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Buddhism

The goal of this community is to allow buddhists to congregate and discuss their beliefs.

1 Buddhism Demographics
2 Buddhism History
3 Buddhism Beliefs
4 Buddhist Sacred Text
5 Temples
6 Sermons and Blogs
7 Quotes
8 Buddhists
9 Forum
10 Books
11 Links

Buddhism Demographics

Buddhism is the fourth largest world religion with around 376 millions followers. Buddhism has a strong influence primarily in east Asian reasons such as Thailand, South Korea, Mongolia, Vietnam, Japan, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and parts of India. There are two major sects of Buddhism which are the Mahayana (185 million) and the Theravada (124 million). Also See: Buddism

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Buddhism History

Buddhism developed out of the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Siddharth, was the prince of the Shakya nation, he had three palaces especially built for him. Siddhartha’s father, King Śuddhodana, wished for Siddhartha to be a great king, and shielded him from religious teachings and knowledge of human sufferings.

At the age of 29, Siddhartha left his palace, and despite his father's effort to remove the sick, aged and suffering from the public view, Siddhartha was said to have seen an old man. Disturbed by this, when told that all people would eventually grow old, the prince went on further trips where he encountered, a diseased man, a decaying corpse, and an ascetic. Depressed by these imperfections, he sought to overcome old age, illness, and death by living as an ascetic. Siddhartha left his palace.

Siddhartha went to Rajagaha and began his ascetic life begging on the streets. Siddhartha left Rajagaha and practiced under two hermit teachers. He then became a student of Uddaka Ramaputta , he achieved high levels of meditative consciousness and was asked to succeed Ramaputta, which he refused.

Siddhartha continued in his path trying to find enlightenment through deprivation of worldly goods, including food, and practicing self-mortification. After nearly starving himself to death by restricting his food intake to around a leaf or nut per day, he collapsed in a river and almost drowned. Siddhartha then reconsider his path, he remembered a moment in childhood in which he had fallen into a naturally concentrated and focused state that was blissful and refreshing.

Siddhartha is said to have discovered what Buddhists call the Middle Way, a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and mortification of flesh. Then, sitting under a tree, he vowed never to arise until he had found the Truth. After 49 days meditating, he attained Enlightenment. At this point he took upon the title of “Buddha” or "Awakened One."

For the next 45 years Buddha traveled throughout India with his message of the Middle Way, at the age of 80, the Buddha announced that he would soon enter Parinirvana or the final deathless state abandoning the earthly body. Buddha got very ill and when he died body was cremated and the relics were placed in monuments or stupas. At his death, the Buddha told his disciples to follow no leader, but to follow his teachings. However, at the First Buddhist Council, Mahakasyapa was held by the sangha as their leader.

Long after his death the Buddha's teachings were written down. This collection is called the Tripitaka.

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Buddhism Beliefs

Buddhists teach that anyone can become a Buddha, by becoming enlightened, but Gautama Buddha is universally recognized by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha of our age.It is said that everyone will have the opportunity to become a Buddha. Many Buddhists claim there are 9 Characteristics Of A Buddha which are:

1) A worthy one

2) Perfectly self-enlightened

3) Stays in perfect knowledge

4) Well gone

5) Unsurpassed knower of the world

6) Unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed

7) Teacher of the gods and humans

8) The enlightened One

9) The blessed one or fortunate one

These characteristics are frequently mentioned in the Pali Canon, and are chanted daily in many Buddhist monasteries. All Buddhist traditions hold that a Buddha has completely purified his mind of desire, aversion and ignorance. A Buddha is fully awakened and has realized the ultimate truth, the non-dualistic nature of life, and thus ended the suffering which “unawakened” people experience in life.

Among the commonly accepted teaching of Buddhism are The Noble Eightfold Path which are teachings of the Buddha, which he declared is the way to end of dukkha, or suffering, and is essentially a practical guide of bringing about ethical and meditative discipline.

1) Right Understanding

2) Right Thought

3) Right Speech

4) Right Action

5) Right Livelihood

6) Right Effort

7) Right Mindfulness

8) Right concentration.

These values are to be observed and cultivated through ones life, each Buddhist is to work to ever improve themselves in these 8 values. These values are central to Buddhism theology and practice, and is symbolized in the Dharmachakra(the Buddhist Wheel), as the Spokes of the Wheel.

Also accepted in Buddhism are “The Four Noble Truths” being.:

1) That suffering is an inherent part of existence

2) That the origin of suffering is ignorance and the main symptoms of that ignorance are attachment and craving

3) That attachment and craving can be ceased

4) That following the Noble Eightfold Path will lead to the cessation of attachment and craving and therefore suffering.

Buddhists believe in the concept of Pratitya-samutpada(dependent origination): that any phenomenon exists only because of the existence of other phenomena in lines of cause and effect covering time past, present and future. Because all things are thus conditioned and transient, they have no real independent identity. Buddhists believe nothing is permanent and that anything that appears constant is a self inflicted illusion.

Buddhists generally do not believe in any type of God, prayer, or eternal life after death. However, since the time of the Buddha, Buddhism has integrated many regional religious rituals, beliefs and customs into it as it has spread throughout Asia, so that this generalization is no longer true for all Buddhists. This has occurred with little conflict due to the philosophical nature of Buddhism.

Buddhists believe in reincarnation and that one must go through cycles of birth, life, and death but unlike Hinduism, Buddhists do not believe in the progression of the soul. After many such cycles, if a person releases their attachment to desire and the self, they can attain Nirvana. Instead they believe that once they obtain Nirvana they discard false sense of self so that the bundle of memories and impulses disintegrates, leaving nothing to reincarnate and hence nothing to experience pain.

Buddhism is very much about becoming a better human being. Helping others as well as oneself, avoiding negative behavior and embracing positive ones.

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Buddhist Sacred Text

There are a vast number of Buddhist scriptures and religious texts, in the Buddhist Canon contain there are three types of sacred text which are sutras (discourses), vinaya (relating to the rules of monastic discipline), abhidharma (analytical texts) together these three make up what is known as the Tripitaka or the Tipitaka. Though there are many non-canonized or semi-canonized scriptures which many Buddhists accept, such as, The Visuddhimagga, The Milinda Pañha, Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana, The Bodhicaryavatara, and The Platform Sutra.