What Is Buddhism?
An introduction to the ideology that promises an end to suffering
In A Nutshell
Buddhism describes multiple traditions, just like Christianity has its different branches. But if you’ll trust me to do some condensing, the heart of Buddhism, as a whole, is this:
Because we are ignorant to the nature of ourselves and reality, we are trapped in unskillful patterns of existing (samsara), and therefore, we suffer. The solution is to slow down, become mindful of what enters our consciousness, and begin the work of editing our behavioral patterns in the light of increasing wisdom and compassion.
Buddhism offers no deity to appease. There is just you, reality, and your relationship to it. If you awaken to how you are producing unskillful causes which make painful effects (the process of karma), then you can begin to take control of your experience.
The Goal of Buddhism: Nirvana
Otherwise known as enlightenment. When we extinguish our desires and attachments in full, we become free from samsara, the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. All that remains is pure, blissful consciousness.
The literal version is that, when an enlightened person dies, they don’t need to be reborn. Their soul can rest from…
