BUDDHISM 101

 

There are four main beliefs in Buddism that revolve around TRUTH...

the truth of suffering

the truth of the cause of suffering

the truth of the end of suffering

the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering

Now, I understand the concept of TRUTH as truth is oftentimes a slippery slope but I don't understand the concept of suffering from the standpoint that all their beliefs revolve around the concept of suffering...

Life is a celebration even though there are aspects of the celebration that revolve around suffering...  There is too much beauty and joy in life to see it as nothing more than learning how to end suffering.

There are 3 branches of Buddhism:  THERAVEDA, MAHAYANA, and VAJRAYANA and these are the vehicles that carry pilgrims from suffering to enlightenment.

So, enlightenment is reached (so to speak) when one's suffering ends or when one learns how to take the path that leads to the end of suffering...  although, I suppose that there are no guarantees that suffering will end or that enlightenment will actually be reached.  How can one be 100% confident that enlightenment has been reached since no one really knows what is inside the mind of another human being?

There are 5 precepts of Buddhism that one can easily see are similar to Christianity...

1. Refrain from taking life
2. Refrain from taking what is not given
3. Refrain from the misuse of one's senses
4. Refrain from wrong speech
5. Refrain from intoxicants

There are 4 stages that take one away from the sensory world...

1. Detach oneself from consciousness
2. Suppression of reason and investigation
3. The passing away of joy
4. Entering a state of pure possession

One might also refer to this as a form of meditation where one is completely oblivious to one's outside environment...

When one is in this state of semi-consciousness, one is not only oblivious to what is going on around them, but one has no consciousness or awareness at all...  one is in a void of emptiness where absolutely NOTHING is taking place...  you are as empty as you were before being born...  and probably more so because babies are aware of their mother's presence in the womb.

While it might be nice to achieve complete and total enlightenment...  what is that kind of level of consciousness or unconsciousness good for outside of emptying one's mind of anxiety for example?

What do you do with enlightenment except tell others that you have been there...