Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction - Research Paper Example

?Buddhism Buddhism is a common religion that originated in northern India but is practiced throughout the world, making it the fourth largest religion. Though the exact date of its founding is unknown, many scholars believe that Buddhism was formed during the fifth century. Narrowing down the exact date is made difficult due to the fact that most people do not know when Buddhism officially began. Its beginning might have been when Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism who would later become known as Buddha, first began his journey to Enlightenment, or after he became enlightened and journeyed through India to share his teachings. Regardless of when Buddhism found its origin, it has become a way of life and a philosophy that has helped many people to grow in their spirituality. Considered less of a religion and more of a philosophy or spiritual path, Buddhism sets out to provide people with guidelines on how to live a happy, peaceful, and moralistic life. Even followers of other religious traditions can utilize the teachings of Buddhism to strengthen their primary beliefs and improve their lives. The main tenets of this tranquil tradition that are incorporated into daily life are found in two doctrines: the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The Four Noble Truths are the foundation of Buddhism and state that life is suffering; suffering is caused by desire; suffering can be brought to an end; and the Eightfold Path is the path to follow to bring about the end of suffering. The Eightfold Path, as previously stated, is followed with the intention of bringing an end to suffering, but these eight concepts can be followed in any life or religious practice to promote happiness. Right View requires the follower to learn to see reality as it is, without illusions or wishes of how they want their life to look. Right Intention means to act morally and ethically for the good of everyone. Right Speech involves not being deceitful, not speaking maliciously or with the intention of hurting someone, but to focus on speaking only words of kindness and compassion. Right Action and Right Livelihood promote abstaining from harming sentient beings, which also means to avoid becoming involved in activities that may cause harm to others, such as working in meat production or manufacturing weapons. Right Effort means to relinquish unwholesome qualities and habits, and to develop wholesome qualities. Right Mindfulness is to be in contemplation of the present moment, which can be aided by Right Concentration, or the practice of meditation. Since Buddhism promotes the importance of all life, from a human to a tree to an ant, a concept like euthanasia is one that is looked down upon. Even though euthanasia is a voluntary procedure done for the sake of a suffering individual, it requires taking a life. Willingly or not, Buddhism finds value in each life and considers it bad karma for the individual taking the life and the individual willingly live giving up their life (Knott, 2000). On the other hand, something like an organ transplant would be considered in an opposite light. A person who has already died would be receiving good karma by allowing their organs to save the life of another. However, an organ transplant as a result of euthanasia would be a complex scenario, one that would be open to many interpretations from many seasoned Buddhist practitioners. Outside of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, the beliefs of Buddhism are minimal, though may increase depending on which branch of Buddhism is being observed. The only other two tenets that are adhered by all Buddhism branches concern life and death. Reincarnation is a primary belief in Buddhism, so life does not necessarily have a beginning or and end, but “is a continuum with do discernible starting point. Birth and death are like a revolving door through which an individual passes again and again (Keown, 2009).” A new life beings when another life dies; when another life dies, in lieu of an afterlife, it becomes reborn as another life. This cycle can only be broken once a person has fully achieved enlightenment, after which, instead of being reborn, the individual reaches Nirvana, or total liberation. The concept of reincarnation is not accepted by all who practice Buddhism, nor is it a belief required to be a Buddhist. For those that do believe in reincarnation, they make decisions in life that will benefit themselves during the cycle of rebirth. These decisions are based on the belief of karma, or that what they do in this life will affect them in their next lives. As such, these individuals strive to live happy and morally-centered lives so that they may benefit from their goodness in later reincarnations. Just as the tenets of Buddhism are practiced on a daily basis, so are rituals. In Buddhism, even the small, normal act of a handshake is considered a ritual. Since Buddhism involves being mindful and aware of every present moment, every act is done with the utmost care in a ritualistic fashion. Rituals are also undergone for special occasions, such as births and weddings, and consist of a combination of meditation and chanting. Though many of these rituals involve numerous participants, the actual ritual is often a private experience. The few holidays that are observed in Buddhism are treated in the same way. Vesakha, which is the Buddha’s birthday and Asalha Puja Day, the celebration of the Buddha’s first teaching (Fisher, 2005), are the holidays in common among all branches of Buddhism, and each involves quiet meditation followed by chanting ceremonies. There are also rituals undergone for the sake of one’s health. In a Buddhist’s daily practice, a lot of time is spent meditating and practicing yoga, both of which have been proven to improve an individual mentally, emotionally, and physically. Though every aspect of life is treated like a ritual, eating is one that allows a person to be more mindful about their food, encouraging being aware of what they are eating. This ritual, requiring eating food slowly, helps individuals to feel full faster, which helps the person to avoid overeating. Membership in Buddhism does not require one to make decisions regarding their health, though it is recommended that Buddhists refrain from smoking, drinking alcohol, or doing drugs to keep their bodies free from toxins. Some branches of Buddhism even suggest avoiding meat or most processed foods for the same reason. Buddhism is a spiritual path that promotes peace. There are no gods, creation myths, concepts of sin, or dogma, making this a true path of compassion. Though very little is required of Buddhists, what is expected is done on a daily basis, which helps to train Buddhists to be loving, happy, and unhindered from suffering. The goal of Buddhism is a simple one: to live a good life for yourself and for all. References Fisher, M. P. (2005). Living religions (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Keown, D. (2009, August 6). Buddhism and abortion. Patheos. Retrieved March 30, 2013, from http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Buddhism-and-Abortion.html Knott, K. (2000). Buddhism: A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Read More