Buddhism is based on the teachings of Buddha Siddharta Gautama.
Buddhism is basically a non-theistic religion , but it also represents a philosophy , a method of spiritual training and a psychological system . It has been developed from the teachings of Buddha Siddharta Gautama , who lived in northeastern India in the 5th century BC .
The buddha or buddha is a concept that defines that individual who has managed to awaken spiritually and who brings happiness free of suffering. It should be noted that Buddha is not a supernatural being, a prophet or a God. Buddhism does not make postulates regarding a Creator and its teachings are not dictated as beliefs or dogmas , but rather it is the practitioners themselves who must verify them for themselves and then internalize them.
Purpose of Buddhism
The purpose of Buddhism is the elimination of feelings of vital dissatisfaction ( dukkha ), produced by anxious longing (understood as thirst , desire or greed ). This, in turn, is the product of a mistaken perception about the nature of life, existence and being.
The eradication of this situation occurs when the individual manages to awaken and acquires a deep understanding of reality and being ( enlightenment ). To achieve this state, Buddhism promotes various techniques to develop meditation and achieve wisdom.
It is important to note that Buddhism is not organized in a vertical hierarchy (for example, there is no leader like the Pope in Catholicism ). Religious authority is found in the sacred texts of the Buddha and in the interpretation made by teachers and monks.
The lighting
Returning to the concept of enlightenment , a Buddha is precisely considered to be an individual who has reached this state. Generally, this term is used to refer to the "first Buddha", that is, Siddharta Gautama, but it is not actually unique to him. This can be seen in the faces of the statues, which are diverse. The Laughing Buddha , for example, is another of the best known, it is believed to have originated in China and was called Ch'it'zu.
Currently there are many schools of Buddhism, although in the beginning there was only that of Siddharta Gautama. The factors that multiplied the educational centers were two, which fed each other: expansion to other parts of the world and division into several branches. It is necessary to clarify that the teachings are not identical in all of them, in part because the original texts were reinterpreted.
In Buddhism it is common for people to shave their heads as a symbol of the fight against vanity.
Buddhism and monastic life
One of the things we first notice about students of Buddhism is that they shave their heads. This is done by both men and women, that is, monks and nuns. In the set of rules for monastic life known as Pali Vinaya-Pitaka , it is established that hair must be shaved when its length is equal to that of two fingers, or every maximum of sixty days.
The goal of cutting your hair is to fight vanity , firmly commit to Buddhism, and leave the past behind. However, not all Buddhists do it, since it is not a mandatory rule but a suggestion to enhance efforts in the search for enlightenment.
In fact, cutting your hair is nothing compared to the real problems of life, those that we group under the category of suffering , something that according to Buddhism we must inevitably face. The Buddha's path begins with the acceptance of suffering to minimize it once enlightenment is achieved.
Another of the key elements of Buddhism is the wheel of dharma , which is made up of a series of objectives, all labeled as " right ." These include vision, determination, speech, effort and concentration.