Buddhism: A Case Study in Religion

The three characteristics of existence define the Buddhist perspective of what is inevitably going to happen in every being's existence. The first characteristic is impermanence. Buddhists are very aware of the mortality of every being, even gods and goddesses. Any sort of existence will end, no matter what. Nothing in life, including death, is ever permanent, unless the eightfold path is followed to nirvana. The knowledge of one's impermanence leads to the second characteristic of existence, suffering. Buddhists recognize all suffering as grouped into three categories. The first, physical suffering, refers to the unavoidable downfall of one's physical form due to age. As one ages, he may become severely ill, experience the physical pain of failing body parts, and eventually his sentience will leave his body and it will turn to dust. The second type of suffering is psychological suffering. This refers to the pain one will feel throughout his entire life due to disappointment, not getting the things he wants and losing the things and/or people he loves. The final type of suffering is the inherent suffering of existence. This is similar to impermanence and physical suffering, because it is the realization of one's own mortality and the consequences of age that inevitably come to all living beings. The third and final characteristic of existence is the no-self, or the anatman. In Buddhist ideology, the real truth of existence is that there is no self. Unlike many traditions who believe the soul of the individual is eternal, Buddhists believe that the soul, belief in the soul, or belief in the self is only another form of suffering. It is only when a Buddhist fully realizes that the self is not real that he may attain enlightenment (Relig).