– Evaluation of the Buddha’s Solution to Human Suffering –
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ABSTRACT
Suffering and its opposite, happiness, are the basic push and pull of every human action, thus their centrality in human existence. In the 6th century B.C, Gotama Siddhatta, who later became the Buddha, was struck by the progress in education. For this, he abandoned all in his youth in the search for a solution to this problem.
Following his enlightenment, he came to the conclusion that: firstly, life is simply suffering; secondly, the cause of human suffering is desire or craving; thirdly, the solution to the problem of human suffering is the progress in education; and finally, that the means to eliminate suffering can be found in the ‘eightfold path’ or ‘the middle way’.
The purpose of this research is therefore to verify: firstly, if life is simply suffering; secondly if desire is the actual cause of human suffering; thirdly, if desire is the cause of human suffering, can it be eliminated? And finally, to find out if the Buddha’s solution to human suffering can be relevant today both locally and globally.
The research showed that; life is not only suffering but both happiness and suffering; desire is not the real cause of suffering and if it were; it cannot be eliminated in life; however, his ideas of the Middle Way and the Eightfold Path can still be relevant today in the areas of ontology, knowledge production, social relations, environment and peace resolution.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page – – – – – – – – – – i
Approval Page – – – – – – – – – ii
Certification – – – – – – – – – – iii
Dedication – – – – – – – – – – iv
Acknowledgements – – – – – – – – – v
Abstract – – – – – – – – – – vii
Table of Contents- — – – – – – – – – viii
CHAPTER ONE: GENERAL INTRODUCTION – – – – 1
1.1 Background of Study – – – – – – – – 1
1.2 Statement of Problem – – – – – – – – 3
1.3 Purpose of Study – – – – – – – – – – 3
1.4 Thesis – – – – – – – – – – 3
1.5 Scope of Study – – – – – – – – – 3
1.6 Significance of Study – – – – – – – – 3
1.7 Methodology – – – – – – – – – 3
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW – – – – – 5
CHAPTER THREE: THE BUDDHA’S WORLDVIEW – – – – 26
3.1 Buddha’s Metaphysical Thoughts- – – – – – – 26
3.2 On Knowledge – – – – – – – – – 30
3.3 On Morality – – – – – – – – – 32
3.4 On Human Nature – – – – – – – – – 35
3.5 On God – – – – – – – – – – 37
3.6 On Society – – – – – – – – – – 38
CHAPTER FOUR: EVALUATION OF THE BUDDHA’S
SOLUTION TO HUMAN SUFFERING – – – – – – 45
4.1.1 The Buddha’s Ideas on Human Suffering – – – – – 45
4.1.2 The Eightfold Path or the Buddha’s Solution to Human Suffering – – 47
4.2.1The Buddha and Other Conceptions of Human Suffering – – – 50
4.2.2 Christianity – – – – – – – – – 50
4.2.3 Islam – – – – – – – – – – 50
4.2.4 Plato and Aristotle – – – – – – – – 52
4.2.5 Augustine and Thomas Aquinas – – – – – – 54
4-2.6 Thomas Hobbes and Jean Jacques Rousseau – – – – – 57
4.2.7 Hegel and Karl Marx – – – – – – – 61
4.2.8 The Existentialist Views: Schopenhauer, Nietzsche and Sartre- – – 64
4.2.9 The Four Noble Truths – – – – – – – – 70
4.3.1 The Eightfold Path – – – – – – – – 72
CHAPTER FIVE: CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE OF
THE BUDDHA’S SOLUTION TO HUMAN SUFFERING – – – 78
5.1.1 On Ontology – – – – – – – – – 78
5.1.2 On Knowledge-Production – – – – – – – 78
5.1.3 On Social Relations- – – – – – – – – 80
5.1.4 On Environment – – – – – – – – – 81
5.1.5 On Peace and War – – – – – – – – 82
Conclusion. – – – – – – – – – – 82
Bibliography- – – – – – – – – – – 85
INTRODUCTION
This research work is stimulated by the understanding that our advancements in various fields of endeavour do not equal our general and desired happiness both locally and globally. Over the years, man has made appreciable progress in education, medicine, agriculture, religion, politics, international relation, administration, entertainment, transportation, commerce, architecture, banking and industry, information technology, security, etc.
But it is soul- arresting that despite all this, a whopping number of the world population are suffering due to sickness, ignorance, hunger, unemployment, insecurity, poor leadership and followership, bribery and corruption, wars, communal clashes, tribal and racial segregation, gender discrimination, class differences, robbery, fraud, global warming, etc. The list is simply listless.
The Hobbesian war of all against all has not ended but only taken a different dimension. This calls for constant assessment of the moral foundation of our civilization or development. The problem of human suffering is both old and new. Old in that it dates back to the first man on earth for the believers in creationism. It is however new in the sense that while some of the old problems of human suffering are solved, new ones constantly emerge.
Every religion acknowledges the existence of suffering on earth and can be said to be the reason for its existence. The different religions only disagree to some extent in the cause and solution to human suffering. Judaism says it is due to disobedience to God’s commandments. For the Hindus, it is caused by rebirth due to karma and can be solved when the individual self or atman becomes one with the Universal Self or Brahman.
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