Buddhism And Conscience
Often when the subject of Buddhism comes up, we think of consciousness n terms of the levels of enlightenment that can be attained through regularly altering consciousness through meditation. Another major aspect of this faith s conscience, however. This essay seeks to take a deep look at the subject and how both of those part are related to each other. From this readers may gain a broader understanding.
What is Buddhism?
The religion that came to be known as Buddhism was started several centuries ago in India by a young man who was once a prince. According to the remaining documents, he was raised in luxury but he encountered suffering one day in the form of sickness and death of others after venturing outside of the palace gates. These things affected him deeply so that he felt the need to abandon his palace, his young bride and son in order to find the reason behind all of the things he had witnessed. He learned from the sages of the time all that they had to offer and one day he attained enlightenment while meditating. From then on he was known as the Buddha or Enlightened one. The message he taught dealt with the need to overcome desire in order to release oneself from the cycle of rebirth and the suffering that comes with it.
How does this relate to the concept of Conscience?
Even outside of religious traditions, the conscience is though of as a major part of what keeps us from committing acts that are wrong. It relates not just to our knowledge of the difference between right and wrong but our desire to do what is right and the guilt we experience when we do wrong. In Buddhism, another major aspect of having a conscience is to radiate love to others and to have a strong sense of empathy for people who are still trapped in ht cycle of rebirth. By radiating that love not just to humans bu to all beings, the individual becomes aware of the way that all things are connected and thus the lack of individuality altogether. In some traditions this may encourage adherents to remain in this world after attaining enlightenment to show others the way so that they too can experience it.
For those who are willing to look without bias at these concepts, a great deal may be learned. This is true regardless of religious persuasion.