Buddha Teachings

 



Buddhism is one of the oldest religions in the world which was started by Buddha almost 2500 years ago.
There are three branches of Buddhism which are Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana. Though some people follow Buddhism as a religion and some as a way of life, the ultimate goal is to lead a virtuous life by self-discipline by following the teachings of Buddha. 

In Buddhism, it is believed that everything has a changing nature which is essential for growth. As per Buddhism, the world is constantly being created millions of times every second and it will always continue to do so. Buddhism is accepting of modern science and technology.

It is said that Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal around 2500 years ago (which is declared a UNESCO World Heritage site).

At the age of 29, he renounced the world and become a recluse. He went out on a quest to find liberation from suffering.  

He studied under different teachers and finally at the of 35 years he meditated under a Bodhi tree, in the town of Body Gaya and became enlightened. He built the Buddhist Sangha and first taught Dharma in a deer park in Sarnath. 




Buddhist Council

Buddhist council started being held by the Buddhist monastic communities immediately after the death of Buddha, to save his teachings, settle doctrinal and disciplinary disputes and revise and correct the contents of the sutras.

Tipitaka

It is a collection of Buddhist scriptures.

Suttanta Pitaka: These are the observations and the practices in the teachings of Buddha.

Vinaya Pitaka: These are the monastic disciplines or the rules for the sangha.

Abhidhamma Pitaka: These are the higher teachings of the Buddha.  

Dhammapada

Dhammapada is a collection of teachings of Buddha. It consists of 423 dhamma stanzas taken from the Tipitaka.

The Four Noble Truths 

  • Life is suffering
  • The cause of suffering is craving
  • The end of suffering comes with an end to craving
  • There is a path that leads one away from craving and suffering.
Noble Eightfold Paths

  • Right understanding
  • Right thought
  • Right Speech
  • Right Action
  • Right Livelihood
  • Right Effort
  • Right Mindfulness
  • Right Concentration




Chanting and Mantras

In Buddhism chanting mantras is a traditional way of preparing the mind for meditation.

Meditation in Buddhism 

Buddha taught many types of meditation, the most common and useful types are Mindfulness of Breathing (anapana sati) and Loving-kindness meditation (metta Bhavana). If you are a beginner, a teacher or personal guidance from a professional is certainly helpful.  






 





Comments

Post a Comment