Buddhism

• Gifts may be flowers, which are beautiful but fade and serve as a reminder of the impermanence of things.
• They may also include candles, which are a mark of light and wisdom.
• Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to insight into the true nature of reality.
• Buddhists may leave gifts as a mark of respect and reverence to the Buddha.
• Buddhism does not include the idea of worshipping a creator god, some people do not see it as a religion in the normal, Western sense.
• Buddhism is a kind of trans-polytheism that accepts many long-lived gods, but sees ultimate reality, Nirvana, as beyond these.
• Nirvana is the goal of the Buddhist path.
• Nirvana has been interpreted as the extinction of the three fires: greed, aversion, and ignorance.
• When these fires are extinguished, release from the cycle of rebirth, saṃsāra, is attained.
• Samsara means “world”, it is also the concept of rebirth and indefinite repeated cycles of birth, misery, and death caused by karma.
• The Buddha rejected significant aspects of Hindu philosophy, challenged the authority of the priesthood, denied the validity of the Vedic scriptures, and rejected the sacrificial cult based on them.
• The Triple Gem, or Three Refuges, are three essential supporting components of Buddhism: the teachings of Buddha, the unmediated truth as experienced by the Enlightened mind, and the spiritual community to practice the Dharma.
• Buddhist ethics is concerned with the principles and practices that help one to act in ways that help rather than harm.
• Buddhist meditation practices are techniques that encourage and develop concentration, clarity, emotional positivity, and a clear seeing of the true nature of things.
• The aim of all Buddhist practices is prajna or wisdom, which is developing our own direct understanding of the truth.
• Buddhism believes in karma and reincarnation.
• The Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path are ways of attaining enlightenment and security in Buddhism.
• Karma refers to good or bad actions a person takes during her lifetime.
• Good actions bring about happiness in the long run.
• Bad actions bring about unhappiness.
• Neutral Karma derives from acts such as breathing, eating or sleeping and has no benefits or costs.
• Buddhist practices include rituals, a visual way for Buddhists to demonstrate their beliefs.
• Pujas are ceremonies that involve offerings, or gifts, and its purpose is to enable Buddhists to express how grateful they are to the Buddha for what he taught.
• Bowing is a common practice in Mahayana Buddhism as a sign of respect.
• Chanting is a form of meditation where Buddhists may sing the scriptures.
• 1) DUKKHA: the truth of suffering, Suffering exists, Life is suffering, Causes of Suffering: loss, sickness, pain, failure, and the impermanence of pleasure.
• Karma plays out in the cycle of rebirth, which consists of six planes into which any living being can be reborn: three fortunate realms, three unfortunate realms.
• 2) SAMUDAYA: the truth of the cause of suffering, Suffering is due to attachment, desire for fame; the desire to avoid unpleasant sensations.
• Inhabitants of the three unfortunate realms -- of animals, ghosts and hell.
• 3) NIRHODHA: the truth of the end of suffering, Attachment can be overcome, Suffering ceases with the final liberation of Nirvana.
• Malas are used by Buddhists to help them focus during worship.
• Buddhists revere many sacred texts and scriptures, including the Tipitaka, the “three baskets,” which are thought to be the earliest collection of Buddhist writings; Sutras, with more than 2,000 sutras, which are sacred teachings embraced mainly by Mahayana Buddhists; The Book of the Dead, a Tibetan text that describes the stages of death in detail.
• The Four Noble Truths are principles that explain why humans hurt and how to overcome suffering.
• Meditation is central to Buddhism and there are two main types of Buddhist meditation: vipassana (insight) and samatha (tranquility).
• Those with favorable, positive karma are reborn into one of the fortunate realms: the realm of demigods, the realm of gods, and the realm of men.
• 4) MAGGA: the truth of the path that frees us from suffering, to end suffering, one must follow the Eightfold Path.
• The Three Jewels in Buddhism includes the Buddha (yellow), the Dharma (blue), and the Sangha (red).
• Siddharta Gautama is the founder of Buddhism, also known as Buddha.