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ecame the Buddha, one who is “awake” and who has experienced the Ultimate Truth of the universe directly forhimself. Only this experience leads to Nirvana and just as St. Paul constantly refers to the mysterion 11 of the HolySpirit which is beyond words or thought, Nirvana as a spiritual experience is similarly epistemologically inexpressible.As the Mahayana Astasahasrika Sutta says:Sabhuti:‘Deep, O Lord, is the perfection of wisdom!’The Buddha:‘Through a depth like that of space.’Sabhuti:‘Hard to understand, O Lord, is the perfection of wisdom!’The Buddha:‘Because nothing is fully known by the enlightened.’Sabhuti:‘Unthinkable, O Lord, is the perfection of wisdom!’The Buddha:‘Because the perfection of wisdom is not something that ought to know, or that thought has accessto.’ 12Buddhist cosmology like its soteriology too, is also in stark contrast with the Abrahamic religions.To summarise,the religions of the Book have a linear cosmology, i.e., a beginning (creation) and an end (Judgement Day). 13 Time inthis linear cosmology is punctuated with prophets and humans enter into covenant relationships with God.“Sin” isa key concept – venial sins damage one’s relationship with God and mortal sins decisively break it off. Humans haveone life in this realm and will go “up” to heaven or “down” to hell! In Eastern cosmologies such as one would find inHinduism and Buddhism, there is no beginning or end as we are on a circle, the Wheel of Life, known as Samsara.We have many lives as opposed to one and the law of karma, not sin, determines future rebirths. Buddhism isnon-theistic and karma is not controlled by a God or gods! In the law of karma our actions in body, speech andthoughts have future repercussions. Our thoughts, words and deeds are like seeds that must come to fruition, butto take karma personally would be akin to getting upset at the law of gravity! It is the Universal Law that cannot becontrolled by anyone, not even by the Buddhas. Buddhism also engages in no abstract speculation, be it metaphysicalor otherwise, as to a creation event or why we’re here.The fact is, we are here and we must deal with reality as wefind it.The Buddha was a pragmatist and he summed up the standpoint of philosophers who are concerned withthe desire for knowledge for its own sake thus:…as if a man had been wounded by an arrow thickly smeared with poison, and his friends and companions, hisrelatives or kinsmen, were to procure for him a physician or surgeon, and the sick man were to say,“I will nothave this arrow taken out until I have learnt whether or not the man who wounded me belongs to the WarriorCaste, or to the Priest caste, or to the agricultural caste, or to the menial caste.”That man would die withoutever having learnt this. In exactly the same way, Malunkyaputta, anyone who should say, “I will not lead thereligious life under the Buddha unless he shall explain to me that the world is eternal or that the world is noteternal …such a person would die, Malunkyaputta, before the accomplished One has ever explained this tohim… This religious life, Malunkyaputta, does not depend on the dogma that the world is eternal, nor on thedogma that the world is not eternal.Whether the dogma obtains that the world is eternal or the world is noteternal, there still remains birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, misery, grief and despair, for the extinctionof which in the present life I am prescribing.” 1So, how do I get off this Wheel of Life once and for all? We must follow the path of morality (sila), meditation(samadhi) and wisdom (panna) to achieve Nirvana.The first level is right action. By doing good, speaking good andthinking good, we purify the mind as action and the mind are mutual and reciprocal. St. Paul says that we know atree by its fruit.A good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree produces bad fruit.TV shows like “Supernanny” or“Nanny 911” show us that by correcting bad behaviour in ‘bold’ children we will eventually correct the bad mindsetin the child and good behaviour will naturally flow!The path of meditation (samadhi) which focuses the attention onthe breath calms the weary mind which is so outward looking. Our mind is like a glass of muddy water that weconstantly stir up. In meditation we learn to settle it so the sediment falls to the bottom and we can see throughthe now clear water.This is the heart of Buddhist soteriology for it is in this open clarity that we directly becomeaware of our own negative tendencies of body, speech and mind and directly perceive the truth for ourselves(panna).The Truth is simply waiting for you to experience it! When one truly understands the Four Noble Truths,1. Dukkha 2. Samudaya, theTruth of the cause of suffering 3. Nirodha, the truth of the end of suffering, and 4. Marga,the truth of the Path leading to the end of suffering – then one can truly be said to have Right Understanding, thefirst step in the Eightfold Path.The Noble Eightfold Path is the medicine that we must take if we are to realise Nirvanafor ourselves.In conclusion, Buddhism is radically different from the Abrahamic religions in its cosmological and soteriologicalapproaches, but nevertheless like all religions its emphasis is on walking the walk and not just talking the talk. For thisreason, the First NobleTruth of Buddhism – dukkha or suffering – starts not with an intellectual postulation but withan emotional experience. Does that mean that Buddhists are a shower of world-weary hypochondriacs? Au contraire!Because this moment is the only one we have it makes it all the more precious.The past is the past and the futureis not yet realised.All we have is now! Carpe Diem – seize the day! Grab on to life and seize every opportunity thatcomes your way. Be the woman who disgraces herself at the karaoke night, be the man who asks the beautifulstranger on the bus to go for a coffee. Don’t wonder what could have been. Enjoy your time on this stage and beever mindful of your limitless potential for spiritual realisation and perfection. I wish you all happiness and the causesof happiness.Yours in Religious Education,Tony Kenny BA;MA;H.Dipwww.dhammakayo.org to see the Temple of Luang Phor Sodh, Ratchaburi Thailand.© Tony Kenny, 2008Notes1 For the purpose of this article Buddhist termsare stated in the Pali language which is used bythe oldest Buddhist tradition, i.e., the Theravadintradition.The language of the Mahayana traditionis Sanskrit. Sanskrit is also the language of Hinduscripture.2Soteriology: the how of salvation. Every religionhas a different soteriological approach. Can youlist the correct soteriology for each of the majorworld religions?3De Silva, L., ’79 “The Biblical View of Man”, in:The Problem of the Self in Buddhism andChristianity, London: Macmillna Press, p.854“Who do you say I am?”…5The Four Noble Truths are taught by theBuddha in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta(Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dharmateaching) in the second basket (Sutta Pitaka )ofthe Buddhist Canon.6Merton,T.,’68 “Nirvana” in Zen and the Birds ofAppetite, Gethsemani: New Directions, p.797E.g.,“My finger is longer, sleeker, cuter, betterthan yours” etc.This only leads to sectariandivisions as opposed to spiritual realisation. InVatican II, the encyclical Nostra Aetate recognisesthat there is a ray of truth in all religions.This is aprinciple of dialogue that resonates with theheart of Buddhism.8The second basket of Buddhist scripturecontaining the discourses of the Buddha.Theother two are the Vinaya Pitaka which containsrules for ordained Buddhists and theAbhidhamma Pitaka which contains profoundand esoteric Buddhist psychology in addition tometaphysical teachings.9Member of the Warrior caste in Hinduism. Seethe Code of Manu for the principal divisionswithin the Caste system, namely Brahmin,Kshatriya,Vaishayas & Shudras.10Samsara: the wheel of life. In Buddhistcosmology we are stuck in this mechanism ofconstant birth and rebirth until we eventuallyachieve Nirvana.11Mysterion (Greek): mystery12Conze,W.E., ’55. Selected Sayings from thePerfection of Wisdom, London:The BuddhistSociety,p.5113The theology that deals with the final things inthe Abrahamic religions is called eschatology.TheAbrahamic religions have a similar soteriology,cosmology and eschatology. Discuss this in class.14Onkom, S., ’92.“Concept of Man in TheravadaBuddhism”, in The Concept of Man in Buddhismand Existentialism, Bodh Gaya: MagadhUniversity, Dr. of philosophy thesis, p.19914 TEACHING RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ISSUE FOUR SEPTEMBER 2009