(1000–483 BC)
Although Buddhism and Taoism are very similar in nature, Buddhism does not focus on the duality present in Taoism. Although Buddhism acknowledges the duality of existence, its focus is more on inner enlightenment and inner peace. Taoism is included with Buddhism because the existence of duality in life creates the paradoxes that are in life. These paradoxes allow these seemingly conflicting dualities to have 120
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a common or similar origin. Buddhism focuses on a spirit or energy that is always there, and began from one omnipotent and never-ending energy source, infinite in being and understanding, therefore, eliminat-ing duality and creating a single state of nowness.
Focusing on only the good things in life and ignoring the bad things will not prepare you for the life you are going to live. That is also to say that focusing only on the bad will not allow you to appreciate the good.
Buddhism attempts to teach us that there is no good or bad; there is just now. To embrace your situation and life in the state of nowness, be at complete peace with yourself, your environment, and others around you—understand what virtue is, and accept yourself as a being who belongs here. Once you do this; then all the negatives of the Western sun or setting sun can be faced with dignity, pride, and confidence. All the bad things in the world are no longer evil; they just simply need the help of those with virtue and enlightenment. Once this is understood, the need to be virtuous to yourself and others will help create a more peaceful and enlightened society; this is the goal of Buddhism.
Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)
There are many forms of Buddhism in the world; however, the father of Buddhism can be seen as Siddhartha Gautama. Remember that the works and ways of the Buddha were not written down until about 400 years after his death. Much like the legends of Lao Tzu, much of the legend was from hearsay information passed on to disciples or other Buddhas over time. Because Buddha was a prince, bits and parts of the legend can be fitted together to form a legend according to My Belief. Like Lao Tzu there is much unknown information in regard to the life of the Buddha, yet the legend has never died, and like Lao Tzu, the philosophy of his teachings are still present in today’s society.
Siddhartha Gautama can be viewed as the father of Buddhism in both modern and ancient forms of Buddhism. Much like the legends of Lao Tzu, there is much speculation of the time of birth of the Buddha and the events that occurred in his lifetime. We begin to notice now that in the lives of the prophets, much is speculated and recorded after their deaths. Because these figures are so controversial during their lifetimes, their lives are not imitated until their deaths. Even during the time of the Buddha, he was placed in a very unique sociopolitical situation.
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The legends of the life of the Buddha consist of many compiled works on him. Much like the legends of Jesus, we do not start to see anything of his written works till after his death; and even after his death, these teachings are written works of disciples and not the Buddha himself. This translation and interpretation of the prophet’s teachings are also present in the teachings of the Qur’an. After the prophet Muhammad died; his disciples began to write down the history and teachings of the prophet down. Like all writings and teachings, some of the interpretations and meanings are lost when the teacher dies.
The ancestry and lineage of the Buddha are carried through the descendants of the Indo-Iranian people; these are the descendants of Abraham and Sarah, and are of relation to the generation of Ishmael. India is built of two ancestries, those that migrated from Egypt and Africa, and those that migrated down the path or “corridor” of the mountains into the Sindhu valley, river valley of India, coming from the descendants of Abraham and Hagar (thus the term Indo-Iranian). Buddha is believed to be of Indo-Iranian descent and his belief differed slightly from the Hindu beliefs that the kingdom followed. These Buddhist beliefs may have stemmed from an Aryan concept of one God, coming from the teachings of Abraham.
Like Lao Tzu, there is evidence in the legend that Buddha had military training in combat and command. He was a Shakya prince who bordered the lands of the ancient Aryans, supporting the legends of the Vedic invasions. Nepal was a part of Northern India and bordered China and the Aryan lands. Buddha may have been a military commander and led many defences against invasion. Like the nontraditional version of Lao Tzu, an alliance may have been formed with China, neutralizing the tension with the Aryans and creating a peace in the frontier lands.
Buddhism is an enlightenment or higher sense of spiritual enlightenment that allows us to have a greater appreciation for the surroundings in the now, as well as seeing the moment from a third-person perspective. It is the ability to appreciate and love all things while understanding the principles of life (action-reaction), accepting suffering, and having the courage to embrace fear and use it as a strength in everyday life. When such an appreciation for life is understood (many of us experience this at some point in our lives) we achieve a form of enlightenment or higher spiritual being; this is the beginning of becoming like a Buddha.
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Life is struggle and this struggle can be seen in the concepts of the Eastern and Western sun, a rising (Eastern) and a setting (Western), in essence a living and dying sun. Remember that all life is equal in the beginning, thus the preservation of innocence must be defended at all costs.
A large part of Buddhism’s focus is on the defence and protection of the innocent; this act is in defence of Eastern sun concepts. Unfortunately the Western sun mentality is needed to achieve the need for such defence. For example the martial arts of monks and the mastery of their weaponry is not an Eastern sun trait. The Western and Eastern sun concepts are a more modern concept of Buddhism; the primary concept of the Buddha was to love all things.
Although this may be a vague concept, it is hard to always love one’s life; in fact it is impossible to never be angry. If your anger is in love, you are never really without love in your heart. This justifies the cause of righ-teous anger, sometimes warranted in life and particular situations, thus justifying the protection of the innocent by the Buddha. Remember that if everyone loved with the Eastern sun, such anger would not be justified; the path to enlightenment is to accept both good and evil. The Buddha’s mission was to distinguish the boundaries of such lines and to aid the people on their path to salvation and peace.