NATIBuddhism-Sam+K.

=What is Buddhism?=

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When some people think of Buddhism, they'll originally imagine a bunch of spiritual monks who pray all the time, are always silent, and wear strange clothes. The truth is that not all Buddhists are like that. Some are ordinary people who try their best to follow the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, in their daily lives. These teachings can be interpreted in different ways, but they all lead to the ways you should live a good life.=====

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It was about 524 BC. The baby prince of a Sakya tribe was born in a small country, located where Nepal is today. His name was Prince Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha's father wanted to hide him from all the suffering and tragedy in the world, so he kept him happy in the palace, surrounded by all the luxuries he could ever want. Siddhartha Gautama wondered what the world outside the palace was like, so one day, he snuck out. That was when he saw the four sights. They were:=====

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4.) A man who gave up all of his possessions and devoted himself to being a Hindu monk and finding the cause of suffering.=====

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When he saw all this, he realized that not everyone lived as he did. There was suffering in the world and people died. It's a part of life. Siddhartha also decided that he wanted to be like the monk that he had seen, and to find the cause of suffering. He gave up all he owned for years and lived as a poor monk. Siddhartha denied his body its needs and did not even eat. He devoted all of his time and energy to meditation. But he realized that wasn't the way you should live. He'd realized that instead of living like kings with much more than you need, or denying your body its needs and starving yourself, you should follow the __Middle Path__. That means having everything that you need, but no more than that. Siddhartha then spent much of his time meditating. He was meditating underneath a Bodhi tree in about 563 BC, when he discovered the cause of suffering and finally understood. He had become the Buddha, or the Enlightened One. Once he had been enlightened, the Buddha traveled around, teaching others of his discovery, in hope that they could be enlightened as well. What he taught is actually what is still one of the main beliefs of the Buddhist religion. It was:=====

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Buddhists also believe in __reincarnation__, or being reborn after you die. They think of life as a circle or endless cycle, with no progress. Your __Karma__, or how good you led your life, determines what you are reborn as. If you have a good Karma, then you are reborn as a human, perhaps a human in a better position; or you wouldn't be reborn, and you would get to. But if your Karma was bad, you are reborn as an animal or a human in a worse position. To improve your Karma, you should do good deeds, be honest, and, in general, be a good person. That is basically what Buddhism is all about. There are also a specific ten qualities that need to be perfected. They are:=====

The 10 Perfections
1.) generosity 2.) morality 3.) renunication 4.) wisdom 5.) energy 6.) patience 7.) truthfulness 8.) resolution 9.) loving (kindness) 10.) equanimity

Besides the ten perfections, there are also the seven factors of enlightenment. They are:

Factors of Enlightenment
1.) Mindfulness 2.) Investigation 3.) Energy 4.) Rapture 5.) Tranquility 6.) Concentration 7.) Equanimity

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Well, Buddhism is about looking within yourself, and meditating, so they don't really have a priest. There are some versions that do have a priest, though, and in Tibet there is a Dalai Lama. A Dalai Lama is the political and spiritual leader of Tibet, so he's in charge of not only the government, but the church as well.=====

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The truth of the matter is, Buddhism is considered by some to not even be a religion. They do not have a god to worship, as the Buddha was not a god; he was an ordinary human being to begin with (besides being a prince). You see, Buddhism is more of a philosophy. Siddhartha Gautama was a philosopher who discovered the cause of suffering, in doing so became enlightened, and came to be known as the Buddha.=====

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Since they don't have god, you might wonder what Buddhists do, if they don't pray. The main thing is that they meditate. Usually, one of the best places that they'd meditate would be in their place of worship, a Vihara. Also, some families would have a shrine in their home, with a statue of the Buddha as inspiration. Other religious practices of Buddhists are saying mantras, being charitable, doing prostrations, and making offerings. =====

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You may already know that in Christianity there is the bible, and in Judaism there is the Torah. In Buddhism, there isn't a bible or Torah, but there are the Sutras. They are not actually sacred or holy, but they are the closest thing to a bible that Buddhists have.=====

What are some religious festivals for Buddhists?
Magha Puja Day- It is the day to celebrate when the Buddha recited the Fundamental Teaching to his disciples. Magha Puja Day takes place on the full moon in March, the Magha month.

Uposatha-(observance day)- takes place every new moon, full moon, and quarter moon.

Bodhi Day- Enlightenment Day- takes place on December 8th to celebrate the day that Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha, the Enlightened One.