Buddhism as a world religion

Buddhism as a world religion is one of the oldest, and there is no vain opinion that without understanding its foundations it is impossible to feel all the richness of the culture of the East. Under its influence, many historical events and basic values of the peoples of China, India, Mongolia and Tibet were formed. In the modern world, Buddhism under the influence of globalization has gained as followers even a few Europeans, spreading far beyond the terrain where it originated.

The emergence of Buddhism

For the first time, Buddhism was recognized in ancient India, around the 6th century BC. Translated from Sanskrit, it means "the teaching of the enlightened", which really reflects his organization.

Once in the family of Raja, a boy was born who, according to legend, immediately got to his feet and designated himself a being that surpasses all gods and people. It was Siddhartha Gautama, who later underwent a significant transformation and became the founder of one of the largest world religions that still exist. The biography of this man is the history of the emergence of Buddhism.

Gautama's parents once invited the seer to bless the newborn for a happy life. Asit (so called hermit) saw on the body of the boy 32 marks of a great man. He said that this child will either be the greatest king or saint. When his father heard this, he decided to shield his son from various religious movements and any knowledge of the suffering of people. However, living in 3 palaces with rich furnishings, Siddhartha at the age of 29 felt that luxury is not the goal of life. And set off on a journey beyond the castles, keeping it a secret.

Outside the palaces, he saw four spectacles that changed his life: a hermit, a beggar, a corpse and a sick person. So the future founder of Buddhism learned about suffering. After that, the personality of Siddhartha underwent a lot of metamorphosis: it struck different religious currents, sought the path to self-knowledge, learned concentration and asceticism, but this did not lead to the expected results, and those with whom he traveled left him. After this, Siddhartha stopped in a grove under a ficus and decided not to leave here until he found the Truth. After 49 days he gained knowledge of the Truth, having reached the state of nirvana, and learned the cause of human suffering. Since then, Gautama became a Buddha, which in Sanskrit means "enlightened."

Buddhism: Philosophy

This religion carries with it the idea of not being evil, which makes it one of the most humane. It teaches the followers of self-restraint and the attainment of a state of meditation, which ultimately leads to nirvana and the cessation of suffering. Buddhism as a world religion differs from the others in that the Buddha did not consider the basis of this teaching a divine beginning. He offered the only way - through contemplation of his own spirit. His goal is to avoid suffering, which is achieved by following 4 noble truths.

Buddhism as a world religion and its 4 main truths

• The truth about suffering. Here comes the assertion that everything is suffering, all the key moments of the existence of the individual are accompanied by this feeling: birth, sickness and death. Religion is closely intertwined with this concept, practically linking all being with it.
• The truth about the cause of suffering. This means that any desire is the cause of suffering. In the philosophical sense, this is the will to live: it is finite, and this gives rise to suffering.
• The truth about the cessation of suffering. The state of nirvana is a sign of the cessation of suffering. Here, a person must experience the extinction of his drives, attachments and attain complete indifference. The Buddha himself never answered the question, what is it, like the Brahmin texts, in which it was asserted that one can speak of the Absolute only in negative terms, since it can not be formed into words and mentally comprehended.
• Truth about the path. Here we are talking about the eightfold path that leads to nirvana. Buddhist must overcome three stages, which have several stages: a stage of wisdom, morality and concentration.

Thus, Buddhism as a world religion is significantly different from others and offers its followers to adhere only to general directions without specific instructions and laws. This contributed to the emergence of different trends in Buddhism, which allows everyone to choose the closest path to their soul.