The Catholic Approach:
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ExperientialThe experiential level of a religion is an extremely difficult aspect to grasp. One can truly only know what it means to be a Buddhist if they are a Buddhist. The way for non-Buddhists to learn about the experiential element is through the testimonies of Buddhists themselves.
DoctrinalThe doctrinal element of any faith is important, but especially in Buddhism. There are many core teachings of Buddhism. One of these teachings is that there is a great dharma running through everything in the universe. In living with this teaching, Buddhists can acquire the true compassion and wisdom (which ultimately leads to freedom from suffering). Buddhists also know that a liberation from suffering can only occur after living through it. Buddhism also teaches the idea of The Three Signs of Being. These are change, suffering, and no "I". Change points out the fact that nothing in the world is permanent, suffering is the belief that all lives contain suffering and after that comes happiness, and no "I" teaches that there is no soul or self in which an individual can anchor himself to. Buddhism also teaches The Four Noble Truths: The Noble Truth of Suffering, The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering, The Noble Truth of Cessation of Suffering, and The Noble Truth of the Way leading to the Cessation of Suffering: The Noble Eightfold Path. All these truths instruct Buddhists how to accept and henceforth transcend suffering. These are just of the few of the very important Buddhist teachings.
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Mythical & HistoricalThe history of Buddhism can be traced back to one man: Buddha Shakyamuni. Born as a royal prince in India, Buddha later left and retired to the forest to follow a spiritual life of meditation. Buddha then attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree. As a result of this, Buddha taught the first Wheel of Dharma, which includes the Four Noble Truths and the principle sources of the Hinayana. He explained how one can attain liberation from oneself and suffering. Since Buddha (5th century BC), Buddhism has flourished, especially in India and Central, East, and Southeast Asia. The Buddhist teachings were spread primarily around 380 BC and onward. Buddha's teachings were spread from his followers of monks who traveled through numerous villages and towns, preaching and describing the path to truth. Buddhism is one of the world's first religions, and it continues to be a very prominent religion in today's world. While these are only a few of the historical aspects of Buddhism, it is extremely important to understand the origins of the Buddhist faith.
SocialThere is a very specific social hierarchy in the Buddhist society. The social hierarchy are as follows: Buddhist monasteries, Buddhist monks, Buddhist nuns, Buddhist lay people, and Buddhist pilgrims. The Buddhist monasteries are the home of the people who devote their life entirely to Buddhism. These monasteries are the house of Buddhist monks, the highest group in the social hierarchy of Buddhism. They are extremely respected and valued in their community because they spend their time teaching and praying the Buddhist faith. The next class, Buddhist nuns, are the assistants to the monks in the monasteries. Buddhist lay people are the ones who provide the monks with all the necessities of life. These people are very generous with the monks and in return, are taught the religion. The lowest social class, the Buddhist pilgrims, and the people who travel from place to place in search of knowledge. They wander to and from various important Buddhist places such as Buddha's birthplace, the Bodhi Tree, and Buddhist monasteries. These people are travelers on the journey of their faith, learning the principles of Buddhism. This hierarchy plays an important role in Buddhism and contributes greatly to the social element of the Buddhist faith tradition.
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EthicalBuddhist moral teaching is very important to the faith. Buddhists are taught the "Five Precepts". They are as follows: to undertake the training to avoid taking the life of beings, to undertake the training to avoid taking things not given, to undertake the training to avoid sensual misconduct, to undertake the training to refrain from false speech, and to undertake the training to abstain from substances which cause intoxication and heedlessness. To undertake the training to avoid taking the life of beings is the teaching that all beings have a right to their lives and that right should be respected. To undertake the training to avoid taking things not given is the precept that one should avoid taking anything unless one can be sure that it is intended for that specific individual. To undertake the training to avoid sensual misconduct is to obtain from the overindulgence of any sensual or sexual pleasures. To undertake the training to refrain from false speech is to avoid lying and deception or anything that is not beneficial to the welfare of others. To undertake the training to abstain from substances which cause intoxication and heedlessness is the teaching that the abuse of alcohol can lead to the breaking of the other four precepts. There are numerous other Buddhist ethical teachings, but these are the five main principles of Buddhist ethics.
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MaterialThe material element of Buddhism is crucial in Buddhist worship. In worship, Buddhist uses material objects such as the bell, the gau, the kartika, the mandala, the phurpa, the prayer wheel, the vajra, and other important objects. The bell and the vajra are used together to lead an individual to enlightenment. The gau is the small metal prayer box carried by many Buddhists that acts as a portable shrine. The kartika is symbolizes that severance of all material and worldly bonds. The mandala is the concentric diagram that holds important spiritual and ritual significance. The phurpa is the dagger that symbolizes the slaying of obstructions. The prayer wheel is the cylindrical wheel on which a scroll, inscribed with many prayers, is placed. Along with all these objects of worship, the worship space is very important. Buddhist temples are the place where the worshipper can escape the material world and get connected to the spiritual world. These material objects are crucial to understanding the spiritual life of Buddhists.
RitualThe ritualistic aspect of Buddhism is very important. Buddhists have many rituals that are performed at the temple during the time of worship. This includes ritualistic bowing, chanting, lighting of incense, altar offerings, and meditation. There are even strict rituals within these practices. When bowing, the worshipper put their palms together and bow to Buddha to show him their utmost respect and honor. The worshipper then carries out prostration, where the individual bows, with palms upturned, on a kneeling stool. After the bowing, Buddhists carry out various chants. When they chant, they utter Buddha's teachings in hopes to train their thoughts through the repetition of words and phrases will instill in them perseverance, self-discipline, and charity. The worshipper also uses gongs while chanting to announce the time for a meeting, to mark different phases of tempos of chanting, and to aid the congregation during their meditation. Buddhists then light incense, which is a gesture that is to train the mind to focus on one single thing during mediation and to remind the worshipper to free themselves from samsara. The worshipper then offers various flowers and fresh fruit at the temple to thank Buddha for all he has done for them. The temple worship then finishes with meditation, which purifies the mind and aids the individual in developing the right concentration and calmness. While these are just a few of the many Buddhist rituals, they are crucial in the act of worshipping at the temple.
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