BUDHISM
Buddhism is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on a series of original teachings attributed to Gautama Buddha.
Buddhism is one of the world's largest religions and originated 2,500 years ago in India. 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.
Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to Insight into the true nature of reality.
Buddha's teachings are known as “dharma.” He taught that wisdom, kindness, patience, generosity and compassion were important virtues.
Pali canon, also called Tipitaka (Pali: “Triple Basket”) or Tripitaka (Sanskrit), the complete canon, first recorded in Pali, of the Theravada (“Way of the Elders”) branch of Buddhism.
Memories of the sayings of the Buddha carried down through oral tradition after he died, ca 483 B.C.E., and were compiled into collections called suttas (Pali) or sutras (Sanskrit). These collections, plus the Vinaya Pitaka (monastic rules) and Abidhamma/Aabidharma (philosophical texts) compose the Buddhist Canon.There are more than 2,000 sutras, which are sacred teachings embraced mainly by Mahayana Buddhists.