In addition to teaching basic Buddhist knowledge, all topics focus on the following basic ethical questions:
Happiness · causes of happiness and suffering · life-affirming attitude · awareness of feelings and behavior · conscious handling of feelings and thoughts · self-determination and freedom of choice · willingness to take responsibility and meaningful living.
Details on the structure and use of the teaching units can be found at Concept.
- BUDDHA'S LIFE STORY
Buddha Shakyamuni is presented as a historical personality with the various stages of his life. The realization of impermanence and the desire to find lasting happiness for all living beings led him to abandon his familiar life in the palace and to search for means or methods to end the suffering of beings; this resulted in enlightenment. In the different Buddhist traditions, certain aspects of his life are emphasized to different degrees.
- BUDDHA'S TEACHINGS
Buddha's teachings included ways to find one's way out of confusion and suffering and experience freedom and happiness. His teachings are traditionally divided into Theravada (school of [religious] elders), Great Way (Mahayana), and Diamond Way (Vajrayana).
The characteristics of Buddhism as a religion of experience and the intersections between Buddhism, philosophy and psychology, religion and science are pointed out.
- THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
Buddha's teachings on the Four Noble Truths explain the foundation, path and goal. There is suffering, a cause of suffering, an end to suffering, and a way to get there. The goal is a joyful state beyond suffering and is expressed in liberation and enlightenment. This state was realized by Buddha. He gave real-life practical methods for others to walk the path as well.
- THE 10 USEFUL AND HARMFUL ACTIONS
It is about the conscious use of body, speech and mind. Beneficial actions build good impressions in the mind, leading to confidence and development. Harmful actions lead to suffering. One does not realize that ultimately everything one does reflects on oneself. Buddha did not give commandments, but referred to personal responsibility.
- KARMA – CAUSE AND EFFECT
In the Buddhist view, karma is not synonymous with fate, but is the foundation to personal freedom and to a responsible, meaningful life. Actions have consequences. Buddha spoke of cause and effect. It is a matter of recognizing these connections and consciously shaping one's life accordingly.
- COMPASSION AND WISDOM
To be of real use to others, one needs compassion and wisdom. Compassion involves all living beings, and wisdom is necessary to act appropriately, farsightedly, and meaningfully. The happiness of others is important because ultimately one is not separate from them. Enlightenment mind is the desire to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. This is the goal in the Great Way and the Diamond Way.
- THE SIX LIBERATING ACTIONS
Central to the Great Way is the path of the Bodhisattva, one who realizes for the good of all. Fundamentally, this path is characterized by the motivation to lead all beings to liberation and enlightenment. The practical implementation of this path is expressed in the Six Liberating Actions. They are called Liberating Actions because they lead out of a narrowed, ego-centered concept. One gradually begins to understand that subject, object, and action are parts of a wholeness.
- ENLIGHTENMENT
In Buddhism, two stages of enlightenment are distinguished. The first stage is called liberation and is characterized by the experience that there is no real I, thus ending the personal experience of suffering. At the stage of enlightenment, the mind is free of all limiting ideas; all inherent qualities are fully developed. Buddha Shakyamuni showed that this state can be experienced permanently and gave methods for realizing enlightenment.
- BUDDHIST MEDITATION
Buddhist meditations are practical exercises that bring about both peace of mind and immediate realization of the mind. They dissolve the limitations of the intellect, weaken and remove disturbing feelings and confusing concepts; in this way, meaningful impressions are simultaneously built up in the mind. The inherent enlightened qualities emerge more and more. Teachers who are in an authentic lineage oftransmission pass on the meditation instructions.
- THE SPREAD OF BUDDHISM
In the course of the last 2600 years, Buddhism spread from India through the various Asian countries. However, in India, its country of origin, it largely disappeared because of Islamic conquests in the 11th and 12th centuries, in Tibet in the middle of the 20th century due to Chinese invasion. Since the 1970s, Buddhism has become increasingly popular, especially in Western countries. In countries with religious freedom, there are meditators who continue different Buddhist traditions in their communities.
- DEATH AND REBIRTH
From a Buddhist perspective, death as well as birth is a transition, like many other transitions in life (childhood > adolescence, youth > adult world, etc.). Buddha Shakyamuni gave detailed knowledge about the dying process, the time in death and the cycle of rebirths. He also described how to use each stage of life, death, dying and rebirth for the best of all beings. Bodies pass away, but the mind, the "experiencer" of all things, is permanent like space. Understanding the indestructibility of the mind, one loses the fear of death. Bodhisattvas deliberately allow themselves to be reborn in order to be useful.
