What are Buddhism claims about salvation?

Answer 1

"Salvation" is not a part of Buddhist belief. Salvation for the Abrahamic faiths is being saved from eternal torment by a deity. Buddhism has no deity, no set of do and don't rules that must be followed to be good, and no eternal heaven where "the good" sit around praising god.

In Buddhism, human (i.e. sentient life) is precious, therefore the only "rule" to follow is to try to avoid the deliberate killing of another potential Buddha, i.e. another sentient being, which would be every human being on earth.

In Buddhism, to become a Buddha one must expiate negative karma built up over past lifetimes (and this lifetime). For every action, good or bad, you receive your karmic tally - good karma (fortune) or bad karma.

This is why Buddhists do not believe in Hell or Heaven. Buddhists believe that a person makes their own hell here on Earth or achieve the highest achievement - Buddhahood or Enlightenment (which is what the word Buddha means - Enlightened One). If a person puts themselves in Hell it is called the Hell of Incessant Suffering, the Tenth (or lowest) World you can be in.

There are 10 Worlds that a person is constantly in, ebbing and flowing into, all of the time - The state of Hell(jigoku). Nichiren Daishonin's the "True Object of Worship" ("Kanjin no Honzon Sho") states, "Rage is the world of Hell." Hell indicates a condition in which one is dominated by the impulse of rage to destroy oneself and everything else. In this state one is utterly devoid of freedom and undergoes extreme and indescribable suffering.

The state of Hunger (gaki). Greed is the world of Hunger. Hunger is a condition characterized by insatiable desire for food, clothes, wealth, pleasure, fame, power and so forth. One in this state is tormented by relentless craving and by his inability to assuage it.

The state of Animality (chikusho). The "True Object of Worship" Foolishness is the world af Animality. It is a condition governed by instinct, in which one has no sense of reason or morality. "On the Sovereign, Teacher and Parent" ("Shushishin Gosho") describes the state of Animality as follows: "The short are swallowed by the long, and the small are eaten by the large, feeding upon each other without pause." One in the state of Animality stands in fear of the strong but despises and preys upon those weaker than himself.

The state of Anger (shura). Perversity is the world of Anger." It is a condition dominated by a selfish ego. One in this stage is compelled by the need to be superior to others in all things, despising them and valuing one's self alone. Nichiren Daishonin's "Causality within the Ten States of Life" ("Jippokai Myoinga Sho") states as follows: "The first volume of the Maka Shikan reads, 'He who is in the world of Anger, motivated by the warped desire to be better than everyone else, is forever belittling others and exalting himself. He is like a hawk sweeping the sky in search of prey. He may outwardly display benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and good faith, and even possess a rudimentary moral sense, but his heart remains in shadow.'" Hell, Hunger, Animality and Anger are collectively called the four evil paths (shiakushu).

The state of Humanity or Tranquillity (nin). The "True Object of Worship" ("Kanjin no Honzon Sho") states, "Calmness is the world of Humanity." In this state, one can make judge fairly, control his instinctive desires with reason and act in harmony with his environment.

The state of Heaven or Rapture (ten). The "True Object of Worship" ("Kanjin no Honzon Sho") states, "Joy is the world of Rapture." This state indicates the sense of pleasure which one experiences when his desire is fulfilled. However, the joy in the state of Heaven is temporary, and disappears with the passage of time or with even a slight change in circumstances. The six states from Hell through Heaven are called the six paths (rokudo). The majority of people spend most of their time transmigrating, or moving back and forth among the six paths. In these states one is governed totally by his reactions to external influences and is therefore extremely vulnerable to changing circumstances.

Those states in which one transcends the uncertainty of the six paths are called the four noble worlds.

The state of Learning, a condition in which one awakens to the impermanence of all things and the instability of the six paths, and seeks some lasting truth and aims at self-reformation through the teachings of others. Men of Learning (Skt shravaka) originally meant those who listen to the Buddha preach the four noble truths and practice the eightfold path in order to acquire emancipation from earthly desires. The state of Realization,is a condition in which one perceives the impermanence of all phenomena and strives to free one's self from the sufferings of the six paths, by seeking some lasting truth through one's own observations and effort. Men of Realization (Skt. pratyekabuddha) originally meant those who attain a form of emancipation by perceiving the twelve-linked chain of causation or by observing natural phenomena. Learning and Realization are called the two vehicles (Jap nijo). The defect of the two vehicles lies in the fact the persons in these states seek only their own salvation. The state of Bodhisattva, in this state, one not only aspires for enlightenment himself but also devotes one's self to compassionate actions. The characteristic of Bodhisattva lies in this dedication to altruism. The "Causality within the Ten States of Life" ("Jippokai Myoinga Sho") states, "Those in the state of Bodhisattva dwell among the common mortals of the six paths and humble themselves while respecting others. They draw evil to themselves and give benefit to others." The state of Buddhahood, this is a condition of perfect and absolute freedom, in which one enjoys boundless wisdom and compassion, and is filled with the courage and power to surmount all hardships. A Buddha understands all phenomena and realizes the Middle Way. The ten honorable titles of the Buddha represent the great power, wisdom and virtue of the Buddha.

Answer 2

"Salvation" is not a part of Buddhist belief.

Salvation for the Abrahamic faiths is being saved from eternal torment by a deity. Buddhism has no deity, no set of do and don't rules that must be followed to be good, and no eternal heaven where "the good" sit around praising god.