Is both a world religion and a philosophy based on the teachings of Gautama
Buddha also known as ‘the Buddha” in the 5th century in what is now Nepal and
the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar located in the northeastern region
of the Indian subcontinent.
Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world and has two main traditions:
1. Theravada (mostly in the southeast-asia)
2. Mahayana (diffused first in the west, north and then east asia)
The Buddhist holy book is known as The Tipitaka. Scriptures are written in Pali, Tibetan, Mongolian, Chinese, Sanskrit and Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit.
The important guiding principle of Buddhist practice is the Middle Way which was
said to have been discovered by the Buddha prior to his enlightenment.
The Noble Eightfold Path is the way to the cessation of suffering. These are: the
right speech, right actions, right livelihood, right effort/exercise, right mindfulness /awareness,
right concentration/meditation, right understanding, right thoughts.
The popular Buddhist symbol is the Dharmacakra wheel (each one of the eight
spokes represents the Noble Eightfold Path). |
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