Buddhism an overview
...on into adulthood. They usually stay for about 3 weeks. Laypeople should give a daily offering of food to the monks. This is done to support the monks their quest for enlightenment. They do this while realizing that someday even if not in this life they may obtain the discipline to become a monk. Some other rituals include chanting and meditating at a shrine or Buddhist statue. Keep in mind that in there?? Buddhism the statues are not to be worshiped. They are mainly there to provide motivation and focus during meditations. The Doctrinal Dimension is very important for individual that subscribe to Buddhist tradition. Buddhism is not really a group effort. Is it up to the individual to adhere to the 8-fold path. If one doesn’t believe in Buddhism, there is really no reason to pretend or try to stick around. The 8-fold path provides individuals with strict doctrine to follow in order to rid oneself of suffering. The doctrine or body of ideas introduced by Buddha himself are the backbones of Buddhism. Without the 8-fold path, Buddhists would be wandering the cities and forests without any guidance or moral support. In addition to the 8-fold path, the four noble truths also influence the behavior and beliefs of the Buddhists. How far you travel in Buddhism depends on one’s dedication and belief in the doctrines Buddha presented. If you believe that life is suffering, then you will be more likely to adhere to the 8-fold path. The connection here is simple. If one does not believe that temptation and desire causes suffering, then how can one be dedicated to the 8-fold path? As we can see, doctrine influences individuals greatly in Buddhism. I find the Buddhist doctrine to be a lot more straightforward than certain other religions. The doctrinal dimension in Buddhism gives order to the story of Buddha through the 8-fold path. Before going into the ethical and social dimensions of Buddhism, I want to make clear how Buddhism provides answers to certain boundary questions. Unlike Mahayara Buddhism, Theravada does not have a happyland. In fact it does not really explain Nirvana, except to say that people who reach it are liberated from all that binds them to a life of ignorance and immune from the intoxications that stimulated the cravings. Nevertheless, Theravada Buddhism tries to explain why one suffers and what happens if one follows its doctrines. The one boundary question Buddhism doesn’t attempt to answer in detail is about creation. Buddha made no assumption about how the world originated. The four truths, if acted upon, are said to provide humans with salvation which may provide peace of mind pertaining to boundary questions. Buddhism also is appealing because it has no hell. In terms of where we go when we die, there is no chance of damnation in Buddhism. One will be reborn over and over, and depending on their karma, they can achieve a better rebirth that may allow them to follow the 8-fold path honestly. In that manner, Buddhism does give hope and answers many profound life questions. Now that I covered what Buddhism can do for people and what its purpose is, I would like to examine its outward effects on society. The ethical dimension is very important to the Buddhist religion. The way in which a person interacts with society could affect his or her karma and rebirth. A Buddhist’s behavior is dictated by their faith in religious doctrine. One who follows the 8-fold path implements its teachings into everyday life. Subscribing to Buddhism entails many virtues. When one carries out these virtues in everyday life, we are witnessing the ethical dimension at work. For example, if a true believer in Buddhism is robbed, what would he do? Sticking to Buddhist virtues and following the 8-fold path would not allow the man to seek revenge on his assailant. This example shows how the ethical dimension is connected a great deal with doctrinal dimension. In the same example, the man should refrain from holding a grudge against the thief. I tried to implement this particular belief into my life because I tend to get upset by people who are unjust toward me. If I think about them and their current situation, my anger often turns to pity. In Buddhism, there are a lot of morals and ethical reasonings that impact the individual and his or her effect on the outside world. The social structure of Buddhism is a little different than religions such as Hinduism and even Christiani...