BUDDHISM

Buddhism as propounded by Lord Gautam Buddha is also known as ethical system or codes of conduct or scientific analysis of sufferings and the ways to encounter them for attainment of Nibbana or Nirvana or final salvation. Buddhism does not believe in the eternal existence of God and the soul (Atma). Everyone is master of himself. To get rid of the wheel of existence, the path shown by the Buddha is known as the Noble Eightfold Path. Understanding of the four noble truths are of basic importance for a Buddhist to empower oneself to lead to the path to enlightenment. They are (a) the truth of the existence of suffering (b) The truth existence of the cause of the suffering (c) the truth of the existence of means to mitigate the suffering and (d) the eight noble paths to get rid of the suffering which is also known as the middle path. Buddhism prescribes to abstain from extremities either of too much of sensual pleasures or of too much physical torture, and advises to lead the middle path. Blind faith, commandments from any lord or blind following of any doctrine is foreign to Buddhism.  Habit of free thinking and investigation of truth in every individual is the basic philosophy inculcated and encouraged. This philosophy is against any discrimination in the ground of caste, creed, colour and sex. Buddha vehemently opposed the practice of animal sacrifice and slave system. Furthermore, Buddhism, as Adlous Huxley writes, is alone of all the great world religions, which made its way without persecution, censorship or inquisition.

However, various derivations and interpretations through new thoughts and philosophies like  Mahayana, Tantrayana and other schools of Buddhism have developed various diverse philosophies. Different traditional inputs and derivations gave multiple colours to Buddhism and, thus started worshipping of many deities in Buddhist texts and shrines.  

Propounder of Modern Buddhism is known to Buddha Gautam, or Sakyamuni, who attained  enlightenment on the 49th day of his latest meditation at Buddha Gaya. He attained three-fold knowledge namely:

1. The knowledge of his own previous births;

2. The knowledge of the births and deaths of all other beings; and,

3. The knowledge of his ultimate release from the whole processes of life. 

He gained the highest knowledge and came to know that he was completely free from the forces of ignorance, of sensuous desires and from any bondage and desire for existence. Having understood the causes and remedies of suffering in this world, he made his way to modern Benaras and preached his first sermon in the deer park at Sarnath. This sermon became immortalized in his symbolic gesture of Turning-the-Wheel-of-the-Law or Dharma Chakra Mudra.