Philosophy and Belief of Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people around the world. The word comes from
'budhi', 'to awaken'. It has its origins about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gotama, known as
the Buddha, was himself awakened (enlightened) at the age of 35.

Buddhism is also a belief system which is tolerant of all other beliefs or religions. Buddhism
agrees with the moral teachings of other religions but Buddhism goes further by providing a
long term purpose within our existence, through wisdom and true understanding. Real
Buddhism is very tolerant and not concerned with labels like 'Christian', 'Muslim', 'Hindu' or
'Buddhist'; that is why there have never been any wars fought in the name of Buddhism. That is
why Buddhists do not preach and try to convert, only explain if an explanation is sought.

The Buddha taught many things, but the basic concepts in Buddhism can be summed up by the
Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.

The first truth is that life is suffering i.e., life includes pain, getting old, disease, and ultimately
death. We also endure psychological suffering like loneliness frustration, fear, embarrassment,
disappointment and anger. This is an irrefutable fact that cannot be denied. It is realistic rather
than pessimistic because pessimism is expecting things to be bad. instead, Buddhism explains
how suffering can be avoided and how we can be truly happy.

The second truth is that suffering is caused by craving and aversion. We will suffer if we expect
other people to conform to our expectation, if we want others to like us, if we do not get
something we want,etc. In other words, getting what you want does not guarantee happiness.
Rather than constantly struggling to get what you want, try to modify your wanting. Wanting
deprives us of contentment and happiness. A lifetime of wanting and craving and especially the
craving to continue to exist, creates a powerful energy which causes the individual to be born.
So craving leads to physical suffering because it causes us to be reborn.

The third truth is that suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained; that true
happiness and contentment are possible. lf we give up useless craving and learn to live each day
at a time (not dwelling in the past or the imagined future) then we can become happy and free.
We then have more time and energy to help others. This is Nirvana.

The fourth truth is that the Noble 8-fold Path is the path which leads to the end of suffering.

In summary, the Noble 8-fold Path is being moral (through what we say, do and our livelihood),
focussing the mind on being fully aware of our thoughts and actions, and developing wisdom by
understanding the Four Noble Truths and by developing compassion for others.

The moral code within Buddhism is the precepts, of which the main five are: not to take the life
of anything living, not to take anything not freely given, to abstain from sexual misconduct and
sensual overindulgence, to refrain from untrue speech, and to avoid intoxication, that is, losing
mindfulness.

Karma is the law that every cause has an effect, i.e., our actions have results. This simple law
explains a number of things: inequality in the world, why some are born handicapped and some
gifted, why some live only a short life. Karma underlines the importance of all individuals being
responsible for their past and present actions. How can we test the karmic effect of our actions?
The answer is summed up by looking at (1) the intention behind the action, (2) effects of the
action on oneself, and (3) the effects on others.

Buddhism teaches that wisdom should be developed with compassion. At one extreme, you
could be a good hearted fool and at the other extreme, you could attain knowledge without any
emotion. Buddhism uses the middle path to develop both. The highest wisdom is seeing that in
reality, all phenomena are incomplete, impermanent and do not constitute a fixed entity. True
wisdom is not simply believing what we are told but instead experiencing and understanding
truth and reality. Wisdom requires an open, objective, unbigoted mind. The Buddhist path
requires courage, patience, flexibility and intelligence.

Compassion includes qualities of sharing, readiness to give comfort, sympathy, concern, caring.
In Buddhism, we can really understand others, when we can really understand ourselves,
through wisdom.
Buddhist teachings can be understood and tested by anyone. Buddhism teaches that the
solutions to our problems are within ourselves not outside. The Buddha asked all his followers
not to take his word as true, but rather to test the teachings for themselves. ln this way, each
person decides for themselves and takes responsibility for their own actions and understanding.
This makes Buddhism less of a fixed package of beliefs which is to be accepted in its entirety,
and more of a teaching which each person learns and uses in their own way.

The basic philosophy or core beliefs of Hinduism in brief are as follows.

1. Ishwar/Parmatma / Brahman/Parabrahm-Ishwar is one & only one. It is unchanging,

infinite, immanent & transcendent reality which is divine ground of all matter, energy, time, space,
being & everything beyond in this universe. It is eternal, gender-less, omnipotent, omniscient ,
omnipresent & indescribable in human language.

2. Vedas- The most sacred texts are Vedas which were revealed to enlightened Rishis. They were
recited and transmitted through and unbroken oral tradition, and written many centuries later.

3. Incarnations/Avtaars- God manifests himself in human or other form to liberate souls from
the bondage of attachment and cycles of birth.

4. Soul/Atma- The unchanging inner self, is the essence of animate life. The soul is sat(eternally
existing), chit(consciousness) and ananda( Bliss). It is independent of body, mind, intellect and ego.
In fact it controls them.

5. Karma- The law of cause and effect. One’s actions produce positive or negative results which
affect one in present or future lives.

6. Rebirth/ Punarjanama- Due to one’s karmas and the will of God the soul repeatedly takes on
another body in the cycle of births and deaths.

7. Murti puja/ Idol worship- Worship the god in the form of Image. This is done for Bhagwan/
devtas. But God is only one as stated in first point.

8. Ahimsa/Non-Violence- Hindus believe in non-violence in Mind, action and speech and feel
that God pervades all things, therefore they care for all living things.

9. Four Purusharthas/goals of life- These four endeavors of life are Dharma, artha, kaam and
Moksha. The ultimate goal is Moksha means liberation of soul from cycle of births.

10. Varnashrama Dharma/ Duties- It deals with duties and responsibilities of hindus in relation
to their varnas ( classes) and ashramas (stages of life). the ashrams are Brahmcharya, Grihasth,
Vanprasth and sanyaas.

Confucianism holds to a humanistic outlook in which the secular is sacred. People are
expected to perform and adhere to specific rules and rituals based on societal hierarchy
in their interactions with each other. Considered a philosophical and ethical system
more than a religion, Confucianism places an emphasis on family and ethics rather than
on salvation through a transcendent divine being. Humans are seen as being
improvable, teachable and perfectible through self-cultivation and their communal and
personal endeavors. The promotion of the virtues encompassed by the Wuchang, or
Five Virtues, characterize Confucian ethics. These virtues are Ren (humaneness), Yi
(righteousness or justice), Li (proper rite), Zhi (knowledge) and Xin (integrity).
Confucianism views with contempt any person who fails to uphold the cardinal moral
imperatives of Ren or Yi.

The classical Confucian teachings were key to the orthodox state ideologies of Chinese
dynasties, particularly the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD), when they received state
support and were taught in upper-class society. Countries that were influenced by
Confucian thought include China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Vietnam.
Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan and has existed since before recorded history. The earliest
writings that reference beliefs that are held by the Shinto religion date from the 8th century but it
was not unified into Shinto at that time and was just an unorganized collection of local beliefs. It was
not until the Nara and Heian periods that those beliefs were collected and organized into the religion
that we now know as Shinto.

Shinto is a little bit difficult to understand initially for westerners. Indeed, I still don't have a real
great understanding of it but I will try and use my limited knowledge as well as Wikipedia to help me
put this answer together.

There are 5 main components that make up the Shinto religion. Those are the concepts of Kami,
purity, the afterlife, shrines, and common practices. I will try to explain each of those to the best of
my ability.

Kami
The concept of Kami doesn't have a direct, single word definition in English but it can be described
as god, spirit, or spiritual essence. Essentially, everything in nature, including people, can have the
spirit of Kami and stems from the Shinto belief that everything is linked together and not separate.
In fact, the Japanese say that there are 8 million Kami. Although, it is more helpful to focus on the
idea that there are a large number of Kami rather than the actual number of 8 million. That number
is simply used to describe a myriad of Kami.

Kami can be found everywhere, but there are areas that are considered more sacred than others.
Those areas are often located near natural areas of beauty such as mountains, waterfalls, or uniquely
shaped rock outcroppings. Often a shrine is built in order to house the Kami in these sacred areas.

Shinto promotes the idea of a natural order or the way things should be. This idea is called
Kannagara. This includes what is considered the right way to live and focuses on sincerity, honesty,
and purity.

Amenominakanushi is the concept of the very first Kami to exist before time, sort of like a creator,
and can be translated as the heavenly ancestral god of the originating heart of the universe.

Purity
Shinto believes that certain actions can cause a person to become impure. There are certain purity
rights called Harae that are performed either daily, weekly, seasonally, annually, or that are based on
the lunar cycle. These rites are performed to cleanse impurity but are done to gain peace of mind and
good fortune rather than out of a sense of guilt.

The Afterlife
The afterlife generally contains negative connotations and is seen as a dark and gloomy place
separated from the land of the living. Shinto believes that people who have been killed unfairly can
hold a grudge and become an evil Kami wandering the land looking for revenge.

Shrines
Shrines are considered to be shelters for and places of worship of Kami. These shrines may be a
public building, a place of natural beauty such as a sacred forest, mountain, or waterfall, or they can
be a small shrine set up in a home that is known as a Kamidana. Public shrines will often have a Torii
gate to separate the sacred space from the common space. Additionally, public shrines will likely
employ both priests and priestesses.

Rituals
There are numerous rituals associated with Shinto. In fact, far to many to list them all here in this
answer. I will, however, try to list what I believe are the most common rituals in Shinto.

Omairi is a ritualistic cleansing with water and prayer before one enters a shrine. It involves pouring
water out of a dipper onto both hands as well as swishing some of the water around in your mouth
before spitting it out.
Harae is the general name given to the purification rituals. These often include prayers and offerings
of food and sake that are made to the Kami.

Ema are small wooden plaques. These are used to write a wish on and then are left at the shrine in
the hopes that the Kami may grant the wish.

Kagura are ancient ritualistic dancing and music. It is believed that the music and dancing are a way
to summon the Kami.

If you have read this answer this far, I thank you for taking the time. This answer really only
scratches the surface of the ancient Shinto religion. There is still much that I have to learn, but I hope
you have enjoyed my answer.

Taoism — loosely based on the writings of a mythical figure named Laozi who lived some 2,500
years ago — calls for an adherence to "the way", which practitioners have long interpreted as a
return to the natural world. The core of the basic belief and doctrine of Taoism is that "Tao" is the
origin and law of all things in the universe. Taoists believes that people can become deities or live
forever through practicing certain rituals and austerities.
The focus of Taoism is the individual in nature rather than the individual in society. It holds that the
goal of life for each individual is to find one's own personal adjustment to the rhythm of the natural
(and supernatural) world and to follow the Way (dao) of the universe. In many ways the opposite of
rigid Confucian moralism, Taoism served many of its adherents as a complement to their ordered
daily lives. A scholar on duty as an official would usually follow Confucian teachings but at leisure or
in retirement might seek harmony with nature as a Taoist recluse.
Taoists stress the importance of harmonizing with nature by balancing yin and yang, and developing
chi through meditation and disengagement. The human body is regarded as a source of chi-derived
energy, which some people have the power to concentrate and congeal into an essence. Chi (also
spelled ch'i or qi) is variously known as the "breath of heaven," “mystical breath," the "breath of
nature" and the "quality of spirit"

beliefs are important in Islam. Right beliefs about God, the universe, and humanity is of primary
concern to Muslims. The Quran, the sacred text of Islam states, "Righteous is he who believes
in Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and the Scriptures and the Prophets" (2:177). Belief in
these doctrines, as well as many others, are important to Muhammad's followers, both past and
present.

Muslim Beliefs about Allah

The single most important belief in Islam, and arguably the central theme of the religion,
is that there is only one God. The name of God is Allah, which is simply Arabic for "the
(al) God (Ilah)."

Muslim Beliefs about the Prophets

Muhammad, the founder of Islam, is revered as "the Seal of the Prophets" - the last and
greatest of the messengers of God. He is not divine in any way, for the strict
monotheism that characterizes Islam (as well as Judaism) does not allow for such an
interpretation. Other prophets are important in Islam as well, all of which are shared with
the Jews or the Christians.
Muslim Beliefs about Human Nature

According to the Quran, Allah "created man from a clot of blood" at the same time he
created the jinn from fire. Humans are the greatest of all creatures, created with free will
for the purpose of obeying and serving God.

Muslim Beliefs about Life and Salvation

For a Muslim, the object of life is to live in a way that is pleasing to Allah so that one
may gain Paradise. It is believed that at puberty, an account of each person's deeds is
opened, and this will be used at the Day of Judgment to determine his eternal fate.

Muslim Beliefs about the Afterlife

Like Christianity, Islam teaches the continued existence of the soul and a transformed
physical existence after death. There will be a day of judgment and humanity will be
divided between the eternal destinations of Paradise and Hell.

Six Articles of Faith

There is no official creed to which one must adhere to be considered a Muslim. All that
is required is to believe and recite the Shahada: "There is no God but God, and
Muhammad is his Prophet." Beyond this core belief, however, Muslim doctrine is often
summarized in "Six Articles of Faith." Many Muslims believe that one must adhere to the
six articles to be considered a Muslim.

Muslim Views of Other Religions

The Quran is clear that there must be "no compulsion in religion" (2:256). Yet Islam is
not indifferent to conversion either - Muslims consider their religion to the be the one
true religion, and invite people of all races, nationalities and religions to be part of it.

Judaism derives from the section of the Bible that Christians call the Old Testament. It
comprises the books of the Torah and the Prophets. Jews believe that all text written by
the prophets is true, including the writings of Moses, who they regard as the greatest of
the prophets. They believe God knows men’s thoughts and deeds and that he will
reward the just and punish evil.

Acts of worship are based at home and include daily prayers that are said in the
morning, the afternoon and after sunset. They also hold religious services at
synagogues led by a knowledgeable member of the congregation, usually a rabbi or
cantor. A rabbi is knowledgeable in yeshiva and conducts regular study sessions for
members of the congregation. He also helps with the interpretation and application of
Jewish religious principles in day-to-day life.