What is Buddhism?

[David Mathews]

Hello Buddhists,

I am seeking a Buddhist to write a guest column for my home page describing
the fundamental principles of Buddhism in a concise, eloquent manner which a
non-Buddhist reader may understand. Anyone who wishes to write such an
essay for me should have a home page (since I will link the essay to the
author's home page).

My home page is:

Http://www.geocities.com/athens/agora/3958

The submission form is found in the guest column section of the home page.
I look forward to your responses.

Thanks,

David Mathews

[TScull2000]

Buddhism is the belief system which grew out of the teachings of Siddhartha
Gautama (6th Century BC, India) who is called Buddha, The Awakened One.
Central to Buddhism is the end of suffering. The Buddha expressed this in The
Four Noble Truths. They are :

1. Suffering is encountered by all who live.

2. The cause of suffering is borne of craving.

3. This causal connection between craving and suffering can be severed.

4. The Eightfold Path, comprised of Wisdom, Meditation and Moral Conduct are
keys to making this severence and freeing onself from the endless cycle of
suffering.

The Buddha was never concerned with using his beliefs to control those who
followed him. He believed the individual need not accept anything on "faith"
but enjoined his listeners to apply what he said. If what they found released
them from suffering, fine; if not, they were free to find another way that
worked best for them.

Buddhism emphasizes the existential over the speculative. Such metaphysical
questions as Does God exist? or What happens to me when I die? was of little
concern to the Buddha. Like many great teachers, he was more concerned with
practice than speculative discourse. The key to embracing what the Buddha
taught is the desire to end the cycle of craving which leads to suffering.
Practice is at the heart of Buddhism, not a series of propositions.

There is some concern over whether or not Buddhism should be considered a
religion. Since the common usage of religion is in connection with a supreme
being, Buddhism's lack of affirmation in such a being would seem to keep it
from such a status. In practice, however, where there are temples, worshipers,
priests, monks, nuns and ritual devotions, one could argue that Buddhism has
become a religion. This is of little ultimate concern because the teaching
(dharma) is the essential offering of Buddhism. What Buddhism has to offer
anyone interested in ending suffering is a journey of intense practice outlined
in the teachings of the Buddha (dharma) with the support of a community of
practitioners (sangha) with a reverence for the Buddha in us--- the potiential
for being awakened from our suffering dream.

P.S. I don't have a homepage yet. However, if this can still be of some use,
so much the better.