Understanding Key Concepts in Buddhist Philosophy

Posted on Mar 2, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics

Key Concepts in Buddhist Philosophy

1) The First Noble Truth: Suffering exists because everything is impermanent and destined to disappear.

Buddhist Anthropology

2) Buddhist Anthropology: Buddhist anthropology is explored in a sermon on the characteristics of non-self, composed of rupa (body), vedana (sensations), sanna (perception), samkhe (mental states), and vinnana (consciousness).

Karma and Reality

3) Karma: The illusion of a permanent self creates a false duality. Denying this illusion leads to union with reality. After death, the self persists in union with accumulated karmic consequences.

The Moment of Death (Cuti)

4) The Time of Death (Cuti): This fleeting moment occurs for four reasons:

  • Karma causing a specific consequence ends.
  • The natural term of the five skandhas is reached.
  • Both of the above.
  • Karma.

This moment is crucial as it appears that reorganization occurs under the law of karma.

Nirvana, Hinayana, and Mahayana

5) Nirvana, Hinayana, and Mahayana: Nirvana means ‘extinguished,’ referring to the cessation of karmic flow and desires. Ultimate salvation in this stream becomes Mahayana, multiplying in four ways:

  1. Nirvana itself: Pure and absolute, shared by all beings.
  2. Given on Nirvana: Accomplished within the material but suffering its harmful effects.
  3. Nirvana on indeterminate: Total disengagement from matter and its effects.
  4. Nirvana contemplative: Intuitive identification with itself.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead

The Tibetan Book of the Dead (VIII d. C.)

Mahayana guides the newly deceased through the intermediate state (Bardo) between death and rebirth, encouraging recognition of the Buddha as light.

The Bardo States

1) First Bardo (First and Second Light): The officiant repeats a text, encouraging focus on the experience of emptiness during the cessation of breathing.

2) Second Bardo (Terrifying Projections): Failure to recognize the second light leads to terrifying visions, projections of the self. If unrecognized, it progresses through seven days (seven times):

  1. Blue light of reality / White light of the devas
  2. White light of compassion / Smoked light of hell
  3. Yellow light of earth / Dim blue light of the human kingdom
  4. Red light of fire / Yellow light of the Pretto kingdom
  5. Green light of air / Red light of the Titan kingdom
  6. Five clans of Buddhas and four lights above the four elements
  7. Rainbow light / Green light of the animal kingdom

If the five Buddhas appear as terrifying forms and are not recognized, one passes to the third bardo.

3) Third Bardo: Appetite or desire suggests reincarnation. Contemplation of the body tempts one to acquire a new body.