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Ivan Frimmel presents

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Basic Terms & Concepts
in Mysticism & Buddhism

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Abhidharma
 Higher Dharma, extra Dharma (Buddha’s
Teachings): The third division of the “baskets” of
Buddhist Canon of the Theravada & Mahayana
Schools; a commentary and analysis on the
sermons and sutras;

 Philosophical and psychological texts, compiled


after Buddha’s death, they are a complex analysis
of mind and matter, and contain an entire system
of mind training…
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Absolute, the Absolute
 that which exists in and by itself without necessary relation
to anything else;
 the Ultimate; Unconditioned; Non-dual;
 that which is exempted from any limitation, perfect; hence
also ineffable, unthinkable, indeterminable;
 in theistic religions: God; Brahman in Hinduism; Tao in
Taoism; Matter-Energy, or Space-Time in the science;
 in philosophy: the Absolute is the ultimate terminus or
referent of all thought; the opposite of “Relative”;
 in metaphysics: All; World Ground; Being; Self; Void…

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Acarya / Acharya

 teacher or master

Ajahn

 a meditation master in Thai Buddhist order

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Advaita
 in Sanskrit = non-twoness; non-duality; in philosophy =
monism; in metaphysics = Oneness;
 Advaita is the Vedantic doctrine of non-duality or monism
advocated by Sankara, which holds that

 the Absolute can be personal and qualified (Saguna Brahman) in


relation to the world, especially the philosophically untutored, but
supra-personal or impersonal and unqualified (Nirguna Brahman)
in Itself;

 the world and the individual is only relatively (phenomenally) real;

 salvation consists in insight (jnana) after dispelling the illusion


(maya) of separateness from the Real, or One Divine Self…

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Ahamkara
 “I-ing”, “I-making”, egotism;
 having or making the feeling of “I”;
 a cruder, stronger sense of ego…

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Ahimsa
 non-harming; non-killing; non-violence;
 one of the most important aspects of the
Hindu & Buddhist spiritual attitude and
practice;
 the rule of vegetarianism among Hindus &
Buddhists is based on this principle…

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Alaya Vijnana

 Alaya Consciousness; Eight Consciousness;


Store Consciousness; Karma Repository;

 in Buddhist terminology regarded as that


which undergoes the cycle of birth & death,
and influences all other types of
consciousness…

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Amitabha Buddha
 Chinese Omitofo, Japanese Amida, Vietnamese A-Di-Da, the Buddha
of Infinite Light & Infinite Life “the archetype of cosmic
compassion”, venerated by all Mahayana Schools, especially Pure
Land;

 Presides over the Western Pure Land (Land of Ultimate Bliss), where,
according to Buddha’s promise in the Amitabha Sutra, anyone can be
reborn through sincere and single-minded recitation of his name;

 Symbolically, Amitabha is Higher Self , Self-Nature or True Mind


common to all Buddhas and sentient beings. This deeper
understanding provides the rationale for harmonization of Zen & Pure
Land…

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Anatman, anatta

 non-self; non-ego;

 absence of a permanent, unchanging self or


soul;

 non-substantiality of all things and


elements…

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Anicca, aniccata

 anicca = impermanent

 aniccata = impermanence

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Arahant

 Worthy One, one far from defilement, one


who has broken the wheel of birth & death,
one without secrets;
 the mind totally and finally free from greed,
anger and delusion, void of “I” and “mine”;
 One which has ended karma, and is
unaffected by dukkha (suffering)…

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Atman

 Sanskrit for “soul”, in Pali: “atta”;

 Buddha revealed the non-existence of ego


(see: anatman, or anatta)…

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Avidya

 ignorance

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Being

 in early Greek philosophy: Being is


opposed to Becoming;
 in mysticism: Being often refers to God,
but some mystics point out that God, the
Absolute, is beyond all dualistic notions
such as being & non-being;
 in Spinoza: “that which is”…

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Bhiksu / Bhikku
 Buddhist monk

Bhiksuni / Bhikkhuni
 Buddhist nun

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Bodhi Mind / Boddhicitta
 Great Mind, the precondition for Buddhahood:
 The spirit of Enlightenment
 The aspiration to achieve Enlightenment

 The Mind set of Enlightenment

 The determination to achieve Buddhahood


 The aspiration to rescue all Beings

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Bodhisattva
 one who aspires to Supreme Enlightenment
and Buddhahood for him/herself and for all
human beings;

 This term can apply to either to:


 realized beings such as Avalokiteshvara, or to
 anyone who developed the Bodhi Mind, i.e. the

aspiration to rescue self & others…


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Buddhism
 a religion, philosophy, soteriology and
way of life that was developed in North-
Eastern India from the teachings of a man
called Siddartha Gautama, born about 624
BCE as a prince in a Hindu royal family
called Sakyamuni, who after his
enlightenment became known as Buddha,
the Enlightened One.

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Dharma

 the teachings of the Buddhas;

 law, doctrine;

 things, events, phenomena…

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Dukkha

 pain, hurt, ill-being, suffering, misery;

 dukkhata = unsatisfactoriness, imperfection

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God

 in theistic religions: term used for the Ultimate or


Absolute Being, usually conceived as personal, or
not less than personal: Jehovah, Saguna Brahman,
Allah, etc;
 in philosophy, Hinduism, mysticism and
pantheism: “God” could also be Impersonal
Absolute: Nirguna Brahman, Self, Tao, One,
Ultimate Reality, Impersonal Absolute, etc…

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Karma
 action;
 actions of body, speech and mind due to
wholesome and unwholesome volitions: good
volitions and actions bring good results and bad
volitions and actions bad results;
 the Buddha taught the noble eightfold path to end
all karma, which ends Samsara and “the doer”…

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Koan

 Zen riddle

e.g. What is the sound of one hand


clapping? – often given to a Zen student by
his master, unraveling of which may bring
about sudden enlightenment for the
student…

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Mandala

 Sanskrit word for a magic circle, which can be


applied to a variety of concentric figures;
 in Eastern religions, especially in Tibetan
Buddhism, mandala is used as a help to
contemplation, and as a symbol of the deity…

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Mantra
 a prescribed sacred formula, originally only in Eastern mystical religions,
often passed down from a guru (teacher) as an aid to meditation or
contemplation;
 examples of a mantra:
 Om or AUM (Hindu)
 Hari Krishna, Hari Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, Hari Hari;
Hari Rama, Hari Rama,
Rama Rama, Hari Hari…
 Om Mani Padme Hum (Tibetan)
 Lord Jesus, son of God,
have mercy on me, a sinner (Jesus Prayer or mantra)…

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Maya
 illusion;
 not necessarily meaning something which
does not exist at all, but something that is
seen incorrectly, without proper insight into
its true nature…

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Moksha

 liberation

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Muni

 sage; wise man

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Mystic Union / Unio Mystica

 the state of the soul in union (i.e. yoga) with


God through contemplation…

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Nirvana

 coolness; quenching;
 the Absolute, the Supreme, the Ultimate Reality in
Buddhism – the goal of all Buddhist practice, and
the potential of all humanity;
 when the fires of defilement, attachment,
selfishness and suffering are permanently cooled…

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Noumenon
 Ultimate Inner Truth; Absolute Reality;

 the Absolute; Essence of all things;

 the-thing-itself;
 apparent “opposite” of all phenomena (of the
things-as-they-appear), beyond all duality and
multiplicity…

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One

 in many mystical teachings and philosophies: One


is synonymous with God, Absolute, Ultimate
Reality, Self…

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Ouroboros

 Snake devouring its own tail;


 in mysticism: symbol for infinity;
 in philosophy: a symbol of unity of opposites,
and paradox;
 in psychology: a symbol of intertwining of
male & female, conscious & unconscious,
positive & negative energies…
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Pure Land Buddhism

 school of Buddhism in East Asia which


emphasizes these aspects of Mahayana Buddhism:
 stressing faith in Amitabha Buddha;
 meditation and recitation of his name;

 the religious goal of being reborn in his ‘Pure

Land’ or ‘Western Paradise’, as promised in the


Amitabha Sutra…

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Reality

 that which undeniably is (and, as some


mystics would say: which also includes
‘that which is not’);
 the absoluteness of Being; Existence;
 that which is true; a fact…

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Reincarnation
 the passing (of Alaya Consciousness) from
one body to be reborn in another body

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Rishi

 seer

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Samadhi

 Hindu and Buddhist name for absorption in


a mystical consciousness of Oneness or
Union with God – the object of yoga;
 very high level of concentration;
collectedness; mental absorption;
 secure establishment of the mind, the
gathering together of all mental flow…

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Samsara

 Buddhist term for the flux of phenomena


and for the endless cycle of repeated birth
& death, from which one is trying to escape
through following Dharma and entering
Nirvana…

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Sangha

 community of Buddhist monastics (monks &


nuns); or

 community of fellow Buddhists at large


(monastics and lay people)…

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Sat-Chit-Ananda

 in Hindu thought: Being-Awareness-Bliss

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Satori

 in Zen (Japanese): enlightenment

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Silence
 in Christian mysticism: God is in silence, not speech;
 in Hinduism: mouna = silence (many gurus, e.g. Sri
Ramana Maharshi, taught in silence);
 in Buddhism: Noble Silence – speaking only when
necessary;
 one of the most profound lessons Buddha gave was
when he sat with his disciples in silence, holding up a
flower; only Kashyapa understood & smiled and got
the flower – this is probably how Ch’an / Zen
began…

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Skandhas
 components or aggregates representing body and
mind;

 According to Buddhist teachings, there are


5 Skandhas:
 Form

 Feeling

 Conception

 Impulse

 Consciousness

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Sunyata

 voidness, emptiness, no-thingness; absolute


nothingness = kokori in Japanese;
 all things, without any exception, are void
of “self” and “belonging to self”, are void
or free of “I” & “mine”;
 it also refers to mind which is void of greed,
anger and delusion…

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Sunyata and Wu-Wei, Wu Hsin & Wu-Nien

 Sunyata or wu (kokoro or mu in Japanese)


= absolute emptiness, voidness

 Wu-wei = no-action

 Wu-hsin = no-mind

 Wu-nien = no-thought

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Sunyata – the “element” beyond all elements

 Sunyata is not a material / form element (matter)


 Sunyata is not an immaterial / formless element (energy, spirit, earth,
water, fire, wind, consciousness, or empty space)

 Sunyata is not a changing element


 Sunnyata is not an unchanging element

 Buddha called “it”


 the “element” beyond all elements

 the “coolness” or “quenching” or “deathless” element

 the state free of “I” and “mine”

 the state of “renunciation”, or “non-grasping”:

 renunciation of materiality and sensuality

 renunciation of immateriality

• …and finally: - the renunciation of renunciation.

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Tathagata

 one gone to Thusness, Thus-gone-one,


Thus-come-one – the term used by Buddha
himself when referring to himself;

 also used, occasionally, for Arahants in


general…

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Tathata

 thusness, suchness, just-like-that-ness;

 neither this nor that (Neti-Neti in Sanskrit),


the reality of non-duality…

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The Main Schools of Buddhism
 Theravada

 Mahayana
 Pure Land
 Ch’an / Zen

 Vajrayana / Tibetan

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The Three Universal Truths

 1. Annica: Everything in life is impermanent


and constantly changing.

 2. Dukkha: Because nothing is permanent, life


is unsatisfactory and full of suffering.

 3. Anatta: There is no eternal soul or


permanent self; ego-lessness; non-ego.

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The Triple Gem & Three
Refuges
Buddhists are united in their belief in the:

 Buddha

 Dharma (Buddha’s teachings)

 Sangha (Buddhist community)

Because these are also the sources of help and support to the believers, they are also
known as the Three Refuges:
 I go to the Buddha as my refuge
 I go to the Dharma as my refuge
 I go to the Sangha as my refuge

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Tripitaka or Tipitaka
 The “three baskets” of Buddhist scriptures:
 The Sutras = Buddha’s discourses and
sermons;

 The Vinaya = precepts & rules for monks &


nuns;

 The Abhidharma = psycho-philosophical texts,


analysis of body and mind into constituent
parts…

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Via Affirmativa

 the Affirmative Way: an approach to God through


positive affirmation of His attributes, i.e. He is
wise, loving, omnipresent, omnipotent,
omniscient, etc.
 many theologians claim that the Via Affirmativa is
inadequate without the Via Negativa, because it
can only speak of God’s attributes, never of God’s
eternal nature…

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10 Wholesome Courses of Action
1. Generosity (Dana)
2. Morality (Sila)
3. Meditation (Bhavana)
4. Reverence
5. Service
6. Transference of merit
7. Rejoicing in other’s merit
8. Hearing the Doctrine / Dharma
9. Expounding the Doctrine
10. Straightening of one’s own views

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10 Unwholesome Courses of Action
1. Killing
2. Stealing
3. Sexual misconduct & abuse of the senses
4. Lying
5. Slandering
6. Harsh speech
7. Frivolous talk
8. Covetousness
9. Ill-will
10. False view

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Via Negativa

 the way to understand God or Ultimate


reality through the negation of all God’s
attributes, or descriptions assigned to God;
 Neti-neti (not this - not that) in Hinduism…

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Vipassana

 insight, seeing clearly: to see directly into


the nature of things (e.g. Vipassana
Meditation)…

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Yin & Yang
 male & female

 In Taoism: the male & female principles, uniting


in the eternal Tao; complementary rather then
opposites…

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Yoga

 yoke, bond, connection, mystical union with


God, Self, Brahman, Absolute…

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Zen
 The name Zen is Japanese. It derives from the Chinese Chan'an-na or
briefly Ch’an, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit Dhyana,
meaning Meditation in English.

 Zen is one of the branches of Mahayana Buddhism, very popular in


China, Korea and Japan, and lately also in the West.

 Zen teaches us to wake up to the present moment, that is to perceiving


this moment exactly as it is rather than through the filter of ideas,
opinions, prejudices, appearances, etc.

 Zen is a spiritual path that encourages practitioners to see the futility


behind the world of appearances. In a practical sense, it helps us to
live spontaneously and joyously, as well as spiritually.

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Thank You

Ivan Frimmel
Cell: 082-454-0311

E-mail: ivan.frimmel@nanhua.co.za

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