Is Buddhism a religion? Or a philosophy? There are conflicting viewpoints on this issue, because Buddhism places more emphasis on ethical and moral living than it does on explaining how the world was created or who rules over human existence. In fact, in Buddhism there is no all-mighty god who created the world and now oversees it. Instead, Buddhists look to Buddha, the religion’s founder, as a model of how to behave. Buddhism does have a very strict and complex set of rules for living, however, one that emphasizes living in harmony with all other beings.

How Buddhism Began

Buddhism arose from the teachings of Siddartha Gautama, a prince who lived in northeast India during the sixth century B.C.E. Because his biography was not written down until many years after his death, his complete life story is not known. As legend has it, however, even at his birth it was recognized he would achieve great things. The sages, or “wise ones,” said he would either be an influential spiritual leader or a mighty ruler. Though born and raised to be the latter, he ultimately chose the former.

The sages had another prediction. If Siddartha saw the four realities of human suffering--an old man, a sick man, a dead man and a hermit monk--he would abandon his royal life and retreat to the forest. This was not what Siddartha’s father, King Shuddhodana, wanted for his son, so he did everything in his power to prevent it. The king wanted Siddartha to one day be a powerful ruler, and only by sheltering him from this human suffering could he ensure that his son would ascend to the throne instead of retreating to the forest. The king built for his son a life of luxury, privilege and pleasure, complete with lavish palaces and a beautiful wife. He also ordered that Siddartha never see the four sights the sages had spoken of. According to tradition, however, the gods knew when it was time for Siddartha’s time of enlightenment, and stepped in to make sure he would see the suffering that was to lead him on his spiritual quest. Over time, the gods created the four sights and placed them in Siddartha’s path. He did exactly as predicted: so moved by what he’d seen, he abandoned his royal life for the forest, and spent the rest of his life on a quest for the truth about the nature of human existence.

For the first six years, Siddartha roamed the countryside, begging for his food and attempting to sublimate his earthly concerns through methods like yoga and self-mortification, or depriving oneself of even the bare necessities. Only by transcending such material needs, Siddartha believed, could he be free to devote himself to finding the truth. Eventually, however, he realized that these practices were in fact undermining his quest. How, Siddartha wondered, could someone in a state of exhaustion and suffering possibly undertake such an arduous journey? It was only by achieving a state of peace and calm that someone could be clear-headed enough to actively seek the truth. After this realization, Siddartha instead chose a “middle path” between a life of luxury and a life of deprivation. Determined to at last gain understanding, he turned to meditation to help him achieve insight. He sat cross-legged under a bodhi, or wisdom tree, and vowed to remain there until he had achieved enlightenment. On the night of the first full moon, it is said, Siddartha achieved this enlightenment, or Buddhahood. He saw all of his former lives, and then, finally, he gained insight into the nature of the world and human existence. He also realized how humans could find peace and live according to their true natures. It was at this point that he became known as the Buddha, or “enlightened one.” With this new understanding, Buddha set out to share his vision with the world.

The Buddhist Worldview - Key Concepts

Though Buddhists don’t place as much importance on creation stories as many other religions do, they have developed an intricate explanation for the origin of the world and the nature of existence. This explanation tackles everything from how the world was created to the ultimate goal of human existence.

Origin of the World

Unlike many religions, Buddhism does not teach that an all-powerful god created the universe and now rules over it. Instead, the world we know now is the product of an endless cycle of creation and destruction. In the Buddhist view, the universe is infinite in terms of both time and space, and the universe is created and then destroyed over and over again, in a process of natural evolution. Each time the world is formed, human civilization begins, gradually progressing until we have a world similar to the one that now exists. It may continue like this for centuries or millennia, until the next destruction. Then, all beings are reborn in the World of Radiance, a heavenly realm where they live a blissful existence. Eventually, though, this heavenly realm begins to evolve, and a lower heaven called the World of Brahma is created. At first, the World of Brahma is empty, until some being from the World of Radiance is reborn into this new realm. After living there alone for some time, this being begins to long for company, and gradually other beings from the World of Radiance join him in the World of Brahma. Eventually one of the beings from the World of Brahma is reborn on Earth, and the process begins again, until this earthly plane has evolved into a complex, complicated civilization that will exist for many years until the next destruction.

Dharma

For Buddhists, Dharma means ultimate truth, both about the nature of human existence and about the nature of the universe and the world. Dharma is not a being or a god who controls human existence, instead it is an eternal principle that transcends everything else, but is also present everywhere around us. To Buddhists, Dharma is a source of both refuge and awe.

It is an idea set forth in some of the Buddha’s earliest teachings, and is central to the Buddhist understanding of reality. This truth, or Dharma, that Buddha preached stated that there is nothing in this world that is permanent or absolute, not even self. Instead, we live in an ever-changing world where there is nothing to cling to. But because we cling to the material world and the idea of a permanent, eternal self, we suffer, Buddha said, and so we should let go.

Karma

In the Buddhist view, a person’s actions not only have consequences in this life, but can also shape a person’s destiny in subsequent lives. Buddhists believe that all people are reborn again and again, in a cycle called samsara, until they achieve spiritual enlightenment and reach nirvana. How they are reborn in the next life depends on how they behave in this life. A person’s behavior and the consequences resulting from their behavior, are called karma.

According to Buddhist principles, nothing is random. Both suffering and reward are direct consequences of a person’s behavior, whether in this life or in a previous one. Good deeds are rewarded by a better rebirth, and bad deeds are punished by a lesser rebirth. Whatever the state of a person’s life, it is completely justified, because it is based on their own deeds. Karma dictates every aspect of a person’s rebirth, including their:

• financial situation
• physical appearance
• social class
• health and longevity
• species
• intelligence

A human can be reborn as anything, from an insect to a god. Gods have no otherworldly powers, however, and are only concerned with their own pleasure. They cannot achieve enlightenment, and so rebirth as a human is the ultimate goal, because they are the only ones who can attain nirvana.

Nirvana

All Buddhists strive towards one goal: freedom from the cycle of rebirth. Buddhists call this nirvana, a state of being in which attachment to the material world has been transcended. In theory, anyone can reach nirvana. Only those on the monastic path, however, follow all the principles needed to attain this advanced spiritual state. These monks and nuns have much stricter guidelines than laypeople, and are able to devote their lives to eliminating their attachment to the material world. Through ethical and moral behavior, however, laypeople can improve their karma, and thus improve their rebirth. If they are diligent, they may eventually be reborn as a monk or nun, and can set forth on the path to achieving nirvana. If they do attain nirvana, they will be freed from the cycle of rebirth and able to live life in the moment.

The Four Noble Truths

When Buddha attained enlightenment, he realized why human existence is filled with so much suffering and struggle: we are too attached to material concerns. Because we yearn and crave, we are discontented and frustrated. He simplified the problem into four main ideas, called The Four Noble Truths, which he proclaimed in his first sermon. For Buddhists, the nature of existence is explained by these four concepts:

1. Life is suffering.
2. The cause of suffering is craving.
3. Suffering can be ended by suppressing craving.
4. Craving can be suppressed by following the Noble Eightfold Path: right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.

The Buddhist Model for Behavior

An ethical and moral life is the basis for the Buddhist model of behavior. Respect, love and compassion are highly valued in Buddhism, and to this end, Buddha established several guidelines to help followers stay true to the Buddhist path.

The Noble Eightfold Path

To help followers on the path to spiritual transformation, Buddha outlined a set of principles designed to foster moral behavior, contemplation and wisdom. These principles are key to living the kind of life through which greater spiritual awareness can be attained, and are called The Noble Eightfold Path:

1. Right understanding: knowing the key principles of Buddhism.
2. Right intention: embracing an attitude of selflessness, compassion and goodwill.
3. Right speech: always telling the truth.
4. Right action: not hurting or killing other living beings.
5. Right livelihood: avoiding occupations that hurt other people.
6. Right effort: developing a strong will that is conducive to wholesome emotional states.
7. Right mindfulness: being aware of what goes on in one’s body and mind.
8. Right concentration: using meditation to achieve greater mental awareness.

The Five Precepts

Central to Buddhism is the idea of living an ethical and moral life. While Buddhists do strive for spiritual enlightenment, the primary focus is on the here and now. It is imperative to treat others with respect, and to behave in a way that promotes harmony among all living things. The essence of Buddhist ethics is represented by The Five Precepts, which are recited often by Buddhists. These precepts illustrate Buddhism’s practical nature: the focus is on the earthly life, not on achieving salvation after death. The Buddha did see the precepts as steps towards spiritual transformation, however, because they provided a model for living the ideal life:

1. To refrain from taking life.
2. To refrain from taking what is not given.
3. To refrain from wrong sexual relations.
4. To refrain from wrongful speech.
5. To refrain from drugs and liquor.

Branches of Buddhist Thought

As Buddhism spread throughout the world, several schools of thought developed, each with its own take on the religion. There are two main branches of Buddhism: Theravada, also called the Path of the Elders, which took hold in South Asia, and Mayahana, also known as the Greater Vehicle, which was prevalent in East Asia. In Tibet, Vajrayana, also known as Diamond Vehicle and as Tantric Buddhism, took root.

Theravada, also known as the Path of the Elders, has adhered more closely to the principles established when the religion was young. Followers of this path say it is more in keeping with the Buddha’s original teachings. According to Theravada, only people who are very spiritually advanced can reach nirvana in their lifetime.

Mayahana Buddhism, also called the Greater Vehicle, has been more welcoming of new ideas, and unlike Theravada, says that all people can achieve enlightenment, as opposed to only monks and nuns. It is not clear exactly how Mayahana developed, but it is known that it came into existence between the second century B.C.E. and the first century C.E.

Vajrayana Buddhism is a combination of traditional Buddhist principles and Tantric aspects of Hinduism. Vajrayana Buddhists use several tools to help them achieve Buddhahood, including rituals, mantras and sacred diagrams. They have also incorporated new elements into the religion, such as additional gods, goddesses, Buddhas and other beings.

The Future of Buddhism

Buddhism has endured a turbulent existence during the centuries since its creation. Several ideas, faiths and political systems have challenged the religion, in particular Communism, which came to dominate much of Asia. Because Asia had traditionally being a Buddhist stronghold, Buddhism found itself cast aside by this new and pervasive way of life. In addition, political turmoil in many of the traditionally Buddhist countries has threatened to destroy the religion and its principles, but time and again its followers have fought hard to preserve their faith. Buddhism is currently going through a period of renewal, as it is being discovered and re-discovered by people all over the world. No longer a strictly Asian way of thinking, Buddhism has gained followers from cultures across the globe, and even in the West. And immigrant Buddhists have helped their religion gain popularity in the Western world, by sharing their ideas and attracting people to the faith in ever-greater numbers.