Sikhism
Explore Sikhism
Basic Facts
- Originated in India in 6th century CE by Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha); world's 4th largest religion with over 520M people; two major branches of the religion: Mahayana and Theravada
- The Essence of Buddha's teachings are the Four Noble Truths, which detail humanity's suffering, and the Eightfold Path, which serves as a 'map' to eliminate that suffering.
- Belief in "samsara," in which living beings are trapped in a continual cycle of birth-and-death, with the momentum to rebirth provided by one's previous physical and mental actions (Karma). The release from this cycle of rebirth and suffering is the total transcendence called nirvana.
- There is no single holy book, although extensive scriptures have been preserved in many Asian languages
- Buddhists don’t believe in a supreme being or creator god; because of its emphasis on meditation and mindfulness, is is often considered to be a form of psychology rather than a religion.
- A Buddhist diet includes no meat, a natural and logical ramification of the moral precept against the taking of life
Key Terms
Dharma: Buddha's teachings to relieve the world of sufferingKarma: Actions that one makes throughout their life that will determine their future
Dukkha: Pain, suffering, disease and disharmony
Metta Bhavana: Loving-kindness meditation practiced to cultivate loving-kindness towards others
Tanha: Craving or desire, either physical or mental - considered to be the causes of suffering
Beliefs and Key Tenets
Four Noble Truths1. Existence is suffering (dukhka); 2. Suffering has a cause, namely craving and attachment (trishna); 3. There is a cessation of suffering, which is nirvana; 4. There is a path to the cessation of suffering, the "eightfold path"
Eightfold Path
Right views, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration
Practicing Buddhism
Five moral preceptsMembers of monastic orders and the laity are to refrain from:
1. Taking life; 2. Stealing; 3. Acting unchastely; 4. Speaking falsely; 5. Drinking intoxicants
Five additional preceptsMembers of monastic orders also take five additional precepts to refrain:
1. From eating at improper times; 2. From viewing secular entertainments; 3. From using garlands, perfumes, and other bodily adornments; 4. From sleeping in high and wide beds; 5. From receiving money
Sikhism Resources
Tarot Podcasts
Sikhism Videos
Tarot Websites
Tricycle.org
The Tricycle Foundation is dedicated to making Buddhist teachings and practices broadly available. Tricycle provides a unique and independent public forum for exploring Buddhism, establishing a dialogue between Buddhism and the broader culture, and introducing Buddhist thinking to Western disciplines.
Karmapa
Lessons and teachings from the 17th Karmapa, including lessons on the Dharma, meditation, mind training and breathing, and more.
Website / Blog Title
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Website / Blog Title
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Tarot Newsletters
Lion’s Roar
An uplifting combination of timely features and timeless wisdom, celebrating life’s joys, and offering practical tools to apply Buddhist teachings to life’s challenges. View >
Tricycle: Daily Dharma
An uplifting combination of timely features and timeless wisdom, celebrating life’s joys, and offering practical tools to apply Buddhist teachings to life’s challenges. View >
Upaya Zen Institute
An uplifting combination of timely features and timeless wisdom, celebrating life’s joys, and offering practical tools to apply Buddhist teachings to life’s challenges. View >
Shambhala
An uplifting combination of timely features and timeless wisdom, celebrating life’s joys, and offering practical tools to apply Buddhist teachings to life’s challenges. View >
Sikhism Books
What the Buddha Taught
Walpola Rahula | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Dropping Ashes on the Buddha
Seung Sahn | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Siddhartha
Hermann Hesse | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Open Heart, Open Mind: Awakening the Power of Essence Love
Tsoknyi Rinpoche | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Sikhism Classes & Learning
The Foundation of Buddhist Practice
Weekly Livestream | Friday 9:15PM EST | Free Course is taught by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and Ven. Thubten Chodron
Approaching the Buddhist Path
Pre-Recorded Videos | Free How do we practice the Buddha’s teachings in modern times? Venerable Thubten Chodron teaches on "Approaching the Buddhist Path," the first in a multi-volume series co-authored with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Together, they unveil the path of wisdom and compassion that leads to a meaningful life and a sense of personal fulfillment.
Buddhism Through Its Scriptures
Pre-Recorded Videos | Free Whether you are new to the study of Buddhism or have been studying it or practicing it for years, this course will provide you with the opportunity to become acquainted with a variety of Buddhist teachings while guiding you to think about them, and yourself, in new ways.
Through a combination of carefully selected readings, both scriptural and informational, as well as exposure to various forms of Buddhist practice such as art, devotional acts, and literary works, you will learn how to interpret, reflect upon, and apply the teachings of the Buddha to your own life and deepen your understanding of Buddhism.
Buddhism and Modern Psychology
Pre-Recorded Videos | Free Are neuroscientists starting to understand how meditation “works”? Would such an understanding validate meditation—or might physical explanations of meditation undermine the spiritual significance attributed to it? And how are some of the basic Buddhist claims about the human mind holding up? We’ll pay special attention to some highly counterintuitive doctrines: that the self doesn’t exist, and that much of perceived reality is in some sense illusory. Do these claims, radical as they sound, make a certain kind of sense in light of modern psychology? And what are the implications of all this for how we should live our lives? Can meditation make us not just happier, but better people?
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