| The Four Noble Truths ( The recorded teachings of the Buddha are numerous. But all these diverse teachings fit together into a single unifying frame,
the teaching of the Four Noble Truths. The Buddha compared the Four Noble Truths to the footprints of an elephant. Just as
the footprint of an elephant can contain the footprints of any other animal, the footprints of tigers, lions, dogs, cats,
etc.)
The five aggregates ( Material form, Feelings, Perceptions, Mental formations, Consciousness. These five aggregates exhaust our psychophysical
existence. Any event, any occurrence, any element in the mind-body process can be put into one of these five aggregates. There
is nothing in this whole experiential process that lies outside them. )
The Trilogy of Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta ( The Buddha says that we have to examine our experience in order to discover its most pervasive features, the universal characteristics
of phenomena, namely, impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and egolessness or notself. ) |
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Buddhism as a religion, philosophy,psychology and a science ( To all Buddhists the question of religion and its origin, is not a metaphysical one. But a philosophical and an intellectual
one. )
Kamma ( There is a tremendous variety among the living beings existing in the world. People and animals are of different sorts.
What is it that causes us to take rebirth in a particular form? Does it happen through coincidence, through accident, by chance
without any reason or is there some principle behind it? What is it that determines the form of rebirth we take? )
Nibbana ( The Buddha's teaching reverses the common assumption that happiness can be found by satisfying our desires. )
NIRVANA ( Nirvana is a state of supreme happiness. It is life without suffering. It is the Third Noble Truth. Nirvana is achieved
in life and is not something gained after death. ) |
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 What is Theravada Buddhism? (Theravada the "Doctrine of the Elders," is the name for the school of Buddhism that draws its scriptural inspiration
from the Pali Canon, or Tipitaka, which scholars generally accept as the oldest record of the Buddha's teachings. For many
centuries, Theravada has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand; today Theravada Buddhists number
over 100 million worldwide )
Tipitaka - The Pali Canon ( The Tipitaka is the collection of primary Pali language texts which form the doctrinal foundation of Theravada Buddhism.
Together with the ancient commentaries, they constitute the complete body of classical Theravada texts. The Pali Canon is
a vast body of literature: in English translation the texts add up to several thousand printed pages. Most -- but not all
-- of the Canon has already been published in English over the years ) |
