Buddhism is classified as one of the largest religions in the world and it is strongly concentrated within the Indian subcontinent. Buddhism is a lifestyle that blurs the line it shares with religion but leads more to personal spiritualism rather than religious teachings. Founded by Siddhartha Gautama in the late 6th century, Buddhism is a lifestyle in which one must achieve his or her own spiritual awakening, or nirvana, through meditation and a healthy, ethical lifestyle. Many Buddhists devote a large portion of their time to self-reflection and meditation to free themselves from tangible baggage that can detract from true happiness. We will use the following pages to delve deeper into the founder of and then the core of Buddhism; the Four
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Per the legend, when he was born a mystic predicted that he would eventually be drawn towards renouncing his faith (Boeree, 1999). His parents worked to prevent this by providing him with a lavish and gift-filled life. As a young adult, though while among people not so fortunate as himself he realized the stark contrast that existed between his extravagant lifestyle and the suffering of the common or poor man. He was a wealthy man that had everything money could buy and he was as unhappy as those with nothing. With this realization came the notion that Earthly pleasures were temporary and could only serve to obscure human suffering. It is said that he abandoned his faith, went into a forest to meditate, and emerged roughly 6 months later having attained Nirvana or enlightenment (Buddhism, 2010). With this knowledge, Siddhartha began to teach what came to be known as the Four Noble Truths in an effort to aid people and not relieve them of it, but supply them with a manner in which they could personally release themselves from the cords of suffering. The first of these truths in his mind being …show more content…
More commonly called the Middle Path it is the Eightfold Path that involves multiple elements that work together to support and sustain you. This Noble Path teaches the following eight outlooks (Nourie & Profile, 2013): Correct view – Seeing the world as it truly is without the veil of delusion upon us. Correct Intention: becoming aware of what intentions your actions arise from and diminishing or reducing those stemming from negativity. Correct Action: Careful attention to how we interact with our environment and those within it. Correct Speech: Avoid lying, gossiping, or harsh words stemming from negative intentions. Correct Livelihood: Make a living while incorporating the eight paths and without causing suffering. Correct Effort: put willful, cognizant and conscious effort into positive intentions and the resulting actions. Right Concentration: take time to review the other aspects of the Noble Path and focus on strengthening those that you are weakest in over
Per the legend, when he was born a mystic predicted that he would eventually be drawn towards renouncing his faith (Boeree, 1999). His parents worked to prevent this by providing him with a lavish and gift-filled life. As a young adult, though while among people not so fortunate as himself he realized the stark contrast that existed between his extravagant lifestyle and the suffering of the common or poor man. He was a wealthy man that had everything money could buy and he was as unhappy as those with nothing. With this realization came the notion that Earthly pleasures were temporary and could only serve to obscure human suffering. It is said that he abandoned his faith, went into a forest to meditate, and emerged roughly 6 months later having attained Nirvana or enlightenment (Buddhism, 2010). With this knowledge, Siddhartha began to teach what came to be known as the Four Noble Truths in an effort to aid people and not relieve them of it, but supply them with a manner in which they could personally release themselves from the cords of suffering. The first of these truths in his mind being …show more content…
More commonly called the Middle Path it is the Eightfold Path that involves multiple elements that work together to support and sustain you. This Noble Path teaches the following eight outlooks (Nourie & Profile, 2013): Correct view – Seeing the world as it truly is without the veil of delusion upon us. Correct Intention: becoming aware of what intentions your actions arise from and diminishing or reducing those stemming from negativity. Correct Action: Careful attention to how we interact with our environment and those within it. Correct Speech: Avoid lying, gossiping, or harsh words stemming from negative intentions. Correct Livelihood: Make a living while incorporating the eight paths and without causing suffering. Correct Effort: put willful, cognizant and conscious effort into positive intentions and the resulting actions. Right Concentration: take time to review the other aspects of the Noble Path and focus on strengthening those that you are weakest in over