Budismo y e-learning: Buddhist studies

"El conocimiento profundo de las religiones permite derribar las barreras que las separan."

Mahatma Gandhi




"Las religiones también son como el vino: hay gente a la que le sienta mal y gente a la que le sienta bien. Hay personas que con dos copas se vuelven locuaces, abiertas y desinhibidas; otros se vuelven brutos y groseros con la misma cantidad. Con la religión, hay gente que mejora y se purifica y para otros es una fuente de resentimiento, mojigatería y condena a los demás."
Fernando Savater

Yo no creería más que en un dios que supiese bailar.
Nietzsche. Así Habló Zaratustra"

Avanzando estos tres pasos, llegarás más cerca de los daimones: Primero: Habla con verdad. Segundo: No te dejes dominar por la cólera. Tercero: Da, aunque no tengas más que muy poco que dar."
Siddhartha Gautama Buda

Hacía mucho que no posteábamos nada relacionado con las religiones y el e-learning (lo hicimos sobre teología, sobre jóvenes, sobre jesuitas, cine y second life, y sobre iglesia y web 2.0). Y nada mejor que hoy que comenzamos nuestras vacaciones para tomar un tonillo más relajado en nuestros posts... aunque más profundo.

Así pues traemos una web sobre Estudios sobre Budismo vía e-learning. Es muy completa la web y esta organizada así en una guía:

This Online Study Guide is a graduated course of study in Buddhism. The entry level is a Basic Buddhism Guide, followed by a comprehensive course on Buddhist Studies for Schools - primary and secondary levels. The main feature of this guide is a self-study course based on the Historical Buddha, His Teachings, Buddhist History and Culture, and supplementary study material.

	Entry level Buddhism: Outlines of the Teachings, Basic Concepts and Practices • BASIC BUDDHISM: Introduction to Buddhism Five Minute Introduction Snapshots on Buddhism • CORE TEACHINGS: Buddhist Ethics Dependent Arising Reincarnation Karma Advice on Meditation This Buddhist education material is a gradual training course in Buddhism for primary and secondary students. The emphasis is given on the Buddha as an exemplar, his Teachings and the application of the teachings in daily life. This project is designed at three levels: two for students, and one for teachers. Buddhist Studies for Primary & Secondary Students: Graduated course with Syllabus, Workbooks and Teacher's Handbook. Primary Level Syllabus: 8 Work Units Secondary Level Syllabus: 8 Work Units Buddhist Studies for Schools CD-ROM: Web pages (HTML) for Intranet, with print quality PDF documents (PC & Mac). This Online Buddhist Study Guide organises BuddhaNet's study material into a graduated course of study. There are three streams of study to follow: the Historical Buddha, His Teachings, and Buddhist History and Culture. The material ranges from introductory teachings and texts to advance scriptural and meditation texts in Web pages and eBooks or PDF documents. • BIOGRAPHIES • The Life of the Buddha • webpages Buddha, Life & Teachings + ebook • DISCIPLES/ASSOCIATED SITES • Early Disciples of the Buddha Pen Portraits of eminent disciples. Sites Associated with Buddha Four Holy Sites and Pilgrims Guide Buddhist Pilgrimage + ebook Religious Singficance and History • INTRODUCTORY TEACHINGS • Buddhism in a Nutshell + ebook Fundamentals of Buddhism + ebook Overview of fundamental teachings • THE SCRIPTURES • Overview of the Scriptures • Tibetan, Chinese, & Pali Canon Guide to the Pali Tipitaka + ebook Canonical Pali Theravadin Literature Teachings in Chinese Buddhism With article on the Chinese Tripitaka • AN OVERVIEW • Buddhist History and Culture Timelines, Art and Architecture, Iconography, etc. • webpages The Buddhist World Countries/Traditions, etc. • webpages • THE THREE TRADITIONS • Theravada / Mahayana / Vajrayana Lineages and key points of each. The Monastic Community Monastic Life, Ordination, Robes

La introducción al curso comienza así:
This short essay is intended to give a brief introduction to Buddhism. It will discuss the way Buddhists perceive the world, the four main teachings of the Buddha, the Buddhist view of the self, the relationship between this self and the various ways in which it responds to the world, the Buddhist path and the final goal. - Mike Butler

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The Three Marks of Existence

Buddhism has been described as a very pragmatic religion. It does not indulge in metaphysical speculation about first causes; there is no theology, no worship of a deity or deification of the Buddha. Buddhism takes a very straightforward look at our human condition; nothing is based on wishful thinking, at all. Everything that the Buddha taught was based on his own observation of the way things are. Everything that he taught can be verified by our own observation of the way things are.

If we look at our life, very simply, in a straightforward way, we see that it is marked with frustration and pain. This is because we attempt to secure our relationship with the "world out there", by solidifying our experiences in some concrete way. For example, we might have dinner with someone we admire very much, everything goes just right, and when we get home later we begin to fantasise about all the things we can do with our new-found friend, places we can go etc. We are going through the process of trying to cement our relationship. Perhaps, the next time we see our friend, she/he has a headache and is curt with us; we feel snubbed, hurt, all our plans go out the window. The problem is that the "world out there" is constantly changing, everything is impermanent and it is impossible to make a permanent relationship with anything, at all.

If we examine the notion of impermanence closely and honestly, we see that it is all-pervading, everything is marked by impermanence. We might posit an eternal consciousness principle, or higher self, but if we examine our consciousness closely we see that it is made up of temporary mental processes and events. We see that our "higher self" is speculative at best and imaginary to begin with. We have invented the idea to secure ourselves, to cement our relationship, once again. Because of this we feel uneasy and anxious, even at the best of times. It is only when we completely abandon clinging that we feel any relief from our queasiness.

These three things: pain, impermanence and egolessness are known as the three marks of existence.

En fin, que os acerquéis al buda...y que no todo sea como dijimos el sábado 26 de julio de 2008 en Microblog, humor y síndrome prevacacional ... eating... and drinking.
Cuidemos nuestra mente y nuestro cuerpo(leer más...)

Fuente: [buddhist studies]