Welcome to the Tibetan Sakya Trust
Buddhism has different traditions and schools, such as Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, each with its own interpretations and practices. These traditions have spread throughout the World and have had a significant influence on art, philosophy, ethics, and meditation practices.
It is spiritual development and the cultivation of moral values, mindfulness, and wisdom. The ultimate goal in Buddhism is to attain enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara) by following the teachings and practices of the Buddha.
The Buddha, whose birth name was Siddhartha Gautama, was the founder of Buddhism. He was born in Lumbini (now part of Nepal) in the 6th century BCE into a royal family. He led a life of luxury as a young Prince, sheltered from the various hardships outisde palace walls. Later in life he became disillusioned with the materialistic world and the suffering he observed after leaving the palace grounds. He renounced his princely life and set out on a spiritual quest to understand the nature of human suffering, and how to to overcome it.
For six years, Siddhartha practiced severe asceticism and meditation under various teachers but did not find the answers he sought. Finally, he sat under a Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India, and vowed not to rise until he attained enlightenment.
After a night of deep meditation and contemplation, Siddhartha achieved enlightenment, reaching a state of awakening and understanding. He became known as the Buddha, meaning "the awakened one" or "the enlightened one."
Following his enlightenment, the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching and sharing his insights with others. He traveled extensively throughout India, delivering sermons and imparting his teachings to a wide range of people, including monks, nuns, laypeople, and even members of other religious traditions.
The core teachings of the Buddha, known as the Dharma, emphasized the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, which outline the path to liberation from suffering. The Buddha's teachings also covered various aspects of ethics, meditation, mindfulness, and the nature of reality.
Buddhism revolves around the Four Noble Truths, which serve as the core principles of the faith. These truths are:
- Suffering: Life is characterized by suffering, dissatisfaction, and impermanence. This suffering can be physical, mental, or existential.
- Origin of Suffering: The cause of suffering is craving or attachment. Attachment to desires, material possessions, and the idea of a separate self leads to suffering.
- Cessation of Suffering: Suffering can be ended by eliminating craving and attachment. This state of liberation from suffering is known as Nirvana.
- Path to the Cessation of Suffering: The Noble Eightfold Path is the way to overcome suffering and achieve Nirvana. It consists of eight interconnected principles: Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.
