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Awakening

Doctrines and rituals

According to Buddhist belief, all beings are locked in a suffering-laden cycle of rebirth. The causes for suffering are greed, hate, and ignorance. Suffering can be ended by overcoming craving. The prerequisite for this is to live according to a prescribed body of rules (Eightfold Path). Insight into this context is a great personal achievement. A person who has attained it is described as ‘awakened’ (Skt. bhodi). Bodhi is also often translated as ‘enlightened’.