The son of a noble, Siddhartha Gautama, wanted something more in life. He lived lavishly and decided that did not fulfill him. So, he decided to live the life of a pauper. That did not satisfy him either. So, he decided the middle path between all extremes was the way to go and the way to live. With that, a religion was born.
Buddhism is the belief that sentient beings go through life cycles. With each life, they learn a lesson and collect karma. After death, they either advance, or go backward, in the next life depending on their behavior. Once they attain the highest level, they are free of suffering and achieve Nirvana.
Buddhism is a mostly Asian religion. However, many westerners subscribe to Buddhist teachings and it particularly appeals to Christians as the belief in good works and dislike of gaudy displays of wealth is prevalent in both belief systems. Many strains of Buddhism exist among the world’s 500 million practitioners. Additionally, it’s the only main religion with some scientific basis. On the other hand, some have criticized Buddhist tenants for propping up India’s Caste System by telling those on the low end of the social scale to behave so that they may be born in a higher caste in the next incarnation.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment