Way of Life

Buddhism is a way of finding peace within oneself. They try not to harm others and to live peacefully and gently, working towards the ultimate goal of pure and lasting happiness for all living beings. It is a religion that helps us to find the happiness and contentment we seek. The founder of Buddhism was Buddha Shakyamuni who lived and taught in India about 2 thousand years ago. Shakyamuni was born a royal prince in 624 BC. “Shakya “is the name of the royal family which he was born. When he became 29 years old, he retired to the forest where he followed a spiritual life of meditation. Meditation is a method for understanding and working on our own mind, it’s also the heartbeat of the Buddhist way of life. Meditation is used to maintain virtuous minds that are developed, but with wisdom daily life problems are solved. Anyone can learn basic meditation techniques and experience great benefits, but to progress beyond basic meditation requires faith in the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. He was subsequently requested to teach and as Venerable Geshe Kelsang . As a result of this request, Buddha rose from meditation and taught the first Wheel of Dharma. These teachings which include the Sutra of the Four Noble Truths and other discourses are the principal source of the Hinayana, or Lesser Vehicle, of Buddhism. Later, Buddha taught the second and third Wheels of Dharma, which include the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras and the Sutra Discriminating the Intention respectively. These teachings are the source of the Mahayana, or Great Vehicle, of Buddhism. In the Hinayana teachings Buddha explains how to attain liberation from suffering for oneself alone, and in the Mahayana teachings he explains how to attain full enlightenment, or Buddhahood, for the sake of others. Both traditions flourished in Asia, at first in India and then gradually in other surrounding countries, including Tibet. Now they are also beginning to flourish in the West. His intention in founding...