Buddhism

To avoid all evil, to do good,
to purify the mind- that is the
teaching of the Buddhas.

Dhammapada, v.183

Buddhism is one of the Worlds’s great religions which stresses the need for individual spiritual development leading to the goal of nirvana or liberation.

The religion of Buddhism stems from the life and teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, Lord Buddha who lived in Indian in about the 6th Century BC.

Buddhist do not stress a belief in God they emphasise the path to enlightenment is to be attained through the practice and development of morality, meditation, and wisdom. In particular Buddhists stress the importance of compassion for all living beings.

Aspects of Buddhism

The 4 Noble Truths

The Buddhist Heavens

The Eightfold Path

Branches of Buddhism

During the life of the Buddha there were no divisions of Buddhist teachings but over times there has developed different traditions which stress different aspects of Buddhist teachings

Theravada Buddhism

Theravada Buddhism is strongest in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. Theravada Buddhism places great emphasis on the original teachings of the Buddha, in particular the teachings known as the Pali Canon. Also the elders or Buddhist monks play a significant role

Mahayana Buddhism

Mahayana Buddhism is strongest in Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia.
Mahayana Buddhism is not a single group but a collection of Buddhist traditions including:

Zen Buddhism,
Pure Land Buddhism,
Tibetan Buddhism

Theravada and Mahayana are both rooted in the basic teachings of the historical Buddha, and both emphasise the individual search for liberation from the cycle of samsara (birth, death, rebirth…). The methods or practices for doing that, however, can be very different.

– Siddharta Becomes The Buddha – A Play about the life of Lord Buddha

– Zen Buddhism

External Buddhist Links

Buddhist Books available at Amazon.com

Books on Buddhism

Books on Buddhist Teachings

Books on Buddhist Poetry

Buddha.netBuddhist information and education network

The Buddhist SocietySociety dedicated to the study of Buddhism. Patron The Dalai Lama

Buddhism at the BBCIntroduction to Buddhism at the BBC religions website

Photo Credit: Kedar