Following information is taken from Simple English Wikipedia, with a few terms translated into Chinese:
Buddha (佛 or 佛陀) is a word in the very old Indian languages Pali and Sanskrit which means "Enlightened one" (覺悟者). The word "Buddha" often means the historical Buddha named Buddha Shakyamuni (釋迦牟尼佛; that is, Siddhartha Gautama 悉達多 喬達摩), but "Buddha" does not mean just one man who lived at a certain time. It is used for a type of person, the equivalent of a prophet, and Buddhists believe there have been many -- that there were Buddhas a very long time ago and there will be for a long time in the future.
Buddhists do not believe that a Buddha is a god, but that he is a human being who has woken up and can see the true way the world works. They believe this knowledge totally changes the person. Some say this puts them beyond birth, death, and rebirth. Others think this represents the final extinction of desire. This person can help others become enlightened too.
Old stories say that Siddhartha Gautama was born around the 6th century BC. He was the one who would become the first Buddha in written history. Some Buddhists believe that Siddhartha Gautama was a perfect person.
He was born a prince and was unsure about if he wanted to become a religious man or a prince. At age 29 he noticed pain and suffering. He then wanted to learn the answer to the problem of human suffering, or pain. He gave up all his money and power, and became a monk without a home. He walked from place to place, trying to learn the answers to life.
At last he found enlightenment while sitting under a big tree called the Bodhi Tree (菩提樹). He was the first person to teach Buddhism to the people, and Buddhists love him for that.
After Siddhartha Gautama died, his students taught the Buddha's teaching to more people. After a long time, they wrote down the things that he may have said.
The Three Jewels (三寶):
Buddhists often talk about the Three Jewels, which are the Buddha (佛寶), the Dharma (法寶), and the Sangha (僧寶). The Dharma is the way the Buddha taught to live your life. The Sangha is the group of monks and other people who meet together, like a congregation.
Buddhists say "I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha." (皈依三寶) This means that these three things keep them safe. They give themselves up to the community and teachings inspired by the Buddha.
Four Noble Truths (四聖諦):
The Buddha's first and most important teachings are the Four Noble Truths. (1) 苦諦: Life often -- in fact almost always -- involves suffering. This may sound obvious, but it is said so as to emphasize that this is the key thing Buddhism is interested in. (2) 集諦: The reason for this suffering is that we want things we cannot or do not have. Or, more important, we become "attached" to those things. Simply thinking you'd like an ice cream is not a source of suffering. But becoming "attached" to that desire is. (3) 滅諦: The way to cure suffering is to stop the wanting. Of course many could argue that a better way would simply be to go get the thing you want. The Buddhist response is that we can never get everything we want, partly because the more we have, the more we want. (4) 道諦: The way to stop wanting is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path, which focuses not on changing things around us, but instead it focuses on changing our own mind on how we view things.
Noble Eightfold Path (八正道):
The Buddha told people to follow a special way of life called the Noble Eightfold Path if they want to understand the Four Noble Truths. These are: (1) 正見 Know and understand the Four Noble Truths. (2) 正思惟 Give up all worldly things and don't harm others. (3) 正語 Tell the truth, don't gossip, and don't talk badly about others. (4) 正業 Don't commit evil acts, like killing, stealing, or living an unclean life. (5) 正命 Do rewarding work. (6) 正精進 Work for good and oppose evil. (7) 正念 Make sure your mind keeps your senses under control. (8) 正定 Practice meditation as a way of understanding reality.
Five Precepts (五戒):
Buddhists are encouraged to follow five precepts, or rules, that say what not to do. The Buddha taught that killing, stealing, having sex in a harmful way, and lying are not signs of skill. These are the Five concept: (1) 不殺生 I will not hurt a person or animal that is alive. (2) 不偷盜 I will not take something if it was not given to me. (3) 不邪淫 I will not engage in sexual misconduct. (4) 不妄語 I will not lie or say things that hurt people. (5) 不飲酒 I will not take intoxicants, like alcohol or drugs. In some types of Buddhism, when a person wants to be a monk, he will follow other precepts also.
= = = 以下圖片是 2012/2/15 拍攝於高雄市大樹區的「佛陀紀念館」 = = =
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