Buddhist Foundations

This section of Complete RE is dedicated to the study of Buddhism as a living religion. There are some who would argue that it is not, in fact, a religion because it has no God. Some regard it as a lifestyle choice, and many people in the West adopt this approach to it. From its earliest beginnings, however, Buddhism was seen as a way of understanding the human condition and making sense of it spiritually. Those who say it is not a religion are approaching it with Westernised theology firmly underpinning their thinking. Most Buddhists would argue that the path to enlightenment is not walked in the footsteps of a leader or teacher, but by the individual struggling to understand themself and their own suffering in the world.

Buddhism is best understood, perhaps, by examining the kinds of incidents and issues that the Buddha himself addressed. Hence, this section begins with a look at his life and work.

For those new to teaching this religion, it is important to submerge oneself in the detail of the Buddha’s life and his early activity, so prepare well by reading the background materials listed below. You may also find it useful to look at the Buddhist Web sites suggested here:

Dhammapada, Wisdom of the Buddha

Thai Buddhism Information Network

BuddhaNet.

Background information

The origins of Buddhism

Buddhist scriptures

Refer to the Buddhist beliefs tour of the virtual visit.

Refer to the Buddhist worship tour of the virtual visit, particularly screens 11, 16 and 17.