“Sarvam duḥkham, sarvam anityam”

Everything is suffering, everything is impermanent

Long ago, in the lush foothills of the Himalayas, a prince was born who would change the world. His name was Siddhartha Gautama, and his extraordinary story remains one of history’s most fascinating.

Siddhartha entered the world amidst luxury around 563 BCE in Lumbini, modern-day Nepal. His father, King Suddhodana, had received a prophecy: his son would become either a great king or a profound spiritual leader. Determined to steer Siddhartha away from a religious path, the king surrounded him with every imaginable pleasure—beautiful palaces, delicious food, and endless entertainment.

Yet, Siddhartha was deeply curious. Despite his father’s meticulous efforts, he secretly ventured beyond the palace walls. What he witnessed on these excursions changed him forever.

The Four Sights That Shattered His World

On his trips outside, Siddhartha encountered four stark realities he had never before seen, precisely because his father had shielded him from the common and unavoidable sufferings of humanity:

• An Old Man – Weak, wrinkled, and struggling to walk.
• A Sick Man – Burning with fever, groaning in pain.
• A Dead Body – Being carried to the funeral pyre.
• A Wandering Holy Man – Seemingly at peace, despite the suffering all around him.

For the very first time, Siddhartha truly grasped that life was inherently filled with suffering. No amount of wealth or power could ultimately prevent old age, sickness, and death. That night, he made a momentous decision.

The Great Escape and Awakening

At 29, Siddhartha relinquished his royal life. He left behind his wife and newborn son, cut off his hair, and exchanged his silk robes for simple rags. He became a wandering seeker. For years, he rigorously studied under famous gurus, pushing his body to extremes. He fasted, meditated for days, and endured considerable pain, yet still found no satisfying answers.

Exhausted, Siddhartha sat beneath a fig tree, resolute in his vow not to move until he uncovered the ultimate truth. At 35, he finally transcended his former self, becoming the Buddha—”The Awakened One.” This marked the beginning of his journey to teach and spread his message, helping others achieve Buddhahood.

Unmistakable signs that your soul is undergoing a spiritual awakening.

The Buddha’s Core Message

His initial teachings were remarkably direct. They centered on cultivating personal insight and offered a clear route to freedom from suffering. These teachings consciously avoided gods, intricate rituals, or blind faith. Instead, his core message presented a straightforward path to inner peace: “Life does not have to be a struggle. You can end your own suffering.” This profound realization offered a way forward, free from magic or mysteries, providing only a clear route to inner liberation.

By oneself one must censure oneself and scrutinize oneself. The self-guarded and mindful monk will always live in happiness.

~ Pali Canon 25:379

Preservation of Teachings

During the Buddha’s era, permanent writing materials were scarce. Oral tradition held immense value, often considered more reliable than written records, which frequently deteriorated in the tropical climate. The emphasis was on immediate experience and spiritual practice, rather than reliance on texts. To ensure the preservation of his words, devoted followers committed them to memory. This vibrant oral tradition proved vital; they diligently passed these teachings on by meticulously chanting them in groups, minimizing errors and maintaining accuracy across generations.

After his death, 500 senior monks convened the First Buddhist Council. Their primary goal was to collectively recite and organize his teachings. This monumental undertaking formed the foundational basis for the Pali Canon, Buddhism’s oldest surviving scripture. These teachings continued as an oral tradition, carefully passed down by monks for nearly 500 years. The Pali Canon was finally committed to writing in Sri Lanka during the 1st Century BCE. This crucial decision stemmed from fears that the extensive oral tradition might be lost amidst famine and ongoing wars.

As Buddhism spread, various interpretations and adaptations emerged over centuries. This led to the development of distinct schools and branches, each offering unique approaches to the path to enlightenment.

Theravada Buddhism: The Doctrine of the Elders

This path is often called the “Doctrine of the Elders.” It is Buddhism’s oldest surviving branch, thriving today in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Theravada emphasizes individual liberation, with practitioners aiming to become Arhats—individuals who achieve Nirvana (the state of profound peace and freedom from suffering) for themselves. Personal effort is central to this path. Its sacred texts, the Pali Canon, are considered the closest surviving record of the Buddha’s original discourses.

Mahayana Buddhism: The Great Vehicle

Another major path emerged: Mahayana, meaning the “Great Vehicle.” This tradition gained widespread popularity in East Asia, encompassing China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Globally, today, Mahayana Buddhism is the most popular branch, followed by over half of all Buddhists.

While Theravada primarily focuses on individual enlightenment, Mahayana significantly broadens its scope. In Mahayana, compassion for all beings takes center stage. Its central ideal is the Bodhisattva, an enlightened being who, out of boundless compassion for all sentient beings, deliberately delays their own Nirvana to help all others achieve liberation. This concept highlights immense selflessness. Mahayana also incorporates a wider range of scriptures (e.g., the Lotus Sutra, Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra) and philosophical concepts, such as emptiness (Sunyata).

Vajrayana: The Diamond Vehicle

Within Mahayana, Vajrayana emerged as a powerful branch, also known as the “Diamond Vehicle” or Tantric Buddhism. Today, this form is most prominent in Tibet, with the Dalai Lama residing in exile in Dharamshala, India.

Historically, in the 8th century, the Buddhist King Trisong Detsen sought to introduce Buddhism to his kingdom. He invited two Indian masters, Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita, to Tibet. Initially, the local shamanistic and animistic traditions posed a challenge to the direct Buddhist teachings. To make the Dharma more accessible, Padmasambhava, who became revered as Guru Rinpoche, skillfully blended Buddhist principles with indigenous Tibetan spiritual practices. This innovative approach resonated deeply with the local population, facilitating Buddhism’s acceptance and flourishing in Tibet.

This branch also introduced a rich pantheon of enlightened beings and deities. These figures are honored through temples and statues, serving as powerful symbols and aids in meditation and practice. Guru Rinpoche himself became a highly revered, almost deified, figure within this tradition.

Vajrayana emphasizes rapid enlightenment through specialized practices, including tantric rituals, visualizations, and mantra chanting, offering a faster yet often more demanding path to Buddhahood.

Other Prominent Groups

Buddhism continued to evolve beyond these main divisions. The two most prominent ones are:

• Zen Buddhism, a Mahayana school, is popular in Japan and the West. Zen emphasizes meditation and sudden awakening, focusing on direct insight without elaborate doctrines.
• Pure Land Buddhism, strong in East Asia, centers on devotion to Amitabha Buddha. Unlike the historical Siddhartha Gautama, Amitabha Buddha is a celestial or transcendent Buddha, revered in Mahayana cosmology as the Buddha of Infinite Light and Infinite Life. Followers believe chanting his name leads to rebirth in his “Pure Land,” a realm offering an easier path to enlightenment.

Buddhism Today

Despite the cultural differences and varied approaches among Buddhist schools, the core essence of Gautama Buddha’s teachings remains constant. The core teachings of the historical Buddha aim to end suffering and seek to bring liberation. These teachings are preserved in the Pali Canon, considered the closest surviving record of what the Buddha may have actually said. This timeless guide offers wisdom as relevant today as it was over 2,500 years ago.

Further Reading

For those interested in exploring Buddhist teachings further, here are a few highly regarded authors whose works offer excellent introductions without overwhelming new readers:

• Bhikkhu Bodhi
• Ajahn Sumedho
• Ajahn Brahm
• Thich Nhat Hanh
• His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
• Mingyur Rinpoche
• Shunryu Suzuki

Please note: This overview provides a broad and general introduction to Buddhism, offering a simplified perspective for readers new to the subject. It is by no means inclusive of all the detailed information available. For those curious to delve deeper, thousands of sources offer much more comprehensive and detailed insights into this rich and multifaceted tradition.