What did Buddha teach? ພຣະພຸທທະເຈົ້າສອນຫຍັງ ?

The Buddha's teaching is often divided into three parts.
These are the :

• Three Signs of Beings
• Four Noble Truths
• Noble Eightfold Path

The Three Signs of Being

The Three Signs of Being are the ways that the Buddha used to describe life.

1. Nothing in life is perfect. ( dukkha) It includes things like being bored and uncomfortable, and everything which is not satisfactory.
2. Everything in life - even solid things such as mountains - is changing, all the time.
   (anicca)
3. There is no soul. (anatta) Instead, the Buddha taught, what does carry on to the next life is a person's life force (Karma). The Karma can be good or bad, depending on how the person lives in this life. 

The Four Noble Truths What is the First Noble Truth? Dukkha: Suffering exists: The first truth is that life is suffering i.e. life includes pain, getting old, disease, and ultimately death. We also endure psychological suffering like loneliness frustration, boredom, fear, embarrassment, disappointment and anger. What is the Second Noble Truth? Samudaya: There is a cause for suffering. The second truth is that suffering is caused by craving and the needing to control things. It can take many forms: the desire for fame; the desire to avoid unpleasant sensations, like fear, anger or jealousy. What is the Third Noble Truth? Nirodha: There is an end to suffering. The third truth is that suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained; that true happiness and contentment are possible. lf let go of our craving and learn to live each day at a time (not dwelling in the past or the imagined future) then we can become happy and free. We then have more time and energy to help others. This is Nirvana. What is the Fourth Noble Truth? Magga: In order to end suffering, you must follow the Eightfold Path. The fourth truth is that the Noble 8-fold Path is the path which leads to the end of suffering.

What is Dukkha? Dukkha is suffering. All existence is "dukkha"; without permanence and therefore filled with suffering.

The Noble Eight-Fold Path

The Noble Eight-fold Path focuses the mind on being fully aware of our thoughts and actions, and developing wisdom by understanding the Four Noble Truths. It is the way Buddhists should live their lives. The Buddha said that people should avoid extremes. They should not have or do too much, but neither should they have or do too little. The 'Middle Way' is the best.

The path to Enlightenment (nirvana) is through the practice and development of wisdom, morality and meditation.

Three Qualities	Eightfold Path
Wisdom (panna)	Right View (understanding)
	Right Thought
Morality (sila)	Right Speech
	Right Action
	Right Livelihood
Meditation (samadhi)	Right Effort
	Right Mindfulness
	Right Contemplation (concentration)

What are the 5 Precepts (morals) ? ສິນຫ້າ

These are rules to live by. The main five are:

• Do not take the life of anything living. (Do not kill)
• Do not take anything not freely given. (Do not steal)
• Abstain from sexual misconduct and sensual overindulgence.
• Refrain from untrue speech, (Do not lie)
• Do not consume alcohol or other drugs. The main concern here is that intoxicants cloud the mind. 
•  

The symbols of Buddism ສັນຍາລັກຂອງພຣະພຸທທະສາສນາ

What are the symbols of Buddhism?
	The wheel of life which symbolises the cycle of life, death and rebirth. The eight spokes remind people that the Buddha taught about eight ways of life.
	The lotus flower symbolises purity and divine birth. The lotus flower grows in mud at the bottom of a pool, but rises above the surface to become a beautiful flower. Buddhist say this is how people should rise above everything which is dukkha. A flower may be very beautiful and have a wonderful scent, but it soon withers and dies. This shows that nothing in life is perfect.
Images of Buddha Statues of Buddha include lots of symbols. There are 32 symbols in Buddhism which show that the Buddha was a special person. Any of these symbols can be used on statues. For example the Buddha is often shown with: a bump on on the top of his head - a symbol that he had special talents. a round mark on his forehead, which is his third eye - a symbol to show that he could see things ordinary people cannot see. curled hair (the curls are actually snails that kindly covered his head-shaved because he renounced the worldly life- to protect him from the sun as he sat meditating.) The are a symbol that he was a very holy man. long ears from the weight of his princely earrings-now missing because he renounced his worldly life. (Sidhartha didn't just give up being rich, but also, renounced being head of an army as a prince, which shows his non-violence.)

Good questions and Answers for Buddhists ຄຳຖາມແລະຄຳຕອບທີ່ດີສຳລັບຊາວພຸດ

How is Buddhism different from other religions?
Buddhism is different from many other faiths because it is not centred on the relationship between humanity and God. Buddhists do not believe in a personal creator God.

Who is the founder of Buddhism?
The Buddhist tradition is founded on and inspired by the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. He was called the Buddha and lived in the 4th or 5th century B.C. in India.

Why is Siddhartha Gautama so important to Buddhists?
Siddhartha Gautama found the path to Enlightenment. By doing so he was led from the pain of suffering and rebirth towards the path of Enlightenment and became known as the Buddha or "awakened one".

Who was Siddhartha Gautama?

Siddharta Gautama is known as the Buddha.

He was born around the year 580 BCE in the village of Lumbini in Nepal. He was born into a royal family and for many years lived with in the palace walls away from the sufferings of life; sufferings such as sickness, age, and death. He did not know what they were. One day, after growing-up, marrying and having a child, Siddhartha went outside the royal palace and saw, each for the first time, an old man, a sick man, and a corpse. He was worried by what he saw. He learned that sickness, age, and death were the inevitable fate of human beings — a fate no-one could avoid. 

Why did Siddhartha Gautama stop being a prince and become a Holy Man?

Siddharta had also seen a monk, and he decided this was a sign that he should leave his protected royal life and live as a homeless Holy Man.

Siddharta's travels showed him much more of the the suffering of the world.
He searched for a way to escape the inevitability of death, old age and pain first by studying with religious men. This didn't provide him with an answer.

The Origin of Buddism

Buddhism began in northeastern India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. The religion is 2,500 years old and is followed by 350 million Buddhists worldwide.

Buddhism is the main religion in many Asian countries. It is a religion about suffering and the need to get rid of it. A key concept of Buddhism is Nirvana, the most enlightened, and blissful state that one can achieve. A state without suffering. 

Place of Origin	North East India
Founder	Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha)
Sacred Text	Tripitaka
Sacred Building	Stupa
Major Festivals	visak or visakha
Main Branches (Denominations)	Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan, Chinese and Japanese groups including Soto and Zen