| Buddhism is
based on three concepts: dharna (the doctrine of
the Buddha, his guide to right actions and belief);
karma (the belief that one’s life now and in the
future lives depends upon one’s own deeps and misdeeds
and that as an individual one is responsible for,
and rewarded on the basis of, the sum total of
one’s acts and omissions in all one’s incarnations
past and present); and sangha, the ascetic community
within which can improve his karma. The Buddhist
salvation is nirvana, a final extinction of one’s
self. Nirvana may be attained by achieving good
karma through earning much merit and avoiding misdeeds.
A Buddhist’s pilgrimage through existence is a
constant attempt to distance himself or herself
from the world and finally to achieve complete
detachment, or nirvana.
The fundamentals of Buddhist
doctrine are the Four Noble Truths: suffering
exists; craving (desire) is the cause of suffering;
release from suffering can be achieve by stopping
all desire; an enlightenment – buddhahood-
can be attained by following the Noble Eightfold
Path (right views, right intention, right speech,
right action, right livelihood, right effort,
right mindfulness, and right concentration)
which constitute a middle way between sensually
and asceticism. Enlightenment consists of knowing
these truths. The average layperson cannot
hope for nirvana after the end of this life,
but can by complying better his condition in
the next incarnation.
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