Just out of Curiosity (Buddhism, beliefs, doctrine, preach, church)

[armageddon]

just out of random curiosity, what is buddhism? my teachers have never been able to fully explain it at school so i have always been wondering on what it is. also, why are there so many types? i didn't know there were so many until now.

[Master Vigil]

It is the system of thought that began by Siddhartha Guatama. Or "Buddha." Here is our overview on the site. It should help out alot.

Buddhism Overview

[Engyo]

Originally Posted by armageddon

just out of random curiosity, what is buddhism? my teachers have never been able to fully explain it at school so i have always been wondering on what it is.

As Master Vigil says, the overview is a good starting point. Buddhism is a religion designed to relieve the suffering of all beings, and enable them to attain enlightenment. Granted, that probably doesn't explain much........

Originally Posted by armageddon

also, why are there so many types? i didn't know there were so many until now.

Why are there so many different types of Christianity? The answer is the same.

Actually Buddha mentions many times that different teachings will reach different types of people; that is why there are so many different Buddhist teachings.....

[Doc]

Originally Posted by armageddon

just out of random curiosity, what is buddhism? my teachers have never been able to fully explain it at school so i have always been wondering on what it is. also, why are there so many types? i didn't know there were so many until now.

I have found school to be the least reliable source for my studies of religion. (It is a private religious school) I have found a plethora of information online and by books about Buddhism and many other religions. Here is what I was taught about Buddhism in school...
-started by a man named Buddha
-he taught about enlightenment
-taught of no deity

As you can see, RF is a much better place to come if your deeply interested in religion or philosophy.

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by armageddon

just out of random curiosity, what is buddhism? my teachers have never been able to fully explain it at school so i have always been wondering on what it is. also, why are there so many types? i didn't know there were so many until now.

What is Buddhism? It's the path to enlightenment.

When the Buddha first became the Buddha (the awakened one), he said to himself that what he had discovered was so subtle, so difficult to really understand, that he wondered if he should bother telling it to others. The Hindu god Brahma had to convince him to go out and preach, saying, "there are some with only a little dust in their eyes."

I'm not claiming to have only a little dust in my eyes. When I first heard the four noble truths upon which Buddhism is based (life is "suffering," etc.) they made no sense to me. I thought it was a pessimistic view of life. Now I realize that Buddhism is a rational diagnosis of what is wrong with our state of existence, what is causing the "illness," and a prescription for the cure. I've been studying Buddhism for years, especially the last 2-1/2 and I feel like I'm only just beginning to understand it.

Buddhism at its basis is the four noble truths and the 8-fold path. From those, one can discern the Buddhist ideas of impermanence and interdependancy. Nothing exists in and of itself. We only exist as the result of our past and precursor to our future, and as a part of everything else. That is the nature of "conditioned" things. If you understand this, you will practice non-attachment and "suffer" less as a result. (You will also be more compassionate to others, seeing our interdependancy.) And if you truly truly understand this, you will transcend the cycle of conditioned states altogether and attain the unconditioned state, which neither is nor isn't. (Of course, there will be no "you" anymore, as there never really was.)

As for why there are so many different kinds of Buddhism, as its teachings spread from northern India to China, Tibet, Korea, Japan,and SouthEast Asia, Buddhism encountered and incorporated pre-existing ideas that were already in those places. The core teachings remain the same, but all the stuff around it changed so that the local people could better relate to the message. It's like "speaking their language." The same thing happened with Christianity, but Buddhism is arguably even more diverse in its beliefs. Part of the reason would have to be because there was no unified "church" for the first 1500 years deciding what was "true" Buddhism and what was not. The Buddha taught not to get too attached to doctrine, even his own teachings. Try it. If it's not useful, try something else. If it is useful, live it. All the rest is a distraction.

[michel]

Hi Lilithu, Namaste.


I am right in thinking that Buddhism is not just a religion; that it can just be a way of life ?

[Engyo]

Michel -

If practiced properly, Buddhism is a way of living; but then most religions are, aren't they? Some Buddhists I know prefer to call their practice a life philosophy rather than a religion, but to me the key word is practice. I often say I AM a Buddhist, bu the proper terminology is really that I PRACTICE Buddhism.

"Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism." -- Nichiren

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by michel

Hi Lilithu, Namaste.


I am right in thinking that Buddhism is not just a religion; that it can just be a way of life ?

Namaste Michel,

I hope that every religion is a way of life. If you don't think it's worthy enough to live it, better to find a different religion, imo.

If you mean that Buddhism doesn't have to be part of something organized, I would agree with that. But do you have to be part of an organized church to be a Christian?

[michel]

Originally Posted by lilithu

Namaste Michel,

I hope that every religion is a way of life. If you don't think it's worthy enough to live it, better to find a different religion, imo.

If you mean that Buddhism doesn't have to be part of something organized, I would agree with that. But do you have to be part of an organized church to be a Christian?

Lilithu, Namaste.
yes, that is what I meant (not having to be a part of something organized).
Your question, re a Christian, I would answer in the same way - but I think you'd find that many Christians would say that not being part of an organized church is un-Christian; Maybe I'm wrong ?