Buddhism is one of the world’s major religions, but it is different from many religions because it does not centre around the worship of a creator God. It began in ancient India more than 2,500 years ago with Siddhartha Gautama, who later became known as the Buddha. The word Buddha means “awakened one.”
According to Buddhist tradition, Siddhartha was born into a wealthy family and lived a protected life. As he grew older, he became deeply concerned about suffering, old age, sickness and death. He eventually left his comfortable life to search for an answer to human suffering. After years of searching and meditation, he is believed to have reached enlightenment.
A major part of Buddhism is the idea that suffering is connected to craving and attachment. People often want things to stay the way they are, even though life constantly changes. Buddhism teaches that understanding this reality can help a person become less controlled by their desires.
The Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths, which explain the nature of suffering, its cause, the possibility of ending it, and the path towards doing so. This path includes developing good conduct, mental discipline and wisdom.
Meditation is also strongly associated with Buddhism. It is used to develop awareness and concentration, although Buddhist practices differ between different traditions and countries.
Buddhism spread from India across much of Asia and eventually developed into different traditions, including Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. Today, millions of people practise Buddhism around the world, while Buddhist ideas about mindfulness and meditation have also influenced people who do not consider themselves religious.
At its heart, Buddhism is concerned with understanding the human mind and finding a way to live with greater awareness and freedom from unnecessary suffering.