Three To Be. . .

Buddhism, like most of the great religions of the world, is divided into a number of different traditions. However, most traditions share a common set of fundamental beliefs.

Buddhism is a philosophy of life expounded by Gautama Buddha (“Buddha” means “enlightened one”), who lived and taught in northern India in the 6th century B.C. The Buddha was not a god and the philosophy of Buddhism does not entail any theistic world view. The teachings of the Buddha are aimed solely at liberating sentient beings from suffering.

The Basic Teachings of Buddha which are core to Buddhism are:

• The Three Universal Truths;

• The Four Noble Truths; and

The Noble Eightfold Path.

THE THREE UNIVERSAL TRUTHS

1. Nothing is lost in the universe

2. Everything Changes

3. The Law of Cause and Effect

If we look at the world with dispassionate discernment it becomes abundantly clear that there is only one problem in the world, which is suffering, dukka. Buddha says “The world is established on suffering, is founded on suffering” (Dukkhe loko patitthito). Suffering appears and passes away, only to reappear in other forms. All forms of suffering are either physical or psychological. All is in a whirl, nothing escapes this inexorable, unceasing change. The three universal truths points us to these truths and in doing so point us to the way to end our suffering.