining nirvana 206
Revealing the four stages on the path to nirvana 207
Getting a Handle on Two Traditions of Wisdom 208
Realizing the Mind’s Essential Purity in the Vajrayana Tradition 209
Taking the direct approach to realization 210
Understanding the complete enlightenment of a Buddha 211
Standing Nirvana on Its Head with Zen 211
Tuning in to the direct transmission from master to disciple 212
The ten ox-herding pictures 214
Finding the Common Threads in Buddhist Enlightenment 221

Chapter 11: A Matter of Life and Death 223
Taking Death Personally 224
Recognizing Your Life As a Rare and Precious Opportunity 226
Facing Reality: The Nine-Part Death Meditation 227
Understanding that your death is definite 228
Realizing that the time of your death is uncertain 230
Using death awareness as your spiritual ally 230
Reaping the Result of the Death Meditation 231
Dealing with the Death of a Loved One 232
Surveying Attitudes toward Death in Buddhist Traditions 232
Theravada: Getting off the wheel of existence 233
Vajrayana: Turning death itself into the path 235
Zen: Dying the “great death” before you die 236

Chapter 12: Minding the Concept of Karma 239
Appreciating the Law of Karmic Cause and Effect 239
Experiencing Karmic Consequences 240
Following the Buddha’s Ethical Guidance 241
Exploring the Buddhist Precepts 242
Arranging the precepts behind three doors 243
Taking a deeper look at the ten nonvirtuous actions 244
Dealing with Transgressions 251
Atoning for mistakes 251
Purifying negative karma 252

Chapter 13: Breaking Free of the Cycle of Dissatisfaction 255
Feeling Like Life’s a Big Rat Race 256
Spinning the Wheel of Life: The Meaning of Wandering in Samsara 257
Identifying the root delusions 260
Surveying the six realms of existence 263
Understanding the 12 links 266
Cutting through Suffering: The Three Trainings 271

Chapter 14: Fulfilling Your Highest Potential 275
Ordering a Round of Happiness for Everyone and Everything 276
Dedicating Your Heart to Others 277
Keeping it all in the family 278
Figuring out what all beings desire 279
Nurturing the Four Divine Abodes 281
Extending loving-kindness 281
Developing compassion 281
Nurturing sympathetic joy 283
Establishing equanimity 283
Cultivating the Six Perfections of a Bodhisattva 285
Practicing open-hearted generosity 286
Following the self-discipline of ethical behavior 287
Developing patience 288
Practicing with enthusiastic effort 290
Sharpening your concentration 291
Cultivating the ultimate perfection: Insightful wisdom 293

Chapter 15: Life Stories of Four Buddhist Masters 295
Dipa Ma (1911–1989) 296
Spending her early years as a wife and mother 296
Overcoming physical ailments through meditation 297
Sharing her story with others 298
Ajahn Chah (1918–1992) 299
Finding his way in the forest of life 300
Blazing the monastic trail 300
Thich Nhat Hanh (Born 1926) 301
Working for peace in times of war 302
Forging new beginnings from classic ideals 303
The Dalai Lama (Born 1935) 304
Understanding the legacy of reincarnation 305
Reviewing the early life of the present Dalai Lama 306
Dealing with the Chinese 308
Finding freedom in exile 309
Appreciating his interest in science 310
Embracing the role of Buddhist ambassador to the world 310

Part 5: The Part of Tens 313
Chapter 16: Ten Common Misconceptions about Buddhism 315
Buddhism is Only for Asians 316
To Buddhists, the Buddha is God 317
Buddhists are Idol Worshippers 317
Because Buddhists Think Life is Suffering, They Look Forward to Dying 318
Buddhists Think That Everything is an Illusion 318
Buddhists Don’t Believe in Anything 319
Only Buddhists Can Practice Buddhism 320
Buddhists are Interested Only in Contemplating Their Navels 320
Buddhists Never Get Angry 321
“It’s Just Your Karma; There’s Nothing You Can Do about It” 322
Buddhists Don’t Know How to Count 322

Chapter 17: Ten Ways Buddhism Can Help You Deal with Life’s Problems 323
Affirming the Basic Principles 324
Applying the Basic Principles 324
Turning the page on your great expectations 325
Accepting change gracefully 325
Breaking up the concrete 326
Pretending to Be a Buddha 327
Watching your car rust 328
Seeing that what’s yours isn’t really yours 328
Feeling sorry for a thief 329
Tendering your resignation to pain 330
Turning off the projector 331
Dealing with uninvited houseguests 332

Part 6: Appendixes 335
Appendix A: Explaining Buddhist Terms 337
Appendix B: Additional Buddhist Resources to Check Out 343

Index 353