Buddhism

I remember hearing the story of the Life of Buddha when I was in first year. It seemed so imaginative and far away from anything I understood. The term Buddha means 'enlightened one' and when I first heard this story, I was astonished at the connection between me in my first year seat in the Mining Building, and the students of Gautama (the Buddha). His teachings were of course all done orally, and because the original teachings of the historical Buddha are near impossible to recover or reconstruct, as far as anyone could know, I was hearing my professor attempt to teach me, what Buddha taught to his students.

Even when the Buddha died, the community of his followers set up councils to deliberate over his teachings, and it was within this first set of early monks that the memorization and retention project evolved into a variety of oral canons. What is most amazing about this, is that even today, there is much deliberation over the specific language the Buddha spoke and taught in.

Briefly speaking, King Asoka, emperor in the Mauryan dynasty, allowed for the flourishment of the Buddhist community in India. He was responsible for the propagation of Buddhism across Asia, and even commissioned monuments along significant sites to the life of the Buddha.

Aside from this historical context, like Zoroastrianism, I am deeply fascinated with the principles that guide the religion to morality. The eightfold path of virtues is amazing for me to read, and even follow, as I strongly believe that these subsections of wisdom, moral code, and mental development are necessary for any human begin, even (and especially today) to become a good and honourable person.

This website explains the path more coherently than I ever could:

http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/eightfoldpath.html