Finding Enlightenment Through Buddhism
Buddhism is regarded as one of the most popular religions in the world, with the most common place of practice being its birthplace of India. It was established by Siddhartha Gautama, more commonly known as Buddha or “the enlightened one,” around 460 B.C. to guide his followers to finding their spiritual awakening. This state of perfect harmony is referred to as nirvana and exists as the ultimate goal of all buddhists. In order to achieve nirvana, one must focus on self-reflection and the development of wisdom through meditative practices to eliminate the poisonous qualities of ourselves (Skilton; “Why Is Buddhism So Hip?”). Such wisdom can only be reached by following two teachings of Buddha: the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. …show more content…
This simple concept is explained and detailed by the Four Noble Truths. The first truth, the truth of suffering, describes the ephemerality of pleasure and how we, as humans, will never truly be satisfied living as we do. The second truth explains the origins of suffering: misguided desires. There are three forms or “Fires” of suffering that plague life, those forms being hatred, greed, and delusion. Learning to recognise and extinguish these fires is crucial, which is further detailed in the third truth, the cessation of suffering. Without the bindings of suffering, humans can work towards enlightenment and reach nirvana. The final truth is an eight-stage guide from Buddha for achieving enlightenment known as the Eightfold Path (“Religions:
Buddhism is regarded as one of the most popular religions in the world, with the most common place of practice being its birthplace of India. It was established by Siddhartha Gautama, more commonly known as Buddha or “the enlightened one,” around 460 B.C. to guide his followers to finding their spiritual awakening. This state of perfect harmony is referred to as nirvana and exists as the ultimate goal of all buddhists. In order to achieve nirvana, one must focus on self-reflection and the development of wisdom through meditative practices to eliminate the poisonous qualities of ourselves (Skilton; “Why Is Buddhism So Hip?”). Such wisdom can only be reached by following two teachings of Buddha: the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. …show more content…
This simple concept is explained and detailed by the Four Noble Truths. The first truth, the truth of suffering, describes the ephemerality of pleasure and how we, as humans, will never truly be satisfied living as we do. The second truth explains the origins of suffering: misguided desires. There are three forms or “Fires” of suffering that plague life, those forms being hatred, greed, and delusion. Learning to recognise and extinguish these fires is crucial, which is further detailed in the third truth, the cessation of suffering. Without the bindings of suffering, humans can work towards enlightenment and reach nirvana. The final truth is an eight-stage guide from Buddha for achieving enlightenment known as the Eightfold Path (“Religions: