Module 7 blogpost 1

                 

                  Buddhism was a faith that was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, "The Buddha", more than 2,500 years ago in India. With about 470 million followers, scholars consider it to be one of the major world religions. The practice of Buddhism has historically been more prominent in East and Southwest Asia. 

                  Followers of Buddhism don't believe in a supreme god or deity. They instead focus on trying to achieve a state of enlightenment - a state of inner peace and wisdom. When followers reach this state of enlightenment they are said to have reached nirvana. The path to enlightenment is attained by utilizing mortality, meditation, and wisdom. Buddhists often meditate because they believe that it helps awaken the truth. The religions founder, Buddha, is considered to be an extraordinary man, but not a God. Buddhism encourages its people to avoid self indulgence and also self denial. 

                   Buddha's most important teachings, known as the Four Noble Truths, are considered essential to understanding the religion. The Four Noble Truths include, The Truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of the suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path leading to the end of suffering. In Buddhism they also follow the Eightfold Path. The first step of the Eightfold Path is the Right Understanding. This step in the path relates to seeing the world and everything in it as it really is, not how want or imagine it to be. The second step is the Right Intent. This is the step where you become committed to the path. The third step is Right Speech. This step involves recognition of truth and an awareness of the impact of gossip. The fourth step is Right Action. This step recognizes the need to take the ethical approach in life. The fifth step is Right Livelihood. This step promotes the principal of equality in all living beings and respect for all life. The sixth step is Right Effort. This step means cultivating a positive attitude in a balanced way. The seventh step is Right Mindfulness. This step means being aware of the moment and being focused in that moment. The final step is Right Concentration. This step implies that we select worthy directions for the concentration of the mind.