The Three Marks of Reality in Buddhism - Essay Example

They mean that there is 1) suffering; 2) desire as the reason for suffering; 3) nirvana as the cessation of suffering; and 4) the Eightfold Path which leads to the cessation of suffering. The Noble Eightfold Path was indicated by Buddha. It consists of eight rules and leads to the cessation of suffering and liberation from samsara. According to the median path it lies between the adherence to worldly pleasures and asceticism.2. Theravada is the earliest school of Buddhism, which was formed by Buddha followers immediately after his death.

They were trying to attain personal enlightenment by literal adherence to Gautama’s lifestyle and meditation practice. The knowledge of Theravada is recorded in the canonical text Tipitaka and explained in large commentary literature. In the middle of the 5th century, Theravadins were divided into three groups, and in 100 years the most orthodox ones established themselves in Sri Lanka. Mahayana emerged as an opposition to Theravada during the first century B.C. and flourished at the beginning of the first millennium.

The ideal of Mahayana is Bodhisattva – a person who is striving for enlightenment but refuses nirvana for the liberation of all other beings from suffering. Mahayana argued that nirvana is available for everyone, both layman and monk and everyone on his path to enlightenment may rely on bodhisattvas the help. Vajrayana is Tantric Buddhist School which was originated in the 3rd – 7th century in India and later,  was spread tower was Tibet. It embodies the idea of relative and absolute unity tostones one's individual life, claiming that each person has the indestructible nature of the Buddha.

The century aims to bring the mind invitations-dual state when each event expresses its unlimited potential. Its methods are designed for those who wh can see the reflection of their own mind in their teacher, thus adopting the teacher’s non-personal qualities through dedication and self-identification (Keown, 2010).