Buddhism is a religion and philosophy that originated in India about 2,500 years ago based on the teachings of a man called Siddhartha Gautama, who later became known as the Buddha. Buddhists believe that the human life is one of suffering, and that meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and good behavior are the ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana. Nirvana is freedom from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, which is known as samsara. Buddhism does not require faith or belief and does not include the concept of a god. As a non-theistic faith, the existence of god is considered irrelevant, neither affirmed nor denied. Buddhists also have no concept of sin, but instead consider the cause of human suffering to be “ignorance.” A fundamental doctrine of Buddhism is karma, which is a law of moral causation. Any kind of intentional, volitional action— thought, word, or deed—is regarded as karma.
The Four Noble Truths comprise the essence of Buddhas teachings, though they leave much left unexplained. They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering. The Eightfold Path is the fourth of the Four Noble Truths and is the way to the cessation of suffering, the fourth Noble Truth. The Eightfold Path consists of Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.
