By teaching about Buddhism, one gets the knowledge of what goes wrong with life and
different ways for easing suffering. In Buddhism, the problem is that everything ends, sadness
and lack of meaningful ego are some signs of being unstable. The story of Gautama Siddhartha’s
journey to awakening well shows human nature characterized by old age, sickness, and death as
inevitable paths. Realizing that extreme self-denial was not the answer, Siddhartha Gautama left
behind the sheltered domestic life he had been leading. The most important teachings from
Buddha revolve around the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. According to IWR,
“In his first sermon, which came to be known as the Sermon in the Deer Park, he told them of the
Middle Way and set forth the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, which describe
the cause and cure of suffering.”(p161) The First Noble Truth acknowledges the suffering in life,
coming from desire and ignorance. The Second Truth identifies desire, or tanha, as the cause of
suffering and emphasizing unhealthy attachment. The Third Truth provides hope, asserting that
there is a way to end suffering. The path is explained in the Fourth Noble Truth, which
introduces the Noble Eightfold Path, providing a comprehensive guide to living a life free from
suffering.
There are three divisions of the Noble Eightfold Path: Right View and Right Intention
(which comprehending and dedicating to the teachings), Right Speech, Right Action, and Right
Livelihood ( ethical conduct) as well as Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration (focusing on mental discipline and concentration). The Middle Way stresses
balance by avoiding extremes, likely luxury and self-denial. These teachings are connected to the
idea of interdependent origination, which says that everything is interconnected. They also
explore reality through three main points: Change, suffering, and no-self. Change refers to how
everything keeps changing, suffering shows how desire can lead to pain, and no-self denies the
idea of a permanent self, suggesting that we are always made up of changing parts.
In Buddhist cosmology, every creation is influenced by karma and rebirth directing its
future forms of life. At the top of Buddhist practice lies nirvana, the stopping of desire and
liberation from the cycle of rebirth. According to Akiyama,“So it's this idea of in order to pursue
nirvana, you actually need moderation, as it were.”(“ HRS4 - Lecture on Buddhist
Teachings”2:56)The Buddha's silence about nirvana shows that it's beyond human
understanding. In simple terms, Buddhism teaches us how to understand life's problems and
offers a solution through moral behavior.
On January 20th, 2021, I watched a virtual Hatsu Daishiku service streamed from the
Northern California Koyasan Temple. This service lasted for around an hour and was available
on YouTube where everyone could follow it. The Koyasan Temple usually organizes these
services every month and people can either attend in person or through zoom. It was Hatsu
Daishiku that I saw, which was the first monthly service of the year, with the aim of making New
Year’s wishes and honoring Kobo Daishi as well as other past ancestors.The URL for this event
is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06MMDSOE_lo&t=1723s.
The branch of buddhism this temple belongs to is the Vajrayana, also known as Tantric or
Esoteric Buddhism. According to IWR, "Usually understood as a form of Mahayana Buddhism,
Vajrayana began in India but much of its early development occurred in Tibet.”(pg 179) The ceremony began with bell ringing by the reverend several times, showing commencement of
spiritual proceedings. A mournful moment began when names of those who died in January and
February were mentioned one after another having a bell sound after each name. Reverend
Mimatsu served as a facilitator during this service leading participants through spiritual
reflections and rituals. A Goeika performance became one of the highlights at this service
whereby this song is meant for spiritual use. Reverend Mimatsu emphasized self-love as well as
humility among other disciplines.The virtual setting’s atmosphere was calming with everything
being well illuminating. There were several artifacts in the room; these included a big singing
bell and a prayer book placed before the reverend. Everything in the room was gold making it
look holy.Reverend Mimatsu’s voice was calming throughout the service, this made the
environment relaxing and peaceful. The chants and spiritual songs made it even more
meditative, offering one an opportunity for self reflection and private thoughts. The online Hatsu
Daishiku service provided a chance for spiritual connection and renewal, led by the teachings of
Vajrayana Buddhism and Reverend Mimatsu's compassionate leadership.
Through this course I have been learning how Buddhism is practiced and what they
believe in. With this event that I attended I was able to immerse myself in what I have previously
been learning about. They have a large emphasis on self improvement and this further
emphasized it for me. With the Reverend talks of self-love and being humble in several aspects it
amplified what their teachings are about. Additionally, their whole services seem calming and
spiritual with the background giving the whole service a sacred feeling. Sources
Brodd, Jeffrey, et al. Invitation to World Religions. Available from: Oxford University Press, (4th
Edition). Oxford University Press Academic US, 2021.
