We say: the philosophy of India means Buddhism. Siddhartha Gautama (who became a Buddha as a result of six years of asceticism and finishing a multi-day meditation) did not write books. But his teaching, more philosophical than religious, nevertheless survived the century.
We and the space
Let's imagine a picture of the world of Buddhists: the number of worlds is infinite ("more than grains of sand in the Ganges River") and each of the worlds lives a billion years. It is especially advantageous to live in a world in which there is a buddha. Buddhas can be a great variety. Strictly speaking, if you try hard, anyone can become a buddha. By the way, buddha is not a god, he does not create worlds and spaces, does not control thunder and lightning, does not judge and does not announce amnesty.
Buddhism about life, as it is
The life of any being is determined by three circumstances:
Anicia - everything flows, everything changes. For any change, just a moment. Therefore, to become attached to what you have is, firstly, stupid, and, secondly, it is useless.
Dukkha - all our life is suffering (or at worst, dissatisfaction), because we do not see the causes and consequences of our actions. And we can not change anything.
Anatta - our selfishness is one self-deception. We can not constantly control our body and our mind. As soon as a person realizes that his "I" is just an illusion, he will be able to free himself from suffering.
What to do?
- First realize that you are suffering (well, do not suffer, but only worry).
- Then understand that the cause of suffering is that you always want what you do not have.
- The last item on the agenda is to get rid of desires (the easiest way is through meditation).
- Then nirvana can come.
The main Buddhist must-see
Meditating adherents of Buddhism prefer in places where their teacher used to be. The most important Buddhist sites in India are:
- the Mahabodhi temple in Bihar, where Buddha received enlightenment;
- a suburb of Varanasi Sarnath where Buddha read his first sermon;
- the city of Cushing in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where the Buddha finally left for nirvana.