Buddhists follow the teachings of the Buddha, who believed that the quest for enlightenment and freedom from re-birth is the purpose of life. Buddhism shares many concepts with Hinduism. One difference is a much greater emphasis on reincarnation. Buddhists believe that people are endlessly reincarnated until they reach a level of enlightenment that permits them to be freed from the cycles of re-birth (nirvana). This raises the theological question of why a Universe would be created to torture its subjects in virtually endless cycles of life and death. However, Buddhism does not claim that there is a god who created the Universe, and does not attempt to address this issue.

Central to Buddhist teachings are the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path to enlightenment, leading to nirvana. The Four Noble Truths are:

1. All things are in a state of suffering.
   
2. This suffering is caused by desires and love of material possessions.
   
3. Escape from these desires is a prerequisite for inner peace.
   
4. The way to escape from these desires is by following the Nobel Eightfold Path.

The Noble Eightfold Path is as follows:

1. Right understanding: understanding the four noble truths.
   
2. Right intention: one must renounce worldly life and enter a homeless state.
   
3. Right speech: one must consider others and abstain from lies, slander, abuse and gossip.
   
4. Right conduct: one must abstain from killing, stealing, lying, committing adultery and using intoxicants.
   
5. Right occupation: one must never accept a means of livelihood that could be considered questionable.
   
6. Right endeavor: one must strive after all that is good, and avoid that which is evil.
   
7. Right contemplation: one must learn to control the mind in meditation so that emotion is not allowed to disturb inner peace.
   
8. Right concentration: it is claimed that one can reach a stage where the mind is completely subject to one's will. This allows the mind to develop to stages beyond reasoning and to nirvana.

The five precepts are the Buddhist ethical code:

1. Abstain from harming living beings.
   
2. Abstain from taking things not freely given.
   
3. Abstain from sexual misconduct.
   
4. Abstain from false speech.
   
5. Abstain from intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness.

Additionally there are a further five precepts for those following a monastic life, although there are many more in the Vinaya (Buddhist monastical rule book):

6. Abstain from taking untimely meals.
   
7. Abstain from dancing, music, singing and watching grotesque mime.
   
8. Abstain from the use of garlands, perfumes and personal adornment.
   
9. Abstain from the use of high seats.
   
10. Abstain from accepting gold or silver.

The main argument against Buddhist theology is a lack of emphasis on the need to serve others to reduce suffering; the only way to escape from suffering according to Buddhism is by achieving nirvana. The Buddhist response to the starvation and poverty in Africa is to continue meditating. Suffering in the world only serves to reinforce the First Noble Truth and the need for freedom from re-birth as the only perceived solution to this suffering. Buddhism promotes the false idea that suffering is an inevitable consequence of being alive and not following the teachings of the Buddha. The first precept, 'abstain from harming living beings,' does not require any positive action, and Buddhist theology does harm people by encouraging the sin of inaction. The concept of sin is absent from Buddhist teaching. In general, Buddhists are encouraged to give to charity, but the Four Noble Truths, Noble Eightfold Path and the precepts are focused on self-centred enlightenment and a personal escape from suffering.

Much of the Buddhist scripture takes the form of parables. For example, there is a story about a woman whose only son had died and wanted the Buddha to resurrect him. The Buddha told the woman that this would be possible, but that it would need medicine made from mustard seed grains taken from every house in which no one had died. The woman could not find any houses where no one had died. The purpose of this parable is to illustrate the false idea that death and suffering is inevitable.

I find that Buddhist thinking is very impractical. For example, 'I have toothache' is apparently a meaningless statement because 'I', 'have' and 'toothache' are not counted in the ultimate facts of existence. Someone who has toothache is likely to disagree with this line of thought.

Zen Buddhism involves training the mind to exist without the need for reasoning by focusing on statements that have no logical answer; for example, "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" and, "If everything returns to the One, what does the One return to?" Zen Buddhism is claimed to help people gain self-knowledge in an attempt to understand the meaning of life directly, without being impeded by logic or language.

Buddhism shares a similar set of terms to Hinduism. God is everywhere and leaves clues about false ideologies in language itself. Click for more examples.

'Deva' – Buddhist term for god, but sounds like 'Devil'.

'Satori' – Pure awareness (sounds like Satan).

'Stupa' – Buddhist monument, sounds like stupor (drunk).

'Losar' – A fifteen day New Year ceremony that celebrates the Buddha's life and enlightenment. The word sounds a lot like 'loser' (or failure).

'Chokhor' – A ceremony celebrating the first Buddhist sermon sounds like the words 'Joker' and 'Choker'. Another festival is Poson Day (this sounds like 'Poison Day').

'Dharma' – Buddhist teachings contain the word 'harm'.

'Sangha' – Buddhist community contains a word similar to 'anger'.

'Sinhalese' – The main ethnic group of Sri Lanka (a Buddhist nation) contains the word 'sin'.

'Kusinara' – the place where the Buddha was cremated.

'Madhyamika' – a school of Buddhist thought.

'Bodhidharma' – the Buddhist monk thought to have introduced Ch'an Buddhism into China (this is known as Zen Buddhism in Japan).

'Kala Devala' – according to tradition, this Hindu sage recognised significant signs on the Buddha's infant body.

There are six samsaric realms in the Tibetan wheel of life; except when used in the context of spiritual wisdom, the number six generally refers to something Satanic.

The ceremony of the Buddha's birth (Hana Matsuri) involves a dream that the Buddha's mother had. She dreamed that there was a young white elephant (an English phrase for 'complete waste of time') with six tusks (the number six is used again) that descended into her womb. A picture of a celebratory white elephant is shown below. According to tradition, the Buddha was born on full moon day, and the link between the moon and sin is described in "Parables and General Issues". Many full moon days have significance in the life of the Buddha.

Buddhism is a self-centered theology that is focused on enlightenment rather than serving others. The theology advocates that the freedom from re-birth is the only way to eliminate personal suffering. This concept is in opposition to the teachings of Jesus, which are directed towards reducing suffering by serving and helping others. Both the teachings of Jesus and those of the Buddha are directed against suffering. However, the teachings of Jesus offers a practical approach that has a genuine effect, whereas Buddhism relies on a false theology and therefore fails to reduce the level of suffering in the world.