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Buddhism (also known as Buddha Dharma, meaning approximately Law of the Awakened One) is a religion, a practical philosophy, and arguably a psychology, focusing on the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), who lived in ancient India most likely from the mid-6th to the early 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the Indian subcontinent in the five centuries following the Buddha's passing, and propagated into Central, Southeast, and East Asia over the next two millennia. Today, Buddhism is divided primarily into three traditions: Theravāda (Sanskrit: Sthaviravāda), Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna. Buddhism continues to attract followers worldwide, and, with about 708 million adherents, it is considered a major world religion. Buddhism is the fourth-largest religion in the world.
When used in a generic sense, a Buddha is generally considered to be a person who discovers the true nature of reality through years of spiritual cultivation, investigation of the various religious practices of his time, and meditation. This transformational discovery is called bodhi - literally, "Awakening" (more commonly called "Enlightenment"). Any person who has become awakened from the "sleep of ignorance" by directly realizing the true nature of reality is called a Buddha. Śākyamuni is said to have been only the latest of many of these; there were other Buddhas before him and there will be others in the future. According to the Buddha, any person can follow his example and become enlightened through the study of his words "Dharma" and putting them into practice, by leading a virtuous, moral life, and purifying his mind. Concisely put the aim of Buddhist practice is to put an end to this mass of suffering we call existence. "I teach one thing and one thing only: suffering and the end of suffering" (The Buddha). To achieve this state, adherents train and purify the mind by following the Noble Eightfold Path, and the Middle Way, eventually arriving at an understanding of the true nature of all things, thus ending (nirodha) all ignorance and unhappiness and attaining liberation: (Pāli nibbāna).
Gautama the Buddha
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"The redemption of Tiger Woods" http://bit.ly/6TqYJA #zen buddhism
mujaku (mujaku) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:33:22 -0000
"The redemption of Tiger Woods" http://bit.ly/6TqYJA #zen buddhism
Tired of Buddhism? For those not satisfied with their faith who are looking for cheap salvation just read this! http://txtb.in/8zr
mujaku (mujaku) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:32:22 -0000
Tired of Buddhism? For those not satisfied with their faith who are looking for cheap salvation just read this! http://txtb.in/8zr
@KittMcCurdy that Tiger Woods should convert to Christianity because there is no forgiveness in Buddhism (though not sure Tiger is Buddhist)
SorenG (Soren Gordhamer) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:27:09 -0000
@KittMcCurdy that Tiger Woods should convert to Christianity because there is no forgiveness in Buddhism (though not sure Tiger is Buddhist)
It is true that Buddhism doesn't offer salvation on the cheap like Christianity which says: believe in JC & after that, sin all you want.
mujaku (mujaku) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:22:18 -0000
It is true that Buddhism doesn't offer salvation on the cheap like Christianity which says: believe in JC & after that, sin all you want.
@redtoadmedia Hume was both mistaken about Buddhism and denigrating of it
gtuckerkellogg (GTK) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:20:41 -0000
@redtoadmedia Hume was both mistaken about Buddhism and denigrating of it
RT @trenthunter: HumeWoods. Buddhism offers emptiness. Christianity offers sweet-illicit sex http://ow.ly/TS0l | Yay! Emptiness! Fixed!
ZenDirtZenDust (Jack Daw) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:19:08 -0000
RT @trenthunter: HumeWoods. Buddhism offers emptiness. Christianity offers sweet-illicit sex http://ow.ly/TS0l | Yay! Emptiness! Fixed!
yourself with Islam - An Islamic criticism of Buddhism.
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Buddhism - A transcript from The Hour of Judgment radio series in which two Buddhists from the Dae Kwang Sa Zen Temple in Brisbane are interviewed by the rationalist hosts.
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Call For a New Buddhism - Claiming that the West must develop its own Jeffersonian Buddhism based on noble principles of dignity and respect for all.
Criticism of Buddhism - Criticism of its content and religious core but praise of its social efforts politics
Meta Description: [ The mystical philosophies and religious aspects of Buddhism, as well as it's misguided psychology, detract from an otherwise positive social religion ]
Four Schools of Buddhism Refuted by Vedanta-sutra - Hindu refutation of Buddhist philosophy.
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Han Yu's Memorial to Buddhism - One of the leaders in the Confucian counterattack on Buddhism was the classical prose stylist and poet Han Yu (768-824 CE), who in 819 CE composed this vitriolic polemic attacking Buddhism. A champion of rationalism, Han Yu wished to suppress Daoism as well as Buddhism.
The Shadow of the Dalai Lama - Sexuality, magic and politics in Tibetan Buddhism.
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