What Is Buddhism?

Born a prince in modern-day Nepal, Siddhartha Gautama was shielded from the harsh realities of life by his father. After venturing outside the palace and witnessing sickness, aging, and death, he renounced his royal life to find an escape from human suffering.

After extreme fasting proved ineffective, Siddhartha discovered the 'Middle Way' between indulgence and deprivation. He eventually reached enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at age 35, becoming the Buddha, and spent the rest of his life teaching his insights.

Buddhism is structured around the Four Noble Truths: life involves suffering, suffering is caused by craving, suffering can end, and the Noble Eightfold Path is the method to achieve that end and reach Nirvana.

The Eightfold Path serves as a guide for ethical and mindful living, covering Right View, Intent, Speech, Action, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness, and Concentration to help followers extinguish desire and reach enlightenment.

Buddhism is primarily divided into Theravada, which focuses on monastic tradition and orthodoxy, and Mahayana, which is more inclusive and emphasizes the role of Bodhisattvas. Today, Buddhism has nearly 500 million followers, predominantly in the Asia-Pacific region.