The Buddhism is basically a non-theistic religion, but also represents a philosophy, a training method spiritual and psychological system. It has been developed from the teachings of the Buddha Siddharta Gautama, who lived in northeast India in the 5th century BC.
The buddha or buddha is a concept that defines that individual who has managed to awaken spiritually and who brings happiness free from suffering. It should be noted that Buddha is not a supernatural being, a prophet or a God. The Buddhism does not make assumptions about a Creator and his teachings are not dictated as beliefs or dogmas, but are the same practitioners who must check them for themselves and then internalize.
According to DigoPaul, the purpose of Buddhism is the elimination of feelings of vital dissatisfaction (dukkha), produced by anxious craving (understood as thirst, desire or greed). This, in turn, is the product of a mistaken perception about the nature of life, existence and being.
The eradication of this situation occurs when the individual manages to wake up and acquires a deep understanding of reality and being (enlightenment). To achieve this state, Buddhism promotes various techniques to develop meditation and achieve wisdom.
It is important to note that Buddhism is not organized in a vertical hierarchy (for example, there is no leader like the Pope in Catholicism). Religious authority is found in the sacred texts of the Buddha and in the interpretation by teachers and monks.
Returning to the concept of enlightenment, it is precisely considered that a Buddha is an individual who has reached this state. Generally, this term is used to refer to the “first Buddha,” that is, Siddharta Gautama, but it is not really unique to him. This can be seen in the faces of the statues, which are diverse. The Smiling Buddha, for example, is another of the best known, it is believed that it was originally from China and was called Ch’i-t’zu.
At present there are many schools of Buddhism, although in its beginnings there was only that of Siddharta Gautama. The factors that multiplied the educational centers were two, which fed on each other: the expansion to other parts of the world and the division into several branches. It is necessary to clarify that the teachings are not identical in all of them, partly because the original texts were reinterpreted.
One of the things we first notice about Buddhist students is that they shave their heads. This is done by both men and women, that is, monks and nuns. In the set of rules for monastic life known as Pali Vinaya-Pitaka, it is established that hair must be shaved when its length is equal to two fingers, or every a maximum of sixty days.
The goal of cutting your hair is to fight vanity, make a firm commitment to Buddhism, and leave the past behind. However, not all Buddhists do it, as it is not a mandatory rule but a suggestion to enhance efforts in the pursuit of enlightenment.
In fact, the haircut is nothing compared to the real problems of life, those that we group under the category of suffering, something that according to Buddhism we must inevitably face. The path of the Buddha begins with the acceptance of suffering in order to minimize it once enlightenment is achieved.
One of the key elements of Buddhism is the wheel of dharma, which is made up of a series of targets, all labeled ” correct.” Among them are vision, determination, speech, effort and concentration.
