BUILDING BRIDGES
A Tapestry of Faith Program for Youth
WORKSHOP 9: BUDDHISM 1—WAKING UP
BY MARY K. ISAACS
© Copyright 2013 Unitarian Universalist Association.
Published to the Web on 9/29/2014 8:08:41 PM PST.
This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at
www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith.
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
When you begin to touch your heart or let your heart be touched, you begin to discover that it's bottomless, that it doesn't have any resolution, that this heart is huge, vast, and limitless. You begin to discover how much warmth and gentleness is there, as well as how much space. — Pema Chodron, American teacher of Tibetan Buddhism
This workshop introduces Buddhism, an ancient faith whose great number of adherents makes it the fifth largest religion in the world. Buddhism is founded on rational principles rather than faith. Instead of focusing on their souls, practitioners seek to harness, focus, and expand their minds through discipline and practice.
Activity 3, UU Buddhists involves a guest speaker from the congregation who practices Buddhism. If none is available, make alternate arrangements.
Alternate Activity 2 involves showing a two-hour video, The Buddha. If you think this might be a useful activity for the group, read the Preparation for Activity for ways to include it in the program.
GOALS
This workshop will:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
WORKSHOP-AT-A-GLANCE
Activity | Minutes |
Welcoming and Entering | 0 |
Opening | 10 |
Activity 1: Story – The Life of the Buddha | 20 |
Activity 2: The Eightfold Path | 25 |
Activity 3: UU Buddhists | 25 |
Activity 4: Fact Sheet | 5 |
Activity 5: Time Line | 5 |
Faith in Action: Right Mindfulness, Right Action, Right Here | 25 |
Closing | 3 |
Alternate Activity 1: Engagement | 90 |
Alternate Activity 2: The Buddha, a DVD | 120 |
Alternate Activity 3: Right Livelihood Continuum | 20 |
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
Reading some sections of the Buddhist scripture, The Dhammapada (at www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/), could be a useful endeavor. Read to find verses that particularly speak to you. Copy the verses for future meditation and thought.
Prepare for the workshop a few days ahead, so you will have time to think about the material and so you do not feel rushed the day of the workshop.
WORKSHOP PLAN
WELCOMING AND ENTERING
Materials for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants engage with the most ancient and fundamental of Buddhist texts.
As participants enter, invite them to look through the copy of the Dhammapada, find quotes meaningful to them, and write them on newsprint to share with the group.
OPENING (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Youth learn some basic information about Buddhism.
Answer any questions you could not answer from the last workshop.
Invite youth to sit in a circle. Light the chalice with these words:
We light this chalice in celebration of Unitarian Universalism and the sustaining faiths of all people of the world. May the flame represent the fire of our commitment to understand all faithful people and build bridges that connect us as one human family.
Allow the circle to sit in silence for a moment. Ask if anyone knows which religion uses the Dhammapada. Say, "For check-in, say your name and any experience you have had with Buddhism. If you are a Buddhist, great; if you're not, perhaps you know a Buddhist or someone who is studying Buddhism."
If you obtained any books, display them or pass them around during the opening discussion. Ask what questions the group has about Buddhism, and write their questions on newsprint. Answer the ones you can. Tell the group that during this workshop, many of their other questions will be answered. After the workshop, you will seek answers to any remaining questions, which you will share at their next meeting.
Read or share in your own words, the information in Leader Resource 1, Buddhism Background. On newsprint, list important terms from the resource.
ACTIVITY 1: STORY – THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants hear and discuss the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, founder of Buddhism.
Tell or read the story, displaying Leader Resource 2, Images of the Buddha, as you speak.
Ask participants for their initial reactions. Prompt further discussion with questions such as these:
Say, in these words or your own:
It might look as if people in Buddhist temples are worshipping the Buddha, but they are not. They do honor the Buddha for his teachings, which can help anyone reach enlightenment. In this way, he is similar to other prophets. However, the Buddha did not claim that God spoke through him. He was a human, like you and me. Though he may have reached the divine state of nirvana, you and I are just as capable of reaching that state as he.
Make sure that all participants have had a chance to see Leader Resource 2, Images of the Buddha. Say, in these words or your own:
It is interesting that images of the Buddha differ by culture. For example, the so-called "Happy Buddha" is unique to Chinese culture; it is only one of many representations. Do you think these images say something about the cultures that created them? Do you like one of these images best, and if so, why? Do any of you have your own image of the Buddha? Does it resemble any one of these?
Thank the youth for their participation. Have volunteers tape up the Buddha images from Leader Resource 2 in the meeting space.
ACTIVITY 2: THE EIGHTFOLD PATH (25 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Youth create an art project to illustrate and help them remember the elements of the Eightfold Path.
Say, in these words or your own:
The story "The Life of Buddha" mentions two learnings that are foundational to an understanding of Buddhism—two tools to help you reach enlightenment. One is the Four Noble Truths. Do you remember the name of the other one?
Pause for the youth to answer. Say:
The Eightfold Path was mentioned in the story as a way the Buddha saw to attain enlightenment. It enumerates eight aspects of life that a person should pay attention to in order to advance in spiritual growth toward enlightenment.
Display the prepared newsprint. Say:
The eight aspects of the Eightfold Path are:
Right Knowledge
Right Aspiration
Right Speech
Right Behavior
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Absorption
Interestingly, there is another that is not listed—one so important it is treated as a presupposition, something you are supposed to do before you are even ready to start. It is called Right Association.
Right Association means surrounding yourself with people who are healthy and supportive of your spiritual work, preferably those who are also on a spiritual path. According to Buddhist teaching, you do not have to be around people, but if you are going to be with people, you should choose your companions wisely.
In our faith tradition, Right Association is important, too. This is a good reason to seek out a congregation and go to it as regularly as you can. When you attend regularly and start to become part of the congregation, you are engaging in Right Association by making the effort to spend time with people who are good for you and who nurture your spiritual growth.
Review the meaning of each aspect of the Eightfold Path, referring to Leader Resource 3, The Eightfold Path, as needed.
Tell participants, in these words or your own:
Trying to achieve consistency throughout a person's life is very important to Buddhism. But how are you supposed to remember all eight things, so you can remember to practice them? One way is by creating a visual reminder.
First, we are going to brainstorm some fun and creative visual ways to remember the eight elements of the Eightfold Path. For example, you might use images, or do something with the first letter of each element. You can then illustrate your ideas on newsprint.
Post newsprint. Take notes as the youth brainstorm.
Once youth choose ideas to commit to paper, have them create their artwork.
Help them display the completed artwork in the room, someplace prominent. If possible, arrange for the artwork to remain displayed for a week, or longer.
If a guest will be coming to talk about Buddhism, ask participants' permission now to show the guest their artwork.
Save time for a group clean-up.
Including All Participants
Choose work surfaces that will be accessible to everyone. Participants with sensory issues or OCD may have trouble with paint spills or other messes, so be sure to have plenty of clean-up materials on hand.
ACTIVITY 3: UU BUDDHISTS (25 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants compare and contrast the seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism with the Eightfold Path of Buddhism.
Referring to the poster and newsprint, briefly review both the seven Principles and the Eightfold Path with the youth. Say, in these words or your own:
Both these documents are guideposts for living. The Principles appear within a document that defines the parameters of the Unitarian Universalist Association; in other words, they are part of an organizational document. The Eightfold Path was recorded specifically as a teaching tool. However, both are presented and used as guidelines for living well and growing as an individual and in community. With that in mind, take a moment to look over the two lists.
Lead the group to discuss the two religions, using these questions:
For the sake of your guest, keep this conversation within 10 minutes or less. Use newsprint for a "parking lot," a place to record any topics that emerge that the group would like to discuss but which are not pertinent to the immediate discussion.
Inform the group that a guest will enter shortly, someone who is both Unitarian Universalist and a student of Buddhism. Tell the group, in these words or your own:
Did you know that quite a few UUs identify themselves as Buddhist? Some of them belong to the Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship, a community of UU Buddhists from all over the world. Our guest has been invited to talk specifically about the intersection of Unitarian Universalism and Buddhism. What other questions would you like to ask our guest?
Ask a youth to write down suggested questions from the group. If the group needs prompting, suggest they might like to know if the guest's Buddhist beliefs encourage them toward social action, or if the guest attends a Buddhist temple in addition to the UU congregation.
Invite the guest in and make them comfortable. Let the guest and participants talk. If the youth run out of questions, refer them back to their list or suggest they share some of their earlier observations about the similarities and differences between the Eightfold Path and the UU Principles. If you have the youth's permission, show the artwork created earlier.
Thank the guest for spending time and sharing stories with you.
Conclude the activity with the observation that constant reflection and examination of what best furthers our spiritual work—what we have been doing with this exercise—is part of both Buddhism and Unitarian Universalism, one strong parallel between the two faiths.
ACTIVITY 4: FACT SHEET (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants go over some basic tenets of Buddhism.
Distribute the handout and review any unfamiliar concepts or terms. In particular, discuss "nirvana" and "reincarnation."
Ask the youth if they have heard the term "nirvana." Some will have, because of the rock group by that name. Ask what it means to them. Let them explore this idea a bit.
Ask the youth what they know about reincarnation. Ask if they believe in it. Their answers might surprise you!
Before moving on to the next activity, let the youth share their knowledge of and thoughts about Buddhism. If you will lead a second workshop on Buddhism, let participants know that. If you will be engaging with a Buddhist community, give participants any information they need.
ACTIVITY 5: TIME LINE (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
The Religions Time Line is updated to add Buddhism.
Ask participants if they remember from the story when—meaning, during what time period—Siddhartha Gautama lived, or if they remember how old Buddhism is. If they do not remember, ask them to guess. After they have guessed, write "Buddhism" on a sticky note and place it at 531 BCE on the Religions Time Line. Tell participants that this is the estimated year of the Buddha's enlightenment. Note that Buddhism was born only a few years after Taoism, so Lao Tzu and the Buddha were contemporaries, living and teaching at the same time in different parts of the world. Locate India and China on the world map or globe.
CLOSING (3 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather the group around the chalice. If needed, relight the chalice.
Distribute Taking It Home. Invite participants to form a circle and join hands and say together:
All our bridges meet in the middle, in a Unitarian Universalist circle of faith. We are connected with all that lives. We continue with all that seek. We belong with all who love. Go in peace until we meet again.
Extinguish the chalice together.
FAITH IN ACTION: RIGHT MINDFULNESS, RIGHT ACTION, RIGHT HERE (25 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Youth examine their own religious community for members' consistency in living the seven Principles.
Gather the youth around and say, in these words or your own:
Buddhism is a religion of consistency. It propels the seeker's spiritual growth by encouraging attention to all aspects of the person's life. Consistency is important for a community, as well—if our shared values are really important to us, then we want to be sure we're living them.
Review each of the Principles of Unitarian Universalism. For each Principle, discuss briefly its implications for the community—in other words, what would it look like if a congregation truly lived that Principle?
Ask the youth if they think the people in their congregation keep the Principles in mind when they engage in the work of the church. Ask:
Distribute notepads and writing implements. Invite participants to think of specific examples of the congregation acting according to the Principles.
If it would be helpful and practical, let the group walk through the building. Keeping the Principles in their thoughts, ask them to mindfully look around the church, both for good examples of consistency and instances where perhaps the community could improve its adherence to the Principles. Keep the group together as you move through the building.
Once participants return to the room, invite them to share their observations and discuss what changes could help the church community more consistently live its values. Which could youth offer to do, individually or together, for their community? If there are some actions the youth could take as a group, suggest they choose one. Help the youth offer to serve the community in this way by going through the channels appropriate to your congregation, and then doing it!
Including All Participants
If any areas of your building are not accessible to all participants, either plan to avoid those areas or offer an alternate tour accessible to everyone.
LEADER REFLECTION AND PLANNING
Review the workshop with your co-leader:
Acknowledge that Buddhism is complex and vast—it is a good thing you have two workshops to explore it!
If it is necessary to remove the images of the Buddha and the Eightfold Path artwork that participants created, store these items safely and plan enough time to put them back up before the next workshop.
TAKING IT HOME
When you begin to touch your heart or let your heart be touched, you begin to discover that it's bottomless, that it doesn't have any resolution, that this heart is huge, vast, and limitless. You begin to discover how much warmth and gentleness is there, as well as how much space. — Pema Chodron, American teacher of Tibetan Buddhism
IN TODAY'S WORKSHOP... we started our exploration of Buddhism by hearing the story of the life of the Buddha. We looked at the Four Noble Truths and the elements of the Eightfold Path and compared the latter to the seven Principles.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
EXPLORE THE TOPICS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Right Association Journal
Keep a journal about your relationships. Record significant events, both good and bad, and how they make you feel. Take special notice of any times you behaved in ways that in hindsight you did not like. How did others react to your behavior? Did they encourage you, drawing you further from your values, or did they discourage you? See if there are any patterns. Are there people who consistently move you toward your higher self? Are there others who consistently provide encouragement in the direction you do not want to go? You do not have to dump your friends if you recognize they are not as good for you as some other people. But, you could consider adjusting the time you spend with them so you give more of your time to people who help you move in the direction you want to go.
Say It Right
All families have their own styles of interacting: some tease, some are funny, some are serious, some are loud, and some are very quiet. But when you are with people a lot, it is easy to become careless or disrespectful—sometimes less respectful than we are to total strangers. How strange is that, to speak less respectfully to someone we love than to someone we do not even know? If, as in many families, this is something that is going on in your family, by doing something about it you can create a more loving environment.
Since knowledge is power, the first thing to do is recognize the situation and talk about it. If you and your family decide this is something you would like to pay attention to, make an agreement. You can call it a covenant, contract, pact—whatever appeals to you. Be specific. For example, your agreement might be:
Be sure everyone is clear that this is not about having more rules; it is about living your values of kindness and generosity. Be kind when people break the agreement, but remind them about it, as gently as you can. Do not treat this as a chance to tell someone they failed, but rather an opportunity for better relationships.
The Mindful Community
Is there something you could do to remind your town or city of its higher values? Perhaps the recycling program could be expanded or made mandatory. Perhaps homeless shelters could have longer hours, or, if there's no shelter in your town, perhaps a shelter could be built—an existing, unoccupied building could be made over to use very inexpensively, for example. Or, does the animal shelter offer free or low cost spaying and neutering, the best way to keep homeless animals off the streets to begin with?
Identify something your wider community could do more of or do better, and advocate for it through the proper channels. For example, you could write to elected officials and employees, create a formal petition and collect signatures, create an organization to support work you think is important for your community to do to live its values, blog about it, enlist friends to help, conduct an e-mail campaign—even stage a protest, if you feel strongly enough! (But make sure you involve your parents and find out all the pertinent local regulations.)
Reading and Writing
There are many Buddhist writers and many good Buddhist readers. Thich Nhat Hanh, a Tibetan monk, is very popular. Try his book Peace Is Every Step (New York: Random House, 1995). His Holiness, The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, the world's foremost Buddhist leader, has also written many books; his latest is How to See Yourself As You Really Are (New York: Atria, 2007). American Alan Watts has produced a few classics, including The Way of Zen (New York: Pantheon Books, 1999) and The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are (New York: Vintage, 1989).
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: ENGAGEMENT (90 MINUTES)
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Youth visit a Buddhist temple or center or participate in a meditation session.
Visiting a Buddhist Temple or Center
Remind participants beforehand that they will be visitors in other people's sacred home. They come not as observers, but as people of faith worshipping with other people of faith. Some things will be unfamiliar and surprising; they should save their observations for discussion later. This is a learning opportunity and a privilege.
At the site, support the host in whatever ways you can.
After the service, if you've pre-arranged a question-and-answer session, guide the youth and host through the questions you've prepared and any questions that arose for youth during the service.
Before leaving, be sure to thank your host.
Participating in a Meditation Session
Remind youth that they are about to engage in a spiritual practice and should treat it with the same respect they would accord any other spiritual practice.
Depending on which form of meditation your practitioner leads you in, there may be talking, intoning, or walking throughout the mediation. Participate or actively observe, and take note of your own experiences to guide the post-engagement discussion.
If you pre-arranged a question-and-answer session following the meditation, guide the youth and host through their questions.
Be sure to thank your host.
Concluding Either Type of Engagement
When the engagement is done, process the experience. Ask participants for their immediate responses. Prompt them with guiding questions, as needed.
The questions you ask will vary depending on which engagement option you chose. For the temple visit, you might ask:
For the meditation session, you might ask:
Ask participants:
Thank the youth for their thoughtful participation.
Including All Participants
If the group will go to a temple or center, visit it ahead of time to determine any accommodations needed for youth with disabilities. If the group will participate in a meditation that involves movement, discuss with the leader how participants with mobility challenges can participate in a meaningful way.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 2: THE BUDDHA, A DVD (120 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants learn the story of the Buddha's life and major teachings.
Indicate paper and pens/pencils; invite participants to use them if they want to take notes.
Show the film.
Hold a discussion. Use questions from Activity 1, Story – The Life of the Buddha, especially:
Make sure youth take away an understanding of the Four Noble Truths.
You might also ask, in these words or your own:
In the film, many people give their interpretations of what the Buddha meant. Are these creedal statements—do all Buddhists believe exactly the same thing? Or is Buddhism similar to Unitarian Universalism, in that responsibility rests with individuals to follow their own spiritual path?
Including All Participants
Make sure the room where you will show the film is accessible to all participants. Arrange for closed-captioning or use the subtitles feature to assist any participants with hearing impairments.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 3: RIGHT LIVELIHOOD CONTINUUM (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants consider various professions or occupations they might pursue in light of the effects those occupations might have on their spiritual welfare.
Pass out index cards and markers and set the lists of occupations where everyone can get to them. Say, in these or your own words:
Most young people think from time to time about what they want to do for a living when they are adults. These cards are for writing down some of your ideas. On each card, write something you have thought seriously about doing when you are an adult, or anything you think would be really appealing to do. Do not worry about whether it is practical or not, just how attractive it seems to you. Fill out as many cards as you like, but write only one occupation on each card. If you are drawing a blank, you can look at this larger list of occupations.
Let participants know the cards are not private and will be seen during the activity.
Allow participants a few minutes to write occupations on their cards. Tell them it is fine if there are duplications.
When they are finished writing, invite youth to join you in the center of the room. Explain that for this activity, one end of the room will represent "Best Expresses My Values" and the other end will represent "Least Expresses My Values." Their task is to place the cards they have written face up on the floor wherever they belong on the continuum. For example, a card listing an occupation that would be deeply life-affirming, one that is in keeping with their highest values, would be placed at the "Best" end of the continuum. Note that most cards will probably range somewhere in the middle, and very few are likely to be at the extreme "Least" end. Use some of your prepared cards to illustrate.
Invite youth to place their cards along the continuum now, face up. It is okay if they overlap a little, as long as they can still be read.
When all the cards are placed, ask if any youth would like to read a few of their cards aloud and explain why they placed them where they are.
When everyone who would like to share has done so, allow a little time for the group to examine the continuum and the placement of the various cards before returning to their seats. If some of the same occupations appear at different places along the spectrum, be sure to point this out.
Have participants return to their seats, and distribute occupation lists to any participant who still needs one. Ask the youth to look over the list. Ask:
Celebrate the thoughtfulness of their comments.
Remind the youth that religions do not exist in vacuums. They are in our lives not just when we come to a church for worship. Religions help us evaluate what is important to us and then live our lives accordingly. Most people are not very happy performing jobs that go against their values—in other words, if they are not practicing Right Livelihood. The continuum shows that you do not have to be a minister or a saint to be a productive member of society and live your values—but you do need to give it some thought!
Including All Participants
Make sure all participants will be able to lay down their cards (some may need another youth's help) and see the entire continuum of cards.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 9:
STORY: THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA
The name "Buddha" means "enlightened one" or "awakened one." However, the founder of the Buddhist religion was not born enlightened. He was born Siddhartha Gautama, son of King Suddodana and Queen Maya, rulers of Kapilavastu, India, in the foothills of the Himalayas in 566 BCE. When Siddhartha was born, a wise man predicted, "If the prince remains in the royal household, he will become a great king. But if he leaves the household, he will find Truth and become a great holy man." King Suddodana envisioned Siddhartha as a holy man: giving up all worldly possessions, a wandering teacher with a begging bowl. That was not the life he wanted for his only son, so he surrounded his son with everything he would ever need or want.
Sadly, the queen died seven days after Siddhartha's birth. Her sister moved to the palace to raise the baby. The days passed quickly, and Siddhartha grew. Despite having his every whim catered to, he was a sensitive and meditative boy. At age 16, he married his cousin, Princess Yasodhara. The king hoped that married life would keep the prince happy and at home. And so it was for the next 13 years.
One day, when he was 29, Siddhartha asked his friend and charioteer, Channa, to take him for a ride far away from the palace. On their journey, they encountered an old man. Siddhartha wondered what was wrong with this person. "Nothing is wrong," replied Channa. "He is just old. We will all be old one day." Siddhartha was very disturbed and asked to be taken home, where he could not stop thinking about the old man. "What good is youth if you will get old?" he wondered.
The next day, he asked Channa to go out again. On the way, they encountered another sight new to the prince. When he asked Channa about it, Channa replied, "That man is very sick. We are all vulnerable to sickness." Siddhartha reflected on this all day and all night, thinking, "What good is health if you will eventually get sick?"
In the morning, they went riding again. This time, Siddhartha witnessed a body being carried through the streets. Channa explained, "That man is dead. Death comes to all men, even princes." Siddhartha asked himself, "What good is life if you will someday die?"
Once more Channa and Siddhartha rode out into the city. There they saw a holy man in saffron robes. The prince asked, "Who are you?" The man replied, "I am a monk, a seeker of Truth, of life over death. To find it, I have given up everything on this earth." Siddhartha decided he must do the same if he was to find peace.
That night, Siddhartha crept out of the palace, regretfully leaving his father, his wife, and his newborn son. For a while, he traveled with monks. But he did not feel any closer to the Truth.
He spent the next six years living as an ascetic. Asceticism taught that the way to Truth was to deny the body. Ascetics denied themselves food and comfort and lived as hermits. Yet, after six years, Siddhartha felt no closer to the Truth. He decided that Truth was not to be found in extreme circumstances or by denying the body, but through the mind and the heart. From that day forward, he chose to follow a middle path of moderation.
After six years of seeking, one day Siddhartha came to a bodhi tree and sat down beneath it, vowing not to leave until he knew the Truth of how to conquer suffering and death. While meditating and searching his heart, he came to understand how he was connected to all life, and how to conquer suffering and death. He had become the Buddha—the awakened one.
He expressed what he had learned in the Four Noble Truths:
The Buddha shared his insights with many disciples across the land, including his father, wife, and son, who joined him in practicing the Middle Way. At the age of 80, he lay down and entered permanently into nirvana, the state of eternal peace without rebirth or death.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 9:
HANDOUT 1: BUDDHISM FACT SHEET
Founded/Created: 531 BCE (more than 2,500 years ago).
Adherents: 360 million, primarily in the East but growing worldwide.
Ranking: Sixth.
Prophets: Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha ("the Awakened One"), for whom the faith is named. The Buddha, while revered, is not considered divine.
Texts:
Holidays: Many local celebrations exist in different countries. Some of the more common are:
Many Buddhists celebrate all three holidays together as Wesak, in May.
Symbols:
Terms and Fundamental Precepts:
Shared with Unitarian Universalism:
Other connections between Unitarian Universalism and Buddhism:
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 9:
LEADER RESOURCE 1: BUDDHISM BACKGROUND
Buddhism is a religion based on rationality, objectivity, personal experience, and practice. It does not say anything about God. In fact, whether a person believes in any divine power at all is immaterial to Buddhism. What does matter? The mind. Delusions of the mind are what Buddhism seeks to eliminate. Opening and purifying the mind is its process, and freedom of the mind—nirvana—is its ultimate goal.
The term "nirvana," the way Buddhists use it, is not the same as the idea of heaven. Nirvana is the state of liberation from the dictates of the senses. While the Buddha said, "Bliss is nirvana," this absolutely does not mean a dreamy, insensible state—indeed, the closer to nirvana one becomes, the more fully present and aware they are. Truth cannot be sought or expected anywhere but here.
Buddhism is also a faith of great compassion. The Buddha himself was a man of enormous compassion, not judging others by appearance or caste, welcoming women and outcasts as students and training them as teachers, and ministering to those less fortunate with his own hands. The Buddha's strength in both head and heart has allowed Buddhists through the ages to choose a path to follow that speaks best to them, and major divisions of Buddhism have formed as a result—some focused on the mind, others on the heart. Happily, and instructively, the constant emphasis in Buddhism on being at peace within oneself and with other people has meant that these spiritual divisions have not resulted in significant conflict among their followers, contrasting sharply with what we will see later in Islam and Christianity.
The Buddha grew up in the Hindu society of India, and he believed in reincarnation. However, he did not believe in a physical soul that transmigrated to the next body. Rather, he likened a person's selfhood to a wave in the sea: As a wave moves along, its substance changes completely and constantly, but we can still recognize it as the same wave. The Buddha believed that a person's essence was like the wave, completely changing physical form but continuing on its path. He taught that achieving nirvana or full awareness could release someone from having to return in a physical body.
According to Buddhist philosophy, the only constant in the universe is change itself—impermanence. The Buddha said:
Life is a journey; death is a return to earth.
The universe is an inn; the passing years are like dust.
Another Buddhist phrase, "This too shall pass," has become popularized in recent years, and is a succinct statement of this fundamental Buddhist tenet.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 9:
LEADER RESOURCE 2: IMAGES OF THE BUDDHA
Download a high-resolution PDF (at www.uua.org/documents/tapestry/bridges/buddhas.pdf) for printing.
The first image is of the reclining Buddha; second image is of the Chinese Buddha; third image is of the Japanese Buddha by Jim Mills; fourth image is the Korean Buddha.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 9:
LEADER RESOURCE 3: THE EIGHTFOLD PATH
Before Beginning the Eightfold Path: Right Association
Since we are influenced by our companions, it is very important to have people around us who are supportive of our spiritual goals and on spiritual paths themselves. They do not need to be doing exactly what we are doing, but they have to support our spiritual work, and not deflect us by encouraging us to do things against our conscience. They should also be trying to live with some degree of awareness themselves.
1. Right Knowledge
The first step is to become aware of the path. In Buddhist terms, this means recognizing the Four Noble Truths:
2. Right Aspiration
This consists of wanting things that will help us be healthy and strong and achieve mental and spiritual growth. First, we recognize what we need to do, then we decide that is what we want.
3. Right Speech
This element and the next two are about learning new habits. Right Speech begins with noticing our speech: how honest we are, the tone of our communications, and our intent. Once we are aware, the next step is to make positive changes: to speak more truthfully, more gently, and more generously.
4. Right Behavior
The details that the Buddha provided about Right Behavior almost exactly reproduce the last five dictates of the Ten Commandments. The Five Precepts, as they are called, are:
(Note: In Judaism and Christianity, Commandments six through ten are:
5. Right Livelihood
This element pertains to how a person makes their living. The Buddha believed that what a person did to support themselves had echoes throughout their lives, and that personal growth could be supported by some occupations but rendered impossible by others. For example, some livelihoods regarded by the Buddha as very harmful were butcher, prostitute, and weapons vendor.
6. Right Effort
Sustained effort is seen as exceedingly important in Buddhism. The Buddha likened the work it takes to make spiritual progress to an ox straining to pull a cart through the mud. Although weary, the ox never looks aside or stops trudging until it is past the muddy section of the road. This steady exertion demonstrates the consistent effort required to tame the mind and attain enlightenment.
7. Right Mindfulness
The Dhammapada, a collection of the Buddha's teachings, begins with the words, "All we are is the result of what we have thought" (as translated by Viggo Fausboll). Because of this, Buddhism urges constant examination of our own thoughts. We must have perfect awareness of our own thoughts to see all things as they really are. Urges or aversions must also be examined until they no longer control us and what remains is loving kindness toward all things.
In one ancient story, a Buddhist student reports to his teacher that his studies are done: He has attained enlightenment. His teacher asks, "What foot did you use to step over the threshold?" The student thinks for a moment, then turns and leaves without a word, aware that since he does not know which foot stepped over the threshold, his awareness is not yet complete.
Thich Nhat Hanh, a renowned Zen Buddhist master, considers mindfulness the single most important element of greater peace and understanding. He has written many books on the subject of mindfulness, including Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life (New York: Random House, 1995). Henry David Thoreau, of our own faith lineage, placed a high value on mindfulness as well.
8. Right Absorption
Ralph Waldo Emerson, a giant of 19th-century Unitarianism, wrote:
A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping, we are becoming.
The Buddha shared this conviction with Emerson: that the things we fill our thoughts with determine who we become. The Buddha also believed in self-determination: With proper preparation and perseverance, immersing our thoughts in what will further our spiritual journey, we can all move toward enlightenment, lessen the bonds of selfish yearnings, and become happier and more fulfilled as the Wheel of Dharma turns.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 9:
LEADER RESOURCE 4: OCCUPATIONS
Lawyer, butcher, trash collector, thief, corporate executive, full-time parent, lobbyist, hair stylist or barber, grocer, graphic artist, hardware store clerk, baker or chef, computer programmer, stockbroker, animal trainer, jeweler, actor, rapper, stunt-car driver, college professor, engineer, cab driver, teacher, doctor, dump truck driver, comedian, used car salesperson, dentist, professional gambler, human resources director, telemarketer, writer, waiter, pickpocket, movie or theatre critic, athlete, video game designer, dog walker, babysitter or nanny, psychologist, psychiatrist, architect, secretary, photographer, loan shark, realtor, farm laborer, construction worker, street musician, medical technician, rocket scientist, laser technician, brain surgeon, researcher, fry cook, hit man, slumlord, gofer, chauffeur, golf caddy, longshoreman, personal trainer, retail salesperson, produce stocker, president of the United States, butler, factory worker, glassblower, birthday party clown, circus roadie, plumber, judge, bar owner, publicist, news anchor, mail carrier, flight attendant, pilot, police officer, bureaucrat, fisherman, wine connoisseur, brewer, magazine editor, animal control agent, spy, motivational speaker, drug dealer, physical therapist, launderer, fashion model, songwriter, matador, maid, foley artist (sound effects designer), veterinarian, small-business owner, con artist, TV ad script writer, baseball coach, gardener, minister, metalworker, electrician, convenience store clerk, janitor, ship captain, nonprofit organization director, peace activist, politician, book illustrator, clothing designer, doll dresser, insurance adjustor, carpet cleaner, antiques appraiser, launderer, talk show host, light bulb tester, firefighter
FIND OUT MORE
The Religion Facts (at www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/index.htm) website is a good, objective source of information about many religions, including Buddhism (at www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/).
Various artistic representations of the Buddha are explored at Buddha Mind (at buddhamind.info/leftside/arty/bud-style.htm).
A very good collection of links about Unitarian Universalism, Buddhism, and Buddhist practice can be found at the Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship website (at www25.uua.org/uubf/links.htm). The University of Minnesota also offers articles and links pertaining to the relationship between Unitarian Universalism and Buddhism on its website (at www.tc.umn.edu/~parkx032/CY-BUDD.html).