The Core Principal Of Buddhism - 1225 Words

The core principal of Buddhism is the Four Noble Truths. The Buddha Shakyamuni’s first sermon, the setting in motion of the wheel of dharma, detailed the Four Noble Truths. The First Noble Truth is about the inherent nature of suffering in the world; that is, everything is suffering. From a Western standpoint, the idea that the world is entirely suffering appears pessimistic. To the Buddhists, this is not a pessimistic viewpoint, but an honest one. In this paper, I will examine whether or not the world in suffering by looking at first the Buddhist justification and then my personal experiences and beliefs. The Buddha introduced the Four Noble Truths in his first sermon. He spoke of the Middle Way and the Noble Eightfold Path before explaining the First Noble Truth: And this is the Noble Truth of Sorrow. Birth is sorrow, age is sorrow, disease is sorrow, death is sorrow; contact with the unpleasant is sorrow, separation from the pleasant is sorrow, every wish unfulfilled is sorrow—in short all the five components of individuality are sorrow.† Seeing age, disease, and death was the cathartic moment for the Buddha. When he was living a flawless life in his father’s palace, he finally was able to go outside of the palace. Even though his father drove away all old, sick, and dead people, the gods showed him an old man, a sick man, and a corpse. After seeing all of them, especially the corpse, he was disillusioned with his sheltered life. These were the beginnings of hisShow MoreRelatedReligious Ideologies And Practices Behind Buddhism843 Words   |  4 Pagesreligion that I did not consider myself well versed with was Buddhism. From my previous encounters with this religion, I had learned that its teachings embody the idea of karma and rebirth. 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It is universalist and didn’t recognize the strict Aryan caste system.This inclusiveness allowed for any person to be a part of Buddhism and have an opportunity to reach enlightenment. Even the Buddha’s teachings feature attainable and simple teachings that are very different from the elaborate and complicated tradition that had held India in the past. Even though the layperson wasRead More The Historical Context of The Bhagavad Gita and Its Relation to Indian Religious Doctrines2505 Words   |  11 PagesIndian Religious Doctrines The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most famous, and definitely the most widely-read, ethical text of ancient India. As an episode in Indias great epic, the Mahabharata, The Bhagavad Gita now ranks as one of the three principal texts that define and capture the essence of Hinduism; the other two being the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutras. Though this work contains much theology, its kernel is ethical and its teaching is set in the context of an ethical problem. The teaching