THESE ARE THE BASIC BELIEFS OF BUDDHISTS

 

Buddhism is a philosophy founded by Siddhartha Gautama around 500 B.C.E. Siddhartha is believed to have given up a comfortable, upper-class life to follow a life of poverty and spiritual devotion. At the age of thirty-five, he meditated under a sacred fig tree and vowed not to rise until he achieved enlightenment. After this experience, he became known as Buddha or “enlightened one.” Followers were drawn to Buddha’s teachings and the practice of meditation, and he later established a monastic order.

The vast majority of Buddhists live in China, Hong kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand and other regions in the eastern and southeastern Asia. The primary focus of Buddhists is to seek enlightenment. Buddhists do not worship any gods or God. The Buddha,  Siddhartha Gautama never claimed to be divine, but rather he is viewed by Buddhists as having attained what they are also striving to attain, which is spiritual enlightenment and, with it, freedom from the continuous cycle of life and death.

Buddhists believe in reincarnation and rebirth. In the Buddhist tradition, being reincarnated means coming back as yourself multiple times, while rebirth involves returning as an entirely different entity.  A Buddhist seeks to end these rebirths. Buddhists believe it is a person's cravings, aversion and delusion that cause these rebirths. Therefore, the goal of a Buddhist is to purify one's heart and to let go of all yearnings toward sensual desires and the attachment to oneself.

Buddhists follow a list of religious principles and adhere to personal restraint, fasting and very dedicated meditation, they refrain from killing, stealing, lying, misusing sex, and using drugs or alcohol.