Research Paper
...one of the most misunderstood forms of religion in this day and age( Wikipedia 1). This religion is so complex with its many different beliefs, and yet once understood, can seem so simple. Many western-religious believers don't understand the complexities of this predominately Mideastern religion, simply because they don't take the time to learn the aspects of Buddhism, or because Buddhism's "beliefs are incompatible with Christian principles" of western society (Welsh 1). The main points of Buddhism are the Five Moral Concepts, Three Marks of Existence, Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, the two kinds of Karma, and monks. Buddhism also offers explanations on the subject of raising children. This religion has also been compared to many others and has been concluded to although cherish their Buddhist children, exclude them until adulthood. Buddhism is considered a kind of philosophy that is based on the teachings of the founder of Buddhism, the Buddha, or first known as Siddhartha Gautama. The Buddha was born in the year 566BC and raised in Nepal. He was a prince of a tribe known as Sakya. When the Buddha was twenty-nine years old he left his home and wandered the countryside in search of an answer for the suffering he was witnessing around him (Boeree 1).
During the month of May, sometime after he left his home, on a full moon day, Siddhartha became Buddha, The Enlightened One. Historians have documented that Siddhartha sat down under a tree and meditated until he understood the meaning of his journey. Enlightenment can be described as fully understanding the meaning of life and all it has to offer. The Buddha understood for the first time in his life what it meant to have a life of meaning and appreciation for what was around him. After his enlightenment, Buddha wandered the plains of northeast India for more than forty-five years. He taught the path or...
View Full Essay
