Buddhism
, An Introduction – What is Buddhism?
• Buddhism is a religion over 2,500 years old, with roughly 488 million followers around the globe with
around 150,000 of them residing in Britain.
• It was founded by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha), who went on a quest to achieve
Enlightenment in the 6th Century. Buddhists now live their life in the footsteps of the Buddha, their
main goal being to reach Nirvana (a state of complete peace and freedom from suffering/samsara,
pain, desires, and individual consciousness; the release from the cycle of reincarnation and karma.)
• It is believed that Enlightenment can be achieved through the practise and development of morality,
meditation, and wisdom – known as the path to Enlightenment.
• There are different schools of Buddhism, the main two sects being Theravada and Mahayana
Buddhism, which are most popular in different countries, for example, Mahayana Buddhism is most
popular in countries like Tibet and China, whereas Theravada Buddhism is most popular in countries
like Sri Lanka and Cambodia.
• Buddhists do not believe in the concept of a deity like the traditional God we think of, so it is
considered a nontheistic religion. Buddhists mainly focus on living a good life, following Buddha’s
example, and on trying to achieve Enlightenment. However, even though they do not believe in a
God as a large, Omnipotent deity, they do still believe in Gods (as supernatural entities) that can
bring benefits like good fortune and health. Though the Buddha himself did believe in Gods, his
teachings are non-theistic, and mainly focus on the key things humans experience, like birth, death,
and sickness.
• Buddhists believe that life is endless and subject to uncertainty, suffering, and impermanence –
these three characteristics of life are known as the tilakkhana, or the Three Marks of Existence.
Because of reincarnation, life is endless, and in each life we experience suffering and uncertainty.
Each lifetime is also impermanent: Buddhists believe that no state lasts forever, be it good or bad.
They argue that our belief in the idea that things will last (i.e. when we get our dream job, we will
always be happy afterwards), is one of the main causes of human suffering.
, Who is the Buddha?
• The Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) is the founder of Buddhism. Born into the royal family in modern-day Nepal (in 563 B.C.), living
luxury and privilege. After leaving the royal enclosure (escaping his father’s plan to hide him from the cruelties of life to prevent th
being fulfilled - that Buddha was going to become a political figure or a religious leader) and stumbling across an old man, a sick m
corpse for the first time, he was deeply disturbed. On his fourth outing from the palace (at age 29), the Buddha came across a mon
despite living a saddened life, had accepted the ideas of old age, sickness, and death. Buddha was inspired by this monk to venture
path to find the origin of suffering and how to overcome it.
• The Buddha then spent his days living as a monk, studied under well-known teachers, followed yogic practises, and learned of dee
meditation. When he realised the teachers could not teach him anymore, he left with his five followers. At this point in his life, he
as ‘Sakyamuni’. For six years, he starved and punished himself as a result of the belief in the idea that the human body and its de
something that had to be overcome in order to develop spiritually. When he was almost at the point of death, he saw a three-strin
and he was shown that if a string is too loose or too tight, the instrument will not work properly. Instead, you have to find the right
create the sound- the ‘Middle Way’. This made him realise that living such a life was not the right path towards Enlightenment.
• He gave up his extreme lifestyle and decided to sit under a Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya until he had the answers to all his questions. H
followers had left him at this point because they believed he had given in to his human desires. He meditated deeply under this tre
night of the full moon in May, when he finally reached Enlightenment – he became the Buddha at this moment.
• From the age of 35 until his death (roughly 45 years later in around 483 B.C.), the Buddha spent his days preaching and teaching Bu
gaining followers in all social classes, of all ages, of all genders, and of all castes (which was controversial). He spoke to everyone
willing to listen. His teachings appealed to royalty and the rich who provided him with the funding needed to grow his monasterie
• When the Buddha was due to pass away, he laid on his right side and asked his followers to ask him questions. Everyone was silent
his final words. After this, he passed into a state of ‘Parinirvana’ (refers to the release of samsara, karma, the skandhas, and rebirt
death of a person who has reached Nirvana during their lifetime) which completed the process he began under the Bodhi tree und
became Enlightened.
• The Buddha did not consider himself an authority figure within Buddhism, but merely a spiritual teacher and guide. Regarding his
it is said that, ‘His personality was a combination of dignity and friendliness, wisdom and kindliness. He had both a cool and logical
warm heart. In debate, he was courteous and had a strong sense of irony.’ (https://www.buddha101.com)
