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Buddhism
Buddhism is a tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development. Buddhists strive for a deep insight into the true nature of life such as Ahinsa, Karma, and Dharma.
5,024 Questions
What are facts about the man who started Buddhism?
1. He is dead.
2. He did not rise again.
3. He did not ever raise anyone from the dead.
4. He did not tell anyone they would positively go to Heaven. Or how.
Answer:
Siddhartha Gautama, the man who was the Buddha, is difficult to outline in 5 facts:
- He was born a prince, became a beggar and eventually a teacher
- He discounted the idea of gods being needed to achieve release from pain and suffering
- His identification of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path allows everyone to escape the cycle of death and rebirth
- He lived 500 year before the birth of the Christian Jesus
- By the start of the Common Era his teachings were known as far west as the Middle East and around the Mediterranean Sea and as far east as CHina andwere incorporated into religions in those areas
An Arahant (or Arahat as it is more commonly known) is someone who has become enlightened, but through the help of someone else, i.e. they could not achieve enlightenment on their own.
For example, after the Buddha first became enlightened, he taught the five ascetics that followed him about how he himself had become enlightened, and after hearing these teachings, the ascetics in turn became enlightened, but they had not done so through their own meditation etc.
When to the practitioners of tibetan Buddhism celebrate new years?
During Buddhist New Year celebrations, people take a look on their past lives, and try to identify and rectify mistakes they have made. Also, people buy new clothes, clean up and decorate their households and surroundings, and visit all close friends and families to mark their wishes and share gifts on New Year. One common aspect as reflected in these celebrations is the cheerfulness, splendor, and joy with which they are celebrated. So it is a time of both reflection and anticipation for a good new year.
What does it mean to have a Buddha outside facing your front door?
hi my names charlotte im 12 and im buddhist,
i know the answer....!
the answer is to have a buddha statue facing your door means nothing! to have it facing outwards to everyone else means that you are welcome to offer guidance or teaching to those who do not understand or you are impressed by the teachings (dharma) of the buddha and welcome any religion to your home!
Why are there so many different images of Buddha?
This is a tricky question. Or not. People are all different. So are Buddhas.
Or are they ?
Buddha-nature is Buddha-nature.
According to Gautama Siddartha (the most famous Buddha), we all have Buddha-nature
and will eventually become Enlightened (in the Buddhistic sense of the word).
Enlightenment is a state of non-suffering brought about by the ending of desire.
There are different Buddhas because everyone becomes one sooner or later.
Ie, from time to time, another person becomes Enlightened, and sometimes that
person is known about because they are recorded in history (such as Gautama
Siddartha).
It is important to note that Buddhists consider that EVERYONE will become Enlightened
sooner or later. So, according to theory, you will become a different Buddha yourself,
either in this lifetime or a future one.
What do Buddhists use to meditate?
In addition to understanding how to meditate, you do not need anything. However, a meditation cushion (called a "zafu") or a meditation bench is extremely helpful. The second most important piece of equipment would be a buttonless mat to put under your knees and the zafu or bench. Other items such as a sitting robe, a timer, incense, and so on can also be very helpful.
When did the Buddha become enlightened?
Siddattha became a Buddha at a young age- when he was no younger than 20. He did this after he saw all the terrible things life can hold: Old age, Death, illness, poorness, when he sat under the shaded tree and meditated and thought about life.
There is some disagreement on the cause of the Buddha's death. Some feel he died natural death, specifically a mesenteric infarction, a symptom of old age. Others maintain it was the result of food poisoning resulting from the consumption of spoiled pork or mushrooms. If this was the case the meal was offered by a blacksmith named Cunda.
Where and when did Buddhism begin?
Buddhism is one of the major religions in the world. It began around 2,500 years ago in India when Siddhartha Gautama discovered how to bring happiness into the world. He was born around 566 BC, in the small kingdom of Kapilavastu. His father was King Suddhodana and his mother was Queen Maya.
For six years he practiced severe asceticism thinking this would lead him to enlightenment. He sat in meditation and ate only roots, leaves and fruit. At times he ate nothing. He could endure more hardships than anyone else, but this did not take him anywhere. He thought, "Neither my life of luxury in the palace nor my life as an ascetic in the forest is the way to freedom. Overdoing things can not lead to happiness. " He began to eat nourishing food again and regained his strength.
Enlightenment :On a full-moon day in May, he sat under the Bodhi tree in deep meditation and said. "I will not leave this spot until I find an end to suffering." During the night, he was visited by Mara, the evil one, who tried to tempt him away from his virtuous path. First he sent his beautiful daughters to lure Gautama into pleasure. Next he sent bolts of lightning, wind and heavy rain. Last he sent his demonic armies with weapons and flaming rocks. One by one, Gautama met the armies and defeated them with his virtue.
As the struggle ended, he realized the cause of suffering and how to remove it. He had gained the most supreme wisdom and understood things as they truly are. He became the Buddha,'The Awakened One'. From then on, he was called Shakyamuni Buddha.
After his enlightenment, he went to the Deer Park near the holy city of Benares and shared his new understanding with five holy men. They understood immediately and became his disciples. This marked the beginning of the Buddhist community.
For the next forty-five years, the Buddha and his disciples went from place to place in India spreading the Dharma, his teachings. Their compassion knew no bounds, they helped everyone along the way, beggars, kings and slave girls. At night, they would sleep where they were; when hungry they would ask for a little food.
it cleans its finger nails and makes sure no boogers are in its nose!!
^grow up-.-
Why is the lotus flower an important symbol to buddhists?
I believe that the lotus is a flower that can grow even in mud. Thus symbolizing that we can all achieve enlightment.
Why did Buddhism lose popularity?
Buddhism was under pressure from other religions: Followers of Mohamed destroyed Buddhist centers of learning in India so that new disciples had no where in the country to go to be taught the Buddha's way, and the Buddha got co-opted into what would come to be known as the Hindu pantheon of gods, as an avatar of Vishnu, with the resulting loss of his revolutionary insights that contradict some of Hinduism.
Why would someone live as an ascetic?
Ascetism is not a Buddhist tradition. The Buddha himself followed a sect which practiced this style of life, but abandoned it when he realized the middle way, a life of moderation, was more appropriate.
Even Buddhist monks at their meals are allowed to eat until thy have enough to satisfy their hunger without getting to the feeling full stage.
What age did the Buddha get married?
The date that Siddhartha married is unknown. However, it is believed that he married when he was 16. It is said that he married his cousin of the same age named Yashodhara.
Monotheistic, although Confucianism does not believe in God in the same way that other monotheistic religions such as Christianity or Sikhism do. Rather it sees Him more in the same way that a Deist would view Him.
What separates Buddhism from other religions?
buddhists think that you shouldn't kill any animals at all and you don't eat meat.
Answer:
If you examine all religions and compare them to Buddhism there are overlaps between them:
- Jains are vegetarians
- Taoists have no deity
- Hindus believe in reincarnation
- Most religions have belief in a non-corporeal part of humans (souls etc.)
Yet Another Answer:
The Buddha taught that we make a mistake when we think we have a lasting self (one that is eternal, changeless, separate, that outlasts the body); he pointed out that we have no evidence for anything we can claim as "us" and that our conviction that we do have such a self/soul/atman is the source of a huge set of problems that we have the power to do away with if we just come to realize it. I am unaware of any other religions that work from that premise.
According to the four noble truths what steps must be followed in order to stop desiring things?
Actually, this is a difficult question to answer because many religions offer very different perspectives. In Buddhism, one of the Four Noble Truths is that suffering is caused by desire (by craving, by wanting things). But while it is true that if you are spending all your time desiring things, you will probably be unhappy (not everyone gets everything they want, except perhaps in the movies), there are some religions that do not regard desire as a bad thing, as long as you are able to control it.
I am not convinced that you can in fact "stop desiring things." I think it is a part of being human to want things, and even to want what you know you cannot have. In the Ten Commandments, found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), it says you should not "covet"-- in other words, you should not focus on what is not yours. You should be satisfied with what you have, and not be greedy or envious. But again, that is difficult for human beings to achieve, although it is certainly a worthwhile goal.
I would suggest that you practice being grateful for what you do have, instead of focusing on what you don't have. And rather than trying to stop desiring things, learn to control or moderate your desire. Your religious practice may be a help in that. The more you concentrate on the teachings of your faith and try to live a life of compassion and good deeds, the less time you will have to be resentful about what has not yet come your way. It is normal to want more, but don't let your desires dominate your life. Keep your desires in perspective and try to live a life that has balance, where you are not spending a lot of time being envious or greedy; those kinds of negative emotions will not help you have a life that works.
Are Buddhism and Judaism the same?
Both believe in reincartion.
Both believe that they are many different paths to enlightened.
Both believe that our suffering is caused by excessive attachment to things and people in the physical world /
Both believe in an unlimited spiritual reality beyond the illusion of the physical world.
Both practice mediation and other yoga.
Different
No need for priest(Brahms) or rituals
Any one can enter Nirvana, no matter how lowly, whereas in Hinduism only the Brahms could achieve them.
Hinduism has emphasized that the unlimited is full and rich.
Buddhism has emphasized how it is empty of anything that is perm ant, cause less and separate.
Different countries, Gods, Traditions, and different worship place.
You can divide them all into 2 separate groups roughly: Monotheism: (One God) Judasim, Christianity, and Islam all stem from the same basic fundimentals and texts. They actually share the same God but don't observe or recognise each others Authorities, Profits additional writting added on after the core (Old testimant/Torah). Polytheism: (many gods) Hindu, Native Americans, Daoism, etc. assign god figures or spirits to many aspects of life and various things around thenselves. The Catholics border on Polytheism with the application of patron Saints and other spiritual figureheads that separate or insulate between God and the sin burdened people. Buddhism has a number of factions and practices that vary greatly.
