What is Buddhism? Part 1

That is a loaded question that could be answered in infinitely endless ways. In short, Buddhism is the quest to achieve buddhahood (or become a bodhisattva in the Mahayana school). What is buddhahood? The term buddha, means to awaken. Therefore, buddhahood is the state of being awakened; or enlightenment. Now, you're surely wondering, then why is there a being that is called the Buddha?

The Buddha is the founder of Buddhism. His real name was Siddhartha Guatama. Siddhartha was born a prince whose surviving father sheltered him from the real world and any suffering it brought. He was showered with praise, love, lavish things; yet he was unhappy. One day, Siddhartha left the confines of the castle walls and saw suffering people and became deeply disturbed, now knowing that these truths are inevitable for all sentient beings.  Eventually, Siddhartha left his wife and newborn son in a quest to find an end to suffering.

He first turned to asceticism, torturing his body night and day, but also meditating. After nearly starving to death, Siddhartha realized that causing his own suffering was not going to end his inevitable suffering. He did, however, recognize the true bliss brought upon him by deep meditation. Upon this realization, Siddhartha left the practice of asceticism to pursue a deeper course of meditation. He sat beneath a tree, accepted some rice pudding from a generous woman, and began to meditate. He stayed where he was in meditation for some six years before he reached enlightenment.

Siddhartha had become the Buddha, the awakened one. He spent the rest of his days teaching this very practice. Why does this matter? Because the ways of living life that the Buddha discovered are magical. Not magical in a literal sense. Magical in that they truly can and are able to end suffering. The Buddha discovered that the manipulation of ones own mind is the road to true enlightenment. This magic is different from the traditional illusionary sense of the word. This magic is actually reinforced with science, with proof. The Buddha always asserted, "Do not believe these principles merely because I teach them, try them and see yourselves." For these ways of living life straddle not on the premise of faith, but on the premise of knowledge, experience, wisdom.