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What Is Buddhism ?
2. The teachings of the Buddha.
 
            This is the second way Buddhism can be defined.The Lord Buddha's teachings are beneficial in three ways, depending on which of these fit your particular character:
a) Beneficial for this life.
b) Beneficial for the next life.
c) Beneficial for the highest good, or nibbana, which ends suffering.
 
            An example of a) above is the sutta - teaching about not getting angry. The Buddha taught non-hatred. "Don't hurt your mind", said the Buddha. Anger only hurts you, not the other person.
            An example of b) above are the teachings concerning morality and the practice of concentration development, in meditation.
            Regarding c) above the Buddha taught the way to reach nibbana - the kind of happiness that does not turn into suffering anymore, where happiness and suffering are missed.
          In this essay we will only discuss nibbana to end suffering. The real suffering is the Five Aggregates, or body and mind (rupa and nama). When the Five Aggregates are extinguished completely, final, or complete nibbana is reached. An example of this is the Lord Buddha and the fully-enlightened ones (arahants) of the Buddha's time. They will never be reborn again to experience suffering.
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And what way did the Lord Buddha teach to end suffering?
He taught morality, concentration, and wisdom (clear comprehension) in the Eight-fold Path.
Why must it be morality, concentration, and wisdom in the Eight-Fold Path?
              Because these three elements when they are in the Eight-Fold Path are Middle Way, which is necessary to reach the Four Noble Truths.
             The Eight-Fold Path is called the Middle Way, and is the "one and the only way" to reach the Four Noble Truths and end suffering.
            The Middle Way means avoidance of the two extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification that the Buddha found among Hindu yogis in his day. These yogis thought self-mortification would destroy desire and self-indulgence would destroy hatred. The Middle Way also means avoiding like or dislike.
What is the benefit of realizing the Four Noble Truths?
            The benefit is the end of suffering. This is done when the Path moment that has nibbana as its object erases all remaining defilement and ends suffering (4th Path). Nibbana is very happy because there is no rebirth.
What do you mean by very happy?
            The kind of happiness that does not turn into suffering anymore, like mundane happiness.The Lord Buddha said, "Nibbana is very happy".
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How does happiness come about?
Because nibbana has no Five Aggregates. The Five Aggregates are the real truth of suffering (dukkha - sacca). If you don't have the Five Aggregates, you don't have any suffering-such as old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, etc. That's why nibbana is happy. It's not like the mundane world, where happiness and suffering are mixed. Nibbana is the highest good in Buddhism.
           “Morality, concentration, and wisdom comprise the Eight-Fold Path. Which comes first? Should we practice morality until we are purified, and realize concentration and wisdom later?
            Morality, concentration, and wisdom in the Eight-Fold Path have to go together not just one at a time. It's like a pill with three ingredients: we take them all at once. Concentration-type meditation is peaceful, with rapture-especially for the one who reaches absorption (very high state of concentration). It is very happy. So why do we say only nibbana is happy?
            While concentration-type meditation is wholesome and is it destroys mental defilements (hindrances), it is just temporarily peaceful, lasting only as long as the hindrances are suppressed. The happiness depends on the level of absorption.
But that happiness is still in the wheel of suffering.
            Meditation to reach absorption existed before the Lord Buddha. The Lord Buddha practiced this concentration meditation until he reached the highest absorption (the eighth) but he realized that absorption could not destroy hidden defilements. Then he found the Eight-Fold Path and realized the Four Noble Truths - and thus, enlightenment. He then said, "This is my last life". And so, because enlightenment (nibbana) extinguishes defilement and hence suffering - and ends the round of rebirth - we say only nibbana is happy
            In all the world's philosophies, wisdom that ends suffering is found only in Buddhism. How can we prove this? The Eight-Fold Path, properly followed, destroys defilements that are the cause of suffering. Defilements can only be destroyed with wisdom.
            When practice is perfect, wisdom develops and that wisdom (insight or vipassana wisdom) destroys defilement. Only Buddhism can completely destroy defilement - i.e. reach nibbana. This is proof that the practice of the Eight-Fold Path develops wisdom.
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