BUDDHISM

Buddhism is a faith that was founded by

Siddhartha Gautama- also known as “the
Buddha”-more than 2500 years ago in
India. With the estimated 500 million to one
billion followers, scholars consider
Buddhism one of the major world religions.
As a non- theistic faith with no God or deity
to worship, some scholars describe
Buddhism as a philosophy or a moral code
rather than an organized religion.
Many of the beliefs and practices of the
Buddhism revolve around the concept
of suffering and its causes. Buddhism
has historically been most prominent in
East and Southeast Asia, but its
influence is growing throughout the
West. Many Buddhist ideas and
philosophies overlap with those of
other faiths.
Buddhism Beliefs and Practices
Some key Buddhism belief include:
1. Followers of Buddhism don’t acknowledge a supreme god or
deity.
2. The religion’s founder, Buddha, is extraordinary being, but
not a god.
3. The path to enlightenment is attained by utilizing morality,
meditation and wisdom
4. There are many philosophies and interpretation within
Buddhism, make it tolerant and evolving religion.
5. Some scholars don’t recognize Buddhism as an organized
religion, but rather, a “way of life” or a “spiritual tradition”.
6. Buddhism encourages its people to avoid self-indulgence
but also self-denial.
7. Budhha’s most important teachings, also known as The Four
Noble of Truth, are essential to understanding the religion.
8. Buddhist embrace the concepts of karma (the law of cause and
effect) and the reincarnation( the continuous cycle of rebirth).
9. Followers of Buddhism can worship one temples or in their
homes.
10. Buddhist monks, or bhikkhus, follow a strict code of
conduct, which includes celibacy.
11. There is no single Buddhist symbol, but a number of images
have evolved that represent Buddhist beliefs, including the lotus
flower, the eight spoked dharma wheel, the Bodhi Tree and the
swastika (an ancient symbol whose name means “well being” or
“good fortune” in Sanskrit).
Types of Buddhism
Theravada Buddhism: Prevalent in Thailand, Sri Lanka,
Cambodia, Laos and Burma.
Mahayana Buddhism: Prevalent in China, Japan, Taiwan,
Korea, Singapore and Vietnam.
Tibetan Buddhism: Prevalent in Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia,
Bhutan and parts of Russia and Northern India.
Zen Buddhism is a form of Mahayana Buddhism that’s
practice in many same areas.
Nirvana Buddhism is closely related to Theravada
Buddhism, but the concept of Nirvana is also central to
many paths of Buddhism.
Dharma
Buddha’s teachings are also known as “dharma”. He taught
that wisdom, kindness, patience, generosity and
compassion were important virtues.

Specifically, all Buddhists live by five morals precepts,

which prohibit:

a. Killing living things

b. Taking what is not given
c. Sexual misconduct
d. Lying
e. Using drugs or alcohol
Four Noble Truths
The Four Noble Truth, which Buddha
taught, are:
a. The truth of suffering (dukkha)
b. The truth of the cause of suffering
(samudaya)
c. The truth of the end of suffering
(nirhodha)
d. The truth of the path the frees us from
suffering (magga)
Eighthfold Path
1. Right understanding (Samma ditthi)
2. Right thought (Samma sankappa)
3. Right speech (Samma vaca)
4. Right action (Samma kammanta)
5. Right livelihood (Samma ajiva)
6. Right effort (Samma vayama)
7. Right mindfulness (Samma sati)
8. Right concentration (Samma samadhi)
Buddhist Holy Book
• Tipitaka: These collection of texts known
as the “three baskets” are thought to be the
earliest collection of Buddhist writings.
• Sutras: There are more than 2000 sutras,
which are sacred teachings embraced mainly
by Mahayana Buddhists.
• The Book of the Dead: This Tibetan text
describes the stages of death in detail.
Buddhist Holidays
Every year, Buddhists celebrate Vesak, a festival that
commemorates Budhha’s birth, enlightenment and death.

During the quarter of the moon, followers of Buddhism

participate in a ceremony called Uposatha. This observance
allows Buddhists to renew their commitment to their
teachings.

They also celebrate the Buddhist New Year and participate

other yearly festivals.
Reference
https://www.history.co
m/topics/religion/budd
hism