Buddhism is working out well for me. I am an extremely angry person, & I find that the teachings help people like me to calm themselves. Amp, for a devout Christian & someone who claims to not know a lot about Buddhism, your knowledge is very good. Here is a paper that I wrote for my English 102 class about Buddhism. I hope it answers some questions.
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Matt Olson
Sunny Jolie McKay
English 102
Room 125
Research Paper
Topic-Religion
Resorce Matererial-Buddhanet.net
The Right & Noble Path-
-Dispelling Common Misconceptions About Buddhism
Let’s talk religion. Religion is for many a delicate subject; so much in fact, that
discussing your own spiritual beliefs in public is considered taboo. It is no surprise then
that many people in this country know very little if anything at all about religions outside
of their own. Instead of getting proper insight from the proper place, many people will
rely upon misguided hear-say in order to learn about other religions, especially when it
comes to any non-Christian religions. Because of this “religious telephone game” there is
a multitude of myths, urban legends, & general misconceptions floating around about
pretty much every religion that exists. Buddhism holds no exceptions. What exactly is
Buddhism? Buddhism is a religion & way of life to about three-hundred million people
worldwide. It is predominately known as an Asian religion, with roots dug deep into the
hearts of China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, & Thailand. It is safe to say then that Buddhism
is a well known religion, or is it? Sadly, most people worldwide who are not practitioners
of Buddhism know very little that is correct about the faith. Misunderstandings &
misconceptions are the basis for most of the knowledge out there regarding this peaceful
way of life, & the people who claim to be a part of it are grossly misunderstood as well. I
too had no clue about what was really taught in this faith. So, I took it upon myself to do
the research & to enlighten everyone on what I discovered. Here are my findings.
Let’s begin with a little history. Buddhism has it’s origins twenty-five hundred years
ago in Northern India & throughout China. It is said that the man known as Siddhartha
Gotama became “fully awakened” after years of spiritual studying & reflecting, thus
becoming the first Buddha. Who exactly was Siddhartha Gotama & why should we care?
Siddhartha Gotama was born into the royal family of what is now known as Nepal, & he
lived in luxury & wealth. He had a wife & a child & many servants, just as would be
expected of a royal lifestyle. He had it all, & that was the problem. He began spending a
lot of time outside his palace walls, & he saw that while he lived in luxury the people
outside lived in suffering. This troubled him greatly, so he began looking for some
reasons behind this from the religious leaders of his time & location. Unsatisfied with
their answers, he decided to go find answers for himself. He left his kingdom, his family,
& everything he owned behind at the age of twenty-nine to go off on a personal quest for
enlightenment & answers. After six years of studying with many different faiths, studying
on his own, & meditating, he finally found “the middle path” & achieved enlightenment,
thus becoming Buddha, meaning “awakened one”. From there he continued to live as a
nomad, teaching all whom he encountered about the “true way” that he discovered. That
much covers a great deal about him personally, but tells nothing about his teachings, so
let’s begin studying up on that with some Q & A.
What do Buddhists believe? Well, that is a tough nut to crack. You have to be more
specific.
Ok, do Buddhists believe in a god or gods, & is Buddha himself a god? Good
questions with easy answers. No, Buddhists do not worship or deify anyone or anything,
so they do not believe in a god or gods & no, Buddha himself was not & is not seen as a god. The term Buddha simply means “awakened one” or “one who has seen the way”.
Basically a Buddha is simply put, a human who has been perfected do to ultimate
enlightenment. Buddha never ever said that he was a god or that he should be
worshipped. Buddha & his followers did not, & don’t believe in gods or deities because
they believe that the basis for godly faith is fear & uncertainty, all of which the
teachings strive to help people overcome. There is no current proof that god or the gods
exist, so holding onto something that is rooted in fear can only bring personal suffering.
So then why do Buddhists bow? Bowing is an ancient Asian greeting, meant to show
honor, understanding, humility, open-mindedness, thankfulness, & good will towards
another person. Buddhists bow to a statue of the Buddha to express those feelings
towards the memory of Buddha, thanking him for his teachings & expressing outward
humility that they understand that they have not reached total enlightenment yet. This
type of tradition is similar to making a monument of a prestigious figure in order to show
everlasting honor. Basically, the Buddha statues serve the same purpose that statues of the
presidents do.
If Buddhists don’t actually worship anyone/anything, then what do they follow?
They follow Buddha’s example, & his teachings as written down in the Dhamma (or
Dharma). He spoke about the “four noble truths” & the “noble eight-fold path”.
What are those? The “four noble truths” are:
1.) Life in this world is full of unneeded suffering.
2.) Suffering is caused by greed, malcontent, & craving.
3.) Suffering is ended when one becomes enlightened like the Buddha, & gives up the
chase that greed, malcontent, & craving cause.
4.) The way to enlightenment is the noble eight-fold path.
The “noble eight-fold path: is:
1.) Right view & understanding.
2.) Right attitude, thought, & emotion.
3.) Right speech.
4.) Right actions.
5.) Right livelihood.
6.) Right effort, energy, & vitality.
7.) Right mindfulness & awareness.
8.) Right concentration, & integration of or establishment in, various levels of
consciousness.
There are more in-depth explanations about the eight-fold path at the Buddhanet.net
website.
Can a Buddhist eat meat? Yes. I know what you’re thinking, how can they eat meat
if they believe that all creatures are to be honored & shown mercy? Well, the answer is
simply that all if you use normal everyday items such as soap, clothing made with any
form of animal hide, gasoline, shoes, & even vegetables you are indirectly aiding in the
death of another creature. Buddha himself was not vegetarian, he simply would not
himself kill in order to get meat. That is the stand of many Buddhists worldwide. It is a
personal choice about whether or not you should eat meat. The teachings only say not to
directly end the life of another living creature, human or animal. Certain small groups
within Buddhism may claim to be vegetarian, but that does not mean that all Buddhists
must follow their example.
Do Buddhists pray? No, not in the traditional sense. Since they do not believe in god
or any other deities they do not pray to them. They meditate. There is a multitude of
meditation forms out there, & some may be considered a form of prayer simply because
they are directed at another person other than the person meditating, but Buddhists do not
claim to actually pray.
How do Buddhists feel about sex & marriage? Sex is good, have it. Just kidding,
but seriously, Buddhism does not condemn sex or being gay in any way. When it came to
sex, Buddha simply said that you should not use trickery, bribery, emotional strain, or
force of any kind to get someone to have sex with you. He taught that sex was a healthy
& good thing to share with someone that you love. It did not matter if you were married
or not, all that mattered was that you loved the other person. Since the teachings preach
that it is ok as long as there is love, then yes, homosexuality is considered a-ok. As far as
marriage goes, ancient Buddhist monks did not perform marriage ceremonies because
back in ancient times you had to be a part of the main religion to do so, but monks have
always been present at marriages to bless the newlywed couple. Today, there are some
Buddhist monks that will perform marriage ceremonies, but all monks continue to be
present if asked to in order to bless the newlyweds.
How do Buddhists feel about other religions? Buddha taught that all religions had
some good in them, & thus that all religions need to be shown honor & respect. In the
spirit of honoring other religions, a Buddhist can celebrate holidays of other religions
with their friends & relatives.
Since Buddha taught against craving & wanting, does a Buddhist have to be
poor? No, not by any means. Teaching against craving & unneeded wanting is just to help simplify ones life. A Buddhist can have a very comfortable life full of nice things, as
long as they do not grow unhealthily attached to them.
What is karma? Karma is simply put, cause & effect. It is the belief that all things
good & bad that happen to someone are caused in someway, either directly by actions, or
indirectly by emotional responses to an action, by the person they happen to. Buddhists
do not believe in luck or destiny to control their lives.
Do Buddhists believe in reincarnation or rebirth? Yes & no. They do believe that
we travel to another body & life after we die, but their beliefs are not to be confused with
that of Hinduism or other religions. They mainly talk about rebirth in the form of mental
change, becoming enlightened & awakened thus reborn.
This concludes my Q & A about Buddhism. All in all, it is a religion of self worth, self
growth, love, happiness, & peace. Does their approach work? Well, after studying their
teachings & beliefs for about four to five years, I have converted. I hope that it will
become easier & easier for everyone to learn about this truly noble faith.
Peace be with you.
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It is a very free religion, because Buddha taught understanding to refrain from judgement. But, just because it is a free religion, does not mean that it is without morals. There are 5 moral guidlines in Buddhism called "The Five Precepts". They are:
1) To undertake the training to avoid taking the life of beings. This precept applies to all living beings not just humans. All beings have a right to their lives and that right should be respected.
2) To undertake the training to avoid taking things not given. This precept goes further than mere stealing. One should avoid taking anything unless one can be sure that is intended that it is for you.
3) To undertake the training to avoid sensual misconduct. This precept is often mistranslated or misinterpreted as relating only to sexual misconduct but it covers any overindulgence in any sensual pleasure such as gluttony as well as misconduct of a sexual nature.
4) To undertake the training to refrain from false speech. As well as avoiding lying and deceiving, this precept covers slander as well as speech which is not beneficial to the welfare of others.
5) To undertake the training to abstain from substances which cause intoxication and heedlessness. This precept is in a special category as it does not infer any intrinsic evil in, say, alcohol itself but indulgence in such a substance could be the cause of breaking the other four precepts.
Note, these are "guidlines" not rules. It is said "I undertake" not "Thou shalt". Choice, not demand. There are several other differences between Buddhism & other religions. They are:
1. There is no almighty God in Buddhism. There is no one to hand out rewards or punishments on a supposedly Judgement Day.
2. Buddhism is strictly not a religion in the context of being a faith and worship owing allegiance to a supernatural being.
3. No saviour concept in Buddhism. A Buddha is not a saviour who saves others by his personal salvation. Although a Buddhist seeks refuge in the Buddha as his incomparable guide who indicates the path of purity, he makes no servile surrender. A Buddhist does not think that he can gain purity merely by seeking refuge in the Buddha or by mere faith in Him. It is not within the power of a Buddha to wash away the impurities of others
4. A Buddha is not an incarnation of a god/God (as claimed by some Hindu followers). The relationship between a Buddha and his disciples and followers is that of a teacher and student.
5. The liberation of self is the responsibility of one's own self. Buddhism does not call for an unquestionable blind faith by all Buddhist followers. It places heavy emphasis on self-reliance, self discipline and individual striving.
6. Taking refuge in The Triple Gems i.e. the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha; does not mean self-surrender or total reliance on an external force or third party for help or salvation.
7. Dharma (the teachings in Buddhism) exists regardless whether there is a Buddha. Sakyamuni Buddha (as the historical Buddha) discovered and shared the teachings/ universal truths with all sentient beings. He is neither the creator of such teachings nor the prophet of an almighty God to transmit such teachings to others.
8. Especially emphasized in Mahayana Buddhism, all sentient beings have Buddha Nature/ Essence. One can become a Buddha (a supreme enlightened being) in due course if one practises diligently and attains purity of mind (ie absolutely no delusions or afflictions).
9. In Buddhism, the ultimate objective of followers/practitioners is enlightenment and/or liberation from Samsara; rather than to go to a Heaven (or a deva realm in the context of Buddhist cosmology).
10. Karma and Karma Force are cornerstones in Buddhist doctrines. They are expounded very thoroughly in Buddhism. Karma refers to an important metaphysical concept concerned with action and its consequences. This law of karma explains the problem of sufferings, the mystery of the so-called fate and predestination of some religions, and above all the apparent inequality of mankind.
11. Rebirth is another key doctrine in Buddhism and it goes hand in hand with karma. There is a subtle difference between rebirth and reincarnation as expounded in Hinduism. Buddhism rejects the theory of a transmigrating permanent soul, whether created by a god or emanating from a divine essence.
12. Maitri or Metta in Pali (Loving Kindness) and Karuna (Compassion) to all living beings including animals. Buddhism strictly forbids animal sacrifice for whatever reason. Vegetarianism is recommended but not compulsory.
13. The importance of Non-attachment. Buddhism goes beyond doing good and being good. One must not be attached to good deeds or the idea of doing good; otherwise it is just another form of craving.
14. In Buddhism, there is consideration for all sentient beings (versus human beings, as in other religions). Buddhists acknowledge/accept the existence of animals and beings in other realms in Samsara.
15. No holy war concept in Buddhism. Killing is breaking a key moral precept in Buddhism. One is strictly forbidden to kill another person in the name of religion, a religious leader or whatsoever religious pretext or worldly excuse.
16. Suffering is another cornerstone in Buddhism. It is the first of the Four Noble Truths. Sufferings are very well analysed and explained in Buddhism.
17. The idea of sin or original sin has no place in Buddhism. Also, sin should not be equated to suffering.
18. Buddhist teachings expound no beginning and no end to one's existence or life. There is virtually no recognition of a first cause — e.g. how does human existence first come about?
19. The Dharma provides a very detailed explanation of the doctrine of anatman {anatta in Pali} or soullessness , i.e. there is no soul entity (whether in one life of many lives).
20. The Buddha is omniscient but he is not omnipotent. He is capable of innumerable feats but there are three things he cannot do. Also, a Buddha does not claim to be a creator of lives or the Universe.
21. Prajna [Panna in Pali] or Transcendent Wisdom occupies a paramount position in Buddhist teachings. Sakyamuni Buddha expounded Prajna concepts for some 20 years of his ministry. One is taught to balance compassion with prajna i.e.emotion (faith) with rationale (right understanding / truth / logic).
22. The tradition and practice of meditation in Buddhism are relatively important and strong. While all religions teach some forms or variations of stabilising/single-pointedness meditation, only Buddhism emphazises Vipassana (Insight) meditation as a powerful tool to assist one in seeking liberation/enlightenment.
23. The doctrine of Sunyata or Emptiness is unique to Buddhism and its many aspects are well expounded in advanced Buddhist teachings. Briefly, this doctrine asserts the transcendental nature of Ultimate Reality. It declares the phenomenal world to be void of all limitations of particularization and that all concepts of dualism are abolished.
24. Conditioned Arising [Paticcasamuppada in Pali] or Dependent Origination is another key doctrine in Buddhism. This doctrine explains that all psychological and physical phenomena constituting individual existence are interdependent and mutually condition each other; this at the same time describes what entangles sentient beings in samsara.
25. The concept of Hell(s) in Buddhism is very different from that of other religions. It is not a place for eternal damnation as viewed by 'almighty creator' religions. In Buddhism, it is just one of the six realms in Samsara [i.e. the worst of three undesirable realms]. Also, there are virtually unlimited number of hells in the Buddhist cosmology as there are infinite number of Buddha worlds.
26. The Buddhist cosmology (or universe) is distinctly different from that of other religions which usually recognise only this solar system (Earth) as the centre of the Universe and the only planet with living beings. The Buddhist viewpoint of a Buddha world (also known as Three Thousand-Fold World System) is that of one billion solar systems. Besides, the Mahayana Buddhist doctrines expound that there are other contemporary Buddha worlds like Amitabha's Pure Land and Bhaisajyaguru's world system.
27. Samsara is a fundamental concept in Buddhism and it is simply the 'perpetual cycles of existence' or endless rounds of rebirth among the six realms of existence. This cyclical rebirth pattern will only end when a sentient being attains Nirvana, i.e. virtual exhaustion of karma, habitual traces, defilements and delusions. All other religions preach one heaven, one earth and one hell, but this perspective is very limited compared with Buddhist samsara where heaven is just one of the six realms of existence and it has 28 levels/planes.
Anything else you wish to learn, I suggest checking out the web-site
www.Buddhanet.netPeace out!
YOU ARE NOT PREPARED!
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