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Understanding Buddhism. Some Facts about Buddhism. Founder: Siddhartha Gautama (The Enlightened One; Buddha) Sacred Texts/Teachings: Various and no single central text, but the oldest and most authoritative are compiled in the Pali Canon. Core Beliefs.
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Some Facts about Buddhism • Founder: Siddhartha Gautama (The Enlightened One; Buddha) • Sacred Texts/Teachings: Various and no single central text, but the oldest and most authoritative are compiled in the Pali Canon.
Core Beliefs • Buddhism is an impersonal religion of self-perfection to escape a cycle of suffering and rebirth. • The essential elements of the Buddhist belief system are summarized in the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and several additional key doctrines.
The Four Noble Truths • Life is full of suffering (dukkha) • Suffering is caused by craving (samudaya) • Suffering will cease only when craving ceases (nirodha) • This can be achieved by following the Noble Eightfold Path
The Eightfold Path • right views • right aspiration • right speech • right conduct • right livelihood • right effort • right mindfulness • right contemplation.
Other Key Doctrines • Nothing in life is permanent (anicca). • Individual selves do not truly exist (anatta). • Reincarnation is an endless cycle of continuous suffering, or dissatisfaction, misery (dukkha). • All is determined by an impersonal law of moral causation (karma). • The goal of life is to break out of the cycle of rebirth and suffering and enter a permanent state of pure nonexistence. (nirvana).
Buddhist Ethics • The five precepts are training rules in order to live a better life in which one is happy, without worries, and can meditate well: • To refrain from taking life • To refrain from taking that which is not given (not committing theft) • To refrain from sensual misconduct • To refrain from lying (speaking truth always) • To refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness (specifically, drugs and alcohol)
Three Branches • 1. Theravada or Southern Buddhism (38%) • Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos • 2. Mahayana or Eastern Buddhism (56%) • China, Vietnam, Korean, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan • 3. Vajrayana, or Northern Buddhism (6%) • Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and Mongolia