Buddhism is an Indian religious tradition based on a set of original teachings attributed to Gautama Buddha that were transmitted to a wide audience in India and Tibet. It is derived from a Sramana philosophy, meaning right living, and has been criticized by Western scholars for its ascetic nature. However, it has experienced a resurgence in popularity in modern times in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.
Buddhism’s teachings include the four noble truths: right view, right action, right speech and right livelihood. According to buddhism, true enlightenment arises when you combine these three into a comprehensive philosophy or path of action and thought, which will lead you to eradication of suffering and eventually to Nirvana, or salvation. The main aim of buddhism is to help you identify your suffering and then find ways to gradually overcome it, so that you can be at peace in both mind and body. Many people view buddhism as a religion, however, it isn’t and was created as an approach to Buddhist teachings.
Buddhism uses many tools and rituals in its pursuit of liberation from suffering. For example, it holds special initiatory meetings where it is believed that spirits are liberated from the Wheel of Samskara (reincarnation), which is why the Wheel is also called the Dharmakaya. It is believed that during these meetings, enlightened Buddhists receive secret knowledge from deities on how to undertake bodhisattvaship, which is the path to liberation from suffering. In addition to this, there are many other forms of Tibetan Buddhist practices, such as meditation, yoga, bead work, chakra practice, as well as dietary restrictions, which are believed to help in the path of liberation.