Buddhism

Buddhism

Date Founded:     c. 520 BCE	Place Founded:     Northeastern India	Founder:     Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha)
Rank:    4th largest world religion	Sacred Text:     Tripitaka	Spiritual Leader:     Monk or Lama in Tibetan Buddhism

Buddhism appeared in the sixth century B.C. and was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha or the "Enlightened One."

 

Story of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama was born in 563 B.C. to a ruling family. He appeared to have everything, wealth, a wife, a child, a good appearance and a throne he would one day inherit. By his late twenties he became aware of human suffering and he set out on a journey to find the true meaning of life. Siddhartha turned to meditation to reach enlightenment. After finding the meaning of life, he dedicated his life to preaching what he had discovered, which became known as the basic principles of Buddhism.

Siddhartha believed that the reason for the pain and sorrow of people was caused by their attachment to things of this world. Once worldly cares are let go of, pain and sorrow can disappear. Then a person must achieve bodhi or wisdom, which is the key step to achieving nirvana. Nirvana is the ultimate reality, which is a reunion with the Great World Soul. Siddhartha did accept the idea of reincarnation, but he believed that people could reach nirvana as a result of their actions in this life and they were not subject to the rigid castes like Hindus believed. This made Buddhism appealing to those in the lower castes.

Four Noble Truths 1.   Life is full of pain and suffering. 2.   Human desire causes this suffering. 3.   By putting an end to desire, humans can end suffering. 4.   Humans can end desire by following the Eightfold Path.

Eightfold Path The Wheel of Life is one of the most important symbols of Buddhism, as it represents the endless cycle of life through reincarnation and because each of its eight spokes represents one of the teachings of the Eightfold Path. Know that suffering is caused by desire. Be selfless and love all life. Do not lie, or speak without cause. Do not kill, steal, or commit other unrighteous acts. Do not do things which promote evil. Take effort to promote righteousness. Be aware of your physical actions, state of mind, and emotions. Learn to meditate.

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