There are many misconceptions about Buddhism that can be attributed to a Western ideology that does not match more dominant Eastern ideologies. Probably the most fundamental misconception about Buddhism is that it is a religion.
When missionaries from the west came to India and parts of Asia, they saw the Buddhist Monks kneeling and chanting before large iconic statues, and assumed that Buddhists prayed and worshiped a god. They told the Buddhists that what they were doing was called "religion". And thus began a long history of misrepresentation and misunderstanding about what Buddhism is.
Buddhism does not fit the definition of a religion for several reasons. For one, Buddhism has no god and no spiritual afterlife, and Buddhists do no believe in a soul or prayer.
Buddhists assert that there are 4 noble truths to life:
1. Dakkha - "There is suffering"
Buddhists believe that people experience dissatisfaction, annoyance, and suffering in life.
2. Dakkha Samudaya - "What causes suffering"
Buddhists believe that the cause of suffering is a "thirsting" or "craving" for things in life.
3. Duhkkha Niradha - "Eliminate Craving"
Buddhists believe that in order to end suffering, people must learn to eliminate their cravings (for people, things, outcomes, etc.)
4. Magga - "Minimize Craving" - The Eight Fold Path
Buddhists believe in 8 things (the eight fold path) that will minimize craving. They are right thinking, right speech, right action, right means of livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. These elements can be categorized as wisdom, moral conduct, and mental discipline.
Because Buddhism asserts ways of living that will minimize suffering, and has it's own theories about the human condition, many Psychologists consider Buddhism to be the oldest form of psychology.
(to be continued...)
