Pathway
Discover Buddhism
New to Buddhism? Start with the core ideas, clear up a few misunderstandings and meet the major traditions.
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The core ideas
Buddhism traces its origin to Siddhattha Gotama (Sanskrit: Siddhārtha Gautama), who lived in north India around the fifth century BCE and became known as the Buddha — “the awakened one”. His teaching (the Dhamma) begins with an honest look at suffering or unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), its causes, the possibility of its ending, and a path leading there. These are the Four Noble Truths.
The path is often summarised as the Noble Eightfold Path: right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration — or more simply as ethics (sīla), meditation (samādhi) and wisdom (paññā).
Three characteristics are said to mark all conditioned things: impermanence (anicca), unsatisfactoriness (dukkha) and not-self (anattā). Generosity, kindness and compassion are central qualities throughout.
Common misunderstandings
- Buddhism is not only meditation: ethics, generosity and community are equally central.
- “Karma” (kamma) means intentional action and its results, not fate.
- Non-attachment is not indifference; it goes together with compassion.
- The Buddha is not regarded as a creator god in Buddhist traditions.
The major traditions
Theravada (“teaching of the elders”) is found mainly in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, and uses the Pali canon. Mahayana (“great vehicle”) traditions — including Chan/Zen and Pure Land — are found mainly in China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan. Vajrayana traditions are found mainly in Tibet, the Himalayas and Mongolia. Each has its own texts, practices and emphases.