Notes on Rahula, What the Buddha Taught

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Notes on Walpola Rahula,What the Buddha Taught

(1907 - 1997)

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The Three Jewels of Buddhism

Buddha = a title not a personal name (AwakenedOne) especially iddhartha !autama ("orn c# $%& B'in um"ini* modern +epal, died c# -.& B' /or -001

-22 B'3 in 4ushina5ar* modern 6ttar 7radesh* 8ndia) 9harma = teachin5 a"out the way thin5s are (from

lin5uistic root dhr = to fasten* support* or hold) an5ha = the community of Buddhists* especially

monks and nuns :or an e;cellent o

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The Buddha as a Teacher

The Buddha was not a computin5 machine5i

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Buddhist Ontolo5y>The Three i5ns?Harks of

;istence

Anitya?Anicca = impermanence Anatman?Anatta = not1self 9ukkha = sufferin5* unsatisfactoriness*

an;iety* distress

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The :our +o"le Truths

9ukkha (= sufferin5* unsatisfactoriness*

distress) The 'ause of 9ukkha (= thirst* cra

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The +o"le i5htfold 7ath

isdom i5ht 6nderstandin5 i5ht Thou5ht

Iirtue i5ht peech i5ht Action i5ht i

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:our u"lime tates (or upremeIirtues)

6nlimited* 6ni

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The Buddhas Theory of AnKtta(+o oul or +ot1elf)

Accordin5 to the Buddha* e

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The Buddhas Ar5ument for +o 7ermanentelf

0# 8f any of the fi

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ome O"Mections to Buddhism

+ir

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The Buddhas ocial Thou5ht

Those who think that Buddhism is interested only inlofty ideals* hi5h moral and philosophical thou5ht* andthat it i5nores the social and economic welfare ofpeople* are wron5# The Buddha was interested in the

happiness of men# To him happiness was not possi"lewithout leadin5 a pure life "ased on moral and spiritualprinciples# But he knew that leadin5 such a life washard in unfa

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The Buddha on ar and 7eace

8t is too well known to "e repeated here thatBuddhism ad

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ahulas esponse to the O"Mection

that Buddhism is 8mpracticalThere can "e no peace or happiness for man as lon5 as he desires and thirstsafter conEuerin5 and su"Mu5atin5 his nei5h"our# As the Buddha says* NThe

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The Buddha on :reedom and9eterminism

Accordin5 to the Buddhas concept ofconditioned 5enesis (what Thich +hat Fanhcalls inter"ein5)* nothin5 e;ists as aseparate indi