Religion
Buddhism
Buddhist teachings describe a path to end suffering through awakening. (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta; Dhammapada 277–279)
01
Identity Card
- Name and etymology
- From Buddha, "the awakened one."
- Type
- Dharmic religion / philosophical tradition; often non-theistic.
- Founder or origin
- Siddhartha Gautama (~563–483 BCE), the Buddha.
- Date and place
- ~5th century BCE, northern India / Nepal.
- Adherents
- ~520 million (~7%); concentrated in East and Southeast Asia.
02
Source of Authority
- Primary scripture
- Tripitaka (Pali Canon), Mahayana sutras, Tibetan Kangyur.
- Source of truth
- Personal insight and experience; teachings of the Buddha.
- Authority structure
- Sangha (monastic community); teachers, lamas (Tibetan), roshis (Zen).
03
Core Beliefs
- Core idea
- The Buddha’s first teaching presents four noble truths: suffering, its cause, its ending, and the path. (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta)
- View of God or ultimate reality
- Early Buddhist texts do not center salvation on a creator god; the focus is awakening through understanding and practice. (Dhammapada 276; Majjhima Nikaya 63)
- View of humanity
- Buddhist teachings describe persons as changing processes rather than permanent selves. (Anatta-lakkhana Sutta; Dhammapada 277–279)
- View of the world
- Buddhist texts describe the world as impermanent, conditioned, and marked by suffering when grasped wrongly. (Dhammapada 277–279; Samyutta Nikaya 12)
04
Practical Implications
- Purpose of life
- Buddhist teachings point to nirvana: the ending of craving, ignorance, and suffering. (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta; Dhammapada 203–204)
- Ethics
- Buddhist ethics include the Five Precepts, compassion, wisdom, and non-harm. (Digha Nikaya 31; Dhammapada 183)
- Afterlife
- Many Buddhist traditions teach rebirth shaped by karma until awakening ends the cycle. (Dhammapada 127; Samyutta Nikaya 15.3)
- Key practices
- Meditation, mindfulness, ethical conduct, study, monastic discipline.
05
Comparative Lenses
- Main branches
- Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana (Tibetan).
- Relationship to others
- Generally tolerant, often syncretic with local traditions.
- Common critiques
- Western "secular Buddhism" simplifies tradition; debates on metaphysics.
- Modern adaptations
- Mindfulness movement, engaged Buddhism, neuroscience dialogues.
Simple educational summaries. For religions, claims are attributed to scripture or major source texts where possible; where no scripture exists, wording describes what followers/supporters generally hold. References are starting points, not exhaustive academic citations.