THE DHAMMA

The Dhamma is the Buddha's Teachings. The Buddha's teachings are classified into three major parts; the Vinaya, the Sutta and the Abhidhamma. They are collectively called the Tripitaka or the Three Baskets." Tripitaka is a Sanskrit tern, and in Pali it is called Tipitaka. Tri means three and pitaka means a basket; just as a basket is used to contain articles for use when are needed. Each of the three Pitakas contains various discourses of the Buddha delivered during the forty-five years of his mission plus a few authored by his prominent disciples and endorsed by him. The work has its beginning in the first sermon the Buddha gave at the Deer Park two months after his enlightenment. The main ideas of Buddhism are contained in the statements known as the Four Noble Truths and the Middle Way, which the Buddha proclaimed in his first sermon at the Deer Park near Benares in the first year of his ministry.

The Four Noble Truths are:

1. The Noble Truth of Suffering: This Truth deals with all the problems of life as represented by birth, old age, disease and death, including sorrows and frustrations of every kind.

2. The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering: This Truth teaches that all kinds of suffering have their origins in craving or selfish desire rooted in ignorance. Not knowing things as they are or being ignorant of their true nature, people crave for and slavishly cling to things.

3. The Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering: This Truth deals with the goal of Buddhist endeavor. It tells us that when ignorance is completely destroyed through true knowledge and when craving or selfish desire is eradicated and replaced by the right attitude of love and wisdom, Nirvana, the state of perfect peace, absence of defilement (greed, hatred, and ignorance) and freedom from suffering, will be realized.

4. The Noble Truth of the Path leading to the Extinction of Suffering: This Truth defines the Buddhist way of life and contains all the ethical teaching and practices of Buddhism, it provides the way and means to attain the goal as set forth in the third Truth. This way is called the Noble Eightfold Path as it consists of eight factors as follows:

(1) Right Understanding
(2) Right Thought
(3) Right Speech
(4) Right Action
(5) Right Livelihoods
(6) Right Effort
(7) Right Mindfulness
(8) Right Concentration

These practices are sometimes summed up in the three Fundamental Principles as follows:

1. Not to do any evil.
2. To cultivate good.
3. To purify the mind.