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Buddhism
The religion of Buddhism originates from the teachings of the Buddha. In his first sermon of Patimoke, the Buddha taught “One does not do harm, One does only good deed, One purifies one’s mind” – this is the practice and teachings of the Buddha. “One Does Not Do Harm” means one abstains from doing bad deeds. One does not cause trouble in body, speech and mind. For example, one does not kill, steal, lie, commit adultery nor take intoxicants because these actions have negative effects on the person who commits the act - as well as - the person, who receives it. “One Does Only Good Deed” means doing good deed through body, speech and mind. For example, one practices generosity, one is unselfish in giving material things to help others and society. One is compassionate towards all beings and takes care of each other. One is moral in body, speech and mind (does not kill, does not lie, does not steal, does not commit adultery, and does not take intoxicants). “One Purifies One’s Mind” means one practices meditation so the mind is aware of one’s thought. One is able to let go of the thought by coming back to the present moment (one does not follow the thought, but simply remains as an observer of one’s thought or feeling). This is the practice of mindfulness which leads one to experience the stillness of the mind. One experiences inner peace even when one faces difficult situations. The religion of Buddhism is based on the code of conduct and practice. The code of conduct is listed in the Tripitika, the books which contain all the teachings of the Buddha. The practice is being aware of one’s body, speech and mind. As the results of being aware, one gains insight and wisdom. This leads to Nibbana (Nirvana), the end of suffering or the ultimate happiness (contentment). The Buddha taught the 4 Noble Truths: 1. Dukkha or suffering, which means birth, decay and death which are the normal incidents of life. It also means sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair which are at times experienced by our body and mind. To be separated from the pleasant, to be disappointed, or to be in contact with the unpleasant are also suffering. In short our body and mind are subject to suffering or, in other words, we may say that our existence is bound up with suffering. 2. Samudaya; which means the cause of suffering, which is craving. It is a compelling urge of the mind, such as the longing to own what we desire, to be what we desire to be, or to avoid those states to which we feel aversion. 3. Nirodha; which means cessation of suffering, which connotes extinction of craving or such longings of the mind. 4. Magga; which means the way to the cessation of suffering, which is the Noble Eightfold Path, namely Right Understanding, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.
(2) Right Intention, meaning intention to be free from all bonds of suffering. Such intention should be free from revenge, hatred and harmfulness. (3) Right Speech, meaning abstinence from lying; from tale-bearing and vicious talk that causes discord; from harsh language; and from vain, irresponsible and foolish talk. (4) Right Action, meaning avoidance of killing and torturing, of theft and misappropriation, and of adultery. (5) Right Livelihood, meaning rejection of wrong means of livelihood and living by right means. (6) Right Effort, meaning effort to avoid the arising of evil; effort to overcome evil and negative states that have already arisen; effort to develop good and beneficial states of mind, and effort to maintain them when they have arisen. (7) Right Mindfulness, meaning dwelling in contemplation of the true stations of the mind, for instance, the four stations of Mindfulness which are the Body, Sensation, Mind and Dhamma (Truth). (8) Right Concentration, meaning the fixing of the mind upon a single deed which we wish to perform along the right path.
In practice, all Buddhists should be generous, kind, compassionate, moral, and do meditation. By practicing generosity, it shows that we are a high-mind being. We are compassionate towards all beings. Whether it is sharing material things or sharing dhamma; one does it without expecting anything in return. The merit has already been created by doing good deed. A person who is generous always stands out and is well respected in the community. The power of giving also creates wealth. One is never poor and is rich in spirituality and material things. Generosity is the force that supports the world. Sila or Morality (abstain from killing, lying, stealing, committing adultery, taking intoxicants) keeps us away from doing harm to the body and mind. To be moral means to be mindful of one’s body, speech and mind so that we do not harm ourselves or harm others. Lastly, all Buddhists should practice meditation because it gives us insight and wisdom. The Buddha said “Wisdom is the light of the world.” It makes one realize the truth fully and gain happiness from the lowest level to the highest one. This is because the highest wisdom is the fullest wisdom; it makes the mind shine forth, that is, causes it to become clear and bright to the fullest extent. This allows the mind to see the Truth as it really is and attain the highest bliss just as Lord Buddha and his enlightened followers attained in the past. Hence, Lord Buddha gave the advice, saying: “Do not underestimate your wisdom.” Lord Buddha advised the use of wisdom always. A person, who trains oneself to use one’s innate wisdom and develop wisdom until one realizes the Truth, will conduct oneself in the right path all the time and will be automatically free from defilements and craving. 
Venerable Tawan Panyawachiro (Khamsujaritr)
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