Is the foundation of Buddhism a practical philosophy and psychotherapy? Critically discuss the issues and present your argument/analysis.

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BUDDHISM: A HISTORYTopic:Is the foundation of Buddhism based on myth, fanatical or blind faith? Is the foundation of Buddhism a practical philosophy and psychotherapy? Critically discuss the issues and present your argument/analysis.------------------------------------------------------------------------The foundation of Buddhism is rooted in rational intellectual comprehension through the cultivation of wisdom. It encourages faith with profound understanding authenticated by listening, by seeing and deepened by insightful thought in order to gain an understanding. Buddhism is not founded on myth, fanatical or blind faith but it is developed through self contemplation and an experience of insight, thereby kept from illusion. It emphasizes the practical intention of putting Buddha's teachings to work, instead of submissively accepting them as revealed truth. Buddhism is a practical philosophy in that it has specific methods of application on various sets of philosophical principles. It is founded on a psychotherapy concerned with suffering, the awareness of suffering and the means of relief and release from it to find peace and happiness. Practices in Buddhism include having faith in the Buddha and Bodhisattvas because of their virtues, wisdom, and understanding the philosophical teachings of the Buddha Dharma.   Faith in Buddhism is not hostile towards wisdom but encourages it with insightful understanding. Firstly, one needs to establish faith without prejudice and is required to develop understanding of the legitimate foundation for faith and by such sensible ways to acknowledge its authenticity and validity.   The better and deeper the understanding of the valid grounds for faith, the stronger the faith will take place.   The valid grounds for faith are learnt and validated by listening, by seeing and deepened by perceptive and insightful
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thought.   In Buddhism, one is required to cultivate the mind. Faith in Buddhism is developed through deliberation, analysis and examination so that the distinctiveness of truthfulness and righteousness can be understood and exposed.   Faith is rooted in rational intellectual comprehension, so that as it is strengthened and sharpened by the assessment of the intellect, and is further confirmed by the direct insight of wisdom.   This wisdom begins with self-contemplation and an experience of insight. Truth cannot simply be derived from observation of the external world, but it requires us to understand ourselves and to grasp our inner nature.   Once our ...

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