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Buddhism, General
Buddhism is a more than 2500-year-old non-theistic view and is one
of the main world religions. Buddhism is a doctrine of methods which
are based on developing wisdom and compassion for all sentient beings.
It was first realized and then taught by
Buddha Shakyamuni,
who was born as a
prince and renounced the royal life to become a wandering monk and
ascetic, as the path to complete liberation from the cycle of suffering
and existence. Buddha Shakyamuni is an example for a human being that
has perfectly fulfilled the capabilities of the mind and therefore
could
teach the path of liberation based on his own experience. According to the realization of the Buddha all beings want to be happy but they do not know what the causes of permanent happiness are. Therefore the teachings include many methods to develop wisdom, which recognizes and dispels ignorance. This process leads to the realization of ones own true nature and to the final liberation from the circle of suffering. The Buddha was teaching that it is in our hands to realize our true nature and to walk the path of liberation.
