Basic Beliefs of Buddhism
The Basic Beliefs of Buddhism can be demosntrated in the following concepts and doctrines:
The Four Noble Truths
The First Noble Truth is the existence of suffering. Birth is painful and death is painful; disease and old age are also painful.
The Second Noble Truth is the cause of sufering. It is the craving of desire for the pleasures of the senses, which seeks satisfaction now here, now there; the craving for happiness and prosperity in this life and in future lives.
The Third Noble Truth is the ending of suffering. To be free of suffering one must give up, get rid of, extinguish this very craving, so that no passion and no desire remain.
The Fourth Noble Truth leads to the ending of all pain by way of the Eightfold Path.
The Eightfold Path
The First Step on that path is Right views: You must accept the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.
The Second Step is Right Resolve: You must renounce the pleasures of the senses; you must harbor no ill will toward anyone and harm no living creature.
The Third Step is Right Speech: Do not lie; do not slander or abuse anyone. Do not indulge in idle talk.
The Fourth Step is Right Behavior: Do not destroy any living creature; take only what is given to you; do not commit any unlawful sexual act.
The Fifth Step is Right Occupation: You must yearn your livelihood in a way that will harm no one.
The Sixth Step is Right Effort: You must resolve and strive heroically to prevent any evil qualities from arising in you and to abandon any evil qualities that you may possess. Strive to acquire good qualities ad encourage those you do possess to grow, increase, and be perfected.
The Seventh Step is Right Contemplation: Be observant, strenous, alert, contemplative, and free of desire and of sorrow.
The Eighth Step is Right Meditation: When you have abandoned all sensous pleasures, all evil qualities, both joy and sorrow, you must enter the four degrees of meditation, which are prodced by concentration.
Buddhist Precepts
There are are five precepts taught by Buddhism that all Buddhists should follow:
1. Kill no living creature
2. Do not steal
3. Do not commit adultery
4. Tell no lies.
5. Do not drink intoxicants or take drugs.
Other precepts apply only to monks and nuns:
1. Eat moderately and only at the appointed time.
2. Avoid that wchich excites the senses.
3. Do not wear adornments.
4. Do not sleep in luxurious beds.
5. Accept no silver or gold.
Sacred Scriptures:
In Theravada (Southeast Asian) Buddhism, there are three groups of writitngs considered to be holy scripture, known as the "Three Baskets" (Tripitaka). The Vinaya Pitaka (discipline basket) contains rules for the higher class of Buddhists; the Sutta Pitika (teaching basket) contains the discourses of Buddha; and the Abidhamma Pitaka (metaphysical basket) contains Buddhist theology.
Mahayana (Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc.) Buddhism contains an incredibly large amount of holy writings, over five thousand volumes. The oldest scriptures are based on Sanskrit, while others have been written in Nepalese, Tibetan and Chinese. There are no clear limits as to what should be admitted as scripture, so thousands of writings on the topic have been admitted.