A book review of Buddhism The E-book

By Rebecca Foo Sze Mei

This book provide you a big picture about Buddhism. It is a well-organised book. It
provides different points of view in between the Eastern and the Western, this enable the readers more
understand about the Buddhism teaching. Such as the cosmology in India’s view, it stated that the time in
cosmos is cyclic and repetitive life events. However in western view, it is linear and unique life events,
which differs from individual to individual. Moreover, in eastern view, the world seems to be always
existed since millions years ago, according to the Agama Sutta. But westerners believes in the world are
created by the one and the only God. The world was believed to made up of 2 major elements, there is the
animate and the inaminate.The animate are known as the (sattva), while the inaminate are the
container(bhajana) of the animate, together they will interact with the 5 primary elements(earth, water,
fire, air, space) that makes up a sentient beings.

The Dharma is the teachings and doctrines of Buddhism, the ultimate basis for Buddhist morality
is Dharma. There are four noble truths, which teach that 1) Life is suffering; 2) Suffering is caused by
craving;3)Suffering can have an end(this is nirvana) and 4)the way to nirvana is the noble Eightfold path.
There are 2 kinds of the nirvana, nirvana in this life and nirvana after death. The Buddha apprehended the
Four Noble Truths, They forms the cornerstone of the Buddhist doctrine, and encourages the practive of
generosity and morality as the way to the heavenly rebirth. The four truth provide a kind of diagnosis of
the ills which affect humanity and a remedy for the “sickness” that afflicts all sentient life. The Buddha
was often compared to a physician, and his teachings (Dharma) to a medicine. To some extent, it is as an
medical examination. Firstly, the condition is diagnosed; Secondly, its cause is sought; thirdly, the
physician makes a prognosis for recovery; Fourth and finally a treatments is prescribed. The condition
here is the dukkha, which can be translated as “suffering,” “pain”and “unsatisfactoriness.”The dukkha
have a wider range of meaning rather than physical but also psychological or emotional distress. Also,
refers to situations which are bothersome or inconvenient. Thus, Dukkha is opposite to sukha, means
pleasure.

There are various kinds of suffering identified, one of the idea is Buddhist thought that everything
that arises will cease- In other words, things are impermenant and constantly changing. Therefore,
according to the doctrine of “non- self” there is no permanent unchanging soul of self apart from the five
aggregates. As Buddhism analyses the human being into five components part, known as the “5
sggregates”.These are from, feeling, cognition, mental formations and consciousness. Thus, It implies that
we are impossible to find lasting satisfication of fulfillment, therefore we will feel sufferings. Also,
Buddhist believes that suffering arises because everything is made up of component part. Thus, the whole
world is made up of component parts, and they will sooner or later reduced again into its component part.

Buddhism is claim a religion that is neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but realistic. The four
noble truth simply “tells it how it is,” Thus, just as when we accept four noble truth, we can find our what
is wrong and they way to treat it, it is better than we live in ignorance until this disease had been treated.
The Buddhist Sangha consists of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen. Monks and nuns follow a strict
disciplinary code known as Vinaya Pitaka while the laity follows five basic ethical maxims known as the
five precepts. Also, moral teachings such as the “ Golden Rule”, which the Buddhist counsels us not to do
to others anything we would not like them to do to ourselves.

Buddhist are not called up to make any avowal of faith in particular beliefs or doctrines, which
suggests that in Buddhism moral conduct is seen as more important than dogmas or creed. The five
precepts are und9ertaken as voluntary commitments when a person become buddhist in the ceremony of
taking refuge. There are also habits or patterns of behaviour which are thought to be morally exemplary,
such as the courage, honesty, and generosity. An individual who develops these qualities to the point
where they become second-nature is regarded as a person of integrity who can serve as role model for
others. Those people who risk their lives for others, who tell the truth and refuse to compromise on basic
principles, or who act unselfishly and put the interests of others before their own, are rightly regarded as
heroes and worthy of respect and admiration. Such good qualitiess become so integrated into the
personality of these individuals that they are almost incapable of acting otherwise. To attain a state of
such natural and spontaneous goodness is the goal of Buddhist ethics.

The three most basic Buddhist virtues, as Cardinal virtues : are known as non-greed(araga), non-
hatred (advesa), and non delusion (amoha). These are the opposite of the three poison. We could lebel it
as first one as unselfishness, generosity or liberality. Basically it means abandoning attachment and
thinking of others rather than of oneself. It relates to the word, Dana, which literally means “giving”, and
denote the virtue of generosity. At all levels of society generous actions are praised and applauded, and a
generous heart is thought of as a sign of spiritual maturity. Ths is because the generous person is less
wrapped up in his or her egocentric concerns, and accordingly is more alive to the needs of others. There
are also benovelance, which presupposes an attitue of good will towards all beings and a disposition to
seek their welfare. Non-delusion means wisdom or understanding, particularly with respect to important
principles such as the four noble truth of Buddhism.

The most important virtues in Buddhism is compassion (karuna). This is the prime motivsting
factors in Siddharta Gautama’s pursuit of enlightenment. It functions in consonance with love(maitri),
sympathetic joy(mudita), and equanimity(upeksa) as an expression of he highest ethical standard of
pursuit. Mahayana literature(), proclaims the importance of compassion and lift it to a supreme virtue,
claiming that it eclipses all others, even wisdom. The practice of these virtues involves radiating these
qualities outwards. Starting with oneself an extendiD ng their scope to include family and frieds,
neighbours, and the local community and finally the entire universe.