For all Buddhists, regardless of sect, the ultimate goal is a religious quest that ends.
in enlightenment and complete freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth (samsara).
Enlightenment can be described as a blissful mental state or nirvana (Nibbana). Buddha,.
the religious figure who inspires Buddhists", describes the enlightened one as, "One who.
knows [his] former lives, And sees the heavens and the state of woe, And who has reached.
the extinction of births, Who has perfected higher knowledge, Sage who has fulfilled the.
final perfection" (Dhammapada, 26:423). Apart from form, this state of existence called,.
"the essential", is bestowed upon those who can see the world for what it really is.
(Dhammapada, 1:12). There are four successive stages of Nibbana, the highest of which.
is (Parinirvana). Buddha describes those in this state as, "the Awakened Ones".
(Dhammapada, 14:195). Once Parinirvana has been achieved, the believer is called.
worthy (Arahant), bestowed with buddhahood, and their personal cycle of samsara is.
permanently broken.
One who has begun the pursuit of enlightenment in the earthly world must.
undertake three refuges otherwise known as the Three Jewels. One must take refuge in.
Buddha, then in the acceptance of the natural order of things (dharma), and finally, one.
must take refuge in the Buddhist ordained community (samgha) (Dhammapada, 14:190).
By taking refuge in Buddha, followers must commit not to the worship of Buddha himself,.
but to his teachings and all that they represent. Followers can be either male or female of.
any caste or social standing. It becomes their duty (dhamma) to become detached from.
every desire. Days are spent practicing compassion to all creatures and seeking insight and.
purity. Devotees can carry out these principles with varying degrees of involvement in the.
samgha as lay people and still be considered a part of the samgha in the wider sense. Lay.
people support the religious order with material needs, but remain outside of its monastic.
During his time, the caste system was the main way that social classes were divided in India. ... Buddhist monks came to China and spread the ideas of Buddhism. ... For example, there was the Dhammapada. The Dhammapada is a book filled with sayings from Buddha. ... When one became sick, that person prayed in the the Buddhist way. ...
Buddhists approaches on abortion is through a middle way between self-indulgence and self-mortification, between pro-life and pro-choice. ... There was a story recorded in the commentary to the Dhammapada: there was a man had two wives, the first wife caused the second wife to have three miscarriages, and the second wife died from the third miscarriage. ... Buddhist emphasizes teaching of Middle Way and compassion to all beings, therefore it is important for Buddhists to find a middle way between self-indulgence and self-mortification, between pro-life and pro-choice. According to Dhammapad...
The Dhammapada is a collection of the Buddha's sayings. ... In his introduction he indicates that the Dhammapada is a subset of the Theravada Pali Canon of scriptures known as the Khuddaka Nikaya. ... The Fa Chu Ching, would appear to be a direct, Chinese translation of the Dhammapada. ... When this story reached his home, his fellow monks decided to open Bodhidharma's tomb. ... When this story reached his home, his fellow monks decided to open Bodhidharma's tomb. ...
Siddharta Gautama abandoned his family at the age of twenty-nine to search for a way to bring to an end suffering in the world. ... Suffering is the means by which the Buddha liberated himself and as he taught, it is also the way through which we can uncover freedom. ... Dukkha is said to be the natural and collective way of human beings. ... So the main question here is: Is there a way to overcome desire and ignorance? ... The Buddha also assures us in "The Dhammapada" that Nirvana is an experience of great happiness. ...
