Buddhism Reflection

Buddhism Reflection
From class, we have learned some of the basic concepts of Buddhism. The goal of Buddhism is reach a form of enlightenment known as nirvana.
Buddhists believe that the cause of suffering comes from our own selfish desires. In Buddhism, one aims to eliminate their cravings by practicing
self–detachment. As a Christian, I found this religion much different from my own. Also, some of the teachings seemed a little contradicting. To learn
more, I decided to take part in the Buddhist practice. I sat in on the Empty Circle Zen Buddhist group's worship that took place in the First Unitarian
Church in Hobart, IN. Their practice left me more open minded and answered a few of my questions that I had on Buddhism. Although, Buddhism and
Christianity may appear completely different I now believe they share some important concepts and values.
The Zen circle group practice in a Church that was not Buddhist but I believe they did their best to imitate a Buddhist vibe. There was a small
Buddha statue sitting on a table with two candles on the left and right of it. The group formed a circle in the church with mats on the floor. On top
of the mats were pillows for each member to sit on. If one was unable to sit on the floor they would have to get a chair, fold the mat, and sit in the
chair with their feet placed on the mat. The group forming in a circle seemed o be an important element of their practice. I believed it helped in
forming togetherness and harmony between it's members. Also, it proved to be effective when having discussions and making sure everyone is
heard. The room was spacious so everyone one could spread out and still be part of the circle. The church was big enough to walk around in which
was useful when it was time to practice walking meditation. I noticed that the colors in church were very dull. The pillows, mats, and the statue of
Buddha were burgundy and dark green. I thought the colors were intentionally dull so it wouldn't distract people during meditation and aid in keeping
everyone focused. The lighting in the room wasn't bright which could have been used to set a calm feel within the room.
When entering the Church, the person leading the ritual made is clear that Buddha was not a god. He wanted us to
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Buddhism : Life And Teachings Of Buddhism Essay
Buddhism is based on the life and teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha, who was a spiritual master who lived in the fifth century B.C.E. in what it is
today Nepal and northeastern India. Even though the roots of Buddhism are in the Indian subcontinent, so that is shares many of the concerns of the
complex of religions known collectively as Hinduism, it seeks to rise above all cultures and traditions and to lead all being (humans, deities, animals)
up to perfect enlightenment and complete liberation from all suffering. The Dharma means the "eternal truth about reality," and it teaches that the
Dharma is, over immensely long periods of time, forgotten and then rediscovered by beings who have fully awakened to reality as it is and are
therefore called Buddhas, or the awakened ones. There have been scholars that have tried for years to reconstruct the life of Sakyamuni Buddha and
his teachings but have not reached a consensus yet. It is said though that Buddha lived in the northeastern Indian subcontinent during a period of
religious and social turmoil. Since it has been impossible to recover the life of the Buddha with historical accuracy, which makes it difficult to exactly
say how much of the Dharma comes from the Buddha or how much from the followers.
There are teachings of Buddha, called The Four Noble Truths; suffering, the arising of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading to the
cessation of suffering. The Four Noble Truths begin with a formulation of the

Buddhism Research Paper
Buddhism
By: Tevin Stuart
Looking at the 5 religions I feel that Buddhism exemplifies a great ethical outlook on the world. I feel that Buddhist are very peaceful and caring of
the entire world. The goal of Buddhism is striving to find balance and peace within a world filled with suffering. With that being said the goal of
Buddhism is to modify a person's behaviors and cognitive beliefs, onto a path of moral perfection. They want the world to be completely free of greed,
hatred and delusion. These are described as unwholesome roots otherwise known as (akusalamula). Greed, hatred, delusion are all influences that
people are motivated by to commit unethical acts such as destruction, harm or injury to other living beings, stealing others belongings,...show more
content...
For example on the day of Vesak which celebrates the birth life and death of Buddha. People will go to temples and offer food to the monks and to the
poor. Buddhist are taught from young ages to be mindful of others, share what they have and control their thought. Meditation is used very often in this
religion because it is said that meditation is thought to bring positive energy which is used to help others as the day's progress. Positive energy
brings happiness. Buddhist believe that it is a goal to separate themselves from technological advances and man made things. Moral wisdom is not
gained from thigs made by man, wisdom, is gained from living life. Buddhist see evidence of proliferation of greed and hatred at all levels of social
interaction in modern society. Buddhist feel that the world lacks sympathy, and concern for the well–being of others, this lack of concern leads to
social conflicts within the world. Through their religion they are taught to not be self–centered which will relieve the social tension on the world. The
ultimate goal of the Buddhist way of life is to do away with greed, hatred and delusion. Stop being as materialistic and you can see through the eyes of a

Buddhism : A Religion Of Peace And Non Violence
From the lavish beginnings in a wealthy kingdom nestled within the Himalayan foothills of Nepal, Siddhartha Gautama's transformation into the
Buddha and the start of Buddhism was based off of and due to confronting constant human suffering in everyday life. Abandoning his regal life in
pursuit of spiritual insight, Siddhartha sought to understand the problem of human suffering and propose remedies, if any, to such a condition. Verses,
lectures, and sutras transcribed in scriptures by Buddha's followers offer an other worldly perspective to endure the hardships and how to conduct
oneself harmoniously in society especially with the concept of Inner Peace. The truth goal of Buddhism is to attain peace within oneself, detaching
oneself from worldly suffering, attaining enlightenment, and eventually reaching a state of escaping the cycle of suffering, the state of Nirvana. Even
though there are many sects of the Buddhist faith, this essay focuses on the shared peace practices and beliefs Buddhism promotes, especially the
concept of inner peace through reflection. Buddhism is known widely as a religion of peace and non–violence, though there are outlying examples
contrary to the point such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and etc., the concept of achieving inner peace and living harmoniously no matter what
views one has can promote a positive society. Dharma is a central term mentioned to greatly in the Buddhist text, its meaning refers to the teachings of
Buddha and the

Buddhism Essay
Buddhism
For over 2000 years Buddhism has existed as an organized religion. By religion we mean that it has a concept of the profane, the sacred, and
approaches to the sacred. It has been established in India, China, Japan and other eastern cultures for almost 2000 years and has gained a strong
foothold in
North America and Europe in the past few centuries. However, one might ask; what fate would Buddhism face had Siddartha Guatama been born in
modern times; or more specifically in modern day North America? Would his new found enlightenment be accepted now as it was thousands of years
ago? Would it be shunned by society as another "cult" movement? What conflicts or similarities would it find with modern...show more content...
Traditionally, western thought can be summed up by French philosopher RenJ Descartes' famous saying, "Cogito ergo sum" or "I
think therefor I exist". That is, typically, western man has always equated identity with his mind, instead of his whole organism (Capra 23). This
same line of thought can be found in traditional Newtonian Mechanics in which the observer of an event is never taken into account when describing
the event. Rather, all things are said to occur at an "absolute time" in space, never taking into account the observer's position or speed
relative to the event or the rest of the Universe. However, in the beginning of the 20th century, new developments in physics began to shake the
framework of the scientific world. Due mostly to work by Albert Einstein, but also Ernest Rutherford and others, the scientific view of the universe
took a drastic turn. These scientists recognized flaws in the classical Newtonian view of the universe. The recognition of these flaws led to the
development of the Quantum Theory of Matter as well as Einstein's
Relativity Theory. These theories, as well as the discoveries that they led to, incorporated the entire universe as being comprised of energy, and that
particles, time, and space, are just different representations of this energy.
Naturally this faced strict opposition. So much so that in spite of it's

What Is Buddhism? Essay
What is Buddhism?
Buddhism is a path of teaching and practice. Buddhist practices such as meditation are means of changing oneself in order to develop the qualities of
awareness, kindness, and wisdom. The experience developed within the Buddhist tradition over thousands of years has created an incomparable
resource for all those who wish to follow the path of spiritual development. Ultimately, the
Buddhist path culminates in Enlightenment or Buddhahood.
Who was the Buddha?
The word Buddha is a title not a name. It means 'one who is awake' in the sense of having 'woken up to reality'. The title was first given to a man
called Siddharta Guatemala, who lived about 2,500 years...show more content...
How do you become a Buddhist?
To become a Buddhist in the full sense means committing oneself to the central ideas of Buddhism. The Buddhist path is open to all equally: men and
women, young and old, people of all nationalities, races and backgrounds.
Rebirth
Rebirth in the Six Realms
Buddhism teaches that birth, death and rebirth are part of the continuing process of change. The is similar to the continuous process of growth, decay,
and replacement of cells in ones' body. According to medical experts, after every seven years, all the cells in one's body are replaced by new ones.
At the moment of death, and the body can no longer survive, the mind is separated from the body. At that time, the craving for lives causes one to seek
a new existence, and the karma done previously determine the place of one's rebirth. There are six realms which one may be reborn after death. They
are the realms of gods, the demigods, human beings, animals, hungry ghosts, and the hells. In general, wholesome actions like good conduct, charity, a
and mental development, are the cause of rebirth in the happy realms of gods, demigods, and human beings. On the other hand, unwholesome actions

like immoral conduct, miserliness and cruelty cause

Buddhism Reflection Paper
When I switched out of my other class and registered to take Buddhism I honestly did not know what to expect out of taking a world religion as a
class course. But, of course thinking like a young college student I thought to myself " Hey, why not a class like Buddhism just might be interesting to
you and you always been open minded to learning about different religions anyways". The whole idea of enlightenment being the primary goal of
Buddhism was very interesting to me in the beginning of class. I also agreed with the saying that " the "three poisons, "desire, hatred, and ignorance.
These are the state of mind that motivate the performance of the non virtuous deeds that in turn produce suffering"( (Lopez, The story of Buddhism, p
46) because it relates to what goes on in the world and the generation today. In class Mr. Hayes used to turn the light on to represent that when you are
following the path of the Buddha you are awakened and when the light was off you are in the dark or suffering.
"Buddhism as a religion to which ordinary people have turned over the centuries for the means to confront, control, or even escape the exigencies of
life"(Lopez 14). Buddhism is a world religion that has been studied and carried across the world for many centuries.When it comes to the scholarly
approach to studying Buddhism I learned that one must learn to be open minded , disciplined and patient because studying Buddhism can get a bit
tricky. You must be open minded because Buddhism

Research Paper On Buddhism
Studies of Religion 1 Unit– Buddhism Essay Draft
Buddhist adherents are urged to live good lives according to the Dharma in order to reach Nirvana. This means that their lives are impacted from birth
to follow these teachings which is then further encouraged by their spiritual leader Tenzin Gyatso, his Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. With Tenzin
Gyatso's influence as the significant person of Buddhism and quotes from Buddhaghosa and Dogen, this essay will analyse the impact that the Buddhist
teachings of worship (Puja) and bioethics have on individuals and the community of the faith. "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If
you want to be happy, practice compassion." the Dalai Lama.
Puja is the worship of the Buddhist faith....show more content...
Buddhist bioethics is not complicated. Buddhist adherents are encouraged to make right decisions in accordance with the second and fourth step, Right
Intention and Right Action, of the Eightfold Path, the path to Enlightenment. Buddhist adherents are told and taught through the Dharma and the Dalai
Lama that all life is sacred, not matter the circumstance. In a case of euthanasia, a person of the Buddhist faith is encouraged to abstain from killing
in accordance to the first of the Five Precepts. However, the word abstain does not necessarily mean to never consider altogether. In some rare
circumstances an attempt to end one's mortal suffering with a clear mind can be tolerated leaving the Karmic forces of Buddhism to take over the
reincarnation process. Due to this Buddhist bioethics are situational. Buddhists also see suicide as euthanasia and has been tolerated by the Buddha in
only two cases after the victims were of clear mind. The Dalai Lama has also spoken on the topic of euthanasia. He claims that in extreme
circumstances euthanasia may be tolerated but he also has said "I think it's better to avoid it". The quote from Buddhaghosa says that the Eightfold
Path is the path to Nirvana, and the second and fourth steps of the Eightfold Path is Right Intention and Right Action. If in extreme circumstances
euthanasia has been tolerated, however a clear mind must be needed to have

Buddhism Essay
High in the mountains of the Himalayas chants ring out from the Tibetan monastery. For most this is a dream–like vacation to a far away land. For
some of the people who live in Tibet and India this is everyday life as a Buddhist. Buddhism revolves around a strict code of daily rituals and
meditations. To an outsider they can seemmystical or even odd, but these are the paths to enlightenment and spiritual salvation. Throughout the
centuries, Buddhism has evolved into a major religion in Asia and other parts of the world.
The mystical roots of Buddhism can be traced back to the first century BCE. Buddhism began with the birth of Siddhartha Gautama. When Siddhartha
was born he was noticed as having "the 32...show more content...
Although it teaches the balance of family with society, Confucianism is more of a political ideology. In Asia, it concerns the division of property
among citizens.
Lastly, among others, is Zen. This is the most important of Buddhist practice. Zen is more a ritual than a "written in stone" doctrine. The rituals deal
with meditation and the path to enlightenment. "Zen Buddhism...is the basic practice of meditation in order to reach peace within ones self" (Clark
and Brown 8). For most Buddhists it is Zen that leads the way to enlightenment. The practice involves reflecting upon one's self and meditating in order
to reach spiritual salvation, or Nirvana, the highest level of spiritual peace.
Buddhist practice can generally be divided into two sects, the Mahayana and the Theravada. The Theravada sect, the eldest, is commonly referred
to as the "tradition of the elderly" (Hansen 4). The basic belief is that your "station" in life is directly related to the spiritual state of your soul.
According to the beliefs, "enlightenment is reserved for a select group of religious figures and scholars" (Clark and Brown 5). As can be expected, the
Theravada sect is less common. Followers of the Theravada are more commonly found in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Burma (Hansen 4).
The second sect, the Mahayana, is the youngest one. It is commonly referred to as the Greater Vehicle. Mahayana

Why Is Buddhism A Religion Essay
BASIC INFORMATION
Buddhism is a religion of about 376 million people across the globe and was started in northern India, in the 5th century BCE by Buddha. The word
"Buddhism" comes from the word "budhi", which means, "to awaken" and Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who is more
commonly known as Buddha (which means "the awakened one"). Buddhism is more than "just" a religion; it is more like a philosophy or a way of
life. Buddhism is love of wisdom and the Buddhist path is made up of three things: to lead a moral life, to be mindful and aware of thoughts and
actions, and to develop wisdom and understanding. Buddhism is one of the only religions in the world, whichany wars have been fought over, because
Buddhists don't try to convert non–Buddhists to Buddhism and they accept other religions. Buddhism is also one of the only religions based on the
teachings of a person, who actually has been proven to have been alive. Buddhism has mainly two main branches: Theravada ("The School of the
Elders") and Mahayana, but some Buddhists accept Vajrayana as a third and individual branch and not part of Mahayana.Buddhism is an offspring of
Hinduism and Jainism.
RELIGION OR NOT?
Some people argue that Buddhism is not a religion, because of many reasons, but many times the main reason being the fact that Buddhism doesn't have
a...show more content...
He would go to the capital of his father's kingdom and observe how people lived. He saw suffering and death, which left a deep impression on his
mind and he realized that all living creatures have to suffer birth, sickness, aging and finally, death. He understood rebirth and its laws, and
comprehended that living creatures have to withstand these sufferings not only once, but are trapped in a cycle of sufferings and started feeling
compassion towards all living creatures and wanted to free everyone from their

Buddhism Essay examples
The origin, traditional Buddhism began in the 6th century BC with the historical personage born Siddhartha Gautama, but better known by a variety of
titles including Shakyammi, Tathagata, or most commonly Buddha, the enlightened one. The legend of the Buddha's life has acquired plenty of
variations and embellishments over the years, but the basic facts are accepted as traditional, including the dates of his birth and death (563–489 BC by
Western reckoning, 624–544 according to Sri Lankan tradition). The story of Buddha's birth is encrusted with myth and fable as that of any God–figure
in human history. For instance, he is said to have issued from his mother's womb stating that his cycle of rebirths was about to end. Again, some
Buddhists...show more content...
The next day he encounters a man covered with repulsive sores and shaking with illness, so he may know how physical illness and misery may
attend man all the days of his life. On the third day he sees the body of a dead man, which teaches him the dreadful fact of death and his limited
time in this world. These three sights robbed him of all peace of mind. (It is a fact, and perhaps the legend is based upon it, that in one of the
oldest passages in the Buddhist writings he is reported as saying: "I also am subject to decay and am not free from the power of old age,
sickness and death. Is it right that I should feel horror, repulsion and disgust when I see another in such plight? And when I reflected thus to my
disciples, all the joy of life which there is in life died within me.")
The prince remained distraught throughout the remainder of that day pondering these revelations. On the fourth day he befriended a calm ascetic
walking toward him as he traveled the road. From this person, who had gained true peace of soul, he learned how freedom from the miseries of old
age, disease, and death may be won. His father sensing his son's troubled thoughts over the past few days decided to hold a great feast in Gautama
honor, something to sway his son

Essay on Buddhism
Buddhism is probably the most tolerant religion in the world, as its teachings can coexist with any other religion's. However, this is not a
characteristic of other religions. The Buddhist teaching of God is neither agnostic nor vague, but clear and logical. Buddhism was created by
Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in the sixth century B.C. in what is now modern Nepal. Siddhartha grew up living the extravagant life of a
young prince. His father was Suddhodana and was the ruler of the Sakya people. According to custom, he married a young girl named Yasodhara at
the age of sixteen. His father had ordered that he live a life of total seclusion, but one day Siddhartha ventured out into the world and was confronted
with the harsh reality of...show more content...
For the re– mainder of his eighty years, the Buddha preached the dharma in an effort to help other people also reach Enlightenment. The Buddha
objectively examined the phenomena of life. Studying effects and tracing their causes, he produced a science of living which ranks with any other
science known to man. He de– scribed life to be one and indivisible. Man, he declared, can become Buddha, Enlightened, by the principle of
Enlightenment within. This process is simply to become what you are, to de– velop to the full innate Buddha–Mind by destroying the igno– rance, sin,
and evils of human nature. According to the Buddha, all forms of life can be shown to have three characteristics in common; impermanence, suffering,
and an absence of a permanent soul which separates itself from other forms of life. The Buddha also pointed out that nothing is the same as it was only
a moment ago. Everyone and everything are constantly changing. There is no rest within the universe, only a ceaseless becoming and never–ending
change. Buddhism denies that man has an im– mortal soul. The Enlightenment which dwells in life does not belong to only one form. Man is always
changing and entirely mortal. Buddhism is a natural religion. It does not violate either the mind or the body. The Buddha became aware that men are
born and die according to their good or evil

Buddhism Reflection Paper
Buddhism a religion that I have once myself been a part of. Even though I was not part of the Buddhism that is described in the textbook, I was part
of one of the branches of Buddhism. It is called Nichiren Buddhism, which was first created in the 1250 CE. I was born into that religion and was
practicing it until my family decided to leave it when I was 10. As such, I do have the desire to learn more about Buddhism and as such is the reason
why the chapter on Buddhism attracted to me. By reading this chapter it gave me a whole understanding of its origins and how such a religion was
created.
To start off, the creation of Buddhism happened around the same time that Mahavira is teaching the ways of the Jains (pg 136). The person who
would become the first "Buddha" taught on how to cure earthly suffering. It was somewhat common to other religions as they all provided comfort to
their following on the suffering that was happening to them in the world (pg 136). One thing I found quite interesting was how the Buddha taught
Buddhism. He taught his followers that "by understanding how we create suffering for ourselves, we can become free." This holds very true outside of
Buddhism, as by seeing how one is affected by negativity and suffering one can put into action how to remove or change the situation.
The Buddha teaching reached far and wide and had touched almost every part of Asia. In some countries, Buddhism became a religion that dominated
the region. As the religion spread,

Reflection Paper About Buddhism
In this paper, I have chosen to consider the convictions of Buddhism, particularly on one of the most seasoned surviving branch of Buddhism, which is
Theravada. In this reflection paper, I will examine how I attend at Buddhist religion, my essential learning of Buddhism, the manners of being in a
sanctuary, what I know have shown me from a youthful age. Also, I will express my own sentiments, perspectives and individual experience
particularly on Karma. Buddhism is an exceptionally spellbinding, quiet, human–focused religion. Like numerous different religions with age,
Buddhism is one of the most established religions out there, dating the distance back to
560 B.C.E. Getting from Hinduism, a polytheistic religion, Buddhism...show more content...
The teachings I have learned from seminars, conferences, and weekly Dharma service discussions have taught me that each and every individual is
different. There are aspects of our life that intertwine us, but the events, people we have met, and places we have visit separate us from being
identical. I learned that there are reasons why some one may have say a rude comment, or why someone chooses to be extremely quiet in school.
We should not judge them for this, as we most likely express some of these habits ourselves.
But if we can learn to identify and express understanding towards one another, then we will only better ourselves and the world as a whole. There are
three missions of the Arizona Buddhist
Temple is to encourage Sangha: to learn the joyful and compassionate teachings of Buddha, to practice these teachings in their daily lives, and to share
the teachings with other. On a typical
Sunday, Buddhist format are:
В¬Ringing of the "Bansho" and "Bansho Meditation"
В¬Calling for the "Kansho" and response Hai"
В¬Ringing of the Kasho
В¬Opening Remarks
В¬Sutra Chanting
В¬Sanbutsuka
В¬Reading of the Tree Treasusres
В¬Howa (Dharma Talk)
В¬Sanbutsuka
В¬Buddhist Reading
В¬Announcements

В¬Closing Remarks
Some Definitions:
Kansho – referred to a "ritual bell" because it is rung just to prior to the beginning of the ritual. The

Buddhism Thesis Statement
Bearden L. Brooke
Mrs. Forst
English 2
2 February 2017
All About Buddhism
Religion bashing seems to be very popular in today's world. Instead of acquiring the knowledge needed to argue their points they find it easier to
bash or put down what other people believe in. Why not gain information and the facts you need to argue your points? Bashing can not take place if
people are not properly informed! Have you ever bashed Buddhism? Thought that it was totally absurd. Do you even know what you don't like about the
religion? Buddhism isn't as complex as people like to make it out to be. Thesis statement: Buddhism can be summed up in three simple steps. The name
of the man who found buddhism was named Buddha.(www.aboutbuddhism.org)

Buddhism : Buddhism And Buddhism
Zen Buddhism isn't exactly a "religion", but a way of living. It creates peace within the human mind that allows one to grow, develop and look at the
world more positively. Originating in China in 650 C.E., Zen Buddhism is a combination between Indian Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism. Mahayana
Buddhism promotes bodhisattva, which is practicing the way of life in the direction of Buddha. Taoism is a religion developed by Lao–tzu, a Taoist
philosopher, and focuses on obtaining long life and good fortune. It was brought to China by an Indian monk named Bodhidharma. Eventually, Zen
Buddhism began to spread to Japan in the twelfth century CE and Korea in the seventh century CE, and it eventually became very influential and
popular in western society around the mid–twentieth century. Buddhists that practice Zen Buddhism believe that Zen is the way that Buddha attained
enlightenment. Enlightenment for Buddhism is a spiritual state where there is no desire or suffering. This leads to the teachings of The Four Noble
Truths. The Truths are teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha gave in Sarnath after attaining enlightenment. The first Truth is the truth ofdukkha and that it
is inevitable in life. Dukkha is any kind of unhappiness or suffering and all human experience is temporary. They believe that suffering is a result of
extreme desire and attachment. The second Truth states that dukkha is caused by cravings and that unhappiness results in humans wanting to make
their biases and

Buddhism : Buddhism And Buddhism
Buddhism is a philosophy that is often viewed as a religion and dates back to approximately 6th century B.C.E. Buddhism originated in the Indian
subcontinent by a man known as Siddhartha Gautama. The original language of Buddhism is often debated as some scholars believe that it was first
practiced in Pali while other believe it was first spoken in Sanskrit. The practice of Buddhism first spread to China in the 2nd century A.C.E and was
translated to Mandarin in 3rd century A.C.E. Today, there are approximately half a billion Buddhists worldwide (CNN). The main branches of
Buddhism are: Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Vajrayana Buddhism (Whittlemore). To speak briefly of the three schools; Theravada
Buddhism is the most conservative or orthodox of the branches as it uses Buddha's original teaches and themes without alterations; Mahayana
Buddhism teaches that spiritual bliss is universally accessible to everyone no matter of the person's background or religious belief; Vajrayana
Buddhism, also known as Tibetan Buddhism, is the smallest of the three branches and hold many gurus as political leaders. The most well known
leader of Vajrayana Buddhism is the Dalai Lama. Buddhism has several main components such as its early teachings from Buddha, co–dependent
arising, and the concept of no self. Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, which means "the awaken/enlightened" one, is the founder of the
Buddhist tradition. Siddhartha lived from 566 BCE to 486 BCE. He

What I Learned About Buddhism Essay
One of the reason I took this class is to learn more about religions and their origins but I was specifically interested in Buddhism so I was excited that
it was a religion that the class was going to cover. I had little prior knowledge of Buddhism but I didn't know the origin, important figures and important
teachings but I learned that what I thought was inaccurate. This class deepened my interest of Buddhism more because I learned what it really is about
and their teaching while also correcting the ideas I had of Buddhism that were wrong. One of the ideas I was wrong about Buddhism is that I
thought that they worshipped a deity which was Buddha and that Buddhists pray to him just like Catholics pray to God. In the lectures, I learned
that Buddhism didn't have a god which was weird for me to learn because all the religions that we've learned before had a type of God. I found it
interesting that Buddha was seen as a teacher and was never turned into a God like in Christianity, he was seen as a revered teacher and great
influence to look up to for Buddhists. The lectures also taught me that Buddha himself didn't believe in a higher power but believed that a person
could reach nirvana for themselves and not because a higher power was telling them too because that's why he did it. He did it for himself when he
meditated under the tree so that he could learn about himself and how the world works and its secrets. Learning that Buddhism had no God to obey, I
felt like

Buddhism Essay
Buddhism
What is Buddhism?
Buddhism is a philosophy of life, it was started by Siddhartha Gotma , who is more commonly known as Buddha. Buddha isn't god to them however
he is well respected for passing down knowledge of how to find true happiness. The Buddhists major aim in life is to find enlightenment (true
happiness).Buddhist monks live by a strict moral code, in which they are given food, they live a life structured around the teachings of Buddha.
Who was Buddha?
Siddhartha Gotama was born into a rich royal family, located in Nepal in 563 BC. Siddhartha's birth was prophesied by his mother whom had Queen
Maya dreamt that a white elephant with six white tusks entered her right side (a sign of great importance in that...show more content...
He died at the age of 80.
Major Festivals
Buddhist New Year: In the countries that follow the Theravadin tradition (Thailand and Sri Lanka) New Year is celebrated for 3 days and in
celebrated on the first full moon day of April. In the Mahayana countries the New Year is on the first day of January.
Vesak: Traditionally, Buddha's Birthday is known as Vesak or Visakah Puja (Buddha's Birthday Celebrations). Vesak is the major Buddhist festival of
the year as it celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha on the one day, the first full moon day in May, except in a leap year when
the festival is held in June. This celebration is called Vesak being the name of the month in the Indian calendar.
The Key Beliefs of Buddhism
In a nut shell the main beliefs are the four noble truths and the eightfold path these two things are the basis of which Buddhism is centered.

The Four Noble Truths:
1.The First Noble Truth: "Life means suffering" This is saying that ultimately we must accept that we may get sick, we will get old and ultimately
we will die. However it spreads to the psychological level as well, we will all suffer exclusion, loneliness, frustration and fear. This isn't a pessimistic
approach time life, but a realistic view.
2.The Second Noble Truth: "The origin of suffering is attachment." Suffering is caused by an addiction to earthly things such as fast cars and other non
essential items. Just because you have what you want

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