What is buddhism Is it a philosophy or a religion Essay

What is buddhism Is it a philosophy or a religion - Essay Example s study on whether Buddhism is a religion or a philosophy putting into consideration some of the theories applied, the history of Buddhism, Buddha – its religious figure and its literature. The paper will not lie on one side of the thesis question i.e. whether Buddhism is a religion or philosophy, but it will evaluate both notions mostly according to Olson’s conclusions on the matter. In the book ‘The Different Path of Buddhism’ Olson starts by first making a quick account of the early Buddhist tradition of how an old woman, friends with the monks, died and the monks were inconsolable. After which Buddha told them the story about kaka Jataka, the crow and the day when one of the crows got very drunk and was swept out to the sea and drowned; he used the story for symbolism where the sea was a metaphor for the suffering associated with life and the crows represented the human beings (Olson 1). Olson says that during this time of Buddhism, Buddha was considered an common man of flesh and blood, and an exceptional fascinating teacher; not a manifestation of divine being. He is best known as an educator, philosopher, and founder of a major world religion; significantly, he is not like other religious figures that were considered to be holy beings like Jesus (Christianity) or Muhammad (Islam). However, like these other religious figures, Buddha gathered a small group of followers who were attracted to his charisma and teaching, but insisted on the creation of a monastic community that shaped those who joined it and influenced Indian culture, and the laity who were necessary for its support (Olson 3). Before the formation of Buddhism, there were only two religious movements in India; the Brahmins – Brahmanical culture and the holy wanderers – Indian culture; notably, the Buddhists supported the holy wanderers and rejected certain ways of the Brahmanical religion but accepted others (Olson 5). Buddhism was later formed from an incorporation of some features