Buddism Religion History

In today's society when most think of Buddha or Buddhism they don't think of enlightenment or peace. Sadly, most see Buddha as nothing more than a novelty. They think of a fat little man who brings luck and good fortune.

Buddhism's origins dates back about 2,500 years, beginning with not a god or prophet but mere man. This man was born under the name Siddhartha Gautama around the year 563 BC to an Indian king. For much of his life prince Siddhartha lived the typical life of a royal. Upon his twenty ninth birthday, the young prince set out on a journey only to discover the disillusion that was his life. After gazing upon the illness, suffering, and injustice that his people were enduring, he left his family and comfortable life to seek a solution for the unsatisfactory nature and inescapable fates of the human condition. For six years Siddhartha practiced the most extreme forms of asceticism, which is the lifestyle of abstaining from worldly pleasures in the pursuit of religion and spirituality, until finally realizing he was no closer to his goals. One day shy of his thirty fifth birthday Siddhartha sat under a tree and vowed not to move from that spot until he reached enlightenment. His experiences under the tree are portrayed as a battle with Mãra, the Buddhist equivalent of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic Satan. For forty days he remained under the tree until reaching nirvana, which is a state of liberation and freedom from suffering. From this moment on Siddhartha would further and always be known as Buddha, which means the enlightened one or one who is awake. Buddha wandered India teaching and showing others the path to enlightenment until his death at the age of eighty. . His last words were said to be: "impermanent are all created things; strive on with awareness," and so his disciples did. In the centuries following the Buddha's life, Buddhism spread throughout Asia to become the fourth largest of the world's religions.

Just like there are many different denominations of Christianity - including Protestant churches and Catholicism, the different types of Buddhism reflect the way that this religion is practiced. While all of the different types of Buddhism have the same goal and same basis for their beliefs, the way that Buddha hood is obtained varies from sect to sect. All of the Buddhist sects believe certain things in common: all accept Buddha as their teacher, use the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path in their teachings, and believe that Buddha hood is the highest attainment. Most scholars divide the different types of Buddhism into three sections. The first of these is Southern Buddhism, or Theravada Buddhism, The second type of Buddhism that is mentioned is Eastern Buddhism, also known as Mahayana Buddhism, he third of the different types of Buddhism is Northern or Tibetan Buddhism.

The overall concept of Buddhism can be summed up in a few key teachings. The teachings of the four noble truths are the essence of Buddhism. The first noble truth called dukkha, which is that life is suffering. Life includes pain, disease, death, loneliness, frustration, fear, embarrassment, disappointment and anger; all which are unavoidable. Whatever is impermanent or changing meaning anything that is conditional or temporary is dukkha; such as happiness, life, hope, and youth. The second noble truth called samudaya, which is that suffering is caused by craving and aversion. Desire and ignorance lie at the root of suffering. Craving leads us to suffering. Buddhists refer to craving as pleasure, material goods, and immortality, all of which are wants that can never be satisfied. In other words, getting what you want does not guarantee happiness. The third truth is called nirhodha, which is cessation of suffering, which means that suffering can be overcome and true happiness can be attained. By give up useless cravings and desires, we can learn to live each day at a time not dwelling in the past then we can become happy and free. This teaches the end of suffering and true path to nirvana. The fourth noble truth is called magg, which is the leading to the cessation of suffering. This path to enlightenment is known as the Noble 8-fold Path. The noble eight fold path is being moral in what we say, what we do, and how we choose to live our lives. The Noble Eightfold Path is divided into three basic divisions, known as the Three Higher Trainings, it is devised of good moral conduct (Understanding, Thought, Speech); meditation and mental development (Action, Livelihood, Effort), and wisdom or insight (Mindfulness and Concentration). The eight stages of the path to enlightenment are: one which is right view meaning viewing reality as it is, not just as it appears to be, two is right intention meaning the intention of renunciation, freedom and harmlessness, three which is right speech meaning speaking in a truthful and non-hurtful way, four is right action meaning acting in a non-harmful way, fifth which is right livelihood meaning a non-harmful livelihood, sixth is right effort meaning making an effort to improve, seventh is right mindfulness meaning awareness to see things for what they are with clear consciousness, being aware of the present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion, and lastly, eight, is right concentration meaning correct meditation or concentration.

Buddhists pursue meditation as part of the path toward Enlightenment and Nirvana. According to Buddhism this is the most important thing we can do is take responsibility for and to change one's state of mind. Buddhism teaches that it is the only real antidote to the anxiety, hatred, discontentedness, and confusion is Meditation, which is a means of transforming the mind. Meditation practices are techniques that encourage and develop concentration, clarity, and emotional positivity. Meditation has become increasingly popular among non Buddhist in trying to reach the same physical, mental, and spiritual enlightenment as those who practice the religion.

Another practice of Buddhism that is often thrown around in modern society is the law of karma. Karma is the belief that every cause has an effect. Karma stresses the importance of taking responsibility for our action; every action has repercussions. In the Buddhist theory of karma, the karmic effect of a deed is not determined solely by the deed itself, but also by the nature of the person who commits the deed and by the circumstances in which it is committed. Karmic law will lead the spirit of the dead to be reborn, in realms which are suitable appropriate to their karmic accumulations.

Buddhism rejects the concepts of a permanent self or an unchanging, eternal soul as in Hinduism and Christianity. To Buddhists each phase of life has its cycle and death is not the end of life, it is merely the end of the body we inhabit in this life, but our spirit will still remain.