Buddhism is a world religion based on the teachings and writings of Gautama Buddha – the Enlightened One. It has spread throughout Asia and has about 500 million people worldwide, but the heaviest concentration of followers is in Asia. It began as a reform movement within the Brahmin religion as opposition to the caste system. Buddha rejected the belief that the priests were at the top of this caste and that it was only after a lifetime of good conduct and rebirth could one attain salvation. He taught that every man in his lifetime should strive to save himself from suffering by understanding that it was caused by egotistical desires. He believed that these desires were only a temporary bond holding together all the elements that composed the individual and it was only when man realized this truth about himself that he could overcome his desires.

Basic Beliefs of Buddhism

The basic Buddha belief is called the Four Noble Truths called the Middle Path - a middle way between man’s worldly physical indulgence and the religious ideal of extreme asceticism.

• First Noble Truth – suffering pervades all life
• Second Noble Truth – the cause of suffering is desire for worldly things and this leads to future rebirths into future suffering.
• Third Noble Truth – to conquer what is desired is to attain Nirvana – a blissful state without desire.
• Fourth Noble Truth – the outline of a practical program for conquering desire, called the Noble Eightfold Path. This requires a correct orientation of mind and will with the right knowledge and resolve. There are three moral requirements – right speech, right conduct and right occupation. There are also three mystical requirements – right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.

Divisions of Buddhism

There are two basic divisions within Buddhism – Thervada and Mahayana.

Thervada holds to the strict interpretation of Buddha. The term means “doctrine of the elders” and demands extreme self-reliance. Each follower believes that there are no gods or men to help him achieve Nirvana. The goal is to become a saint who has attained Nirvana. The usual way to achieve this is to enter a monastic order in order to spend his life preparing for Nirvana. A monk refrains from violence, intoxicating substances, women, and unethical acts. His only possessions are his yellow robe, a begging bowl, a needle, prayer beads, a razor to shave his head and a filter to remove insects from drinking water so that he will not harm them. Buddhist laymen follow the ethics of Buddha and can gain merit by fasting, giving food to the monks and by building temples and monasteries.

Mahayana is a more liberal form of Buddhism emphasizing mercy, both in ethics and the view of the superhuman world. Its followers believe that they are not alone in their search for Nirvana and that there is one Supreme Being manifested through lesser Buddhas, such as Buddha and Amitabha. They pray to many men who have attained Nirvana. Monks are prevalent in this division, but they may marry and own property. Laymen worship at household shrines and public temples.

Buddhist Holy Days

• Nirvana Day – commemorates the death of Siddhartha Guatana Buddha and is held in mid February.
• New Year Day – celebrated in mid February in China, Korea and Vietnam.
• Wesak – Buddha’s birthday celebrated in April or May.
• Khao Pansa – the beginning of Lent and is the day most Buddhists are ordained as monks. It is celebrated in the full moon of the eighth month, typically July.
• Boun Ok Pansa – the end of Lent coming at the end of October in the rainy season.
• Bodhi Day – Buddha’s enlightenment in 596 BC, celebrated in early December.