Buddhism Final Paper

Peter A. Cedeño-Castro

World Religion

Professor: Dr. Richard McCarthy

Rels301 PMEC

“BUDDHISM”

Buddhism is a religion indigenous to the Indian subcontinent that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices largely based on teachings attributed to its founder Siddhartha Gautama, who is commonly known as the Buddha, meaning "the awakened one". I’ve learned that Buddhism is practice for almost three thousand years and followed by about 300 million people worldwide. (Donald S. Lopez) I personally gained an interest in its philosophy. Impressed by their beliefs in equal rights between men and women, non-violence, their system of human conduct and for the possibility that one too can be a Buddha (enlighten one) someday. My work explains the fundamental elements of Buddhist wisdom, from the Buddha’s concept of humanity and equality, the idea of nirvana, the noble truth path of awakening, Eight Fold Path, and modern Buddhism.

History of Buddhism

The history of Indian Buddhism may be divided into five periods: Early Buddhism (occasionally called Pre-sectarian Buddhism), Nikaya Buddhism or Sectarian Buddhism: The period of the Early Buddhist schools, Mahayana is the largest division of Buddhism. Focused on Bodhisatva-Buddhist in the making, dedicated to attaining enlightenment with an emphasis on compassion. Later Esoteric Buddhism (also called Vajrayana Buddhism); the Tibetan Buddhist. And finally the Therevada Buddhist, the way of the elders and oldest division focus on teachings and emphasizes the monastic life. (Bowker)

Buddhism is a founded religion by Prince Siddhartha Gautama, is a non-theistic religion and has no central authority, elaborate ceremonies or initiations. Prince Siddhartha was born in a community that was on the periphery, both geographically and culturally, of the northeastern Indian subcontinent in the 5th century BCE. It was either a small republic, in which case his father was an elected chieftain, or an oligarchy, in...