By Scott Shaw

Historically, little is of absolute certainty regarding the life of the being who has become commonly referred to as, The Buddha. Throughout history, however, his life has been chronicled in legend.

Siddhartha Guatama, the Sakyamuni Buddha, "Buddha from the Kingdom of Sakya," is generally agreed to have lived from 563 to 483 B.C.E. Legend states that he was a Prince who lived a very sheltered life. Upon witnessing poverty, illness, and death for the first time, he lost faith in all that was material and left behind his Royal Lifestyle in pursuit of the ultimate truth of human existence.

What is historically established is that during the lifetime of The Buddha a revolution was taking place in South Asia. Iron had recently been introduced to the Indian Subcontinent from China. This led to many rapid advancements in society - agriculture was vastly improved and landscapes could be readily cultivated. No longer were the forests the daunting obstacles they had once been. Now, they could be cleared so crops could be harvested within their once impenetrable boundaries. New structures, particularly palaces, were constructed in a much more substantial fashion. And perhaps most definitive of the era, the tool of warfare were vastly improved. So much so, that near the end of his life The Buddha's own kingdom of Sakya fell to the neighboring Kingdom of Kosala. Within a century of his lifetime, the entire region, of what are now Northern India and Nepal, would be united as the Magadha Empire.

The prominent religion of this historic era was Vedic Brahanism. This religion can trace its roots back a thousand years prior to the life of The Buddha. Its scriptures, known as The Vedas, began to be composed in 1500 B.C.E.

The highest practitioners of this religion were the Brahmans. They were identified as the highest cast and obviously the most wealthy of this ancient society. From this, they claimed privileges not afforded to the average individual.

As formalized power, secular wealth, and religious privilege rose in this region, dissatisfaction among the populace also escalated. This gave birth to a group of ascetics who were known as Sramana. The Sramana shunned society, renounced material possessions, and became wandering holy men following an undefined path to enlightenment. This group laid the foundation for what has become more commonly known as the Sadhu. The mindset of this group, undoubtedly, influenced the path the young Siddhartha Guatama, as he would ultimately follow.

The Buddha's path to enlightenment is historically unclear. It is believed that he studied with two primary teachers, Arada Kalama, who taught Akimcanya Ayatana, "The experience of nothingness" and, Udraka Ramaputra, who taught Naiva Samjna Asamjna Ayatana, "The experience of conscious unconsciousness."

The legend persists, in China, that Lao Tzu, the Great Sage who is credited as the author of the Tao Te Ching, upon becoming disheartened with Chinese society and leaving his royal post, actually entered what is modern day Nepal and also became one of The Buddha's teachers. As romantic as the pairing of these great souls appears, there is no historic evidence to provide factual substantiation to this claim.

The Enlightenment of The Buddha

Legend states that The Buddha dissatisfied with not obtaining the ultimate understanding of life from his two teachers or following the path of a wandering holy man, sat down under a Bodhi Tree and swore he would not rise until he became enlightened. Though many legends have been written about what The Buddha experienced during this period of intensive meditation, it is known that he did, in fact, rise an enlightened being.

The Buddha, upon his realization, gave his first enlightened discourse at what is now Bodh Gaya, near Varanasi, India. This talk is known as, "The First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma."

It can not be established, with absolute certainly, what The Buddha actually said during this discourse. All that is written, claiming him as the source, was done so years, and in some cases centuries, after his physical death.

The Pali Canon

The Theravada tradition of Buddhism claims that the language of the Buddha was Pali, and thus, their collections of scriptures, known as, The Pali Canon, is the most accurate. This, however, has proven to be linguistically incorrect, as Pali came into existence after the time of The Buddha - who left his body near the city of Kusinagra, when he was eighty years old.

Thus, his spoken words, though possibly initially recorded in his native dialect, most probably, Magadhi, were handed down from disciple to disciple for an undefined period before they finally found their way into scriptural form.

The Buddhist Religion

With the end of Buddha's life came the Buddhist religion. But, The Buddha did not invent the concept of enlightenment, nor was he the first, or the last, being to reach this highest level of conscious evolution. Throughout the centuries, the followers of Buddhism have come to idealize his life and his teachings to the degree that it was impossible for them to reach their own Buddhahood, due to the extensive set of parameters they have assigned to the advancement of human consciousness.

There is an elemental problem with this mindset, however. Was the Buddha a Buddhist? No, he was not. Did the Buddha ask for worship? No, he did not. In fact, legend states that when he was asked, "Are you an Avatar," he answered, "No, just a man." When asked, "Then, are you a Guru?" He answered, "No, just a man."

This is the portrait of the true, perfectly enlightened teacher, who achieved the highest level of human consciousness. Yet, he did not seek admiration due to his realization.

It is the unenlightened mind of humanity that has forgotten this simple truth and chosen to make him a deity of worship and his teachings the basis for a religion. From this mindset has come centuries of Buddhist which have been unable to encounter the realms of Nirvana - solely due to the fact that they project such an orchestrated, idealized image of what enlightenment is suppose to be. This problem is amplified by the fact that many Buddhists hold fast to the belief that the teachings of their sect of Buddhism or their individual teachers hold the only great truth and the purest pathway to higher consciousness. They miss the point...

The teaching laid down by The Buddha are absent from formalized religion. Formalized religion employs ritual. Ritual, though beautiful to watch, is based in physical actions. Physical actions only lead to physical reactions. Thus, Karma is set in motion - not enlightenment.

If enlightenment is the core teaching of The Buddha and it is understood that it is possible for each individual to achieve this level of consciousness, then why do anything other than become enlightened? Arguing that my school or my teacher is the best and yours is wrong does not produce enlightenment.

The Buddhist Core Teachings

At the core of the Buddhist tradition is "The Four Nobel Truths." These teaching were originally recorded in the Pali Canon. Though other historic texts from the same period mention nothing about this discourse, the Pali Canon claims this to be the first teaching of the enlightened Siddhartha Guatama.

Whether or not this will ever be historically substantiated, one way or the other is unimportant. What is important, however, is that the being who became known throughout the world as, The Buddha, possessed such a specific Karma that the teaching attributed to him have been remembered for centuries.

"The Four Nobel Truths" set the stage for what have become the essential teachings of The Buddha. To this end, we can view them as the root of Zen. And, come to look to these words for guidance.

The Four Nobel Truths:

1. All beings are bound by Karma.

2. The cause of suffering is desire.

3. Obtaining enlightenment can alleviate suffering.

4. Enlightenment is obtainable by practicing the Eightfold Path of Dharma:

1. Right Views.

2. Right Intentions.

3. Right Speech.

4. Right Conduct.

5. Right Livelihood.

6. Right Effort.

7. Right Mindfulness.

8. Right Concentration.

Understanding the Four Nobel Truths

1. All beings are bound by Karma.

Karma is a complex philosophy, which attempts to provide definition to a seemingly chaotic life filled with random injustices.

You can turn to the understanding of Karma in hopes of obtaining logic and justification for the random unsavory acts which take place all around us. Or, you can let go, witness the perfection, and transcend this attempt to define the undefinable.

Karma will be as Karma will be. But, your spiritual progress will not be lost in a vain attempt trying to decipher this universal code.

2. The Cause of Suffering is Desire.

This statement is so elementally true that in its simplicity, little more need be said.

Desire is your choice. You can choose to live a life believing that you do not possess enough material wealth, power, physical beauty, love, or enlightenment. Or, you can settle into the divine perfection, which is readily available to all of us, and simply relax into the knowing that all elements of this universe, including your life, are in a cosmic accord. This accord leads each of us towards the ultimate realization of Nirvana.

Keep in mind, if this very complex universe were not in a functional harmony, it would not function. As it does, you too must be a functional part of the divine game plan. Thus, relax into the knowing that you are moving in cosmic accord.

3. Obtaining enlightenment can alleviate suffering.

Central to the core of Buddha's teachings are two primary issues: renunciation from the allures, desires, and conflicts of the material world and walking the path to enlightenment.

It is important to keep in mind that enlightenment, referred to as Maha Bodhi or Great Awakening, did not originate with the Buddha. This understanding was in existence since the dawn of advancing human consciousness.

The Pali Canons of Buddhism record that there were twenty-eight Buddhas, or enlightened beings, which existed before Siddhartha Guatama. The numbers of those, who have obtained this ultimate level of human consciousness, have continued to multiply through the centuries.

Walking the path to enlightenment is a personal choice. You must make this decision very consciously and pursue it diligently, never allowing your mind to lose focus upon your objective - (objective not desire).

The path to enlightenment begins from an untold number of motivating factors. Once on this path, a spiritual teacher, several teachers, or a philosophic belief you hold deeply in your heart may guide you. As you progress along the mystical road of Zen, you will come to realize that all of the formalities you initially held onto, your religion, your teacher, and even your own images of self begin to fall away. What remains is a pure being that is no longer bound by the traditional desires and rationales of the material world.

4. Enlightenment is obtainable by practicing the Eightfold Path of Dharma.

The Eightfold Path is the prescribed method for each human being to forgo the constraints and limitation of material human existence and move closer towards interaction with Cosmic Consciousness. The Eightfold Path provides you with a method to transcend the limitations of the ego based mind and body and move to a realm where you are no longer defined by the temporalness of this desire based existence.

The Eightfold Path

1. Right Views

Knowing what is right is not difficult. People choose to walk a path devoid of righteousness, based predominately upon their desires: desires for power, desire for control over others, lust for acquisitions of, and not of, this material world.

The first step in obtaining Right Views is to let go of your desires. With this formal mental action you become free from the programming which has previously infiltrated and controlled your thinking mind.

Embracing Right Views is not difficult. Let go of what society has told you is right. Let go of what your friends try to make you believe is right. Let go of thinking that what you already know is right and true rightness is immediately revealed.

2. Right Intentions

Why do you desire something? Why do you hope for its acquisition? Why do you hope for anything to be different than it already is?

The abstract promises of this material world can give you a million reasons why things in your life should be different. The person of Zen, however, accepts the ultimate perfection of this universe and desires to change nothing. Thus, one's intentions are not focused solely upon self, as is so commonly the case with the material person. Not focused upon self, individual intentions are not dominated by desire. Without desire domination they become free from Karma. Free of Karma, intentions become a pure expression of Zen.

3. Right Speech

People like to talk. People like to tell other people what they think, how they feel, and what they believe. People want to tell you their ideologies so passionately that you stop believing what you believe and start believing what they believe.

Words are based in ego.

How many times have you said something that you wished you had not said? How many times have you made a statement and it came out wrong or was misinterpreted? The basis of this occurrence is words being spoken which are not actualized from a wholly pure space of consciousness.

There is an elemental problem with language. Each person possesses their own individual understandings and, thus, assesses their own interpretation to each statement that they hear. Therefore, what you mean to say may never be truly understood by another individual - as they are at a different level of evolutionary consciousness than yourself. It is for this reason that many Sadhus stop speaking altogether. This state of sadhana is called Mauni in Sanskrit.

Though this style of rigorous sadhana is not required, keep in mind, if you are going to say something, make sure that the essence of your words comes from a pure space. If you are understood, great. If not, do not attempt to argue your point, as the person you are speaking with does not possess the mind to hear your words.

Remember, with nothing said, nothing is left unsaid.

4. Right Conduct

People may provide all kinds of definitions and excuses for the actions they take. The difference between Right Conduct and Wrong Conduct is that Right Conduct needs no explanation. What you have done, you have done - all who witness it understand its necessity.

How can you come to a space of knowing what is Right Conduct? If you have to think about your actions, they are not pure.

Through conscious cosmic interaction, gained from Zazen, and walking the Spiritual Path, you enter into a natural space of Right Conduct:

what you do, is what you do,

what you do, needs to be done.

In this space of pure Zen consciousness, you will not need to think. Not thinking, your actions are obvious in their necessity.

5. Right Livelihood

There are more excuses made for the way an individual obtains their livelihood than any other physical action on this earth. The most common one is, "I need the money." But, why? If you did not permeate your physical existence with desires then your need for money would substantially decrease.

The leading problem that lends to a person not making a living from a conscious perspective is that they, early on, define their life by desires. Then, they become dominated by the ongoing necessity of paying for them. The result, a world fueled by people who are willing to do whatever it takes to get more money to pay for previously actualized desires and to obtain new, ever growing wants and needs.

The remedy, STOP. Take control of your life. Pay off your bills. Put your desires behind you and set about on the path of living consciously.

No doubt, you have already proven to yourself that all of your previous, dollar based desires, led you away from true happiness. Thus, you have no excuses to remain trapped by a world motivated by materialism. Let go.

Once you have entered onto a more refined path of dollar consciousness, keep your eyes, ears, and mind open - a means of obtaining a positive material existence will come to you. Then, you will be able to not only nourish your body and your soul, but the world around you, as well.

6. Right Effort

Effort is action. Action equals Karma. From every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Right Effort witnesses you performing actions that do not set the natural balance of your body, your mind, the earth, or the universe out of alignment.

How do you know if your effort is right? By witnessing the reactions.

If you meditate, does it cause any person or object in your life pain? Probably not.

If you become a vegetarian does any animal have to die to feed your hunger? No.

If you decide to walk, ride a bike, or roller skate to your destination, does your movement cause enhanced amounts of pollution to be unleashed upon this planet? No.

Your effort is your choice. It is more than simply deciding that you will sit in Zazen at the same time each day. That is discipline. Your effort is how you choose to consciously interact with all forms of living and non-living beings - how you choose to embrace the world - how you choose to physically and spiritually exist at all levels.

Choose your Right Effort. Don't make excuses; you know the right choice to make.

7. Right Mindfulness

Thinking you are spiritual is not being spiritual. Thinking that you are good is not being truly good. Believing that you walk the spiritual path is not walking the spiritual path, as all of these things are simply, "Mind Stuff."

Mind Stuff allows you to believe that your are embracing Zen simply because you study under a teacher, are attending a meditation class, or have been initiated by a Guru. Though these physical actions may ultimately guide you to higher mind, they are not the No-Mind that Zen embraces. They are simply things.

This is the place where many practitioners become lost on their spiritual journey. They believe that by doing some physical action, of which meditation is one, they are becoming more refined and more holy. They are not.

This is why monks wear long robes and shave their head. Though they claim this is a form of renunciation, it is not. If they were truly renouncing the world, it would not matter the length of their hair, or what style of clothing they wore.

Right Mindfulness is a very subtle issue. If you believe you are being spiritual and are on the road of ever expanding awakening, you are not.

How then can you achieve Right Mindfulness? By letting go of all the external physical images and especially all the Mind Stuff which goes hand-in-hand with the spiritual path. With this, you will touch the essence of Zen - embracing the No Mind, where what you are, how you see yourself, who you desire to become is relinquished. All that remains is the pure reflection of true self - the Buddhamind.

How do you obtain this level of existence? Follow the path of no path - embrace the way of no way. This is Zen.

8. Right Concentration

The thinking mind is an interesting tool.

How many times have you been in love and kept thinking and thinking about the person? How many times have you been lost in the realms of anger and you could not get your thoughts away from the person who angered you? How many times have you remembered a song and it played over and over and over again in your brain?

The thinking mind is a very formable resource. What you put into it and what you think about defines whom you become. If you think about love, you find love. If you think about lust, you will be lead down the road to encounter lust. If you think about The Buddha, Buddhaness will become your state of mind.

Why? Because what you focus upon is what you will manifest in your life. What you think about is what you will find.

Similar energy attracts similar energy. If you mind is angry, angry people find you. If your thoughts are lost in the realms of lust, you will go to places where lust is prevalent, and you will encounter those of like mind. If, on the other hand, you think about the Buddha, people with a Buddhamind are attracted to you.

Right Concentration is not necessarily easy. This is especially true, due to the fact that the material world teaches us to develop minds that race all over the place and think about a million things at once. This is why many spiritual teachers recommend a mantra to their students. This gives them a single point of focus - a sound that they can turn to and constantly remind themselves of the spiritual mindset they hope to embrace.

Though you may be assigned a mantra or a mental image to focus upon, it is you who must make this a part of your life. It is you who must forgo negative thinking at all levels. No one, not your teacher, not even The Buddha himself, can do this for you. It is something you must decided to do

This is why, at the outset, Zen is about you. It is about you refining who you think you are. Then, Zen transcends this level of self-consciousness and becomes about you loosing any limited perceptions of individuality and self which you may hold, ultimately leading you, (who is no loner you), to merging with the cosmic whole.

You must take the step. You must focus your mind. Then you must let go of you. This is Zen.