The ideology of Buddhism. Buddhism - basic philosophy and basic ideas in brief

From this article you will learn:

How and thanks to whom the ancient philosophy of Buddhism arose

What are the main ideas of Buddhist philosophy?

What are the three main schools of Buddhism?

A billion people - this is how many followers of Buddhism there are in the world at the moment, and this number is constantly growing. The central concept of Buddhist philosophy is that all human life is suffering, and one should strive to end it. In this article we will touch upon the topic of how the philosophy of Buddhism was formed and what its main principles are.

How did the ancient philosophy of Buddhism arise?

In the middle of the 1st millennium BC, Brahmanism dominated in India. In the north of the country a current arose that opposed it - Buddhism. Culture, society and economy were in deep decline. Traditional institutions and clan associations were losing their influence, and class relationships were being formed. Sages traveled around the country and offered a different look at the spiritual and physical life of a person. Among the teachings that offered to look at the world around us from a different angle was Buddhism, which received the greatest sympathy from the people.

Buddha and his teachings

Most scientists agree that the founder of the original concepts of the philosophy of Buddhism was a historical person. He was a prince of the Shakya tribe, born in 560 BC. in northeast India. According to legend, his name was Siddhartha Gautama, he spent a carefree and joyful childhood in the palace, but then he realized the horror of the idea of ​​​​a cycle of endless reincarnations and saw how much suffering and grief there was in the world around him. The prince went on a journey for seven years, communicated with wise Indians, trying to find the answer to the question: “What can save people from suffering?”

One day, while he was sitting under the Bodhi tree, an understanding of how to answer his question came to him. Buddha translated from Sanskrit means “enlightened”, “awakened”. Stunned by his discovery, the prince spent several more days under the tree, then went to people to talk about the new teaching.

The first sermon was heard by the people in the city of Benares. There he was joined by five of his former students, who had previously turned their backs on him because of his rejection of asceticism. For the next 40 years, he spoke about his teachings throughout northern and central India. He was joined by many supporters who were close to the basic principles of the philosophy of Buddhism.

Basic concepts of Buddhist philosophy: brief and clear

The philosophy of Buddhism was formed within the framework of various movements and schools of this teaching. It is a set of meaningful beliefs regarding a person, the world and the knowledge of reality. Unlike Abrahamic and other monotheistic religions, in the philosophy of Buddhism there is no concept of a sinful body and an immortal soul, which awaits eternal torment for an unrighteous life. There is simply a person: good and evil deeds committed by him throughout his life and reflected in his karma.

There are many special terms in the philosophy of Buddhism, and we will now clarify the central ones:

Karma. A key concept in Buddhist philosophy that explains how and why certain things happen to us. It tells us that all the actions we do have consequences.

Incarnations. This is a phenomenon of spiritual life in the philosophy of Buddhism, in which after the death of a living being, its karma passes to another living creature. This concept is different from the "transmigration of souls" and the Hindu concept of "atman", meaning the eternal soul.

Enlightenment. In such a spiritual and mental state, free from negative emotions, thoughts, desires, a person perceives the world as it is.

Nirvana. Through deep thought and meditation, the Buddha formulated one of the main goals in the philosophy of Buddhism: the desire to realize one’s soul, based on the renunciation of worldly goods, the renunciation of a comfortable life. Achieving the state of nirvana gives a person control over his mind, he stops worrying too much about what other people think, loses his dependence on things, and his soul begins to develop.

Samsara, or "wheel of life". In Buddhist philosophy, all living beings, except those who have achieved enlightenment, are in this state.

Buddha believed that it was advisable to follow the “middle path.” You don’t need to give up all the benefits of civilization and be an ascetic, but you shouldn’t wallow in luxury either. A person needs to find the mean between these two extremes.

What is the philosophy of Buddhism: 4 noble truths

There are 4 great discoveries of Buddha, 4 truths of Buddhist philosophy:

Suffering is the essence of human life. In Buddhist philosophy, the symbol of existence is fire, which devours itself, bringing only suffering. The world around us is impermanent and changes all the time. Everything that is created will be destroyed in the end.

Man's desires are the source of his suffering. Our deep attachment to the material realms of existence makes us thirst for life. The torment intensifies as this desire grows.

Freedom from desires leads to freedom from suffering. In nirvana, a person ceases to feel the thirst for life and is freed from passions. This is accompanied by a feeling of bliss and tranquility, freeing from the transmigration of souls.

The Eightfold or “middle” path of salvation is abstinence from extremes in Buddhist philosophy, which helps to free oneself from passions.

The Eightfold Path of Salvation assumes the following:

understanding - it is very important to comprehend and accept that our world consists of suffering and grief;

intentions - you need to stop being selfish, get rid of ambitions and desires;

speech - a person must always watch his words, they must convey goodness and not cause harm to other people;

deeds - do not commit evil deeds, strive to do only good ones;

way of life - in the philosophy of Buddhism it is forbidden to harm living beings, only this can free a person from torment;

efforts - to monitor all your thoughts and not allow evil into them, to be tuned to goodness;

thoughts - our body is the main source of evil, if you free yourself from its desires, you will be free from suffering;

concentration – one must constantly practice the Eightfold Path and be concentrated on it.

The first and second stages are called prajdnya, they are needed to comprehend wisdom. The third, fourth and fifth instill correct behavior and set the moral compass (sila). The sixth, seventh and eighth are called samadha, they help to control the mind.

Features of Buddhist philosophy

There are three main treasures in Buddhism:

Buddha - it can be either any person who has achieved enlightenment, or the founder of the teaching himself.

Dharma is the quintessence of the basic ideas of the philosophy of Buddhism, what they can give to people who followed the Buddha and accepted all the tenets of his teachings.

Sangha is a community of Buddhists who unquestioningly follow the dogmas of this religious movement.

Fighting three poisons is the Buddhist way of acquiring the three jewels:

Distance from the truth of existence and ignorance.

Bodily passions and thirst for life, which lead to suffering. The central concept of Buddhist philosophy is suffering.

Inability to accept the world and events as they are, anger and lack of restraint.

According to the philosophy of Buddhism, a person constantly suffers spiritually and physically. Birth, death, illness and disease throughout life are suffering. This state of affairs is considered abnormal, so the philosophy of Buddhism promotes liberation from this.

3 main schools of Buddhism as philosophy

Exist three main philosophical schools of Buddhism, which were formed at different times in the existence of this doctrine:

Theravada (Hinayana). The followers of this school do not worship religious sites, they have no holy martyrs to support them, no heaven and hell, and no rituals. The responsibility for getting rid of reincarnation lies entirely with the person; it depends on how he acts, lives and thinks. The ideal of this philosophy is the monk who achieves enlightenment.

Philosophy of Mahayana Buddhism. Saints (the institute of bodhisattvas) appear who assist people on the path of liberation from suffering. There is heaven, images with Buddha and bodhisattvas. Now even a person living a worldly life can be saved from suffering.

Vajrayana. Self-control and meditation are the central concepts of this tantric school of Buddhist philosophy.

The figure below will show how the three main schools of Buddhist philosophy are spread in different countries:

Written sources of Buddhist philosophy

The Pali canon "Ti-Pitaka" or "Tripitaka" is a book that is the main source of Buddhist philosophy. The name is translated from Sanskrit as “three baskets” because texts about Buddhism were originally written on palm leaves and placed in baskets. This canon consists of three parts and is written in Pali:

Vinaya Pitaka- a set of 227 rules governing the life of Buddhist monks. It contains information about discipline, ceremonies and ethical precepts.

Sutta Pitaka, contains books " Dhammapada“, which means “the path to truth” (a collection of Buddhist parables), and “ Jataka" - a collection of stories about previous incarnations of Buddha. In addition to the two books listed, this part also includes the philosophy of the Buddha itself.

Abhidhamma Pitaka- these are texts permeated with Buddhist philosophy, its perception of life, as well as the metaphysics that exists in Buddhism.

The above books of all the movements of Buddhism are especially revered by Hinayana. The sacred canon of Buddhist philosophy among Mahayana disciples is "Prajnaparalshta sutra"(teachings on perfect wisdom). For them, these are revelations from the Buddha himself.

Buddhism is a religion or philosophy

In the philosophy of Buddhism there is no concept of God as the creator of everything immaterial and material, an omnipotent being who created the world. This is the difference from the usual ideas about religion for Russians. In the cosmology of Buddhism, there are beings called "deva", they are mistakenly called "gods". They did not create the Universe and do not control destinies, these are ordinary people from another reality.

Question: “Do you believe in Buddha?” - meaningless in the philosophy of Buddhism, since Buddha is a real historical figure who lived about 2500 years ago. He was an ordinary person, like the rest of us.

When many people mention Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) comes to mind, this is true, but only partly. Any adherent of Buddhism who has achieved enlightenment can be considered a Buddha, and there were many of them. After all, the word “Buddha” is translated from Sanskrit as “awakened”, “enlightened”. But only Great Buddhas are usually written with a capital letter, such as the Present Buddha (Shakyamuni) and the Great Buddhas of the past, of which, according to the canons of different Buddhist schools, there are from 6 to 21. The names of all the rest are written with a small letter.

5 Myths About Buddhist Philosophy

• Pacifism.

One of the main tenets of Buddhist philosophy is non-violence against living beings. This bears little resemblance to pacifism, which denies any violence. A Buddhist can protect himself in case of danger, which is reflected in popular culture. Documentary and feature films often show a monk learning martial arts. Great masters use every opportunity to avoid combat, but in a critical situation they accept it with dignity.

• Meditations.

When mentioning Buddhists, many people have the following picture: a meditating person in the lotus position, chanting mantras. Researchers have studied this issue and found that a very small proportion of Buddhists meditate on a regular basis, including monks.

Scientists surveyed adherents of various religious movements, and it turned out that supporters of the philosophy of Buddhism meditate on average even less than supporters of other philosophical schools. More than half of meditators do so irregularly.

• Buddha.

An unprepared reader may think that this is the image of Buddha Shakyamuni - the first enlightened person. It's a delusion. A laughing fat man in a lotus position is Budai or Hotei, considered in Buddhist philosophy to be the next incarnation of one of the Buddhas - Maitreya Bodhisattva. According to legend, it brings happiness, material well-being and fun to people. Although he hardly looked like a fat man, because Maitreya spent a lot of time traveling.

• Suffering.

There is an erroneous stereotype that inflicting pain and suffering on oneself is the main purpose of Buddhist practice. No, through painful sensations, Buddhists learn to accept them, try to understand the variability of life in order to become a higher being in the next cycle of rebirths.

The philosophy of Buddhism is based on the fact that one of the most important goals of human life is victory over suffering. True Buddhists do not engage in moral or physical self-torture for no reason, although they know that the world is imperfect. They simply continue on the path to enlightenment.

• Reincarnation.

A person who is little familiar with Buddhist philosophy may believe that all Buddhists support the idea of ​​​​transmigration of souls and the circle of samsara. However, things are a little more complicated due to inaccurate translations of the holy books. Most Buddhists understand reincarnation as “rebirth” rather than “rebirth.” Very few Buddhist traditions support the principle of the transmigration of souls into various animals.

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The American research center Pew Research conducted a social study on the topic of the population's belonging to a particular religion. It turned out that 8 out of 10 respondents identify themselves with one religion or another. One of the oldest and most mysterious religions in the world is Buddhism.

Statistics show the following figures about how many Buddhists there are in the world in 2017: more than 500 million people officially profess Buddhism. This represents about 7% of the world's population. It's not very much. But it should be noted that it is Buddhists who most clearly follow the canons and have always been an example of humility and adherence to religious tradition.

Religious map of the Earth. What percentage of Buddhists in the world

The majority of the world's believers are Christians. As of 2016, their number amounted to 32% of the Earth's population (about 2.2 billion inhabitants). Muslims - 23% (1.6 billion people). However, according to forecasts, Islam may soon become the largest religion. There are 15% (1 billion) Hindus in the world, 7% (500 million) Buddhists and 0.2% (14 million) Jews.

It should be noted that only official figures are presented above. In fact, it is impossible to say exactly how many Buddhists there are in the world. The population sometimes ignores the census and does not participate in the compilation of statistics. Following fashionable trends, many carry out various Buddhist practices and share Buddhist ideology.

About 400 million people profess relatively young faiths, such as Shintoism, Sikhism and others. 16% of the population does not belong to any religion, that’s 1.1 billion people.

Buddhism is one of the oldest religions

Today, Eastern religions are gaining more and more followers. For some it is a tribute to fashion, for others it is a way of life. How many Buddhists are there in the world? This is a pressing question related to the popularity of Sidhartha's teachings.

Buddhism is called "Bodhi", which means "the teaching of awakening." It arose back in the 1st millennium BC. e. In essence, Buddhism is a complex religious and philosophical teaching. Followers call it “Dharma”, which means “Law”, or “Buddadharma”, referring to the founder - Prince Sidhartha Gautama, later and to this day called Buddha Shakyamuni.

How many Buddhists are there in the world? How many branches and schools of Buddhism are there? There are 3 main directions: Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana.

Theravada

The most ancient school, preserved in its original form since the beginning of Buddha’s preaching. Initially, Buddhism was not a religion, but a philosophical teaching.

The main feature of Theravada is the absence of an object of universal worship, with the exception of the Buddha. This determines the simplicity of rituals and external attributes of religion. Primordial Buddhism is not a religion, but a philosophical and ethical teaching. The Buddha taught that this amounts to denying one's own responsibility for one's actions. According to Theravada adherents, a person should be independently responsible for his actions, and therefore does not need a large number of controlling laws.

For the same reason, Theravada does not presuppose its own pantheon of gods, therefore, in places where it spreads, the religion exists in symbiosis with local faith, turning to local gods for help in case of need.

Followers of Theravada live in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

Mahayana

The largest branch of all Buddhists in the world. No matter how many Buddhist schools there are, Mahayana remains the main one to this day. The teachings of the Great Vehicle can be called a full-fledged religion. Its adherents live in Vietnam, Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan. How many Buddhists there are in the world can be judged by the population of these countries.

The Buddha is perceived by Mahayana followers as a divine figure and master teacher, capable of taking on various forms.

One of the main tenets of the Mahayana is the doctrine of bodhisattvas. This is the name given to saints who preferred endless rebirths in the form of divine personalities or missions to Nirvana. So, for example, everyone is considered a bodhisattva. Catherine II patronized the Buddhists of Buryatia, for which she was ranked among the bodhisattvas.

The Mahayana pantheon includes many deities and entities. A large number of fairy tales and myths have been written about them.

Vajrayana or Tantrayana

The teaching called the Diamond Chariot arose in Tibet under the influence of Mahayana and Indian Tantrism. In fact, it is an independent religion. The direction contains complex tantric practices that can lead to enlightenment in one earthly life. Fertility cults and erotic practices are revered. Vajrayana has a close connection with esotericism. The basics of the teaching are transmitted by the teacher - Lama to the student.

Tantrayana is practiced in Mongolia, Bhutan and eastern Russia.

Buddhism in Russia

Traditional adherents live today in the eastern regions of the country, such as the Republic of Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva. In addition, Buddhist associations can be found in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities. The percentage of Buddhists living in Russia is approximately 1% of the total population of Buddhists in the world. It is impossible to say exactly how many followers of Sidhartha’s teachings live in Russia. This is because Buddhism is not an official religion, and many of its adherents have not officially declared their religious affiliation.

Buddhism is one of the most peaceful religions. Followers of "Bodhi" call for peace and love. Recently, the number of adherents has been growing slowly but surely. Statistics on how many Buddhists there are in the world for 2017 indicate that every year their number increases by about 1.5%.

The history of Buddhism goes back thousands of years. Followers of Buddhism are not defined by ethnicity. Any person, regardless of nationality, race, place of residence, can practice Buddhism.

History of the emergence and spread of Buddhism

Briefly about what it is brahmanism. The basis of the teaching is the rebirth of a person based on karma (for sins or virtues of a past life). According to this teaching, in ancient India it was believed that a virtuous person is reborn as a person who occupies a high position, and sometimes is a celestial being. In Brahmanism, special attention was paid to rituals, ceremonies and sacrifice.

Let's return to the history of Buddhism. Buddha Siddhartha Gautama was born in 560 BC, in the south of modern Nepal. He belonged to the Shakya family and was called Shakyamuni (sage). Buddha lived in his father's luxurious palace, however, faced with the harsh reality, he concluded that in reality there is a lot of suffering and sorrow in life. As a result, the Buddha decided to abandon life in the palace and began to live the life of a wandering hermit-ascetic, trying to understand the truth of existence, engaging, among other things, in the practices of torture and bodily killing. The Buddha met with sages, practiced yoga, applied various techniques and concluded that harsh forms of asceticism do not free one from the suffering associated with birth and death, and he also concluded that some kind of intermediate compromise should be found between sensual pleasures and desire to renounce the blessings of life. Buddha considered meditation and prayer to be the most effective. At the age of thirty-five, during another meditation, Gautama Siddhartha achieved Enlightenment, after which he began to be called Buddha Gautama or simply Buddha, which means “enlightened, awakened.” After this, the Buddha lived for another forty-five years, all the time traveling throughout Central India and teaching his students and followers.

Buddha died, the Teacher's body, according to custom, was cremated. Messengers from different states were sent with a request to give them at least a piece of the remains. However, the remains were divided into eight parts and placed in stupas - special cone-shaped structures located in the capitals of some ancient states. One of the remains was found (in 1898) in an Indian village, where a stupa from the ancient city of Kapilavatthu was discovered. The remains found were placed in the Indian National Museum in New Delhi.

Later, sutras (recordings of the Buddha's words) were placed in such stupas. This is Dharma - a set of norms and rules that are necessary for the “cosmic” order. The word "dharma" literally translates as "that which holds or supports."

The Buddha's followers formed several different schools of early Buddhism over the course of four hundred years, with numerous branches. Schools and movements sometimes differ from each other not significantly, and sometimes they differ on very significant issues. The main goal of Buddhism is to achieve enlightenment, this is the path to nirvana, a state of soul that can be achieved through self-denial and rejection of comfortable living conditions. Buddha preached the opinion that in life one must look for that very “middle” that gives a balance between satiety and asceticism. Buddhism is often called not only a religion, but also a philosophy that guides a person on the path of self-development.

The history of the emergence of Buddhism in Russia

Due to geographical reasons and cultural contacts, Buddhism first spread among the Tuvans and Kalmyks in the 16th century. At that time these lands were part of the Mongol state. A hundred years later, the ideas of Buddhism began to penetrate into Buryatia, and immediately compete with the main local religion - shamanism. Due to geography, Buryatia has close ties with Mongolia and further with Tibet. Today, it is in Buryatia that the majority of followers of Buddhism are concentrated. It is in Buryatia that the Sangha of Russia is located - the center of Buddhists in Russia; religious buildings, shrines and the residence of the Spiritual Leader of Buddhists in Russia are also located there.

In the Republic of Tuva, Buddhists profess the same philosophical movement as the Buryats. There is another region where the population professes Buddhism predominates - Kalmykia.

Buddhism in the USSR

I am publishing a map of the development of Buddhism, everything is quite clear there.

Man has always sought to understand himself, the world around him and fill your life with meaning. Any religion carries within itself the spiritual foundations of the life of a particular nationality. One of the oldest religions is Buddhism. Mysteries and legends associated with the founder of the doctrine disturb the minds of people to this day.

The man who really existed

Several centuries BC, in the territory where it is now located country Nepal, a boy was born into the royal family. According to one legend, the gods sent a new prophet to earth, who was to teach people to be happy. Another narrative says that the Buddha himself chose the time and place of his birth.

After being born, the boy took seven steps. Lotuses grew where his feet touched the ground. The future sage said that he came to earth for the sake of people and wants to save them from suffering. Until the age of 29, the young man lived in a family that gave him an excellent upbringing and the opportunity for comprehensive development.

Wanting to save humanity from pain and misfortune, the philosopher firmly believed that this was possible and I was looking for a way out. This is how Buddhism appeared - a philosophical doctrine based on noble truths, which later became the symbol of faith of the nascent religion.

The Prophet had there are many students and followers in different countries of the world. Even royalty and high-ranking officials were among his admirers.

The great contemplative died in India at the age of 80.

What does Buddhism preach?

Buddha preached his own understanding of how a person can get rid of physical and mental torment. He believed that the end of suffering is possible and explained how to live in order to achieve this.

According to Buddha, anyone can achieve the highest happiness, in other words, nirvana. For this he developed his the path to salvation which includes the following.

1. A person's views must be correct, based on noble truths.
2. In the name of truth and truth, a person must be ready for a feat.
3. The speech should be sincere, friendly and truthful.
4. A person should not cause harm to anyone by his behavior.
5. You need to lead an honest and correct lifestyle.
6. A person must engage in self-education and develop willpower.
7. You need to be attentive, vigilant and active.
8. The ability to gather internally must constantly develop. This must be learned through meditation and contemplation.

The preacher explained to the people that the first thing to learn is how get rid of evil in yourself.

By observing these basic commandments, a person will be able to become calm and independent from all life's adversities. All kinds of rituals and sacrifices are alien to this religion. The history of Buddhism, undergoing ups and downs, continues to this day.

Shrines and relics of Buddhism

In the town of Bodhgaya (India), and it was here that the founder of the religion began his path of enlightenment, modern English archaeologists have unearthed a sacred temple. After this, Buddhists from all over the world began to make pilgrimages to this territory, and those countries in which Buddhism is the main religion consider it their duty to build another new temple here.

Not only holy temples and monasteries are dedicated to the wisest of the wisest people on the planet. Numerous statues testify to how valued and teaching is valued at all times. There are Buddha statues in China, Japan, and Nepal. One of the most famous and famous statues is located in India, it is made from a huge single piece of stone.

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As you know, in modern society there are three world religions: Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. Of these three faiths, the smallest is Buddhism, but the history of its emergence and the development of its traditions and principles is no less interesting than information about Christianity and Islam.
Buddhism is considered one of the most ancient religious and philosophical teachings. However, the term “Buddhism” itself was created in Europe already in the 19th century. Buddhism arose in India, and the founder of this teaching is called Siddhartha Gautama, who later received the name Shakyamuni Buddha. The followers of this teaching called it “Dharma” or “Buddhadharma”.
After observing his mind for several years, Buddha Shakyamuni expressed his idea that the cause of all people’s suffering is themselves. Buddha believed that people are very attached to material values ​​and have a habit of creating illusions. He believed that the way to get rid of these sufferings consisted of meditation and the practice of self-restraint (that is, following certain precepts). In Buddhism, the main thing is the desire to cleanse the mind from fear, selfishness, jealousy, laziness, greed, anger and other states that we are accustomed to calling vices. Buddhism develops such qualities leading to well-being as hard work, kindness, compassion and others.
Prince Gautama Siddhartha is considered the founder and main object of worship in Buddhism. According to legend, at the age of 35 he achieved enlightenment and was able to change not only his life, but also the lives of those who followed him. Gautama's followers gave him the name Buddha.
During its spread, Buddhism has absorbed a large number of different beliefs and rituals. Some adherents of Buddhism consider the main thing to be self-knowledge that occurs through meditation, others adhere to the idea that this happens through good deeds, and still others - veneration of the Buddha.
Buddhist meditation occupied a special place in the early teachings. It represents methods of physical and spiritual self-improvement.
All followers of Buddhism rely on doctrines. The first doctrine contains the Four Noble Truths, which contain information about suffering (dukkha): about suffering itself; about the causes of suffering; about the possibility of liberation from suffering; about ways to get rid of suffering. The second doctrine contains the doctrine of karma. There is also the Anatmavada doctrine, the Kshanikavada doctrine and Buddhist cosmology. There are several interpretations of doctrines, they may differ (it depends on the school). There are several schools, but in each of them the path to enlightenment is based on three main components: first, it is a theory about how the world works; secondly, meditation is an integral part; thirdly, a certain way of life, when a certain level of development of consciousness has already been achieved.
All schools of Buddhism are distinguished by their affiliation with one of the “Three Vehicles”. The first is Hinayana (“Little Vehicle”). Indeed, it is based on the Four Noble Truths. People belonging to this school are most often monks. The second school is called Mahayana (“Great Vehicle”). The basis of this school is the teachings on compassion and the emptiness of phenomena. Practitioners of Mahayana observe the Bodhisattva vow, according to which they must think about the welfare of other beings when performing any action. Another school is Tantrayana or "Vehicle of Tantras". The Buddha's teaching on nature is the basis here. The highest achievement in this school is considered final enlightenment. Practitioners of this school are mainly yogis or lay people.
Becoming a follower of Buddhism from birth is impossible, since you need to realize and understand the three jewels: Buddha (the most important jewel; Shakyamuni Buddha or any enlightened one), Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha, the object of teaching is nirvana) and the Sangha (a small group of Buddhists or Buddhists in general ). After realizing these jewels, it was necessary to follow the five Buddhist precepts: abstaining from killing, stealing, debauchery, deception and intoxication. However, non-observance of these commandments was not punished in any way - the Buddha relied on the common sense of his followers, and not on fear. The morals and ethics of Buddhists are based on not committing harm and cultivating a sense of concentration in a person. Meditation helps to understand the connection between spiritual, bodily and psychological processes.
The Buddha's teachings are associated with the so-called middle path, according to which neither asceticism nor hedonism is considered acceptable. Buddha himself explained that his teaching is not a divine revelation, but that he received it through meditative contemplation of his own spirit. The results depend only on the person himself. The Buddha believed that following his teachings must be done through personal experience. The purpose of the Buddha's teaching is to achieve the full development of the human mind.
The concept of God in Buddhism is very unusual, which distinguishes it from most Western religions. Buddhists do not have a single and permanent God; any enlightened person can become a Buddha. However, it is Buddha who is seen as a mentor.
The most important written source of Buddhism is considered to be the complete collection of Buddha's teachings, consisting of 108 volumes. This collection is called “Kanjur”. "Tenjur" - commentaries on the teachings, they consist of 254 volumes.
Life, according to Buddhism, is a manifestation of “streams” of dharmas, which are invisible and intangible. Dharmas constitute the experience of sentient beings. Living beings mean not only humans, but also everything that exists in this world. When the flow of dharmas disintegrates, death occurs, after which the dharmas are formed anew, therefore, the process of reincarnation (transmigration of souls) begins. The course of this process is greatly influenced by karma acquired in a previous life. The never-ending process of reincarnation, during which a person experiences suffering, ends with the achievement of nirvana (a state of peace and bliss, merging with the Buddha).
The concept of "dharma" is very common in Buddhist literature, especially in various philosophical works. Also, the concept of “dharma” also refers to the teachings of the Buddha.
Buddhist teaching is very multifaceted and interesting, first of all, because it is not based on faith. Experience is important in Buddhism, so limiting yourself to only describing the content of Buddhism is not enough. Buddhism in short is a very complex philosophy of life. All the distinctive features of Buddhism can be seen if we compare it with other religions and worldviews. It is important to remember one thing: one should approach this teaching only when the mind is freed from various moral standards.