Religion and faith are two pillars of life. They may seem similar but are very different concepts. Religions are historic and cultural systems that evolve with time, while faith is an individualistic, personal feeling of a person. Religion is for society but faith is one's own. There are approximately 4300 religions of the world but your faith can be only yours. It is what you believe. Faith and religion are not necessarily at odds with each other. Religion can help us understand the divine and educate us about the divine and in that way complement each other. You don't need to have a religion to have faith but you do need faith to have a religion. It's not necessary to have a religion but you must have faith for its important to believe.

Written by : Disha, Akshita, Sakshi and Anubha - IX SMSJP,India

India is among the most religiously diverse countries in the world. Being a secular country, India has varied forms of religion like Hinduism, Islam,, Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism , Jainism and many more religious groups spread all over the country. Although these religions may have different patrons but the principles and the goal is the same.

So we are going to discuss one of these religions that is Buddhism which believes in encouraging and promoting ‘ideal’ worship instead of ‘idol’ worship.

To do no evil;

To cultivate good;

To purify one's mind:

This is the teaching of the Buddhas.

--The Dhammapada

Origins of Four Noble Truths

Buddha's teachings are based on the Four Noble Truths and eight fold paths which make up the roots of Buddhism. They definitely leave lots of room for wondering but have been promoted ever since. Despite their being many different interpretations of these four truths, to sum it up all they are:

1. The Truth of Suffering: It states that suffering is unavoidable and has to be gone through alone.

2. The Truth of the Cause of Suffering: Desire and ignorance are the cause of suffering. It is said that humans suffer because we hunger after pleasure and material possessions. In simple words, “the more we get, the more we want”. It’s a never ending cycle which leads us to suffering.

3. The Truth of the End of Suffering: Since nothing lasts forever, the suffering will end too.

4. The Truth of the Path that leads to the End of Suffering:

It tells us that 'Suffering happens,' 'It has a cause,' 'It has an end,' and 'There is a way to bring about its end.' Legend says he came up with these truths after witnessing four things: the suffering of an elderly man, the suffering of a sick man, the body of a dead man, and the actions of a monk. These four incidents became an eye – opener for Buddha and shocked him deeply. He learned what a person goes throughout his life and with this, the roots of Buddhism began to develop

A person’s suffering is describes to an extent in Buddhism and therefore it could be seen to have a depressing worldview . However it could also be said that followers of Buddhism have a realistic worldview and know that suffering is inevitable .

Written by : Disha, Akshita, Sakshi and Anubha - IX SMSJP,India

"As a parishioner of Saint John the Evangelist, I have grown up as a Catholic who is very strong in faith. Faith has helped me grow to become a better person. Treating people as I would want to be treated helped me to be able to support those in need and had taught me a vital lesson: many people are living much harder lives than yourself. By helping those in need, you can help make their lives better while improving their own faith.

Faith can also help you get through hard times in your life. One example is the loss of a loved one. Without faith, you can spiral into a deep depression, but with faith, you can know that they are in a better place. This allows you to get over your depression easier and help you comfort others who are in the same situation."

Written by Alexander Peterson

It doesn't matter what you believe in, as long as you believe in something you'll be healthier.

CREDITS:

• https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/major-religions-in-modern-india.html
• http://www.buddhanet.net/