What is Buddhism?

• The term Buddha means "one who has/is awakened."
• Gautama Shakyamuni (the historical Buddha) was just a person who figured out how to "awaken" (see beyond the ego self) through meditation.
• The Buddha was not and is not a deity or God. He was just a person who awakened and then taught practices and  guidelines for living with compassion and awakening to the true nature of reality.​

What the Buddha Taught

The Three Treasures:

• Buddha - the intrinsic nature of reality
• Dharma - the ultimate truth or reality
• Sangha - the local Zen community and/or that of all existence

The Four Noble Truths:

1. ​Every life contains dukkha (dissatisfaction, suffering, anguish).
2. The cause of suffering is our craving, our wish that things be other than the way they are.
3. There is a way to let go of this craving and thus end suffering.
4. The means for doing this is the eight-fold path.

The Eight-fold Path:

1. ​Right view/understanding
2. Right intent/resolve/thought
3. Right speech
4. Right action/conduct
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration

The Four Immeasurables:

• Benevolence
• Compassion
• Equanimity
• Sympathetic Joy