Buddhism

The Four Noble Truths, major traditions, and historical scholarship

Definition

Buddhism is a religious and philosophical tradition, allegedly founded by Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha ("the awakened one"), who lived in the region of ancient India around the 5th century BCE. Buddhism does not center on belief in a creator god, focusing instead on a path toward ending suffering through insight and ethical practice.

The Four Noble Truths

Central to Buddhist teaching are the Four Noble Truths: that suffering (dukkha) is an inherent part of existence; that suffering arises from craving and attachment; that suffering can be ended; and that the path to ending suffering is the Eightfold Path, a set of ethical, mental, and wisdom-based practices covering areas including right understanding, right conduct, and right meditation.

Key concepts

Buddhists generally hold several key concepts. Anatta (non-self) is the teaching that there is no permanent, unchanging individual self or soul. Karma refers to the principle that intentional actions have consequences shaping future experience, connected to rebirth, the cycle of death and rebirth Buddhists seek to be released from. Nirvana is the state of liberation from this cycle and from suffering itself, considered the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice.

Historical origins

Buddhism originated in ancient India and gradually spread across Asia over the following centuries, developing into several major traditions, covered further in the advanced article, as it took root in different regions and cultures.