...Buddhism Buddhism is a way of life that exceeds beyond religion. The word Buddhism is derived from “budhi,” meaning “to awaken.” (A Basic Buddhism Guide) Siddhartha Gotama, Buddha, realized that wealth and luxury did not guarantee happiness; therefore, he explored different religions and philosophies in search of the key to human happiness. Siddhartha Gotama continued his exploration for six years until he was enlightened. Once enlightened, the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching the principles of Buddhism. Buddhism encompasses Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. The first noble truth is life is suffering. Life includes pain, illness, death, and many other irrefutable facts that cannot be denied. Buddhism focuses...
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...Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha during the fifth century BC. He was a young prince and married a yound girl named Yasodhara at the age of sixteen. His father made the decision that his daughter would live a secluded life. So Siddhartha went out into the world and faced the cruel reality of life and worldwide suffering. When he turned twenty nine, he left the kingdom and newborn son to lead a simple and isolated life. He did this to try to find a way to relieve worldwide suffering. He meditated for six years but never attended full satisfaction. He was offered a bowl of milk-rice from a girl and that was the start of him pursuing a path of equilibrium rather than extremism. The name of this path was Middle Way. Buddhism is a more reformed version of Hinduism. The Four Noble Truths that are included in the religion are the basis for all forms of Buddhist philosophy. These truths are called Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha, and Marga. According to dictionary.com, Dukkha is the first of the Four Noble Truths, that all human experience is transient and that suffering results from excessive desire and attachment. According to the Wisdom Library, Samudaya is Second of Four Noble Truths: Suffering is caused by desire. Nirodha is usually translated as "cessation", as in "cessation of suffering", the third noble truth. In a more general sense, Nirodha is often used as a synonym of Nirvana (What is Nirodha, n.d.). Marga (Sanskrit mārga; Pãli magga, "path") in Buddhism refers...
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...Critical Thinking Assignment Part I - Analysis of Buddhism Origin The founder of Buddhism was a Hindu Prince named Siddhartha Gautama who lived in India. The young boy was sheltered from the world in hopes to keep him safe, but he saw many things that scared him; poverty, illness, death and aging. At the age of 35 he ran away from home in search for peace to all these things; leaving his family behind. For six years he fasted, eating one grain of rice a day for two years, a sip of water a day for two years and then nothing at all for two years. Gautama came upon a fig tree and mediated for seven days and reach Nirvana. Nirvana is a place where a person is free from all the evil or bad in the physical world. Everything is at peace. This is where the Bodhi or “The Tree of Wisdom” was created and when Gautama changed his name to Buddha or “The Enlightened One”. (Hindson & Caner, 2008, p.115) Identity In Buddhism, all life is sacred. The soul is eternal and when your physical body dies you may reach a state of Nirvana and be one with The Buddha. Or, your soul is reincarnated, depending on how you lived your previous life. Good deeds are rewarded, bad deeds you are reincarnated into a lower life form. Since all life in sacred, humans and animals have similar essence and are partners in searching for eternal oneness. (Weider & Gutierrez, 2013, p. 67) Meaning Mans purpose is to end reincarnation so that the soul can reach a state of Nirvana, or liberation. In...
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...Aristotelianism When it comes to Western philosophy, Aristotle is considered to be one of the greatest contributors. He believed that humans were distinctly defined by their character traits rather than their behavior. Aristotle supported this belief by explaining the concept of achieving eudaimonia through living virtuously. Through evaluating his theory of human nature we are given the answers to three of the most common questions humans face today. These common questions are: 1. What should we strive for, and how do we achieve this goal? 2. What makes us special if anything? 3. What tends to go wrong in the pursuit of our goal? Aristotle teaches, “everyone aims, ultimately, for eudaimonia”. Eudaimonia is the Greek term, which means human flourishing. For the ancient Greeks, the term flourishing relates to one being successful in life. “Aristotle realizes, of course, that there are many different opinions about just what eudaimonia is” (to be successful). “In order to sort through these opinions, separating the plausible from the true, Aristotle discerns three preconditions for a proper understanding of eudaimonia”. “According to Aristotle, whatever eudaimonia is, it must be such as to be final, self sufficient, and the end of action”. In order for eudaimonia to be final, it cannot be achieved for the sake of something else. This means that our goal of achieving eudaimonia should not serve to meet another goal. A good example of a non-final goal would be one setting...
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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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...Assignment PART ONE: The Question of Origin In Buddhism, they do not teach nor do they believe that there is an all-powerful God that created the universe. They look to Buddha, the religion’s founder, for a model of how to behave. In the Buddhist view, the universe is infinite in both time and space and the universe is created and destroyed over and over again in a process we call natural evolution. The Question of Identity Buddhist considers all life to be sacred and/or spiritual in nature. They believe in reincarnation and a person’s spiritual future is based solely on one’s good or bad actions in this lifetime, also known as Karma. The Question of Meaning/Purpose In Buddhism, the primary purpose is to end suffering. The Buddha believed and therefore taught that humans suffer because they are to consumed in things that do not give long lasting happiness and are too busy trying to hold on to things such as friends, material possessions, and things that do not last, and in the end brings upon sorrow. This is where the beliefs of the Four Noble Truths come in: teaches that all life is marked by suffering, suffering is caused by desire and attachment, suffering can be stopped, and the way to end suffering is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path. The Question of Morality Respect, love, and compassion are highly valued in Buddhism as are an ethical and moral path is the basis for their model of behavior. The Noble Eightfold Path consist of right knowledge, right intention, right...
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...Explain the Buddha’s teachings and about the nature and ending of suffering. The Buddha taught people that life is imperfect and that it will be full of suffering and how it is unavoidable. He taught that the earth is plagued with it and that you will have to face it, however he did overcome it as he was able to reach nirvana. He also taught people the way of how they can do it as he taught them the four noble truths and of the eightfold path. He taught people about the nature of suffering in the form of Dukkha and the dissatisfaction of it and the ending of Dukkha in the form of nirvana. Dukkha is the first truth that the Buddha taught it is that life is suffering which is caused by craving i.e. life includes pain, getting old, disease, and ultimately death. We also endure psychological suffering like loneliness frustration, boredom, fear, embarrassment, disappointment and anger. It not only is this the suffering it is the dissatisfaction of the life of suffering that we have to endure and struggle through and that that unsatisfactory feeling is caused by Tanha which is craving. The other truths rest on this dissatisfaction of life and how we can over come it if we can life a dukkha free life. There are also three types of Dukkha which are Dukkha Dukkha, Dukkha Anicca and Dukkha Anatta. Dukkha Dukkha is the natural suffering that goes on in the world and that nothing in life is perfect. Dukkha Anicca is the most important Dukkha as it is the suffering that goes on because...
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...centered on cognitive dimensions that revolve around meditative thinking in order to reach enlightenment, while the western school of thought subscribes to the idea of attaining salvation through a leap of faith This paper shall put forth two philosophers, one from each school of thought, discussing their unique ideas and then shall continue on to compare and contrast their ideals. Siddhartha Gautama was born into a life of privilege and wealth, being the son of a king. When Siddhartha experienced the suffering in the world, he left his wife and child to pursue a path that would uncover the cause of suffering and its cure. “After six years of wandering and meditation, he found enlightenment.” (Moore & Bruder, 2008, p.530) With this attained enlightenment, Siddhartha Gautama took up the handle that he is known by today, Buddha which means “the Enlightened One.” Siddhartha’s new enlightenment led to the creation of Buddhism, which “essentially was a philosophical response to what might be called the problem of suffering.” (Moore & Bruder, 2008, p.530) Buddha laid out his answer to suffering in his doctrine of the Four Noble Truths. The four truths of this doctrine were as follows: “(1) There is suffering;( 2) suffering has specific and identifiable causes; (3) suffering can be ended; (4) the way to end suffering is through enlightened living...
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...Buddhism – Week 3 | World View Chart | Origin of All Things | One of the first views on the origins of the Universe came from the Buddhist sūtras, and was formulated in the Abhidharma texts. In the sutras it states that the world was created from the collective karma or actions of living beings in the form of a primordial wind. From the Book of Dzyan the account of the origin of the universe describes it as a light or luminosity,” the actual moment of manifestation is described with the words, “darkness radiates light.” The book goes into more detail explaining that the whole world is dependent on a cause [for creation] because something cannot rise by itself, the cause here is light. From the light comes knowledge, from knowledge comes air, from air the fire, from fire the water and from the water the earth is born. If quoted in reverse this tantra also explains the dissolution of the world. (Reigle, 2013)The origins of the religion itself explain the if we can understand where our suffering comes from we can become free. This means that a person must take responsibility for their own lives, and dutifully practice the religious teachings of Buddha in order to achieve the ultimate goal of liberation from suffering or Nirvana. (Fisher, 2011 p. 135) | Nature of God/Creator | Buddhism is a nontheistic religion, which means they do not believe in any supreme being or God. Many People believe that Buddhists worship Buddha; this however is not the case. The Buddha was a human...
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...Siddhartha’s Journey to Enlightenment When Siddhartha Gautama was about five days old, his father, King Suddhodana, was told by a holy man that his son would either be would be either a great military conqueror or a great spiritual teacher. Upon hearing that, the King decided to raise his son in a life of luxury and shield him from religion and the knowledge of human suffering. He did this because he wanted his son to be a ruler, not a spiritual leader. After twenty-nine years of knowing very little about what went on outside of his kingdom, he decided to step outside his kingdom and see what the outside world was like. He saw suffering all around him and was sickened by it. After awhile the Price saw a wandering ascetic. The Prince’s chariot driver explained that the ascetic was person who had renounced the world and wanted freedom from fear of death and suffering. After returning to his kingdom, he was unhappy. The life he once was content with made him unhappy and he couldn’t go on living ignorantly after being exposed to human suffering. One night, he left the palace so set out on his journey to find enlightenment. Siddhartha began his journey by seeking the teachings of philosophers. The philosopher’s taught him how to mediate and information about different religions, like Hinduism. The Prince also tried to find release from human suffering by physical self-discipline. Siddhartha would hold his breath for periods of time. He would only eat one grain of rice and one drop...
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...Is Planet Earth A Religious Planet? Kevin R. Graves Religion 212 Professor Farnham Strayer University 02/03/12 Is planet earth a religious planet? On the surface it would appear that it is. There are rituals, ceremonies and traditions that the people of earth follow in accordance with their respective religions. On the other hand, in some religions there is corruption, and misdeeds. Also, there are wars fought in the name of religion, which makes me think that religion is not a good thing. In this report, I will be reporting on five of the earth’s 20 major religions. I will be exploring their customs, practices and functions. Along the way, I will comment on the negative aspects of the religion, if any. The ultimate goal of this report is to determine if earth is a religious planet. I started my journey in the East, where I studied Christianity. In Christianity, the people attend church every Sunday or chose to worship at home in their own way. Christianity is a monotheistic religion and the people worship a higher power called God. The people of Christianity follow Ten Commandments that states: Thou shall not, steal, kill, lie, worship Idols, use the lord name in vein, commit adultery, covet what your neighbors have, and in addition to that, one should honor thy Parents, and keep the Sabbath holy. These Commandments are found in the Christian Bible, which is a collect of ancient scriptures, that the Christians hold as the Word of God. Christians...
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...Buddhists believed in order to reach a state of cessation, or nirvana, steps must be taken to achieve elimination of all suffering. These steps are considered to be the Noble Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path consists of eight steps that lead to arhatship, the “state of one who has awakened” (Noss, pg. 182). These steps do not need to be completed in order, but can be obtained simultaneously. The eightfold path was created from the fourth truth of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, one of the most important teachings of Buddhism. A contemporary Buddhist would be able to live a life in our modern times, and be able to follow the eightfold path. The first step is right belief. This path simply means to believe in the Four Noble Truths, and view life in its simplicity. A modern Buddhist would simply need to have a straight- forward way of life, to be able to see the true nature of their environment. The second step is right aspiration or purpose, also called right intention. This is considered to be a commitment to self- improvement, and a commitment to understanding the path to nirvana. This includes resisting the pull of desire, resistance to ill will and bad feelings, and resistance to violence and aggression. This path can be practiced by being kind to others and not having any bad thoughts or feelings towards others. The third step is right speech. Right speech is considered not speaking ill of others, always being honest, and to be genuine with others. This is an easy step...
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...Buddhism Deriving from India as early as the 6th century BC Buddhism is one of the worlds oldest religions. Buddhism has been and still is one of the world’s most popular religions with about 350 million followers ranking just below Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. There is no surprise in the amount of followers that Buddhism has considering it has been around for so long and wouldn’t be able to stay a religion so long without loyal adherents. Buddhism is based off of the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, a royal prince born in Nepal. Siddhartha Gautama is also known as the Buddha or in other words “the awakened one”. The Buddha was believed to be enlightened teacher who believed it was best to live in the moment. As said by the Buddha “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” Buddhists who would follow his teachings did so to escape their suffering. To escape their suffering they would have to achieve the state of nirvana. To achieve nirvana the Buddhists must first understand The Four Noble Truths and then practice the Eightfold Path. Buddhism believes in three main ideas when it comes to life and the rest of the world: Samsara, Karma, and Rebirth. Samsara is when a person continually goes through birth, life and death while cycling through the six realms of existence while doing so. Samsara causes suffering and unhappiness, which is the purpose of it because...
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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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...Jennifer Villalobos Professor Miles REL 2011- Analysis and Interpretation of Religion October 17, 2011 Buddhism A Whole New World History and Origin When we speak of Buddhism we visualize a monk in an orange robe but there is so much more than that. Buddhism in my opinion is a way of life and not just a religion. The founder of Buddhism was a man named Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha said that there were four noble truths and that the only way to save ourselves from suffering was to follow the eightfold path. Siddhartha’s teaching was to help us reach the ultimate goal “enlightment (nirvana), freedom from the cycle of conditioned existence”. It all started with the birth of a child named Siddhartha Gautama who later on is known as the Buddha. Siddhartha was born around present day Lumbini, Nepal around 563 BCE he was born into a wealthy family and was a prince of the Sakya Clan. Siddhartha was raised by his aunt who was his father’s second wife because his mother died when he was seven days old. It is believed that when Siddhartha was a baby a holy man said that he would be either a great politician and unite India or he would be a great religious leader. Siddhartha lived a life of luxury and his father was very careful as to block all negative things from Siddhartha’s sight. His father did not want him to see old age, sickness, death, and a monk. The holy man had warned him that if Siddhartha say all these signs he would become a religious leader. When Siddhartha was...
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