Dharma
Buddha Dharma is an excellent guidebook for realising the truth of how all-phenomenal things are composed of and how love being the ultimate nature of every human being. So, Buddha Dharma is virtually beyond any sort of violence through religious dogmatism of animal sacrifices and killings in the wars. It is also a religion wherein caste system has never a place, wherein gender inequality has never existed, wherein dogmatism and blind faith is never appreciated and equality of personal views is widely practiced. Therefore, if we look into the history of mankind, we will instantly see that Buddha Dharma is a source of peace and justice in this world of fighting and plundering. Eighty-four thousands words of Buddha's teachings are roughly divided into three wheels of Dharma. The direct meanings of these teachings are deeply explained, explained word by word and explained by annotation became thousands and thousands of volumes. There is no way to include all of them in a single article like this. Thus, a brief introduction of how these teachings of the Buddha help to create harmony and peace in the societies as well as for individuals..
Buddha Dharma is an excellent guidebook for realising the truth of how all-phenomenal things are composed of and how love being the ultimate nature of every human being. So, Buddha Dharma is virtually beyond any sort of violence through religious dogmatism of animal sacrifices and killings in the wars. It is also a religion wherein caste system has never a place, wherein gender inequality has never existed, wherein dogmatism and blind faith is never appreciated and equality of personal views is widely practiced. Therefore, if we look into the history of mankind, we will instantly see that Buddha Dharma is a source of peace and justice in this world of fighting and plundering. Eighty-four thousands words of Buddha's teachings are roughly divided into three wheels of Dharma. The direct meanings of these teachings are deeply explained, explained word by word and explained by annotation became thousands and thousands of volumes. There is no way to include all of them in a single article like this. Thus, a brief introduction of how these teachings of the Buddha help to create harmony and peace in the societies as well as for individuals..
Building Pillars of Justice
1) The first teachings, the Dharma Wheel of Four Noble Truths, was given to the retinue of Five Excellent Disciples at the Deer Park in Varanasi and the obvious themes of the teachings were on knowledge of the suffering, abandonment of the sources of suffering, seeing the truth of the ending suffering and practicing the path of ending suffering. Indirectly it shows that during those times Buddha saw the suffering of the people and advised that the sufferings in the society, such as Brahmans oppressing the farmers and higher caste bullying lower caste, should be known and expressed. The Buddha explained how the origin of those sufferings is not only due to the corruption of society but also the mindset of individuals. The Buddha has also spoken that if we could abandon the sources of suffering and start practicing righteousness and altruism, then the world and this life will be prevailed with justice and righteousness. Therefore, Buddha's first teachings are somehow meant for building the pillars of justice.
1) The first teachings, the Dharma Wheel of Four Noble Truths, was given to the retinue of Five Excellent Disciples at the Deer Park in Varanasi and the obvious themes of the teachings were on knowledge of the suffering, abandonment of the sources of suffering, seeing the truth of the ending suffering and practicing the path of ending suffering. Indirectly it shows that during those times Buddha saw the suffering of the people and advised that the sufferings in the society, such as Brahmans oppressing the farmers and higher caste bullying lower caste, should be known and expressed. The Buddha explained how the origin of those sufferings is not only due to the corruption of society but also the mindset of individuals. The Buddha has also spoken that if we could abandon the sources of suffering and start practicing righteousness and altruism, then the world and this life will be prevailed with justice and righteousness. Therefore, Buddha's first teachings are somehow meant for building the pillars of justice.
Diving Deep into the Truth
2) The second teachings, the Dharma Wheel of Absence of Characteristics was given on the Vulture Peak and these teachings were meant only for the chosen disciples. The themes of the teachings were directly focused on the realiation of that all phenomenal things are devoid of the ultimate truth and the self. But indirectly they also teach profound social moralities, for instance, in those times the Buddha had witnessed the numerous wars between kings, empires and also within the families; such as wars between Sakya clans and Maghadha or the prince imprisoning his own father to take over the empire and so on, and realied that all the viciousness and violence were from one source, which is a misconception of a self. After the Buddha has shown the ultimate truth of needing non-violence and peace in world, the wars are relatively reduced to some extend. This is also the reason why we feel that to avoid destruction and wars recitation of the Heart Sutra is most relevant.
2) The second teachings, the Dharma Wheel of Absence of Characteristics was given on the Vulture Peak and these teachings were meant only for the chosen disciples. The themes of the teachings were directly focused on the realiation of that all phenomenal things are devoid of the ultimate truth and the self. But indirectly they also teach profound social moralities, for instance, in those times the Buddha had witnessed the numerous wars between kings, empires and also within the families; such as wars between Sakya clans and Maghadha or the prince imprisoning his own father to take over the empire and so on, and realied that all the viciousness and violence were from one source, which is a misconception of a self. After the Buddha has shown the ultimate truth of needing non-violence and peace in world, the wars are relatively reduced to some extend. This is also the reason why we feel that to avoid destruction and wars recitation of the Heart Sutra is most relevant.
Foundation of Equality
3) The third and last teachings, the Dharma Wheel of Doctrine of Good Discrimination, were primarily given in the city of Vaishali. The direct themes of the teaching include; advices on how every being has the potential to become a Buddha and how if one is being strictly mindful to distinguish between the virtuous deeds and vice, then becoming a Buddha is a possible goal and it's in one's own hand. These things also reflect the equality between man and woman, between rich and poor, between Brahmans and untouchables. The Buddha allowed female disciples to form their own nunneries, which gave women the religious right and equality for the first time in history. The Buddha had also emphatically advised on treating every being including a housefly with equality, as every being is equally potential to become a Buddha. Therefore, we can boldly claim that the gender and social equality have been born with Buddha's third teachings.
3) The third and last teachings, the Dharma Wheel of Doctrine of Good Discrimination, were primarily given in the city of Vaishali. The direct themes of the teaching include; advices on how every being has the potential to become a Buddha and how if one is being strictly mindful to distinguish between the virtuous deeds and vice, then becoming a Buddha is a possible goal and it's in one's own hand. These things also reflect the equality between man and woman, between rich and poor, between Brahmans and untouchables. The Buddha allowed female disciples to form their own nunneries, which gave women the religious right and equality for the first time in history. The Buddha had also emphatically advised on treating every being including a housefly with equality, as every being is equally potential to become a Buddha. Therefore, we can boldly claim that the gender and social equality have been born with Buddha's third teachings.