Buddhism as a World “Religion”

 Buddhism is considered a “religion” by 1801. Because Buddhism sent missionaries to promote the practices of Buddhism, it spread actively throughout the world in a way that Hinduism did not. Today 7% of the world’s population are Buddhists. There are 1.2 million practicing Buddhists in America, especially on the West Coast. Buddhism is the 4th largest religion in America. There are several famous American Buddhists, most notably Lisa Simpson, Adam Yauch, Tiger Woods, Tina Turner, and Richard Gere. Buddhism is also popular in another Western country, Australia. About 2.5% of Australians are practicing Buddhists. It is their second largest religion after Christianity. The popularity of Buddhism in Australia is attributed to its geographic proximity to Asia and increasing numbers of Asian immigrants. TEXTS I. Buddhist Texts Historical Buddha & Oral Traditions The oral traditions of the Buddha go back to the 500s BCE. There is no historical record of Buddha’s life, but archeology shows evidence of Buddhist culture in the 500s BCE. In the Fourth Buddhist Council, the life and teachings of the Buddha are written down. This occurred in the 1st century BCE. The Sutras – based on the words of the Buddha The Sutras were written after the Buddha’s death and vary in importance based on tradition. They include the Buddha’s conversations with others, and commentary on those texts. The Dhammapada The Dhammapada is one of the most well known Buddhist texts and include a variety of aphorisms and sayings. II. Key Teachings and Concepts in Buddhist Texts The Middle Way Perhaps the most important feature of the Buddha’s teachings is that all things should be done in moderation. This features a turning away from extremism, like the asceticism practiced in some paths of Hinduism. It also features a turning away from dualism. There is no absolute evil and absolute good. The Middle Way is the path between extremes and is the ultimate path to enlightenment. The Four Noble Truths: release from suffering The Four Noble Truths are as follows: Dukkha: Existence is filled with suffering. When one accepts that suffering is an unavoidable fact of life, the next truth follows. Samudaya: Suffering is caused by desire. These desires may be caused by a variety of sources as you will read below, but all desire eventually leads to suffering. Once this truth is accepted, the next truth follows. Nirodha: Liberation from suffering is possible. It is possible to end suffering, but only by ending desire. The way to achieve this is through the fourth and final truth. The Eightfold Path: This is the way to achieve enlightenment. The Eightfold Path is explained below. Desire in Buddhism: the Three Fires one must “extinguish” There are three sources of desire, according to Buddhist thought. They are: Passion: Passion includes all form of attachment (e.g. lust, greed, covetousness). Aversion: This is the hatred and resentment of others. Ignorance: This includes delusion and dullness of mind. These sources can be understood and then eliminated by following the Eightfold Path.