NATIBuddhism-Kaitlyn

Buddhism

Have you ever noticed how different Buddhism is compared to other religions? This is a religion that does not really have a true god. They take after the Buddha, but they do not worship him. Siddhartha Guatama was the founder of this religion in 563BC. He was a prince and left all of his wealth to follow the Buddha. It is about 500 years older than Christianity.

__The Vihara__ They worship in a Vihara, but they really can worship anywhere and anytime. This religion began as an offspring of Hinduism in the country of India. It is mainly practiced on the Eastern part of the world. (Specifically, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.)

Their main belief of this religion is the four noble truths:
 * Life means suffering[[image:whmscomputerlab/Buddhist_Temple.jpg height="144" align="right"]]
 * The origin of suffering is attachment
 * The end of suffering is attainable
 * The path to the end of suffering

__The Tripitaka__ Their sacred writing is the Tripitaka. The Tripitaka is believed to be the actual words of the Buddha. It mostly contains sermons from the Buddha. Buddhists also believe in Nirvana, also known as Heaven. They worship by meditation and contemplate anywhere it enable people to realize and utilize. They practice their religion in temples, shrines, stupas, and pagodas. __Religious Festivals__ As you may know, buddhists have many religious festivals. The most common ones are Vesek and Oban. Another name for Vesek is buddha day. It is traditionally Buddha's birthday. They celebrate his birth, enlightenment, and death. It is usually the first full moon in May. Oban is a festival they have with a lot of dancing and lanterns.

__Symbols__ Their main symbol of Buddhism is the eight- spoked wheel. It symbolizes the Buddha's turning wheel of Truth or Law. Also the lion is one of the most potent symbols buddhists use.

The Factors of Enlightenment:
 * Mindfulness
 * Investigations[[image:worldreligionswiki7/noble8fold_wheel1_m.jpg width="238" height="238" align="right"]]
 * Energy
 * Rapture
 * Tranquility
 * Concentration
 * Equanimity

The Noble Eight Fold Path:
 * Right view
 * Right thought
 * Right speech
 * Right actions
 * Right livelihood
 * Right effect
 * Right mindfulness
 * Right contemplation

[|Christianity]