BUDDHISM!!! PLEASE HELP me out!?

Question

OK, so i've been looking into the Buddhism religion (i have decided that i'm totally not a christian... i just don't believe in the crap). Anyways... so i've been looking in on it and so far i agree with everything... BUT... just to make sure, CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME SOME OF THE MAIN THINGS ABOUT BUDDHISM??? WHAT THEIR STRONG BELIEFS ARE ON??? OR WHAT THEY CONCENTRATE ON THE MOST???

OH... AND DO BUDDHIST SEE EVERYTHING AS EQUAL? LIKE PEOPLE ARE NO BETTER THAN ANIMALS? YOU KNOW... EQUAL?


SORRY FOR ANY SPELLING MISTAKES! (I HATE SPELLING)
ALSO.. THANKS IN ADVANCE!

Answer 1

BUDDHISM SUMMARY

Four Noble Truths.
1. Suffering is everywhere.
2. The cause of suffering is desire.
3. The cessation of suffering is the cessation of desire.
4. Cessation of suffering can be accomplished by following the Noble Eightfold Path.

Noble Eightfold Path.
Wisdom
1. Change your pattern of thinking.
2. Understand what reality is, not what it appears to be.
Ethical conduct
3. Don't speak in ways that could be hurtful and do not lie.
4. Don't act in ways that could be hurtful.
5. Don't live in ways that indirectly or directly hurt you or other people.
Mental discipline
6. Make effort to improve.
7. See things with a clear consciousness.
8. Be aware of the reality within yourself.

Each item on the Eightfold Path has subcategories to study, things to do/ not do etc...
You also need to study the story of Siddhartha and his path to become Buddha. This is important.

Hope this helps. Buddhism is the one religion I approve of.

Answer 2

Everybody up to yogini, so far, has offered wonderful insight. We perceive all sentient beings (includes animals and humans) as beings who all want the same thing... "happiness". The Buddha's goal in teaching us the Four Noble Truths (which are listed above my post by another kind person) is to teach us that suffering has a cure and that cure is to learn how to cultivate altruism, wisdom and actions that are the causes for happiness.

Buddhanet is a great resource for starting off. If you run into definition issues don't hesitate to ask... notice that there are some words in Buddhism that are a little different and have different connotations and/or denotations from Western philosophy. Examples are "ignorance", "suffering", "truth", "emptiness", etc. so be careful in how you apprehend these words so that you don't misunderstand.

Another wonderful basic resource offline is the Complete Idiot's Guide to Buddhism... I recommend it to anyone who's interested since it's a lovely overview of most of the most important aspects of Buddhism, the Buddha, and the philosophy... then you can "branch out" into whatever portion of Buddhist thought and study appeals to your mind.

Everybody concentrates on different portions of mind training within Buddhism according to their needs and understanding, often with the guidance of a lama or teacher... and select such a person ONLY after having scoped them out for a LONG time. Check out, as one of your first books, Alexander Berzin's book on the topic "Relating to a Spiritual Teacher", which can be found online for free (you'd have to run a search, I can't remember the website offhand... I'm on vacation with my laptop) and in major bookstores like Borders and Barnes and Noble. Also Snow Lion publications is a wonderful online resource to go to to look around and get some supplemental info as well as to shop for various, delightful, Dharma items. I've had nothing but good experiences with them. Also Wisdompubs.org is another delightful resource.

Hope this helps a bit.

EDIT: Tom is incorrect. It's not about "giving up" things... you learn the true nature of things and how to cultivate understanding about what you think you need vs. what you really do and by default you start figuring out what to let go of and not. There's no forcing yourself (Tom didn't say there is but his words can be misperceived as such) to do anything in Buddhism, it's a "middle way". Hope this clarifies.

_()_

Answer 3

If you look at what Jesus actually said, and not the Old Testament stuff, you´ll find that Jesus and Buddha say pretty much the same thing...that is, how to live your life while you are here on earth.

Since there was trade occuring between the Roman Empire and India during Jesus life time, it´s very likely that Jesus was aware of Buddhism and it´s teachings. (Buddha was born 500 years before Jesus)

There is a better written record of Buddha´s teachings than Jesus. Religious conflict has destroyed or altered much of Jesus original teachings.

Buddhism is considered a way of life not a religion. I believe that Jesus teachings should be considered the same way.

Answer 4

If you want to learn more about Buddhism, you really owe it to yourself to visit a Buddhist temple, and/or attend some Buddhist services. You should also take a College level class in World Religions or Eastern Religion.

Buddhism is very similar to Christianity in that there are numerous kinds of Buddhists- Zen, Tibetan, Pure Land, Mahāyāna, and Theravāda to name a few. It's too vast and complicated for a fair answer here.

And, I'm afraid to tell you, but there's lots of crap in Buddhism. Being religious doesn't mean finding a crap-free thought process, it means accepting crap, and being able to find the divine in the crap.

Good Luck.

Answer 5

Compassion, developing kindheartedness, harming none....pick up a copy of Thirty Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, this will be helpful as it has the dharma practices. Actually, we are equal to everything and everything is interconnected universally. Kindheartedness is a big idea. Actually, we don't categorize it as a religion, it's more of a philosphy. Non-attachment and relief of suffering for all sentient beings. Get the text above as a starter and if you have any buddhist teachers in your area, go to a talk. It's a lovely journey......

Answer 6

Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which is also a philosophy and a system of psychology.[5] Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means the "teachings of the Awakened One" in Sanskrit and Pali, the languages of ancient Buddhist texts. Buddhism was founded around the fifth century BCE by Siddhartha Gautama, hereafter referred to as "the Buddha".

Early sources say that the Buddha was born in Lumbini (now in Nepal), and that he died around age 80 in Kushinagar (India). He lived around the fifth century BCE, according to scholarship[1]. Buddhism spread throughout the Indian subcontinent in the five centuries following the Buddha's passing, and thence into Asia and elsewhere over the next two millennia.

Indian Buddhism has become virtually extinct, except in parts of Nepal. The most frequently used classification of present-day Buddhism among scholars[2] divides present-day adherents into the following three traditions :

Southern Buddhism, or Theravada (its own usual name for itself), also known as Southeast Asian Buddhism, or Pali Buddhism - practiced mainly in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and parts of Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Bangladesh (Southeast Asia)
Eastern Buddhism, also known as East Asian Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism, Sino-Japanese Buddhism, or Mahayana - practiced predominantly in China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Singapore and parts of Russia
Northern Buddhism, also known as Tibetan Buddhism, Tibeto-Mongolian Buddhism, or Vajrayana, sometimes called Lamaism - practiced mainly in Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan and parts of Nepal, India, China and Russia.
An alternative scheme used by some scholars[3] has just two divisions, Theravada and Mahayana, the latter comprising both Eastern and Northern. Some scholars[4]use other schemes. The term Hinayana, referring to Theravada and various extinct Indian schools, is sometimes used, but is often considered derogatory, and the World Federation of Buddhists recommends it be avoided.

Buddhism continues to attract followers around the world and is considered a major world religion. According to one source ([6]), "World estimates for Buddhists vary between 230 and 500 million, with most around 350 million." However, estimates are uncertain for several countries. According to one analysis[5], Buddhism is the fifth-largest religion in the world behind Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and traditional Chinese religion. The monks' order (Sangha), which began during the lifetime of the Buddha in India, is amongst the oldest organizations on earth.

In Buddhism, any person who has awakened from the "sleep of ignorance" (by directly realizing the true nature of reality) is called a buddha.[6] Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, is thus only one among other buddhas before or after him. His teachings are oriented toward the attainment of this kind of awakening, also called enlightenment, Bodhi, liberation, or Nirvana.

Part of the Buddha’s teachings regarding the holy life and the goal of liberation is constituted by the "The Four Noble Truths", which focus on dukkha, a term that refers to suffering or the unhappiness ultimately characteristic of unawakened, worldly life. The Four Noble Truths regarding suffering state what is its nature, its cause, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation. This way to the cessation of suffering is called "The Noble Eightfold Path", which is one of the fundamentals of Buddhist virtuous or moral life.

Answer 7

Buddhists believe we are all one with each other; and they treat each other as such. A very peaceful belief system.....believing that our true 'self' is a separation from the mind and body. I love the buddhists! rock on!

Answer 8

Good answers.. Mr. Bad Day says it all.. I'm Catholic,but studied buddhism.. I prefer zen myself..

Read Mr. Bad Day after reading the other responses.. He's correct!

Answer 9

It's my bedtime - but look at www.buddhanet.net

It is an excellent resource aimed at beginners - but also allows you to go much further. There are easy introductions, and short courses to follow, to give you the fullest insight.
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Answer 10

my religion is Theravada Buddhist religion (Thailand).
this is almost all you have to know about buddhist religion.
http://www.11meditation.co.nr

only insight meditation is not in that website yet.