What is Buddhism?

Buddhism is the name given in the West to a movement of spiritual liberation created by Shakyamuni Buddha five centuries before the beginning of the Christian age. "Buddha" is a sanskrit term that means "the Awakened one".

Shakyamuni Buddha attained this awakening experience called "enlightenment", by means of the practice of precise and powerful meditation, based on the stillness of body and mind and on deep introspection.

After his enlightenment, Shakyamuni Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths:

-The Truth of Suffering. Existence means suffering.

-The Truth of the Cause of Suffering. Desire, attachment and ignorance are the causes of suffering.

-The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering. The human beings can experience a state of consciousness free from suffering.

-The Truth of the Path towards the Cessation of Suffering. This path is called the Noble Eight-fold Path because it involves eight aspects:

Right view,

Right thought,

Right speech,

Right action,

Right livelihood,

Right effort,

Right mindfulness and

Right meditation.

All forms of Buddhism have their original source in this first teaching given by Shakyamuni Buddha in Deer Park at Benares, shortly after his enlightenment.

The teachings of Buddha has materialized in this world in order to show human beings the path that leads from suffering to the end of suffering.