Difference between revisions of "Buddhism"
Dendronicus (Talk | contribs) |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[Image:China B.jpg|right]] | [[Image:China B.jpg|right]] | ||
| − | '''Buddhism''' is classified as the fifth largest religion in the world. It is a | + | '''Buddhism''' is classified as the fifth largest religion in the world. It is a belief system which teaches that desire causes suffering and if desire is eliminated, enlightenment and [[Nirvana]] are attained. Buddhism is a [[Dharmic religion]] and is often viewed as a philosophy more than a religion because gods are not necessary or primary in Buddhist thought. Much of modern Buddhism is atheistic or agnostic in practice. The term Buddha means "the enlightened one." |
==Founder== | ==Founder== | ||
Revision as of 21:14, August 30, 2008
Buddhism is classified as the fifth largest religion in the world. It is a belief system which teaches that desire causes suffering and if desire is eliminated, enlightenment and Nirvana are attained. Buddhism is a Dharmic religion and is often viewed as a philosophy more than a religion because gods are not necessary or primary in Buddhist thought. Much of modern Buddhism is atheistic or agnostic in practice. The term Buddha means "the enlightened one."
Contents
Founder
Buddhism was founded by an Indian prince, Siddhartha Gautama, who, after being sheltered from coming into contact with suffering due to disease, poverty and death until adulthood, finally observed the suffering of his people during his first walk outside the palace grounds. After that he worked to discover the reason for suffering and pain. He studied a number of the disciplines of the day, seeking ultimate truth. After finding other approaches to understanding lacking, he went into meditation for 49 days, vowing not to move until he had attained enlightenment. After great personal struggle he achieved enlightenment, and began to teach the principles that are now associated with Buddhism.
The philosophy has its roots in Hinduism and Vedic religion, to which Gautama belonged until the foundation of Buddhism.
View of God
Some Buddhist scriptures and some sects, like the Mahayana school, acknowledge that gods exist,[1][2] but do not consider that knowledge crucial to an individual's practice of Buddhist teachings. The Buddha taught that we should not speculate about what we cannot know, and that speculation about God is pointless. Buddhists' priorities are release from suffering (by learning to cease striving after objects of desire and avoiding objects of discomfort) and direct experience of the true nature of reality. Many modern strains of Buddhism are atheistic in nature, thus creating a paradox as to why they are called a religion. They can be considered to be philosophies of life. Certain denominations, such as the Mahayana tradition, believe in Bodhisattvas, or quasi-divine cosmic beings that seek to benefit others by remaining in a state of Samsara, or eternal rebirth. These are prayed to, for advice and spiritual guidance, and often venerated.
Teachings
The highest ideal for a Buddhist is the state of Nirvana, or release from eternal rebirth, a state beyond conceptual thought. This descibes a state that is achieved through meditation and practice that is beyond the categories and conditioning that are a result of our education, experiences and the limitations of language. This state has been described by the Buddha as follows:
"There is O monks, an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed. Were there not, o monks, this Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed, there would be no escape from the world of the born, originated, created, formed. ~ Udana, 80-81"
Adherents claim that Buddhism is a very practical philosophy, which teaches us to focus our attention on personal experience, to determine what is the cause of our discontents ("dukkha") and to find a way to liberate ourselves from these, all the while expressing "metta", which is universal, unconditional love, and "karuna", which roughly translates to "compassion", towards others. These teachings are encapsulated in the Four Noble Truths.[3]
Buddhism is commonly held to be a relatively peaceful religion, due to its less "absolutist" view of morality and the fluid nature of thought that encouraged not just acceptance of other faiths and ideas, but also examination of those ideas and, if necessary, applying them to ones life. This also allows people to follow Buddhism as a philosophy, and Islam, Judaism or Christianity as a faith, without contradicting any principles of either following.[4]
It should be noted that the ideals of tolerance and introspection among the Buddhist faithful were often ignored by the leaders of Buddhist nations (much like the leaders of most other nations often disobeyed their own religions fundamental laws in the in the interest of what was practical) [5] and persecution of Christians in predominantly Buddhist nations does occur today.[6][7][8] It is important to note that only around 55% of Vietnam is Buddhist (see below), and that Buddhist monks took an active role in protesting the the corrupt Diem regime and the Vietnam War.
Buddhism in Antiquity
Buddhism has been an important part of the culture in many eastern countries, such as Cambodia, Thailand, and India. It has endured active persecution when conflicting with older beliefs such as Hinduism, and led in many countries to the rise of Buddhist warrior-dissidents, as well as such interesting anomalies as shinshi (transliterated from the Khmer), a form of torture wherein strips of flesh are removed slowly from the forehead. [9]
Buddhism Today
Buddhism is currently the majority religion in the following states:
Country Percent
Thailand 95%
Cambodia 90
Myanmar 88
Bhutan 75
Sri Lanka 70
Tibet * 65
Laos 60
Vietnam 55
Japan ** 50
* China: Buddhism is most widely practiced, with an estimated 100 million adherents.
* Tibet is an estimate, as there has never been a reliable survey. Furthermore, it is debatable whether Tibet should be considered an independent nation.
** Japan is an "odd" case, as surveys of adherence are conducted rather differently. Firstly it is debatable at what point various Japanese beliefs shift from being traditions to being religions. This is indicated by the fact that "85% of Japanese claim Buddhism as their preferred religion", yet "75% percent claim to practice and believe in no religion" -a more accurate estimate may be 20%. [10]
The Obon Festival is one of Japan’s oldest Buddhist celebrations; it marks the time that it’s believed the spirits of dead ancestors return to the Earth. The gathering included the Bon Odori dance, which remembers Japanese ancestors by imitating motions of picking cherries and mining coal. [1]
See also
External links
References
- ↑ Buddhism
- ↑ Do Buddhists Believe in God?
- ↑ Four Noble Truths
- ↑ http://buddhism.about.com/
- ↑ http://buddhism.about.com/
- ↑ http://www.persecution.org/whitepapers/vietnam-2002-03.html
- ↑ http://www.christianpersecution.info/news/new-evidence-of-religious-persecution-in-vietnam-despite-release-prisoner/
- ↑ http://persecution.org/Countries/laos.html
- ↑ Schlesinger, Robert. Schlesinger's History of the East, 2nd ed. New York: Camport & Sons, 1986.
- ↑ The Largest Buddhist Communities
