PHILOSOPHY OF LIBERATION ACCORDING TO BUDDHISM

Abstract

All the teachings that the Lord Buddha preached in the world are meant to be methods to lead sentient beings to the ultimate state of liberation in accordance with their dispositions and different levels of mentality. His scriptures were alter collected and came to be known as Tripitaka or Three baskets, viz, the Vinayaka Pitaka (Basket of Know ledge), Sutra Pitaka (Basket of Discourses) andAbhidharma Pitaka (Basket of Knowledge). The Vinaya Pitaka teaches and deals with the training of ethics, the Sutra Pitaka with the training of meditation and theAbhibharma Piaka with the training of transcendental wisdom. This shows that, whichever school of thought you follow the process of practice remains the same as clarified by Acharya Vasubandhu in his AbJridharmakosa as follows: "Through possessing, hearing and contemplation which are based upon moral conduct, one should thoroughly apply oneself to meditation."