Asked in Buddhism
What are the major beliefs in Buddhism?
Answer

Wiki User
September 10, 2013 6:30PM
One fundamental belief of Buddhism is often referred to as reincarnation -- the concept that people are reborn after dying. In fact, most individuals go through many cycles of birth, living, death and rebirth. A practicing Buddhist differentiates between the concepts of rebirth and reincarnation. In reincarnation, the individual may recur repeatedly. In rebirth, a person does not necessarily return to Earth as the same entity ever again. He compares it to a leaf growing on a tree. When the withering leaf falls off, a new leaf will eventually replace it. It is similar to the old leaf, but it is not identical to the original leaf.
Or
The Four Noble Truths are beliefs that underly most of Buddhist epistemology. They are:
1. The nature of suffering: Birth, aging, illness and death are suffering, as is attachment and aversion.
2. The origin of suffering: craving for things we think will bring us pleasure.
3. The cessation of suffering: freedom from attachment and aversion.
4. The way leading to the cessation of suffering: The eightfold path includes right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livlihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration
What these mean is that we are mistaken or deluded about the
true nature of reality, and we have cravings for things we think
will bring us pleasure, and aversion for those things we think
won't. We think that not getting what we want is what makes us
suffer, when it is really the attachment to some things and
aversion to others that cause suffering. If we examine the nature
of reality deeply, using certain techniques, and cultivate
compassion for all beings, we will discover the true nature of
reality.
The main beliefs of Buddhism can be seen in the four noble
truths:
The truth of suffering
The truth of the origin of suffering
The truth of the cessation of suffering
The path to the cessation