Buddhism Summary Notes

 Article/Notes prepared by Jibrael Jos

Based on a) Old Path, White Clouds by Thich Nhat Than

If there is one book on Buddhism you should read it is this one. And yes you should read at least one book on Buddhism! The master who walked the earth 2500 years ago. Written in story telling style and presents the human Buddha and challenges he faced in life.

Also based on b) course Buddhism and Modern Psychology by Robert Wright, Professor from Princeton An amazing course I completed recently

Notes are not self explanatory and reading book and doing some course will surely be needed.

4 Noble Truths (Chapter 22)

               Suffering, Cause of Suffering, End of Suffering, Path to the end of suffering

8 fold path(Chapter 18)

                Right (Intention, Speech, Action, Livelihood, Effort, Concentration, Mindfulness, View)

5 Precepts (Chapter 23)

Do Not (Kill, Steal, Sexual Misconduct, Say Untruth, drink alcohol)

3 Gates : (Chapter 68)

Emptiness, Signlessness, Aimlessness

4 Establishments of Mindfulness (Chapter 53)

                Mindful of Body, Feelings, Mind, Dharma

8 Realisations of great beings

·         Dharma Impermanent

·         Desire brings suffering

·         Living Simply, Few Desires -> Peace , Joy , Serenity

·         Diligent effort – enlightenment

·         Ignorance cause of Birth and Death

·         Poverty creates anger and hatred, then vicious cycle continues

·         Don’t get caught by worldly matters

·         Don’t practice for individual enlightenment

Concept of Non Self (Chapter 17)

        5 Aggregates of clinging: Body, Feeling, Perceptions, Mental State, Consiousness

Concept of Impermanence

Concept of Dependent Co Arising (Chapter 29)

7 Factors of Awakening (Chapter 53)

                Full Attention, Investigating Dharma, Energy, Joy , Ease, Concentration, Letting Go

Happiness (Chapter 33)

                Only the peace, joy and freedom that are fruits of mediation brings true happiness

Breathing (Chapter 56)

1-8 : Long, Short, Awareness of whole body, body calm and peace

5-8 : Joyful, Happy, Activities of mind, Calm and Peace for activities of mind

9-12 : Aware of mind, Mind: Happy and Peace, Concentrate on the mind, Liberate mind

13-14 : Impermanent nature of all dharma, fading of all dharma

15-16 : Liberation, Letting Go

Nice Quotes/Chapters

Walking just to Walk (Chapter 1)

Finger is not the moon (Chapter 32)

Water Rises, too (Chapter 26)

Love is understanding (Chapter 42)

Everyone’s Tears are Salty (Chapter 43)

Dwell in Mindfulness (Chapter 54)

The Raft is not the shore (Chapter 57)

Sunil & Alka

A family I have

In a country far away

An Elder Brother and Bhabhi

In whose care I did stay

The ginger tea

And Bhabhi's advise

Sunil's outlook

So practical and wise

They taught me little things

I still use till this day

How to live in the now

Spreading joy in their own way

Tandoori Chicken, Rajma

that Bhabhi did teach

How to run a family

With a magical ease

How to treats kids

With love and respect

To live in the now

From sunrise to sunset

Sunil's shopping style

Of reading the labels

His observations of life

From fruits to train timetables

Our conversations

Without exchange of words

Crossword, Badminton

And navigating the London roads

A thousand miles

And 16 years away

I still can't forget

My Hounslow days

Papa's Final Journey

Finding difficulty to breathe

Impossible to hold back tears

This vacuum cannot be filled by air

As my Papa had no peers

A man ahead of his times

Whether raising daughters

Or in matters of relationships

How severe the storm

He considered God

his anchor and ship

My Papa was full of ideas

He could anytime break into a song

He could carry all ten of us

His shoulder and mind was strong

When people around saw complex

Simplicity was his thing

He saw miracles in nature and

Positivity was his wand and wing

Each one saw him differently

Everyone perceived him as unique

as an e.g of strength of character

My Father, a lighthouse we seek

I saw all ten break into tears

I saw his siblings by his side

I saw his friends and family

With him on this final ride

What is a life well lived?

The example for all to see

Our Father is etched in our hearts

From now to eternity

Finding difficulty to breathe

Impossible to hold back tears ......

Mary Chakunny Puthur

An aunt who is a globe trotter

and an inspiration to my gen

She is also a time traveller

with stories of now and then

She has frozen time on paper,

old coins and collected stones

She understand humans

How they feel in their bones

She has done a lot of good

Being there for everyone

praying for their health

Unlike any under the sun

In height she may be short

But she does pack a punch

She can work more than anyone

she is superhuman is my hunch

Even though she is single

She is like a mother to us

Unconditional love

No tantrums, no fuss

Being their at time of birth

praying at times of illness

Consoling when a soul departs

a nurse at time of sickness

An ideal daughter!

Who got Scotch for her dad

Helped mom in the kitchen

And all the siblings she had

She walks with Jesus

And is on a spiritual quest

Hear her words of wisdom

on life, on solitude, on zest

Never complaining, always smiling

that is her signature style

She is a model Christian

Who always goes the extra mile

Teresa Joseph (Puthur Jos)

I am blessed to have a sister

Who is three in one

A friend,  a sibling and a mentor

Second to none

Its not just me

Who will vouch for your heart

There are a hundred life journeys

Where you have played a special part

Your energy and resolve

Can bring light to a township

Your helping attitude

A true example of friendship

A head full of ideas

Perfect in execution

For every possible problem

You can create multiple solutions

But for me all that is secondary

Your love transcends the ordinary

You are like a second mom

Your home is like my second home

Thank you dear Kunechi

For being so  wonderful to me

If I have your blessing

Ups or Downs,  I will live free

Love Manoj

Puthur Jos Michael

An elder brother

I always looked upto

Calm and composed

Is the chettan I always knew

A zest for a rustic life

finding joy in simple things

an observant eye,

hundred ideas take wings

All his stories

I have heard over the years

Overflows with simplicity,

joy and never any tears

His collection of old pens

His Bajaj and his cycle

With treasure of old stories

Is our brother P J Michael

He writes and he reads

He follows and he leads

He is a taster and a cook

a librarian and a book

He will talk with nostalgia

With a cup of tea in his hand

Every conversation, I collect

A few more grains of sand

I wanted to grow up

And be like him

And though years have passed

I still idolise him

Love Manoj

Puthur Uduppu Chakunny : Appapan

                                                                 Written by Jibrael Jos 

First person I ever cried for

The day he passed away

My Grandfather was the best

Memories which linger and stay

Walking to the market

Barefoot just like him

Taking the cow to graze

Or to the stream to swim

Inspecting the fields

Learning to tie knots

He telling me about plants

And how things are bought

Evaluating tapiocas quality

Or freshness of fish

Different types of bananas

And tasting a perfect dish

Helping him in my little way

Was an excuse to be with him

Here was a man I aspired

To grow up just like him

I will ask him to tell

Of incidents long gone

Though I heard them many times

I would ask him to go on

Sitting on his chair,

Eating achh roti like him

Holding on to trinklets

Once used by him

Hug when we arrived

Tears when we did leave

Summer Holidays in Kerala

Taught me to give more than I recieve

He gifted me a hammer once

I held it with such pride

Some part of me is sculpted

I can feel him inside

Tears do well up when I think back

Of the love I did receive

How I wish I could hold his hand

And walk through green fields

A hardworking father and farmer

Who believed, God has a plan

All my sibling and cousins

Will vouch for this great man