From my research studies, I realized that Buddhism is one the largest and greatest religions around the world that occupies a relatively large portion of the Indian sub-continent. The religion is believed to have been founded by Buddha to provide its followers with spiritual awakening, meditation, and ethical living. I also learned that a majority of people who believe in Buddhism tend to spend most of the time in mediation activities to unfold themselves from the perceptions of inadequacy. More importantly, the members of the religion have lived to believe that there was no permanent soul but rather a collection of perceptions, feelings, and senses that constituted all living things and that there is hope that one day they would be liberated from nirvana (Wallace, 2006).
Apart from that, I also discovered that Buddhists have an imperative feeling about suffering through their human desires. Nonetheless, Buddhists also believe that human suffering in the contemporary life is substantially inevitable regardless of whether it occurs at the start or the end of life. Unlike other religions, I also learned that the members of the religion have a special way of relieving themselves from suffering through the teachings that are provided by the Four Noble Truths. The four descriptions of sufferings include: suffering from the underlying realization that suffering exists as well as struggling to be identified as either part or not part of this underlying intimate world. Moreover, making initiatives of living a life that is free from suffering as well as the cessation of suffering from the life of an individual are also part of the four sufferings (Wilkinson & Steve, 2003).
I also learned that Buddhists believe in the so-called eightfold path that enhances intention, views, liberation, and knowledge that defines wisdom in different individuals. Eightfold path is also essentially significant in enhancing ethical conduct amongst the members of the religion. It enables them to portray ethical and acceptable behaviors in their livelihood, actions, and behaviors. Also, Buddhists tend to uphold their mindfulness and concentration through the teachings that are provided in the eightfold path. Consequently, the members of the religion have an underlying dependence on each other because it contributes to their success in foreseeing their success in following the eightfold path. One unique thing about Buddhism that I also managed to gain from my research studies is the fact that that Buddhists are primarily peaceful individuals because they believe that peace is a core measure that will propel them towards the achievement of spiritual nirvana. On that regard, the members of the religion believe that upholding a morally correct life in both words and actions is the best way of preventing the possibility of venturing into conflict with oneself and others. In fact, Buddhist never prays to deities but rather to their inner selves for peace (Wallace, 2006).
In his twenties, Gautama Buddha who is regarded as the founder of Buddhism ran into discontents that were later on regarded as the Four Passing Sights. Consequently, my research studies about Buddhism made me realize that having been born and raised from a royal family, Gautama Buddha’s father tried to keep his son away from religious issues and instead raise him to be a reputable and exemplary king. When he journeyed out of the palace, Gautama Buddha saw an old man who portrayed the presence of old age. In addition to that, he also saw a diseased body that made him understand that people can suffer from illness. He also saw a corpse the signified death and finally, he saw a monk that had a shaved head. The monk substantially signified withdrawal from the world. The Four Passing Sights made Buddha understand that the presence of unavoidable decrepitude, illnesses, and even death was evident enough to proclaim that the earth was not a peaceful place (Wilkinson & Steve, 2003).
- Wallace, Holly. Buddhism. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s Educational Series, 2006. Print.
- Wilkinson, Philip, and Steve Teague. Buddhism. New York: DK Pub., 2003. Print.
