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Buddhism was formed by a man named Siddhartha Gautama in India around the 6th B.C.E. Gautama was born in Nepal and was the son of a king. His father believed that he would become something great like a monarch. His father would not allow him to leave their home, so Gautama escaped and became a homeless wanderer. He went in search of peace, then one day he came upon the Tree of Enlightenment, under which he stayed and lived under for 49 days. According to legend he was tempted by demons but still he sat quietly.
That spot became known as the Immovable Spot.
Gautama came to understand suffering while he was meditating and explained it in the Four Noble Truths, which is the foundation of Buddhism. The Eightfold Path is also a foundation for the religion and it discusses ways to end suffering and become a better person. Gautama devoted his life to sharing his teachings with others. Gautama at first taught what he had learned to five followers, but soon founded an order of monks. He taught his beliefs for 45 years until his death at the age of 80. Buddhism is a religion that tries to share the Buddha's experience of awakening.
What does the word Buddhism and Buddha mean?
The word Buddhism comes from the word 'budhi' which means 'to wake up'. Monks say that Buddhism is the philosophy of awakening. The word Buddha means ‘enlightened one.’
Goals of Buddhism:
Enlightenment, purity, and proper thoughts and viewpoints.
When practicing Buddhism you can focus on any of the above three, it is thought that when you achieve any one of them, the other two will come naturally.
The Buddhist monks believe that purity of the world comes from an individual’s inner purity. With a pure mind a higher level of wisdom is achieved. Buddhists believe that by reciting the Buddha’s name, meditating, and practicing in accordance with Buddha’s teaching one will attain enlightenment. The monks also believe that if you have proper thoughts and viewpoints, and purity of mind you will become void of all deluded thoughts.
The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path
The Four Noble Truths:
1-all life is suffering, pain, and misery, also known as dukkha.
2-suffering has a cause, also known as tanha, or selfish craving and personal desire.
3-selfish craving can be overcome.
4-to overcome this misery is through the Eightfold Path.
Buddhists believe in reincarnation, where they are born again after they die. This wheel of rebirth, known as samsara, condemns the individual to the suffering of being alive. A Buddhist’s goal is to escape from the cycle of being reborn. When they have finally stopped reincarnating than they have reached Nirvana. Nirvana is considered the highest bliss. It was this bliss that the Buddha felt under the Bo tree.
Buddhists believe that the way to achieve Nirvana is to follow the steps in the Eightfold Path. Buddhists believe that not everyone will be able to reach Nirvana, but if you follow the Eightfold path you will be going the right way.
The Eightfold Path:
1. Right Knowledge or the knowledge of the Four Noble Truths.
2. Right Aspiration means that you are working towards the Path to Enlightenment.
3. Right Speech means speaking without hurting others, and taking care and caution in each word.
4. Right Behavior means acting appropriately. There are also five basic laws of behavior: do not kill, steal, lie, drink intoxicants, or commit sexual offenses. However, some Buddhists, including Western Buddhists, occasionally smoke.
5. Right Livelihood, this mean choosing a career that does not lead you off the path. You want a path that promotes life and well being not money.
6. Right Effort means training one’s self to be obedient and following the path toward Enlightenment.
7. Right Mindfulness means to always be self aware and continually examine oneself.
8. Right Concentration means to be completely absorbed into a state of Nirvana.
Buddhists believe that the first two steps can be taken by anyone but normally only monks go onto the other steps.
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