PCIM

Buddhism

Founder

Founded by Buddha (Siddhartha Gautma) in about 525 BC in India. An offshoot of Hinduism.

Writings

The Tripitaka (Three Baskets), which has more than 100 volumes.

Who is God?

Buddhism is mostly atheistic. Many Buddhists do not believe in a God or Supreme Being of any kind. Others speak of the Buddha as a universal enlightened consciousness or as a god.

Who is Jesus?

Jesus Christ is not part of this belief. Buddhists in the West generally view Jesus as an enlightened man.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is not part of this belief

How to be saved.

Goal of life is nirvana, to eliminate all desires or cravings, and in this way escape suffering. The Eightfold Path is a system to free Buddhists from desiring anything

What happens after death?

People do not have a soul or spirit. However, one’s desires and feelings may be reincarnated into another person. No heaven or hell.

Other beliefs or practices.

Eightfold path recommends right knowledge, intentions, speech, conduct, livelihood, right effort, mindfulness, and meditation. Some Buddhist groups talk about an eternal Buddha (life-force). Some Buddhists offshoots include Zen, Nichiren Shoshu, and Tibetan (occultic) Buddhism.

The core of Buddhism are the 4 noble truths.

1. Everything is suffering
2. The cause of Suffering is Desire
3. Nirvana is the end of suffering
4. The way to achieve Nirvana is by following the eightfold path.

Nirvana is the end of the cycle of death and reincarnation. The word literally translated means to extinguish.

Reincarnation for a Buddhist is not the same as it is for a Hindu. The Thervada Buddhist has as a core principle that there is no soul. So the rebirth is not a soul, but rather the mystical effect of the life you have lived. It is not the transmittal of a soul.

Buddhism has hundreds of sects that run all the way through all sorts of beliefs, including some Chinese forms that have deities. The Fat Buddha Statue is a Bodhisattva (basically a Buddha that passed on Nirvana to help those who are still trying) that is joyous. It is not Siddhartha Gautama, as he was very thin.