Despite people's ignorance and prejudice, Buddhism is a recognized world religion.
*Rapheal, the Buddha was actually a thin man by legend. It's only in japan where the idea of weight meant nobility that Buddha was turned into a fat man.
What Buddhists Believe
http://www.buddhanet.net/budsas/ebud/whatbudbeliev/main.htm
Christianity:
Dependent on others for Salvation.
EX: Jesus Forgives, there is no reason to practice Morality.
Buddhism:
Dependent on Self for Salvation.
(Buddha does not save, Buddha provides instructions on how to stop Suffering, and nothing else.)
EX: Karma, good actions-good results, bad actions-bad results.
In Western cultures Zen Buddhism is most popular and is mostly a PhAlsopastern cultures it's very much a religion. Though Eastern countries (like China and Japan) tend to view religion differently than Western cultures do.
In my opinion it's both. Both people define it in different ways. It's just a way of life. It's focuses on the mental mind. Spiritual World? You should be more clear on what you mean. In Buddhism it mentioned different realms when dealing with the concept of rebirth.
There are several schools of Buddhism, and sometimes schools within schools. While there's little doubt that Tibetan Buddhism is a religion, replete with Gods, Demons, and a variety of afterlife (or in between lives) scenarios, minimalist Zen Buddhism would probably be considered more of a philosophy or way of life. And those are but the extremes, and there are schools of all sorts in between. However, the fact that their designation best translates into English as "schools" rather than as "sects" or "denominations" may indicate that they lean more to the philosophical.
Yes, in many Sutras Buddha talks about the metaphysical. Is that the same as the spirit world? Depends on your definition.
Edit: humanist heart's heart may be in the right place in rebuking Raphael, but the facts are not quite correct. The fat fellow is A Buddha, not THE Buddha. Siddhartha Guatama is svelte in statues and paintings. Hotei, the Happy Buddha, was an enlightened personage from China, although stories and statues about him did eventually travel to Japan.
Do you mean philosophy?
Buddhism (Pali/Sanskrit: S's AAddha Dharma) is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha (P?li/Sanskrit "the awakened one"). The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6Th and 4Th centuries BCE. He is recognized by Buddhists as an awakened or enlightened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end suffering (or dukkha), achieve nirvana, and escape what is seen as a cycle of suffering and rebirth.
A religion molds ones relationship with God, and ensures entry into heaven after death.
A philosophy uses conscious mind and intellect to arrive at ideas which are taken to be Truth.
Buddhism does neither of these.
Buddhism molds your relationship with yourself and with all other sentient beings.
Buddhism uses awareness, not intellect, to lead you to first-hand experiences (not ideas) which are know to be true because you have experienced them (they are not merely ideas).
While religion can give you religious "highs" when you think about your wonderful God, very-religious people still get irritated, annoyed, angry, sad, frightened, proud, arrogant, offended etc. You can see it in their reactions. Philosophers, too, are swayed and pushed around by their emotions.
Buddhists, too, get irritated, annoyed, angry, sad, frightened, etc ... except when they see these emotions arise within themselves, they don't get "hooked" by them. By opening fully to the experience, they allow the emotion to wash over them without carrying them away. Very often, they find the whole experience amusing, and if you see any response at all, it is a little smile, a chuckle, or a laugh. This skill is first learned through meditation and then gradually one learns to apply it more and more to daily living.
The practice of Buddhism actually changes a person in ways that neither religion nor philosophy do.
And no, Buddha did not mention the spiritual world. Only about suffering and how to become free from suffering.
depends upon how you define the term religion... to my mind... a religion is a set of practices and or ethics that you adhere to very strictly. that's a religion. the spiritual element is not required to call something a religion. like humanism is a religion. but not a spirituality. Theravada Buddhism.. the real Buddhism... is quite a bit of a religion. no question. but i thin that other forms of it probably constitute a religion as well even though are not quite so rigid.
Is Buddhism a religion or philophy? Did Buddha ever mention that spiritual world?
