Overview of the Life of Buddha Essay

Introduction

Buddhism is primarily based on the philosophy, spiritual journey, and teachings of one man, the Buddha. His family name was Gautama. This historical figure was born on the northern edge of the Ganges River basin on what is today called southern Nepal. He was born into a ruling clan and was a member of the warrior caste. It is believed that his mother dreamed that an elephant entered her womb and she gave birth ten months later from under her right arm. He was born into richness.

However, after seeing the suffering and poverty of the people outside the palace, he renounced his family and wealth and in the next 45 years, he spread his message of humility throughout Northern India. Chief among the practices was deep meditation. He lived for about eighty years (Maguire 13). In Buddhist texts, he is commonly referred to as Bhagavat. Traditional sources about his death place his death between 2420 to 290 BCE (Maguire 15). However, everything about Buddha was written several centuries after his death. This paper examines Buddha and Buddhism in depth.

The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path

The four noble truths are accepted by all Buddhism schools. The first of the four noble truths is suffering and is characteristic of the existence of suffering in birth, sickness, aging, death, not gaining what one desires and separation from the pleasant. The second truth seeks to determine the cause of suffering and identifies ignorance and desire as the roots of suffering and they can never be satisfied. The third noble truth refers to the end of suffering. He taught that the way to end suffering is to extinguish and liberate one from the attachments of the desire.

The fourth noble truth is referred to as the path to the cessation of suffering. In essence, this truth is the prescription for the end of suffering by Buddha and consists of a set of principles known as the Eightfold path. In his search for enlightenment, Buddha found that indulgence and severe asceticism were to be avoided. It has to be understood that the eight stages support and reinforce one another and should, therefore, not to be taken in order. They include the right understanding, right speech, right intention, right livelihood, right action, right effort, right concentration, and right mindfulness. The eight paths can be grouped into ethical conduct, wisdom, and meditation (Wright 30). Buddha described the plan as the path to enlightenment, just like a raft that one uses to cross a river.

Number of Buddhists and Divisions

Buddhism is one of the world's major religions. It is believed that as many as 535 million people practice this religion around the world, representing between 8-10% of the total population of the world (Young 15). Some of the countries with the highest percentage of Buddhists include Thailand, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Laos. These countries have a Buddhist population of at least 55% of the total population (Maguire 12).

Over the centuries, two major branches of Buddhism emerged. One of these two is Theravada Buddhism which is the oldest form of Buddhism and upholds the monastic path of the religion and adheres to the oldest recorded sayings of the Buddha. This branch recognizes the humanity and primacy of the historical Buddha. The second major branch is called Mahayana Buddhism which is a philosophical movement that proclaimed the possibility of universal salvation. The goal of this movement was to open the possibility of Buddhahood to all sentience beings (Olendzki 39). Its greatest impact is felt in East Asian nations including China, Japan, and Korea.

Purpose of Temples and Personal Everyday Practices

Temples are important in the Buddhist religion because it is a place of worship. In Buddhism, temples represent a pure environment for worship and are specifically designed to inspire outer and inner peace. Buddhists are also encouraged to build small shrines at home to worship there but the Temple is considered holy and brings worshippers together. However, they come in many different shapes. They are designed to symbolize five elements: wisdom, water, earth, air, and fire. They all contain a statue of Buddha.

Worship may be characterized by sitting on the floor facing Buddha barefoot and chanting. Worshippers listen to monks chanting the religious texts and take part in prayers, often accompanied by instruments. Some of the everyday practices for Buddhist followers include daily meditation, practicing compassion and kindness, daily recital of the Metta prayer and transcending the illusion of separation as often as possible every day (Maguire 116).

Conclusion

This paper sought to examine the Buddhist religion in depth. The paper has examined the life and the teachings of the founder Buddha including the four noble truths, the 8-fold path, the major divisions of Buddhism, the purpose of temples, the number of Buddhists and the everyday personal practices of a Buddhist. As revealed, Buddhism is a major world religion with hundreds of millions of followers mostly concentrated in Asia. Moreover, as revealed, the teachings of Buddha not only outline one's relations with their creator but also how to live in harmony with the other people.

Works Cited

Maguire, Jack. Essential Buddhism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs and Practices. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2013. Print.

Olendzki, Andrew. Unlimiting Mind: The Radically Experiential Psychology of Buddhism. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2010. Print.

Wright, Robert. Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2017. Print.

Young, Serenity. Buddhism. New York, N.Y: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2006. Print.