What are these men doing?

Buddhism

How did Buddhism start?  Started about 545 BCE by a Hindu prince named Siddhartha Gautama.  Lived a sheltered life in his father’s palace until he snuck out an encountered an old man a sick man and a dead body.  He left his family for a life of asceticism.  Failed to reach enlightenment through asceticism.  He sits under the Bodhi tree for days until he finally reaches enlightenment.

The Four Noble Truths 1. Life is suffering. 2. Suffering is caused by the desire for things to be different than they are. 3. There is a way to overcome this desire. 4. The Eight Fold path is the way to overcome desire.

Samsara The Indefinitely repeated cycles of birth, misery, and death caused by karma.

The End Goal. Over its long history, Buddhism has grown into a variety of forms ranging from an emphasis on religious rituals and the worship of deities, to a complete rejection of both rituals and deities in favor of pure meditation. Yet all forms of Buddhism share respect for the teachings of the Buddha and the goal of ending suffering and the cycle of rebirth.

Buddhism’s major differences. 1. There is no almighty God in Buddhism. There is no one to hand out rewards or punishments on a supposedly Judgement Day. 2. Buddhism is strictly not a religion in the context of being a faith and worship owing allegiance to a supernatural being. 3. No savior concept in Buddhism. A Buddha is not a savior who saves others by his personal salvation. Although a Buddhist seeks refuge in the Buddha as his incomparable guide who indicates the path of purity, he makes no servile surrender. A Buddhist does not think that he can gain purity merely by seeking refuge in the Buddha or by mere faith in Him. It is not within the power of a Buddha to wash away the impurities of others 4. A Buddha is not an incarnation of a god/God (as claimed by some Hindu followers). The relationship between a Buddha and his disciples and followers is that of a teacher and student. 5. The liberation of self is the responsibility of one's own self. Buddhism does not call for an unquestionable blind faith by all Buddhist followers. It places heavy emphasis on self-reliance, self discipline and individual striving.