The Four Noble Truths
The Buddha's first teaching: the truth of suffering (dukkha), its origin (samudaya), its end (nirodha), and the path to its end (magga).
A sourced guide to Buddhism
Buddhist Resources
Fifty pages on the core teachings, meditation, traditions, sacred texts, and living practice — drawn from the Pali Text Society, the 84000 project, Bhikkhu Bodhi, Thanissaro Bhikkhu, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the standard scholarly literature. Organised so that whatever you are looking for is only a click or two away.
Buddhism is one of the world’s great wisdom traditions: a 2,500-year-old path that began with a single insight into the nature of suffering and grew into a vast family of philosophies, meditative disciplines, and living communities spread across the globe. It is also one of the most misrepresented traditions in the modern West — frequently reduced to a stress-reduction technique on one side, or to exotic mystical rigmarole on the other. Neither is right. The thing itself is older, stranger, more demanding, and more interesting than either image suggests.
This guide tries to describe that thing as it is. It is built around five main topics — Core Teachings, Meditation & Mindfulness, Traditions, Sacred Texts, and Practices & Rituals — each of which opens onto more specific articles. Every article has a Sources & further reading section that points to the scholarly and translation work it draws on. Where the tradition disagrees with itself — and it often does — the article says so. Where a question is unsettled in the scholarship, the article names the question rather than pretending to have a final answer.
The site has its own limits. It is not a substitute for a teacher (no website is, and the tradition’s own advice to seekers is unambiguous on this point). It is not a complete Buddhist studies curriculum — the standard scholarly introductions by Peter Harvey and Donald S. Lopez Jr. run to several hundred pages and cover far more ground. It is not affiliated with any particular tradition, teacher, or centre. We are happy to say when a particular practice is more characteristic of one tradition than another, but the goal is clarity, not advocacy.
If you are new to Buddhism, the most useful place to start is The Four Noble Truths, followed by The Noble Eightfold Path. If you have a specific question — What is metta meditation? What does the Heart Sutra actually say? What is the difference between Theravada and Mahayana? — the search box and the site map are there for you.
For an honest account of what this site is and is not, see About this site.
Core Teachings
The foundational teachings of the Buddha — the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the Three Marks of Existence. A comprehensive overview for beginners and seasoned practitioners.
The Noble Eightfold Path
The Buddha's practical path to the end of suffering: Right View, Intention, Speech, Action, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness, and Concentration.
The Three Marks of Existence
Three characteristics of all conditioned experience: impermanence (anicca), unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), and non-self (anatta).
Meditation
An in-depth guide to Buddhist meditation: the classical methods, the two vehicles of calm and insight, the major modern traditions, and how to begin a practice.
Mindfulness Meditation
The foundational Buddhist practice of mindfulness (sati) — present-moment attention, the four foundations of mindfulness, and how to begin.
Loving-Kindness (Metta)
The Buddhist practice of cultivating unconditional goodwill — metta bhavana — for oneself and all beings, from the Buddha's own heart practice.
Zen & Vipassana Traditions
The two great modern meditation traditions — Vipassana (insight) and Zen (zazen, sitting) — their origins, methods, and what they share.
Buddhism & Psychology
The historical and contemporary dialogue between Buddhism and Western psychology — from C.G. Jung to the modern research on mindfulness, compassion, and the science of meditation.
Traditions
A comprehensive guide to the major Buddhist traditions — Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, Zen, Pure Land, and Tibetan — their origins, teachings, and modern expressions.
Theravada Buddhism
Theravada — the oldest surviving Buddhist school, dominant in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. Origins, teachings, and modern expressions.
Mahayana Buddhism
Mahayana — the 'Great Vehicle' — the form of Buddhism dominant in China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, with its bodhisattva ideal and vast scriptural tradition.
Tibetan / Vajrayana Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism — the tantric, ritual-rich form of Buddhism that spread from India to Tibet, Bhutan, Mongolia, and the Russian republics.
Buddhism in the West
The history of Buddhism in Europe, North America, and the wider Western world — from the first translations in the 19th century to the modern immigrant communities and convert sanghas.
Women in Buddhism
The history of women in Buddhism — from the Buddha's founding of the bhikkhuni order to the modern revival. The texts, the institutions, the debates, the contemporary teachers.
Sacred Texts
The Buddhist scriptures — the Pali Canon, the Mahayana Sutras, the Tibetan Kangyur and Tengyur — what they contain, how they developed, and how to read them.
Pali Canon & Tipitaka
The Pali Canon (Tipitaka) — the oldest complete Buddhist scripture. Structure, contents, and the most important texts.
Mahayana Sutras
The Mahayana Sutras — a vast body of texts that emerged in India from the 1st century BCE onward, including the Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra, and Lotus Sutra.
Tibetan Canon & Kangyur
The Tibetan Canon — the largest collection of Buddhist texts in any language. The Kangyur (translated words of the Buddha) and the Tengyur (commentaries).
Practices
How Buddhists actually practice — daily meditation, chanting, holidays, monastic life, pilgrimage, offerings, and the rituals that shape Buddhist communities.
Chanting & Mantras
Buddhist chanting and mantras — the role of sacred sound across traditions, from Pali suttas to Tibetan mantras like Om Mani Padme Hum.
Buddhist Holidays & Observances
The major Buddhist holidays — Vesak, Bodhi Day, Asalha Puja, Magha Puja, and Buddhist New Year. Their meanings and how they are observed.
Monastic Life & Lay Practice
The Buddhist Sangha — the community of monks, nuns, and laypeople. The Vinaya, ordination, and how laypeople participate in the tradition.
Engaged Buddhism
Engaged Buddhism — the application of Buddhist principles to social, political, and environmental issues. The Fourteen Precepts of the Order of Interbeing, Thich Nhat Hanh, Sulak Sivaraksa, and the modern movement.