Buddhism Explained

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 seem mystical 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
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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 : 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 Buddhism has grown to become a major world religion since its founding by
Siddharta Gautama, known as the Buddha, in 5th and 6th centuries. It now has over 300 million
followers. Buddha, or enlightened one, was born around 563 BC in the town of Kapilavastu,
what is now Nepal. He was born a prince, son to King Siddhartha and Queen Maya. He was raised
in the palace and never left the grounds. At the age of 29, he ventured from there. Outside of the
city he saw four things that changed his life: He saw old age, sickness, death, and a holy man. After
seeing these things, he became a holy man himself, traveling all over India, talking to holy men. He
learned about Reincarnation, Karma, and Moksha. After...show more content...
This is the natural course for a living being. With ripe fruits there is the constant danger that they
will fall. In the same way, for those born and subject to death, there is always the fear of dying.
Just as the pots made by a potter all end by being broken, so death is (the breaking up) of life.",
"The young and old, the foolish and the wise, all are stopped short by the power of death, all
finally end in death. Of those overcome by death and passing to another world, a father cannot
hold back his son, nor relatives a relation. See! While the relatives are looking on and weeping,
one by one each mortal is led away like an ox to slaughter.", and "With the arrow withdrawn,
unattached, he would attain to peace of mind; and when all sorrow has been transcended he is
sorrow–free and has realized Nibbana." Even though there are many forms of Buddhism, since his
death, there is still a basic essence they all believe in, the Four Noble Truths. The first noble truth is
dhukka, or suffering, the second is tanha, or desire, the cause of suffering, the third is that to
overcome suffering, one must overcome desire, and the fourth tells how the third can be
accomplished by the eight–fold path. The eight–fold path is the way to overcome suffering. This also
helps people attain Nirvana. It includes, right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. The most simple

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 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

Buddhism And Its Impact On The World Essay
Buddhism, currently the fourth largest religion in the world, started very small then spread to
different places, different cultures, overtime, as illustrated in a documentary about the start of
Buddhism. The high popularity for this religion is attributed in part upon belief and spirituality as
opposed to worshiping a god (or gods). Although it began in India, c. 500 BCE, it needed a medium
to travel all over the World. The Silk Road provided the Medium thatBuddhism needed to spread to
China. Buddhism spread to China by merchants, monks, and pilgrims using the Silk Road.
Buddhism, without the Silk Road, would not have reached to China the way it had, with such an
impact, as the Silk Road is what provided a majority of the travellers a way between destinations.
Buddhism began with the life of Buddha c. 500 BCE, and how people started to follow his
teachings and practices in hopes of reaching a state of enlightenment. While originally a prince,
born on the edge of current day India and Nepal, Buddha made a decision to leave his life of
luxuries. By leaving all materialistic wants and desires, the Buddha's goal was to reach spiritual
enlightenment. He encouraged others to follow his ways. Buddha's teaching included ideas such as
the Four Noble Truths, which are the basic foundation for teachings in Buddhism. The Four Noble
Truths describe suffering, often opening others eyes the the reality in which we live. Suffering
exists, with reasons behind it, though suffering can end,

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

Essay on Buddhism
Buddhism
In reading this account on Buddhism, the goal is, for you (the reader) to understand a fascinating
belief system, that has been around since before Christ ever set foot on this earth. This will
provide a connection to the minds and hearts of the people who live and die in this sacred world,
so that an understanding may be arroused and ultimatly give an acceptance as well as a clear path to
minister to these people. The most important aspect of reaching out to people of other cults or
religions could possibly be an understanding and common ground with your neighbor. Therefore,
knowing Buddhism and learning about it will help give you a stepping stone in you mission on
spreading the gospel of...show more content...
He did these things for six or seven years in order, so he believed, to attain truth. One day while on
his pilgrimage of enlightenment he came to the realization that his life as an ascetic was of no
greater value than that of his previous existence as a prince. His self–torturing acts were then viewed
by him as vain and fruitless, just as a life with worldly pleasures would be described as. Once he
discovered the importance of the "middle way", (the way to truth, which averts both worldly
pleasures and extreme austerities) he abandoned his life of extreme austerities and moved on in his
search for truth. (Mead 30)
Later on in his life, it is not certain exactly when, Gautama sat under a particular fig tree in Gaya,
which now is christened the Bodhi–tree. Gautama sat at the foot of that tree and meditated, he
meditated until he became enlightened. At the point of enlightenment he discovered the "Four
Noble Truths", which became the focal point of his teachings, and of his Buddhist philosophy. This
marked perhaps the most important point in his spiritual journey, where he became the Buddha or
"the Enlightened One".
With his newly found title as the Buddha he decided to set out and share the enlightenment he
experienced and the "Four Noble Truths" to all who would be willing to receive

Buddhism And Its Impact On Society Essay
In the universe there 's a galaxy, and in this galaxy there 's the solar system, and in this solar
system there is a planet earth, and in this planet earth lives 7 billion people. We are all the same but
divided by key things; oceans and mountains, culture and society, but most important religions and
beliefs. Out of the hundreds of practices and beliefs that make part of planet earth one of the most
interesting form of religious practice is Buddhism. Buddhism is the practice of finding peace within
ones self by developing inner peace, wisdom and kindness. This practice dates back 2,500 years,
and the founder is known as Buddha Shakyamuni. He was born a royal prince in a town called
Lumbini; originally part of northern India but now makes part of Nepal. When Buddha was 29
years old, he retired form his royal life and left to the woods to fallow the spiritual life of
meditation. He found a new way of life without materialistic needs by finding inner enlightenment.
Buddha teaches how to get liberation from suffering form oneself, and how to attain enlightenment
for the sake of others; his main goal was to give people permanent liberation form suffering by
helping them find lasting peace or nirvana. The Buddhist culture believes that all of our problems
are caused by a confused and negative state of mind, but all good fortune and happiness comes form
a positive state of mind. Buddhism is meant to teach the human mind how to overcome negative
minds like ignorance, anger, and

Buddhism, Buddhism And Buddhism
Buddhism is one of the largest religions in the world that started in India. Later spreading to
China,Burma,Japan , Tibet and other parts of southeast Asia. Buddhism is a religion that
Is concentrated on spiritualism than religious teachings. Established by the buddha, one must obtain
their own spiritual awakening, or nirvana through meditation. There are three main branches of
Buddhism Theravada Buddhism , Mahayana Buddhism and Tantric Buddhism.
About 2,500 years ago, Prince Siddhartha Gautama renounced his empire in search of happiness or
panacea for sorrow (dukkha) Gautama, after an extensive research throughout his empire and
meditating on the collected data under a banyan tree,discovered that aspiration or want (kama) was
at the root of sorrow (dukkha) laid down four noble truths to eliminate sorrow, and became the
Buddha, the enlightened. Truths "Sanskriti, Mana. "The Four Noble." (1998)." The four noble truths
stated that suffering could not be escaped. Birth sickness, senility and death are all occasions of
suffering. Suffering can be either physical or psychological. One that is living an un– enlightened
life is living in suffering. A major cause of suffering is ignorance. Someone who is manifesting as
ego grasping is living an un–enlightened life. There is one only way suffering can be ended and that
's through the eightfold path." Oxtoby, Willard Gurdon, and Amir Hussain. World Religions: Western
Traditions. Willard Gurdon Oxtoby & Amir

Buddhism Research Paper
Buddhism. In todays society the only thing most people know about Buddhism as a religion is the
big and round Buddha who that is always showing his belly. They think Buddhism is all about just
being relaxed and "chilling out." Buddhism is something much more than just relaxing though, at its
basis it is a religion that encompasses a variety of beliefs, traditions, and spiritual practices that are
attributed to the Buddha. "Buddhism is a way to salvation which is open to all and depends for its
attainment neither on fait nor on divine grace but only understanding 'the way things really are'."
The Buddha is not a god or otherworldly in Buddhism. Since its beginning, Buddhism today has now
been molded into 3 major denominations: Thereavada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Across these
denominations and the various less known ones there are about 350 million Buddhist living in the
world today, that accounts for about roughly 7% of the world population and also making it the 5th
largest religion in the world. Buddhism began sometime around the late 6th century and the early 4th
century BCE in northeastern India during a time of discontent in the region due to sacrifices and
rituals taking place through the Hindu high caste. Buddhism came together through the work of
many different religions and people who wanted to created a more spiritual and personal religious
experience than the more widely accepted Hindu culture at the time. Due to this coming together of
people there are

Buddhism Essay
Buddhism is one of the biggest religions founded in India in the 6th and 5th century B.C. by
Siddhartha Gautama, also known as "the Buddha." As one of the greatest Asian religion, it
teaches the practice and the observance of moral perceptions. "Buddhism begins with a man. In
his later years, when India was afire with his message, people came to him asking what he was.
Not 'Who are you?' but 'What are you?' 'Are you god?' they asked. 'No.' 'An angel?' 'No.' 'A saint?'
'No.' 'Then, what are you?' Buddha answered, 'I am awake.' His answer became his title, for this is
what Buddha means. The Sanskrit root budh means to awake and to know. While the rest of
humanity was...show more content...
Finally the prince convinced his father into letting him visit a part of the city that was beyond
the palace gates. Before allowing the prince to ride in his chariot, Shuddhodana ordered the
streets to be cleared of the sick or the infirm, that the prince not be allowed to see any of the
corpses or the world renounces. Despite the kings efforts, at one point the path of the royal chariot
was blocked by a sick man. He found that the man had only grown old and that such afflictions
were the result of age. Siddhartha was amazed to find that most people see such sights every day
but persist in shortsighted pursuit and mundane affairs, apparently unconcerned that they will
become sick, grow old, and die. In two other journeys outside the palace, Siddhartha saw a man
stricken with disease and a corpse, and when he learned that eventually his young healthy body
would become weak he fell into a deep depression. On the fourth trip, Siddhartha saw a world
renouncer, a man who stood apart from the crowd, who owned nothing and was unaffected by the
petty concerns of the masses, and who radiated calm, serenity, and a profound inner peace. This man
had nothing, yet he had obtained

Spread Of Buddhism Essay
uddhism was a religion that readily spread from its origins in India to Central and East Asia during
the fifth and sixth century. Buddhist ideology offered hope and comfort to the Chinese people who
had experienced so much turmoil and suffering during the Han Dynasty. It also provided alternatives
for women to improve their social status. Buddhist monks became influential players in Chinese
society and government.
By the end of the sixth century, Buddhism was a firmly engrained religion in China.
One of the biggest contributors to the spread of Buddhism in India and beyond was emperor
Ashoka, of the Mauryan Dynasty. Emperor Ashoka ruled over most of the
Indian subcontinent, and around 260 B.C.E. he waged an extremely destructive war
against...show more content...
al., 2015). Contact between merchants and missionaries along the Silk Road helped promote
Buddhist ideas to people of different cultural backgrounds. In Central Asia, China, Japan and
Korea, the form of Buddhism that spread was called Mahayana. This form of Buddhism was very
inclusive, and the emphasis on peace offered comfort to a China who had witnessed considerable
internal violence among war lords and the Age of Division following the fall of the Han Dynasty
(Buddhism in East Asia, 2008; McKay et. al., 2015). After so much political instability, Chinese
people were open to new ideas, and the Buddhist concepts of reincarnation, karma and nirvana were
very appealing (McKay et. al., 2015).
Buddhism also appealed to rulers in China. In the fifth and six centuries, non–
Chinese ruled the north, and the Chinese ruled the South. Buddhism appealed to both rulers who
saw the religion as a way to unite the groups (Buddhism in East Asia, 2008).
Buddhism also attracted women, who were able to attain more equitable social roles due to the
inclusive nature of the religion. Additionally, Buddhism offered an

Buddhist Meditation Essay
Meditation is very difficult to describe and can only truly be explained once experienced. It is the
practice of mental concentration leading ultimately through a sequence of stages to the final goal of
spiritual freedom, nirvana. The purpose of Buddhist meditation is to free ourselves from the delusion
and thereby put an end to both ignorance and craving. The Buddhists describe the culminating
trance–like state as transient; final Nirvana requires the insight of wisdom. The exercises that are
meant to develop wisdom involve meditation on the true nature of reality or the conditioned and
unconditioned elements that make up all phenomena. The goal of meditation is to develop a concept
in the mind.
<p align=justify>Learning to...show more content...
It can help you become a more loving person in daily life.
<p align=justify>Meditating on love creates loving feelings to beings; meditating on
loving–kindness is to embrace the whole universe with love and help you become a more loving
person. Meditating on compassion helps wish to free beings from suffering and doing everything
you can to help them. Meditating on sympathetic joy is rejoicing in the happiness of others,
developing a genuine gladness. Meditating on even–mindedness develops an even love for all beings
and controlling one's emotions, having a clear and genuine goodwill to all. It helps focus on others
and detach from the world, which is key to attain Nibbana. Meditation is also important as in the
mental training of our mind to reach the real goal.
<p align=justify>In addition, meditation helps one understand various concepts of Buddhism.
For instance, meditating on impermanence, such as decomposing bodies, helps dislodge attachment
of worldly pleasures and show how everything is impermanent. The two types, "Vipassana" and
"Samatha", both teach the Buddhist how they should behave and in what state of mind. For example,
Samatha teaches the Buddhist to detach from everyday concerns and concentrate on being
impermanent. Vipassana teaches that everything is attached and interconnected in the world.
<p align=justify>Samatha meditation is the development of mental tranquillity with
concentration, and is accompanied by three

Buddhism Essay
Buddhism
Buddhism is a unique religion. The teacher of Buddhism is Siddahartha Gautama Buddha.
Siddahartha was the son of the king of Nepal. Buddha's father was warned that his son was going to
become a monarch and that he would be murdered. So, Siddaharta's father imprisoned him within
the palace so that he would never see anyone suffer or grow old.
When Siddaharta grew older, he wanted to know what it was like on the other side of the palace
walls; just like we all think the grass is greener on the other side. When Siddaharta escaped, he saw
people suffering, people that were dying, and people that were sick. He couldn't understand why this
could happen, how could people suffer like this in a kingdom that was run by his...show more
content...
This is believed because we are disappointed when we don't achieve the goals we set for ourselves,
or when our loved ones are sick or die, it causes suffering for us. Everything we do causes us to
suffer. The one thing that all human beings have in common is that we all suffer. No matter what
class someone is in, or how underprivileged a person is, we all suffer regardless. Suffering is a bond
between all humans, it's something that everyone understands and can comprehend.
Buddhism teaches that birth, rebirth, and death are all a continuing part of the process of change.
When you die, your soul is separated from your body, and it craves life. The soul then seeks out a
new existence. There are six different realms that one may be reborn into after death according to
Buddhism. These realms are gods, demigods, human beings, animals, hungry ghosts, and the
hells. These realms include three relatively happy states, and three relatively miserable states. The
realms of the gods, demigods, and human beings are considered more happiness and less
suffering; while the realms of animals, hungry ghosts, and the hells are considered relatively
miserable because living beings there suffer. You are reborn into these different realms, according
to how you lived your last life. If you performed a lot of good deeds in your last life, you'll be reborn
into one of the relatively happy states, but if you were unwholesome in

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

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 of
dukkha 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: An Informative Essay About Buddhism
There are so many different religions in the world, and its keep expanding every day. Each religion
as it own characteristic also gives its followers instruction to believe what is right and what is
wrong in their daily. Religion is the self–consciousness and self–perception of each person who
neither finds themselves nor has lost themselves. With the purpose of this assignment, I decided to
do the research about Buddhism. The reason I picked Buddhism is it had a very rich historical
background, as I known Buddhism is not a system of faith and worship, nor does it require blind
faith, but must rely on knowledge of the truth. Buddhism is not just kept in scriptures, nor is it a
topic for people to study from the literary and historical point

Hinduism vs. Buddhism Essay
Hinduism and Buddhism are two of the most interesting religions in the world. To date, people still
practice these religions in varying parts of the world. Although originating from the country of India,
some have difficulty in differentiating between the two. Although Hinduism and Buddhism share
many similarities, they are also different. What is Hinduism? Hinduism, the largest of the eastern
religion and one of the oldest in the world. (Curry). Hinduism denotes the religions of majority of
the people in India and Nepal and of some communities in other continents, who refer to themselves
as Hindus. (Flood). It is said to have existed from 1500–300 BCE.What is Buddhism? Many say that
Buddhism is an offspring of Hinduism....show more content...
Practices are a method, procedure, process, or rule used in a particular field or profession. These
elements are necessary because it allows differentiation of value between the religions.Although
there are numerous comparisons between Buddhism and Hinduism, there are many differences
between these two religions. Some of which includes the founders, their goal in life, their reaction
to the caste system, their belief system and most importantly their principles and practices.
Hinduism did not have one founder; it possessed a mixture of Aryans belief. Siddhartha Gautama
"Buddha" was the one who founded Buddhism, without his teachings, Buddhism would not be as
successful as it is now. The main goal of those belonging to the Hinduism religion was to achieve
Moksha. Moksha is the release from reincarnation. Buddhism's goal in life is to achieve Nirvana
by accepting Buddha's teachings. Nirvana is the state of peace that is achieved or is entered at
death. The Caste System is a system of social structure that groups people on their inherited social
status. The Hindu's did the acceptation of the caste system; their belief was that their happiness
determined their movement in the system in the other life. The social classes they were divided
among were Brahmins (priests), Kshatriya (warriors), Vaishyas (free people) and Shudras (Indian
servants) However, Buddhism rejected the caste system; a person's place in life depended on that
individual. Due to

Buddhism Explained

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