{"id":1675,"date":"2021-08-30T12:03:44","date_gmt":"2021-08-30T05:03:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/?post_type=buddhism_meditatio&#038;p=1675"},"modified":"2026-01-30T10:52:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T03:52:11","slug":"general-buddhism-in-brief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/th\/general-buddhism-in-brief\/","title":{"rendered":"General Buddhism in Brief"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0a0a0a;color:#0a0a0a\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0a0a0a;color:#0a0a0a\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/th\/general-buddhism-in-brief\/#Introduction\" >Introduction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/th\/general-buddhism-in-brief\/#What_is_Buddhism\" >What is Buddhism?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/th\/general-buddhism-in-brief\/#Understanding_%E2%80%9CBuddhism%E2%80%9D_and_%E2%80%9CThe_Buddha%E2%80%9D\" >Understanding \u201cBuddhism\u201d and \u201cThe Buddha\u201d<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/th\/general-buddhism-in-brief\/#Understanding_Dhamma_or_Dharma\" >Understanding Dhamma, or Dharma<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/th\/general-buddhism-in-brief\/#Understanding_the_Buddha_as_a_%E2%80%9CPhysician%E2%80%9D\" >Understanding the Buddha as a \u201cPhysician\u201d<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/th\/general-buddhism-in-brief\/#Understanding_Audience-Specific_Teachings\" >Understanding Audience-Specific Teachings<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/th\/general-buddhism-in-brief\/#Buddhisms_Two_Main_Lineages_Theravada_and_Mahayana\" >Buddhism\u2019s Two Main Lineages: Theravada and Mahayana<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-24.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526432\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-24.png 1024w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-24-300x213.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-24-150x106.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-24-768x545.png 768w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-24-18x12.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo credit:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2TIL1zV\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/2TIL1zV<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Disclaimer<\/strong>: This is an article on Buddhism, a major global religion and system of beliefs with a complex history of more than 2,600 years. It is written to the best of the author\u2019s knowledge. The intention of this article is to introduce Buddhism to readers, particularly in regards to its<\/em><br><em>founder, history, doctrines, and usefulness through meditation. Many hyperlinks and reference video clips are suggested under each section in order to facilitate the readers\u2019 further exploration of the Buddhist world and to allow them to reap the benefits of meditation. There is by no means an intention for this article alone to cover all subjects of Buddhism exhaustively.<\/em><br><em><strong>Note on the Pali terms used in the article<\/strong>: Originally, the Buddha\u2019s Teachings were recorded in the Pali language. English translations of these terms sometimes vary. The author therefore finds it necessary to occasionally recall these original terms in parentheses, so that the readers may have reference to the original term where it may be useful. The author is extremely grateful to Phra Thepsakyawongpundit (Anilman Dhammasakiyo) for some comments.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Introduction\"><\/span>Introduction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The word Buddhism is the Western term for the teachings of the Buddha or the religion founded by the Buddha. Western scholars coined the term in early 19th century to refer to their newly discovered complex of religious practices centered on the image and memory of the figure called the Buddha, the Enlightened One. Early Buddhists, in fact, used such alternative terms as Dharma \u201cdoctrine\u201d or Dharma Vinaya, \u201cdoctrine-disciplines\u201d, to refer to this belief system. In Sanskrit sources, these often became the Buddha Dharma, the \u201cdoctrines of the Buddha.\u201d The word Boudhism was introduced in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1801 and emerged as Buddhism in 1816.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Buddhism_by_country#:~:text=This%20list%20of%20Buddhism%20by,of%20the%20world's%20total%20population.&amp;amp;amp;text=China%20is%20the%20country%20with,18.2%25%20of%20its%20total%20population\">Buddhism by country<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"EASTERN PHILOSOPHY - The Buddha\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tilBs32zN7I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Buddhism Explained: Religions in Global History<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"A Day in the Life of a Buddhist Monk - full of great self-isolation techniques\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4n-X2Dj01AE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Day in the Life of a Buddhist Monk \u2013 full of great self-isolation techniques<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Buddhism\"><\/span>What is Buddhism?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_%E2%80%9CBuddhism%E2%80%9D_and_%E2%80%9CThe_Buddha%E2%80%9D\"><\/span><em>Understanding \u201cBuddhism\u201d and \u201cThe Buddha\u201d<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Buddhism\">Buddhism<\/a>\u201d is the English term for the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.watnyanaves.net\/uploads\/File\/books\/pdf\/thai_buddhism_in_the_buddhist_world.pdf\">teachings of the Buddha (see hyperlink p. 4)<\/a>, or the religion founded by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gautama_Buddha\">the Buddha<\/a>, who was known \u2013 among a few variations \u2013 as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.learnreligions.com\/the-life-of-the-buddha-449997\">Siddhattha (or Siddhartha) Gotama<\/a>&nbsp;before he reached the final stage of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Enlightenment_in_Buddhism#Bodhi\">enlightenment (Pali: bodhi)<\/a>, which allowed him to reach spiritual release (<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nirvana\">nibbana or nirvana<\/a>). Western scholars coined the term \u201cBuddhism\u201d in the early-nineteenth century to refer to their discovery of a complex set of religious practices centered on the image and memory of a figure called \u201cthe Buddha.\u201d The word \u201cBuddhism\u201d was introduced in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1816. [1]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thailand\">Thailand<\/a>, Buddhism is known as \u201c<em>Buddha-sasana<\/em>,\u201d which translates as \u201cthe Buddhist religion.\u201d&nbsp;<em>Buddha-sasana<\/em>&nbsp;is a Pali-derived term, which is also used in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, where Buddhism is the dominant religion as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Earlier Buddhists had used alternative phrasings to describe Buddhism, such as \u201cDhamma or Dharma\u201d or \u201cBuddha Dharma\u201d \u2013 both meaning \u201cthe doctrines of the Buddha\u201d \u2013 or \u201c<em>Dhamma Vinaya<\/em>\u201d \u2013 meaning \u201cdoctrine-disciplines\u201d \u2013 to refer to what is currently called \u201cBuddhism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Buddhism is a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/suttacentral.net\/an5.43\">religion of action and of effort, not a religion of supplication<\/a>. The Buddha said as quoted in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.watnyanaves.net\/uploads\/File\/books\/pdf\/667-Buddhadhamma-English.pdf\">Buddhadhamma\u2019s chapter 5: Kamma (see details pp. 310 \u2013 428)<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAll accumulated deeds, both good and bad, bear fruit. Actions marked as&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.abuddhistlibrary.com\/Buddhism\/B%20-%20Theravada\/Teachers\/Buddhadasa\/Kamma\/Kamma%20in%20Buddhism.htm\">Kamma<\/a>, even trifling ones, are not void of result.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNeither good or bad deeds are performed in vain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe meritorious deeds one has done \u2013 that is one\u2019s friend in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhatever sort of seed is sown, that is the sort of fruit one reaps: The doer of good reaps good; the doer of evil reaps evil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As for supplication,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/suttacentral.net\/an5.43\/en\/sujato\">the Buddha said<\/a>, \u201c\u2026And I say that these five things \u2013 long life, beauty, happiness, fame, and heaven \u2013 are not got by praying or wishing for them. If they were, who would lack them?\u2026 They should practice the way that leads to long life\u2026. For by practicing that way they gain long life\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/suttacentral.net\/an5.43\">You don\u2019t get good things by praying for them, but by how you live.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"What Did the Buddha Say About Prayer?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HYfYXYbZE20?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">What Did the Buddha Say About Prayer?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The word \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/mindfulnessexercises.com\/without-and-within\/\">Buddha\u201d means \u201cthe Awakened One\u201d or \u201cthe Enlightened One\u201d (see hyperlink p. 22)<\/a>, and it is not a name. As a person, the Buddha lived more than 25 centuries ago as Siddhattha Gotama before he reached enlightenment. He was born in modern-day Nepal as a prince to a &nbsp;royal family of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shakya\">Sakyan Kingdom<\/a>, of which the capital was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kapilavastu_(ancient_city)\">Kapilavatthu (or Kapilavastu)<\/a>, located at the foot of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Himalayas\">the Himalayas<\/a>. His father, who was the king ruling over the Sakyas, was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%C5%9Auddhodana\">Suddhodana.<\/a>&nbsp;The queen, who was the prince\u2019s mother, was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Maya_(mother_of_the_Buddha)\">Maya<\/a>. He married princess&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ya%C5%9Bodhar%C4%81\">Yasodhara or Bimbadevi or Gopa,<\/a>&nbsp;his cousin of the same age, who bore him a son,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/R%C4%81hula\">Rahula&nbsp;<\/a>[2]&nbsp;at the age of 29.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more : T<a href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/29925687\/Thich_Nhat_Hanh_Old_Path_White_Clouds\">he Old Path White Clouds, chapter six \u2013&nbsp;<em>Beneath a Rose-Apple Tree&nbsp;<\/em>\u2013 which is about the birth of Prince Siddhartha<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-25.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-25.png 1024w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-25-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-25-150x113.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-25-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-25-16x12.png 16w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A temple in Lumbini, where the Prince Siddhartha was born (photo credit: Embassy of Nepal in Bangkok )<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"602\" height=\"665\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-26.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-26.png 602w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-26-272x300.png 272w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-26-136x150.png 136w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-26-11x12.png 11w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(map credit:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3epnAnL\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3epnAnL<\/a>)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-27.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526435\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-27.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-27-220x300.png 220w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-27-110x150.png 110w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-27-9x12.png 9w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>(Relief of Prince Siddhartha marrying Princess\u00a0<\/em>Yasodhara<em>\u00a0from\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2PSO9rf\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/2PSO9rf<\/a>)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Since childhood, Siddhattha was very compassionate. As a clever prince, he studied all subjects that a prince should learn in order to become a good ruler. In addition, he learned major scriptures in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hinduism\">Brahmanism\/Hinduism<\/a>, which were taught at that time, such as the Four&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vedas\">Vedas<\/a>, the Six&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vedanga\">Vedangas<\/a><em>,&nbsp;<\/em>and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Upanishads\">Upanishads<\/a>.[3] He was particularly fascinated with the doctrines of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sa%E1%B9%83s%C4%81ra\">samsara<\/a>&nbsp;(rebirth or reincarnation),&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moksha\">moksha<\/a>&nbsp;(liberation from the cycle of birth and death), and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Atman\">Atman<\/a>&nbsp;(self) in the Upanishads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/29925687\/Thich_Nhat_Hanh_Old_Path_White_Clouds\">The Old Path White Clouds, chapter seven \u2013 White Elephant Prize, and chapter nine \u2013 The Path of Compassion, which are about the habit of young prince Siddhartha<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Understanding the Buddha\u2019s Quest for Truth<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Buddhism, unenlightened humans live in a state comparable to sleep or a dream. Through the clear light of wisdom, the Buddha awoke from that dream, arriving at the true nature of existence, which he compassionately wanted to share, in order to set others also on the path to awakening or enlightenment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To understand Buddhism, one first has to understand a few prior concepts, as well as the story of how Siddhattha interacted with these concepts, mostly originally from Brahmanism\/Hinduism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first concept is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sa%E1%B9%83s%C4%81ra\">samsara<\/a>. Samsara is the concept of rebirth, reincarnation, or transmigration of the soul in Brahmanism\/Hinduism. According to this concept, the soul may occupy a range of bodies, from plants to animals and humans, though it always remains untouched, eternal, and pure.[4] (<a href=\"https:\/\/ocoy.org\/process-of-reincarnation\/\">Reincarnation picture credit<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3ceFNCy)\">)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"239\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-28.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-28.png 600w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-28-300x120.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-28-150x60.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-28-18x7.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The second concept is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moksha\">moksha<\/a>, meaning liberation or release from the cycle of birth and death. It implies union with the One Reality (Brahman), where individuality disappears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The third concept is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%C4%80tman_(Hinduism)\">Atman<\/a>&nbsp;(also sometimes known as Atma). It is a Sanskrit term for the self or soul, which is imperishable and eternal. In the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rigveda\"><em>Rig Veda<\/em><\/a>, the term means \u201cbreath\u201d or \u201cvital essence.\u201d (The concept of Atman is developed in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Upanishads\">Upanishads<\/a>.) The Atman is not the same as the body, the mind, or consciousness, but it is something beyond that permeates all these. In some passages of the Upanishads, the Atman is considered identical to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brahman\">Brahman<\/a>, the underlying reality of the world, and thus there is only one Atman that permeates all beings.[5]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wanting his son to be king, Siddhattha\u2019s father tried to keep the prince\u2019s mind attached to the world and satisfied with the enjoyment of the sensual pleasures; however, as predicted by a family sage, the prince\u2019s mind was more preoccupied with a desire to solve the problem of samsara: How can one liberate oneself from the circle of birth or rebirth, which involves death again and again, and how can one help other people to be free from samsara?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Enthusiastically, at the age of 29, Siddhattha asked for his wife\u2019s and father\u2019s permission to leave his family and the palace. He told his wife, \u201c\u2026though I will be gone, though I will be far away from you, my love for you will remain the same. I will never stop loving you\u2026 And when I have found the Way \u2013 the answer to his question -, I will return to you and to our child.\u201d[6] He also promised his father, \u201cI will never abandon you. I am only asking you to let me go away for a time. When I have found the Way, I will return.\u201d[7] (The word&nbsp;<strong>\u201c<\/strong>Way\u201d used above \u2013 meaning path, road, or step \u2013 is a translation of the Pali word \u201cMagga\u201d. It signifies a particular way leading to a particular goal, such as salvation, bliss, knowledge, or pleasure. The term is also used as an equivalence of \u201cmethod,\u201d or a means for reaching certain ends, generally in consonance with Dhamma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Siddhattha then left his family and became a wandering religious mendicant (Pali: paribbajaka) in order to find the Way. After six years of studies, including an experiment in the forest inspired by Brahmani ascetism \u2013 which he had hypothesized was key \u2013 Siddhattha realized that asceticism was also not the answer. He gave up ascetic practices, intending for a rational, simple life of moderation instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/29925687\/Thich_Nhat_Hanh_Old_Path_White_Clouds:\">The Old Path White Clouds, Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha\u2019s&nbsp;Chapter twelve \u2013 Kanthaka, which is about the conversation between prince Siddhartha and his wife and his father before his departure, Chapter thirteen \u2013 Beginning Spiritual Practice, and Chapter fifteen \u2013 Forest Ascetic<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/buddhism_meditatio\/general-buddhism-in-brief\/#_ednref1\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-29.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-29.png 600w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-29-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-29-150x100.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-29-18x12.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Posted by\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.publicartinchicago.com\/author\/admin\/\">Jyoti Srivastava)<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ficus_religiosa\">Pipal (or peepal, or pippala) tree<\/a>&nbsp;would later become known as Bodhi Tree by virtue of the Buddha\u2019s enlightenment. The tree is traditionally hailed in Indian subcontinent as the tree of life, for it generously yields products beneficial to health and beauty.[8]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the night of the full moon in the month of May, forty-five years before the Buddhist Era, Siddhattha, sitting under a peepal tree underwent great progress in his search, and an omniscient illumination came over him. In that night, under the tree, he achieved enlightenment, finally understanding the origins of the suffering and reincarnation. He said, as quoted in Dr. Hermann Oldenberg\u2019s&nbsp;<em>Buddha; his Life, his Doctrine, his Order {(translated from the German by William Hoey&nbsp;<\/em>(<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/buddhahislifehis00olde\/page\/106\/mode\/2up\">see hyperlink p. 107<\/a>)}, \u201cWhen I apprehended this, and when I beheld this, my soul was released from the evil of desire, released from the evil of earthly existence, released from the evil of error, released from the evil of ignorance. In the released awoke the knowledge of release: extinct is re-birth, finished the sacred course, duty done, no more shall I return to this world; this I knew.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-30.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-30.png 640w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-30-300x203.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-30-150x101.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-30-18x12.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo from Mahabodhivihara)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ficus_religiosa\">Bodhi Tree<\/a>&nbsp;received its new name for the meaning of \u201cbodhi\u201d \u2013 knowledge, wisdom, enlightenment. Where it is, in present-day&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gaya,_India\">Gaya<\/a>&nbsp;District,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bihar\">Bihar<\/a>&nbsp;State,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/India\">India<\/a>, later became known as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bodh_Gaya\">Buddha Gaya<\/a>, now also spelled&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bodh_Gaya\">Bodh Gaya<\/a>&nbsp;or Bodhgaya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now enlightened and known as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gautama_Buddha\">the Buddha<\/a>\u201d at the age of 35, the Buddha went from Gaya to modern-day&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sarnath\">Sarnath<\/a>, near Varanasi,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Uttar_Pradesh\">Uttar Pradesh<\/a>, India, where he preached his&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dhammacakkappavattana_Sutta\">first sermon<\/a>. Then, a year later, the Buddha&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/in.ernet.dli.2015.281359\/page\/n533\/mode\/2up\">returned to his hometown, Kapilavatthu,<\/a>&nbsp;to see his family as he had promised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3fXtXO8\">The Old Path White Clouds\u2026, chapter seventeen \u2013 Pippala Leaf, and chapter eighteen \u2013 The Morning Star Has Arisen<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Awakening Siddharta - PBS\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pm4W4o8XQHc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Awakening Siddharta \u2013 PBS<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Bodhi Gaya- The Sacred Land of Buddhahood\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RlMSpvS__Lo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bodhi Gaya- The Sacred Land of Buddhahood<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A stupa in Bodh Gaya was built to mark the place of the Buddha\u2019s enlightenment in Bihar, India. This holy place is called Mahabodhi Temple, or Temple of the Great Enlightenment, or Mahabodhi Mahavihara, or Monastery of the Great Enlightenment, in today\u2019s discourse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"698\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-31.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-31.png 960w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-31-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-31-150x109.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-31-768x558.png 768w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-31-18x12.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo credit: a Thai Buddhist monk in India)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-32.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-32.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-32-220x300.png 220w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-32-110x150.png 110w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-32-9x12.png 9w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Picture credit of the Buddha\u2019s first visit to Kapilavatthu:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/30GwIMM\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/30GwIMM<\/a>)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For the next forty-five years of his life, from the ages of 35 to 80, the Buddha would travel from place to place to teach all who would listen. He organized his followers, who similarly renounced the material world, to form the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bing.com\/search?q=sangha+meaning&amp;cvid=a68e1627abc747bcbc3b577122cb8122&amp;aqs=edge.1.69i57j0l6.12241j0j1&amp;pglt=547&amp;FORM=ANNTA1&amp;PC=ASTS\">Sangha<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/29925687\/Thich_Nhat_Hanh_Old_Path_White_Clouds\">The Old Path White Clouds\u2026, chapters twenty-one \u2013 The Lotus Pond, and leaf, and twenty-two \u2013 Turning the Wheel of Dharma<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.accesstoinsight.org\/tipitaka\/sn\/sn56\/sn56.011.than.html\">Buddha\u2019s first sermon, Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the age of 80, however, the Buddha fell ill while on his way to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kushinagar\">Kusinara (modern-day Kushinagar<\/a>), capital of the ancient Malla State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>P. A. Payutto (Somdej Phra Buddhaghosacariya), a revered monk, writes in the book&nbsp;<em>Thai Buddhism in the Buddhist World<\/em>, (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.watnyanaves.net\/uploads\/File\/books\/pdf\/thai_buddhism_in_the_buddhist_world.pdf\">see hyperlink p. 6<\/a>), \u201cIn his deathbed under two&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shorea_robusta\">Sal trees<\/a>&nbsp;in the Sal Grove of the Mallas, he told his disciples that they would not be left without the Teacher: \u2018The Doctrine and Discipline I have taught you, that shall be your teacher, when I am gone\u2026 Behold now, monks, I exhort you. Subject to decay are all component things. Work out your salvation with diligence.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"278\" height=\"181\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-33.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-33.png 278w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-33-150x98.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-33-18x12.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 278px) 100vw, 278px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Nirvana picture credit:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3es4fCk\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3es4fCk<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-34.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-34.png 200w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-34-100x150.png 100w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-34-8x12.png 8w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Sal tree at Kushinagar (photo taken in 2020 by a Thai Buddhist monk in India)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>A stupa was built to mark the place of the Buddha\u2019s passing away (Pali: Maha-parinibbana, which means the Great Demise) at Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh State (Pictured Below)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.accesstoinsight.org\/tipitaka\/dn\/dn.16.1-6.vaji.html\">Maha-parinibbana Sutta: Last Days of the Buddha.<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.buddhanet.net\/pdf_file\/lifebuddha.pdf\">The Buddha, His Life and Teaching<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/babel.hathitrust.org\/cgi\/pt?id=mdp.39015034711559&amp;view=1up&amp;seq=9\">The Life of Buddha, as Legend and History.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"565\" height=\"323\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-35.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-35.png 565w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-35-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-35-150x86.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-35-18x10.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 565px) 100vw, 565px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo credit: a Thai Buddhist monk in India)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BJf4ivzOcS4\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BJf4ivzOcS4<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(On the Path of the Buddha: Buddhist Pilgrimage in North India and Nepal)<br><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_Dhamma_or_Dharma\"><\/span><em>Understanding Dhamma, or Dharma<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Buddha\u2019s teachings are known as&nbsp;<em>Dhamma&nbsp;<\/em>in Pali or&nbsp;<em>Dharma&nbsp;<\/em>in Sanskrit. Since the Dhamma is taught by the Buddha, it is known as Buddha-Dhamma or Buddhadhamma. It includes many beliefs that were popular in 5th century BCE India, and the Buddha\u2019s own discoveries. For example, the Buddha acknowledged the Bharmanical-Hindu pantheon of gods, devas and other supernatural entities. He&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rebirth_(Buddhism)\">confirmed the belief in Samsara, or reincarnation, or rebirth<\/a>&nbsp;saying that upon his enlightenment, he remembered his many previous lives. As for his own\u2019s discoveries, apart from rejecting the concept of Atman, saying that in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Two_truths_doctrine\">absolute truth (Pali: Paramattha-sacca<\/a>) there is no self, or soul (Pali:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Anatt%C4%81\">anatta<\/a>), he taught&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.learning-mind.com\/four-noble-truths\/#:~:text=The%20Four%20Noble%20Truths%201%20First%20Noble%20Truth.,Truth%20is%20breaking%20the%20cycle%20of%20dukkha.%20\">the Four Noble Truths<\/a>, which is about the nature of reality,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Noble_Eightfold_Path\">the Noble Eightfold Path<\/a>, which can lead to self-transformation and enlightenment,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Prat%C4%ABtyasamutp%C4%81da\">the Dependent Origination (Pali: pathiccasamuppada)<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nirvana_(Buddhism)\">Nibbana<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Buddha used many different methods when teaching Dhamma, so that everyone may benefit. His teachings contain many layers, separable into those aimed for householders and members of mainstream society, and those aimed for individuals who have relinquished domestic life. There are teachings focused on material benefits and others focused on deeper spiritual benefits. The Buddha said that his teachings are something to be experienced, not unquestioningly believed, especially anatta, the Dependent Origination, and nibbana. This idea has been explained in various iterations, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis doctrine is profound, hard to see, difficult to understand, calm,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>sublime, not within the sphere of logic, subtle, to be understood by the wise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell expounded is the Dharma by the Blessed One, to be self-realized,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>with immediate fruit, inviting investigation, leading onwards, to be comprehended by the wise, each by himself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou yourselves must make the effort. The Buddha only points out the<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSeeing one\u2019s own good, let him work it out with diligence. Seeing the good<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>of others, let him work it out with diligence. Seeing the good of both, let him work it out with diligence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ebooksumo.com\/search\/karma-and-rebirth\/\">Rebirth in the book Buddhadhamma, pp. 365-367 Karma and Rebirth<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Discovering Buddhism Module 1 - Mind and its Potential\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KOEXkaow0ko?list=PLtGdlXeQYmZfyUQgZ_CMO77JYAlfJiAaO\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Discovering Buddhism series<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"The boy proved that he was a pilot 80 years ago. Nobody believed him, but the story was confirmed\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-JrSi7rWWpM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The boy proved that he was a pilot 80 years ago. Nobody believed him, but the story was confirmed<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The Buddha\u2019s teachings are preserved in scriptures called&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tripi%E1%B9%ADaka\"><em>Tipitaka<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;in Pali or&nbsp;<em>Tripitaka<\/em>&nbsp;in Sanskrit.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<em>Tipitaka<\/em>&nbsp;contains three parts or \u201cbaskets\u201d of teachings:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vinaya_Pi%E1%B9%ADaka\"><em>Vinaya Pitaka<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;(\u201cThe Basket of Discipline\u201d),&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sutta_Pi%E1%B9%ADaka\"><em>Sutta Pitaka<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;(\u201cThe Basket of Discourse\u201d), and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Abhidhamma_Pi%E1%B9%ADaka\"><em>Abhidharma<\/em>&nbsp;<em>Pitaka<\/em>&nbsp;<\/a>(\u201cThe Basket of Analytic Doctrine\u201d).[9]&nbsp;<em>Vinaya<\/em>&nbsp;is the set of rules and regulations for monastic life, which range from dress code and dietary rules to rules against certain personal conducts.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sutra\"><em>Suttas<\/em>, also commonly known as&nbsp;<em>Sutras<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;in Sanskrit,&nbsp;are the doctrinal teachings in aphoristic or narrative format.&nbsp;(All of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Buddha\">Buddha<\/a>\u2019s sermons were rehearsed orally during the meeting of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/First_Buddhist_council\">First Buddhist council<\/a>&nbsp;just three months after the Buddha\u2019s death. The Buddha\u2019s teachings continued to be transmitted orally until they were written down in books in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sri_Lanka\">modern-day Sri Lanka<\/a>&nbsp;in the first century BCE.)&nbsp;<em>Abhidhamma<\/em>&nbsp;is the philosophical and psychological analysis and interpretation of Buddhist doctrine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<em>Tipitaka<\/em>&nbsp;is preserved in different forms, as shown in the images below :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"474\" height=\"284\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-36.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526444\" style=\"aspect-ratio:4\/3;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-36.png 474w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-36-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-36-150x90.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-36-18x12.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo credit:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3qK7ibE\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3qK7ibE<\/a>)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"433\" height=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-37.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526445\" style=\"aspect-ratio:4\/3;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-37.png 433w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-37-300x215.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-37-150x107.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-37-18x12.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 433px) 100vw, 433px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo credit:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3lgBNVA\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3lgBNVA<\/a>)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"496\" height=\"296\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-38.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526446\" style=\"aspect-ratio:4\/3;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-38.png 496w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-38-300x179.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-38-150x90.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-38-18x12.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 496px) 100vw, 496px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo credit:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3bK32EJ\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3bK32EJ<\/a>)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"216\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-39.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526447\" style=\"aspect-ratio:3\/4;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-39.png 216w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-39-108x150.png 108w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-39-9x12.png 9w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo credit: the author)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Two months after his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, the Buddha talked for the first time about his discovery of the Way. This sermon is recorded in the&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.buddha-vacana.org\/sutta\/samyutta\/maha\/sn56-011.html\"><em>Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;(translated as \u201cThe Discourse on Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dhamma\u201d) to five former spiritual companions at modern-day Sarnath, India. Some basic teachings are contained in the statements known as the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Four_Noble_Truths\">Four Noble Truths<\/a>, sometimes known as the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Middle_Way\">Middle Way<\/a>. These, too, should be understood in detail to understand the Buddha\u2019s teachings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(The ancient stupa, pictured below, with Thai pilgrims, was erected to mark the place of the Buddha\u2019s first sermon. Photo credit: a Thai Buddhist monk in India)<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-40.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526448\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-40.png 960w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-40-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-40-150x81.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-40-768x414.png 768w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-40-18x10.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>First, there is the Noble Truth of Suffering (Pali: dukkha), which dictates that all the problems of life\u2014from birth to death, including sorrows, illnesses, and frustrations of every kind\u2014are things that people try to avoid; however, like everything else, these problems are transient and lacking in an underlying enduring substance. They can cause sorrow and frustration to anyone who clings onto them. Those who want to avoid and be free from suffering must approach life with the right attitude, knowledge, and wisdom, seeing things as they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, there is the Noble Truth of the Origin of Sufferings (Pali: dukkha-samudaya), which teaches that suffering arises through various causes and conditions, all tied together as cravings or selfish desires rooted in ignorance. Not recognizing things as they are, people crave for and slavishly cling to sensual pleasures, existence, and even self-annihilation. Through these, they perform various evil actions with the body, speech, and mind, resulting in their own suffering and the suffering of others, prompting a vicious cycle, if unstopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Third, there is the Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering (Pali: dukkha-nirodha), which teaches that when ignorance is completely destroyed or selfish desire is eradicated and replaced by the right attitude of love and wisdom, nirvana will be realized. Even for those who have not completely destroyed ignorance and craving, they can still make progress towards less suffering when they lessen their desires. The more their life is guided by love, wisdom, knowledge and compassion, the more their life will be happy, for themselves and those surrounding them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lastly, there is the Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Extinction of Suffering (Pali: Dukkha-nirodhagamini patipada). This Truth defines the Buddhist way of life and provides the way to attain the goal of the Third Truth. This way is called the Noble Eightfold Path, as it consists of eight factors, namely: The Right View (Pali: sammaditthi), The Right Thought (Pali: sammasankappa), The Right Speech (Pali: sammavaca), The Right Action (Pali: sammakammanta), The Right Livelihood (Pali: samma-ajiva), The Right Effort (Pali: sammavayama), The Right Mindfulness (Pali: sammasati), and The Right Concentration (Pali: sammasamadhi). These essentially correspond to three fundamental principles: to not to do evil, to cultivate a good conscience, and to purify the mind. Those who follow the Four Noble Truths (Pali: ariyasacca) avoid the two extremes of sensual indulgence and self-annihilation, living a balanced life in which material welfare and spiritual well-being complement each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_the_Buddha_as_a_%E2%80%9CPhysician%E2%80%9D\"><\/span><em>Understanding the Buddha as a \u201cPhysician\u201d<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some have compared the method of the Buddha to that of a physician, as he made a \u201cdiagnosis\u201d of the disease (suffering), understood its cause, predicted its outcome, and prescribed its cure. It is for this reason that the Buddha called himself a physician. He has also been compared to a surgeon who can remove the arrow of sorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As medicine deals with diseases and cures, the Buddha\u2019s teaching deals with suffering and the end of suffering. And as the process of medical treatment includes the prevention of disease by promoting and maintaining good health, the Buddhist process includes the promotion of mental help to guide one towards bliss or even reach enlightenment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.watnyanaves.net\/uploads\/File\/books\/pdf\/thai_buddhism_in_the_buddhist_world.pdf\">The Basic Teachings of Buddhism, pp. 7-12<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/online.sfsu.edu\/rone\/Buddhism\/footsteps.htm\">Unit 2: Basic Teachings of the Buddha in Following the Buddha\u2019s Footsteps<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_Audience-Specific_Teachings\"><\/span><em>Understanding Audience-Specific Teachings<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the forty-five years during which he would teach the ideas of Buddhism, the Buddha talked to people from all walks of life, be it youth, adults, the old, people on a deathbed, an emperor, a king, a governor, a government official, ordinary people, the untouchables, men, women, the rich, the poor, farmers, soldiers, law enforcers, law breakers, monks, or even his religious rivals. In the Buddhist lens, all humans are equal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although it has now been more than 2550 years since the death of the Buddha, his teachings remain our teacher as he himself had intended for them to be. Each teaching should be studied in its own light and spirit, as some teachings are intended for monks, others for lay devotees, and some for both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the Buddha preached his first and second sermons to ascetics, who were his old spiritual companions seeking enlightenment. These five companions were striding on the traditional paths to liberation that is on sensual happiness and self-torture. As aforementioned, the Buddha had tried extreme paths and found that they were not the correct ways to enlightenment. With them, he shared the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Middle_Way\">Middle Way<\/a>&nbsp;(Pali: Majjhimapatipada), which he had just discovered under the Bodhi Tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read more :&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3l4YH1M\">Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of the Dharma Sutta or Promulgation of the Law Sutta)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read more :&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.budsas.org\/ebud\/ebsut001.htm\">Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta, translated from the Pali: by Bhikkhu Bodhi<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/encyclopediaofbuddhism.org\/wiki\/Middle_Way\">Middle Way<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.urbandharma.org\/udharma8\/imperm.html\">The Buddhist Concept of Impermanence<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.buddhistinquiry.org\/article\/dependent-origination\/\">Dependent Origination<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theravada.gr\/en\/the-four-noble-truths\/?gclid=CjwKCAiAqJn9BRB0EiwAJ1SztXZedlc1iXbCo6QIvWZGCz80wNNjodx64kqsBG-OMUeWhRYQ1BmCRBoCJF4QAvD_BwE\">The Four Noble Truths<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Dependent Origination (The Buddhist TV)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/n_llBSCXt6c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dependent Origination<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"What is Dependent Origination in Early Buddhism?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A2cDhGVgb9A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dependent Origination<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"The Middle Way | Ajahn Brahm | 11-06-2010\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZS3QRq7hnfM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Middle Way | Ajahn Brahm | 11-06-2010<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"The Four Noble Truths | Thich Nhat Hanh (short teaching video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dy-RI3FrdGA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Four Noble Truths | Thich Nhat Hanh (short teaching video)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The Buddha\u2019s second sermon,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.accesstoinsight.org\/tipitaka\/sn\/sn22\/sn22.059.nymo.html\"><em>Anattalakkhana&nbsp;Sutta&nbsp;<\/em>(<em>The Discourse on the Characteristic of No-Self<\/em>)<\/a>&nbsp;is for monks to follow. The Buddha preached this sutta to the same group of five ascetics who only a few days earlier were listening to his first sermon. In this discourse, the Buddha said that he had searched but could find no evidence for the existence of an eternal soul or a creator god. He conceived of the world and all of its elements as made up of components or qualities. He believed that humans are merely composed of five groups of components known as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Skandha\">khandhas<\/a>, which are: corporeality (Pali: Rupa-khandha); feeling (Pali: Vedana-khandha); perception (Pali: Sanna-khandha); mental formations or volitional activities (Pali: Sankhara-khandha), and consciousness (Pali: Vinnana-khandha). He refuted the earlier concept of Atman by analyzing the khandhas, demonstrating that they are each&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Impermanence\">impermanent (Pali: anicca)<\/a>, subject to suffering (Pali:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dukkha\">dukkha<\/a>) and thus unfit for identification with a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%C4%80tman_(Buddhism)\">self\u201d (Pali: atta or Sanskrit: atman<\/a>). In short, there is no self (atta, or atman). The Buddha said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bhikkhus, form is not-self. Were form self, then this form would not lead to<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>affliction, and one could have it of form: \u2018Let my form be thus, let my form be not thus.\u2019 And since form is not-self, so it leads to affliction, and none can have it of form: \u2018Let my form be thus, let my form be not thus.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bhikkhus, feeling is not-self\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bhikkhus, perception is not-self\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bhikkhus, determinations are not-self\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bhikkhus, consciousness is not self. Were consciousness self, then this consciousness would not lead to affliction, and one could have it of consciousness: \u2018Let my consciousness be thus, let my consciousness be not thus.\u2019 And since consciousness is not-self, so it leads to affliction, and none can have it of consciousness: \u2018Let my consciousness be thus, let my consciousness be not thus.\u2019\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For nuns and monks, too, the Buddha&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/DhammapadaIllustrated\/page\/n57\/mode\/2up\">had specific teachings<\/a>, such as the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cA monk should guard all the doors of the senses, for only by guarding the<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>doors of the senses can he obtain release from all suffering.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cIt is good to be disciplined in body. It is good to be disciplined in words. It is<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>good to be disciplined in mind. The monk who is disciplined in all these areas will achieve freedom from all suffering.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cSurrounded by craving, the masses tremble like a hare caught in a trap.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Therefore, a monk desiring to attain detachment \u2013 nirvana \u2013 should shun craving.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cDo not indulge in heedlessness. Avoid craving for sensual pleasures,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>whatever their nature. The mindful person is tranquil in mind. He will attain great bliss.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cPractice of the Seven Factors of Enlightenment (Pali: Bojjhanga) and non-<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>attachment (Pali: Anupadana) ensures nirvana.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Anattalakkha%E1%B9%87a_Sutta\">Anattalakkhana Sutta<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.accesstoinsight.org\/tipitaka\/sn\/sn22\/sn22.059.nymo.html\">Anatta-lakkhana Sutta: The Discourse on the Not-self Characteristic,\u00a0translated from the Pali<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Discourse on the Characteristics of Non Self Anattalakkhana Sutta SN22 59 by Dr Ng Yuen - 20200412\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ETWgSEeOxRg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Discourse on the Characteristics of Non Self Anattalakkhana Sutta SN22 59 by Dr Ng Yuen \u2013 20200412<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Buddha also taught laymen lessons. For example, he taught a young householder, Sigala, as recorded in&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.buddhanet.net\/e-learning\/ethics_s.htm\"><em>Sigalovada Sutta<\/em><\/a>, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sig%C4%81lov%C4%81da_Sutta\">fourteen evils that a layman should avoid<\/a>. The fuller story goes: One day, after a morning bath, Sigala was worshiping the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.destinationom.com\/homepage\/2006\/10\/worship_the_six.html#:~:text=The%20Buddha%20told%20the%20young%20man%20that%20in,nadir%3A%20servants%2C%20workers%20and%20employees%3B%20zenith%3A%20religious%20men.\">Six Directions<\/a>&nbsp;or Quarters (Pali: Disa) \u2013 east, south, west, north, below, and above \u2013 as his father had told him to do before the latter\u2019s death. While Sigala was performing his worship, the Buddha approached Sigala and talked in length with him on how to rightly worship the six quarters. That is: they are not merely directions, but the true \u201csix quarters\u201d in life should be parents, teachers, spouses, friends and colleagues, monks, and servants. He elaborated on how to respect and support them, and how in turn the Six Directions will return the kindness and support. Moreover, he explains that a layman should not take life, steal, engage in sexual misconduct, or lie. Laymen should avoid the four causes of evil actions: sensual desires, hate, ignorance, and fear. And as householders, in particular, they should avoid the six ways of squandering wealth: indulging in intoxicants, wandering questionable streets, frequenting public spectacles, gambling, befriending questionable people, and idling. The Buddha then elaborated on the importance of having and being a true friend, as he described what true friends are and what true friends are not, and how true friends are crucial in attaining a blissful life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.buddhanet.net\/pdf_file\/sigalovada.pdf\">Sigalovada in Pictures<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/D%C4%ABghaj%C4%81%E1%B9%87u_Sutta\">Dighajanu Sutta (Buddhist lay ethics)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"2020.0628 | Sigalovada Sutta DN31 (Part One) | Sylvia Bay\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iqbNsw3jcfU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sigalovada Sutta DN31 (Part One) | Sylvia Bay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"2020.0712 | Sigalovada Sutta DN31 (Part Two) | Sylvia Bay\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Mt85kvZ7sjA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sigalovada Sutta DN31 (Part Two) | Sylvia<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many discourses which are meant for monks, nuns, and followers regardless of gender, such as the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/buddhaweekly.com\/great-happiness-mangala-sutta-sutra-happiness-tathagatas-teaching\/\"><em>Mangala Sutta<\/em><\/a>.&nbsp;<em>Mangala<\/em>, a Pali term, can be translated as \u2018blessings,\u2019 \u2018good omen\u2019, \u2018auspice,\u2019 \u2018good fortune\u2019, and \u2018greatest happiness\u2019. Specifically, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gautama_Buddha\">Buddha<\/a>&nbsp;describes blessings that are personal pursuits or attainments, from mundane to spiritual. He specifies that there are 38 highest blessings in life. A person at a particular stage in life has a \u2018highest blessing\u2019 appropriate for his or her own individual stage of development. As a person\u2019s situation evolves, what would be the \u2018highest blessing\u2019 changes. Working towards further \u2018highest blessings\u2019 increases progress along the path towards enlightenment. The 38 blessings are written in stanzas as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNot to be associated with the foolish ones,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>to live in the company of wise people,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>honoring those who are worth honoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo live in a good environment,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>to have planted good seeds,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and to realize that one is on the right path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo have a chance to learn and grow,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>to be skillful in one\u2019s profession or craft,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>practicing the precepts and loving speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo be able to serve and support one\u2019s parents,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>to cherish one\u2019s own family,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>to have a vocation that brings one joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo live honestly, generous in giving,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>to offer support to relatives and friends,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>living a life of blameless conduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo avoid unwholesome actions,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>not caught by alcoholism or drugs,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and to be diligent in doing good things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo be humble and polite in manner,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>to be grateful and content with a simple life,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>not missing the occasion to learn the Dhamma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo persevere and be open to change,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>to have regular contact with monks and nuns,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and to fully participate in Dhamma discussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo live diligently and attentively,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>to perceive the Noble Truths,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and to realize Nibbana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo live in the world<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>with one\u2019s heart undisturbed by the world,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>with all sorrows ended, dwelling in peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor one who accomplishes this,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>unvanquished wherever one goes,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>always one is safe and happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.accesstoinsight.org\/tipitaka\/kn\/khp\/khp.5.nara.html\">Mangala Sutta: Blessings, translated from the Pali: by Narada Thera<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0Og_q4qwjLs\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0Og_q4qwjLs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">The Dhammapada \u2013 full AudioBook | Buddhism \u2013 Teachings of The Buddha<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"100+ Most Famous Buddha Quotes On Life\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A8rLhPCKPDc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">100+ Most Famous Buddha Quotes on Life<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Buddhisms_Two_Main_Lineages_Theravada_and_Mahayana\"><\/span><em>Buddhism\u2019s Two Main Lineages: Theravada and Mahayana<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For more than 2,000 years, there have been two main lineages in the Buddhist world:&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/asian\/cat64\/sub416\/entry-5587.html\">Theravada and Mahayana<\/a>. Theravada literally means \u201cteaching of the Elders,\u201d and Mahayana \u201cthe Great Vehicle\u201d. Theravada was the original Buddhist lineage, while the Mahayana began sometime around 200 B.C.E., likely in northern India and Kashmir.[11] There is no hostility between the two groups.[10] Each sect mainly flourishes peacefully in different parts of the world. Theravada Buddhism now flourishes in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, while Mahayana Buddhism does so in China, Northern India, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, and Vietnam. Nevertheless, in some countries, both Theravada and Mahayana co-exist peacefully, as in Malaysia and Singapore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ushistory.org\/civ\/8d.asp#:~:text=Ashoka%20promoted%20Buddhist%20expansion%20by,through%20India,%20but%20also%20internationally.&amp;text=Some%20scholars%20believe%20that%20many,into%20the%20tolerant%20Hindu%20faith\">The Birth and Spread of Buddhism<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebuddhistsociety.org\/page\/the-spread-of-buddhism\">The Spread of Buddhism<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"525\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-41.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-41.png 525w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-41-300x229.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-41-150x114.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-41-16x12.png 16w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo credit for the spread of Buddhism:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3g33HlD\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3g33HlD<\/a>)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"The Spread of Buddhism (500 BCE - 1200)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SMvQtRtT4-I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Spread of Buddhism (500 BCE \u2013 1200)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Theravada Buddhists strive to be&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arhat\">arahants<\/a>, or arhats. Arahants are perfected people who have gained true insight into the nature of reality. This means they have followed the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Noble_Eightfold_Path\">Noble Eightfold Path<\/a>&nbsp;to extinguish the three fires of greed (Pali: lobha), hatred (Pali: dosa), and ignorance (Pali: moha). They are enlightened. Consequently, they will no longer be reborn in the cycle of samsara.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.abhayagiri.org\/media\/books\/amaro_theravada_buddhism_in_a_nutshell.pdf\">Theravada Buddhism in a Nutshell<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theravada.gr\/en\/free-online-courses\/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAhZT9BRDmARISanskrit2E-J0GusYLG9fwjz56KK3nYG2EzycXSzMAgqRgKRYYyKcNXvUPJjfOgKMaAv1dEALw_wcB\">Theravada Buddhism Information \u2013 History and philosophy<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/asc.mcu.ac.th\/database\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/history-of-theravada-buddhism-in-south-east-asia_hazra-1.pdf\">History of Theravada Buddhism in South-East Asia with special reference\u00a0to India and Ceylon<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.amaravati.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/11\/Without-and-Within-by-Ajahn-Jayasaro.pdf\">Without and Within, Questions and Answers on the teachings of Theravada Buddhism<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"479\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-42.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526450\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-42.png 479w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-42-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-42-150x100.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-42-18x12.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 479px) 100vw, 479px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Thai Theravada Buddhist monks<br>(Photo credit:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3rBdWCl\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3rBdWCl<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"History of Theravada Buddhism: Very Old and Very New\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/S0B1xqTjt50?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">History of Theravada Buddhism: Very Old and Very New<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Mahayana\">Mahayana<\/a>&nbsp;Buddhists&nbsp;also believe they can achieve enlightenment through following the teachings of the&nbsp;Buddha. The goal of a Mahayana Buddhist may be to become a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wildmind.org\/mantras\/bodhisattvas#:~:text=In%20Mahayana%20Buddhism%2C%20bodhisattva%20refers%20to%20a%20human,Avalokiteshvara%20and%20Manjushri%2C%20who%20are%20objects%20of%20devotion.\">Bodhisattva<\/a>\u2014a status achieved through the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.learnreligions.com\/the-six-perfections-449611#:~:text=The%20Six%20Perfections%2C%20or%20paramitas%2C%20are%20guides%20for,to%20say%20they%20are%20our%20own%20true%20buddha-nature.\">Six Perfections (Pali: paramitas<\/a>) which are virtues to be cultivated.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/tricycle.org\/trikedaily\/discomfort-compassion\/#:~:text=In%20Mahayana%20Buddhist%20traditions%2C%20compassion%20%28karuna%29%20is%20one,path%2C%20which%20seeks%20to%20liberate%20all%20sentient%20beings.\">Compassion<\/a>&nbsp;is very important in Mahayana Buddhism, making many Bodhisattvas choose to stay in the cycle of samsara in order to help others on their own path to enlightenment.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-43.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526451\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-43.png 720w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-43-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-43-120x150.png 120w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-43-10x12.png 10w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Japanese Buddhist Mahayana monks<br>(Photo credit:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2O8lgH6\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/2O8lgH6<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>One Mahayana group which developed by the sixth century in India is known as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Vajrayana\">Vajrayana<\/a>&nbsp;(meaning Thunderbolt Vehicle or Diamond Vehicle) or Mantrayana (meaning Mantra Vehicle). Its doctrines are close to those of the traditional Mahayana, and it uses many of the Mahayana\u2019s texts, though many of its practices have been developed differently. For instance, one of its practices includes meditative repetitions of sacred words of powers (mantra), as well as visualization practices. It is characterized by the use of texts known as&nbsp;<em>Tantras<\/em>, a complex system of rituals, symbolism, and meditation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/religion\/religions\/buddhism\/subdivisions\/mahayana.shtml\">Mahayana Buddhism<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mahayana\">Mahayana (Great Vehicle)<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vajrayana\">Vajrayana<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"223\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-44.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526452\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-44.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-44-150x112.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-44-16x12.png 16w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tibetan Vajrayana Mahayana Buddhist Monks<br>(Source:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3t7Uuxd%20\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3t7Uuxd<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"History of Mahayana Buddhism: Innovation and Perfection\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wi_hqpIu-vk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">History of Mahayana Buddhism: Innovation and Perfection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"History of Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism: Power and Transgression\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YVZGzgFbnGg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">History of Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism: Power and Transgression<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the apparent differences between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, the two lineages actually have a lot in common.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Walpola_Rahula_Thero\">Dr. W. Rahula<\/a>&nbsp;for one writes, \u201cI have studied Mahayana for many years, and the more I study it, the more I find there is hardly any difference between Theravada and Mahayana with regard to the fundamental teachings. Both accept&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/kagyuoffice.org\/buddhism\/shakyamuni-buddha\/\">the Buddha<\/a>&nbsp;as the Teacher. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/beabuddhist.net\/4-noble-truths-of-buddha-explained\/#:~:text=4%20Noble%20Truths%20Of%20Buddhism%3A%20Explained%20The%20core,leads%20to%20the%20end%20of%20suffering%2C%20or%20Nirvana.\">Four Noble Truths<\/a>&nbsp;are exactly the same in both schools. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.learnreligions.com\/the-eightfold-path-450067\">Eightfold Path<\/a>&nbsp;is exactly the same in both schools. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.learnreligions.com\/dependent-origination-meaning-449723\">Dependent Origination<\/a>&nbsp;(Pali:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/paticca-samuppada\">Paticca-samuppada<\/a>) is the same in both schools. Both rejected the idea of a supreme being who created and governed this world. Both accept&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/anicca\">anicca<\/a>&nbsp;(impermanence, transiency),&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/dukkha\">dukkha<\/a>&nbsp;(the state of being subject to suffering),&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/anatta\">anatta<\/a>&nbsp;(not-self),&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/sila-Buddhism\">sila<\/a>&nbsp;(morality),&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/religion.wikia.org\/wiki\/Samadhi_(Buddhism)#:~:text=In%20Buddhism%2C%20sam%C4%81dhi%20%28Pali%3B%20Skt.%3B%20Chinese%3A%20%E4%B8%89%E6%98%A7%E5%9C%B0%20or,%22right%20concentration%22%20%28samma-samadhi%29%20is%20the%20eighth%20path%20factor.\">samadhi<\/a>&nbsp;(concentration, meditation), panya (wisdom), without any difference. These are the most important teachings of the Buddha, and they are all accepted by both schools without question.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.buddhanet.net\/e-learning\/buddhistworld\/schools1.htm\">The Buddhist Schools: Theravada &amp; Mahayana<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/339781187_Define_the_terms_Theravada_and_Mahayana_and_appraise_how_they_relate_to_each_other\">Define the terms Theravada and Mahayana and appraise how they relate to each other<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism | World History | Khan Academy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aCA6ioTLw-Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>1. A Thai Theravada renowned scholar monk (Pali:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bhikkhu\">Bhikkhu<\/a>). He is the author of the book<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.watnyanaves.net\/uploads\/File\/books\/pdf\/667-Buddhadhamma-English.pdf\"><em>Buddhadhamma<\/em><\/a><em>:<\/em><em>&nbsp;The Laws of Nature and Their Benefits to Life,<\/em>&nbsp;and many other books. His works were important references for this article.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-45.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526453\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-45.png 225w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-45-113x150.png 113w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-45-9x12.png 9w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.buddhanet.net\/e-learning\/buddhistworld\/wat_m5.htm\">Buddhist Monastic Community: The Daily Life of a Thai Monk\u00a0<\/a><br>Read more :\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ugoceiphotography.com\/b\/monks-life-day-life-buddhist-monks-myanmar\/#:~:text=The%20typical%20day%20of%20a,no%20showers%20but%20they%20wash\">A Monk\u2019s Life: a Day in the Life of Buddhist Monks in Myanmar<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Buddhist Monks - Who Are They and What Do They Do?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vzAsc0pf5-A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Buddhist monks! Who Are They and What Do They Do? (Life of a Buddhist Monk Documentary<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Why I am a Buddhist Monk | Ajahn Brahmali | 7 December 2018\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tvZQX7saMPU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Why I am a Buddhist Monk | Ajahn Brahmali | 7 December 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>2. Master Cheng Yen, a renowned nun of Taiwanese Mahayana (Pali:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bhikkhun%C4%AB\">Bhikkhuni<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"275\" height=\"397\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-46.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-46.png 275w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-46-208x300.png 208w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-46-104x150.png 104w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-46-8x12.png 8w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo credit:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/38BtNco\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/38BtNco<\/a>)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Thai Buddhist Nun Ordination in Sri Lanka\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Sl3z4skghro?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Thai Buddhist Nun Ordination in Sri Lanka<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"My Path To Becoming A Buddhist | Emma Slade | TEDxSevenoaksSchool\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QnJIjEAE41w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">My Path to Becoming a Buddhist | Emma Slade | TEDxSevenoaksSchool<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>3. Male lay devotees (Pali:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Up%C4%81saka_and_Up%C4%81sik%C4%81\">Upasaka<\/a>) (Richard Gere performing a Buddhist Puja at Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya, Bihar, India, 2020. (Photo credit:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3t9jPa9\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3t9jPa9<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"259\" height=\"195\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-47.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526455\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-47.png 259w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-47-150x113.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-47-16x12.png 16w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 259px) 100vw, 259px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo credit:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3t9jPa9\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3t9jPa9<\/a>)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"28.03.15. Richard Gere&#039;s Buddhism\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ASwQtrQh6kw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Richard Gere\u2019s Buddhism<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>4. Female lay devotees (Pali:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Up%C4%81saka_and_Up%C4%81sik%C4%81\">Upasika<\/a>) A Buddhist Thai princess lay devotee performing a Buddhist ceremony<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"188\" src=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-48.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-526456\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-48.png 300w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-48-150x94.png 150w, https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-48-18x12.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo credit:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.naewna.com\/royal\/449847\">https:\/\/www.naewna.com\/royal\/449847<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Encyclopedia of Buddhism, Edward A. Irons, Checkmark Books, 2008, p. XV<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ibid, p. 4<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Science-Based Benefits of Meditation, p. 67<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Penguin Dictionary of Religion in India, p. 411<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Penguin Dictionary of Religion in India, p. 49<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Old Path White Clouds, p. 81<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Old Path White Clouds, p. 82<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kamaayurveda.com\/blog\/peepal-tree\/\">https:\/\/www.kamaayurveda.com\/blog\/peepal-tree\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tripi%E1%B9%ADaka\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tripi%E1%B9%ADaka<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Concise Encyclopedia of Buddhism, p. 134<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3bD7sgK\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3bD7sgK<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Further Readings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Buddhadasa, Bhikkhu. Anapanasati (Mindfulness of Breathing). at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2OCmLwZ\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/2OCmLwZ<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Buddhaghosa. Visuddhimagga translated from Pali into English by Bhikkhu Nanamoli as The<br>Path of Purification at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2SiJY9r\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/2SiJY9r<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>HH Dalai Lama. Illuminating the Path to Enlightenment. at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3lcoQMj\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3lcoQMj<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jayasaro, Ajahn. Without and Within, Questions and Answers on the Teachings of Theravada<br>Buddhism at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mindfulnessexercises.com\/without-and-within\/\">https:\/\/mindfulnessexercises.com\/without-and-within\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>King, Winston L. Theravada Meditation. at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3cp2CT8\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3cp2CT8<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>P. A. Payutto, Bhikkhu (Phra Brahmagunabhorn). Thai Buddhism in the Buddhist World, A<br>Survey of the Buddhist Situation Against a Historical Background at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3uhlTx6\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3uhlTx6<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>P. A. Payutto, Bhikkhu (Phra Brahmagunabhorn). The Nectar of Truth: A Selection of Buddhist<br>Aphorisms, translated from Thai into English by Professor Dr. Somseen Chanawangsa at<br><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3vfm7pu\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3vfm7pu<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>P.A. Payutto, Bhikkhu (Somdet Phra Buddhaghosachariya). Buddhadhamma, The Law of<br>Natures and Their Benefits to Life, translated from Thai into English by Robin Philip Moore at<br><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3famOef\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3famOef<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thich Nhat Hanh. Old Path White Clouds, Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha at<br><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3yYbSs3\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/3yYbSs3<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thich Nhat Hanh. The Path of Emancipation. at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2PSbVng\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/2PSbVng<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Upatissa, Arahant (author). Vimuttimagga, translated from Chinese into English as The Path of<br>Freedom by Rev. N.R.M. Ehara, Soma Thera &amp; Kheminda Thera at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2QGYmHX\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/2QGYmHX<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Weragoda Sarada Maha Thera. Treasury of Truth Illustrated Dhammapada at<br><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2SbHxFv\">https:\/\/bit.ly\/2SbHxFv<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AUTHOR<\/strong><br>Paitoon Songkaeo, PhD<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The word Buddhism is the Western term for the teachings of the Buddha or the religion founded by the Buddha. Western scholars coined the term in early 19th century to refer to their newly discovered complex of religious practices centered on the image and memory of the figure called the Buddha, the Enlightened One. Early Buddhists, in fact, used such alternative terms as Dharma \u201cdoctrine\u201d or Dharma Vinaya, \u201cdoctrine-disciplines\u201d, to refer to this belief system. In Sanskrit sources, these often became the Buddha Dharma, the \u201cdoctrines of the Buddha.\u201d The word Boudhism was introduced in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1801 and emerged as Buddhism in 1816.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1085,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[194,16],"tags":[278],"class_list":["post-1675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-spiritual-values","category-buddhism","tag-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>General Buddhism in Brief - Thailand Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thailandfoundation.or.th\/th\/general-buddhism-in-brief\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"th_TH\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"General Buddhism in Brief - Thailand Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The word Buddhism is the Western term for the teachings of the Buddha or the religion founded by the Buddha. Western scholars coined the term in early 19th century to refer to their newly discovered complex of religious practices centered on the image and memory of the figure called the Buddha, the Enlightened One. Early Buddhists, in fact, used such alternative terms as Dharma \u201cdoctrine\u201d or Dharma Vinaya, \u201cdoctrine-disciplines\u201d, to refer to this belief system. 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