R3SPECT FUNERALS

Buddhism is a religion that incorporates a myriad of distinct fields and has been described as the most tolerant religion on Earth. Buddhism lacks the idea of a creater God and thus, some do not consider it to be a religion in itself.

It is one of the world’s largest religious population, with the global Buddhist population standing at 488 million in the 2010s. Statistical inquiry by the Ministry of Social and Family Development in 2014 showed that 33.3% of Singapore’s 2010 population subscribed to Buddhism. 

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At the heart of Buddhism is the “Three Jewels”, the Buddha (yellow jewel), the Dharma (blue jewel) and the Sangha (red jewel). Buddhism originated from the Buddha, which signifies “one who is awake”. The Buddha was born in Nepal 2,500 years ago, into a prestigious, royal family as a human being named Siddhartha Gautama. He became enlightened to the different sufferings on Earth and understood life in the deepest way possible. The monastic community of bhikkhus (monks) and bhikkhuni (nuns) are known a Sangha, a spiritual community that has gained insight into and embody the teachings of Buddhism.

 

The central themes in Buddhism are practical and simple: nothing is static, change is possible and actions have consequences. Changes lie in one’s mind and Buddhism has sought to come up with different methods to work and develop the mind. A governing practice in Buddhism is meditation, which serves to develop more positive states of mind as characterized by awareness, concentration and calm to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the individual, others and life itself.