1. The Four Noble Truths – The Buddha’s fundamental teaching that life is difficult, suffering is caused by desire and attachment, there is a way to end suffering, and that way is the Eightfold Path.
2. The Eightfold Path – The Buddha’s prescription for how to end suffering and achieve enlightenment, consisting of right understanding, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.
3. Karma – The belief that one’s thoughts, words, and deeds have moral consequences that determine one’s future experiences.
4. Impermanence – The understanding that all things are constantly changing and that attachment to anyone or anything is ultimately unsatisfactory and leads to suffering.
5. Non-self – The Buddhist concept that there is no permanent, eternal self or soul, but rather a flow of mental and physical processes that make up a living being.
6. Meditation – A key practice in Buddhism, meditation is used to cultivate mindfulness, concentration, and insight into the true nature of the world and the self.
7. Compassion and non-violence – Buddhism teaches the importance of kindness, compassion, and non-violence towards all living beings, and the recognition of interdependence among all things.
What are some of Buddhism’s key ideas?
1 answer