what do buddhists believe?

Question

how was the universe created?
what is the equivilent of hell?

Answer 1

Buddhism revolves around a set of ideas known as the Four Noble Truths:
1 - Life consists primarily of suffering.
2 - Suffering is caused by desire, which leads to renewed existence (rebirth).
3 - To stop suffering, you must stop desiring.
4 - The way to stop suffering is to follow the Eight-Fold Path.

The Eight-Fold Path is broken into 3 parts: Sila (which we might call virtue), Samadhi (concentration), and Prajna (wisdom that purifies the mind).

Sila:
1 - Right speech; speaking in an honest, nonhurtful, nonexaggerated manner.
2 - Right actions; avoiding being a cause of harm.
3 - Right livelihood; the way you live does not cause harm to yourself or others, directly or indirectly.

Samadhi:
4 - Right exercise; making an effort to improve yourself.
5 - Right awareness; the ability to see things as they are.
6 - Right concentration; being aware of the present reality, without desiring a change or having an aversion to the truth.

Prajna:
7 - Right thoughts; having the right way of thinking about things.
8 - Right understanding; understanding reality as it is, not as it appears to be.

Buddhists generally believe that, with the cultivation of the path, one will reach a place in which the Four Noble Truths are completely grasped. Greed, hatred, ignorance, and craving--none of which are essential to the self--vanish. Anything that is not essentially the self is wiped away. And, as the rebith pattern (samsara) is not an essential part of the self (merely a manifestation, which is how rebirth is different than the belief in reincarnation), the rebirth cycle into a world of suffering is broken. This state is called samyaksambodhi. In Zen Buddhism (a variation), this state is called Satori, and is usually described, not as a "state of being," per se, but as an experience.

Finally, Buddhists practice what is called the "Middle Path" or the "Middle Way," between asceticism and self-indulgence. Either extreme is ultimately destructive to the attainment of samyaksambodhi. The Middle Way is also applied to cosmological views, such as the notion that certain things either exist or don't, or whether or not the universe was created in the first place.

Buddhists practices over the world have a LOT of variety after this, but I feel that I've covered most of the basics.

Answer 2

That depends on which Buddhist you ask. This Buddhist believes the Big Bang Theory is the most plausible explanation. The Quantum and the Lotus, The Tao of Physics and Einstein and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings are three excellent books that deal with this subject.

Answer 3

The universe is un-created (basically eternal)
They don't have a hell.
Rebirth in Buddhism is the doctrine that the consciousness of a person (as conventionally regarded), upon the death or dissolution of the aggregates (skandhas) which make up that person, becomes one of the contributing causes for the arising of a new group of skandhas which may again be conventionally considered a person or individual. The consciousness arising in the new person is neither identical to, nor different from, the old consciousness, but forms part of a causal continuum or stream with it. The basic cause for this persistent re-arising of personality is the abiding of consciousness in avidya (ignorance); when ignorance is uprooted, rebirth ceases.

Answer 4

Buddhism is not having any theory of creation of universe or man.It follows Hindu Theory of creation by God.Buddhism is independent of any such theory.It teaches you that only enlightenment saves from miseries.Buddha means"enlightened".You can also become Buddha or God.
Reason for all suffering is wants.You reduce your wants you become happier.So when your want becomes zero you reach absolute happiness or PARAMANANDA or supreme bliss.In true Buddhism there is no place for heaven or hell.

But the modern Buddhists have made Buddha as God.It is not correct.Buddhism is the only religion with out God.The reason for it failure is also that.Every body wants a God in his pocket.
Buddhism is just opposite of modern economics where you have to work more,earn more to satisfy wants,where as Buddhism wants to reduce the number of wants.
You choose.

Answer 5

To answer your first question, check out buddhanet.net, there's far too much to what we believe to write about in this little space, however I will touch on the two more specific questions you ask.

1. All things arise due to causes and conditions, from the death or interaction of things before the object/thought/concept arises. We don't believe in linear time as you perceive it, except as it's necessary to get through a day-to-day job, so there's no "absolute beginning" nor an "absolute end", so we don't worry about it.

2. Hell realms. Taking "rebirth" (not in the through-a-birth-canal kind of "birth") in one of the hell realms that makes Dante's version look like peanuts.

Feel free to research on your own... never take my word for it... and the Buddha didn't expect us to either, chew it over for yourself.

_()_

Answer 6

As far as I know there is not hell in Buddishm, they believe in re-incarnation, so when you die, depend on your behavior you could be born again in different form, if you were good in the past life you could be born as human but you will have a better life, if you were bad then you could be born as a cow, a dog, an ant etc. I do not think Buddishm is for me.

Answer 7

Hell in the Christian sense of a place of eternal punishment doesn't exist. Hell in the sense of a place to be punished for past deeds is here - but so is heaven in the sense of rewards for past good deeds. I don't know that anything is permanent (heaven, hell, the universe).

Answer 8

Bli'my! they don't do all that stuff!

Buddhists, quite simply, are just 'mindful'.

That is, of the situation.

Any situation.

And the interests and sensibilities of other beings and living things.

[Anyone can do just a little bit, at least, of Buddhism]

And what a wonderful world it would be if they did: full of mindfull people!

Answer 9

I prefer to focus on the present. The past no longer exists and the future ain't here yet. Only this moment. Then this one. Then this one.
In this way, I effect my future. By the decisions I am making...right...now.
Buddhism is a practice.

Answer 10

Buddhists believe that if they do good, they will come back as a human or other higher animal, if they do bad they will come back as a worm or ant or something. they believe in reincarnation.