Expert: Anandapanyo Bhikkhu - 11/8/2009

Question
Hello, My name is Denice I attend University Of Phoenix  and I have to interview someone who practices Buddhism, where I come from no one studies this religion I was wondering if I can ask you 10 interview questions for a final paper I have.

1.)1.)What is Buddhism in a few words?
2.)Is Buddha considered a god? If not why?
3.)Is Buddha just a philosophy?
4.)Are Buddhist vegetarians?
5.)Can anyone practice Buddha?
6.)What does Buddhist believe in?
7.)What is a Buddhists view on marriage? Abortion? Divorce? Suicide?
8.)How many different Buddha’s are there?
9.)How would one explain the word “sangha” which is used frequently?
10.)If one believes in Buddhism is there anything else one believes in? is everything else wrong?

I would great appreciate this. I've ran out of options on this interview, and I some how ran into this website!

Answer
Dear Denice,

Thank you for your questions. I will attempt to help you as much as I can. I will answer your questions succinctly and as accurately as I can. However, if you need clarification on any point, please feel free to ask a follow up question or questions and I would be more than happy to explain any point that is not clear.
"
1.)What is Buddhism in a few words?
2.)Is Buddha considered a god? If not why?
3.)Is Buddha just a philosophy?
4.)Are Buddhist vegetarians?
5.)Can anyone practice Buddha?
6.)What does Buddhist believe in?
7.)What is a Buddhists view on marriage? Abortion? Divorce? Suicide?
8.)How many different Buddha’s are there?
9.)How would one explain the word “sangha” which is used frequently?
10.)If one believes in Buddhism is there anything else one believes in? is everything else wrong?"


1.Buddhism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha.

2.Buddha is not considered a god.  He never claimed to be or encouraged people to believe he was. He was born a human, lived as a human, grew as a human, suffered as a human, desired a way out of suffering as a human and discovered the way out, as a human. Buddha is considered the epitome of what a human being can achieve in a lifetime (after cultivating enough karma).

3.Buddhism is a philosophy in that it is a knowledge-based discipline, however, it is much more than a philosophy.

4.Buddhists are not required to be vegetarians. The Buddha was not a vegetarian. Many of his followers were not vegetarians. We all have a choice, and some followers have chosen to be vegetarians. However, this is not a rule or a requirement.

5.Yes, anyone can practice Buddhism. Buddhism is merely a way of thinking and a way of conducting yourself. Therefore, anyone can think or practice in this way

6.At the Buddha’s first sermon, he taught 3 things:

1.Proper practice must be conducted within the middle, not too high, not too low.

2.The Four Noble Truths
a.All life is suffering
b.All suffering has a cause
c.Suffering will end once the cause ends
d.The Buddha has shown the way to end the cause

3.The Noble Eightfold Path
a.Right Perception
b.Right Thought
c.Right Speech
d.Right Action
e.Right Livelihood
f.Right Effort
g.Right Focus
h.Right Concentration

Buddha simply believe in the ability (potential)  of a person to eradicate the cause of his/her suffering and escape the rounds of rebirth. The Noble Eightfold Path is the way to accomplish this goal. Buddhists believe in karma and therefore believe in rebirth.

7.   
a.Marriage – Buddhists are fine with marriage, as long as it is between two individuals who are consenting.
b.Abortion – Any killing is prohibited by the five precepts
c.Divorce – Buddhists have no problem with divorce
d.Suicide – Suicide is also considered killing and is therefore prohibited by the five precepts.

8.There have been infinite amounts of Buddha’s and there will be infinite amount of Buddha’s to come. However, at any given moment of time, there can only be one Buddha at a time.  Think of it like having a king. There have been many kings in the past and there will be many kings in the future. However, at any given time, there can only be one king at a time.

9.Sangha commonly has two meanings

1.The group of traditionally ordained Buddhist monks or nuns
2.The group of beings that have achieved a higher understanding in that they have penetrated the stream of thought that the Buddha taught. This is also called the ariya-sangha or Noble Sangha. The Ariya Sangha is not restricted to monk or nuns and can also include lay persons.  

10.This depends on what you mean by believing in Buddhism. As far as the Buddha’s teachings go, he never said whether a God or Gods exists. Therefore, Buddhists don’t make any judgment calls on the validity of other religions. The Buddha spoke of truths rather than beliefs. As with all truths, they can be accepted and agreed upon by all forms of life. These truths include and are not limited to:

a.All life is suffering
b.Everything in the world is impermanent (nothing stays the same, nothing is exempt from changing)
c.Karma exists – (basically - every action has a result)

Buddhists do not necessarily believe in other religions and do not disbelieve, rather, we focus on our perceptions and attempt to arrive at truth.

I hope I have answered your questions. If you need any other clarification, please do not hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,
Phra Anandapanyo