hilosophy of Buddhism. The Second Noble Truth focuses on the origin of suffering, the Third Noble Truth emphasizes the end of suffering, and the Fourth Noble Truth establishes the process by which the individual can find an end to suffering. The emphasis in Buddhism is on removing oneself from the endless cycle of birth and death, the wheel of suffering.
The process of ending suffering is called the Middle Way in Buddhism. Rather than require extreme asceticism, or allow for common indulgence, the Buddhist aspirant follows a middle path that involves intense study of one's mind and the rising and falling of thoughts and feelings within it. The basic technique, or practice, of Buddhism is meditation. The process itself is labelled the Noble Eightfold Path.
Thus there are eight specific aspects of development that are considered essential for Buddhist students. Each of these contributes to developing the morality, detachment, and compassion that is at the center of the religion. They include:
Each of these contributes to the individual's development of a life characterized by ethical conduct, mental discipline, and the united expression of both wisdom and compassion.
Finally, there are the Three Treasures of Buddhism, which each devotee relies upon as the foundation of practice. The formula for Buddhists is to say, or think that, they take refuge in the Buddha, the dharma (or teachings) and the sangha (or community earlier the monastic order). Although Buddhism is fundamentally a non theistic religion (also a philosophy and psychology), there are elements of theism involved, including near worship of Buddha, and reliance on the assistance of numerous historical buddhas and bodhisattvas for one's advancement.
There are two basic forms of Buddhism, including the Mahayana and the Theravada schools of Buddhism. Theravada, or Hinayana, Buddhism is actually the older form of Buddhism. It is also much simpler than ...