What Is Buddhism?
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Buddhism for Beginners
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Buddhism Plain and Simple
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The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching
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Wikipedia.com defines Buddhism as:
"a family of beliefs and practices considered by most to be a religion and based on the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as ‘The Buddha’ (the Awakened One). Siddhartha Gautama was born in what is now Nepal and lived and taught circa 400 BCE."
In the same way that Christianity has many denominations all united by common core beliefs yet differing in practice and interpretation of those beliefs, Buddhism encompasses many different sects and many practices which are unique to the various countries and cultures in which it takes root.
The central belief of Buddhism is that human suffering is caused by a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of reality. This misunderstanding traps all sentient beings (creatures with consciousness) in an endless cycle of suffering and rebirth that is called samsara.
Buddhists seek to release themselves and others from this endless cycle of suffering through a variety of methods which include ethical conduct and good deeds, devotional practices, ceremonies and the invocation of enlightened souls called bodhisattvas, renunciation of worldly pleasures and entanglements, meditation, physical exercises, study, and the cultivation of wisdom.
Westerner often say that Buddhists do not believe in God; a charge which causes a lot of grief and promotes misunderstanding and strife for no good reason. Buddhism as a religion focuses on practice and on releasing human beings from the domination of the ego; which is sometimes referred to as ‘monkey mind’ because of the ego’s tendency to fill up a person’s head with constant thoughts and worries.
Since Buddhism focuses almost exclusively on internal states instead of a single external deity, it is closer to Western psychology in some ways than it is to a monotheistic religion. Buddhists do not worship Buddha as a God, but rather follow his teachings and use him as a role model. Despite this important difference between Buddhism and Christianity, descriptions of nirvana (the ultimate release from samsara that leads to union with what simply is) are nearly indistinguishable from Christian descriptions of God. In other words, to say that Buddhists don't believe in God comes down to something like an argument over language.
Buddhism does differ from Christianity and many other Western religions that focus on a deity in terms of dogma and teaching, but the contemplative traditions of Buddhism and Christianity are much more alike than they are different, and many books have been written about the similarities between the two faiths. Prayer and meditation are not that far apart as contemplative practices.
God and Nirvana are not that different when major texts are read side by side. Some scholars even believe Christ was exposed to Buddhism during the early years of his life that are not recorded in the Bible but I think that it isn't really necessary to take it that far. To my mind, simply noting that there is more overlap than divergence among the great spiritual traditions of the world is enough. I personally don't really need to see fingerprints, but for some, the possibility is certainly intriguing.
The differences between Christianity and Buddhism occur mostly in terms of focus and emphasis. Christianity is more externally focused: Christians worship a personified God who is usually portrayed as make, and they try to match their actions in the world with the desires of that God. Buddhism is more internally focused: Buddhists do not say there is no God; they just don’t ask themselves the ‘God question’ at all. Buddhists focus instead on attaining an internal state that will release themselves and others from eternal suffering.
Both Christian and Buddhist traditions place a strong emphasis on compassion and on the recognition and alleviation of the suffering of others. In recent years, Buddhism has become more popular in the West because it does not place such a huge emphasis on a deity.
Westerners who feel damaged or hurt by traditional Western religious practices are drawn to Buddhism’s emphasis on practice over dogma.
Christians spend a lot of time talking about God and Jesus; Buddhists spend a lot of time talking about how their practice is going (meditation, renunciation, etc.).
The extremely practical nature of Buddhism appeals to Westerners who are weary of theological antagonism (and there is plenty of that to go around these days), making Buddhism one of the fastest growing religions in the modern Western world.
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Comments
thanks for the simple and informative explanation
makes sense!!!
Thanks for stopping by artrush & elisabethkcmo!
If I didn't know better I would consider myself a Buddhist (which I am not) as I share an inner focus, understand the importance of letting go of the 'monkey mind" or spinning mind as we call it here at home, and do not worship a God, though I do believe in a God/Source and try to live life the best way I know how. And yes, I agree human suffering is caused by a misunderstanding of the nature of reality. To me Buddhism stripped of the rituals, would be more of a spiritual path than a religious one, and I like it!
Thanks for the read!
Thanks for coming by VioletSun! If I was had to pick a religion, I might pick Buddhism, but I like the Hindu religion too (it's HUGE!!!) and I also like pagan traditions. I almost went to school in comparative religion but I had too many real world responsibilities (children!lol!) for that. I would love to do that though. :)
You have written a very interesting piece about Buddhism. I have never taken the time to understand the basics of the Buddhist religion so I did not know that Buddha is not the object of worship. Although I am a committed Christian I enjoy learning about other religions. Thank you.
Samsara. The wheel upon which humanity seems determined to stay forever.
"The central belief of Buddhism is that human suffering is caused by a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of reality."
I couldn't agree more.
Thank you Smireles. I appreciate you stopping by. :)
CWB--Oh yes, it just keeps turning doesn't it? I like Buddhism. There's lots of good practical stuff there.
I keep telling myself that I will soon devote significant time and serious study to Buddhism. I just never seem to get to it.
Yes I seem to be running out of time myself. Wow, life goes by fast. My grandmother always said so but it's not until you're old that you realize how true it is. :)
Good hub, Pam, obviously you are not only drawn to the subject of comparative religions but have driven already a chunk of miles on that road.
Again allow the old Buddhist practitioner to add a couple of reflections.
One, Westerners should not be so idealistic about the qualities of Eastern religions, including Buddhism, particularly if they are weary of theological antagonism. Once they go inside they realize that human beings are the same everywhere and that strife is present in Buddhist institutions too, and they get doubly disappointed. If they want to start the path of Dharma, they should tell themselves that Buddhists are no more sublime than other human beings and thus, they are going to find among them the same old errors present in other religious institutions. If they give up on dreams of Shangrila then they won't abandon Dharma because of the disappointments with human beings and institutions.
Two, this is a personal opinion that I think follows broadly the attitude of Lord Buddha. The Blessed One taught Dharma in a variety of ways, tailored for the diversity of tendencies and capabilities of human beings. Along these lines, I think the best of religions is the one where a person finds fulfillment of its own spiritual aims, where it feels good, and right for the person to be there. I don't think there is an inherently best religion in general, not even Buddhism.
This being said, once one chooses a religious path and is satisfied with it, one should stick with it to the end. To do a little bit of this and a little bit of that is perfect for the years of research but if one wishes to accomplish some spiritual aim then one should respect and follow faithfully the path one has chosen. (Of course, one might choose not to follow any particular path but that's another story).
Thank you for the inspiration.
Thank you rosariomontenegro--Those are excellent points! I do think Westerners sometimes idealize Eastern religions, and you are so right--same conflicts within them too, people are people.
I am definitely a spiritual tourist! Nothing to crow about here as I can't stick to any religion. But I can admire parts of all of them, so maybe that's my place here--to offer at buffet or something. :)
This was a very clear and concise hub, pgrundy. I really liked how you compared Christianity with Buddhism, expressing how Christianity is an external focus and Buddhism is an internal focus.
I like the fact that you never hear (and I hope you never will) about a Buddhist monk molesting children. I don't want to say it NEVER happened, but if it did, one way or another, we'd hear about it right? Especially in this age of information. It's something to think about :)
Here to the buffet, Pam!
I might practice only one religion but I definitively love religions, and I'd like to read what you have to say about Hinduism.
Thank you for a good concise, interesting description of Buddhism. The parallels and differences with Christianity are striking. Because of its pragmatism, Buddhist thought and practices are easily integrated into other religious traditions and I've known a good many Westerners who draw heavily on Buddhism without being actually Buddhist, or are but don't consider their views of a deity or deities as something separate from it.
I love finding out more about other religious traditions. It helps in understanding what motivates people from other cultures or Western dropouts who find themselves in other cultures. I did consider it in my youth but it's not my path.
It has one striking thing in its favor as a major world religion, even beyond dohn121's point about pedophiles. I have not ever heard of a Buddhist nation or group starting a religious war and slaughtering lots of people because they didn't agree on religion or practices.
A small point that I really love is that Buddhist monks do not all share the same practices or orders. Because it's so internal, you can find one practicing ahimsa but not celibate, another celibate but vegetarian, what they have in common is that monks take vows but what particular vows are tailored to the advancement of that monk. Vows don't seem to be imposed even on monks, let alone lay people.
I think this may make it more effective as a contemplative path because vows can be for a certain duration or a lifetime, they do help a person discipline themselves but which ones help build compassion and good character are going to vary with the person. I like the effects of Buddhism because it is safe to be around Buddhists when you aren't one. That's a biggie in my book.
I'm a solitary eclectic pagan with a Norse patron. I'm aware my spiritual path is probably personal and unique so I don't talk about it much. I suspect it wouldn't fit most people in the same way that what I eat to get strong would probably make most people sick and fat and what I do for my health would make them weak and flabby.
I hope you do go into Hinduism and other major religions including Wicca, modern Paganism and modern Norse Paganism because I'm fascinated to see your views and how well you gather the relevant information together. Please do keep doing comparative religion articles! They are a joy to me.
Even though most people are familiar with Christian ideas, if you treated major Christian sects that way too it would help people understand things like the differences between Catholicism, Protestant religions, Eastern Orthodox and so on. Islam and Judaism are important too.
I am also Unitarian Universalist, so I welcome all your comparative religion articles and thank you for creating them. The more people are educated on other religious views than their own, perhaps the less likely they are to fear the unknown or become alarmed at practices and ideas that are foreign.
Excellent hub again PG. Is Buddhism really spreading in the West ? I often wonder. I have however noticed that there are a lot of Buddhist hubs lately. I always recommend beginners to read The Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra - both very short and powerful !
Thanks for the reading suggestions Bloggify! I do think Buddhism is spreading in the U.S. Appreciate your comment. :)
You're the best writer here... so simple yet so informative... You really talk like a “Buddha” which also means an “enlightened” one....I learned that... when I took Budhist meditation course in Tibetan temple in seattle... they also have some articles here... www.sakya.org
Jon--What a nice thing to say! Thank you for the link too. I appreciate it! :)
You're welcome. :)
Pam- What a wonderful hub. Thumbs up.
Thanks countrywoman!
I'm not sure... gotta graduate next year... gonna look for a FT job... not sure of anything.... thanks for checking out my article.
You are so welcome. Thanks for writing, and good luck on the job search. (I can't find one either if that's any consolation.)
You must be kidding... you're a great writer.... I have no "real" experience.... nobody is hiring... if no job... gonna go to India... and look for a job there. ;)
The biggest difference between Buddhism and Christianity and other religions is that Buddhists do not believe in a creator god. They believe that everything (creation) is all based on dependent arising, also known as emptiness. Emptiness is not a thing or a state of mind, it is a quality of the way things, beings, exist. It's like this "Things exist because they are empty", that quality of fluidity, a play of the mind. Memories and imprints, good or bad, i.e. harmless, kind, loving or angry fearful, violent, are causal trajectories for our experience. Whether you believe in Creator God or not, the truth is still the truth. If you rely on a loving wisdom source that is ever present everywhere, taking 100% responsibility for your experiences, you find what you need. Mind training, in any religion or system, always must rely on source for ultimate healing. From our side, we do our part, and train the mind all the time. It's hard, as you must be viligant. Blessings.
Buddhism is an ancient tradition, a spiritual path, which was discovered nearly two thousand six hundred years ago by the great sage, Buddha Shakyamuni. He was born circa 563 BC in Lumbini which is in modern-day Nepal. At the age of 29, he left his wife, child and political involvements in order to seek truth. It was an accepted practice at the time for some men to leave their family and lead the life of an ascetic. He studied Brahmanism, but ultimately rejected it. In 535 BC, he attained enlightenment and assumed the title Buddha (one who has awakened). Due to the commitment and dedication of devout Buddhists, this gentle religion has grown in the present world un-marred by any political or religious fervours which so many other traditions have suffered from in the past.
Buddhism is a spiritually established path where one is able to learn about their true nature and come to a deep understanding of their inner self. This in turn brings inner peace for oneself. All said, real peace - be it personal, family or the world - ultimately begins with the individual.
artrush73 says:
4 months ago
Very interesting :)