Buddhism World Religions
Maria Victoria Gonzalez Ventura
World Religions 101
Dr. Sushil Mittal
March 3rd, 2015
Reflection of Buddhism
While learning about Buddhism, I have learned that is more complex than I thought, as it suggests that they do not really have a God as such. Through the help of the textbooks “The World’s Religions” by Huston Smith and “Religions of South Asia” by Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby, and thanks to the teacher's explanations that helped me be on the same wavelength, leading me into the path of understanding Buddhism; a religion that seeks to instill an ideal based on the Buddhist teachings or dhamma that record the life of the one, to live life the right way. The main purpose of Buddhism and its texts, was to present the Buddha’s teachings rather than the biography of the enlightened one; to lead us to the moral life, being aware of our actions, and develop wisdom, having many answers for the problems in society, and helping us to retire from them.
Buddhism is based on two dominants Institutions that collects the Buddha’s teachings; he, better known as Gautama, who accepted the title of ‘Buddha’, meaning, the fully awakened one, the one who attained enlightenment; the one who discovered the truths of ‘unsatisfactoriness’ (dukkha), the conditions that leads us into suffering, and its remedy; and then teaches it. These two are the Theraveda Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism.
The two institutions, although both belong to Buddhism, follow two very different paths. Theraveda Buddhism (the Doctrine of the Elders), represent the ‘original’ teachings of the Buddha, which also allows the worship of relics inspiring people to think that Buddha still there beyond just the reading texts. In the end, what we want is to reach Nirvana, and this is just going to be possible at the moment that we stop desiring, which brings as a consequence suffering; and the way to stop desiring, by that reaching enlightenment, is through meditation; following the Eightfold Path, and the
World Religions 101
Dr. Sushil Mittal
March 3rd, 2015
Reflection of Buddhism
While learning about Buddhism, I have learned that is more complex than I thought, as it suggests that they do not really have a God as such. Through the help of the textbooks “The World’s Religions” by Huston Smith and “Religions of South Asia” by Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby, and thanks to the teacher's explanations that helped me be on the same wavelength, leading me into the path of understanding Buddhism; a religion that seeks to instill an ideal based on the Buddhist teachings or dhamma that record the life of the one, to live life the right way. The main purpose of Buddhism and its texts, was to present the Buddha’s teachings rather than the biography of the enlightened one; to lead us to the moral life, being aware of our actions, and develop wisdom, having many answers for the problems in society, and helping us to retire from them.
Buddhism is based on two dominants Institutions that collects the Buddha’s teachings; he, better known as Gautama, who accepted the title of ‘Buddha’, meaning, the fully awakened one, the one who attained enlightenment; the one who discovered the truths of ‘unsatisfactoriness’ (dukkha), the conditions that leads us into suffering, and its remedy; and then teaches it. These two are the Theraveda Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism.
The two institutions, although both belong to Buddhism, follow two very different paths. Theraveda Buddhism (the Doctrine of the Elders), represent the ‘original’ teachings of the Buddha, which also allows the worship of relics inspiring people to think that Buddha still there beyond just the reading texts. In the end, what we want is to reach Nirvana, and this is just going to be possible at the moment that we stop desiring, which brings as a consequence suffering; and the way to stop desiring, by that reaching enlightenment, is through meditation; following the Eightfold Path, and the