Buddhist Worldview

Buddhist Texts

The ultimate goal of practicing Buddhism is to reach Nirvana.

Goal of Practicing Buddhism

"Buddham Saranam Gachhami,

Dhammam Saranam Gachhami,

Sangham Saranam Gachhami"

"To gain an entrance into Buddhism, we must first seek refuge at our Guru (teacher’s) feet, on the Marg (path) paved for us, within the Sangham (community) he has forged." 

The literal translation of Buddha is that of a ‘Learned One’, while its deeper interpretation suggests him, who is the ‘Awakened One’. To understand the philosophies governing Buddhist practices, one must understand the concept of Karma. 

Karma is the cumulative of the actions that helps identify the nature and quality of one’s future lives. As the foundation to the Sanatana Dharma, of which Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Hinduism are a part of, Karma plays an important role in binding an individual to the Samsara (cyclical nature of life and rebirth). There exists a notion of Moksha or Nirvana (liberation or enlightenment) that can be attained if one does Dhyana.


Buddhist Philosophy

- Hearing and learning the Dharma
- Refuge as a Buddhist practice
- Ethics
- Mindfulness 
- Meditation 
- Insight and knowledge as a Buddhist practice
- Devotion as a Buddhist practice
- Vegetarianism as a Buddhist practice
- Reiki and Energy Healing

Common Buddhist Practices

Tibetan Dzogchen is aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimate ground of existence. The primordial ground has qualities of purity, spontaneity, and compassion and the goal is the knowledge of this primordial ground. 

Tibetan Dzogchen (Atiyoga)

Buddhism is one of the religions under the banner of Sanatana Dharma (encompasses Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism) that includes a variety of beliefs and practices based on the teachings of the Buddha (born Siddhārtha Gautama).

Georgetown University

State University of New York at Buffalo

Philosophies originating in the Indian subcontinent are:
- Hinduism
- Jainism
- Buddhism
- Sikhism
- Charvaka
- Ajivika
- Ajnana

Examples of Indian Religions 

Wikipedia

Buddhism

Used to denote the "Eternal Faith", the way of life that has existed for eons, Sanatana Dharma comprises of a set of duties or religiously ordained practices adopted by the followers of the faith, in order to break free from the cyclical lives to which individuals are subjected. 

In layman's terms, Sanatana Dharma reference lifestyles, and not religions that emerged from the Indian subcontinent, with a commonality in its foundations and philosophies.

As the philosophies evolved into religious beliefs, the term, "Sanatana Dharma" as of today, is interchangeable with the term "Hinduism".

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