Buddhism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Buddhism - Research Paper Example His followers believe him to have become an enlightened person who knew about the subtle realities of life and discovered that the reason there exists suffering is due to a constant desire to either crave for something or avert something (Ba Khin & Confalonieri, 1999, 168). According to the Buddha, if one took control of such desires completely, one would end his suffering and become awakened and would have reached the state known as nirvana (Ba Khin & Confalonieri, 1999, 168). This brings me to my research statement which would be to discover whether Buddhism seems to revolve around the life and teachings of the Buddha alone or the ultimate end of suffering by controlling craving and ignorance is the main motive of following this religion? Since Buddhism took shape from Asia it still remains to garner the most following from this part of the world, however it is observed to be practiced the world over. It is not easy to estimate the number of Buddhists currently in the whole world s ince it is practiced differently in some parts of the world. Since at the time of the Buddha there were no methods to write, all the teachings of the Buddha were memorized and passed down through disciples and followers. Later on the teachings were gathered and written down. Due to this fact, different schools of thought in Buddhism differ on the perfect formula to attain liberation from the suffering of the world, the authenticity of various teachings and scriptures as well as ensuing practices? Three basic pillars serve as the foundation of Buddhist teachings and are known as the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma (the teachings), and the Sangha (the community) (Kozak, 2011, 66). All Buddhists need to follow and adhere by the three jewels and their religion is considered incomplete without fully adhering to these concepts. Other practices may include renouncing the material world to follow on the path of their founder, and developing mindfulness of their surroundings through the practice of meditation. 2. Life of the Buddha According to various narratives, Siddhartha Gautama was a young prince about whom an astrologer once prophesized that he would renounce worldly lifestyle to become a holy man, if he saw life outside his palace (Zamosky, 2007, 7). In an attempt to avert this, his father the king, prevented his son from leaving until Siddhartha Gautama finally ventured out of the palace at the age of 29 and saw the suffering outside his palatial life (Zamosky, 2007, 8). His encounters made him abandon royal life and set out to discover spirituality. He soon found out that craving for something or the other was the main cause of suffering in humans, thus when this cause know as ‘craving’ is controlled, so is suffering. 3. Causes of Suffering and its Solution a. The Four Noble Truths According to various historians, the ‘Four Noble Truths’ were one of the primary teachings imparted by Gautama Buddha to his disciples after he had re ached Nirvana. On close observation it becomes apparent that they contain the same theme located in the Buddha's teachings: Everyone encounters suffering in life in one way or another. Craving for something is the desire to become happy with the acquisition of that thing. Another version of craving is when you seek to avoid something and that is known as aversion. Both craving and aversion lead to eventual suffering. The only way to end suffering is to stop