Introduction

Buddhism grew out of the teachings of Sākyamuni (pronounced shah-kya-mooni) Buddha who lived and taught in the northern area of India during the fifth century BCE. Sākyamuni means “the wise man of the Sakya clan.” “Buddha” is a title that means “awakened one”.

Buddhists recognize the existence of gods and other supernatural beings, but the emphasis of the religion is to attain enlightenment, nirvana, through meditation, morality, and wisdom. Nirvana is a state of detachment from mental states and intentional actions, karma, that are based on long-held habits of delusion, greed, and hatred. Because Buddhism mainly focuses on developing a state of freedom from these actions and states of mind, we classify it as a non-theistic religion. Buddhists may practice devotion to beings considered to be supernatural, but the purpose of those devotional practices is to bring the person closer to a state of liberation. In Buddhism, the sacred is closely tied to the realization of nirvana.

As you read through the geographical and historical overview you will notice that different cultures and historical periods brought new ideas and interpretations of the teachings. Buddhism is internally diverse: think about what unites these different forms as well as how they are different.