No-Nonsense Buddhism For Beginners
No-Nonsense Buddhism For Beginners
com
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Copyright © 2018 by Noah Rasheta
Photography © Sorrapong/iStock.com
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For my wife, Giselle.
Thank you for all your support.
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CONTENTS
More Resources
References
About the Author
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HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
THE BUDDHA
What You’ll Learn: In this section, we’ll discuss the
figure Siddhartha Gautama, now known as the
Buddha. You’ll learn about his life and some of the key
events that led to his enlightenment, as well as how
his teachings developed into a philosophical system
and, eventually, a world religion. Though several
millennia old, the Buddha’s teachings and philosophy
are still relevant today.
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Who was the Buddha? Was he a real
person, or is he a myth?
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What does the word Buddha mean?
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So if his main role was being a
teacher, what exactly did the Buddha
teach?
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When did the Buddha die? Did
another spiritual leader take his
place?
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What are the main differences
between Theravada, Mahayana, and
Vajrayana Buddhism?
CORE CONCEPTS
What You’ll Learn: In this section, you’ll learn about
some of the key concepts that run throughout
Buddhist ideas and teachings, such as suffering,
impermanence, and enlightenment. Understanding
the ideas at the core of Buddhism will give you deeper
insight into how we can best use them to live
peacefully and with compassion for all. Understanding
these basic concepts will help you as you explore
Buddhism through this book and beyond.
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The Buddha became a great teacher
after he became enlightened. But
what is enlightenment? Can anyone
become enlightened?
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Why is greed considered to be a
poison? Is it wrong to desire things
like good food or a nice car?
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Some religions teach that people are
inherently bad and that they must
overcome that badness by following a
specific set of beliefs or practices.
From the Buddhist perspective, are
people inherently good or bad?
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“All experiences are preceded
by mind, having mind as their
master, created by mind.”
THE BUDDHA,
THE DHAMMAPADA
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What is nonattachment, and why is it
important in Buddhism? Does it mean
I’m not supposed be attached to
things that are important to me, like
family?
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Ardently do today what must be
done. Who knows? Tomorrow,
death comes.
THE BUDDHA,
THE BHADDEKARATTA SUTTA
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Where does karma fit into all this?
Doesn’t Buddhism teach that what
goes around comes around? Is karma
a cosmic justice system?
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This is all really interesting, but it
gets a little abstract. How can these
Buddhist concepts make a difference
in my day-to-day life?
CORE TEACHINGS
What You’ll Learn: In this section, you’ll learn about
key Buddhist teachings, such as the Four Noble Truths
and the Eightfold Path. They may sound intimidating,
but we’ll discuss how and why anyone can benefit
from putting these teachings into action in their
everyday lives.
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If Buddhism were to be summarized
in one key teaching, what would it
be?
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Even “acceptance” seems like a lot to
ask. Are we also supposed to just
accept all the bad things happening
in the world?
The last of the Four Noble Truths is magga, Pali for “path.”
From the moment the Buddha realized his enlightenment, all
his teachings dealt with this path in one way or another. It
may have been explained differently to different people
according to where they were on their own individual paths
of awakening, but the essence of the Buddha’s many
discourses and teachings can be found in the Eightfold Path,
often referred to as the Path of Liberation or the path to the
cessation of suffering. The eight parts of the path can be
grouped into three essential categories of Buddhist practice:
wisdom (paññā), ethical conduct (sīla), and mental discipline
(samādhi). The Eightfold Path isn’t meant to be followed in
sequential order; all eight areas are developed
simultaneously in an ongoing way. They’re all linked in the
sense that each one helps with the cultivation of others. The
eight parts of the path, grouped by their three categories,
are:
WISDOM
1. Right understanding (sammā ditthi)
2. Right intent (sammā sankappa)
ETHICAL CONDUCT
3. Right speech (sammā vācā)
4. Right action (sammā kammanta)
5. Right livelihood (sammā ājīva)
MENTAL DISCIPLINE
6. Right effort (sammā vāyāma)
7. Right mindfulness (sammā sati)
8. Right concentration (sammā samādhi)
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Let’s start with the section related to
wisdom. What does it mean to have
right understanding?
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What does right livelihood mean?
Does Buddhism consider certain jobs
better than others?
Right effort is what it takes to put into practice all the other
parts of the path. It takes effort on our part if we want to
experience any kind of positive change in our lives. In order
to learn a new skill—in music, sports, business, or anything
else—we must apply effort. Without it, we usually make little
to no progress. In the same way, right effort affects
everything we do in the world.
I’ve been trying to learn to play guitar for over 10 years,
but I’ve never actually mastered it, because I’ve had a hard
time putting in the effort required to practice. I’ve put time
and effort into other things that I’ve wanted to accomplish
(like writing this book!), but the guitar remains difficult for
me. Luckily, not being able to play guitar well hasn’t had a
huge impact on my life. But sometimes we feel this way
about more important things—like jobs, relationships, or the
way we live in the world—and don’t put enough effort in.
Right effort is about dedicating the time and work required
to become more mindful and aware of the nature of reality.
Without that effort, there can be no awakening or
enlightenment.
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What does it mean to have right
mindfulness? Is this about
meditating?
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It seems like “I” am the source of a
lot of important things—awareness,
suffering, “good,” and “evil.” What
else can Buddhism teach me about
the nature of myself? What makes me
me?
The five aggregates that give rise to the sense of self are:
PERCEPTION (SAÑÑĀ)
This is the recognition or identification of a sensation we’ve
experienced. When we see something, we start scanning
our memories to try to find anything that might be
associated with what we’re perceiving. For example, a dark
hallway will produce a sense of discomfort for many people
based on context or past memories (even if only of a scary
movie). Perception is the process of giving names, like
“dark,” “hallway,” and “scary,” to what we’re sensing.
MENTAL FORMATION OR THOUGHT PROCESSES (SANKHĀRA)
This is where our likes, dislikes, biases, and prejudices come
in. If I smell a block of pungent cheese, my mental
formations affect the perception I have of it in that moment.
The smell of the cheese may remind me of a trip to France,
or it may remind me of my old roommate’s stinky feet.
Either way, my mental formations will alter my perception of
smelling the cheese. Mental formations always precede the
mental states we experience.
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PART 4
CORE PRACTICES
What You’ll Learn: In this section, you’ll learn about
some of the common ways that Buddhist practitioners
apply the teachings and concepts from the first three
parts. You’ll gain a better understanding about why
and how these practices can benefit anyone who uses
them, whether they’re Buddhist or not. You don’t have
to become a Buddhist to recognize the wisdom and
transformational power of these ways of experiencing
and interacting with the world and people around you.
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There seems to be a certain lifestyle
that sometimes goes with Buddhism,
like nonviolence and not being
materialistic. Where does that come
from?
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Are Buddhists vegetarians? Is it
possible to be Buddhist and also eat
meat?
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I once heard that the goal of
meditation is to have a totally blank
mind. Am I supposed to stop thinking
when I meditate?
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Some religions use symbols and ritual
objects, like the cross or prayer
beads. Does Buddhism have things
like that?
Yes, they can! Anxiety arises due to the fact that we are
capable of imagination, of conjuring up things that don’t
exist. The same ability that allows us to imagine the future
and visualize great outcomes can easily make us worry
about difficulties that don’t yet exist. When the mind
becomes entangled with thoughts about the future,
practices like mindfulness meditation can help us become
grounded once again in the present moment. The Buddhist
approach invites us to greet our anxiety as we would an old
friend, rather than resisting or fighting it. Reducing aversion
to anxiety has even been clinically shown to reduce the
intensity and duration of anxiety attacks.
This goes back to the Buddha’s teaching of the two
arrows (see here). Feelings like anxiety and depression are
the first arrow, and the way we feel about these feelings—
sad, angry, resentful—is the second arrow. Buddhism
teaches us how to avoid this second arrow and thus
decrease our suffering.
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To study Buddhism, do I need a
teacher? How do I find one?
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MORE RESOURCES
If you’d like to learn more about Buddhist teachings and
concepts, I would recommend the following books.
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REFERENCES
“Anuradha Sutta: To Anuradha.” Translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to
Insight. 2004.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.086.than.html.
———. The Blooming of a Lotus: Guided Meditation for Achieving the Miracle of
Mindfulness. Translated by Annabel Laity. Boston: Beacon Press, 2009.
Corliss, Julie. “Mindfulness Meditation May Ease Anxiety, Mental Stress.” Harvard
Health Blog. Last modified October 3, 2017.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-may-ease-
anxiety-mental-stress-201401086967.
“Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta: The Shorter Instructions to Malunkya.” Translated by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight. 1998.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.063.than.html.
Thich Nhat Hanh. Buddha Mind, Buddha Body. Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press,
2007.
“Uposatha Sutta: The Observance Day.” Translated by John D. Ireland. Access to
Insight. 1998.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.5.05.irel.html.
Watts, Alan. Still the Mind: An Introduction to Meditation. Novato, CA: New World
Library, 2000.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Noah Rasheta is a Buddhist teacher, lay minister, and
author, as well as the host of the podcast Secular Buddhism.
He teaches mindfulness and Buddhist philosophy online and
in workshops all around the world. He works with others to
make the world a better place as he studies, embodies, and
teaches the fundamentals of Buddhist philosophy,
integrating Buddhist teachings with modern science,
humanism, and humor. He lives in Kamas, Utah, with his
wife and three kids.
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