CLE

(Buddhism)

Buddhism is a faith that was created in India more than 2,500 years ago by
Siddhartha Gautama, better known as the “Buddha.” Scholars believe
Buddhism to be one of the most
influential religions worldwide, with an
estimated 500 million to one billion
adherents. Some scholars refer to
Buddhism as a philosophy or a moral
code rather than an organized religion
because it is a secular faith with no god
or deity to worship. Many of Buddhism's teachings and practices focus on the
concept of suffering and its causes. Historically, Buddhism has been most
prevalent in East and Southeast Asia, although its impact is spreading
throughout the West. Numerous Buddhist principles and convictions are
similar to those of other religions. The Buddha comprehended that desire and
attachment generated misery. And that all of humanity suffered as a result of
their ignorance of the fundamental essence of life.
People insisted on permanent states of being and
fought change, clinging to what they knew and
lamenting what they had lost. In his search for a
way to live without suffering, he recognized that
life is perpetually shifting and that nothing is
permanent, but that one could find inner peace
through a spiritual discipline that recognized
beauty in the transience of life while also preventing relationships to variable
objects, people, and situations. His philosophy focuses on the Four Noble
Truths, the Wheel of Becoming, and the Eightfold Path, which constitute the
core of Buddhist thought and remain essential to the various traditions of
Buddhism that exist today.