Buddhism FAQ

=Buddhism FAQ= (Frequently Asked Questions About Buddhism)

What is Buddhism & What is Buddhist Awakening?

Buddhism is a process of Spiritual Awakening.

This Awakening is achieved through :

(a) Morality/Ethics such as No stealing, No Lies, No violence, No intoxication & No sex.

This is to ensure that nervous system remains capable for spiritual awakening.

(b) Meditation : It is achieved through focussing attention on breath while removing thoughts to keep steady attention and then, entire body is scanned with attention moving to various organs while keeping mind in equanimity i.e. keeping attitude of neither like nor dislike to any feeling/sensations.



Meditation (as in Vipassana)

Then after a long practice, Trance states are achieved and 4 types of Awakening occurs step by step, all with extreme bliss :

1. First, Within : One experiences the entire spinal column & brain filled with divine light & super charged as well as radiating goodwill to all:



First Awakening

2. Second, Universal: The attention expands & permeates now to entire universe upto infinite space with infinite consciousness. One can know anything anywhere even the upper heavens filled with arch angels(brahmalokas), heavens with angels(devas), all the material world, the world of ghosts and also various hells:



3.Third, Nothingness : Now the attention is withdrawn from the worldly and all worlds vanish from the sphere of attention, nothingness/emptiness (this is only an intermediate state):



4. Fourth, Nirvana : The final state of Nirvana when one experiences as becoming the ocean of divine light, everywhere, eternal state having no change & final bliss, what people of other faiths also call as God (Buddha was also called as Bhagava or Bhagavanta meaning God):



The various Trance states (9 Nos.) are described here :

SN 36.19 Pancakanga Sutta

and also

Ariyapariyesana_Sutta

1.First Awakening Within Self

2.Thoughtlessness

3.Equanimous(beyond Likes & Dislikes)

4.Detachment

5.Perception of Infinite Space

6.Infinite consciousness

7.Nothingness/Emptiness

8.Transcendence from Material Plane (neither perception nor non-perception)

9.Nirvana