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'''Buddhism''' is a belief system whose followers seek liberation from suffering through practice of the [[Noble Eightfold Path]] as taught by the Buddha [[Siddhartha Gautama]]. Through meditation and self-denial the mind and body of a Buddhist is trained to overcome the craving for worldly things.

'''Buddhism''' is a [[meditation]] belief system whose followers seek liberation from suffering through adherence to the teachings of the Buddha [[Siddhartha Gautama]]. Through meditation and self-denial the mind and body of a Buddhist is trained to overcome the craving for worldly things.

To Buddhists, sentient beings are trapped in an eternal cycle of death and rebirth (''samsara''), characterized by continual dissatisfaction or suffering (''dukkha''). Buddhism provides a practical set of teachings (the ''dharma'') designed to help sentient beings achieve a state of freedom from dukkha. Buddhism teaches that individuals reincarnate involuntarily and repeatedly in the world of samsara, a cyclic process which ends for an individual when they attain Nirvana (Theravada) or Enlightenment (Mahayana), either in a human body or immediately upon death in their last involuntary cycle of samsara. Mahayana Buddhism holds, in addition, that the goal of Enlightenment is not merely release from one's own personal suffering in samsara, but also the release of all sentient beings, toward which an enlightened being or ''Buddha'' is, by nature, committed to work through compassionate action. To this end, a Buddha may voluntarily reincarnate to help release all sentient beings from samsara.

To Buddhists, sentient beings are trapped in an eternal cycle of death and rebirth (''samsara''), characterized by continual dissatisfaction or suffering (''dukkha''). Buddhism provides a practical set of teachings (the ''dharma'') designed to help sentient beings achieve a state of freedom from dukkha. Buddhism teaches that individuals reincarnate involuntarily and repeatedly in the world of samsara, a cyclic process which ends for an individual when they attain Nirvana (Theravada) or Enlightenment (Mahayana), either in a human body or immediately upon death in their last involuntary cycle of samsara. Mahayana Buddhism holds, in addition, that the goal of Enlightenment is not merely release from one's own personal suffering in samsara, but also the release of all sentient beings, toward which an enlightened being or ''Buddha'' is, by nature, committed to work through compassionate action. To this end, a Buddha may voluntarily reincarnate to help release all sentient beings from samsara.

Many of what [[liberals]] mistakenly believe to be Buddhism's "tenets" might be considered to promote a 'liberal' lifestyle: [[vegetarianism]], absolute [[pacifism]] (a gross misunderstanding by liberals), [[tolerance]], lack of condemnation of homosexuality (an entirely ignorant liberal misunderstanding of Buddhism), [[agnosticism]], etc.  

Many of what [[liberals]] mistakenly believe to be Buddhism's "tenets" might be considered to promote a 'liberal' lifestyle: [[vegetarianism]], absolute [[pacifism]] (a gross misunderstanding by liberals), [[tolerance]], lack of condemnation of homosexuality (an entirely ignorant liberal misunderstanding of Buddhism), [[agnosticism]], etc.  

However, if one reads the Buddhist [[Sutra]] scriptures and both modern and ancient [[Exegesis|Shastra]] commentaries you will find explicit condemnation of [[homosexuality]]{{fact}}, no mention of agnosticism, nor a denying of [[God]] or a "Supreme Being". One will not find an absolute pacifism in the Mahayana Sutras but a nuanced expedient understanding of when [[violence]], even with [[weapon]]s, is permissible for both [[self defense]] and national defense during times of [[war]] or to prevent evil such as [[genocide]] from being perpetrated by a [[dictator]] such as [[Stalin]] or [[Mao]]. In particular, perverted alterations of Buddhism have been used in the [[atheism|atheistic]] American [[New Age]] movement. [[Liberals]], in keeping with [[relativism]] (particularly [[moral relativism]]) have been known to pick and choose which aspects of Buddhism to follow, while openly breaking other Buddhist teachings, like those forbidding [[alcohol]], [[drug abuse|drug use]] and sexual [[promiscuity]] (see [[Five Precepts]]).

However, if one reads the Buddhist [[Sutra]] scriptures and both modern and ancient [[Exegesis|Shastra]] commentaries you will find explicit condemnation of [[homosexuality]], no mention of agnosticism, nor a denying of [[God]] or a "Supreme Being". One will not find an absolute pacifism in the Mahayana Sutras but a nuanced expedient understanding of when [[violence]], even with [[weapon]]s, is permissible for both [[self defense]] and national defense during times of [[war]] or to prevent evil such as [[genocide]] from being perpetrated by a [[dictator]] such as [[Stalin]] or [[Mao]]. In particular, perverted alterations of Buddhism have been used in the [[atheism|atheistic]] American [[New Age]] movement. [[Liberals]], in keeping with [[relativism]] (particularly [[moral relativism]]) have been known to pick and choose which aspects of Buddhism to follow, while openly breaking other Buddhist teachings, like those forbidding [[alcohol]], [[drug abuse|drug use]] and sexual [[promiscuity]] (see [[Five Precepts]]).

==The Eightfold Path==

==The Eightfold Path==