Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama in the 5th century BCE. Who is Siddhartha Gautama? (Viloatti) Siddhartha is the Buddha but also known as “the awakened one.” (Violatti) Buddhists have many different beliefs that they go by. (“Buddhist Beliefs”)
Buddhism have many different holidays and festivals that they celebrate. (“Buddhists Holidays and Festivals”) They also has many different types of symbols that they used. (“Buddhist Symbols”) Some of their beliefs come from the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. (“Buddhist Beliefs”) The Four Noble Truths are one of the most basic beliefs that Buddhists are taught and they are the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin, the truth of the cessation of suffering, and the truth of the path. (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica) The Noble Eightfold are the right knowledge, the right intention, the right speech, the right action, the right livelihood, the right effort, the right mindfulness, and lastly the right concentration. (“Noble Eightfold Path”) They also believe in reincarnation, which is when the old body enters a new one after death; you can also call this nirvana.
(“Buddhism on the Afterlife”) Buddhists believe in many gods and goddesses. (“Buddhist Gods & Deities”) People in Buddhism have many different occasion that are celebrated. Some of them are Buddhists New Year, Vesak, Observance Day and Kathina Ceremony. The holiday and festivals dates are based on the lunar calendar. During a day where there is festival Buddhists usually start it off with visiting one of their local temples. When they visit the temple they offer items or food to the monks and usually listen to a Dharma speak to them. (“Buddhists Holidays and Festivals”) Buddhist symbols were not used as often in the early centuries as they are used now. They are different such symbols such as the dharma wheel, golden fishes symbol, mudras, and the swastika. (“Buddhist Symbols”) The main symbol of Buddhism is the dharma wheel. This symbol represents the teachings of the Buddha. The dharma wheel is also known as the “dharmachakra.”
Dharma wheel has three different parts, which Buddhists call the “three trainings.” The three trainings are the hub, the spokes and the rim. (“Dharma Wheel”) In conclusion, there is a lot you can learn about Buddhism. They do have a lot of beliefs and practices. Buddhism was a polytheistic religion since they believed in many different gods and goddesses. They have eight sacred symbols and a lot more holiday. By the end of the day, you still will not know every little detail about the religion but you will get idea of how the religion was.