Buddhism was founded over two thousand years ago in India by a man named Buddha Shakyamuni. Born as a royal price, Buddha lived in the palace until he was 29, at which point he chose a different path. His meditations led him to six years in study, and he finally obtained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, India. During his lifetime he would give over 84,000 teachings.
Buddha believed that all problems of the human race grew out of confused and negative states of mind, and that a peaceful or positive state of mind would alleviate all the woes. His teachings focused on overcoming the negatives, such as jealousy, anger, discontent, ignorance, and worry, and instead focusing on the positive, such as love, compassion, devotion, and learning.
Meditation is the cornerstone of the Buddhism religion. Meditating is meant to cleanse the mind of all the negatives and enable the follower to turn to the positives. It involves understanding our mental state, resolving to change it, and following through. Basic meditation is wonderful for everyone, regardless of religious belief – but in order to go further into the Buddhism religion and meditation, one must have faith in the three jewels: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
Followers of Buddhism believe in karma, which is often summed up in the old saying, “What goes around, comes around.” What you do to others, and how you treat them, comes back to you at a later point in life, whether it was good or bad. Good deeds breed more good, while evil deeds lead to terrible karma.
A person’s karma leads to the rebirth they will experience. Buddhists believe that the body and the mind are separate entities, and that as the body declines and dies, the mind remains strong and working. The karma you achieved during your first life leads you to your reward in the next. Good karma leads a person to come back as a human or a god, while bad karma leads a person to come back as an animal or other lower being. A perfect attainment of enlightenment, however, allows the follower to choose his or her own rebirth.
Though Buddha did not rule out the possibility of a supreme being, and in fact has been idealized himself with numerous statues, carvings and the like, the religion of Buddhism turns to what is within the person and uses that as the basis of the belief.
Regardless of religious belief, however, the basic tenants of Buddihism – love, compassion, caring for others, understanding of self, and seeking to be virtuous in every activity, every day – are beautiful teachings for anyone to use to their benefit.