There is a great number of people on over planet. Every human being is a unique creature that has its own traditions and beliefs. That is why there is a great number of different religions which try to satisfy peoples need in God. Buddhism is one of them. He is mainly spread on the East of our planet, that is why it is not surprising that it is one of the most popular and recognized religions all over the world, as the majority of people live in heavily populated areas on the East. Moreover, it is one of the most ancient religions, which can be traced to Ancient India. Buddhism is a very peaceful religion that respects life in all of its aspects.
First of all, Buddhism is famous for its unique understanding of life and nature. According to this teaching life and existence, “both animate and inanimate, is in a dynamic state of flux” (“Buddhism. A Way of Life” para. 4). There is an eternal cycle that consists of all aspects of our life. They are birth, growth, death. Every living being, including human, is a part of its cycle. Moreover, every creature on our planet has its own soul, which is immortal. Buddhists attitude to nature and life is determined by such notion as karma, which means that all actions determine the further fate of a person, his joy, and suffering. Even the next embodiment of a man also depends on karma. That is why Buddhists spend much time meditating “in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom” (“What is Buddhism?” para.1).
For a better understanding of Buddhist philosophy it is vital to understand the sense of Three Marks of Existence, which are the key point in this religion, meaning the essence of things and their real nature. First of all, it is impermanence. Everything is changeable, impermanent, starting from a tiny insect and ending with the universe. That is why it is so important to meditate, trying to understand the smallest change in this world, and change yourself according to it. The second mark means not-self. “The Buddhist teachings of not-self ask us to explore the reality of objects and ourselves in-depth like no other teaching” (Nourish para. 4).
In other words, nothing can exist as a separate, independent thing. Everything is interdependent, and the slightest change of some tiny notion cal lead to a great change in the universe. That is why it is so important to be very wise and judicious and control each action. The third one is suffering. The sense of this mark lies in the idea that the existence of any living being is suffering. There is nothing in the physical world that can bring satisfaction. One of the main issues of other religions is the idea of reducing suffering, making them easier, and helping people to avoid them. Buddhism is absolutely different in this question. There is no use trying to avoid one of integral parts of this world. Human being should not waste its forces struggling with it. A person should try to investigate suffering, understanding it as a vital part of his life.
Buddhists believe that the only way to worsen their suffering is to understand its nature. It is possible with the help of deep and long supervision. A person should study when it comes and how it comes, how he feels it and how other people recognize their and his suffering. This realisation can also be achieved with the help of meditation. Having understood the nature of this feeling, it is possible to make suffering mentally weaker. Very important thing is to understand pain of other people, to sympathize them and share these strong feelings.
This teaching can be taken as rather pessimistic however, Buddha gives a path for his followers to avoid sufferings and obtain long awaited peace. This way is often called Nirodha, or cessation of suffering. The main idea of this way is to exclude desire which causes suffering. In order to do that a man should totally liberate himself from any affections and become indifferent to temptations of the world.
Having made it, a person will destroy the source of suffering and make himself free. This action will approach a person to a state of Nirvana. This is the highest purpose of all living beings on this planet. Nirvana is the state of freedom, when a person is totally free from his wishes, attachments, sufferings and when he realizes him being a part of this world.
Having analyzed the main ideas of Buddhism it is possible to conclude that it is one of the most peaceful religions in the world. Supposing that each living being has its own soul and that every action determines following development of personality, Buddhists treat nature and people very carefully, trying to respect their actions and personalities. The issue of Tree Marks of Existence is one of the key points in this philosophy. Understanding suffering as the integral part of this world, Buddhists are trying to live with its recognition and achieve the state of Nirvana, which will be the wreath of their development.
Works Cited
Buddhism. A Way of Life. 2010. Web.
Nourise, Dana. What are the Three Marks of Existence?. 2013. Web.
What is Buddhism? n.d. Web.