Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
From Buddhism
This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions about Buddhism.
As questions are posted here, answers can also be given. If you have a question, please add it to the list by editing this page. And if you think you have an answer to a question that has already been posted, please reply by editing the page (there might well be more than one answer!). Some of these questions and answers may form the basis of future pages in this Wiki. So if you have a long answer, why not start a new article by making the question an 'internal link'?
Over to you...
- Question:How many Buddhists are there?
- Answer:
- Question:Is Buddhism a peaceloving Religion?
- Answer: Yes.
- Question:Is Buddhism better described as a religion or as a philosophy?
- Answer: Both. It provides a way of viewing and interacting with the world, a philosophy about life and purpose. Certain types of Buddhism do have rituals and official religious orders. So it can be taken as a philosophy alone, or as a religion. Buddhism does have dieties, but not in the sense of Judeo-Christian deities. A Buddhist god is simply a being in a born into a higher reality.A philosophy. Buddhism - at least Zen Buddhism - has no deities, no official doctrine. It promises nirvana for those who walk its path, and welcomes any to do so.
- Question:Do Buddhists believe in God?
- Answer: No, not as understood in the Christian sense. You do not pray to a god in Buddhism, but pay reverence to Buddhists going before you who have acheived Nirvana. Though in some sense the idea of the nature of mind can be considered compatible with western mystical concepts of God. Additionally, Buddhists will encourage believers of other faiths to apply Buddhist teachings to their own concept of God. (See "Tibetan Book of Living and Dying").
- Question:How do you become a Buddhist? Is there an 'official' way of joining?
- Answer: You become a Buddhist by learning about the precepts, gaining understanding and agreement and then living your life by those values. One might also say you become a Buddhist simply by following a path to enlightenment.
