BUDDHISM 101: FAQ ABOUT BUDDHISM

Buddhism is a spiritual tradition, a philosophy, and for many, a way of life that began over 2,500 years ago with a deeply curious and compassionate guy named Siddhattha Gotama—later known as the Buddha, or “Awakened One.” He wasn’t a god, a prophet, or a magician. He was a human being who looked around at all the suffering in the world and thought, “There’s got to be a better way.” Spoiler: there was.

Who started it?

That would be Siddhattha Gotama, born into royal privilege in what’s now Nepal. Around age 29, he peaced out of palace life to search for a deeper truth. After years of intense spiritual practice, he had a profound awakening under the Bodhi tree and spent the rest of his life teaching what he discovered: a path to inner peace and freedom from suffering.

When did this all go down?

Around the 5th to 6th century BCE. Yep, Buddhism has been around for a long time—and yet its insights into the mind and heart still hold up like ancient wisdom with a timeless user manual.

How does it work?

At the heart of  Theravada Buddhism is the practice of insight meditation (vipassanā) and mindfulness (sati). The idea is to train the mind to see things as they really are—impermanent, interconnected, and not always about you. Through ethical living, meditation, and wisdom, we gradually free ourselves from the causes of suffering. No magic tricks, just deep inner work.

Why would anyone do this?

Because we suffer—emotionally, mentally, existentially. Buddhism says: yep, life is hard, but there's a path out of the confusion and pain. It’s not about escaping life, but learning how to show up for it more fully, with compassion, clarity, and a little more ease. Plus, it helps you become less reactive and more human in the best way possible.

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