Buddhism offers a sense of purpose in life, helps make sense of inequality, and lays out a way of living that leads to real happiness. It’s gaining popularity in Western countries for several reasons. One of the main reasons is that it provides practical solutions to many of the issues people face in modern, material-focused societies. Additionally, for those who are curious, Buddhism offers profound insights into the human mind and natural healing methods that many psychologists now recognize as both advanced and effective. More: Religious wisdom and spiritual interpretations of mindfulness
Suffering I teach and the way out of suffering.
Buddha
Buddhism is both a religion and a philosophy. It comes from the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who is called the Buddha, meaning “the Awakened One.” It originated in northern India between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, a time of great social and religious shifts. The Buddha’s teachings focus on reaching enlightenment and escaping the endless cycle of rebirth and suffering, known as samsara, through practices like meditation, ethical living, and cultivating wisdom.
Key to his teachings are the Four Noble Truths, which explain the nature of suffering and how to overcome it, and the Eightfold Path, a guide to living mindfully and developing mental and ethical discipline. Over time, Buddhism spread beyond India, reaching places like Central and Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan, where it adapted to local cultures and developed into different traditions such as Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhism. More: Religious or spiritual? What is the difference?
A philosophy of life and the nature of self
For many people, Buddhism is more than just a religion—it’s a philosophy or way of life. Philosophy means “love of wisdom.” The Buddhist path can be understood as living a moral life, being mindful and aware of your thoughts and actions, and developing wisdom and understanding.
The Buddha’s teachings revolve around the reality of human suffering and the dissatisfaction that comes with life. Life is often painful—our desires and limitations—are also what cause our suffering. Since we desire things that are temporary and constantly changing, this desire inevitably leads to pain.
In a world where everything changes, people naturally look for a way to escape suffering and want something lasting beyond the short-lived nature of life—this is the search for enlightenment. The Buddha’s teachings show a path to avoid despair.
In the early Buddhist texts, the Buddha explained that reality, whether external objects or human existence, is made up of a chain of tiny elements called dhammas (not to be confused with dhamma, which means “law” or “teaching”). The Buddha broke from traditional Indian thought by rejecting the idea of an eternal or unchanging essence in things. More: The power of progress: Commit to daily self-improvement
He also denied the existence of a soul as a permanent entity. Also, he accepted the idea of the self in a practical sense, as the one who acts and makes moral decisions. Life is a continuous process of change, where everything is constantly appearing and disappearing. The ego or sense of self is just an illusion. The things people usually identify with—wealth, social status, family, body, or even mind—are not truly who they are. Since nothing is permanent, there is no true “self” or atman.
The Four Noble Truths in Buddhism
- The Truth of Suffering (Dukkha): Life includes suffering. This doesn’t just mean physical pain or sadness—it can also be a general feeling of dissatisfaction or unease. Even happy moments don’t last forever, which adds to this sense of discomfort.
- The Truth of the Cause of Suffering (Samudaya): Suffering comes from craving or desire. We often want things like pleasure, success, or even to escape reality. This constant craving, whether for something or to avoid something, leads to unhappiness.
- The Truth that Suffering Can End (Nirodha): It is possible to stop this suffering. If we let go of the craving and attachment that cause it, we can find peace and contentment.
- The Truth of the Path to End Suffering (Magga): There is a path to end suffering, and it’s a step-by-step guide called the Eightfold Path. By following this path, which includes practices like mindfulness, ethical behavior, and wisdom, we can overcome suffering and reach enlightenment. More: Healing through the Theta Healing technique
The Eightfold Path
The law of dependent origination explains how everything in life is connected and how we get caught in the cycle of birth, suffering, and death. But just knowing that life is full of suffering and understanding how it works isn’t enough to escape this cycle. We need a way to break free from it. The way out is through the Eightfold Path. This is a set of eight steps that guide us toward a better life:
- Right view: Seeing the world and life as they truly are, understanding the nature of suffering.
- Right thought: Wanting to do the right things and committing to self-improvement.
- Right speech: Speaking truthfully and kindly, avoiding harmful words.
- Right conduct: Acting in ways that do not harm others or ourselves.
- Right livelihood: Choosing work that is ethical and doesn’t cause harm.
- Right effort: Putting energy into good things, like developing positive thoughts and avoiding negativity.
- Right mindfulness: Being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and actions in the present moment.
- Right concentration: Practicing focused meditation to develop a calm and clear mind.
By following these steps, we can free ourselves from suffering and move closer to peace and happiness. More: Healing through nature: How the environment restores our well-being
The importance of Karma and Nirvana in Buddhism
Karma, in simple terms, means that our actions—good or bad—have consequences. Good actions lead to happiness and positive outcomes, while bad actions lead to suffering. These results can happen in this life, the next one, or even much later in future lives. This belief in karma is tied to the idea of rebirth, where after death, we are born again in a new life. Even though Buddhism teaches that there is no permanent “self,” rebirth still happens because, like a flame passing from one candle to another, there is a continuous process of change connecting one life to the next.
In Buddhism, the ultimate goal is to overcome the illusion of the self and break free from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, known as samsara. This state of freedom is called enlightenment, and it is achieved by eliminating desires, attachments, and ignorance. Nirvana, the final goal in most Buddhist traditions, refers to the “extinguishing” of the fires of craving, anger, and delusion. It’s not a state of nothingness but a profound peace and liberation from suffering. When a person reaches nirvana, they are no longer bound to the cycle of rebirth.
The Buddha often described nirvana with metaphors, like reaching a “safe harbor” or “cool cave,” emphasizing peace and happiness. While he avoided answering whether enlightened beings continue to exist after death, he made it clear that nirvana can be experienced in this life through dedicated practice of the Buddhist path. More: How to control your anger when someone provokes you?
The essence of Buddhist teachings
Buddhists place great importance on virtues like loving-kindness, patience, and generosity, but they consider wisdom and compassion to be the most valuable. The concept of ahimsa, or harmlessness, closely relates to compassion. This means having a genuine desire to avoid harming all living beings, including animals, plants, and the environment. Buddhism emphasizes self-reliance.
The Buddha encouraged his followers to question teachings rather than accept them blindly and to test these ideas for themselves. This makes Buddhism a practical religion focused on helping people live peaceful lives. Buddhists strive to practice these virtues daily. The ultimate goal of their practice is to achieve the same awakening that the Buddha experienced by transforming their hearts and letting go of the ego. More: 5 basic meditation techniques
