Simple Buddhism. C. Alexander Simpkins, Ph.D.
not just a set of concepts or a theory to learn; it is something you must discover for yourself through your own experience. We encourage you to do the exercises. Read through the directions once or twice, then set the book aside and try them. Give yourself time to reflect on the new ideas and skills as you find ways to integrate them into your life. Be patient with the process: The journey of self-discovery may have its ups and downs, but with an open attitude, you will discover your own enlightenment!
PART I
Buddhism in Time
A vision awakens us
From the depths of ancient history
Buddha’s enlightenment
Dispels the shadows of mystery
—C. Alexander Simpkins
Buddhist philosophy spans twenty-five centuries, with millions of adherents throughout the world. The journey began in a shadowy past, before recorded history, when a legendary man named Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, through dedicated effort and commitment to all human beings, made a wondrous discovery: that life can be good, and so can we. As you follow the evolution, the veil over these shadowy beginnings lifts, revealing a brightly lit pathway of inner discovery, open for all to walk.
CHAPTER 1
The Founder Plants the Seeds
Be a lamp unto yourself.
—Buddha
EARLY YEARS
Buddhism can be traced back to one man, known to the world as the Buddha, “The Awakened One” (563-483 B.C.). He began his evolution as Siddhartha Gautama, a member of the Sakya clan of a small republic in northern India. During this time, India was divided into many small, independent kingdoms, each ruled by clans. Buddha’s father was the raja, or leader, of the Sakya clan area, and his family was wealthy.
Suddhodana, Buddha’s father, gave his son every opportunity to learn and grow, teaching him all the skills a prince should have, bringing in the best tutors, who taught young Siddhartha the Hindu classics. He rode his own horse, practiced martial arts, and played the popular sports of the day. He led the active and happy life of a child of privilege.
Siddhartha’s gentle-hearted nature began to emerge early. One day, young Siddhartha was playing in the garden with his cousin Devadatta. As a flock of wild swans flew overhead, Devadatta drew his bow, aimed at one of the swans, and shot. The arrow hit the bird’s wing, bringing it down. Siddhartha ran over to the struck bird and gently held the bleeding creature until it became calm. When Devadatta claimed the bird as his conquest, Siddhartha refused to give it up. They argued, but in the end, Siddhartha won. He took care of the bird until it was healed and then set it free to rejoin its flock.
Siddhartha continued to remember the bird’s suffering. Suddhodana saw his son’s mood and tried to protect him even more from anything unpleasant. He lavished on Siddhartha all that he could give, including beautiful houses and delicious foods. He arranged Siddhartha’s marriage to Yosadhara, the most beautiful girl in the kingdom.
DISCONTENT
Siddhartha lived happily with Yosadhara, never leaving the confines of his comfortable palace. Although he doubted the importance of the pleasures that filled his everyday life, he continued to feel happy.
One day Siddhartha went outside the palace gates with his servant, Channa. An emaciated man, wracked with pain, appeared on the roadside. “Alms for the poor!” the man called out. Siddhartha stopped the chariot and asked Channa, “What is wrong with this man? Why does he suffer so?”
Channa answered, “This man is ill, my prince. Many suffer from illness. This is the way of life!”
Siddhartha, who had only known good health, felt deeply troubled. They continued along and came to an old man, bent over, shaking, leaning on a twisted cane. “Now, what is wrong with this man? Why does he suffer so?” asked Siddhartha again.
“This man is old, my prince. We all grow old and die eventually. This is the way of life!”
Siddhartha returned to his palace but felt no peace of mind. He could not stop thinking about the suffering he had encountered. All the beauty and joy of life was only transitory! People grow old, perhaps even become sick, and die. Was there nothing more permanent, more real to life? Day after day, night after night, he wrestled with the problem of suffering. Despite his love for his wife and their baby boy, Rahula, he resolved that he must leave the palace to seek answers for his people, to help them.
YEARS AS AN ASCETIC
At the age of twenty-nine, Siddhartha crossed through the palace gate for the last time. He joined a group of ascetics who had denounced worldly pleasures to seek higher truth through a form of Hinduism. The ascetics viewed the human body as the enemy of the soul. They believed that the body could be tamed through absolute denial of physical pleasures, freeing the soul to soar.
Siddhartha found a teacher, Alara Kalama, who taught a form of meditation that attempted to reach beyond the everyday world to a state of nothingness. Siddhartha soon mastered this technique, achieving a state of nothingness, but found that even though he could achieve this state, it did not solve the problems of suffering and death.
Disappointed, Siddhartha sought a new teacher, Uppaka Ramaputta. Siddhartha had heard that Uppaka taught a meditation system that brought about a state of neither consciousness nor unconsciousness. Siddhartha worked diligently at this method and eventually reached this state, but he did not feel any closer to eradicating suffering.
So Siddhartha decided not to look for another teacher and traveled alone instead. He walked southward into the kingdom of Magadha where he met five other seekers. They recognized his intensity and decided to join him in hopes of learning from him. They all lived in the woods.
Siddhartha experimented with many kinds of meditation, always pushing the limit. He tried austere practices, restraining his body, reducing his food to one grain of rice per day. He tried suppressing his breathing to the point of convulsive pains. Day after day he sat motionless in meditation. He endured heat, rain, wind, hunger, and fatigue. He sat so still that birds perched on his shoulders and squirrels sat on his knees.
ENLIGHTENMENT
Seven years passed. Siddhartha had endured the elements without wavering in his self-denial, yet he felt he had made no progress. Instead of finding truth, his mental powers were dimming, his life was slipping away. One evening he was struck with a realization: If he continued, he would die without relieving his people’s suffering. How could his mind reach farther?
That night Siddhartha took some fresh milk and rice from a kindly woman. He sat down under a bodhi tree, a type of fig tree known as ficus religiosos, that has come to mean “wisdom tree.” With renewed strength and hope, he sat down and resolved to meditate until he found the answer to suffering.
As the sun rose, Siddhartha was illuminated with inner wisdom. The answers to all his questions became crystal clear. He experienced a wordless realization, a dissolving of suffering, an intuitive understanding of life and death. He arose radiant and strong, fully enlightened. From then on, Siddhartha Gautama became known as the Buddha.
DEVOTION TO TEACHING AS BUDDHISM GROWS
Buddha hesitated at the bodhi tree following his enlightenment. At first he considered remaining silent. He knew that most people, because they were entangled in worldly attachments, would be unwilling to take his advice. But his compassion for humanity drove him back to the world. After all, he had finally found the answer to suffering. His enlightenment brought him absolute relief and happiness. He wanted to share his wisdom with others.
Buddha sought the five ascetics who had shared many years with He found them living in the Deer Park, located three miles north of Benares. When he approached them, they refused to recognize him as enlightened. From their perspective, he had proven himself too weak to adhere to the strict ascetic path. But Buddha confidently explained his basic insights, and what he said has come down through the centuries as his first teaching, the Sermon at Benares. Neither the ascetic path of deprivation that made him sick,