Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices considered by most to be a religion and is based on the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as "The Buddha" (the Awakened One), who was born in what is today Nepal. He lived and taught in the northeastern region of the Indian subcontinent and most likely died around 400 BCE.
Buddhists recognize him as an awakened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end their suffering by understanding the true nature of phenomena, thereby escaping the cycle of dukkha and rebirth (saṃsāra), that is, achieving Nirvana. Among the methods various schools of Buddhism apply towards this goal are: ethical conduct and altruistic behaviour, devotional practices, ceremonies and the invocation of bodhisattvas, renunciation of worldly matters, cultivating continuous mindfulness, meditation, physical exercises, study, and the cultivation of wisdom.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Buddhism:
Four sights — observations which affected Prince Siddhartha deeply and made him realize the sufferings of all beings, and compelled him to begin his spiritual journey
When this is, that is.
From the arising of this comes the arising of that.
When this isn't, that isn't.
From the cessation of this comes the cessation of that.
Utu Niyama — Physical Inorganic Order (seasonal changes and climate), the natural law pertaining to physical objects and changes in the natural environment, such as the weather; the way flowers bloom in the day and fold up at night; the way soil, water and nutrients help a tree to grow; and the way things disintegrate and decompose. This perspective emphasizes the changes brought about by heat or temperature
Bija Niyama — Physical Organic Order (laws of heredity), the natural law pertaining to heredity, which is best described in the adage, “as the seed, so the fruit”
Citta Niyama — Order of Mind and Psychic Law (will of mind), the natural law pertaining to the workings of the mind, the process of cognition of sense objects and the mental reactions to them
Kamma Niyama — Order of Acts and Results (consequences of one's actions), the natural law pertaining to human behavior, the process of the generation of action and its results. In essence, this is summarized in the words, “good deeds bring good results, bad deeds bring bad results”
Dhamma Niyama — Order of the Norm (nature's tendency to produce a perfect type), the natural law governing the relationship and interdependence of all things: the way all things arise, exist and then cease. All conditions are subject to change, are in a state of affliction and are not self: this is the Norm
Diṭṭha-dhamma-hitasukha — welfare and happiness directly visible in this present life, attained by fulfilling one's moral commitments and social responsibilities
Samparāyika-hitasukha — welfare and happiness pertaining to the next life, attained by engaging in meritorious deeds
Paramattha — the ultimate good or supreme goal, Nibbāna, final release from the cycle of rebirths, attained by developing the Noble Eightfold Path
Parajika (defeats) — four rules entailing expulsion from the sangha for life
Sexual intercourse, that is, any voluntary sexual interaction between a bhikkhu and a living being, except for mouth-to-mouth intercourse which falls under the Sanghadisesa
Stealing, that is, the robbery of anything worth more than 1/24 troy ounce of gold (as determined by local law.)
Intentionally bringing about the death of a human being, even if it is still an embryo — whether by killing the person, arranging for an assassin to kill the person, inciting the person to die, or describing the advantages of death
Deliberately lying to another person that one has attained a superior human state, such as claiming to be an arahant when one knows one is not, or claiming to have attained one of the jhanas when one knows one hasn't
Sanghadisesa — thirteen rules requiring an initial and subsequent meeting of the sangha (communal meetings)
Aniyata — two indefinite rules where a monk is accused of having committed an offence with a woman in a screened (enclosed) or private place by a lay person
Nissaggiya pacittiya — thirty rules entailing "confession with forfeiture"
Pacittiya — ninety-two rules entailing confession
Patidesaniya — four violations which must be verbally acknowledged
Sekhiyavatta — seventy-five rules of training, which are mainly about the deportment of a monk
Sāruppa — proper behavior
Bhojanapatisamyutta — food
Dhammadesanāpatisamyutta — teaching dhamma
Pakinnaka — miscellaneous
Adhikarana-samatha — seven rules for settlement of legal processes that concern monks only
There will be change and separation from all that I hold dear and near to me
I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, I am born of my actions, I am related to my actions and I have my actions as refuge; whatever I do, good or evil, of that I will be the heir
Buddhanussati — Fixing the mind with attentiveness and reflecting repeatedly on the glorious virtues and attributes of Buddha
Dhammanussati — Reflecting with serious attentiveness repeatedly on the virtues and qualities of Buddha's teachings and his doctrine
Sanghanussati — Fixing the mind strongly and repeatedly upon the rare attributes and sanctity of the Sanghas
Silanussati — Reflecting seriously and repeatedly on the purification of one's own morality or sila
Caganussati — Repeatedly reflecting on the mind's purity in the noble act of one's own dana, charitableness and liberality
Devatanussati — Reflecting with serious and repeated attention on one's own complete possession of the qualities of saddha. absolute faith, sila, morality, suta; knowledge, caga, liberality and panna, wisdom or knowledge just as the devas have, to enable one to be reborn in the World of devas
Upasamanussati — Reflecting repeatedly with serious attentiveness on the supreme spiritual blissful state of Nirvana
Marananussati — Recollection of death or reflecting repeatedly on the inevitability of death
Kayagata-sati — Reflecting earnestly and repeatedly on the impurity of the body which is composed of the detestable 32 constituents such as hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, etc
Ānāpānasati — Repeated reflection on the inhaled and exhaled breath
Kōan — a story, dialogue, question, or statement in Zen, containing aspects that are inaccessible to rational understanding, yet may be accessible to intuition
Chöd — advanced spiritual practice and discipline arising from confluences of Bonpo, Mahasidda, Nyingmapa traditions and now practiced throughout the schools of Tibetan Buddhism
Sammāsambuddha — one who, by his own efforts, attains Nirvana, having rediscovered the Noble Eightfold Path after it has been lost to humanity, and makes this Path known to others
Paccekabuddha — "a lone Buddha", a self-awakened Buddha, but one who lacks the ability to spread the Dhamma to others
Sotāpanna — Stream-enterer (first stage of enlightenment) — one who has "opened the eye of the Dhamma", and is guaranteed enlightenment after no more than seven successive rebirths, having eradicated the first three fetters
Sakadagami — Once-returner (second stage of enlightenment) — will be reborn into the human world once more, before attaining enlightenment, having eradicated the first three and weakened the next two fetters
Anagami — Non-returner (third stage of enlightenment) — does not come back into human existence, or any lower world, after death, but is reborn in the "Pure Abodes", where he will attain Nirvāṇa, having eradicated the first five fetters
Arahant — "Worthy One", (see also: Arhat), a fully enlightened human being who has abandoned all ten fetters, and who upon decease (Parinibbāna) will not be reborn in any world, having wholly abandoned saṃsāra
Ajari — a Japanese term that is used in various schools of Buddhism in Japan, specifically Tendai and Shingon, in reference to a "senior monk who teaches students
Oshō — high-ranking or highly virtuous Buddhist monk; respectful designation for Buddhist monks in general
Kaisan — founder of a school of Buddhism or the founding abbot of a Zen monastery
Roshi — a Japanese honorific title used in Zen Buddhism that literally means "old teacher" or "elder master" and usually denotes the person who gives spiritual guidance to a Zen sangha
Rinpoche — an honorific which literally means "precious one"
Tulku — an enlightened Tibetan Buddhist lama who has, through phowa and siddhi, consciously determined to take birth, often many times, in order to continue his or her Bodhisattva vow
Gautama Buddha — The Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Skt., Pali: Siddhattha Gotama), Sakyamuni (Sage of the Sakya clan), The Awakened One, The Enlightened One, The Blessed One, Tathagata (Thus Come One, Thus Gone One)
File:The Refuge in Three Jewels (Buddhism) .pngPercentage of formal/practicing Buddhists by the numbers of registered adherents (according to the least estimates).File:Buddhist distribution.pngPercentage of cultural/nominal adherents of combined Buddhism with its related religions (according to the highest estimates).
We do not believe that this world is created and ruled by a God.
We consider that the purpose of life is to develop compassion for all living beings without discrimination and to work for their good, happiness, and peace; and to develop wisdom (prajñā) leading to the realization of Ultimate Truth
We accept the Four Noble Truths, namely duḥkha, the arising of duḥkha, the cessation of duḥkha, and the path leading to the cessation of duḥkha; and the law of cause and effect (pratītyasamutpāda)
All conditioned things (saṃskāra) are impermanent (anitya) and duḥkha, and that all conditioned and unconditioned things (dharma) are without self (anātma) (seetrilaksana).
We accept the thirty-seven qualities conducive to enlightenment (bodhipakṣadharma) as different aspects of the Path taught by the Buddha leading to Enlightenment.
There are three ways of attaining bodhi or Enlightenment: namely as a disciple (śrāvaka), as a pratyekabuddha and as a samyaksambuddha (perfectly and fully enlightened Buddha). We accept it as the highest, noblest, and most heroic to follow the career of a Bodhisattva and to become a samyaksambuddha in order to save others.
We admit that in different countries there are differences regarding Buddhist beliefs and practices. These external forms and expressions should not be confused with the essential teachings of the Buddha.