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Dana Edwards. 05/21/06
Buddhism
Buddhism is one of the longest enduring religions of the world. There are several reasons for it's surviving more than two thousand years and continuing to be one of the great religions of all time, with currently over 376 million followers worldwide. To understand why it has lasted to this day and has a large number of followers spread throughout the world, we must understand what it is in religion that attracts people. People are attracted to a religion because it gives them answers to questions that are impossible to prove. It provides a way to guide one's life, a set of rules and ways of living that aid people in figuring out how they should live their lives. Buddhism fills all of those requirements.
First of all, Buddhism explains the mystery of life and death. It says that there is a system of reincarnation that all life is subject to. What form of life one is reincarnated into in his next life is dependant on how much Karma he or she accumulates in his or her current life. This system gives people something to look forward to, a reason to be a good person. Also, there is the ultimate destination of Nirvana that all lives can work towards. As humans, we are already well along the process to reaching enlightenment and entering Nirvana, because in Buddhist views humans are high up the chain of beings.
Secondly, Buddhism provides a way in which we are to live our lives. Although the Buddha preached his religion as devoid of authority, ritual and tradition, and intensely centered on self-effort, Holy Scriptures and laws were made after his death. There are separate rules for monks, nuns and lay people. These rules cover every part of life, from food, to shelter, to clothing, to luxuries, and to relationships. The rules that monks and nuns live by are stricter and more enforced than those of lay people.
Finally, Buddhism has lasted to this day because it is a peaceful religion. Not a drop of blood has been shed in the name of Buddhism. This is partly because Buddhism does not encourage converting people, especially by force, and partly because it is a very tolerant religion.
There are several reasons for why Buddhism has been historically such a tolerant faith, and why it still is today. King Asoka, a devout Buddhist who converted after a violent past, lived in 256 B.C. He taught that there should be positive growth in all religions. He said there were several ways to promote this. The first one is restraint in speech. He taught that one should not praise one's own religion or condemn others’ religions without good cause. He said that if there is just cause for criticism, it must be done mildly, and no violence must be involved. However, he said, honoring religions is much better because both religions benefit. The King wanted all to be "well-learned in the good doctrines of other religions.” in order to promote tolerance.
Next, Buddhism is tolerant because of its belief in not being exclusive. Some religions believe that salvation can only be for those who follow their religion, and the only alternative is hell. This belief is one of the main roots of religious intolerance, because it makes the person who follows the exclusive religion think that all other religions are evil. Buddhism, however, teaches that Enlightenment can be attained by practicing the Noble Eightfold Path, but that hell is not the only alternative. In fact, Buddhists do not believe in hell because it contradicts their belief in reincarnation. Also, Buddhism says that all people (and plants and animals) are reborn regardless of their religion; so a good person will have a good rebirth no matter what religion they are in. This belief allows Buddhism to see the good in other religions.
Lastly, Buddhism's tolerance goes down to its belief of the eternal nature of the soul. Buddhists believe that if one does not spiritually progress in their current life, they will have an opportunity to do so in the next life. This greatly differs in the beliefs of many other religions, such as Christianity and Judaism, which believe that people only have one life, and it is their only shot at either going to heaven or hell. Buddhists look at it as more of a great cycle. In Buddhist beliefs, there is always another life to continue the path to enlightenment. Therefore, Buddhists generally see other religions as helpful tools in aiding the soul's path to Nirvana, because all main religions promote values such as honesty, kindness, compassion, and integrity.
Buddhism can be considered a religion or a philosophy; which one it is referred to as is dependent on one's definition of the words religion and philosophy. What holds true is that Buddhism offers many wise teachings and life lessons. Its teachings provide advice for any situation that one may encounter. It shows one how to reach enlightenment, and explains the nature of existence.
Most of the knowledge of Buddhism can be found in the vast array of Buddhist doctrines. The doctrine of dependent origination is a widely accepted and well-known doctrine. It explains that no life or phenomenon truly exists, and that it only appears to exist because of an illusion of the human mind. However, it shows that if one becomes enlightened and reaches nirvana, he can understand the nature of dependent origination. He will be able to understand that, in fact, everyone and everything only exists because something else causes it to exist, in a big chain of cause and effect and reincarnation.
The four noble truths are the core of Buddhist philosophy. They are the four things that people must accept if they are to reach enlightenment. The first truth, called Dukkha, explains that all worldly life is unsatisfactory and contains suffering. The second one, Samudaya, tells that the cause of suffering is desire that comes out of ignorance. Nirodha, the third truth, says that the end of suffering is Nirvana. And finally, the fourth truth, Magga, explains that, to attain Nirvana, one must follow the noble eightfold path. The four noble truths were the topic of the Buddha’s first talk that he gave to the ascetics with whom he prayed and starved himself.
The noble eightfold path includes the eight steps that one must take in order to end suffering and attain enlightenment. They are: right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. These steps were created by the Buddha to help people fully understand the noble truths and to find out for themselves if they were true. Buddhism is a religion that emphasizes the importance of figuring things out for oneself, and understanding and questioning on your own.
Another very important philosophy of Buddhism is the middle path. It is the path or way of life that the Buddha discovered on his way to enlightenment. It is described as a path of non-extremism that says not to self-indulge and not to hurt oneself. As one popular story goes, the Buddha discovered this while he was by the shore, and a boat went by on a river. A man on the boat was explaining to another man that if he strings his instrument too tightly it will break, and if he strings it too loosely it will not play well. The Buddha took that as a metaphor for how you should lead your life. The middle way is an expansion on the noble eightfold path.
In addition to the guidelines of Buddhism, such as the noble eightfold path, Buddhism encourages you to be a generally kind and caring person. It encourages laughter, compassion, and living in the moment. In modern western versions of Buddhism, some of the ideas are practiced loosely, and the followers do not follow the noble eightfold path exactly; however, in almost all forms of Buddhism, modern and old, meditation is highly encouraged in order to clarify your mind and attain enlightenment.
Meditation is an important part of Buddhism. There are many forms of meditation, but the two main forms are Samantha and Vipassana. Samantha, which literally means tranquility, is aimed towards concentration. While practicing Samantha meditation, one focuses his mind on one thing, which is most commonly breathing. Once one practicing Samantha meditation has overcome the five hindrances (ill-will, sensual desire, anxiety, sloth, and doubt), he can begin to enter states of great happiness and tranquility. Samantha meditation, however, is not believed to take one all the way to enlightenment.
Vipassana, or insight, meditation is very different from Samantha. The emphasis is on seeing things that truly exist, unclouded by desires or feelings, as you go about your normal life. In order to progress in Vipassana meditation, one must be aware of all his actions and senses. Breathing meditation is also practiced in Vipassana meditation, but with a goal of being aware of the feeling of the air passing through your nostrils, rather than simply trying to calm your senses, as it is in Samantha meditation.
The goal of meditation and all Buddhist practices is to reach enlightenment. Enlightenment is what Siddhartha reached after sitting under the historic Bo tree. It is the blissful state of mind that all Buddhists strive towards. The Noble Eightfold Path is the official Buddhist guideline to reaching enlightenment.
Nirvana is what an enlightened being reaches when he dies. It is an end to the system of birth and rebirth, the only way out of the Samsara, or circle of life. The Buddhist religion does not attempt to describe Nirvana in great detail, because it is different for everyone, and impossible to know about unless one reaches it. It, however, gives a vague description about how once one has reached Nirvana, he will be one with the universe.
There are three major sects of Buddhism today: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Theravada Buddhism is found primarily in Southern Asia; therefore it is also known as Southern Buddhism. Theravadans' beliefs are based mainly on the Pali Canon, one of the earliest pieces of Buddhist literature. The aim of Theravadan Buddhism is to reach. Once one reaches the state of an arhat, he has the choice to be reincarnated into another life, or to leave the "wheel of life" never to be reborn again. All Buddhists believe that it is possible to leave the cycle of reincarnation by becoming an arhat, and entering Nirvana, however Theravadans are the only ones who emphasize doing so.
Mahayanas, however, believe that one should continue to be reborn by
becoming a Bodhisattva. A Bodhisattva is one who has become enlightened but instead of choosing to reach Nirvana, decides to delay it in older to help others attain it. The Mahayana sect emphasizes compassion towards all beings.
Vajrayana, also known as Mantrayana, or Tantric Buddhism, is similar to Mahayana in its beliefs, but also includes many additional spiritual techniques.. A major component of Vajrayana is to harness psychological energy in order to develop powerful states of concentration and awareness. These states can be used to ease the path to Buddhahood.
The Buddha, or Siddhartha Gautama, is the father of the Buddhist religion. Here is his story, which is a widely told and popular story in the Buddhist religion: Siddhartha Gautama was born in 566 B.C.E in Lumbini, which today is on the southern side of Nepal, close to the Indian border. He was born to a royal family; his father was King Suddhodhana, king of the Sakhyas, and his mother was Queen Maya, who died only days after his birth. His adolescence was beautiful and luxurious; he lived in an extravagant palace with high walls sheltering it from the outside world. He was never allowed out of the palace to see the poverty and disease that incased the rest of the world. When Siddhartha was born, eight Brahmins predicted that he would either become a Chakravarti (universal monarch), or a wise spiritual and religious leader. His father, however, did not want him to become a spiritual teacher; he wanted him to become a powerful king. As a teenager, Siddhartha took Princess Yashodhara as his wife, and continued to live a life of pleasure. One day, he wanted to see how the people in his town lived, so he managed to sneak out of the palace, accompanied by his servant, Channah. Out in the town, he saw a sick man, a decrepit old man, and a corpse. He realized how one day he would become sick, old, and eventually die. He also met a monk who surprised him with his beautiful tranquility. It was at that moment that Siddhartha decided to give up his materialistic lifestyle, along with all suffering and pain, and lead a monastic life. He left his home forever, following the Yogi practices; and for six years ate little food, and almost starved to death. He realized that weakening himself and starving was not the answer because it leads to the conditions that he was trying to escape. He decided to take the “middle path”, and eat food in moderation. He found a large Bo tree, known as the “Tree of Wisdom”, and sat under it for many days, meditating. He went into a deep spiritual journey, and came out victorious, having reached enlightenment. He got up in divine ecstasy, and began to share his compassion with others, by teaching the ways of Buddhism.
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