Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life.

A Different Way of Faith

This makes Buddhism different from many other faiths for it is not centered on the relationship between humanity and God.

Buddhism doesn't fit the pattern of other faiths and needs to be seen in its own terms to be understood properly.

Buddhists do not believe in a personal creator God.

It does not have the concept of a Saviour, nor of Heaven and Hell in the popular sense.

Buddhism doesn't demand blind faith or belief, and says that people should test its teachings against personal experience.

The Bare Essentials of Buddhism

2,500 years old

350 million Buddhists worldwide

Founded by Siddhartha Gautama in Nepal

The path to Enlightenment or Buddhahood is through the practice and development of morality, meditation, and wisdom.

Buddhists do not believe in a creator God nor a personal God, but Buddhists are tolerant of those whose beliefs are different from theirs.

Buddhists believe that nothing is fixed or permanent — change is always possible.

Buddhism teaches that all life is interconnected, so compassion is natural and important.

Beliefs

Summary of the Teachings of Buddha

Karma: Actions have consequences; so our lives are conditioned by our past actions.

Rebirth: Consciousness continues after death, and finds expression in a future life.

Liberation from karma: By following the Buddha's path one escapes the cycle of craving and suffering.

The Four Noble Truths: The essentials of Buddhism

Enlightenment: The highest goal of life is to reach Enlightenment; a state of being that goes beyond suffering.

Dharma: The teachings and hence the way to nirvana

The Core of Buddhist teaching

At the heart of the Buddha's teaching lie The Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path which lead the Buddhist towards the path of Enlightenment.

Facing the Truth

The Buddha taught that the human tendency is to avoid the difficult truths of life and this in turn leads to suffering. By enabling the mind to be at peace through meditation a human being can confront reality and overcome hatred and craving.

The Four Noble Truths

Whilst seated beneath the Bodhi tree the Buddha experienced the four noble truths.

Dukkha: All existence is unsatisfactory and filled with suffering

Trsna: The root of suffering can be defined as a craving or clinging to the wrong things; searching to find stability in a shifting world is the wrong way

Nirvana: It is possible to find an end to suffering

The Noble Eightfold path is the way to finding the solution to suffering and bring it to an end

The Noble Eightfold Path

This path is the essential life-style of the Buddhist

Right understanding: A full and complete understanding of the Buddha's view of life

Right attitude: A Buddhist must develop a mental state whereby goodwill and peacefulness take the place of malicious or hateful thoughts

Right speech: The practice of truthful, kindly, helpful, and harmonious communication.

Right action: Living ethically, according to the Buddhist precepts, and taking responsibility for the consequences of one's actions.

Right livelihood: A Buddhist’s occupation must not be harmful to others

Right effort: Making a consistent effort to overcome unwholesome motivations and cultivating wholesome ones

Right mindfulness: Consider all things with care and act, speak, and think with awareness

Right meditation: Deep concentration through following the path of Buddhist meditation

The Threefold Way

The Threefold Way is a central way for Buddhists

Ethics: To live one’s life in a way that helps, rather than causes harm

Meditation: Transforming the mind through meditation practice

Wisdom: Understanding the truth pointed to by the Buddha through listening, reflection, and meditation

The Three Jewels

The three highest ideals of Buddhism to its followers are

The Buddha: The historical Buddha and the state of Buddhahood he embodies

The Dharma: The teachings of the Buddha and the truth they point at

The Sangha: All those who have attained Enlightenment and the spiritual community of those following the same path