What Is Buddhism?

The Life of Siddhartha Gautama00:00:20

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.

The Path to Enlightenment00:03:00

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.

Core Teachings: The Four Noble Truths00:05:06

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 Noble Eightfold Path00:05:40

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.

Major Branches and Global Presence00:07:43

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.