Buddhists are told to think for themselves, the idea of Buddhism being a philosophy is existent across many location and cultures.
Nirvana
Nirvana can be described as the "goal" of reincarnation. Through reincarnation, it is said that one finds enlightenment, or Nirvana. Nirvana is the transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, or sense of self. A "released" state when a being is freed from the effects of karma and samsara.
General Beliefs
1. Buddha is not a god
The Buddha is not recognized as a god, he is just recognized as an ordinary man who clearly saw the true nature of reality and is regarded as a spiritual teacher.
2. You should not believe anything without thinking
Buddhists are encouraged to test everything they hear or read, for them to judge for themselves if it upholds their standers of being true or not.
3. Gods and other deities are culturally bound
Some Buddhist schools have no gods, while others have many, it is possible for someone to be Hindu and Buddhist. Buddhism itself does not teach atheism or polytheism, it matters of the culture of the adherents.
4. Do not worry to much about the nature of god
The Buddha claimed it was more important to take steps to end your own suffering rather than questioning the nature of one's god.
5. The purpose of life
Life exists in itself, there is no true meaning attached to life, however, since all living things desire happiness and extinguish suffering, it is also said that life's true meaning is to end that suffering.
6. Meditation
It is taught that through meditation enlightenment can be achieved, for one cannot reach enlightenment without calming one's mind.
7. It is up to ourselves
It is taught that you are the cause for your own suffering, and you alone will create the circumstances for your release.
8. Interconnectedness is the nature of reality
Most Buddhists believe that everything in this world is interconnected, meaning any object, being, or concept is connected to what caused it and what is around it.
9. Compassion
It is a major concept in Buddhism in with compassion, comes self-wisdom.
10. Strive for balance
Another concept is that moderation is the key to success in most things.
Karma
Karma is strongly emphasized in Buddhism. It is believed that both good and bad actions produce "seeds" in the mind which come to fruition either in one's current life or in rebirth.
Rebirth
Rebirth is believed to be the process in which a being goes through a succession of lifetimes as one of many possible forms. It is not believed, however, that there is a permanent unchanging soul, meaning when reincarnated, a being would not take on the same, or similar, role in life as they did before. Rebirth must be understood as the continuation of an ever-changing process of dependent variables determined by Karma. Each rebirth take place in one of 5-6 realms, depending on the Buddhism school referred too.
1. Naraka beings: those who live in one of many Narakas (Hells)
2. Preta: sometimes sharing some space with humans, but invisible to most people; an important variety is the hungry ghost
3. Animals: sharing space with humans, but considered another type of life
4. Human beings: one of the realms of rebirth in which attaining Nirvana is possible
5. Asuras: variously translated as lowly deities, demons, titans, antigods; not recognized by TheravÄda tradition as a separate realm
6. Devas including Brahmas: variously translated as gods, deities, spirits, angels, or left untranslated
Samsara
Samsara is simply defined as the cycle of death and rebirth to which life in the material world is bound.
The Four Noble Truths
The Four Noble Truths are believed to be the first teaching of the Buddha after attaining enlightenment. They are sometimes considered to contain the essence of the Buddha's teachings.
1. Life is suffering
It is believed that during one's life, suffering is unavoidable. All living things go through suffering, whether it be physical, like illness or old age, or emotional, such as sadness or grief.
2. The origin of suffering is attachment(desire, craving)
The Buddha claims that the attachment to one's life leads him in a cycle of samsara, ultimately resulting in unhappiness, or suffering.
3. Suffering can end, Nirvana is peace
By eliminating delusion, one can enter Nirvana, a state free of desire and suffering.
4. Eight-fold noble path
The Buddha summarized the steps to become enlightened in the Eight-fold Noble Path.
The Eight-fold Noble Path
The Eight-fold Noble Path is the Buddha's guide of how to train one's mind for enlightenment.
1. Correct thinking: Viewing reality as is is, not on how it appears to be.
2. Correct speech: Speaking in a non-hurtful and truthful way.
3. Correct actions: Acting in a way of harmlessness.
4. Correct livelihood: Try to make a living with the above attitude of thought, speech and actions.
5. Correct understanding: developing genuine wisdom.
6. Correct effort: Making an effort to improve.
7. Correct mindfulness: Awareness of the present, not to let one's mind drift into desires and temptation.
8. Correct concentration: to keep a steady, calm and attentive state of mind.
The Middle Way
The middle way is a guiding principle that generally states that a balanced path is the best way to go; moderation is key.
