Buddhism 101

Who is the Buddha?

Over 2,500 years ago in northern India a young prince named Siddhartha Gautama was gripped by the realization that as human beings we are all vulnerable to suffering because of sickness, old age, and death. Six years later, after an intensive quest, he discovered an answer to this universal problem of suffering through profound insight into the nature of life.

As he began to share his understanding with others, he became known as the "Buddha," or Awakened One -- one who has come to great depths of wisdom and compassion through his own understanding. The Buddha's teaching is referred to as the "Dharma," a Sanskrit word meaning Truth or Nature or simply, "the way things are."

Because the Buddha was simply a human being, the qualities of love and wisdom that he embodied are available to anyone who follows his example. One who practices the teaching of the Buddha is said to be a member of the "Sangha," or community of followers of the Dharma. These three facets of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha are known collectively as the Three Refuges or the Triple Gem.

After the Buddha's time, his teaching spread from India throughout Asia. As it encountered other cultures it took different forms. Three main schools of Buddhism thrive in Asia today. The Theravada (Way of the Elders) still flourishes in Thailand, Burma, and Sri Lanka. The Mahayana (Great Vehicle) characterizes the various traditions within China, Korea, and Japan. The Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle) is associated primarily with Tibet. The teachers at Spirit Rock draw primarily from the practices and teachings of the Theravada but are also influenced by the other Buddhist traditions.

What do Buddhists Believe?

Buddhists don't have to believe anything but what they discover for themselves. The Buddha taught that there are four noble truths:

• Life has suffering
• There is way out of suffering
• The cause of suffering is clinging
• The way out of suffering is the Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path defines a way of living that is designed to decrease suffering:

• Right View
• Right Intention
• Right Speech
• Right Action
• Right Livlihood
• Right Effort
• Right Mindfulness
• Right Concentration

These essential teachings of the Buddha are summarized in a wide variety of translations of sacred texts and commentaries upon them. Among the most succinct and germane of the contemporary writings is Walpola Rahula's What the Buddha Taught, which contains both a summary of teachings and excerpts from the actual sermons of the Buddha, the Sanskrit word for which is sutras. In one single sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana-sutta, the Buddha set forth the essence of his message, the Four Noble Truths, which formed the basis not only for the balance of his own teachings but for all subsequent teachings as well.

Non-exclusivity

One of the Buddha's central messages is the universality of the human condition. He also taught the universality of the potential for enlightenment; that is, there are many means by which it can be obtained. He therefore advised against the unquestioning, uncritical acceptance of any religious dogma or doctrine, and instead counseled a careful examination of its effects upon followers and those around them. For that reason, Buddhists do not ask that practitioners abandon any other religious tradition as a condition of practicing Buddhism. Such is the case for Nuddhism as well.