What exactly is Buddhism? Any recommended sites or books I should check our?
I lost faith in my parents' religion a while ago because of the extremely strict regulations and recently Buddhism has seemed really appealing to me. I want to learn more about it in an organized manner without bias or focus on any particular branch of Buddhism. I just want to know the teachings of Buddha and how to practice Buddhism in my life.
BQ: This might be a bit of a ignorant question but I was wondering if there's any holy book or text that I should have. If not, a compilation of the major beliefs of Buddhism would help to keep them in mind.
Most of what's written about Buddhism, especially in an easy to approach format, is going to be from one branch or another. Theravada Buddhism is considered the most like what Buddhism was originally, so maybe you want to start there. I once read, and enjoyed, Lighting the Way by the Dalai Lama. It's a great introduction to Buddhism in general without too much about Tibetan Buddhism in specific, even though it's written by the Dalai Lama.
Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people around the world. The word comes from 'bud hi', 'to awaken'. It has its origins about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gotama, known as the Buddha, was himself awakened (enlightened) at the age of 35.
? Is Buddhism a Religion?
To many, Buddhism goes beyond religion and is more of a philosophy or 'way of life'. It is a philosophy because philosophy 'means love of wisdom' and the Buddhist path can be summed up as:
(1) to lead a moral life,
(2) to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and
(3) to develop wisdom and understanding.
? How Can Buddhism Help Me?
Buddhism explains a purpose to life, it explains apparent injustice and inequality around the world, and it provides a code of practice or way of life that leads to true happiness.
? Why is Buddhism Becoming Popular?
Buddhism is becoming popular in western countries for a number of reasons, The first good reason is Buddhism has answers to many of the problems in modern materialistic societies. It also includes (for those who are interested) a deep understanding of the human mind (and natural therapies) which prominent psychologists around the world are now discovering to be both very advanced and effective.
? Who Was the Buddha?
Siddhartha Gotama was born into a royal family in Lumbini, now located in Nepal, in 563 BC. At 29, he realized that wealth and luxury did not guarantee happiness, so he explored the different teachings religions and philosophies of the day, to find the key to human happiness. After six years of study and meditation he finally found 'the middle path' and was enlightened. After enlightenment, the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching the principles of Buddhism ? called the Dhamma, or Truth ? until his death at the age of 80.
? Was the Buddha a God?
He was not, nor did he claim to be. He was a man who taught a path to enlightenment from his own experience.
It can be summed up in a sentence: All virtue lies in detachment.
You understand that all things that arise eventually fall, yes? The Buddha said that when we attach ourselves to things that are temporary like pleasure, material goods and junk like that we will suffer when they eventually go away. If we lose all desire then we become enlightened and achieve true happiness. If we can replace our attachments to greed, aversion and delusion with compassion, love and wisdom then we achieve enlightenment.
Buddhists know and understand the four noble truths: There is suffering, suffering has a specific cause, there is a way to rid oneself of suffering, the eightfold path ceases suffering.
Buddhists know and follow the eightfold path; The Right View, The Right Intention, The Right Speech, The Right Action, The Right Livelihood, The Right Effort, The Right Mindfulness and the Right Concentration. All of that basically concerns universal love and respect (for every life form, from humankind's worst serial rapist to the worlds most delicate daisy), meditation and learning.
That all leads to the end of desire and to enlightenment.
There is a "holy book" if you would call it that. It's not necessarily holy, it was a book written by Buddha's disciples hundreds and hundreds of years ago of (I think) 423 verses of wisdom about living and Buddhism. The name of it is the Dhammapada. It's free to read all over the Internet and you can download a copy here: http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/dhammapada.html
You can also download a whole bunch of free books about general Buddhism and meditation from this website run by Buddhist monks: http://buddhanet.net/ftp03.htm
Maybe your personal problem is true. But how did you get interested in Buddhism as you seem having no information about it? Why Buddhism and not any other religions available in India (if you live there)?
I'm a Buddhist but your approach is like the hair is on fire that is not lasting long.
Anyway, I'll give you an address http://books.google.com.au/books?id=VN_KvaL47u4C&pg=PA268&lpg=PA268&dq=creato r+buddha&source=bl&ots=nFMw3uErUH&sig=mL9VEadRgKfC ZpNyHx33nUNATPo&hl=en&ei=blyTS7KhJIre7AOL7KTdCQ&sa =X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CCEQ6AE wCTgK#v=onepage&q=creator%20buddha&f=false
What exactly is Buddhism? Any recommended sites or books I should check our?
