FAQs on Basic Buddhism

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Spirituality Basic Buddhism. Books on Buddhism. Words, words, words - a Basic Buddhism Glossary. FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) on Buddhism. Links to other Sites on Buddhism. There are many and varied traditions of Buddhism, just as there are many and varied traditions of Christianity, paganism, etc. What is here is offered to you for your consideration. Maybe it applies, maybe not. You are welcome here, and welcome to decide what you can use, of this limited English-language information.

	When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, by Pema Chödrön. Tibetan Buddhism.
	Being Zen: Bringing Meditation to Life by Ezra Bayda (Foreword by Charlotte Joko Beck). A practical and accessible book on how to live the awakened life; how to cope with fear, anger, and confusion.
	The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh.
	Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki. Soto Zen.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) on Buddhism

Who was the Buddha?

By the Buddha, we mean the historical man Siddhartha Gautama, Sakayamuni Buddha, the originator and founder of Buddhism. About 500 BCE, aged 29, he left a life of privilege to seek understanding, and received enlightenment six years later. His realizations included:

• Everything changes.
• Suffering results from attachment to things and ideas (such as the notion of self) that are essentially transient.
• By discarding attachments, one can be free of suffering.

Who are Buddhists?

Buddhists have at least one of these attributes:

• They are people who follow the teachings of the Buddha.
• They live their life by following the Dharma.
• They belong to a community or Sangha.

Was Buddha a God?

No. Buddha did not claim to be a god. Also, Buddha did not claim that he could lead people to God.

What are Buddha's teachings?

At the core of the teaching are the Four Noble Truths are:

1. Dukkha. Life is suffering.
2. Samudaya. The origin of suffering.
3. Nirodha. The cessation of suffering.
4. Magga. The path to the cessation of suffering. This is "the Middle Way", which lies between the extremes of sensual pleasures and self-mortification.

Do different books use different words about Buddhism?

They use differences in spelling, because the two main traditions of Buddhism use different sources:

• In the Theravada tradition (including Tibetan Buddhism), the source texts are in the Pali language.
• In the Mahayana tradition (including Zen Buddhism), the source texts are in Sanskrit.

Thus in the Theravada tradition, a book or web site is likely to write Siddhatta Gotama and dhamma. Meanwhile in the Mahayana tradition, a book or web site (including these pages) writes Siddhartha Gautama and dharma.

What are some links to other interesting sites on Buddhism?

Please see our collection of favorite links.

	Not Always So: Practicing the True Spirit of Zen by Shunryu Suzuki (Editor Edward Espe Brown). Soto Zen.
	Teach Yourself Buddhism by Clive Erricker.
	Everyday Zen: Love and Work by Charlotte Joko Beck.

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