Colin GriffithBuddhism"I am not a god, nor Messiah, nor a healer; I am just awake." Buddha once stated. This quote is very powerful because it shows Buddha's humility; he believed that he was just a man who had reached enlightenment. He wanted to share the path to true happiness, stop suffering and show how to attain Nirvana. Buddhism is an atheist religion and consists of a group of beliefs and practices. It originated 2500 years ago from the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as, "The Buddha". The word Buddhism comes from "Buddi", which translates to awaken or enlighten. There are two major Buddhist branches: Theravada and Mahayana. The Buddhist religion has many different facets.

Buddhism has a long history dating back to about 500 BC. Siddhartha Gautama was born into the royal family in Lumbini, India. He had spent his life inside the palace and lived luxuriously, totally unaware what was outside the palace walls. One day he snuck out and what he saw changed his life. There were suffering, dying people that were very poor. He realized that he had to help and that wealth did not guarantee happiness.He studied philosophy, religion, and meditated for six years. At age 35, under a tree in deep meditation, Siddhartha was enlightened. He spent the rest of his life teaching what he had learned till his death at age 80.

Buddhists go to temples and shrines and have four holy sites. There can be two types of shrines: domestic and public. When a Buddhist stands before a shrine, the object that one sees helps him/her to recall the qualities that are found in the Buddha. This inspires them to work towards having these qualities in themselves. At the centre of a temple or shrine, there is usually an image of the Buddha. This is often made of marble, clay, wood, gold, or various other metals. Temples may also have volumes of Buddhist scriptures. Buddhists also meditate; meditation is the key tool to spiritual development. It is a mental discipline and goes beyond regular thinking. During meditation your mind goes into a deep state of relaxation or awareness. The four holy sites of pilgrimage for Buddhists are: Lumbini, where the Buddha was born; Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha was enlightened under the Bodhi tree; Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first teaching; and Kusinagara, where the Buddha passed away.

Like any religion Buddhism has countless festivals and ceremonies. The largest festival is Vesak or Buddha Day; which celebrates Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death all on one day on a full moon in May. Another big holiday is Ulambana or Ancestors Day; it is on the first to the fifteenth days of the eighth lunar month. On this day Buddhists believe that the mouth of hell is opened and ghosts visits the world for fifteen days.Buddhism is a religion without a god, but some believers worship the Hindu gods as well as follow the Buddha teachings. This can be a bit confusing, but a wise Nun explains it well, "For the common people the Hindu Gods are like a pair of crutches and a wall to lean on in case their legs and back are weak." The people must turn to the Hindu Gods for divine intervention, because Buddha does not give boons or favors, he does not even want to be worshiped. The Hindu gods however dispense boons such as wealth, artistic abilities, education, and power in return for worship. Buddha did not ban this worship; in addition, the monks believe that it does no harm and can give some relief.

Buddhism has many religious symbols.There is a common set of eight auspicious symbols or ashtamangala that often can be found in art. One symbol is the Endless Knot representing harmony. Another is the Lotus Flower that symbolizes Buddha's enlightenment. A third is the Wheel of Dharma representing the endless cycle of birth, rebirth, and knowledge. Eight spokes in the wheel stand for one of Buddha's most famous teachings the eight-fold path.Unlike many other religions Buddhism believes in the cycle of rebirth.Each birth takes place within one of six realms. Karma drives Samsara, the cycle of suffering and rebirth for each being. Rebirth is when beings go through a s uccession of lives. There are six stages to Buddhist rebirth. The first and lowest form possible is the Naraka beings, who live in one of many hells. Next there are the animals that share some space with humans but are still considered another type of life. After that comes the Preta who sometimes share some space with humans, when they do they are invisible to most people. The most important life is human being; we are in one of the realms of rebirth in which attaining Nirvana is possible. Nirvana is the perfect state of mind that is free from rebirth, suffering, craving, anger, and other bad states. Next in the cycle are Asuras who are low deities, demons, titans, and antigods. Finally Devas and Brahmas, who are gods, deities, spirits, angels. Birth and rebirth is an endless process that will go on forever, the only way to be free from it is to achieve enlightenment.

Buddhism is a popular religion and is growing each year. There are about 300 million people that practice this religion. Most Buddhists live in Asia, but supporters are found worldwide. Theravada Buddhists live mainly in Southeast Asia. While Mahayana Buddhists are found in East Asia; Mahayana includes Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren, and Vajrayana followers. To many it is not only a religion, but also a way of life.A Buddhist is one who takes refuge in The Three Jewels: the Buddha (the Awakened One), the Dharma (the Teaching of the Buddha) and the Sangha (the Community of Buddhists).People are choosing Buddhism because it explains a purpose of life. It also creates a code of practices that lead to true happiness and answers many of the problems in modern materialistic societies. Buddhism has a deep understanding of the human mind and provides much more.Buddhism can be different for every person, individuals are left to follow Buddha's teachings and interpret them as they wish.

As you can see the Buddhist religion has many different facets. Buddhism has a long history dating back to about 500 BC. Buddhism is a popular religion and is growing each year. Buddhists go to temples and shrines and have four holy sites.Like any religion Buddhism has countless festivals and ceremonies. Buddhism is a religion without a god, but some believers worship the Hindu gods, as well as follow the Buddha's teachings. Buddhism has many religious symbols. Unlike many other religions Buddhism believes in the cycle of rebirth. Although the Buddhist religion has many differences from Christianity, you can have a combination of regular Christian life while incorporating Buddha's teachings. Other people are realizing this too, and I hope more people may be informed about the Buddhist faith.