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| Buddhism |
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Buddha Day is celebrated each
year in May and brings to mind the Buddha's birth, enlightenment
and entry into Nirvana. Buddha Day for 2006 is on May
12th.
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy focusing on the
teachings of the Buddha Sakyamuni (Siddhartha Gautama),
who probably lived in the 6th century BCE. Buddhism spread
throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five
centuries following the Buddha's death, and propagated
into Central, Southeast, and East Asia over the next two
millennia. Today, Buddhism is divided primarily into three
traditions:
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Buddhism
continues to attract followers worldwide, and,
with around 350 million followers, it is considered
a major world religion.
A Buddha is considered to be a person who discovers
the true nature of reality through years of study,
investigation of the various religious practices
of his time, and meditation. This transformational
discovery is called bodhi or "enlightenment".
Any person who has, without the instruction of
others, become awakened to the principles of the
Dharma, is called a Buddha. Sakyamuni is said
to have been only the latest of many of these;
there were other Buddhas before him and there
will be others in the future. According to the
Buddha, any person can follow his example and
become enlightene |
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| Four
Truths |
| 1. |
Suffering exists |
| 2. |
Suffering arises from attachment to desires |
| 3. |
Suffering ceases when attachment to desire
ceases |
| 4. |
Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing
the Eightfold |
| 5. |
•Other people’sdevice |
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through the study of his words and putting them into practice,
by leading a virtuous, moral life, and purifying his mind.
In general, the aim of Buddhist practice is to end all
kinds of suffering in life. To achieve this state, adherents
seek to purify and train the mind by following the Noble
Eightfold Path, and eventually to gain true knowledge
of reality and thus attain liberation: nirodha or nirva?a
(Pali nibbana).
Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development
leading to Insight into the true nature of life. Buddhist
practices such as meditation and chanting are means of
changing oneself in order to develop the qualities of
awareness, kindness, and wisdom. The experience developed
within the Buddhist tradition over thousands of years
has created an incomparable resource for all those who
wish to follow a path — a path which ultimately
culminates in Enlightenment or Buddha hood. |
| Eightfold Path
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| Three Qualities |
Eightfold Path |
| Wisdom (panna) |
Right View |
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Right Thought |
| Morality (sila) |
Right Speech |
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Right Action |
| Meditation (Samadhi)
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Right Livelihood |
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Right Effort |
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Right Mindfulness |
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Right Contemplation |
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| Three Characteristics of Existence |
| •Transiency
(anicca) |
| • Sorrow (dukkha) |
| •Selflessness
(anatta) |
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| Hindrances |
| 1.
Sensuous lust |
| 2. Aversion
and ill will |
| 3.
Sloth and torpor |
| 4.
Restlessness and worry |
| 5.
Sceptical doubt |
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| Factors
of Enlightenment |
| 1. |
Mindfulness |
| 2. |
Investigation |
| 3. |
Energy |
| 4 |
Rapture |
| 5 |
Tranquillity |
| 6 |
Concentration |
| 7 |
Equanimity |
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| Ask For Question |
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