Posted on: Saturday, October 4, 2003
EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH
Traveling the path of discipline
By the Rev. Al Bloom
More than 2,500 years ago, a signal event marked the establishment of Buddhism through Siddhartha Gautama's experience of enlightenment after six years of concentrated and deep spiritual search and meditation. He later became known as Sakyamuni Buddha, the enlightened sage of the Sakya people.
His experience was given concrete expression in his first teaching described as the first turning of the wheel of the teaching (Dharmacakra, also spelled by some as Dharmachakra). Hence, the symbol of Buddhism is the Dharma wheel, which comprises the eight spokes referring to the eightfold path of discipline bounded by the circle of enlightenment.
Buddhism refers to itself as a vehicle, a yana or vada, a way to travel. There are the theravada, the way of the elders, mahayana, large-vehicle vajrayana, the diamond vehicle, representing various streams of tradition in Buddhism. The wheel is important for traversing long distances and carrying heavy loads.
Commemorating the turning of the wheel in Buddhism reminds us of the fundamental truths that Gautama taught, including the four noble truths, the eightfold path, the middle way.
The four noble truths are Buddha's diagnosis, like a doctor's, of the nature of human spiritual illness, the cause, abolition of the cause, and the method for abolition.
Gautama saw that all life involves suffering, dissatisfaction, frustration, from meeting what we dislike and losing what we like or love. His realistic assessment of life revealed his keen insight that all experiences have a kernel of pain. Too much pleasure brings boredom and indifference. We may have too much of a good thing or we cannot get enough.
Recent discussions about the drug ice in our community reveal the sufferings of people afflicted with insatiable addiction and their families.
Impermanence in life reaches into all levels of our experience and we can never be satisfied.
The reason for our dissatisfaction are our cravings and selfish desires. We are driven to increase our satisfaction, and our desires have no end. However, the cause can be overcome through the practice of the eightfold noble path of right understanding, right purpose, right speech, right conduct, right vocation, right effort, right alertness and right concentration.
Meditation is an essential element in this process. A cautionary truth is that all practices should be done in the middle way, avoiding extremes. We should not pursue bodily mortification or extreme pleasure or gratification. Extremes beget frustration.
The wheel of Dharma began its movement through history, traversing Asia and now reaching deeply into the West. It brings its benign message, proclaiming that our problems begin within ourselves in our own egoistic minds and thought and the frustrations of our delusive expectations, prejudices and desires. These dissatisfactions become crystallized in social groups and create the basis for conflicts within society and in wars outside. Through the practice of the Path, our minds can be liberated and passions quelled, enabling all people to live with mutuality and brotherhood.
(For details of the Harvest Moon — Dharmachakra Festival at 6:30 p.m. Friday at McCoy Pavilion at Ala Moana Beach Park, see the Faith Calendar.)
The Rev. Alfred Bloom is professor emeritus of the religion department at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa. Expressions of Faith is a column that welcomes written works by pastors, priests, lay workers and other leaders in faith and spirituality. E-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com or call 525-8035. Articles submitted to The Advertiser may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.
