Buddhism

All about the culture and why it’s a major world religion.
Fast facts
Buddhism was founded 2500 years ago
The main sacred text in Mahāyāna Buddhism is the Lotus Sūtra. Most people see
it as the summary of the Buddha’s teachings.
However, in general Buddhism, the three sacred texts are the Pali Canon, the
Chinese Canon, and the Tibetan Canon.
500 million people in the world are Buddhists, and most of them are vegetarian.
Buddhists believe in karma. Do something genuine and nice, and you will get good
karma. Do something evil, and you will get bad karma.
Sacred texts.
There are 4 main sacred texts in Buddhism. In Mahāyāna Buddhism, the main text is
the Lotus Sūtra. It is generally seen as a summary of what the Buddha taught. The
main part of it is the Japanese Lotus Sūtra. It is the eighth chapter of the Lotus Sūtra.
However, in general Buddhism, the main sacred texts are the three canons
(collections of Buddhist scriptures): The Pali Canon, The Chinese Canon, and The
Tibetan Canon. Together, these 3 canons are called the Tripitaka, and these are the
three sacred texts/branches of Buddhism.
Finally, there are over 2000 sutras, or collections of the sayings of the Buddha.
These are considered canonical and buddhavacana, or genuine and of the word of
the Buddha.
Religious buildings
A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is
where Buddhists go to pray. Monasteries are
also called viharas. There are also places to
venerate (regard with respect) relics called
stupas, and shrines/prayer halls called chaityas.
Chaityas are also called chaitya grihas.
A shrine is a place where veneration is focused
on the Buddha, or one of the bodhisattvas. They
can also venerate the arahants.
People worship an image depicting the Buddha.
People also sometimes devote themselves to
sacred and religious objects, called relics.
It is mandatory to bow your head to the image
of the Buddha when entering, regardless of
culture or religious beliefs. You must also
ensure that you remain beneath eye level, if
there are Buddhist monks in the building.
Buddhists remove their shoes before entering
the temple. This is to ensure no dirt from
outside the temple enters the building. This
helps the belief that the temple is clean and
pure.
Generally, the main ceremony is held by monks,
and involves chanting and meditation.
Buddhist festivals
One of the main festivals in Buddhist culture is the Buddha’s Birthday, or Buddha
Day. It is celebrated on the 26th of May this year, in 2023. One of the biggest
things to do on this day is hanging lanterns. This is because it represents the
wisdom and compassion of the sage. There are also communal meals held. These
are always held before 12:00, because Buddhists are forbidden to eat after this
time. You can also visit the temples with offerings. Some of these offerings include
a candle, incense, flowers, food, fruit, water, or drinks.
The main offerings, however, are the offerings of the five senses. These are a
mirror, to see, a musical instrument, to hear, incense/perfume, to smell, some fruit,
to taste, and a silk scarf, to touch.
Religious beliefs
One of the main beliefs of Buddhism is that the human life is a life of suffering, and
to achieve nirvāna (enlightenment) is through good behaviour, labour- physical
and spiritual, and deep meditation.
Another belief is the Truth of suffering. This states that desire and ignorance are
the roots of suffering. If you desire for wants that can never be satisfied, it will only
bring suffering.