BASIC TEACHINGS OF BUDDHA

The Three Universal Truths
1. Nothing is lost in the universe
2. Everything Changes
3. Law of Cause and Effect

The Four Noble Truths
1. Life is suffering;
2. Suffering is due to attachment;
3. Attachment can be overcome;
4. There is a path for accomplishing this.

The Noble Eightfold Path
1. Right View is the true understanding of the four noble truths.
2. Right Aspiration is the true desire to free oneself from attachment, ignorance, and hatefulness. These two are referred to as Prajña, or wisdom.
3. Right Speech involves abstaining from lying, gossiping, or hurtful talk.
4. Right Action involves abstaining from hurtful behaviors, such as killing, stealing, and careless sex.
5. Right Livelihood means making your living in such a way as to avoid dishonesty and hurting others, including animals. These three are referred to as Shila, or morality.
6. Right Effort is a matter of exerting oneself in regards to the content of one’s mind: Bad qualities should be abandoned and prevented from arising again; Good qualities should be enacted and nurtured.
7. Right Mindfulness is the focusing of one’s attention on one’s body, feelings, thoughts, and consciousness in such a way as to overcome craving, hatred, and ignorance.
8. Right Concentration is meditating in such a way as to progressively realize a true understanding of imperfection, impermanence, and non-separateness. The last three are known as Samadhi or Meditation.

Devotees reaffirm their faith in the five principles called Panchsheel:
1. Do not to take life
2. Do not to steal
3. Do not to lie
4. Do not to consume liquor or other intoxicants
5. Do not to commit adultery.

Rely on the Dharma, not on people.
Rely on wisdom, not accumulation of knowledge.
Rely on the meaning of words, not the words.
Rely on the complete meaning, not the partial meaning.- The Buddha

 

Useful LINKS:

http://www.taleofgenji.org/buddhism_for_beginners.html

http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/a/basicshub.htm

http://www.buddhanet.net/