What is buddhism??

Question

i know it's a religion but what does the religion involve?

Answer 1

Buddhism (also known as the Dharma or Buddha Dharma, meaning approximately: The Law or Law of the Awakened One) is a religion, a practical philosophy, and arguably a psychology, focusing on the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), who lived in ancient India most likely from the mid-6th to the early 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the Indian subcontinent in the five centuries following the Buddha's passing, and propagated into Central, Southeast, and East Asia over the next two millennia. Today, Buddhism is divided primarily into three traditions: Theravāda (Sanskrit: Sthaviravāda), Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna. Buddhism continues to attract followers worldwide, and, with about 708 million adherents, it is considered a major world religion. Buddhism is the fourth-largest religion in the world.

When used in a generic sense, a Buddha is generally considered to be a person who discovers the true nature of reality through years of spiritual cultivation, investigation of the various religious practices of his time, and meditation. This transformational discovery is called bodhi - literally, "Awakening" (more commonly called "Enlightenment"). Any person who has become awakened from the "sleep of ignorance" by directly realizing the true nature of reality is called a Buddha. Śākyamuni is said to have been only the latest of many of these; there were other Buddhas before him and there will be others in the future. According to the Buddha, any person can follow his example and become enlightened through the study of his words "Dharma" and putting them into practice, by leading a virtuous, moral life, and purifying his mind. Concisely put, the aim of Buddhist practice is to put an end to this mass of suffering we call existence. "I teach one thing and one thing only: suffering and the end of suffering" (The Buddha). To achieve this state (Nirvana), adherents train and purify the mind by following the Noble Eightfold Path, and the Middle Way, eventually arriving at an understanding of the true nature of all things, thus ending (nirodha) all ignorance and unhappiness and attaining liberation: nirvāṇa (Pāli nibbāna).

Answer 2

I have studied all major religions, past and present. I loved Greek mythology when was 6 years old. I stayed at the Zen Center in San Francisco some and attended services and studied Shorin (Japanese Shaolin) martial arts at the Soto Zen Temple in San Francisco's Japantown. As you can see, I have more than just college study of Buddhism. One thing I like is that Guatama expressed agnosticism. He said it's a waste of time that could be much better spent to speculate about the existence of gods. People at a Christian church prayed to have "The Devil Of Buddhism" removed from me, but a Buddhist priest said it was OK to attend Christian churches. That is a good lesson to remember. Buddhists are tolerant and had no "holy wars" (What an oxymoron!), but sadly, Christians and Moslems had and have many of them that have cost thousands of lives.

Answer 3

Firstly, you aren't allowed to eat animals, as you are not allowed to hurt another living thing. That includes steal their eggs or their milk.

Buddhism basically is about Karma. You do not pray to anybody, worship anybody.

You just live your life making sure you do the right thing every day.

They believe in recarnation, so for example, if you ate animals, maybe in your next life, you will be re-born into an animal, and be eaten by others.

If you killed someone this life, next life someone will kill you back.

You get the drift, pretty straight forward religion. Probably the most peace loving one I know.

BAsically the more good you do, the better your next life will be, so if someone had it bad this life, it was probably because they did something bad in their last life.

And also, another reason why they don't eat animals is because it could have been a human in its past life.

Answer 4

It's more a philosophy than a religion. Buddhists don't worship Buddha as a God, they aspire to be like him and gain enlightenment. By living an ethical life and following precepts, Buddhists try to follow in his footsteps.
Buddha was an Indian Prince called Siddhartha Gautama who was so dissatisfied by what he saw of human existence that he chose to leave his home and family in order to search for the ultimate truth. After many years of hardship he gained enlightenment under what is known as the bodhi tree, after which he was unsure what to do with his new state of being. The basis of his enlightenment boils down to the fact that he truly accepted our interconnectedness and because he was in human form he spent the rest of his life travelling around assisting others in their quest to achieve enlightenment with his compassion and understanding.
Buddhism is the only 'religion' which has never sought to make it's point through violent means, it would defeat the object entirely.
It is such a vast subject with many different schools of practise that I could go on and on. If you wish to learn more I suggest you go to a Buddhist class at one of the many centres around the world. You would be welcome to take as much as you need from the experience and would be free to walk away at any point, there is no dogma and I've never met a Buddhist who was trying to 'convert' anyone!

Answer 5

It involves reducing the suffering of others. These are the questions the Dalai Lama presents:

1. How do we address the widening gap between rich and poor?
2. How do we protect the earth?
3. How do we educate our children?
4. How do we help Tibet and other oppressed countries and peoples of the world?
5. How do we bring spirituality (deep caring for one another) through all disciplines of life?

Answer 6

In short Buddhism teaches The lifes Sufferings, The reasons for these sufferings to occur and then the path way to get rid of the sufferings !

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Answer 7

Worshipping a statue of a bald fat man, which goes against the Almighty God.

Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Exodus 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

Answer 8

It's a wonderful way to live and very close to the truth. Even Einstein saw that.

Answer 9

It's more of a way of life

Answer 10

found this site which makes for easy reading and understanding of the basics