I am taking a world religions class. Can anybody explain to me about Buddhism? like easy to understand?

Question

It seems very confusing but interesting to me. I would like to know more, but explain it so i know what you're talking about. thank you so much!

Answer 1

It's all about being 'one' with what's around u, and that Buddha achieved this and is the best prophet of this.

Answer 2

Basically, Buddhism is following the teachings of a man who became a 'Buddha' in this aeon. Gautama Buddha began life as a wealthy man, who's parents protected him from the realities of life. On leaving home one day he saw an old man, a sick man, and a corpse, and was so shocked that he was spurred into the search for meaning. He studied and meditated, and after many years he finally achieved enlightenment. He never wrote anything down, but he did speak to his followers.

Basically, he realised that desire for things (even ethereal things like pride,) was the cause of suffering, and by controlling desire one controls suffering. By controlling the mind through meditation, one realises that everything in this universe is inherently empty. This is where true happiness begins.

Basically, Buddhists believe in living an ethical life, because all their actions will come back to them later in another rebirth. Karma cannot be expunged. Nobody will take it away. You just have to endure it. Your actions dictate the nature of your next life. Your goal is to attain enlightenment so that you can help others attain enlightenment and escape 'samsara' or the realm where we are trapped by desire and suffering.

There is no hell or heaven, but rather, hell and heaven realms. These are available for rebirths if your karma is bad or good enough, but a human rebirth is best, because that way you can follow the Dharma (Buddhist teaching) Sangha (community of believers) and Buddha (expert example) and attain enlightenment.

For information on the basic beliefs of Buddhism, and the history of it and its' founder, you should try wikipedia. This will give you a good overview. Also, read anything by the His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His books are really easy for Westerners to understand.

Answer 3

Im not sure much myself, im just learning about it, but if you look up Buddhism for Kidson a Google Search, i found a storybook that tells the basic tale of the Buddha, and started my research from there. Basically, it seems that the Buddha is someone who has been completely enlightened. There are different stages of enlightenment that you must pass/accept/complete. The Buddha's main goal was to find a way for everyone to live in peace and harmony, and is all about unselfishness and humbleness. I basically like to think of it as Christianity, only minus the magic aspects. Read some stories from the Sutras. The Lotus Sutra has some very basic and easy to understand stories

Answer 4

Conscious healing. That means you must train yourself to do many things. That is the spirit of nirvana. The most perfect a person can be. That takes years of training and sometimes separation from others. Unless you are divinely orientated it could be too hard! Modern Christianity is a lot easier.Self discipline inner spirit knowledge, history and lots and lots of motivation. study it for a couple of years but return from that trip and be yourself, The same person that your parents want you to be, then you'll like knowing about Buddhism and it's treats. That's what I did!

Answer 5

It's a deeply philosophical religion that deals with balance. Like in the yin-yang there is always a little dark in light and a little light in dark. there is always a little good in evil and a little evil in good. It is a peaceful religion that sprouted from Hinduism in the 6th century B.C., long before christianity and other religions came forth. it was founded by siddhartha gautama in India after he fled from his royal family to learn of the world outside his palace walls. He saw the poverty and meditated for days on end to reach the inner peace and gain enlightenment whenceforth he gained the name Buddha meanind "the enlightened one." there is an eightfold path towards happiness that involve what is purely right. the right speech, actions, livelihood, effort, awareness, meditation, understanding, and thoughts. Buddhists seek to achieve nirvana which is the supreme inner peace that will stop the reincarnation cycle of man.

Answer 6

Buddhism which also called Buddha Dharma was created by Sakyamuni,a prince of the ancient India ,or we say Nepal nowadays.
Generally speaking,Buddha instructed people to carry on their good tradition of shunning evil and promote good.To purify people's will power by themselves.

Answer 7

See:
http://www.bartleby.com/65/bu/Buddhism.html

and

http://www.beliefnet.com/index/index_10001.html

Answer 8

All i know is that during the period of disunion people accepted buddhism as their culture for comfort because buddhism stated that they could escape suffering and achieve peace.

Answer 9

My hero, Tiger Woods, is a Buddhist. How aboot(canadien) that. come on thats funny, plz give me the best answer

Answer 10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism