The core teachings of Buddhism are actually relevant to all social and individual problems because they deal directly with the concept of suffering and the means of eliminating it, despite different cultural interpretations of Buddhism in different Buddhist countries. For example, the Mahayana in the Far East places the emphasis on compassion, while the Theravada in Southeast Asia stresses purity of mind meditation. Some Mahayana Buddhist and even followers of the Theravada sect, such as S. Sivaraksa have criticized the Theravada teaching of the Buddhism as a spiritual refuge with emphasis on a simply closed - eye meditation as being just another form of selfishness.
Whatever deal is being criticized, the main Buddha's core teaching in both sects remain the same as follows:
1. In order to solve the problems, especially the eradication of suffering, one must first identify the problems or type of suffering, then it cause - namely human greed, selfishness, anger and delusion and use peaceful means to overcomes these problems.
2. The understanding that, all living being are one and the same. We must all be subject to impermanence, suffering and not - self. These experiences will a sense of compassion, tolerance and respect towards other living beings and towards nature as a whole.
3. The laws of nature and the rule of causal dependency, which involve the realization of the inter relatedness of all matter as well as the interdependence of mind and body, in harmony with nature.
4. The code of moral conduct, including refraining from exploitation, both of other and of one's self.
5. The principle of self - reliance and mutual respect.
In this book, the compiler divides the Buddha's core teachings into 4 parts. The first section is the Mujjhanadhamma Dhesana, the Buddha's Middle teachings of ultimate truth concerning the nature of life and its processes and problems arising from it. The second part is the Mujjhimapatipata, the Buddha's Middle practice, the code of moral conduct dealing with the problem of ethics concerned with the application of knowledge to everyday affairs. The third part is the Theravada philosophy concerning the theory of Anatta and the conception of consciousness. The forth part is the Law of Kamma.
These four parts are summed up in the Buddha's core teachings on Paticcasamupada, the Four Noble Truths, encompassing the full range of inquiries into human situation and the remedy; the nature of suffering, the origin of suffering the cessation of suffering and finally the middle way leading to the cessation of suffering, to be know as the Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. All these are basically concerned with human conduct. They may be divided into the rule of Threefold Training; Panna, Training for wisdom which includes Right View and the Right Thought. Sila, Training in high morality, which includes Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood. Samadhi, training in higher mentality and concentration, which includes Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. In that order, they serve as the framework within which a person can conduct his/her own way of life directly toward the realization of the goal - the true self or Nibbana. These three parts of higher training are simply called " Clarity, Cleanliness Calmness. "
The Buddha's Middle teaching of ultimate truth theory of Anatta and the concept of consciousness will be described later in more detail in order to clarify what are the real Buddhist views. The Buddhist Ethic teaches us the right moral conduct at the mundane state, as well as at the supra - mundane level, under the Noble Eightfold Path. Success is the attainment of a higher level of spiritual development through meditation and introspection aimed at achieving a transcendental state of mind - known as Nibbana.
The last chapter is the Doctrine of Kamma. It is based on the principle of causality or the low of cause and effect. It is the law of morality, which asserts that an intentional action will lead to a result proportionate in nature and intensity to that intention.
Each of these four parts will be fully described in subsequent chapters.
By THE BUDDHA'S Core Teachings
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