Beliefs & Concepts

1. What are the central beliefs and teachings of the faith relating to: GodWord used to describe a personal transcendent Being; truth; the world; human life; and life after death.

2. How are these beliefs transmitted? e.g. through textual tradition, oral tradition etc.

3. What is the relationship between belief and practice?

4. How do these beliefs compare with other religions?

5. How are beliefs interpreted by various groups within the religion?

6. What is the impact of belief on people's (individuals and communities) lives?

The background to the Buddhist belief system is very different from the Hebraic religions. The Buddhist faith begins with the belief in reincarnation The cycle of rebirth- that beings are reborn as animals, humans and even gods. What we are reborn as is defined by our kamma, our good and bad deeds and, more importantly, our good and bad intentions. With these concepts as a background, a Buddhist is best described as someone who takes the Three RefugesThe Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha; formulaically taking refuge in these is a defining Buddhist characteristic: in the BuddhaAn Enlightened being who discovers and teachers the Dhamma; the historical person, Siddhartha Gotama who discovered and taught the Dhmrma in the 5th Century BCE (Gotama(Pali) family name of the historical Buddha

), the Dhamma (the teachings of the Buddha) and the Sangha The community of Buddhist monks and nuns(the Buddhist community of monks and nuns). Thus the Dharma holds the key beliefs for Buddhists. When discussing the Dhamma a good place to start is the Four Noble TruthsThe most fundamental teaching of the Buddha; the nature of Suffering; Sufferingâ€™s origin; Sufferings cessation; the way leading to the cessation of suffering . These are

1. The belief that dukkhaSuffering (usually translated as sufferingThe universal condition of humankind, partly caused by the impermanence of all things) exists - in negative events such as sickness and death, and also in things that are pleasing, because the pleasure will end.

2. The acceptance that the origin of dukkhaBuddhist word for suffering, one of the three marks of existence is craving. This keeps beings in samsara, the eternal cycle of rebirthA new incarnation / embodiment of the person and hence suffering.

3.The statement that the cessation of dukkha does exist. This is normally defined as Nibbana(Pali) the Buddhist word for enlightenment.

4. A description of the way leading to the cessation of dukkha. This is the Noble Eightfold PathThe teachings of the Buddha, declared to lead to the cessation of suffering and Enlightenment. The factors are right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration, knowledge and liberation.

Tradition has it that the teachings of the Buddha were gathered together and agreed upon at the First Buddhist CouncilA meeting of the Sangha shortly after the Buddha's death in which the teachings were discussed and collated, shortly after the death of the Buddha. These agreed teachings were initially transmitted orally, but became texts around 1st century BCE. The Pali CanonThe standard collection of scriptures of Theravadin Buddhism preserved in the Pali language is usually thought to represent the earliest stratum of texts. It is divided into three: the Suttas (the discourses of the Buddha), the vinayaThe framework for the sangha to live and operate. Part of the Vinaya Pitaka, one of the three baskets particularly emphasising discipline (a code by which the Sangha should live by), and the abhidhamma (a systemization of the philosophy, psychology and metaphysics found in the suttas. This was built up gradually over a period of time). MahayanaA branch of Buddhism distinct from Theravada; followers aim to become bodhisattvas and eventual Buddhas Sutras appeared later and tend to hold key Mahayana ideas concerning the path of the BodhisattvaSomeone on the path to becoming a Buddha and emptiness.

Buddhist beliefs strongly affect religious practice. While the vinaya acts as a code for the sangha, the Noble Eightfold Path acts as a guide for both lay and monastic Buddhist alike - particularly 'right speech', 'right action', and 'right livelihood'. Coupled with this, the belief that kamma affects our rebirth means that Buddhists will try and do things that are kammically good, such as giving, while avoiding things that are kammically bad, for example harming other living beings.

The way Buddhist beliefs translate into life, with an attempt to lead a good ethical life being a priority for most Buddhists, is very similar to other religions. Compared with ChristianityOne of the major monotheistic religions of the world, for example, many similarities can be seen: respect for life, rejection of violence, emphasis on charity and good deeds. However, it is important to remember that Buddhist beliefs are based on a background of kamma and reincarnation with gods being 'on this side' of salvation, and so also subject to death and rebirth.

Buddhism can be divided into 3 main groups: TheravadaLiterally 'Teaching of the Elders', the southern school of Buddhism and distinct from Mahayana. Often thought to reflect Buddhism as it would have been at the time of the Buddha, Eastern Buddhism and Northern Buddhism. While these groups share certain core beliefs, there are some differences in interpretation. The main difference is between the Mahayana (a kind of Buddhism adopted in Eastern and Northern Buddhism) is the belief that Nirvana(Sanskrit) the Buddhist word for enlightenment is not the ultimate goal of Buddhism. Instead everyone should aim to become a Bodhisattva and eventually a Buddha and help with the salvation of all beings. Theravadans, on the other hand, believes that, while the Bodhisattva path is the best possible goal, it is not for everyone, only the noble few. The majority of people should aim for Nibbana.

Websites

http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/dharma.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/buddhism

http://www.aboutbuddhism.org/buddhism-beliefs.php

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/

http://www.ibps-sweden.com/eng/buddhism/belifes.htm

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/religion/buddhism/beliefs.html

http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/beliefs.htm

http://www.thebuddhistsociety.org/resources/Teachings.html

Bibliography

Cush, D. 1994. Buddhism (Student’s Approach to World Religions). London: Hodder.