The philosophy of Buddhism and the path of teaching. Kochetov believes that “the peacefulness of many supporters of Buddhism......can play a certain role in the modern world in the fight against the threat of a new super-destructive war”

25.09.2019

BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY: WHAT IS BUDDHISM?

What is Buddhism?- this is the first religion, the number of its followers today is steadily approaching a billion. Buddhist philosophy proclaims the principles of non-violence. The term “Buddhism” itself was created by Europeans, because this word was more acceptable to the ear. The Buddhist religion was so named under the influence of the legend of the prince, Siddhartha Gautama, who later became Buddha, or the enlightened one. The Buddhists themselves call the movement to which they belong “Budhitharma”, “Budhi” is the name of the tree under which the Buddha himself sat, and “tharma” - law, order, support, this word has many meanings. The Buddha's teachings spread very quickly throughout the world; China, Japan, Thailand, Tibet, and today Buddhist philosophy is very popular in Europe. More and more people are accepting Buddhism and the Buddha's teachings as their core life principles, guiding a person on the path of self-development and improvement. Buddhism is to a greater extent a practical religion aimed at helping a person now in his real life, in contrast to Christianity, which puts the emphasis on the afterlife, which is why Buddhism is becoming more and more popular.

Buddhism is often called a religion without God, because in this religion there is no personal God, as in Christianity. In some movements of Buddhism (and there are a lot of them), Buddha is perceived as a deity, but not in the usual Christian understanding of God.

BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY: TEACHINGS OF BUDDHA.

What is Buddhism? (The doctrine of the four noble truths and the doctrine of the non-existence of the soul and non-permanence)

Four Noble Truths: these truths were revealed to the Founder of Buddhism, the Buddha, as a result of his immersion in his own “I.” When the Buddha’s consciousness began to be compared to the ocean, and ceased to absorb information and also reflect this world, he discovered the four noble truths. “Samadhi” is insight, enlightenment, this is the name of the state in which the Buddha was.

What is the essence of these truths?
The first truth is the “truth of suffering” Buddha says that suffering is eternal and will always exist, it cannot be avoided by any living being.

Explanation:
Suffering in Buddhism and suffering in European thinking are somewhat different. In our understanding, there may be physical suffering and mental suffering. In Buddhism, the concept of suffering is more expanded. Buddhists believe that any person, rich or poor, who considers himself HAPPY, is in captivity of his own “Mayan” illusions. Buddhists say that even golden showers cannot make a person happy, because there will always be someone who will say that they got less. The state of happiness is not a result, it is a process and having achieved any goal set for oneself, feeling illusory happiness, sooner or later a person will ask the question: The goal has been achieved, but what next? that is, suffering in Buddhism is a state that haunts a person throughout his entire life, even when he considers himself happy.

The second truth is “the cause of suffering” Buddha will say; that one of the reasons for our suffering is our thirst for life, i.e. we are too attached to life and therefore we suffer. We are attached to our material world, financial, social well-being. We are very attached to our loved ones, and when they suffer, we suffer too.

The mechanism that helps a person come to terms with the conditions of his existence is the doctrine of karma.
What is karma? For Buddhism, karma is nothing more than an impersonal law, a set of actions, deeds that we perform throughout our lives. Karma is what determines our current life and shapes the future. From the point of view of Buddhism, in the suffering and troubles of one person, only that person himself is to blame. If in this life you are successful, rich and happy, then this means that in past lives you did everything possible to deserve your current position and happiness. According to Buddhism, of all living beings on earth, only man is capable of changing his karma.

on topic: Karma. Buddhism.

The Third Truth: “Suffering Can Be Ended” this truth gives hope to all humanity that any suffering can be stopped with the help of the fourth truth.

The fourth truth is: “There is a noble eightfold path to achieve Samadhi.” this path contains eight stages, through which a person on the path of self-improvement gradually becomes a completely different person.
Anyone who completes the noble eightfold path achieves the state of samadhi (enlightenment), the same state that the Buddha himself experienced while sitting under the buddhi tree. But samadhi is not a side chapel, there is more high level, this is nirvana.
Nirvana– literally means to disappear, fade away, later this term acquired such meanings as; bliss, tranquility, liberation. Nirvana is an absolute state, a feeling of freedom from everything material. Achieving nirvana is possible not only after death. Buddha himself, during his lifetime, achieved the state of nirvana twice. Buddha never gave his disciples an exact definition of what nirvana is. He believed that if he could give a certain mental image to the concept of "nirvana", then his followers would become attached to his description of this concept, and nirvana should be experienced by everyone individually. The state of nirvana is a unique experience, and it is different for everyone.

The doctrine of the non-existence of the soul and personality – In Buddhism, the understanding of what a person is, a personality, is very different from our understanding. There is no personality here, a person as an individual, there is only a set of some psychophysiological elements called “skanthas” (piles). Buddhists reject the concept of personality. Man, in their opinion, is just a word to designate certain groups of elements united in this life in the form of a specific appearance, nervous system, specific temperament, abilities, talents, etc. When we realize that we are ourselves, we are mistaken, we only it seems that we are a complete person.
The following follows from this: the doctrine of impermanence, the instantaneity of everything . The whole world cannot be characterized by eternity, everything is subject to inevitable destruction, everything has its end and its beginning.

BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY: WHAT IS BUDDHISM?

What is Buddhism?- this is the first religion, the number of its followers today is steadily approaching a billion. Buddhist philosophy proclaims the principles of non-violence. The term “Buddhism” itself was created by Europeans, because this word was more acceptable to the ear. The Buddhist religion was so named under the influence of the legend of the prince, Siddhartha Gautama, who later became Buddha, or the enlightened one. The Buddhists themselves call the movement to which they belong “Budhitharma”, “Budhi” is the name of the tree under which the Buddha himself sat, and “tharma” - law, order, support, this word has many meanings. The Buddha's teachings spread very quickly throughout the world; China, Japan, Thailand, Tibet, and today Buddhist philosophy is very popular in Europe. An increasing number of people accept Buddhism and the teachings of Buddha as the basic principles of life that guide a person on the path of self-development and improvement. Buddhism is to a greater extent a practical religion aimed at helping a person now in his real life, in contrast to Christianity, which puts the emphasis on the afterlife, which is why Buddhism is becoming more and more popular.

BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY: TEACHINGS OF BUDDHA.

What is Buddhism? (The doctrine of the four noble truths and the doctrine of the non-existence of the soul and non-permanence)

What is the essence of these truths?
The first truth is the “truth of suffering” Buddha says that suffering is eternal and will always exist, it cannot be avoided by any living being.

on topic: Karma. Buddhism.

The Third Truth: “Suffering Can Be Ended” this truth gives hope to all humanity that any suffering can be stopped with the help of the fourth truth.

The fourth truth is: “There is a noble eightfold path to achieve Samadhi.” this path contains eight stages, through which a person on the path of self-improvement gradually becomes a completely different person.
Anyone who completes the noble eightfold path achieves the state of samadhi (enlightenment), the same state that the Buddha himself experienced while sitting under the buddhi tree. But samadhi is not a side chapel, there is a higher level, this is nirvana.
Nirvana– literally means to disappear, fade away, later this term acquired such meanings as; bliss, tranquility, liberation. Nirvana is an absolute state, a feeling of freedom from everything material. Achieving nirvana is possible not only after death. Buddha himself, during his lifetime, achieved the state of nirvana twice. Buddha never gave his disciples an exact definition of what nirvana is. He believed that if he could give a certain mental image to the concept of "nirvana", then his followers would become attached to his description of this concept, and nirvana should be experienced by everyone individually. The state of nirvana is a unique experience, and it is different for everyone.

The philosophy of Buddhism and its modern meaning

Introduction

1. Features of the philosophy of Buddhism

1.1. Philosophy in Ancient India

1.2. Buddhism - as a world religion

2. Modern meaning of Buddhist philosophy

2.1. Experience natural man as a premise of the Buddha's teachings

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

The topic of this work: “The philosophy of Buddhism and its modern significance.” is due to its relevance. Buddhism is a religious and philosophical doctrine that arose in India in the 6th-5th centuries BC. It is part of San Jiao, one of the three main religions of China. The founder of Buddhism is the Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama, who later received the name Buddha, i.e. awakened or enlightened.

Buddhism arose in the northeast of India in areas of pre-Brahmin culture. Buddhism quickly spread throughout India and reached its peak at the end of the 1st millennium BC - the beginning of the 1st millennium AD. Buddhism has had big influence to Hinduism, which was being revived from Brahmanism, but was supplanted by Hinduism and by the 12th century AD. practically disappeared from India. The main reason for this was the opposition of the ideas of Buddhism to the caste system sanctified by Brahmanism. At the same time, starting from the 3rd century BC, it covered Southeast and Central Asia and partially Central Asia and Siberia.

Already in the first centuries of its existence, Buddhism was divided into 18 sects, disagreements between which caused the convening of councils in Rajagriha in 447 BC, in Vaishavi in 367 BC, in Patalirutra in the 3rd century BC. and led at the beginning of our era to the division of Buddhism into two branches: Hinayana and Mahayana.

Hinayana established itself mainly in the southeastern countries and was called southern Buddhism, and Mahayana - in northern countries, receiving the name of Northern Buddhism.

The spread of Buddhism contributed to the creation of syncretic cultural complexes, the totality of which forms the so-called Buddhist culture.

A characteristic feature of Buddhism is its ethical and practical orientation. From the very beginning, Buddhism opposed not only the significance of external forms of religious life and, above all, ritualism, but also against the abstract dogmatic quests characteristic, in particular, of the Brahmanic-Vedic tradition. As central problem In Buddhism, the problem of the existence of the individual was put forward.

Suffering and liberation are presented in Buddhism as different states of a single being: suffering is the state of being of the manifested, liberation is the state of the unmanifested. Both, being inseparable, appear, however, in early Buddhism as a psychological reality, in developed forms of Buddhism - as a cosmic reality.

Buddhism imagines liberation, first of all, as the destruction of desires, or more precisely, the extinguishing of their passion. The Buddhist principle of the so-called middle (middle) path recommends avoiding extremes - both the attraction to sensual pleasure and the complete suppression of this attraction. In the moral and emotional sphere, the dominant concept in Buddhism is tolerance, relativity, from the standpoint of which moral precepts are not mandatory and can be violated.

In Buddhism there is no concept of responsibility and guilt as something absolute; a reflection of this is the absence in Buddhism of a clear line between the ideals of religious and secular morality and, in particular, the softening or denial of asceticism in its usual form. The moral ideal of Buddhism appears as absolute non-harm to others (ahinsa), resulting from general gentleness, kindness, and a sense of complete contentment. In the intellectual sphere of Buddhism, the distinction between the sensory and rational forms of knowledge is eliminated and the practice of so-called contemplative reflection (meditation) is established, the result of which is the experience of the integrity of being (non-distinction between internal and external), complete self-absorption. The practice of contemplative reflection thus serves not so much as a means of understanding the world, but as one of the main means of transforming the psyche and psychophysiology of the individual. As a specific method of contemplative reflection, the dhyanas, called Buddhist yoga, are especially popular. The state of perfect contentment and self-absorption, absolute independence of inner being - the positive equivalent of the extinction of desires - is liberation, or nirvana.

At the heart of Buddhism is the affirmation of the principle of personality, inseparable from the surrounding world, and the recognition of the existence of a unique psychological process in which the world is involved. The result of this is the absence in Buddhism of the opposition of subject and object, spirit and matter, the mixing of the individual and cosmic, psychological and ontological, and at the same time emphasizing special potential forces hidden in the integrity of this spiritual-material existence. The creative principle, the final cause of being, turns out to be the mental activity of a person, which determines both the formation of the universe and its disintegration: this is the volitional decision of the “I”, understood as a kind of spiritual-physical integrity. From the non-absolute significance for Buddhism of everything that exists regardless of the subject, from the absence of creative aspirations in the individual in Buddhism, the conclusion follows, on the one hand, that God as the highest being is immanent to man and the world, on the other hand, that in Buddhism there is no need for God as creator and savior, that is, generally as an unconditionally supreme being, transcendental to this community. It also follows from this that in Buddhism there is no dualism between the divine and the non-divine, God and the world.

Having started with the denial of external religiosity, Buddhism, in the course of its development, came to its recognition. At the same time, the highest reality of Buddhism - nirvana - was identified with Buddha, who from the personification moral ideal turned into his personal embodiment, thus becoming the highest object of religious emotions. Simultaneously with the cosmic aspect of nirvana, the cosmic concept of the Buddha arose, formulated in the doctrine of trikaya. The Buddhist pantheon began to grow due to the introduction of all kinds of mythological creatures into it, one way or another assimilating with Buddhism. The cult, which covers all aspects of a Buddhist’s life, from family life to holidays, has become especially complicated in some Mahayana movements, in particular in Lamaism. Very early in Buddhism, a sangha appeared - a monastic community, from which over time a unique religious organization grew.

The most influential Buddhist organization is the World Fellowship of Buddhists, created in 1950. The literature of Buddhism is vast and includes writings in Pali, Sanskrit, hybrid Sanskrit, Sinhalese, Burmese, Khmer, Chinese, Japanese and Tibetan.

1. Features of the philosophy of Buddhism

1.1 Philosophy in Ancient India

Historians highlight real story Ancient India has the following eight periods:

1) the primitive communal system of the aborigines (Dravidians and Cushites) of Hindustan;

2) proto-Indian civilization of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro (second millennium BC), inscriptions found - proto-Indian writing;

3) the invasion of the primitive communal tribes of the Aryans (from Sanskrit agua - “noble”) from the north-west into the Indus and Ganges valleys in the second half of the second millennium BC. and their enslavement of the aborigines;

4) Aryan early class states of the “Bronze Age” of the first half of the first millennium BC, constantly fighting with each other;

5) the period of the rise of the state of Magadha (mid-first millennium BC);

6) the period of the rise of the Maurya state (322 - 185 BC);

7) Kushan period (1st century BC - 4th century);

8) Gupta period (IV-VI centuries).

The emergence of philosophy in Ancient India dates back to approximately the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e., when on the territory modern India states began to form. At the head of each such state was a raja, whose power was based on the power of the landowning aristocracy and the tribal priestly nobility (Brahmins). The remnants were strong patriarchal relations between the ruling classes and the oppressed.

Ancient Indian society was divided into varnas - groups that later formed the basis of the caste system. There were four of them:

1) priestly varna (brahmanas);

2) varna of the military aristocracy (kshatriyas);

3) varna of farmers, artisans, traders (vaishyas) and

4) lower varna (sudras). The Shudras were subordinate to the Brahmans, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas; they did not have the right to community property, they were not accepted as members of the community, they did not participate in solving its affairs. The division into varnas was sanctified by religion. Noble priestly families had a significant influence on society and were carriers of education and special knowledge, influencing the development of religious ideology.

The oldest monument of Indian literature is the Vedas. The figurative language of the Vedas expresses a very ancient religious worldview, with which already at that time some philosophical ideas about the world, about man and about moral life. The Vedas are divided into four groups or parts. The oldest of them is the Samhitas. The works of the remaining groups are commentaries and additions to the Samhitas. The Samhitas consist of four collections. The earliest of these is the Rigveda, a collection of religious hymns (c. 1500 BC). The second part of the Vedas consists of the Brahmanas - a collection of ritual texts. The religion of Brahmanism, which dominated before the emergence of Buddhism, relied on them. The third part of the Vedas is the Aranyakas, which contain rules of conduct for hermits. The Vedas are completed by the Upanishads, the actual philosophical part, which arose around 1000 BC. e. Already during the period of dominance of religious and mythological views, reflected in the Vedas and the Upanishads, the first elements of philosophical consciousness arose and the formation of the first philosophical teachings, both idealistic and materialistic.

Ancient Indian philosophy is characterized by development within certain systems, or schools, and their division into two large groups: orthodox (recognizing the authority of the Vedas) and heterodox (not recognizing the authority of the Vedas). Most of them were orthodox and religious. These are the schools of Vedanta, Mimamsa, Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika. However, in a number of these schools, a materialistic tendency emerges from under the external religious and ethical form. The heterodox schools include Jainism, Buddhism and the Lokayatika Charvaka school.

1.2 Buddhism - as a world religion

In the VI - V centuries. BC e. The religious teaching of Buddhism arises, hostile to the ancient priestly religion of Brahmanism. Buddhism spread among the urban lower classes, where class contradictions were most acute.

The ruling classes, after some resistance, recognized and supported Buddhism based on their class interests. It was during this era that large states arose in India. Brahmanism defended the advantages of priests, while in Buddhism the anti-priestly tendency was strong. At the same time, the ideology of Buddhism demanded submission and reconciliation and therefore seemed not dangerous to the ruling class.

Buddhism, one of the world's religions, is on a par with Christianity and Islam.

Buddhism (founder - wandering monk Siddhartha Gautama) became the leading ethical and philosophical teaching of Ancient India. The focus of his attention was the topic of overcoming human suffering caused by his existence in the world around him. The main thesis of Buddhism is that human life is suffering, and this is the law of existence. Every life is suffering, and no happy lives. Suffering is caused by the desires and passions of people, attachment to worldly life. Every person also suffers because he is doomed to inevitable old age and death. In general, suffering is an expression of the eternal contradiction between human aspirations and the imperfection of the universe. The only way to overcome them is to get rid of the oppressive power outside world. The life of Buddha dates back to the 6th century. BC e. Buddhist literature arose much later. The first attempt to systematize Buddhism was given in the so-called “Tripitaka” (“Three Baskets of Teachings”). The third of these books deals with philosophical issues. The religion of Buddhism spread to the east and south of India, Ceylon, Burma and Siam. Another branch of Buddhism established itself in Tibet, China and Japan.

Buddhism has formulated the Four Noble Truths.

The first of them says that human life is suffering (birth, illness, old age, etc.).

Secondly, the cause of suffering is the thirst for life and the desire for pleasure. It is in this connection that all passions and desires arise.

The third truth believes that the end of suffering is possible only by renouncing the thirst for life, abandoning it.

Fourth Truth: The path to relief from suffering is eightfold (right judgment and correct solution, right speech, right aspiration and right life, right attention and right concentration, right path in life). Buddhism interpreted its most important principles in detail. Thus, a correct life is, first of all, honest work, not causing harm to living things, and abstaining from intoxicating drinks. Correct speech should be truthful, simple, friendly and precise.

The result of the eightfold path should be a state of complete equanimity and indifference, called nirvana in Buddhism (“extinguishing the fire,” “extinction,” “peace”). Only a person who has achieved such a state can be worthy and deserving of respect. This will be an “enlightened” person, free from attachments to worldly life. Such a person no longer has anything in the past, present, or future. Only monks who strictly adhere to the above provisions and thereby lead an ascetic lifestyle can achieve liberation from suffering. From the point of view of Buddhism, only monasticism is a way out of the cycle of rebirth of life (“samsara”). Monasticism is a voluntary departure from the bustle of the world, a lot of daily work on oneself.

In addition to the topic of suffering, Buddhism also touched upon other important ideological issues. Thus, the idea was emphasized that in the universe everything is causally interconnected and nothing happens by chance. The idea of the variability of all things was also expressed: what seems eternal actually disappears, the high decreases, where there is a meeting, there will be separation, what is born will die over time. The human soul is a continuous stream of consciousness, constant becoming, and the individual himself is somewhat reminiscent of a moving chariot.

Over time, Buddhism has become one of the world religions, especially influential in the countries of the East. Addressed to the theme of the universe and the existence of man in it, this ethical and philosophical movement does not lose its significance in our time.

Some provisions of Buddhist teaching are of interest from a philosophical point of view. Such are the doctrine of universal variability, the denial of the existence of the soul as a special entity and the recognition of the existence of only a stream of constantly changing states of consciousness.

Question about practical ways ethical cultivation is developed in Buddhism in great detail. This is the teaching of eight “virtues” that are achieved by those who follow this path. Virtues consist of right conduct, right vision, right living, right speech, in the right direction thoughts, right effort, right attention, right concentration.

The success of Buddhism was due to the fact that it was a “religion of salvation”, instilling in the souls of believers the hope that widespread suffering could be defeated and eliminated. Like all religions, Buddhism did not at all strive to eliminate the causes of suffering in real life. public life. It was not a doctrine of struggle, but a religion of submission. In his further development Buddhism split into a number of schools.

2. Modern meaning of Buddhist philosophy

2.1 The experience of natural man as a prerequisite for the Buddha's teaching

The emergence of Buddhism in India was a religious revolution in consciousness, overthrowing the authority of the Vedas - the basis of the traditional religion of India. Roger Zelazny wrote about this revolutionary character of Buddhism fantasy novel"Prince of Light" However, if we move from an artistic to a scientific understanding of the meaning of Buddhism, serious difficulties arise: how to identify those moments of the Buddha’s sermon that really marked the beginning of a revolution in the worldview of the ancient Aryans?

At first glance, everything is simple - after all, the basics of Buddhism are well known, Sidhartha himself outlined them in his first sermon. But if you carefully analyze his famous Benares sermon, which served as the beginning of Buddhism, you will find that it contains well-known and generally accepted truths for the Indian of that time.

The earliest exposition of the Benares Sermon is contained in the Dharmachakra Pravartana Sutra (Running the Wheel of Learning Sutra), which is contained in the Pali Canon and is included in the Sutta Pitaka. It has been translated into Russian many times; its scientific translation was made by A.V. Paribk. Detailed psychological analysis This sutra was taught by Lama Anagarika Govinda. Let us analyze its content as the very first presentation of the concept of Buddhism.

At the beginning of his sermon, the Buddha speaks against two extremes - asceticism and hedonism; only the middle path between these extremes leads to liberation. What does Buddha offer instead of ascetic feat or hedonistic intoxication with pleasure? - it turns out to be compliance with the elementary moral standards that he expresses in the eightfold Noble path: true view, true intention, true speech, true actions, true lifestyle, true diligence, true meditation, true concentration. Not a single aria of that time would argue with such moral standards. Whether he would have observed them is another matter, but these moral standards themselves did not contain anything unusual, particularly heroic or impossible to implement.

Next, the Buddha expounds the noble truths. The first truth about suffering is that life is suffering: suffering in birth and death, suffering in illness, union with the unloved is suffering, suffering is separation from the beloved, all the content of life that arises from attachment is suffering.

What the ancient Aryan understood by suffering was completely different from what a modern European understands. For today's Europeans, suffering is a special affective state that he tries with all his might to avoid. He perceives the understanding of life as suffering in a completely different sense than a Buddhist. For a European, identifying life with suffering means active denial of life, an understanding of life by its nature as evil or corrupt.

The ancient Aryan understood by suffering not any temporary affects at all, but an understanding of everything that is revealed in life (it should be borne in mind that the transitory is an empirical fact for the European, who overcomes it in religious experience). In the end, a person can rejoice, but the understanding that this joy is transitory and will inevitably be lost in the abyss of the past is suffering. Therefore, the identification of life with suffering did not carry for the ancient Aryan the pathos and expressive character that it acquires for a European.

The fact that life is suffering was self-evident for the man of the Buddha’s time, and, naturally, with this position the Buddha could not open anyone’s eyes to anything new. The Aryans treated the identification of life and suffering quite calmly, as something natural and at the same time tragic - in much the same way as Europeans treat the awareness of their own mortality.

A.N. Knigin, asserting the thesis: “there is nothing ahistorical in consciousness in the sense of the absoluteness of any contents,” is much closer to Buddhism than to European philosophy. One way or another, Plato, Kant, and all European transcendentalism strives to reveal absolute content in consciousness. The teaching of suffering in Buddhism is that there is no such content in consciousness - everything is transitory. In essence, the thesis of A.N. The book is a formulation of the first noble truth of the Buddha, but in European terminology.

The second truth preached by the Buddha talks about the cause of suffering. And here the Buddha does not report anything new, but says a well-known and self-evident truth for the Aryans of that time: the cause of suffering is attachment to life.

The same can be said about the third noble truth, which is that liberation from suffering is liberation from attachment to life.

The path that allows us to stop this suffering comes down to just those elementary moral standards, which Buddha spoke about at the beginning of his sermon. The Eightfold Noble Path - that is, the path of following these moral standards, with which no one, in fact, was going to argue, was the content of the fourth noble truth.

What was fundamentally new in Buddha's preaching?

The traditional Aryan consciousness of that time relied on the authority of the Vedas. It included a certain religious experience, which was reinforced by established rituals and spiritual-ascetic practice. Buddha ignores all this. He contrasts the religious consciousness, which is formed through ritual and ascetic practice, with the everyday consciousness of a natural person.

It is necessary to immediately make a reservation that the consciousness of a natural person should be understood historically, as A.N. spoke about it. Knigin in his work " Philosophical problems consciousness." In other words, there is no natural consciousness at all, just as there is no natural man at all. There is a constantly changing natural consciousness, which for the man of ancient India was filled with different content than the natural consciousness of a modern European. To understand Buddhism means to find out its premises in the natural consciousness of man at that time.

As pointed out by A.N. Knigin, natural consciousness is pre-reflective. To this it should be added that it must precede any experience acquired in one or another cult practice. The doctrine of the absolute, of reincarnation, of the Vedic deities - all this is evidence of precisely religious consciousness - the consciousness of a person already included in Brahmanic cult practice. Buddha contrasts it with natural consciousness, which is not only pre-reflective, but is not yet filled with the experience of any cult practice. This means that for such a consciousness all the traditional provisions of the Brahmanistic religion, which the Buddha rejects, are not obvious.

Buddhism is the only religion in the world that did not require from the person turning to it the recognition of any position not related to the experience of natural man. It did not require faith in a deity, or in ideal entities, or in the material world, or in anything else that is for a natural person oriental culture would not seem self-evident.

One of the greatest experts in the field of Buddhist philosophy, Lama Anagarika Govinda, wrote about this feature of Buddhism as follows: “Indeed, it is difficult to find another religion or philosophy that could be proud of such easily accessible and understandable formulations that do not require any scientific education, neither belief in fantastic assumptions, nor any other intellectual sacrifices."

The first principle of the methodology of natural realism, which was highlighted by A.N. Knigin is the equality of all forms in which reality is given to man. This principle requires the equality of all theoretical positions and excludes the construction philosophical concept on any absolute points of view, axioms or dogmas. This principle of the methodology of natural realism is also the first principle of the Buddhist religious and philosophical system. As Anagarika Govinda writes: “The Buddha was a brilliant “free thinker” in in the best sense this word, and not only because he recognized the right of every person to think independently, but above all because his mind was free from any fixed points of view - theories. The Buddha refused to base his teachings on simple, common beliefs or dogmas."

And indeed, apart from the prerequisites of natural consciousness, nowhere in the Buddha’s sermon do we see a single dogma that absolutizes any one of the ways of perceiving reality. This is obvious if we specifically consider what a person believed when turning to the Buddha.

A natural person accepts, at a pre-reflective level, the reality that is directly given to him. Buddhism recognizes only the directly given flow of life, without requiring recognition of either the concept of the material world, or the concept of an ideal fundamental principle, or the concept of the absolute, which could somehow ontologically substantiate this flow of life. The Buddhist proceeds only from directly given existential experience.

Along with this, the beginninglessness of the flow of life is recognized, that is, that life has always existed, and not just from the moment of empirical this fact birth of a person. For a modern person who believes in the finitude of his own existence, this thesis is not obvious, so he is inclined to attribute to Buddhism a dogmatic belief in this position. However, it is not. For oriental man belief in the beginninglessness of life is not a dogma, but a pre-reflective premise - self-evidence. Buddha appealed specifically to the pre-reflective consciousness, and in accordance with this, he accepted everything that is the content of this pre-reflective consciousness of the natural person of Eastern culture, including the idea of the beginninglessness of life.

However, the fact that there is a certain essence with which the idea of man, soul, God can be identified - for the natural man of Eastern culture was no longer self-evident, and the Buddha refrains from recognizing all these ideas. In other words, the requirement to be based only on the premises of the consciousness of a natural person gave rise to the concept of anatman, that is, the idea of denying any essence of man - spirit, soul, body, etc.

A person is a phenomenon within the flow of life - this is given in existential experience as self-evidence, but the fact that a person represents any material or ideal essence- this is the absolutization of one of the rationalistic positions, from which Buddhism is completely free. One of the earliest expositions of the concept of anatman is given in Milinda's Questions, an outstanding literary monument of early Buddhism, no less important for Buddhist philosophy than Plato is for European philosophy. Here is an excerpt from the sutra adjacent to the text of Milinda's Questions:

“This knot was unraveled already in ancient times. King Kalinga, having once come to Thera Nagasena, said: “I would like to ask the venerable one, but hermits happen to be very talkative. Will you answer directly what I ask you?” “Ask,” came the answer. “Are the soul and the body one and the same thing, or is the soul one thing and the body another?” “It’s uncertain,” said thera. “How! We agreed in advance, sir, to answer the question precisely. Why do I hear otherwise: this is vague?” Thera said: “I would also like to ask the sovereign, but kings happen to be very talkative. Will you answer directly what I ask you?” “Ask,” came the answer. “Are the fruits of that mango tree that grows in your palace sour or sweet?” “Yes, I don’t have any mango tree in my palace,” he said. “We agreed in advance, sir, to answer the question exactly. Why do I hear something different: there is no mango tree?” - “How can I tell if the fruits of a tree are sweet or sour if there is no tree?” - “That’s exactly the same, sir, there is no soul. How can I tell whether it is identical to the body or different from it?”

Lama Anagarika Govinda emphasizes that the fundamental premise of the Buddha's teaching is a self-evident and universally valid truth. He compares it with Descartes’ position “I think therefore I am,” on the self-evidence of which this French philosopher based the entire edifice of his own philosophy. However, his position was self-evident only for the rational sphere - for the field of thought.

Buddha sought to substantiate his teaching on a position that is self-evident for the natural mind, that is, for such a mind for which any hypostasis of being is equal, both the sphere of thought and the sphere of feelings, the sphere of experience, the sphere of contemplation, etc. Such self-evidence, as Anagarika Govinda argues, is the fact of suffering. At the same time, he emphasizes that suffering should not be understood in accordance with the stereotypes of Western man, as a kind of temporary mental state - it is a universal intuition about the form of being, accessible not only to humans, but to all living beings.

Anagarika Govinda says about this: “The famous French philosopher Descartes based his philosophy on the principle: “I think, therefore I exist.” The Buddha went further; he started from a much more universal principle, based on the experience common to all sentient beings: the fact of suffering. However, suffering in Buddhism is not an expression of pessimism or weariness from the life of an aging civilization: it is the fundamental thesis of an all-encompassing idea, for there is no other experience that is equally universal. Not all living beings are thinking beings, and not all thinking beings reach the level at which this faculty comprehends its own nature and meaning; but all sentient beings suffer, for they are all subject to old age, disease and death. This experience forms a link between beings who would otherwise have little in common with each other; this is the bridge that connects man with the animal world, this is the basis of universal brotherhood.”

Conclusion

In the philosophical thought of Ancient India, the mythological component played a large role. As in mythology in general, philosophy of that time tended to endow the phenomena of the surrounding world with human properties (“anthropomorphism”). However, in Indian philosophy, two poles of its subject have already clearly emerged - the world and man, their relationship and interconnection, coexistence. The universe was viewed as something unified, albeit a contradictory whole. Strength ancient Indian philosophy is also its appeal to the human soul, to its complex mental states. Hence the pronounced ethical orientation and psychologism of the philosophical thought of Ancient India. Indian philosophy already contained a call for a person to gain freedom from the blind power of the outside world, to reveal the wealth and possibilities of his spirituality.

Based on the research done, the following conclusions can be drawn. Buddhist philosophy takes its premises from the consciousness of the natural man of ancient Eastern culture.

It implements the following principles of the methodology of natural realism:

1) the principle of equal reliability different ways the givens of reality, which form a single stream of life, inextricably connecting contemplation, experience, thinking and practice;

2) the principle of equal (un-)reality of different hypostases of reality;

3) the principle of equal value of different hypostases of reality;

4) the principle of mutual phantomism, mutual complementarity, mutual indispensability and mutual causality of different hypostases of being.

In addition, the philosophy of Buddhism is also based on other principles that are assumed by the methodology of natural realism, but which also exist in other methodological traditions. This is the principle of objectivity, which, in relation to the analysis of consciousness in Buddhism, determines its phenomenological character, the principle of historicism, the principle of using philosophical methods, the principle of model representation, the principle of unity and connection of forms of spiritual culture.

All these principles are characteristic of the philosophy of Buddhism, however, not all of them are characteristic of other Eastern philosophical teachings. So, for example, the philosophy of Brahmanism, in contrast to Buddhism, proceeds from the absolutization of well-defined theories and methods of knowledge. The specificity of this absolutization determined different character six main doctrines of Brahmanism - Yoga, Samkhya, Nyaya, Vaisesika, Mimamsa and Vedanta.

Characterizing the philosophy of Buddhism in this work, we made the following conclusions:

1) Buddha based his teaching on premises that were self-evident for the consciousness of a natural person.

2) Any premises which are not self-evident to the consciousness of the natural man have been rejected by Buddhism.

3) The consciousness of a natural person in accordance with the methodology of natural realism should be understood historically. This means that the content of consciousness of a natural person of ancient Indian culture is different from that of a modern European. All the provisions of Buddhism, which seem unobvious to modern consciousness, were in fact pre-reflective ideological prerequisites for the natural man of ancient Eastern culture.

4) The Buddha’s preaching is based on the principles of the methodology of natural realism, which consist in the recognition of the equality and equivalence of all hypostases of existence, the forms of their givenness and the refusal to absolutize any theories, ideas or ways of knowing the world.

Bibliography

1. Basic problems of philosophy / Ed. IN AND. Kirillina. - M.: Lawyer. 2005.

2. Asmus V.F. Ancient philosophy. - M.: Higher. school, 2006.

3. Kemerov V.E. Introduction to social philosophy. - M.: Academician. project, 2007.

4. Fedorova M.M. Classical political philosophy. - M.: Ves Mir, 2006.

5. Basics modern philosophy/ Ed. M.N. Rosenko. - M.: Lan, 2005.

6. Ruzavin G.I. Fundamentals of the philosophy of history. - M.: UNITY-DANA, 2004.

7. Zotov A.F. Modern Western philosophy. - M.: Higher. school, 2006.

8. Tsanyshev A.N. Philosophy of the Ancient World. - M.: Higher. school, 2005.

From this article you will learn:

How and thanks to whom the ancient philosophy of Buddhism arose

What are the main ideas of Buddhist philosophy?

What are the three main schools of Buddhism?

A billion people - this is how many followers of Buddhism there are in the world at the moment, and this number is constantly growing. The central concept of Buddhist philosophy is that all human life is suffering, and one should strive to end it. In this article we will touch upon the topic of how the philosophy of Buddhism was formed and what its main principles are.

How did the ancient philosophy of Buddhism arise?

In the middle of the 1st millennium BC, Brahmanism dominated in India. In the north of the country a current arose that opposed it - Buddhism. Culture, society and economy were in deep decline. Traditional institutions and clan associations were losing their influence, class relationships were being formed. Sages traveled around the country and offered a different look at the spiritual and physical life of a person. Among the teachings that offered to look at the world around us from a different angle was Buddhism, which received the greatest sympathy from the people.

Buddha and his teachings

Most scientists agree that the founder of the original concepts of the philosophy of Buddhism was a historical person. He was a prince of the Shakya tribe, born in 560 BC. in northeast India. According to legend, his name was Siddhartha Gautama, he spent a carefree and joyful childhood in the palace, but then he realized the horror of the idea of a cycle of endless reincarnations and saw how much suffering and grief there was in the world around him. The prince went on a journey for seven years, communicated with wise Indians, trying to find the answer to the question: “What can save people from suffering?”

One day, while he was sitting under the Bodhi tree, an understanding of how to answer his question came to him. Buddha translated from Sanskrit means “enlightened”, “awakened”. Stunned by his discovery, the prince spent several more days under the tree, then went to people to talk about the new teaching.

The first sermon was heard by the people in the city of Benares. There he was joined by five of his former students, who had previously turned their backs on him because of his rejection of asceticism. For the next 40 years, he spoke about his teachings throughout northern and central India. He was joined by many supporters who were close to the basic principles of the philosophy of Buddhism.

Basic concepts of Buddhist philosophy: brief and clear

The philosophy of Buddhism was formed within the framework of various movements and schools of this teaching. It is a set of meaningful beliefs regarding man, the world and the knowledge of reality. Unlike Abrahamic and other monotheistic religions, in the philosophy of Buddhism there is no concept of a sinful body and immortal soul, who awaits eternal torment for an unrighteous life. There is simply a person: good and evil deeds committed by him throughout his life and reflected in his karma.

There are many special terms in the philosophy of Buddhism, and we will now clarify the central ones:

Karma. A key concept in Buddhist philosophy that explains how and why certain things happen to us. It tells us that all the actions we do have consequences.

Incarnations. This is a phenomenon of spiritual life in the philosophy of Buddhism, in which after the death of a living being, its karma passes to another living creature. This concept is different from the "transmigration of souls" and the Hindu concept of "atman", meaning the eternal soul.

Enlightenment. In such a spiritual and mental state, free from negative emotions, thoughts, desires, a person perceives the world as it is.

Nirvana. Through deep thought and meditation, the Buddha formulated one of the main goals in the philosophy of Buddhism: the desire to realize one’s soul, based on the renunciation of worldly goods, the renunciation of a comfortable life. Achieving the state of nirvana gives a person control over his mind, he stops worrying too much about what other people think, loses his dependence on things, and his soul begins to develop.

Samsara, or "wheel of life". In Buddhist philosophy, all living beings, except those who have achieved enlightenment, are in this state.

Buddha believed that it was advisable to follow the “middle path.” You don’t need to give up all the benefits of civilization and be an ascetic, but you shouldn’t wallow in luxury either. A person needs to find the mean between these two extremes.

What is the philosophy of Buddhism: 4 noble truths

There are 4 great discoveries of Buddha, 4 truths of Buddhist philosophy:

Suffering is the essence human life. In Buddhist philosophy, the symbol of existence is fire, which devours itself, bringing only suffering. The world around us is impermanent and changes all the time. Everything that is created will be destroyed in the end.

Man's desires are the source of his suffering. Our deep affection for material spheres existence makes us thirst for life. The torment intensifies as this desire grows.

Freedom from desires leads to freedom from suffering. In nirvana, a person ceases to feel the thirst for life and is freed from passions. This is accompanied by a feeling of bliss and tranquility, freeing from the transmigration of souls.

The Eightfold or “middle” path of salvation is abstinence from extremes in Buddhist philosophy, which helps to free oneself from passions.

The Eightfold Path of Salvation assumes the following:

understanding - it is very important to comprehend and accept that our world consists of suffering and grief;

intentions - you need to stop being selfish, get rid of ambitions and desires;

speech - a person must always watch his words, they must convey goodness and not cause harm to other people;

deeds - do not commit evil deeds, strive to do only good ones;

way of life - in the philosophy of Buddhism it is forbidden to harm living beings, only this can free a person from torment;

efforts - to monitor all your thoughts and not allow evil into them, to be tuned to goodness;

thoughts - our body is the main source of evil, if you free yourself from its desires, you will be free from suffering;

concentration – one must constantly practice the Eightfold Path and be concentrated on it.

The first and second stages are called prajdnya, they are needed to comprehend wisdom. The third, fourth and fifth instill correct behavior and adjust the moral compass (sila). The sixth, seventh and eighth are called samadha, they help to control the mind.

Features of Buddhist philosophy

There are three main treasures in Buddhism:

Buddha - it can be either any person who has achieved enlightenment, or the founder of the teaching himself.

Dharma is the quintessence of the basic ideas of the philosophy of Buddhism, what they can give to people who followed the Buddha and accepted all the tenets of his teachings.

Sangha is a community of Buddhists who unquestioningly follow the dogmas of this religious movement.

Fighting three poisons is the Buddhist way of acquiring the three jewels:

Distance from the truth of existence and ignorance.

Bodily passions and thirst for life, which lead to suffering. The central concept of Buddhist philosophy is suffering.

Inability to accept the world and events as they are, anger and lack of restraint.

According to the philosophy of Buddhism, a person constantly suffers spiritually and physically. Birth, death, illness and disease throughout life are suffering. This state of affairs is considered abnormal, so the philosophy of Buddhism promotes liberation from this.

3 main schools of Buddhism as philosophy

Exist three main philosophical schools of Buddhism, which were formed at different times in the existence of this doctrine:

Theravada (Hinayana). The followers of this school do not worship religious sites, they have no holy martyrs to support them, no heaven and hell, and no rituals. The responsibility for getting rid of reincarnation lies entirely with the person; it depends on how he acts, lives and thinks. The ideal of this philosophy is the monk who achieves enlightenment.

Philosophy of Mahayana Buddhism. Saints (the institute of bodhisattvas) appear who assist people on the path of liberation from suffering. There is heaven, images with Buddha and bodhisattvas. Now even a person living a worldly life can be saved from suffering.

Vajrayana. Self-control and meditation are central concepts of this tantric school of Buddhist philosophy.

The figure below will show how the three main schools of Buddhist philosophy are spread in different countries:

Written sources of Buddhist philosophy

The Pali canon "Ti-Pitaka" or "Tripitaka" is a book that is the main source of Buddhist philosophy. The name is translated from Sanskrit as “three baskets” because texts about Buddhism were originally written on palm leaves and placed in baskets. This canon consists of three parts and is written in Pali:

Vinaya Pitaka- a set of 227 rules governing the life of Buddhist monks. It contains information about discipline, ceremonies and ethical precepts.

Sutta Pitaka, contains books " Dhammapada“, which means “the path to truth” (a collection of Buddhist parables), and “ Jataka" - a collection of stories about previous incarnations of Buddha. In addition to the two books listed, this part also includes the philosophy of the Buddha itself.

Abhidhamma Pitaka- these are texts permeated with Buddhist philosophy, its perception of life, as well as the metaphysics that exists in Buddhism.

The above books of all the movements of Buddhism are especially revered by Hinayana. The sacred canon of Buddhist philosophy among Mahayana disciples is "Prajnaparalshta sutra"(teachings on perfect wisdom). For them, these are revelations from the Buddha himself.

Buddhism is a religion or philosophy

In the philosophy of Buddhism there is no concept of God as the creator of everything immaterial and material, an omnipotent being who created the world. This is the difference from the ideas about religion that are familiar to Russians. In the cosmology of Buddhism, there are beings called "deva", they are mistakenly called "gods". They did not create the Universe and do not control destinies, these are ordinary people from another reality.

Question: “Do you believe in Buddha?” - meaningless in the philosophy of Buddhism, since Buddha is real historical character, who lived about 2500 years ago. He was an ordinary person, like the rest of us.

When many people mention Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) comes to mind, this is true, but only partly. Any adherent of Buddhism who has achieved enlightenment can be considered a Buddha, and there were many of them. After all, the word “Buddha” is translated from Sanskrit as “awakened”, “enlightened”. But only Great Buddhas are usually written with a capital letter, such as the Present Buddha (Shakyamuni) and the Great Buddhas of the past, of which, according to the canons of different Buddhist schools, there are from 6 to 21. The names of all the rest are written with a small letter.

5 Myths About Buddhist Philosophy

Pacifism.

One of the main tenets of Buddhist philosophy is non-violence against living beings. This bears little resemblance to pacifism, which denies any violence. A Buddhist can protect himself in case of danger, which is reflected in popular culture. Documentary and feature films often show a monk comprehending martial arts. Great masters use every opportunity to avoid combat, but critical situation accept it with dignity.

Meditations.

When mentioning Buddhists, many people have the following picture: a meditating person in the lotus position, chanting mantras. Researchers have studied this issue and found that a very small proportion of Buddhists meditate on permanent basis, including monks.

Scientists surveyed adherents of various religious movements, and it turned out that supporters of the philosophy of Buddhism meditate on average even less than supporters of other philosophical schools. More than half of meditators do so irregularly.

Buddha.

An unprepared reader may think that this is the image of Buddha Shakyamuni - the first enlightened person. It's a delusion. A laughing fat man in a lotus position is Budai or Hotei, considered in Buddhist philosophy to be the next incarnation of one of the Buddhas - Maitreya Bodhisattva. According to legend, it brings happiness material well-being and fun for people. Although he hardly looked like a fat man, because Maitreya spent a lot of time traveling.

Suffering.

There is an erroneous stereotype that inflicting pain and suffering on oneself is the main purpose of Buddhist practice. No, through painful sensations, Buddhists learn to accept them, try to understand the variability of life in order to become a higher being in the next cycle of rebirths.

The philosophy of Buddhism is based on the fact that one of the most important goals of human life is victory over suffering. True Buddhists do not engage in moral or physical self-torture for no reason, although they know that the world is imperfect. They simply continue on the path to enlightenment.

Reincarnation.

A person who is little familiar with Buddhist philosophy may believe that all Buddhists support the idea of transmigration of souls and the circle of samsara. However, things are a little more complicated due to inaccurate translations of the holy books. Most Buddhists understand reincarnation as “rebirth” rather than “rebirth.” Very small part Buddhist traditions supports the principle of the transmigration of souls in various animals.

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Buddhism, along with Islam and Christianity, is considered a world religion. This means that it is not defined by the ethnicity of its followers. It can be confessed to any person, regardless of his race, nationality and place of residence. In this article we will briefly look at the main ideas of Buddhism.

A summary of the ideas and philosophy of Buddhism

Briefly about the history of Buddhism

Buddhism is one of the most ancient religions in the world. Its origins occurred in contrast to the then dominant Brahmanism in the middle of the first millennium BC in the northern part of India. In the philosophy of Ancient India, Buddhism occupied and occupies key place, closely intertwined with it.

If we consider the emergence of Buddhism briefly, then, according to separate category scientists, this phenomenon was facilitated by certain changes in the life of the Indian people. Around the middle of the 6th century BC. Indian society was hit by a cultural and economic crisis. Those tribal and traditional ties that existed before this time began to gradually undergo changes. It is very important that it was during that period that the formation of class relations took place. Many ascetics appeared, wandering across the expanses of India, who formed their own vision of the world, which they shared with other people. Thus, in the confrontation with the foundations of that time, Buddhism also appeared, earning recognition among the people.

A large number of scholars believe that the founder of Buddhism was a real person named Siddhartha Gautama , known as Buddha Shakyamuni . He was born in 560 BC. in the wealthy family of the king of the Shakya tribe. Since childhood, he knew neither disappointment nor need, and was surrounded by limitless luxury. And so Siddhartha lived through his youth, ignorant of the existence of illness, old age and death. The real shock for him was that one day, while walking outside the palace, he encountered an old man, a sick man and a funeral procession. This influenced him so much that at the age of 29 he joins a group of wandering hermits. So he begins the search for the truth of existence. Gautama tries to understand the nature of human troubles and tries to find ways to eliminate them. Realizing that an endless series of reincarnations was inevitable if he did not get rid of suffering, he tried to find answers to his questions from the sages.

After spending 6 years traveling, he tested different techniques, practiced yoga, but came to the conclusion that enlightenment could not be achieved using these methods. He considered reflection and prayer to be effective methods. It was while he was spending time meditating under the Bodhi tree that he experienced enlightenment, through which he found the answer to his question. After his discovery, he spent a few more days at the site of the sudden insight, and then went to the valley. And they began to call him Buddha (“enlightened one”). There he began to preach the doctrine to people. The very first sermon took place in Benares.

Basic concepts and ideas of Buddhism

One of the main goals of Buddhism is the path to Nirvana. Nirvana is a state of awareness of one’s soul, achieved through self-denial, rejection of comfortable conditions of the external environment. Buddha holding for a long time in meditation and deep reflection, he mastered the method of controlling his own consciousness. In the process, he came to the conclusion that people are very attached to worldly goods and are overly concerned about the opinions of other people. Because of this human soul Not only does it not develop, but it also degrades. Having achieved nirvana, you can lose this addiction.

The essential four truths that underlie Buddhism:

There is the concept of dukkha (suffering, anger, fear, self-flagellation and other negatively colored experiences). Every person is influenced by dukkha to a greater or lesser extent.
Dukkha always has a reason that contributes to the emergence of addiction - greed, vanity, lust, etc.
You can get rid of addiction and suffering.
You can completely free yourself from dukkha thanks to the path leading to nirvana.

Buddha was of the opinion that it is necessary to adhere to the “middle path,” that is, every person must find the “golden” mean between a wealthy, satiated with luxury, and an ascetic way of life, devoid of all the benefits of humanity.

There are three main treasures in Buddhism:

Buddha - this can be either the creator of the teaching himself or his follower who has achieved enlightenment.
Dharma is the teaching itself, its foundations and principles, and what it can give to its followers.
Sangha is a community of Buddhists who adhere to the laws of this religious teaching.

To achieve all three jewels, Buddhists resort to fighting three poisons:

detachment from the truth of being and ignorance;
desires and passions that contribute to suffering;
incontinence, anger, inability to accept anything here and now.

According to the ideas of Buddhism, every person experiences both physical and mental suffering. Illness, death and even birth are suffering. But this state is unnatural, so you need to get rid of it.

Briefly about the philosophy of Buddhism

This teaching cannot be called only a religion, at the center of which is God, who created the world. Buddhism is a philosophy, the principles of which we will briefly consider below. The teaching involves helping to direct a person on the path of self-development and self-awareness.

In Buddhism there is no idea that there is an eternal soul that atones for sins. However, everything a person does and in what way will find its imprint - it will definitely return to him. This is not divine punishment. These are the consequences of all actions and thoughts that leave traces on your own karma.

Buddhism has the basic truths revealed by Buddha:

Human life is suffering. All things are impermanent and transitory. Having arisen, everything must be destroyed. Existence itself is symbolized in Buddhism as a flame consuming itself, but fire can only bring suffering.
Suffering arises from desires. Man is so attached to the material aspects of existence that he craves for life. The greater this desire, the more he will suffer.
Getting rid of suffering is possible only through getting rid of desires. Nirvana is a state, having reached which a person experiences the extinction of passions and thirst. Thanks to nirvana, a feeling of bliss arises, freedom from the transmigration of souls.
To achieve the goal of getting rid of desire, one must resort to the eightfold path of salvation. It is this path that is called the “middle”, which allows one to get rid of suffering by rejecting extremes, which consists of something between the torture of the flesh and the indulgence of physical pleasures.

The Eightfold Path of Salvation includes:

correct understanding - the most important thing to do is to realize that the world is full of suffering and sorrow;
correct intentions - you need to take the path of limiting your passions and aspirations, the fundamental basis of which is human egoism;
correct speech - it should bring good, so you should watch your words (so that they do not exude evil);
right actions - one should do good deeds, refrain from unvirtuous actions;
the right way of life - only a worthy way of life that does not harm all living things can bring a person closer to getting rid of suffering;
correct efforts - you need to tune in to goodness, drive away all evil from yourself, carefully monitoring the course of your thoughts;
correct thoughts - the most important evil comes from our own flesh, by getting rid of the desires of which we can get rid of suffering;
right concentration - the eightfold path requires constant training, concentration.

The first two stages are called prajna and involve the stage of achieving wisdom. The next three are regulation of morality and correct behavior(sewed). The remaining three steps represent mental discipline (samadha).

Directions of Buddhism

The very first who supported the teachings of the Buddha began to gather in a secluded place while the rains were falling. Since they refused any property, they were called bhikshas - “beggars.” They shaved their heads, dressed in rags (mostly yellow) and moved from place to place. Their life was unusually ascetic. When it rained, they hid in caves. They were usually buried where they lived, and a stupa (domed-shaped crypt building) was built on the site of their graves. Their entrances were made tightly walled up and buildings for various purposes were built around the stupas.

After the death of the Buddha, a convocation of his followers took place, who canonized the teaching. But the period of greatest flowering of Buddhism can be considered the reign of Emperor Ashoka - the 3rd century. BC.

You can select three main philosophical schools of Buddhism , formed in different periods existence of the doctrine:

Hinayana. The main ideal of the direction is considered to be a monk - only he can get rid of reincarnation. There is no pantheon of saints who could intercede for a person, there are no rituals, the concept of hell and heaven, cult sculptures, icons. Everything that happens to a person is the result of his actions, thoughts and lifestyle.
Mahayana. Even a layman (if he is pious, of course), can achieve salvation just like a monk. The institution of bodhisattvas appears, who are saints who help people on the path of their salvation. The concept of heaven, a pantheon of saints, images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas also appear.
Vajrayana. It is a tantric teaching based on the principles of self-control and meditation.

So, the main idea of Buddhism is that human life is suffering and one must strive to get rid of it. This teaching continues to confidently spread across the planet, winning more and more supporters.