CCOT essay: Buddhism
Throughout history man has always had a longing to find the meaning of life. This search led to buddisms beginnings in India. Buddhism’s founder gave up his privileged life in order to achieve enlightenment, and believed that anyone could achieve this state as well. In india there were definite castes or social classes that separated the rich from the poor, yet in Buddhism nirvana was obtainable regardless of caste, in which one was born. Even today it still focus’ on the eightfold path in many variations, since Buddhism is based on a philosophy that mortal man can obtain a stage of enlightenment.
In the Ganges River Valley, around the 4th century, Siddhartha Gautama, a member of the kshatriya cast abandoned a privileged lifestyle, hoping to discover the meaning of life. After he abandoned his life in a privileged caste, he spent much time meditating and achieved enlightenment. India during this time was strictly defined by the caste system, but Siddhartha believed that anyone, regardless of caste, could achieve this enlightened state. Throughout his life he spent
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45 years going about the country preaching and persuading people to follow his way of life. It was also during this time that he developed the Four Noble Truths as well as the Eightfold Path, the necessary steps to achieve enlightenment. In india today the caste system has been abolished and outlawed but the teachings of Buddha and his statutes remain. Nirvana, “a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth.” Nirvana is the final goal of Buddhism.
Nirvana is attainable through the understanding of the Four Noble Truths as well as following the Eightfold Path. These beliefs taught that all life is suffering and that the suffering is from a desire for things that ultimately won't fulfill us. Buddhism teaches that the only way to escape the torments of life is to follow the Eightfold Path, which ecompasses mastering the “right” way of thinking and acting, showing that through self discipline anyone can achieve Nirvana. Following his teachings he did not live as a god but yet after his death his followers made him like one, marking a change in the way that his followers practiced what they were
taught. During his years on travel, two great disciples, Sariputra and Maudgalyayana, developed a following of more than two thousand followers. When he was eighty he became ill and predicted that he would enter nirvana within three months. Upon his deathbed, his last words to followers were “Make yourself a light. Rely upon yourself: do not depend upon anyone else. Make my teachings your light. Rely upon them: do not depend on any other teachings.” Over time his teachings of the noble truths and the eightfold path have remained and spread throughout the world, even to have books of its teaching in some hotel rooms across America. Overtime Buddhism has gone through changes such as the abolishment of the caste system and the way of practicing the teachings after Buddha's death, yet has continued to teach Buddha's original teachings of the way to Nirvana and true enlightenment. And finally, “Buddha’s compassion embraces all people, and his constant consideration is for their happiness.”
By learning from the Dharma, understanding The Four Noble Truths, three jewels, living by the five precepts, and following the eightfold path will assist to the completed path of enlightenment. Nirvana, which means to extinguish or unbind, is when a Buddhist has reached a state in which he has gained knowledge and freedom from what ever has bound him from reaching nirvana. Whether it be passion, desire, jealousy, egotism, or ignorance. When nirvana has been reached then there will be complete release from the samsara and karmic cycles.
Buddhism’s approach to ethics and practices are centred upon the principal beliefs of; the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Five Precepts. By adhering to these guidelines, Buddhists are ensured that they are taking a step closer to escaping Samsara, and attaining the revered state of Nirvana,
Buddhism teaches that humans have a repetitive cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. Each reincarnated life is decided into a better, worse, or a similar life, depending upon the person's Karma. The goal is to escape from this cycle and reach Nirvana, and once this is attained, the mind is free from suffering. Buddhism teaches a lesson through its followers in order to make them fully understand that one lives for a reason, which is to eliminate all their desires. Document 6 it quotes,
Siddhartha grew up near a river as a Brahmin, though he gives his offerings spiritually, he becomes unsatisfied with the life that he is living. His life is too simple for him. “He brought joy to all,...But Siddhartha did not bring joy to himself.”
In Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, a young Brahmin in the wealthier part of India, approximately three thousand years ago, decides to set a goal onto his life. He decides to journey along the path of enlightenment and reach Nirvana, a state of total bliss. His dear friend, Govinda, accompanies him on this journey. Siddhartha sets out to seek the path to enlightenment, but it is long and difficult. Along the way, he grows spiritually and intellectually from a young seeking Brahmin, to an old, wise, and content ferryman with the knowledge of enlightenment and possessing many insights on life.
Buddhism is a religion from the East that has spread to many different countries all over the world. It has spread to the West, and has had a great influence and impact, especially in America. However, the Buddhism that is practiced in the United States is not exactly the same as the one that is practiced in Asian countries. If Buddhism differs between the different traditions of the Asian countries themselves, it is obvious that it will differ greatly in America as well. However, even though there are obvious differences, it is important to maintain the core values and fundamental principles the same. This research explores how the three different types of Buddhist practitioners have adopted Buddhism in America, and it describes some differences
The basic teaching of Buddha is formulated in the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Preceding from the premise that suffering exists and that a release from it must be found, Buddha constructed his system. The First Noble Truth is to be understood, the universality of suffering. The Second Truth is to be abandoned, the desire to have and control things that cause suffering. The third truth is to be made visible, the supreme truth and final liberation of Nirvana...
By learning from the Dharma, understanding The Four Noble Truths, three jewels, living by the five precepts, and following the eightfold path will assist to the completed path of enlightenment. Nirvana, which means to extinguish or unbind, is when a Buddhist has reached a state in which he has gained knowledge and freedom from what ever has bound him from reaching nirvana. Whether it be passion, desire, jealousy, egotism, or ignorance. When nirvana has been reached then there will be complete release from the samsara and karmic cycles.
Though both Hinduism’s moksha and Buddhism’s nirvana are more or less synonymous, they both hold distinctive differences in the path that leads followers to the end goal of enlightenment from samsara. In Hinduism, “letting go” or releasing from samsara by way of the realization that “atman is Brahman” is what moksha is defined as. Contrastingly, Buddhism involves extinguishing feelings that cause suffering and thus, achieving
Buddhism is currently the fourth most popular religion in our society today, following Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Its major ideologies are based on the philosophies of Siddhartha Guatama, also known as “Buddha”, who began his teachings in 598 BCE at the age of 35, according to Buddhist texts. A Buddhist’s foremost aspiration is the obtainment of Bodhi, or enlightenment through meditation and Anapana-sati (awareness of the breath). Buddhism shares many ideologies with India’s Hinduism and Yoga such as non-harming, non-violence, and self-awareness. In many instances, people regard Buddhism as a way of life rather than a religion, for it has no clear belief in the idea of a God or Gods. Its structure is built upon a hierarchy much like Christianity where superior orders such as Lamas or the Dalai Lama are said to be chosen by nature through the process of reincarnation rather than by a council like Christianity’s Pope. Though these “higher level” Buddhists are rare (not everyone is a reincarnation of an ancient Buddhist “priest”), all are permitted to follow “The Middle Way” either as a Buddhist monk or the simple attendance of a weekly teaching session from time to time. Throughout the last few hundred years the Buddhist population has blossomed into a healthy 381,611,000 and over fifteen different sects including Zen, Mahayana, and Theravada.
This video lecture course is about Buddhism and how it is valid in the terms of modern psychology, hence the name Buddhism and Modern Psychology. In this essay, I will answer two questions pertaining to the topic of how Buddhism in the eyes of psychology is valid. The questions have been chosen out of a list and they are the ones that I felt were most relevant to the topic.
Throughout the history of humankind, man has always searched to find answers to the many existential questions. Numerous different religions and denominations have developed around the world over time. Though, most wonder about the origin and purpose of our existence. Buddhism was founded on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama about 2,600 years ago in India. After he had experienced that everyone was subject to “birth, sickness, death, and old age”, he tried to find a way to break from the cycle of rebirth (Bloom).
Buddha believed that by following the Eightfold Path, one could fulfill and find legitimacy in the Four Noble Truths, and reach Nirvana; the release from selfishness and pain. Like the Hindu, Buddha believed in reincarnation, a major factor in achieving Nirvana, as...
Buddhism is the philosophy of being awake and conscious in life. Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha, shared his wisdom with the world and believed that the path to enlightenment was a process of elimination. These eliminations can be conquered through a process called Zen. He believe it was the only way to get rid of the burdens human’s carry of, ignorance, desire and suffering. Buddhism is almost the complete opposite of our western world because our society requires us to act a certain way in order to thrive or even survive.
The assignment that I was confronted was very different and as I read the material I realized that in a since I did not had much information about the Eightfold Path and little about the Buddha itself. Therefore, I decided to watch “Little Buddha” to guide me through this assignment. While watching the movie I realize that Buddha wanted to end suffering and by doing so he need to stop anything that could possibly bring him suffering. He was a prince and gave up everything in order to protect his family and achieved his goal. In the process of his journey he realized different things, at the beginning he believed that by restraining himself from anything he would be able to achieve to end suffering or find the answers. Later, he realized that he was never going to be able to end suffering but could find a balance. Once he was able to find the perfect balance and become one with nature he was able to reach enlightenment. Although, I will not be able to accomplish a quarter of what he did, I will try to restrict from myself from attachments and try to at least understand the true meaning of Nirvana by following the Eightfold Path.