An Analysis of Buddhism
An Analysis of Buddhism
Buddhism is one of the more mainstream religions in the world and it is continually expanding throughout the world. Buddhism comes from budhi, which means “to awaken”, the goal of Buddhism. Like all religions, there are many sects of Buddhism. There are over 80,000 different types of Buddhism, the two main ones being Mahayanna and Theraveda. There are about 3-4 million Buddhists in America now (www.pluralism.org/resources/statistcs/tradition.php). Many people have found Buddhism to help them deal with their daily day life. And many others have found Buddhism as an enhancement to their own religion. Buddhism is rich in history and it is discovered by more and more people everyday.
Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Who is Siddhartha Gautama? Siddhartha was a prince born around 563 BC in India. He realized at the age of twenty-nine how empty his life had been and how much suffering there is in the world. Therefore giving up everything he owned, he started on his conquest for the end of suffering. Meditating under the Bo tree one day, he reached the state of enlightenment. Finally reaching what he had been searching for all his life, he set out to teach and preach to others of what he had achieved. His body of disciples is called the Sangha. Individual males of the Sangha, monks, are marked by their shaved heads and orange robes. There is also and order for the nuns of Buddhism.
The goal of Buddhism is to reach enlightenment. Enlightenment is not only for those who are extremely “good”. Every person has the potential to reach that state of Enlightenment. To reach the ultimate goal, all one has to do is follow the core teachings.
The core teachings of Buddhism are the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The Four Noble Truths are as follows 1) “Life is suffering”, 2) “All suffering is caused by ignorance of the nature of reality and the craving, attachment, and grasping that result from such ignorance”, 3) “Suffering can be ended by overcoming ignorance and attachment”, and 4) “The path to the suppression of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path”. (Encarta) Hence, material wealth is not necessary to living.
The Eightfold Path is crucial on the path to...