The video explores the concept of samsara in Buddhism, likening it to the endless cycle in video games where one struggles through repetitions of life, death, and rebirth, seeking an end through enlightenment. The core focus of Buddhism is the elimination of suffering, or dukkha, by following Buddhist teachings called the dharma, which leads to nirvana—a state free from suffering.

Key figures and practices in Buddhism are explained, emphasizing 'The Three Jewels': the Buddha, the Dharma, and the sangha. Viewers are introduced to Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, and his path to enlightenment, which resulted in the teachings of the middle way, and the realization that the end of suffering (nirvana) involves letting go of greed, hatred, and ignorance. Key Buddhist teachings such as the Four Noble Truths and the eightfold path are elaborated upon as means to achieve nirvana.

Main takeaways from the video:

Please remember to turn on the CC button to view the subtitles.

Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. samsara [sʌmˈsɑːrə] - (noun) - The cycle of death and rebirth to which life in the material world is bound in Buddhism and Hinduism. - Synonyms: (cycle of rebirth, transmigration)

That feeling of being stuck, seeking an end to the cycle of suffering is sort of like the concept of samsara, the cycle of life, death, and rebirth that all living things are trapped in.

2. enlightenment [ɪnˈlaɪtnmənt] - (noun) - A state of spiritual awakening and understanding in Buddhism, where one is free from ignorance, desire, and suffering. - Synonyms: (spiritual awakening, insight, awareness)

But Buddhists believe there's a way out, a path to enlightenment.

3. dukkha [ˈduːkkʌ] - (noun) - A Buddhist concept referring to the inherent suffering and dissatisfaction of life. - Synonyms: (suffering, pain, dissatisfaction)

At its core, Buddhism focuses on the elimination of dukkha, or suffering, achieved through following Buddhist teachings called the dharma.

4. nirvana [nɪərˈvɑːnə] - (noun) - A transcendent state free from suffering and the cycle of rebirth in Buddhism. - Synonyms: (bliss, liberation, peace)

Those who achieve nirvana are free from the ceaseless flickering of suffering.

5. asceticism [əˈsɛtɪˌsɪzəm] - (noun) - A lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for spiritual reasons. - Synonyms: (self-discipline, austerity, self-denial)

So he left home and went into the world where he witnessed what Buddhists call the four old age, sickness, death and asceticism

6. bodhi tree [ˈboʊdi triː] - (noun) - A sacred fig tree under which Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment and became the Buddha. - Synonyms: (sacred fig, Ficus religiosa)

He sat beneath what would come to be known as the bodhi tree, a massive ficus with heart-shaped leaves, and vowed not to stand back up until he had achieved enlightenment.

7. three poisons [θriː ˈpɔɪzənz] - (noun) - Buddhist concept referring to the three primary causes of suffering: greed, hatred, and ignorance. - Synonyms: (vices, defilements, root delusions)

Letting go of these three poisons allowed him to beat the game

8. eightfold path [ˈeɪtfəʊld pɑːθ] - (noun) - The path to nirvana in Buddhism, consisting of eight practices concerning ethics, concentration, and wisdom. - Synonyms: (noble path, path to enlightenment)

To recap, we've collected two of the three jewels, four noble truths, and were about to start on the eightfold path, which includes eight behaviors for morality, meditation, and wisdom that will guide you toward nirvana.

9. merit transfers [ˈmɛrɪt ˈtrænsfərz] - (noun) - The Buddhist practice of dedicating good deeds to others to help them achieve a better rebirth. - Synonyms: (karma transfer, good deed dedication)

Some Buddhists even perform merit transfers, believing that the good karma they create in life can be passed on to their dead relatives in order to help them inch closer to enlightenment.

10. sangha [ˈsɑːŋhə] - (noun) - The Buddhist monastic community and the spiritual community of followers. - Synonyms: (congregation, community, fellowship)

Finally, the third jewel of Buddhism is the sangha, which refers to the monks and nuns who continue to spread the Buddha's teachings.

Life, the Universe, and the Buddha - Crash Course Religions #6

Have you ever been stuck in a video game, found yourself on a level you just couldn't beat? You keep throwing yourself at it over and over, only to die and respawn each time until finally something clicks. When you respawn this time, you get a little further and then a little further still until finally everything falls into place. You find the exit and the screen fades to black. You're free. It's game over.

Well, that feeling of being stuck, seeking an end to the cycle of suffering is sort of like the concept of samsara, the cycle of life, death, and rebirth that all living things are trapped in. But Buddhists believe there's a way out, a path to enlightenment. Sometimes we find it on our own, and sometimes we need a little help from a friend who's already beaten the game. At its core, Buddhism focuses on the elimination of dukkha, or suffering, achieved through following Buddhist teachings called the dharma. The dharma lays out the path to nirvana, or enlightenment, literally meaning blowing out like a candle. Those who achieve nirvana are free from the ceaseless flickering of suffering.

So Buddhism has three central ideas, known as the three jewels, or treasures which can help us seek that path to enlightenment. These are the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha. The three jewels are central to a lot of Buddhist practices. In fact, many people begin their daily rituals with the vow. I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the dharma. I take refuge in the sangha. It's like starting your day with a good cup of coffee, a way to get focused on the day ahead.

So let's start with the Buddha, the first jewel. While the title of Buddha can and has been given to several people who've achieved enlightenment, when we talk about the Buddha, we're talking about Siddhartha Gautama, who lived during the fifth or 6th century BCE. It's believed that he was born at a place called Lumbini in Nepal, a popular site with Buddhists. As many as 400,000 of them make the pilgrimage there each year. Before he became the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama was a prince enjoying a luxurious life, free from worries. But like Margot Roth Spiegelman in the classic American novel Paper Towns, Gautama was eventually struck by wanderlust. He wanted to see the world outside the palace and find answers to questions like why am I here and what does it all mean? You know, the easy stuff.

So he left home and went into the world where he witnessed what Buddhists call the four old age, sickness, death and asceticism. That last one really stuck with him. Ascetics were spiritual teachers who practiced severe self-discipline and denial of comforts in order to escape that cycle of samsara. And after witnessing the foresights, Gautama committed himself to asceticism. He studied with others who taught him techniques for meditation and material deprivation. At one point, he even tried surviving on a single spoonful of bean soup per day, which didn't quite fill the health bar.

But all this work still didn't answer his questions. He wasn't satisfied with a life of luxury or a life of simplicity. So after six years on the road, he did what anyone would do. He sat under a tree to think. He sat beneath what would come to be known as the bodhi tree, a massive ficus with heart-shaped leaves, and vowed not to stand back up until he had achieved enlightenment. He meditated for seven weeks until on the final night, he reached a mental state so deep that he began to uncover the secrets of the universe. He was able to look back through his own previous lives and look into everyone else's life cycles too.

This insight helped him to uncover the final boss of suffering, the three greed, hatred and ignorance. Letting go of these three poisons allowed him to beat the game. It brought him enlightenment. By dawn, he had achieved nirvana. He was free from suffering and fully understood the impermanence of all things. As the sun rose, he was no longer Siddhartha Gautama, but the awakened one, the Buddha. From that day on, the Buddha dedicated his life to creating a strategy guide to help others down this path between lavishness and asceticism, which he called the middle way.

Today, Buddhists around the world follow the middle way by practicing the second treasure in the three jewels, the dharma. Made up of the four noble truths. The dharma comes from the Buddha's first formal sermon after his enlightenment, the first truth, there is suffering, which is just a banger. This is the concept of dukkha that I mentioned earlier. But when Buddhists talk about suffering, they aren't just talking about physical or emotional pain. And the Buddha wasn't a pessimist. Despite how this may sound, dukkha can also be translated more mildly as dissatisfaction, particularly about the state of the universe. But yeah, there is suffering.

The second banger line. There is a cause to suffering. And that cause is craving or desire. Now, this is a little different from a casual want and more like a clinging, twisted version of desiree, where you're holding on too tightly, like with your college girlfriend, how you were so clingy that you crushed the thing you were trying to hold onto and also conceived of that person as a thing, which was its own problem. Or maybe that's just me. But anyway, there is suffering. And suffering is caused by desire.

The third noble truth, there is an end to suffering. That end is nirvana, a state of being free from desire. And the fourth, there is a path that leads to the end of suffering. That path is the middle way, neither extreme asceticism nor indulgence, but something in between. And if you're wondering how you follow the middle way, well, there's a list for that, too.

To recap, we've collected two of the three jewels, four noble truths, and were about to start on the eightfold path, which includes eight behaviors for morality, meditation, and wisdom that will guide you toward nirvana. Right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. I know that's a lot, but what it all boils down to is that if we let go of that ravenous clinging desire and conceive of other humans as truly and fully human, we'll cease to experience suffering and achieve nirvana.

Now, while most Buddhists follow the dharma, it might not look like what you'd expect. Like with any situation, not everyone's version of right is gonna look the same. Take meditation. While some modern Buddhists, particularly converts in the US and Europe, do use it as part of their path, meditation generally wasn't something regular folks did for most of Buddhist history. It's usually been reserved for monks and nuns instead of meditation.

A lot of lay Buddhists work on merit making. This could look like donating money or clothes or other necessities to nuns and monks, since they often live almost entirely without worldly possessions. Or it might include chanting mantras, spinning a prayer wheel, lighting a lamp in a temple, or making offerings to the Buddha, direct actions like this one are seen as one's karma. And no matter what Taylor Swift says, karma cannot be your boyfriend.

Some Buddhists even perform merit transfers, believing that the good karma they create in life can be passed on to their dead relatives in order to help them inch closer to enlightenment.

Finally, the third jewel of Buddhism is the sangha, which refers to the monks and nuns who continue to spread the Buddha's teachings. In a wider sense, the sangha can also refer to the larger community of all people who take refuge in the Buddha and the dharma. And that can include a lot of different branches of practice and belief.

As the Buddhist teaching spread to other parts of the world, lots of small differences emerged and eventually more stark ones, leading to two of the major branches we have today, Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. Theravada refers to the way of or the lineage of the elders, and it's the largest branch in Southeast Asia. Theravada is based on the Pali canon, a collection of texts in the Pali language considered to be the earliest records of the Buddha's teachings.

Meanwhile, Mahayana Buddhism recognizes a variety of texts not found in the Pali canon, written in a number of languages, including Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese. The different sub-branches of Mahayana Buddhism value a variety of bodhisattvas, beings who are able to achieve nirvana but intentionally delay it, sticking it out on earth to help alleviate suffering for others, much like the Buddha himself. And within Mahayana Buddhism, we find another Tibetan Buddhism, one of the most well-known, thanks to the Dalai Lama, a globally recognized figure who Buddhists and non Buddhists all over the world value for his wisdom.

But the Dalai Lama doesn't preside over all Buddhists the way like the pope presides over all Catholics. His leadership is specific to the Gelug or yellow hat school of Tibetan Buddhism, while many other schools of thought have their own leadership and sacred texts and traditions. So while it definitely gets more representation in pop culture, Tibetan Buddhism is just one part of the canopy of various Buddhist branches, twisting and blooming like the limbs of the bodhi tree itself. And all of them together make up the sangha.

So the path to enlightenment isn't as straightforward as it might seem. Ways of doing Buddhism and following the middle way are varied, from spinning the prayer wheel at a temple to living a life of chosen simplicity as a monk or nun, to saying a mantra to focus the mind and so much more. And there's something very moving to me about the fact that the same root story can create branching paths that are as diverse as we are, though they all seek the same an end to human suffering.

Buddhism, Spirituality, Philosophy, Religion, Enlightenment, Dharma, Crashcourse