Buddhism

Buddhism is a nontheistic religion based on the teachings of

Siddhartha Gautama, a young prince born in Lumbini (modern day Nepal),
around the year 563 BCE, who abandoned royal life at the age of 29 and took
up a spiritual quest to discover enlightenment (boddhi/nirvana). He practiced
meditation and sat under a tree until he became Buddha (enlightened) and
went on to teach his insights to others.
Buddhism consists of two main branches: Theravada (Sri Lanka &
Southeast Asia Cambodia, Laos, Thailand) and Mahayana (East Asia
China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan). Their views are similar,
however they differ in a few major points: in the first doctrine, a person may
awaken from the sleep of ignorance and become an arahant, occasionally a
Buddha, whereas in the second doctrine, the Buddha is not viewed as merely
human, but as an earthly projection of beginning and ending, an omnipresent
entity.
In the Buddhist view, an individual is captive in a repetitive cycle of
birth and death (samsara), characterized by dukkha (suffering,
dissatisfaction, anxiety, hatred). The characteristics of cyclic existence are
the Twelve Nidanas the first is avidya (the spiritual ignorance of the true
nature of reality). Karma is the force that drives samsara and it refers to the
principle of causality, to the way in which our actions influence or determine
our future. In the Theravada doctrine, there is no divine salvation from ones
karma, whereas in the Mahayana doctrine, negative karma can be expulsed
or diminished (for example, through the recitation of mantras).
Under the influence of karma, each individual is entrapped in the cyclic
existence. Each rebirth takes place in on of the five realms: naraka (creatures
belonging to hell they suffer continuously have no chance of freeing
themselves from samsara), preta (hungry ghosts suffer from hunger and
thirst), animals, human beings, asuras (demi-gods, lowly deities, envious of
the gods) and devas (including Brahmas; gods, spirits, angels they are
blissful and powerful and they do not work or strive to achieve
enlightenment). Human beings are considered to be the most likely to
achieve Nirvana.
When one achieves Boddhi he is no longer reborn. A central part of the
Buddhist doctrine is the Four Noble Truths, taught by Buddha dukkha, the
origin of dukkha (craving tanha, conditioned by ignorance), the cessation of
dukkha and the path to this cessation. The Noble Eightfold path consists of
right view, right intention [wisdom - panna], right speech, right action, right

livelihood [ethical conduct sila], right effort, right mindfulness, right

concentration [concentration samadhi].
Essential to Buddhism is the Middle Way path of non-extremism and
moderation between self-indulgence and self-mortification, explanation of
Nirvana (perfect enlightenment) and of sunyata (emptiness lack of inherent
existence, the ultimate nature of all phenomena according to the Mahayana
doctrine). There are Three Marks of Existence: anicca (impermanence
everything is ephemeral, everything changes), dukkha (suffering, pain,
dissatisfaction) and anatta (not-self, the illusory I or me/mine).
An individual is reborn in one of the five realms depending on his
karma and he will continue to be reborn into the cycle of suffering until he
achieves enlightenment. If one becomes aharant, he is no longer reborn in
any of the five realms. Only in the Mahayana belief, one may become
enlightened and continue being reborn until all other sentient beings can be
enlightened as well (bodhisattvas).
Other Key-Notions: The Four Immeasurables, Dependent
Origination, Buddhahood, Anagami, Anapanasati, Amitabha, Pure
Land, The Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) The Eight
Precepts, The Three Baskets, Vinaya, Samatha and Vipassana
Meditation, Zen, Vajrayana and Tantra, Sanskrit