The originator of Buddhism is Siddhartha
Gautama, a prince born in modern day
1. Life means suffering: Suffering is an essential part of life. There is suffering because the world is incomplete and impermanent. However, life is not just one load of super-suckiness; life also has pleasure and happiness to go along with the different degrees of suffering.
2. The origin of suffering is attachment: The sources of our suffering are all the things that we perceive and put any degree of trust in. We are slaves to what we perceive, and we are generally ignorant to our attachment to them. Desire, passion, ardor, pursuit of wealth and prestige, and striving for fame and popularity are the principle things that attach us to things and ultimately make us suffer because all of these things are impermanent.
3. The cessation of suffering is attainable: We are not bound to suffer forever. To break from suffering we must go through Nirodha. Nirodha is the process through which Buddhist break themselves of the things in their perception that cause suffering.
4. The path to the cessation of suffering: The path to find the easing of pain is a happy median between overindulgence and full asceticism. Taking this path usually takes a great deal of effort and time spanning over the course of many lifetimes.
The closest thing that Buddhist have to a moral code of ethics like the Ten Commandments are the precepts. The precepts have Buddhists abstain from…
...taking things not freely given.
...false speech.
...intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness.
The first five are mandatory for all Buddhist but there is a great deal of other precepts, but each has a complicated system of exceptions, and the fifth is almost always ignored.
Right Views: being unprejudiced and seeing the truth of the world we live in.
Right Thoughts: having a positive attitude and not being a hypocrite.
Right Speech: being a courteous speaker, not talking about pointless things, and not talking with malice.
Right Conduct: being peaceful and compassionate.
Right
Livelihood: live a fair and honest lifestyle, modern day application
to business ethics.
Right
Effort: always trying to break from our petty desires and constantly
trying to break away from ignorance.
Right
Mindfulness: have pure thoughts because our thoughts often translate
into words and actions.
Right Concentration: generally practiced through meditation that allows a Buddhist to reach a high level of focus on one particular thing.
Key Terms:
Dharma: Dharma is described as higher truth. In Buddhism, Dharma is simply the teachings of the Buddha. Dharma encompasses all of Buddha’s teaching including the Eightfold Path, Four Noble Truths, and Five Precepts.
Karma: The Buddhist law of Karma refers to the effect of previous actions on the present and future. Buddhists believe that all of the things that we have done shape the world we live in presently.
Samsara: Samsara refers to the ongoing cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. In Buddhism, Samsara describes the process of reincarnation and the transmigration of life forms between lives.
Nirvana: Nirvana refers to the peace of mind that a Buddhist reaches through following Dharma and achieving enlightenment. Nirvana is the end of human ignorance and the only way to break the cycle of Samsara.