Buddhism

Buddhist Teachings

Soon after his enlightenment, the Buddha had a vision in which he saw the human race as a bed of lotus flowers. Some of the lotuses were deep inside in the mud, others were emerging from it, and others again were on the point of blooming. In other words, all people have the ability to unfold their potential and attain enlightenment, though some need just a little help to do so. So, the Buddha decided to teach, and all of the teachings of Buddhism may be seen as attempts to fulfill this vision: to help people grow toward enlightenment.

Buddhism sees life as a process of constant change, and its practices aim to take advantage of this fact. It means that one can change for the better. The decisive factor in changing oneself is the mind, and Buddhism has developed many methods for working on the mind. Buddhists practice meditation, which is the most important method of developing a more positive state of mind that is characterized by calm, concentration, awareness, and emotions such as compassion, love, and [Page 425]friendliness. Using the awareness developed in meditation, it is possible to have a fuller understanding of oneself, other people, and of life itself; love, friendliness, and compassion, however, are the Buddhist way of life.

First of all, Buddha taught the first Wheel of Dharma. These teachings, which include the Sutra of the Four Noble Truths and other discourses, are the principal source of the Hinayana, or Lesser Vehicle, of Buddhism. Later, he taught the second and third Wheels of Dharma, which include the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras and the Sutra Discriminating the Intention,respectively. These teachings are the source of the Mahayana, or Great Vehicle, of Buddhism. In the Hinayana teachings, Buddha explains how to attain liberation from suffering for oneself alone, and in the Mahayana teachings, he explains how to attain full enlightenment, or Buddhahood, for the sake of others.

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