Buddhism culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Buddhism culture - Essay Example These basic teaching of Buddha, capitulated in the Four Noble Truths or Dhamma place a great importance in looking after our body. Siddharta Gautama had realized the significance of maintaining the health and vitality of the body by going through extreme situations. As a wandering ascetic for six years, he had subjected himself to the most intense form of fasting. However, he found out that denying the body of its vital requirements was not the key to spiritual enlightenment. In the same way, he also concluded that overindulgence is not good for the body as it always lead to ill health. He therefore proposed a "middle way" and asserted to "look on the body as if it were a wound that needed to be treated daily with appropriate medicine (Flanagan 5)." The great importance placed by the Buddhist in a healthy lifestyle is evident to their adherence to a lot of health techniques. Buddhists are very particular of their diet as they are strictly vegetarians. The first lay precept in Buddhism strongly prohibits killing. As eating meat usually implies killing animals, Buddhist sects especially Mahayana strongly denounces consumption of meat. Buddhists are also known for their utilization of different meditation techniques as a "great libe