A basic summary of Buddhism.

Q: What is Buddhism?

A: Buddhism is a religion of about 300 million followers around the world. The Buddhist term derived from the word "buddhi", meaning "enlightened", "awake". Buddhism originated more than 2,500 years ago, when Siddhattha Gotama, or the Buddha, became enlightened himself at the age of 35.

Q: Is Buddhism purely a religion?

A: For many, Buddhism is not just a religion but a philosophy, or rather a "way of life." Calling Buddhism is a philosophy, because the word "philosophy" means "intellectual love", and the path of Buddhism can be summarized as follows:

(1) ethical living,
(2) clear awareness of all thoughts and actions, and
(3) development of understanding and wisdom.

Q: How does Buddhism help me?

A: Buddhism explains the purpose of life, explains the phenomenon of injustice and inequality in the world, and provides a way of practicing or a way of life that leads to true happiness.

Q: Why is Buddhism popular?

A: Buddhism is increasingly popular in Western countries for a variety of reasons. The first is that Buddhism has answers to many problems in modern material societies. Next, for those who are attentive, Buddhism provides a deep understanding of the human mind and natural therapies, which are recognized by many world-renowned psychologists as very advanced. And very effective.

Q: Who is the Buddha?

A. Siddhattha Gotama was born in 563 BC, in a royal family in Lumbini, now in Nepal. At the age of 29, he realized that material comforts and security in the world did not guarantee happiness; Therefore, he sought to learn the teachings, religion and philosophy of the time, in search of the key to happiness. After six years of study and meditation, he found the path of "Middle Path" and enlightenment. After attaining enlightenment, he used the rest of the world to propagate the principles of Buddhism - called Dharma or Truth, until he passed away at the age of 80.

Q: Is the Buddha God?

A: No, He is not God, and He does not say so. He was the one who taught the path to enlightenment, from his experience.

Q: Do Buddhists worship idols?

A: Buddhists pay homage to the images of the Buddha, but do not worship nor ask for the benefits. A statue of Buddha sitting in a position with gentle hands on the face, with compassionate smile, reminds us of efforts to develop love and inner peace. The Buddha's Worship Ceremony is to show gratitude for His teachings.

Q: Why are so many Buddhist countries so poor?

A: Not exactly. Japan is a country with a deep Buddhist tradition and is a well-off country today. Thailand, with Buddhism as the state religion, also has a relatively strong and developed economy. However, we need to know that one of the teachings of Buddhism is the wealth of wealth does not guarantee happiness, and the property of wealth is never permanent. People in any country suffer, whether they are rich or poor. Only those who understand the teachings of Buddhism can find true happiness.

Q: Are there many Buddhist sects?

A. There are many schools in Buddhism because of the cultural differences and historical traditions of each country. However, the basis of Buddhism remains unchanged, namely the Dharma or Truth.

Q: Are other religions wrong?

A: Buddhism is a credible system of tolerance for other religions or religions. Buddhism accepts the moral teachings of other religions, but Buddhism advances further by providing a long-term goal in our existence through true wisdom and understanding. True Buddhism is very tolerant, and does not care about brands such as "Christians", "Muslims", "Hindus" or "Buddhists" . Therefore, historically, there have never been jihadars bearing the name of Buddhism. That is why Buddhists do not go to preach or convert others; They only explain if asked.

Q: Buddhism is scientific?

A: Science is knowledge that is incorporated into the system, through observable and experimental data, and defines the general laws of nature. The core of Buddhism conforms to that definition, because the Four Noble Truths or the Four Noble Truths can be tested and proven by any person, and the Buddha himself has also told the disciples themselves. That they must realize his teachings, not just news. Buddhism is based more on intelligence than on belief.

Q: What did the Buddha teach?

A. The Buddha taught many subjects, but the basics in Buddhism can be summarized in the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.

Q: What is the first Noble Truth?

A. The first truth, profound truth, says that life is suffering, that is, physical suffering, old age, sickness, and death. We also suffer psychologically as loneliness, anger, resentment, fear, confusion, despair, anger. This is an obvious, indisputable fact. This is objective reality, not pessimistic; Pessimism is about expecting things to get worse. On the other hand, Buddhism explains how to deal with such suffering and how to have true happiness.

Q: What is the second Noble Truth?

A: The second truth, the second profound truth, teaches that all suffering is due to craving and attachment. We will be distressed if we expect others to follow our will, to do the same if we do not get what we want, etc. Even if we want and can not do so, there is no guarantee. happy. The thirst quenches our desire to be happy and happy. Instead of persistently fighting to achieve what you want, try to correct your own heart.

Q: What is the third Noble Truth?

A: Absolute Truth, the third great truth, is able to end suffering and achieve state of contentment and happiness. When we cease craving, which is useless, and practiced daily, we begin to live happily and free. We will have plenty of time and energy to help others. That state is called Nirvana.

Q: What is the fourth Noble Truth?

A. The Four Noble Truths, the path to end suffering. This road is called the Noble Eightfold Path.

Q: What is the Eightfold Path?

A. That is the path of the eight righteous elements: Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. This is the path of morality and vigilance - through words, thoughts and actions, and intellectual development by a clear awareness of the Four Noble Truths and by the growth of compassion.

Q: What is the Five Precepts?

A: This is the year of the moral precepts of Buddhism. These are: no killing, no giving, no sexual misconduct, no telling lies, and no drunken stuff that clouded the mind.

Q: What is karma?

A: Karma or "karmic effect" is a law that states that each cause produces an effect, which means that our actions have consequences. This simple law has explained many issues: injustice in the world, why people are born with disabilities, some people have many talents, some people have a very short life. Karma shows the importance of all of us being responsible for our actions, past and present. How to test the karmic effect of our actions? The answer is summarized by looking at three main points: (1) the intent behind every action, (2) the consequences of that action on yourself, and (3) the consequences of that action. On others.

Q: What is wisdom?

A. In Buddhism, wisdom must be developed with compassion. In one extreme, you may be a kind person but naive, and in another extreme, you may have a lot of knowledge but no emotion. Buddhism teaches that we should keep the balance and the integrity of both, both wisdom and compassion. The highest wisdom is to see clearly that in reality all phenomena are incomplete, infrequent, and without a fixed entity. True wisdom is not just by believing in what is taught, but by experiencing and understanding the truth and the reality. Intelligence requires an open mind, objectively, without persistence. The path of Buddhism requires courage, patience, flexibility and intelligence.

Q: What is compassion?

A: Compassion consists of the virtues of sharing, willingness to comfort others, sympathy, caring and concern. In Buddhism, we only really sympathize with other people when we truly understand oneself, through wisdom.

Q: How do I become a Buddhist?

A. Anyone can learn and practice the teachings of the Buddha. He taught that the answer to all our problems is within us, not outside. He told his disciples not to believe in His teachings, but to test them on their own. Thus, each person makes his own decisions and is responsible for his actions and understanding. This shows that Buddhism is not a fixed set of creeds that need to be fully accepted. These are the teachings for each person to learn, learn and apply his own situation. END=NAM MO AMITABHA BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH GIAC TAM.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTENMENT.VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN AMITABHA PURELAND=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.18/4/2017.