Paper Topic:
Buddhism
(Name (Professor (Subject xx January 2008 Buddhism Religion is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as "a personal set of institutionalized system of religious attitudes , beliefs , and practices " held with faith and ardor . Given this definition , Buddhism appears to belong to the category of a religion rather than a philosophy , which simply refers to a set of basic beliefs that an individual has (Merriam-Webster , Incorporated Buddhism is a religion that has more than three hundred million followers all over the world . It has been around for more than two thousand
five hundred years , since Siddhartha Gautama began the quest for Enlightenment in the 6th Century BC . Buddhism may not appear like a religion at first glance because it does not advocate the belief in a personal God (Smith and Novak . Unlike other religions , Buddhism is not concerned with establishing a close relationship between God and humans rather , Buddhism is concerned with a person 's spiritual development Moreover , Buddhism wants people to attain deep insight on life (British Broadcasting Corporation
Buddhism focuses on man 's realization of the nature of life as interconnected . This interconnection is the reason why it is important for man to practice compassion . Buddhism likewise advocates that the practice of meditation would lead to wisdom and morality , which is the path to enlightenment (British Broadcasting Corporation
Another factor influencing the opinion that Buddhism is a religion is the fact that it encourages worship services , although they can be done both in temples and at home . Moreover , Buddhism encourages the expression of faith through various festivals held throughout the year Finally , Buddhism consists of different sects , the primary ones of which are Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism . All of these characteristics of Buddhism point to the conclusion that it is a religion rather than a philosophy (British Broadcasting Corporation
Works Cited
British Broadcasting Corporation . Buddhism at a glance ' 2008
Smith , Huston and Philip Novak . Buddhism : A Concise Introduction 2003 . San Francisco : Harper
Merriam-Webster , Incorporated . Philosophy . 2008 . 28 Jan . 2008
Merriam-Webster , Incorporated . Philosophy . 2008 . 28 Jan . 2008
PAGE
PAGE 1
Last Name...
Not the Essay You're looking for? Get a custom essay (only for $12.99)
More Reports on religion, buddhism, Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Webster
Related searches on Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism, Webster
- Mahayana Buddhism essays
- sample studies on British Broadcasting Corporation
- papers on buddhism
- Theravada Buddhism analysis
- merits of Mahayana Buddhism
- disadvantages of religion
- advantages and disadvantages of Mahayana Buddhism
- Theravada Buddhism summary
- cause and effect of buddhism
- buddhism fallacies
- Webster test
- advantages of religion
- Theravada Buddhism introduction
