Basic Beliefs of Buddhism

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Basic Beliefs of Buddhism

History of Buddha

According to the Buddhist tradition, the historical Buddha Siddharta Gautama was born in the plains of Lumbini, in what is now southern Nepal.

After an early life of luxury under the protection of his father, Śuddhodana, the ruler of Kapilavastu, Siddharta entered into contact with the realities of the world and concluded that real life was about inescapable suffering and sorrow. Siddharta renounced his meaningless life of luxury to become an ascetic. He ultimately decided that asceticism was also meaningless, and instead chose a middle way, a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification.

Under a fig tree, now known as the Bohdi tree, he vowed never to leave the position until he found Truth. At the age of 35, he attained Enlightenment. He was then known as Gautama Buddha, or simply "The Buddha", which means "the enlightened one".

For the remaining 45 years of his life, he traveled central India, teaching his doctrine and discipline to an extremely diverse range of people.

The Buddha's reluctance to name a successor or to formalize his doctrine led to the emergence of many movements during the next 400 years: first the schools of Niyaka Buddhism of which only Theravada (Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos) remains today, and then the formation of Mahayana (China, Japan, Vietnam) and Vajrayana (Tibet), pan-Buddhist sects based on the acceptance of new scriptures and the revision of older techniques.

The Four Noble Truths

1. Suffering exists
2. Suffering arises from attachment to desires
3. Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases
4. Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path

Noble Eightfold Path

Three Qualities	Eightfold Path
Wisdom (panna)	Right View
	Right Thought
Morality (sila)	Right Speech
	Right Action
	Right Livelihood
Meditation (samadhi)	Right Effort
	Right Mindfulness
	Right Contemplation

Three Characteristics of Existence

   1. Transiency (anicca)
   2. Sorrow (dukkha)
   3. Selflessness (anatta)

Becoming a Buddhist

In order to become a Buddhist, one has to acknowledge the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path. One does this by taking refuge in the Triple Gem of Buddhism. This can be done on your own or with the assistance of a mentor or teacher. This should not be done casually without seriously studying.

You will see many statues and images on the temple grounds. You will see people kneeling and paying respect. These are images of Buddha and others that have reached enlightenment. There are no gods in Buddhism. The people worship the ideal that Buddha reached not the idol that reminds us of it.

Buddhism is not a religion in the sense of most definitions. There is no god figure. Buddhism is more of a philosophy or way of living. Because of this, being a Buddhist does not prevent you from practicing another other religion. One may be a Buddhist, a Taoist and a Confucionist at the same time. Any religion that does not contradict the Eight Fold Path is allowed or encouraged. Since Buddhism is personal philosophy, all of this is your choice and yours alone.

Some religions require that you adhere to its practices and no other. This is not true of Buddhism. This gives rise to some continuation of the old Hindu practices that existed before Buddhism or other local practices that you may observe at the temple.

Buddhism is an agnostic religion that does not discuss the existence of a creator God. It neither affirms nor denies the existence of one creator. However, it does include beliefs in many gods. Gods are not considered as supreme beings. They are merely another bodiless state of heavenly existence. This a remnant of the Hindu religion that Buddha himself practiced.

It is not necessary to worship them in order to be a Buddhist. These gods also must practice Buddhism in order to realize ultimate Truth and achieve the ultimate state of being, the Nibbana, which is the cessation of existence.