...Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of a man called Siddhartha Gauthama. He lived for about 25 centuries. Siddhartha Gauthama came to be called Buddha. In his life Buddha traveled and taught, he did not teach people what he had realized when he became enlightened. He taught people how to be come enlightened themselves. He taught them that awakening comes through your own direct experience, not through their beliefs. Buddhism spread throughout Asia to become one of the dominant religions in the continent. It is over 350 million people who practice Buddhism, which would make Buddhism the fourth largest of the world’s religions. Buddhism is different from other religions and some people question if it is really a religion. For most religions the focus is on God. For Buddhism, they are taught that believing in gods was not useful for people who were seeking enlightenment. In most religions, they are defined by their beliefs. Buddha said that we should not accept doctrines just because we read them in scripture or are taught them by priests. Buddha taught people how to realize truth for ourselves. The focus is on practice rather than belief. The foundation of Buddhism is the Four Noble Truths, which are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, the truth of the path that frees us from suffering. The fourth of Buddha’s Noble Truths is The Noble Eightfold Path, it consists of eight factors, which are right view, right...
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...Buddhism Worksheet Write a 1- to 2-paragraph response for each of the following. 1. Explain the basic Buddhist teachings including the three marks of reality, the Four Noble Truths, and the Noble Eightfold Path. The three marks of reality are change, no permanent identity, and suffering. Buddha recommended that people look at life as it really is; life is full of impermanence, or constant change. Buddha also urged people to abandon egotism and a fixation on material objects. He denied the existence of the permanent identity of anything. The third characteristic of reality is suffering; meaning that life can never be fully satisfying because of inescapable change. It encompasses the whole range, from horrible suffering to everyday frustration. The Four Noble Truths are a linked chain of truths about life. They are as follows: 1. Suffering exists. 2. It has a cause. 3. It has an end. 4. There is a way to attain release from suffering; specifically, by following the Noble Eightfold Path, (Michael Molloy, 2010). The First Noble Truth: To Live is to Suffer The Second Noble Truth: Suffering Comes from Desire The Third Noble Truth: To End Suffering, End Desire The Fourth Noble Truth: Release from Suffering is Possible and Can Be Attained by Following the Noble Eightfold Path. The eight steps of the path form a program that the Buddha taught that will lead those who follow it toward liberation from the impermanence and suffering of reality, (Michael...
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...Buddhism- A Study on Buddhist Monks Abstract: The purpose of this study is to explore the culture of the Buddhist Monks and their culture. The goal is to research the origination, worldview, religion, roles of men and women within their community, education, language and finally beliefs. Upon the study of the Buddhist Monks culture, information gathered highlighted the importance of the teachings of Buddha who is renowned as the enlighten one in and around the Buddhist community. The universal definition of what culture is the total inherited ideas, beliefs, values and culture which constitutes as the shared basis of social action. This could not have been more accurate for the study of Buddhism culture. In our study, we gathered that Buddhism is a philosophy which encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices which is based on the teachings of the renowned Buddha. The religion of Buddhism stretches to an extensive degree. Like many other cultures, there are different extents of religion, from the extreme to the customary and finally, to the moderate. There is no doubt that the Buddhist culture is vast. This research was embarking study of the Buddhist Monks. Research teaches us their discipline is refined and is intended to be conducive to the arising of mindfulness and wisdom. Furthermore, we gathered that the information of this culture is an excellent tool, which can be instrumental in leading to the end of all suffering. Enlighten information...
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...Antonio Venzor 12/11/12 REl 133 Proff. Sunday Buddhism Worksheet University of Phoenix Material Buddhism Worksheet Write a 1- to 2-paragraph response for each of the following. 1. Explain the basic Buddhist teachings including the three marks of reality, the Four Noble Truths, and the Noble Eightfold Path. The three marks of reality are; 1) Change – The only thing constant in life is change. 2) No Permanent Identity- As humans we are made up of several different parts and we are constantly changing never to remain the same as we once were. 3) Suffering- To live life is to suffer and experience sorrow; we can never be satisfied because of life’s avoidable change. The Four Noble Truths are a linked chain of truths about life: 1) Suffering exists 2) It has a cause 3) It has an end 4) There is a way to attain release from suffering—namely, by following the Noble Eightfold Path The Noble Eightfold Path are 8 steps that Buddhist follow that they believe will help them to reach Nirvana. Nirvana suggests many things: the end of suffering, inner peace, and freedom from limitations of the world. When Nirvana is reached it is believed to end karma and rebirth after the present life. The Noble Eightfold Path is meant to guide Buddhist to 3 goals: 1) Face life objectively 2) To live Kindly 3) To develop inner peace The 8 steps of the Noble Eightfold Path are as followed: 1) Right understanding -I recognize the impermanence of life, the mechanic...
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...Search For Buddha's Footprints Introduction Siddhartha Gautama who became saint, later known as Buddha which means 'enlightened one' or 'awakened one'. Buddhism was founded on the teachings of Buddha. He was born in Nepal, India and lived his 29 years of his life in Kapilavastu district of Nepal. After escaping from his palace he saw an old diseased man and many corpses on his way out. Seeing this he started thinking to fulfil subjects of his life and to understand why humans are like this? While meditating for seven continuous days under a Peepal tree later known as "Bodhi Tree", he attained enlightenment. After that, with all his other companions travelled the whole world including Sri Lanka to spread his teachings to the people and to awake them from several myths of life. The places where he went and spread his teachings were the proof by his footprints on those places. He also left his footprints to many places so that people...
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...over and over again until achieving moksha. Whether or not they are born into a good life depends on their previous life’s karma (good or bad deeds). In Hinduism, they also have a caste system. It divides people into four social classes and hardly gives any social mobility at all. People are decided which class they belong to at birth. For example, if a child is born into a family of slaves, that child will be a slave for the rest of his life. Confucianism is a philosophy started by Confucius in China. In Confucianism, the people valued education and believed in filial piety, the respect for elders. They also believed in the spirits of ancestors and created the famous quote, “do not do unto others, what you would not want them to do unto you.” Hinduism and Confucianism greatly affected the people and societies they were practiced in. In Hinduism, because of the belief in reincarnation and karma, people avoided doing bad deeds. Those who achieved moksha gained a complete understanding of the world and got rid of their desires. However, the caste systems also introduced discrimination. People of different classes were treated differently. In Confucianism, it brought a sophisticated education system and people respected their elders. It also affected the roles of family members. For example, the oldest males were always considered...
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...In this paper I will be discussing the concept of the four noble truths and eightfold path within the Buddhist religion. The four noble truths do not give concrete answers to metaphysical questions, unlike other religions. Buddhism teaches human existence is imperfect and the four noble truths are a guide to help steer away from suffering. The four noble truths are important to Buddhist ethics in that they are the way to nirvana and enlightenment. The first noble truth is life is suffering. To live means to suffer and since it is human nature, no one is perfect in any shape or form. While we develop, we inevitably have to endure physical and psychological suffering sooner or later. Each of us, no matter how rich or poor, is going to get sick, grow old, and die. Nothing is permanent, nothing can permanently satisfy us. “ Any aspect of life, no matter how seemingly pleasant, already has the seeds of the suffering that is a common denominator of all human experience” (Young 91). This is because things change and pass away; everything and everyone we love will someday pass away. The Buddha also taught the reason behind the suffering that individuals experience. The second noble truth is suffering is caused by craving. “We suffer because our craving leads us to become attached to things or people and deluded as to the real nature of our situation in life (Young).” As long as we are unable to detach of moral pleasures, we will experience suffering. One must learn to overcome...
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...Comparison of two religions | Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism | Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism constitute the essence of the traditional Chinese culture. The relationship among the three has been marked by both contention and complementation in history, with Confucianism playing a more dominant role. | | Buddhism religion and philosophy was founded in India c.525 B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama, called the Buddha. There are over 300 million Buddhists worldwide. One of the great world religions, it is divided into two main schools: the Theravada or Hinayana in Sri Lanka and SE Asia, and the Mahayana in China, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan. A third school, the Vajrayana, has a long tradition in Tibet and Japan. Buddhism has largely disappeared from its country of origin, India, except for the presence there of many refugees from the Tibet region of China and a small number of converts from the lower castes of Hinduism. Daoism and Confucianism grew largely in China and later spread to Korea and Japan. Daoism was founded by Lao Tzu. It is more than 1800 years history originating in the c.550 B.C time period. Confucianism has a worldwide influence and obtained it’s stable position under the reign of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty (202BC- 220AD). Some of Buddhism’s foundational paths are within The Four Noble Truths which is what the Buddha set forth during his first sermon at sarnath. This foundation leading to all his later teachings are, 1. Life inevitably involves suffering...
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...Buddhism Introduction: This document is designed to study and reflect on the ancient tradition of Buddhism. This belief has turned into a worldwide religion with over 300 million disciples just in East Asia alone (Bamber, G. 2001). This artifact intends to overview the background and origins of this belief system and how it has established itself in the world as a dominating force in mainstream spirituality. Conflicting views and controversy are part of pretty much every culture and Buddhism is not exempt from the equation; this section will be covered in this artifact as well. Buddhism’s current state and condition will be outlined in this document along with the impact it has had on the modern world. Lastly, the examination will conclude on how Buddhism has not only impacted my own life but the role it has played in my everyday operation in society. Backgrounds and Origins: A man in his late twenties named Siddharta Gautama, a prince of a royal bloodline in Nepal, flees the lifestyles of the rich and famous in an attempt to attain a higher form of consciousness. Due to the overwhelming influence of Hinduism, many people like him sought out to craft a more subjective belief system. More than five years later, he discovered that the idea perpetuated by the environment around him through austerity was not the path he foresaw. Legend says that he sat down to meditate under a pipal tree until he reached a state of enlightenment. From that point on he was considered “Buddha”...
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...Buddhism has undergone many changes since it was founded by Indian Prince Siddhartha Gautama in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons. Change has occurred within the belief system and surrounding the Buddhist faith, and has been typically seen as evolutionary as the main the foundations of the faith, including the teachings of the Dharma (doctrine), the Four Noble Truths, the five precepts and the Noble Eightfold Path, have been central to the faith regardless of any changes undertaken. Other constants accepted by the majority of Buddhists include the concepts of impermanence, the cycle of birth and rebirth (Samsara) and the vital role of meditation. The main areas of change for Buddhism comes under the adaptation, or lack of adaptation,...
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...Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Thich Nhat Hanh: “Buddhism is already engaged. If it is not, it is not Buddhism.” Walpola Rahula: “Buddhism is based on service to others”…political and social engagement is the “heritage of the bhikkhu” and the essence of Buddhism. Robert Thurman: “The primary Buddhist position on social action is one of total activism, an unswerving commitment to complete self-transformation and complete world-transformation.” Stated in simplest terms, engaged Buddhism means the application of Buddhist teachings to contemporary social problems. Engaged Buddhism is a modern reformist movement. A practitioner is socially engaged “in a nonviolent way, motivated by concern for the welfare of others, and as an expression of one’s own practice of the Buddhist Way” (King Being 5). In this description Sallie B. King invokes the spirit of the Bodhisattva vow: May I attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. According to Ken Jones engaged Buddhism is “an explication of social, economic, and political processes and their ecological implications, derived from a Buddhist diagnosis of the existential human condition” (Kraft New). Jones emphasizes the social theory underlying engaged Buddhism. According to engaged Buddhists the “three poisons” of greed, anger and ignorance apply both to the individual and to “large-scale social and economic forces” (Kraft New); their remediation is therefore the collective concern of society. As the subject...
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...Buddhism has become a religion that millions across the globe have started to participate in. Many people believe in the idea of karma, that if one does good things, good things will happen to them. However, several people do not realize that many Buddhist practices such as karma and reincarnation are rooted in Hinduism. How do the different Hindu and Buddhist prayers compare and how are they used amongst the lay people? These two religions have stark differences with their methods of prayer, so how have lay Buddhists found a balance between Hindu traditions and Buddhist traditions? Buddhism is known as the middle path between the relaxed version of Hinduism and the strict rules of other religions such as Jainism. Buddhism attempts to break...
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...and ways of life. Here one from each category will be looked at. Buddhism has origins in Indian subcontinent with shared and unique beliefs. These beliefs have no doubt have caused discrimination and conflict throughout time. The same is true for Asians. They are people that were vary separated from the world, and when trade lines were opened so were their differences. What makes these groups different has caused pain, but their experience has been much like any other group through history. Buddhism has a unique set of beliefs and principles that are adhered to by its followers. The religion is nontheistic that is comprised of many practices, traditions, and beliefs based on Siddhartha Gautama, who is known as the Buddha (Buddhism, 2014). Buddha itself means the enlightened one. Gautama had a privileged upbringing and eventually grew tired of that life style. He searched for a greater meaning of life, and in that search he developed the four noble truths. They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering (Basics of Buddhism, 1999). Suffering and how to end that suffering are the center ideas of the religion. Buddhists meditate in search of nirvana, the higher state of understanding where suffering stops. They follow the Eight Fold Path to work through the understanding of the Four Noble Truths. The path consists of Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech...
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...ASSIGMENT TITLE In this assignment, you will select two (2) religions from those studied thus far in the course (i.e., Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism). Next, compare and contrast them . Hinduism is unique among the world religions in that it has no founder or date of origin. While most major religions derive from new ideas taught by a charismatic leader, Hinduism is simply the religion of the people of India, which has gradually developed over four thousand years. The origins and authors of its sacred texts are largely unknown. Although today's Hinduism differs significantly from earlier forms of Indian religion, Hinduism's roots date back as far as 2000 BC, making it one of the oldest surviving religions. Also the linguistic similarities between Sanskrit, Greek and Latin are the result of Aryan migrations in the opposite direction, out of India and into Europe. Aryan tribes from within India spread throughout Europe bringing their culture, language and religion. Passages from the Mahabharata and other Hindu texts are quoted in support of this theory. Whether the Aryans came from outside the subcontinent or whether Aryan culture developed within India, matters little for our purposes here. However, there are some beliefs common to nearly all forms of Hinduism that can be identified, and these basic beliefs are generally regarded as boundaries outside of which lies either heresy or non-Hindu religion. These fundamental Hindu beliefs include: the authority...
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...Tamika Harrison Doug Dorman Comparative Religion March 20, 2013 Buddhism Buddhism, one of the fastest growing religions in the world, is also one of the oldest and has influenced many cultures of Asia and followers in the west (Alldritt 4). Buddhism is the fourth largest religion following Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism, and has over 376 million followers (Robinson). In Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan, Mongolia and Taiwan, Buddhism is the majority religion. China, which is primarily atheist, has many people that adhere to the Buddhist beliefs (Wangu, O’Brien, and Palmer 8). The percentage of Buddhism’s practice is quickly increasing in the United States population. Some estimate that up to 3 million are practicing in the US. But India, around 500 B.C.E., is where it all began and flourished (Alldritt 5). During this time, India was in a state of religious ferment which led people to experiment with meditation, deep breathing and to study with gurus (Molloy 125). Buddhism emphasizes on personal enlightenment as opposed to an eternal salvation from a higher being. The Buddha is not a god, but a human being that was acknowledged and respected for providing the knowledge on happiness within one self and concern for all living things (Robinson). In this report, I will discuss how Buddhism originated, its major forms, beliefs and teachings and the question of it being a true religion or philosophy of life. Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, or the awakened one,...
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