| "Buddhism" as a word, refers to many distinct
systems of ideas. These range from bodies of work that are sober, practical
philosophies about life to bodies of work that are properly called "religion".
They are all based on Siddhattha Gotama's ( The historical person called
"The Buddha" ) "The Four Noble Truths".
Siddhattha Gotama was an Indian prince who lived over 2500 years in what is now Nepal. Convinced that suffering is inherent in life he gave up his royal position to become a penniless, wandering beggar so that he could search for an answer to this misery among the great spiritual teachers of his time. He eventually concluded that freedom from suffering could be achieved by a combination of moral discipline and a special kind of psychological training of his own invention. Buddhists believe that you can liberate yourself
from many of the miseries inherent in life. This liberation
Buddhists believe that our daily lives are immersed in instances of the "Four Noble Truths", but we miss seeing them for a lack of sufficient awareness. The word "Vipassana" roughly translates to "clear seeing" or "insight". Theravada Buddhist Meditation involves a collection of techniques to promote this mental state and increase awareness so that a person can discover the instances of "The Four Noble Truths" happening around them. This involves a person training to improve their concentration and focusing their awareness on 4 sets of objects. Awareness of one's bodily sensations, emotions, thoughts, and mental states. These meditation techniques are not inherently religious in nature , you don't need to believe in anything in order to do them. It is about training yourself to become a better observer, so that you can observe the truths in life for yourself. For a more thorough introduction you can read
"What
Is Theravada Buddhism?" by John Bullit
You may also want to examine the reading materials available from the Free Books & Periodicals link on this page. |
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