|
Buddhism
is one of the world's most interesting religions, and has been widely
practiced throughout the Far East.
However, it has also recently become very popular amongst many
people in the United States. For
example, actor Richard Gere as well as many other celebrities have
embraced and promoted Buddhism's benefits.
The origins of Buddhism date back more than 2,000 years, and
although Buddhism is now a religion all on its own it owes its
spiritual "roots" to figures in Hinduism.
Buddhism, which has as its idol a statue of founder Siddhartha
Gautama (who is most often called the Buddha), promotes a doctrine of
peace, inner resolve and tranquility, and moral living, and following
the teachings of the Buddha is said to bring peace and perfect
spiritual harmony.
"Buddha"
is a word meaning, "supremely enlightened one" or one who
has a fully awakened mind and spirit.
Siddhartha Gautama earned this term during the sixth century
B.C. after a profound spiritual journey. He
came up with several tenets or truths, and these teachings have gone
on to be the fundamental backbone of Buddhist doctrine.
These teachings have been interpreted somewhat differently in
places where Buddhism has spread (such as Japan, for example) but the
principles of Buddhism remains the same throughout: Buddhism is a
quest for the reduction of suffering and pain through meditation and a
quest for a simple life free of cravings.
The
Buddha is not considered a god, and Buddhists do not pray to him or
his image for favors. Instead,
they meditate on how they can attain peace, love, and compassion
within themselves. Buddhism
has five major precepts, and Buddhists strive to follow these
precepts.
They
are:
- Not
to kill anything living
- Tot
to steal or take anything not freely given
- To
abstain from sexual misconduct and sensual overindulgence
- Not
to lie
- To
avoid the use of alcohol and drugs which cloud the mind and impair
thought
By
following these precepts and freeing themselves from cravings,
Buddhists feel that they can attain Nirvana, a spiritual peace.
Once they have attained Nirvana and have realized that life is
not about cravings, material things, or lust, Buddhists will then be
able to use their time to improve the world.
The idol most commonly associated with Buddhism is the statue
of Buddha with his arms folded in his lap and a beatific smile on his
face. The statue is said
to represent Buddha's compassion and spiritual tranquility, and while
Buddhists do not pray to the Buddha, they do nod their heads to the
statue to acknowledge and thank Buddha for his teachings.
As more and more people discover Buddhism, the statue of Buddha
is being found in many new households throughout the world.
|
