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Global Peace – An Islamic Perspective ACET– Global Peace Project

of suffering, or dukkha. Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, teaches that all suffering

comes from cravings and aversions, such as greed, hatred, fear, and ignorance.

These two ideas, that dukkha exists, and that it is caused by negative feelings like greed and

hatred, make up the first two of the Four Noble Truths. The third Noble Truth is that these

sufferings can end, and the fourth Noble Truth explains the path that, when fulfilled completely,

can lead to the end of suffering. These Four Noble Truths were taught by Gautama Buddha
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to lead to enlightenment and personal peace.

The fourth Noble Truth explains the Noble Eight Fold Path, which Gautama Buddha re-discovered

in his path to enlightenment. This has three sections, or divisions. The first is Wisdom, and

includes “right perspective” and “right intention”; the second is Ethical Conduct, and includes

“right speech”, “right action”, and “right livelihood”; and the third is Concentration, and

includes “right effort”, “right mindfulness”, and “right concentration”. The use of “right”
before each path factor comes from the Sanskrit samyañc, which means perfect or ideal. [10] [11]

While the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eight Fold Path guide individuals toward peace,

these teachings extend to a community level. Buddhists believe that all beings are connected to

[12]
each other, as part of a continuous web of life. The Buddhist teaching Pratitya samutpada, or
dependent origination, says that nothing can exist on its own, but rather, everything is dependent

on other things. [13] While striving towards individual peace is important in Buddhism, treating

others with compassion and empathy is vital, as everything is connected to and affected by

everything else.

CHRISTIANITY

Christianity is currently the most practiced religion in the world. Its roots stem from the
[14]
teachings of Abraham, and its central religious figure is Jesus of Nazareth, who is considered
by Christians to be the Son of God. Christians follow the Holy Bible, which includes accounts of

Jesus’ life and serves as a guideline for the Christian way of living. With its roots in the mid-1st

century AD, Christianity is one of the world’s oldest religions. [15]

This free publication has been compiled by ACET–Global. Please feel free to use and distribute it as an original version without changes.

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