Expert: Bodhicitta - 10/5/2006

Question
I am a high school senior taking a class called Eastern and Western Thought. For the past week we have been looking at the ideas in Buddhism, and I am expected to interview an expert to share my findings with my class. I hope to gain an understanding of Buddhism, and how Buddhists see Western philosophies. My questions are:
1. According to the Buddhist worldview, what is the meaning of life?
2. What is the most important thing you think Westerners should change about their way of thinking?
3. Is there any significance to the order of the steps in the Eightfold Path?
4. Which characteristic of existence do you think is most embraced in Buddhism- anicca, dukkha, or anatta?
Sorry to ask so many questions at once. Please take your time replying. Thank you for all your help.

Stephanie Amon

Answer
Dear Stephanie.

Thank you for your questions and good luck with your assignment. I am afraid my answers are necessarily brief, due to constraints on time. But it seems you have been doing some study so hopefully you have plenty of good background already - so I will give you 'pith' answers that come from the point of view of a practioner of Buddhism over many years.

1. "what is the meaning of life"
What we take for life is a magical illusion, a dream, a play , it is not what it appears. We are like drunken dancers on a stage not knowing what we are doing. The true meaning of life
is a secret that can only be found out by meditation - the answer is transcendent beyond words.

2. Westerners should realize that everything is empty, nothing is solid materiality, everything arises from the mind.We are living in the Matrix! Therefore they should look
at their minds and find out what lies there. meditation is the only tool we have to do that.

3. 'eight fold path'
The order is significant. The eight fold path represents a series of steps that are taken to reach enlightenment.Like all journeys it is necessary to start at the beginning.The first step is the 'View' without the right 'View' it is impossible to do anything in Buddhism. The whole eight fold path actually resides in this first step but the practioner doesn't see it until all eight steps are traversed.  A full exposition of this path is beyond the scope of this reply unfortunately. But if you or any of your class are interested they should
meet a Buddhist teacher.

4. Anicca, dukkha, anatta represent the three marks of existence. Everything in the 'confused world' is seen to be unsatisfactory, impermanent, suffering, non-self. These three
are a path of meditation, this is the starting point for someone seeking truth. None of these dominates the other they are gateways into the same experience which is beyond these three words. By entering these gates the meditator experiences shunyata (emptiness or openness). This is the characterististic that most dominates in buddhism.

I wish you well with your assignment once more. Buddhism advocates three approaches firstly listening - so I thank you for listening. Secondly reflection. I trust you will reflect on this material it is takes time to digest any material, and then finally meditate. Without all three of these steps it isn't possible to understand.

I wish you well
Bodhicitta