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    • Buddhism. In simple terms.

    Buddhism is observed by approximately 300 million people. The name for this religion stems from the word “budhi” which means to awaken. The origin of this, comes from person 2,500 years ago. His name is Siddhartha Gotama, he was born into a royal family in Lumbini, now located in Nepal, in 563 BC. At 29, he was not happy, and it dawned on him that wealth and luxury did not guarantee happiness. This caused him to decide to explore the different teachings religions and philosophies of the day, and find the key to human happiness.  He became known as the Buddha, when he himself believed he was enlightened at 35 after taking 6 years to study. Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching the principles of Buddhism — called the Dhamma, or Truth — until his death at the age of 80.

    . Buddhism does not state that other religions are wrong, and in fact, accepts and tolerates all religions. They simply seek to teach anyone who wants to learn. Buddha himself said not to believe his words just because he said them but to discover the truth within yourself. Problems are solved when we look within us, not outside ourselves. Buddhism explains a purpose to life, it explains apparent injustice and inequality around the world, and it provides a code of practice or way of life that leads to true happiness.

    Well to be plain, Buddhism is a combination of a religion, and a philosophy. It relates closer to a philosophy, however, because it is more a way of life than a doctrine to follow. It is not truly a religion due to the fact that every one person is deciding for themselves what this teaching means and learns their own way. There are many ways this religion is carried out. It’s a lesson to be learned that isn’t something as most religions where you have to believe it in it’s entirety. .

    • How does someone become a Buddhist?

    Buddhist teachings can be understood and tested by anyone. Buddhism teaches that the solutions to our problems are within ourselves not outside. The Buddha asked all his followers not to take his word as true, but rather to test the teachings for themselves. ln this way, each person decides for themselves and takes responsibility for their own actions and understanding. This makes Buddhism less of a fixed package of beliefs which is to be accepted in its entirety, and more of a teaching which each person learns and uses in their own way.

     Sooo… Is Buddhism really a Religion?
    Not really. No.
    To a lot of followers, this is more than just a religion and is more of a way of life for them. Philosophy ‘means love of wisdom’ and the Buddhist path can be summed up by saying it is composed of the four noble truths and the noble eightfold path. To simplify it a little more I will narrow it down to three basic principals. They are as follows:

    1. to know what is right and wrong and follow the right path.
    2. to be cautious and aware of your thoughts and your actions.
    3. to gain wisdom and understanding through following these 3 steps.

    It is a belief system, or teaching, that is, in its more advanced state, as follows:

    To start explaining, the beliefs I will start with the 4 noble truths. The first being that in your life, you will have to suffer and ultimately,then you will die. This is pretty basic and easy to understand, and I am sure you already accepted these facts.

     The second is that suffering comes from trying to change others to our wants, to get others to like us, or just not getting what we want. It is based by saying instead of struggling to get something, change what you want; simple right?

      The third states if we stop trying to look back on the past and looking to the future, and instead take everything one day at a time, we can be happy and free.This is a lesson we could all apply to our lives, I know I could. It is a simple idea, but hard to follow through.

    The fourth, and final truth,is that the eightfold path is how you can end your suffering.If I don’t explain the eightfold path, this will make no sense to you, so I will give you a very basic explanation of this.

    The eightfold path, in a quick overview is being very conscience of our actions and words; by using the principles above to gain compassion for the world and everyone in it.

     

    The code within Buddhism is the precepts, there are many of these but the top five cover your basis if you are to follow them.

    They are:

    • not to kill.
    • not to to steal.
    •  to stay away from sexual misconduct and sensual overindulgence,.
    • to keep yourself  from lies.
    •  to avoid intoxication, which is, losing mindfulness..

    • Do Buddhists Worship Idols or have a God?

    Buddhists sometimes pay respect to images of the Buddha, but they do not worship, nor to ask for help. A statue of the Buddha with hands rested gently in its lap and a compassionate smile is to be a reminder for us to strive to develop peace and love within ourselves. Bowing to the statue is a way to say thank you for the teaching.

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