“I am awake.” Was the answer from Buddha to people who came to him asking what he was. Buddhism means to awake or to know. Buddha was born in 563 in Nepal. His parents were powerfully influential and he had a luxurious childhood. Buddha was well-rounded and educated. Mature for his age, he married at age 16. Buddha had four distinct experiences that shaped his life. After doing much good and establishing what is now Buddhism, he died at age 80.
The basic Buddhist belief is centered around what they call Nirvana. It is indescribable and untouchable. Huston Smith talks about nirvana like it is describing wind. You cannot touch wind or describe its length. It has no color and no taste. You can’t smell it or talk about the way it looks. So it is with nirvana. Buddha described it as bliss.
Buddhist also believe in reincarnation. They describe this belief as a wave in the ocean. We see a wave coming and it gets closer. Soon the wave hits us and it’s gone, swept up on shore and dissolves until another once comes up to hit us. That is the process at which Buddhist view reincarnation. Smith says, “...when they die leave strands of finite desire that can only be realized in other incarnations...”
Buddhism was founded in India and believe it or not to this day Buddhism exists in every Asian land, except India. Some may say that Buddhism merged with Hinduism explaining why it died out only to leave Hinduism in India. Buddhism and Hinduism are very similar in their beliefs. Both religions believe in reincarnation. Hindus believe in moksha, described as total release. Buddhist describe their end goal as a blow out or an extinguishing which they call nirvana.
One belief that distinguishes Buddhas are their Four Noble Truths. The First Noble Truth is suffering or dukkha. The Second Noble Truth allows for the First Noble Truth to be realized, desire or tanha. The Third Noble Truth is the natural craving and the way to overcome all of these truths or learn to deal with them is through the Eightfold Path. This Eightfold Path is a set of eight steps given by a doctor almost as a prescription. The first being right knowledge and the eighth being right absorption.
Personal Reflection -
It is hard to decide which religion I philosophically relate with more. I understand their similarities and their differences. Though they are very much alike in their beliefs and understandings of God, they also are very different, especially how they were founded. I would have to say I relate more with Hinduism because of their stages of life. I feel like we are constantly learning and learning different things in each stage of life that we’re in. I like how the retired Hindus are in a very important learning phase of life that they use to be educated and learn more, even though they are older. I appreciate this belief that the Hindus have.
