Buddhism Research Paper

Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to insight into the true nature of reality. Buddhist practices like meditation are means of changing yourself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom. Buddhism, founded in the late 6th century B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama (known as the “Buddha”), is an important religion in most of Asia. The Buddha was born as a royal prince in Lumbini which is now part of Nepal. People also refer to the Siddhartha as Buddha Shakyamuni. ‘Shakya’ is the name of the royal family he was born into, and ‘Muni’ means “Able One”.

Later on in his adult life, he retired to the forest where he followed a spiritual meditation. The Buddha went searching for the real meaning of human existence. He he came to the …show more content…
The Four Noble Truths are Dukkha(Suffering exists), Samudaya(There is a cause for suffering), Nirodha(There is an end to suffering), and Magga(In order to end suffering, you must follow the Eightfold Path). The Buddha’s Four Noble Truths explore human suffering. The Five Precepts rules that Buddhist live by. (1)Do not kill, (2)Do not steal, (3)Do not lie, (4)Do not misuse sex, and (5)Do not consume alcohol or other drugs. They are similar to the second half of the Ten Commandments.

There are Five dominant strains of Buddhism: Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and Pure Land Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism is one of the largest schools of Buddhism. Theravada means “ teaching of the elders”. The Buddhist that follow this school believe that each individual must find their own way to enlightenment and Nirvana. They also see Buddha as man alone. They do not worship Buddha or pray to him. They leave offerings to the statue of Buddha in hope of earning merit in their following