erly be considered systems of thought than religions, although both share elements of both religious and ideological systems. Buddhism emerged from Hinduism, serving somewhat like the Counter-reformation did for Christianity. Buddhism was at least partially an attempt to purify Hinduism and to advance some of its concepts, such as non-violence.
It begins with what are termed the Noble Truths. Rahula (1959) noted that these are not as clear and simple as are commonly believed in the West. Thus, although the first Noble Truth is often translated to mean that life is suffering, this is not precisely the fullness of the term dukkha. While it contains the notion that life is filled with ordinary suffering, and with the suffering created by change, it also contains a concept of being (or not being) within it. Thus, the First Noble Truth is the crux of Buddhist thought and psychology, since it defines the nature of mind and existence.
The Second Noble Truth is concerned with describing the origin of dukkha, while the Third Noble Truth is focused on its cessation, and the Fourth Noble Truth sets forth the path to cessation of dukkha.
The path to cessation and realization of nirvana is the practice of Buddhism. According to the Buddha (Rahula, 1959), his path was not the path of either the ascetics or of the worldly ones. It was neither total renunciation nor total indulgence in the world. Instead, the path was the Middle Way and it revolved around what was termed the Noble Eightfold Path.
That Noble Eightfold path comprised eight categories of factors, or types of practice, which included:
Rahula (1959) appropriately noted that these eight qualities provide the foundation for the aims of the Buddhist path. These aims include Ethical Conduct, which involves compassion for all beings, Mental Discipline, and Wisdom. This is an important focus on the part of Rahula, because Epstein tends to ignore the differences between ...