1. Chapter 6 Buddhism Section 3: Beliefs and Practices
By Nathan Hernandez, William Clapp, and Abraham Lopez

2. Main Buddhist beliefs
Buddhist beliefs are centered around the Four Noble Truths.
These were taught in Siddhartha Gautama’s earliest lessons.
If someone does not know the Four Noble Truths they will continue on the cycle of Samsara.
Practices derived from the Four Noble Truths, are the Noble Eightfold Path, and The Middle Way.
The Sangha used to be just Monks, and Nuns, but currently it includes everyone who believes in Buddhism.

3. Four noble truths- First Noble truth
The First Noble Truth is that life is filled with all kind of suffering.
There is mental suffering and physical suffering that is brought on through the traumas of life.
To Buddhists, Samsara is the endless cycle of suffering brought on by Karma.
Buddhist see all life as impermanent everything changes or goes away eventually.
The Buddhist doctrine of anatma, means “no soul or not self” which means people believe a permanent independent self exists, but it actually does not, and this ignorance causes suffering.

4. Second Noble Truth
The Second Noble Truth is that the cause of suffering is desire.
People believe the their individual self is real, so they crave and want things all the time.
If they don’t get what they want, they get angry, frustrated, or disappointed.
If they do get what they want their happiness is short lived.
Being ignorant about not-self is what causes suffering.

5. Third Noble Truth To cease suffering one must cease desire.
To end suffering is achieving Nirvana, and to end the Samsara.
Everything is suffering and impermanent and the only thing that is permanent is the end of suffering.
Suffering stops when we free ourselves from desires and we stop believing that our individual self is real.
The freedom gained from this is what brings people true happiness.

6. Fourth Noble Truth
The Fourth Noble Truth is that the end of suffering is through the Noble Eightfold Path.
This is the middle may between indulgence and self denial and is the moral standard of Buddhism.

7. samsara and buddhism and hinduism
Buddhists and Hindus both believe in the Samasara, but they both have different views of it.
For Hindus, Samsara ceases when they reach moksha, which is when the atman is one with Brahman. This leads to immortality.
For Buddhists, Nirvana is the liberation from Samsara, but it does not lead to immortality. This is neither a happy nor sad event.

8. The noble eightfold path
Central practices of Buddhism
Once someone has perfected these practices, they are awakened and reach Nirvana.
1. Right Understanding
2. Right Thought
3. Right Speech
4. Right Conduct
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration
It is categorized by three main practices: Morality, Meditation, and Wisdom.

9. Eightfold Path Video

10. Right Understanding
Right Understanding means that one sees things as how they really are.
The summation and understanding of the Four Noble Truths.

11. Right Thought
The idea that the mind must be purified of what moves it away from enlightenment.
The practice of replacing wrong thoughts like hatred with right thoughts like love.

12. Right Speech
All forms of lying, slandering, gossip, and use of harsh words must be eliminated.
Someone must speak truthfully and kindly about others.

13. Right Conduct
This path teaches people not to cheat, steal, murder, or engage in sexual misconduct.

14. Right Livelihood
Someone should not make a living from something that harms others.
One should have nothing to do with slaughtering animals, producing intoxicants, or anything with weapons.

15. right effort
This path has to do with right thought, you not only have to replace bad thought, but keep doing that and cultivate those thoughts

16. Right Mindfulness Can be summed up as knowing oneself.
A person should be aware of everything they are thinking, and doing.
It is being aware of thoughts, feelings, and actions at all times.

17. Right concentration This path is the form of Buddhist meditation.
Where someone concentrates on a single object only to dispel other distractions, and see things how they really are.
This leads to enlightenment.

18. Community
Sangha originally referred to a community of Monks, or Nuns, and it was believed that only they could practice the teachings of the Buddha.
Lay people only took care of their needs, and gained a better rebirth in their next life.
Now the Sangha has expanded to mean all Buddhist practitioners.
It is the part of the three Jewels of Buddhism
The other two are the Buddha, and the Dharma.

19. Enlightenment
It is the goal of ever Buddhist to reach Nirvana and achieve Enlightenment.
The word “arhat” which means “worthy one” is the title given to a person in Theravada Buddhism who has achieved enlightenment.
Mahayana monks abide by the same rules as Thereavda Monks, therefore they accept that the status of arhat is an ultimate goal.