INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHISM

Buddhism is one of the world's largest religions in terms of sociocultural influence, adherents and geographic distribution. It has existed for over 2,500 years. In the past, it mainly concerned the eastern part. But for some time now, the West has started to appreciate it. The important elements of Buddhism are the manifestation of the existence of Buddha, his teaching which is dharma and Sangha, namely the order of monks.

The birth of Buddhism

Buddhism was born in -556 of the Julian calendar in India. Whether it is a philosophy, a practice or even a religion, it was two centuries later that it began to spread. It was founded by Siddhartha Gautama. Over the years, this religion has developed in several countries, including almost the entire Asian continent. It was in the 19th century that Europeans began to take an interest in it. Then, it was especially in India that the teaching of Buddhism took shape and diversified.

Buddhism is at the same time a religion, a philosophy and a science. A religion because it is often a question of belief in God or not. For some, as in the West, there is a creator God who must be communicated with in order to be saved. For others, there is none. A philosophy because to understand the world, one must use intelligence and reason. Finally, Buddhism is a science because it presents a research project. The area of ​​study is the mind and the experiences of the mind.

The objectives of practicing Buddhism

The main goal of Buddhism is to achieve a supreme spiritual state. Through this practice, a person might be able to surpass themselves, be at peace with themselves and know how to distinguish right from wrong. To surpass oneself, for example, the practice of Buddhist meditation encourages self-reflection or introspection. It is entirely possible according to Buddhist belief to achieve this personal goal if one is at peace with one's conscience. Regarding the feeling side, emotion and moral conscience should not be neglected in this meditative practice.

According to belief, the very goal of Buddhism is the cessation of suffering. The practice of meditation should lead to a state of cessation of this universal suffering called nirvana.

The concepts of learning in Buddhism

One of the foundations of Buddhist belief is that happiness cannot be built on wealth. Indeed, the Buddhist vision is based on Stoic philosophy. He believes that wealth is not absolute.

The Buddha taught many things. However, the fundamental concepts of Buddhism can be summarized by the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. The first truth is that life is suffering. This means that pain is a part of life. This suffering includes old age, illness and death. Everyone endures the psychological constraints of society on a daily basis and can only be completely free at the end of life. Indeed, according to their vision, as long as we are alive, we suffer. This is an indisputable fact that cannot be denied.

Buddhist philosophy also encourages positivism and avoids pessimism, this is the second truth. According to Buddhist monks, the pessimist expects things to be bad while positivism or realism expects things to be bad. In addition, knowing how to resign yourself is also a virtue in the Buddhist religion, it is precisely the third truth. Their learning is based on contentment and happiness. The only desire of Man according to Buddhism is to want to continue to exist, to continue to love and to continue to appreciate the world around him. It is the only Buddhist concept that creates energy powerful enough to be reborn again. Finally, the last truth concerns the noble eightfold path which is the path leading to the end of suffering.

Practical methods for becoming a Buddha

In his lifetime, Buddha taught more than 80,000 methods to many people to become a Buddhist. Each person has the right to choose the technique that is most appropriate for them. You just need to choose your master carefully. The first method is Ayana which consists of observing and meditating with the aim of correcting errors and defects. This also makes it possible to determine the origin of any thing. Among the Buddha's methods, it is also essential not to get too attached to wealth and things useless for the afterlife. Then, we must not neglect that the human body contains dirt. You shouldn't get attached to it either. Besides, at death it is only the spirit that leaves for the afterlife. The body becomes a skeleton and then dust.

Moreover, if you want to become a Buddha, you should meditate on the mind. The latter can change quickly depending on the situation. He can be sad, calm, tormented, generous or selfish. The Buddhism religion asks its adherents to always be generous and have a good heart. Selfishness and Ego have no place in this religion. You must always think of others, help them in difficult times.

Also, there are still other methods of the Buddha that one can use to become a Buddhist. We quote Anapanasati which consists of controlling feelings and emotions by focusing on breathing. Then, you must recite the Sutras which are collections of the Teachings of the Buddha and the Dhâranis which are magical formulas. Do not forget to do a meditation on a Buddhist theme, among others on the 4 noble truths or the chain of 12 cause-effect relationships.

The four truths of suffering in Buddhism

In the Buddhism religion, everyone must know the four truths of suffering in order to always move forward in life. The first truth defines that all existence is suffering. Everything that happens in life is suffering, namely illness, death, old age, cohabilitation with the undesirable, separation from the desirable, not obtaining what one desires and much more. But this does not mean giving up and feeling sorry for oneself. You have to accept it and even understand it in order to live properly. This is also the first key in the growth process. The origin of suffering is desire. This is the second truth. Anyone who desires many things can suffer if they cannot receive them. It even leads to attachment, craving, craving, and craving. These are not good for the mind.

In the third truth, we must know that suffering can disappear. Indeed, it is entirely possible to avoid pain in a concrete way by treating the cause, purifying yourself and practicing meditation. Purification is important to be able to concentrate. It is necessary to be able to meditate and develop wisdom. By obtaining the latter, you can be sure of not suffering. We can also avoid all situations that cause suffering.

In the fourth truth, it is necessary to practice the noble eightfold path to remove the cause of suffering. We can eliminate all worries and misfortunes if we can put into practice this principle stated by Buddha. Furthermore, it requires the daily application of some important principles. In this case it will be true universal happiness and no longer relative and temporary happiness.

What is the Noble Eightfold Path?

The Noble Eightfold Path is a rule given by the Buddha to apply each method mentioned above. In this rule, it is necessary to have a right conception or understanding which consists of interpreting the four noble truths from the understanding of dissatisfaction through impermanence to the emptiness of all things. Then, one must have right thinking that avoids jealousy, hatred and cruelty. Having these cannot be worthy of being a Buddhist person. What religion requires is to have a very open mind. Then, we must also have a right word. In this rule, one must refrain from telling lies, profanity and speaking abusively.

Apart from these, in the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism, it is imperative to do righteous actions. Indeed, you must always act in accordance with your convictions with respect for others and yourself. We must never create suffering either for ourselves or for others. But that's not all, you always have to make an effort in everything you do: develop what is favorable and overcome what is not. In the field of work, the means used to earn a living must be fair, dignified and totally honest while respecting the environment and others.

Finally, having right attention and awareness is also part of this Noble Eightfold Path. In the latter, “right” means good for oneself and for others in accordance with Dharma, the truth.

The morals taught by the Buddha in the Buddhism religion

In his teachings, the Buddha speaks above all of the good conduct of monks and lay people in social life. There are virtues that every Buddhist person should possess, including bringing joy to others with will and kindness. Then, in the Buddhist religion, one must have compassion and always save others from their misfortunes and suffering. When helping others, you must do it from the heart and not from hypocrisy. The latter should not be found in this belief. Once loved ones or those around them get over their problems, you should be happy for them and not be jealous. In addition, according to Buddha, one should avoid boasting about what one has done for others. It must remain for oneself and God. Furthermore, in the Buddhism religion, each person must respect the five Precepts. These are do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not lie and do not consume alcohol or drugs.

Also read: Is yoga based on Buddhism or Hinduism?

For information, it is essential to know that the Buddha also taught that human beings have no soul. The individual or the ego is just an illusion. For Buddhists, there is no God or Jesus Christ. There is only the highest state of being, a state of pure existence called Nirvana. According to the Buddha, one should achieve the latter to prepare for death.

The Buddha is a person full of wisdom. Through his personal experience and the trials he has gone through, he teaches all the appropriate methods to all people who want to convert to Buddhism. He guarantees that by following the path he followed, everyone can become a Buddha.

Main beliefs of Buddhism

The belief of Buddhism considers that there is no God who created the world. According to this religion, it has evolved and functions according to a law. This is why you should never think only about yourself as in Hinduism. Buddhism encourages everyone to consider others, to help them in times of need and to support them. Selfishness must never enter into this belief. It is necessary to note that Buddhism is not strictly speaking a religion because it is not interested in the question of God.

It must be said that there are still some Buddhists who believe in one or more gods. But it is not the most important. The Buddha's view of the world is very much like a cage. It’s a place where you don’t know if it’s going to end or not. Below there is the world of desire where all beings living there are subject to the mutual attraction of the sexes. On the other hand, there are Men living in perfect happiness and total idleness, without any problem and without any pain. In heavenly palaces there are gods of the world of desire.