Buddhism

~6 mins

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy founded by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) in 5th-century BCE India. With 500 million followers worldwide, it teaches that life involves suffering caused by attachment and craving, but that liberation (nirvana) is possible through ethical living, mental cultivation, and wisdom. Buddhism emphasises personal experience over blind faith and offers practical methods for reducing suffering and achieving peace.

1) Buddhism exists because Prince Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE) left his palace to seek answers to human suffering. After seeing old age, sickness, and death for the first time, he realised that wealth and comfort couldn't prevent life's inevitable pain. He tried extreme asceticism for six years, nearly starving himself, but found this didn't lead to enlightenment either. Finally, sitting under a Bodhi tree, he discovered the Middle Way between luxury and deprivation, achieved enlightenment, and became the Buddha ("Awakened One"). His teachings spread because they offered practical solutions to universal human problems.

Related: Buddhism | Buddha | Bodhi Tree

2) The Four Noble Truths form Buddhism's foundation, diagnosed like a medical condition with its cure. First Truth: Life contains dukkha (suffering, dissatisfaction, impermanence) — even happy moments end, causing pain. Second Truth: Suffering arises from tanha (craving, attachment) — we suffer because we want things to be different than they are. Third Truth: Suffering can end by eliminating craving — nirvana is possible. Fourth Truth: The Eightfold Path leads to suffering's end. These truths aren't pessimistic but realistic — acknowledging life's difficulties whilst offering hope through understanding and practice.

Related: Four Noble Truths | Dukkha | Nirvana

3) The Eightfold Path is Buddhism's practical guide to ending suffering, divided into three categories: wisdom (right understanding and intention), ethical conduct (right speech, action, and livelihood), and mental cultivation (right effort, mindfulness, and concentration). "Right" means skilful or beneficial, not morally rigid. Right Speech avoids lying, harsh words, gossip, and idle chatter. Right Mindfulness involves paying attention to present-moment experience without judgment. The path isn't linear — practitioners develop all eight aspects simultaneously, each supporting the others in reducing suffering and increasing wisdom.

4) Karma in Buddhism means intentional action — what matters isn't just what you do but the mental state behind it. Actions motivated by greed, hatred, or delusion create negative karma leading to suffering. Actions motivated by generosity, loving-kindness, and wisdom create positive karma leading to happiness. Unlike Hinduism, Buddhist karma doesn't require a permanent soul — it's more like planting seeds that ripen as consequences. Understanding karma empowers people to change their destiny through conscious choices, taking responsibility for their mental states and actions.

Related: Buddhist Karma | Three Poisons | Merit

5) Rebirth continues until one achieves nirvana, but Buddhism denies a permanent, unchanging soul. Instead, consciousness is a stream of ever-changing mental and physical processes (five aggregates: form, sensation, perception, mental formations, consciousness). At death, this stream continues into a new birth, like one candle lighting another — there's continuity but no identical substance transferred. The quality of rebirth depends on karma accumulated in previous lives. This doctrine explains life's inequalities whilst motivating ethical behaviour and spiritual practice to improve future rebirths or escape rebirth entirely.

6) The Three Jewels are Buddhism's core refuges: Buddha (the teacher), Dharma (the teachings), and Sangha (the community). Taking refuge means committing to these sources of guidance and support on the spiritual path. Buddha represents the possibility of enlightenment — not a god to worship but an example to follow. Dharma encompasses all Buddhist teachings and the natural laws they describe. Sangha originally meant monks and nuns but now includes all practitioners supporting each other's spiritual development. These three jewels provide stability and direction for Buddhist practice.

Related: Three Jewels | Taking Refuge | Sangha

7) Meditation is Buddhism's primary method for developing mindfulness, concentration, and insight. Mindfulness meditation involves observing present-moment experience — breath, body sensations, thoughts, emotions — without trying to change anything, just noticing what's actually happening. Concentration meditation focuses attention on a single object (like the breath) to develop mental stability and calm. Insight meditation investigates the nature of experience to understand impermanence, suffering, and no-self. Regular meditation gradually reduces reactivity, increases awareness, and reveals the mind's true nature beyond thoughts and emotions.

8) The Three Marks of Existence describe reality's fundamental characteristics that all phenomena share. Impermanence (anicca) means everything changes constantly — nothing remains the same forever, from thoughts and emotions to relationships and civilisations. Suffering (dukkha) arises from trying to hold onto what must change or resist what's already changing. No-self (anatta) means there's no fixed, permanent essence in persons or things — what we call "self" is actually flowing processes without a solid core. Understanding these marks intellectually helps, but directly experiencing them through meditation brings liberation from the illusion of permanence and separateness.

Related: Three Marks | Impermanence | No-Self

9) Compassion (karuna) and loving-kindness (metta) are essential Buddhist qualities, not just nice feelings but practices that reduce suffering for oneself and others. Loving-kindness begins with wishing yourself well, then extends to loved ones, neutral people, difficult people, and finally all beings everywhere. Compassion arises naturally when you see others' suffering clearly — it's the heart's response to pain, wanting to help rather than turn away. These practices dissolve the barriers between self and other, revealing our fundamental interconnectedness whilst developing the emotional foundation for wisdom and ethical action.

10) The Middle Way represents Buddhism's balanced approach between extremes — neither indulgence nor deprivation, neither eternalism nor nihilism, neither attachment nor aversion. Buddha discovered this after trying both luxury (as a prince) and severe asceticism (as a seeker), finding neither led to enlightenment. The Middle Way applies to all aspects of practice: effort that's neither lazy nor forced, confidence that's neither arrogant nor self-doubting, mindfulness that's neither spaced-out nor hyper-vigilant. This principle helps practitioners avoid getting stuck in rigid positions whilst maintaining steady progress toward liberation.

11) Buddhist ethics are based on the Five Precepts — guidelines for reducing harm and creating conditions for spiritual development. The precepts are: not killing (extending to all sentient beings), not stealing (taking what isn't given), not engaging in sexual misconduct (adultery, abuse, exploitation), not lying (including harsh speech and gossip), and not taking intoxicants (substances that cloud mindfulness). These aren't commandments but training rules voluntarily undertaken. Breaking precepts creates negative karma and disturbs mental peace needed for meditation. Following them develops wholesome mental states and supports both individual liberation and social harmony.

12) Theravada Buddhism ("Teaching of the Elders") is the oldest surviving Buddhist school, dominant in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia. It emphasises individual liberation through personal effort, following the Pali Canon (earliest recorded teachings) strictly. Theravada practitioners aim to become arhats (enlightened individuals) through mindfulness, ethical conduct, and wisdom. Monks and nuns renounce worldly life to focus entirely on liberation, whilst laypeople support them and practice according to their circumstances. Theravada meditation focuses on mindfulness of breathing and insight into the three marks of existence.

Related: Theravada | Pali Canon | Arhat

13) Mahayana Buddhism ("Great Vehicle") emerged around the 1st century BCE, emphasising compassion for all beings over individual liberation. Mahayana practitioners aspire to become bodhisattvas — beings who postpone their own enlightenment to help others achieve liberation first. This path requires developing both wisdom (understanding emptiness) and compassion (caring for all sentient beings). Mahayana includes diverse schools like Zen, Pure Land, and Tibetan Buddhism, each with unique practices but sharing the bodhisattva ideal. The Lotus Sutra and other Mahayana texts teach that all beings have Buddha nature and can achieve enlightenment.

Related: Mahayana | Bodhisattva | Buddha Nature

14) Zen Buddhism emphasises direct experience of enlightenment through meditation (zazen) rather than intellectual study of texts. Zen teaches that Buddha nature is already present — practice doesn't create enlightenment but reveals what's always been there. Zen uses paradoxical stories (koans) and sudden techniques to break through conceptual thinking and trigger insight. The tradition values simplicity, naturalness, and presence in daily activities — "before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water; after enlightenment, chop wood, carry water." Zen influenced Japanese culture profoundly, from tea ceremony to martial arts to garden design.

Related: Zen | Zazen | Koan

15) Tibetan Buddhism combines Indian Buddhist philosophy with Tibetan Bon traditions and emphasises the guru-disciple relationship. It includes all Buddhist vehicles — individual liberation, bodhisattva path, and tantric practices for rapid enlightenment. The Dalai Lama is Tibetan Buddhism's most famous teacher, believed to be a reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara (bodhisattva of compassion). Tibetan practices include elaborate visualisations, mantras, prayer wheels, and debates. The tradition preserved vast amounts of Buddhist literature and developed sophisticated philosophical schools. Chinese occupation of Tibet spread Tibetan Buddhism worldwide as teachers established centres in exile.

16) Buddhist monasticism provides optimal conditions for spiritual practice through renunciation of worldly concerns. Monks (bhikkhus) and nuns (bhikkhunis) take vows of celibacy, poverty, and obedience, dedicating their lives entirely to meditation, study, and teaching. They depend on laypeople for food and material support, whilst offering spiritual guidance and preserving Buddhist teachings. Monastic communities follow detailed rules (Vinaya) governing every aspect of behaviour. The monastic ideal represents complete commitment to liberation, inspiring laypeople whilst maintaining Buddhist traditions across centuries and cultures.

Related: Buddhist Monasticism | Vinaya | Bhikkhu

17) Buddhist festivals celebrate key events in Buddha's life and important teachings. Vesak (Buddha Day) commemorates Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death, all believed to have occurred on the same date. Dharma Day celebrates Buddha's first teaching after enlightenment. Sangha Day honours the Buddhist community. Different countries emphasise different festivals — Songkran (Thai New Year) combines Buddhist and local traditions, whilst Losar (Tibetan New Year) includes elaborate rituals and celebrations. These festivals strengthen community bonds, provide opportunities for merit-making through generosity, and remind practitioners of Buddhist values and history.

Related: Buddhist Holidays | Vesak | Dharma Day

18) Buddhist art expresses spiritual truths through visual beauty and symbolic meaning. Buddha images aren't worshipped as gods but serve as reminders of enlightened qualities and supports for meditation. Different cultures developed distinctive styles — Indian sculptures emphasise serenity, Thai images show grace, whilst Japanese statues convey power and compassion. Mandalas represent the enlightened mind's structure, whilst stupas symbolise Buddha's presence and teachings. Buddhist art aims to inspire practitioners, create sacred space, and transmit dharma through beauty. Even viewing Buddhist art with proper understanding can be a form of spiritual practice.

Related: Buddhist Art | Buddha Images | Mandala

19) Engaged Buddhism applies Buddhist principles to social and political issues, recognising that individual liberation connects with collective wellbeing. Engaged Buddhists work for social justice, environmental protection, and peace, seeing activism as spiritual practice when done with mindfulness and compassion. Leaders like Thich Nhat Hanh combined meditation with anti-war activism, whilst the Dalai Lama advocates for Tibetan freedom through non-violence. This movement argues that true Buddhist practice must address suffering's social causes, not just personal symptoms, applying wisdom and compassion to transform society as well as individuals.

20) Buddhism in the modern world faces challenges of secularisation, scientific materialism, and cultural adaptation whilst offering ancient wisdom for contemporary problems. Western Buddhism often emphasises meditation and philosophy whilst downplaying rebirth and devotional practices. Scientific studies validate meditation's benefits for mental health, stress reduction, and emotional regulation. Mindfulness has entered healthcare, education, and corporate training, sometimes separated from its Buddhist context. The challenge is maintaining Buddhism's transformative power whilst making it accessible to diverse cultures and worldviews, ensuring its wisdom serves human flourishing without losing its essential spiritual dimension.

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