With over 360 million followers, Buddhism is one of the most popular religions in the world. It originated in Nepal, in an unspecified period between 600 and 400 BC, thanks to a young prince named Siddhartha Gautama.
Steps
Step 1. Choose a branch of Buddhism that is right for you
There are three branches of the Buddhist tradition: Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. In this article we will only discuss Mahayana and Theravada. Theravada means "vehicle of the elderly". As a first impression, a person who is not familiar with Buddhism might consider this doctrine as a form of atheism, because it does not contemplate the existence of an eternal and omnipotent creator. Mahayana literally means "The Great Vehicle". The first thing a non-Buddhist would be tempted to do is to classify Mahayana Buddhism as a form of polytheism, because several divine entities (non-omnipotent and non-immortal), called "Guardians of the Dharma", are an integral part of this tradition.
- After starting to study Buddhism, one realizes that the difference between Theravada and Mahayana on this subject is less than that which was previously imagined: even Mahayana Buddhism denies the existence of an eternal and omnipotent creator (while admitting the " Buddha Nature”or the“Void”as the only common element to the reality of everything), and Theravada Buddhism also admits the existence of limited and mortal divine beings (although these have less relevance in Theravada than in Mahayana). However, according to both Theravada and Mahayana, divine beings need Buddhism to be liberated and awakened.
- One difference between Theravada and Mahayana - which may affect your choice of which one to practice between the two - is the type of meditation. Have you ever heard of "Vipassana"? It is an important part of Theravada, but it is not practiced in the same way in the Mahayana. Have you heard of "zen" or visualizations? These are integral parts of the Mahayana, but not of the Theravada.
Step 2. Accept the Four Noble Truths
They are: every form of life is marked by suffering; suffering is caused by desire and attachment; suffering can be eliminated; suffering can be eliminated by following the Noble eightfold path. This does not mean that you must immediately accept these precepts. The Buddha himself said it, but you have to be willing to consider them.
Step 3. It is also necessary to follow the Noble eightfold path
This is how it develops: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right subsistence, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
Step 4. Respect the five precepts
Here they are: don't kill, don't steal, don't harm with irresponsible sexual conduct, don't lie, don't get drunk. It is normal to break these rules from time to time. “Don't get drunk” means don't overdo your drinking. "Doing no harm with irresponsible sexual conduct" doesn't mean not having any kind of sexual intercourse, it just means not committing sexual crimes such as rape. Unlike these two, the others are quite simple to understand.
Step 5. Be willing to accept reincarnation (or rebirth) in the Six Worlds of Existence
These are: the infernal world, the phantom world, the animal world, the human world, the world of the Asura, the world of the Devas. It is important to understand that these were moods, not real places. Which of these worlds or mental states we exist in depends on our karma. "Karma" basically means that our actions have consequences, and that human beings are responsible for their present and past actions.
Step 6. Meditate
Meditation is essential for all branches of Buddhism. There are many different types of meditation: breath awareness, Zazen (Zen meditation), loving-kindness meditation, etc.
Advice
- Learn more about Buddhism from teachers, books and websites such as Buddhanet, which is a great resource.
- In everyday life, be kind to everyone you meet.
- You don't have to accept the Buddha's teachings all together. In other words, take it one step at a time.
