Buddhism The Philosophy And Religion - 1426 Words

Buddhism originated 2,500 years ago in India and today – is the prevailing world religion in the East. There are more than 360 million followers of Buddhism, including one million American followers. Buddhism has branched into a diverse selection of forms throughout its long history, however, all methods of Buddhism share an admiration for the teachings of Buddha with the ultimate focus on ending suffering (Religionfacts.com, 2015). In the 6th century BC, Siddhartha or Gautama Buddha was born in a royal family in the hills of the Himalayas. Prince Siddhartha was constantly in search of the origin of all sufferings and the path to end these sufferings. Practicing powerful meditation and freeing his mind from disturbing thoughts –†¦show more content†¦The eight fold path incorporates eight practices which are all interrelated and nourish each other. These include: right view, right thinking, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right diligence, right mi ndfulness and right concentration (Hanh, 1999). Right mindfulness is particularly significant amongst the backdrop of Western psychology. Mindfulness refers to a kind of meditation involving a tolerance of thoughts and perceptions – an ability to look at life in an objective way and eventually develop a fuller, richer awareness of life (Aich, 2013). This is the seventh step on the eight fold path and plays a substantial role in meditation and Zen Buddhism. A particular branch of Buddhism called Zen Buddhism has sparked an interest in psychologists with a focus on mindfulness, meditation and non-violence (Berger, 1962). Zen Buddhism is a practice that was transferred from master to disciple and dates back to the spiritual awakening of Siddhartha (Buddha). Zen means , quiet simply, meditation and the experience of living in the moment. The teaching of Zen Buddhism claims to be â€Å"a special transmission outside the scripture, not depending upon the letter, but pointing directly to one’s Mind to see into Nature itself and attain Buddha-hood† (Suzuki, 1938). Berger (1962) described Zen as a form of Buddhism that originated in India and was introduced to China in the first century A.D. The