Buddhism

Introduction to Eastern Religions:  

While there are extensive discussions in the Interfaith Library on our Monotheistic traditions/faith communities, we want to acknowledge the many people in the world who adhere to different religious traditions that have also lasted for many many centuries, and often pre-dating our Monotheistic belief systems.  We are encouraging adherents of these various faith communities to join us and provide us with information they want us to know.

We want to thank Hojin Park and Bonnie Ostroff, our Buddhism librarians, for providing our first addition from this important group of traditions and belief systems.

Buddhism

Buddhism is one of the world’s largest religions and originated 2,500 years ago in India. Buddhists believe that the human life is one of suffering, and that meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and good behavior are the ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana.

One aspect of Buddhism that has gained interest in the general public is mindfulness. Mindfulness is now appreciated as a way to relieve stress and gain some measure of peacefulness.

In the full context of a Buddhist practice, mindfulness has a greater role to play in the well being of our life. This video presentation on mindfulness explains its importance in Buddhist practice.

Meditation is another area that has received increased attention recently. In particular, Buddhist meditation is a means of transforming the mind.

Buddhist meditation practices are techniques that encourage and develop concentration, clarity, emotional positivity, and a calm seeing of the true nature of things. By engaging with a particular meditation practice you learn the patterns and habits of your mind, and the practice offers a means to cultivate new, more positive ways of being.

With regular work and patience these nourishing, focused states of mind can deepen into profoundly peaceful and energized states of mind. Such experiences can have a transformative effect and can lead to a new understanding of life.

Additional Resources

1. If you would like to learn more about Buddhism, its founder, and its core principles, please watch this entertaining video for a comprehensive overview of Buddhism.

2. The History Channel has an article that also has a succinct overview of Buddhism.

www.history.com/topics/religion/buddhism

3. This article provides more in-depth information on Buddhist precepts and the variety of Buddhist practice around the world.

spice.fsi.stanford.edu/docs/introduction_to_buddhism

4. This article offers a clear and concise understanding of the Four Noble Truths, the foundation of the Buddha’s teaching.

Religions – Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths – BBC

5. This article explains the principle of dependent origination, sometimes called dependent arising, which is central to Buddhist philosophy and practice. In essence, this principle says that all things happen through cause and effect and that they are interdependent. No phenomenon, whether outer or inner, occurs except as a reaction to a previous cause, and all phenomena will, in turn, condition the following results.

www.learnreligions.com/inks-of-dependent-origination-449745

6. To gain Buddhahood, a Buddhist must achieve both perfect compassion and perfect understanding. The Six Perfections offer a clear method of practicing these perfections. This article offers more information.

www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zvw9dxs/revision/4

7. There is great emphasis in Buddhism on knowing how our mind creates everything, and with that realization, comes insight.  This article offers a deeper discussion of the mind from the Buddhist perspective.

www.lionsroar.com/everythings-made-of-mind

8. What exactly do we mean by meditation and a meditation practice? There is confusion around this topic that the following article addresses to describe the fullest meaning of a meditation practice.

tricycle.org/trikedaily/timeless-son

9. Buddhism offers a unique understanding of birth and death, and the impermanent nature of life. Please view the following video to gain this understanding.

For further reading on these comparisons and similarities between some spiritual aspects of Buddhism and Islam, tap this link 📖Common Ground Between Islam and Buddhism

Here is a comparison between Buddhism and Christianity:

Here is a video about some comparisons between Judaism and Buddhism:

As an example of this overlay of calm and aspiration to alleviate suffering, consider tapping this link 📚The Jew In The Lotus by Roger Kaminetz, in which he chronicles conversations between learned Rabbis and the Dalai Lama in 1994.

It is a somewhat interesting to see – how one finds angst in his or her own religious traditions and practices, and has to go outside to another framework to find the means to reengage with his or her own religious roots.

For further reading on these comparisons and Buddhist influences, consider book 📕Buddhism and Monotheism by Peter Harvey.

Notice in these references and so many others, the discussion about the Eastern and Western religions and their general shared concepts.  Of note, in the Western Religions as we know them (Islam, Christianity and Judaism) there are mystical traditions that hold some of the same dynamics of seeking peace and well-being, truly trying to integrate internal personal peace with the external reality and trying to make sense of our very complicated, fractured world.

For a more specific outlook, peruse through these books.

(TAP BOOK TO OPEN)

MJ

We here at Interfaith Library created this library to open dialogue, to be informative, educational and interactive; allowing for everyone to have an opportunity to grow within his/her belief/faith.

• [Hojin Park: Buddhist Librarian]
• [Bonnie Ostroff: Buddhist Librarian]