Buddhism:

Origins: The origins of Buddhism center on the story of one man’s spiritual desire and journey to enlightenment.  Around 554 BCE in Nepal, a young prince named Siddhartha Gautama was born.  His life was one of royal luxury.  It is said that as an adult, married with a child, he left the palace walls and, for the first time, saw human suffering.  It is this moment in Siddhartha’s life that he decides to leave the protected and pampered life of a prince and go out into the world.  He studied with holy men and monks both in temples and in nature, though he was not satisfied by their teachings.  Out in the wilderness, Siddhartha pursued a life of denial and extreme discipline.  He practiced meditation and fasting.  After a period of six years he was still unable to escape from the world of suffering.   

Finally Siddhartha achieved enlightenment, under a Bodhi tree, next to a temple.  As he sat under the tree in deep meditation, he reflected on his life and experiences.  This is when Siddhartha became the Buddha.  As the Buddha, he put forth the wheel of teaching that stated rather than worshiping one god or gods, Buddhism centers around the timeless importance of the dharma (teaching). 

Today there are a number of different sects of Buddhism.  The most prominent include Tibetan Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Theravada Buddhism.  Buddhism centers on the ideas of karma and dharma, where karma is practicing compassion and acting in a moral and good way, and dharma is following the teachings of Buddha.
 

The Three Jewels:

• Buddha (The Sage)

• Dharma (His Teachings)
• Sangha (His Community)

 
The Four Nobles Truths:

• Life is Suffering
• Suffering is caused by desire/thirst/attachment/addicition
• Chill the desire/calm the mind
• Follow of the Eightfold Path

 
Buddhist Facts:

• Buddhism is a spiritual tradition, focusing on personal spiritual development with the goal of reaching a deep insight into the real meaning of life.
• Buddhism teaches that life is interconnected.
• Compassion is natural and important.
• Buddhism is approximately 2500 years old.
• There are currently 376 million Buddhists in the world today.
• Buddhism has a strong belief in the impermanence of life.
• Enlightenment is reached through meditation and practice.