Buddhism was started around 2,500 years ago by Buddha. Buddha is a title that stands for "one who is awake," and in this sense means 'woken up to reality.' Buddha was born as a normal man by the name of Siddharatha Gautama, and never even claimed to be a God or a prophet. Buddha merely was a human who became enlightened. Buddha looked at life and the ways in which people suffered in both life and death, and while looking at this he began to think about the meanings of life and death. Buddhists believe that Buddha spent 40 days and nights under a tree examining his heart and mind and by doing so gained true enlightenment. The Enlightenment that Buddha attained is said to be beyond anything else in the world. Once Buddha attained true he traveled through northern India spreading his ideas of his newfound enlightenment. Buddha was free from greed, hatred, and ignorance, and is seen as the perfect human being.
Four Noble Truths
1)Dukkha: Suffering. The world is filled with suffering and everything in life involves suffering.
2)Samudaya: The source of suffering is desire. The source of suffering is the craving and the desire we experience in our world.
3)Nirodha: The cessation of suffering. If you rid yourself of desire you rid yourself of suffering.
4)Magga: The way leading to the cessation of suffering. The Eight Fold Path is the way to rid yourself of suffering.
The Eightfold Path
1) Right Understanding: Right understanding is the idea that you must understand suffering in terms of the Four Noble Truths. You must understand the origin of suffering as well as the extinction of suffering. Another aspect of Right Understanding is the idea that you must understand of non permanence of the self.
2)Right Thought: The idea of Right Thought focuses on the idea of being able to look past the material world we live in and look into the spiritual world as well as a commitment to nonviolence.
3)Right Speech: Right Speech is abstaining from lying as well as abstaining from divisive and abusive speech. Under this one must speak the truth, and has to use words that are friendly and benevolent.
4)Right Action: Right action can also be seen as right conduct. To follow right action you must follow the Five Precepts of Buddhism.
5)Right Livelihood: In Right Livelihood you are to refrain from engaging in trades or occupations which, either directly or indirectly, result in harm to other living beings. You must not gain wealth of any kind by doing anything in a dishonest manner.
6)Right Effort: Right Effort is an effort to be ever vigilant and aware at each moment in an effort to overcome laziness. By engaging everything you do in your life with Right Effort you are engaging in an effort that is wholesome in terms of Karma.
7)Right Mindfulness: To have Right Mindfulness you must put aside your worldly desires and concentrate on your body, your feelings, and your mind. You must keep your mind open, aware, and alert.
8)Right Concentration: You must withdraw from the physical world and meditate inwardly of the rapture and pleasure born from the detachment from the world. Right Concentration is used in meditation in which you are to clear your mind of all of the problems and materials in the world so you do not have any distractions.
The Five Precepts
1)I undertake the precept to refrain from taking the life of living beings.
2)I undertake the precept to refrain from stealing.
3)I undertake the precept to refrain from sex.
4)I Undertake the precept to refrain from false speech.
5)I undertake the precept to refrain from toxins which lead to heedlessness.
Terms
Skandha: The five aggregates which categorize or constitute all individual experience beyond which there is no self.
Cosmology: Description of the shape and evolution of the universe according to Buddhist scripts.
Dharma: The teachings of Buddha which lead to enlightenment and the constituent factors of the experiences world.
Shunyata: "Emptiness"- meaning everything in life is empty of soul.
Karma: Those actions which spring from mental intent and mental obsession. Karma is the guiding force in the actions of all people and is a record of all the actions that people take.
Overview
Buddhism is very clear and has specific teachings that still hold true today. Drugs and alcohol are forbidden if they cause you to become heedlessness. You are to refrain from sexual misconduct. You are always to be honest and refrain from false speech. Material goods are not to be coveted, and in fact you are to be very giving which is itself one of the six virtues. The Human condition is that of suffering. Men are born into suffering and they suffer throughout all of their lives. The cause of our suffering comes from our own desires and cravings for worldly goods, and the only way to rid yourself of suffering is to rid yourself of desire.
Sources
http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/precepts.html
Wangu, Madhu Bazaz. Buddhism - World Religions. Brown Publishing inc, 1993
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma
http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/BUDDHISM/SIDD.HTM
http://www.fundamentalbuddhism.com/noble-eightfold-path.html