佛教 BuddhismBuddhism is one of the world’s three major religions. It was founded by Siddhartha Gautama(悉达多乔达摩)who lived in the north-east region of the Indian subcontinent between 6BC and 5BC . Buddhism was widespread in many countries in Asia. During the Eastern Han Dynasty it was spread from the West to the East into China. Then as a result of the Buddhist influence on and mergence with Chinese culture, Buddhism came to be a natural part of Chinese civilization, albeit with a unique character. Buddhism has played an enormous role in shaping the mindset of the Chinese people，affecting our aesthetics , politics, literature, philosophy and medicine. Buddhist Immortals and Myths佛教形象和神话阿罗汉ArhatIt refers to those who have attained the goal of enlightenment or awakening and achieved nirvana (涅磐) without being reborn. The difference between an Arhat and a Buddha is that the Buddha attains enlightenment by himself, whereas the arhat does it by following the teachings of anther.阿弥陀佛Amitabha“Amitabha”is a Sanskrit world literally meaning boundless light and boundless life. He is the Buddha in the Land of Ultimate Bliss(极乐世界)，in which all beings enjoy unbound happiness. According to the scriptures, Amitabha possesses infinite merit resulting from good deeds over countless past lives. He has forty-eight great vows to establish and adorn his Pure Land. People also recite or call upon his name by the time of dying, in the hope of being born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss with the reception by Amitabha. Amitabha is one of the most popular and well-known Buddha in China.A introduction of Buddha:In a broad sense, Buddha is a kind of person whose sense, emotion and ability have been fulfilled to the upmost at the same time. They can lead the ordinary people to get rid of the sufferings in mortal world and to a new level of life.In a narrow sense, Buddha is Sakyamuni(释迦牟尼 ) who created Buddhism and who has fulfilled himself to be a Buddha.Features of Buddha NO.1:Buddha is a human being, not immortal.Buddhism is the only religion that has no gods or goddesses. When Sakyamuni was born, his first word was “I alone am honored in Heaven and on Earth ”(天上天下唯我独尊). Here, “I” doesn’t refer to himself but refers to all the individuals in the world. Sakyamuni believes that everyone’s life is determined by his own deeds and even Buddha can’t decide who should go to the Heaven and who to the Hell.Features of Buddha NO.2:Buddha is a equality supporterWe all know that Buddhism preach “infinitely merciful and compassionate ”(大慈大悲), which means holding affectionate love to everyone no matter who they are and considering all the human beings as a entirety including yourself. Also, Buddhism disapprove that non-human creatures are created to give humans foodFeatures of Buddha NO.3:Buddha is not unique, everyone has an opportunity to be a Buddha. Buddha is a human being, and the only difference between him and the ordinary people is the time of awareness(觉悟时间的先后 ). “Buddha” is a name for all the aware people, not only refers to Sakyamuni. Features of Buddha NO.4:Buddhism does not admit the creator of all the creatures Buddhism don’t believe there was a first “start” of the universe. A new “start” is the end of the former affair. The causal relationship (因果关系) is circulating and endless.宇宙的原素是永恒的，生命的因素也是永恒的，前者是物质不灭，后者是精神不灭。
What is Buddhism? 什么是佛教？Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people around the world. The word comes from 'budhi', 'to awaken'. It has its origins about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gotama, known as the Buddha, was himself awakened (enlightened) at the age of 35.佛教是一种约有三亿人信仰的世界性宗教。
这个词来自于'菩堤'，意思是'觉悟' 。
佛教大约起源于2500年前，是悉达多乔达摩(称为佛陀)在35岁时觉悟后所发起的。
• Is Buddhism a Religion? 佛教是一种宗教吗？To many, Buddhism goes beyond religion and is more of a philosophy or 'way of life'. It is a philosophy because philosophy 'means love of wisdom' and the Buddhist path can be summed up as:(1) to lead a moral life,(2) to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and(3) to develop wisdom and understanding.对于许多人来说，佛教超越宗教，更象是一种哲学或'生活艺术' 。
说它是一种哲学，因为哲学'意指热爱智慧'。
佛教的修行路径可以概括为：（ 1 ）引导人们过着高尚的道德生活(戒)，（ 2 ）教人观察身心注意思想行为(定)，（ 3 ）通过修行获得智慧(慧)。
• How Can Buddhism Help Me? 佛教对我能有什么帮助？Buddhism explains a purpose to life, it explains apparent injustice and inequality around the world, and it provides a code of practice or way of life that leads to true happiness.佛教解释了生命的真相，它对世上的种种不公正以及不平等现象(人生的痛苦)作出了解释，并提供了修行解脱的道路，使人走向真正的幸福。