Buddhism began with one man, Gotama Shakyamuni, who lived 2,550 years ago in Northern India. He had an experience of Awakening, and was called The Awakened One, The Buddha. During his life, a community of like-minded people numbered in the tens of thousands learned from him and shared his ideas and the practice of meditation. That community, called the Sangha, included men and women, monks, nuns, and laypeople, kings who sought peace and reformed criminals.

Since that time, Buddhism has spread as a practice and a religion throughout all of Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Tibetan highlands. In the last 100 years, it has spread worldwide. There are three major schools, the Therevadan (Teachings of the Elders), of Southeast Asia, the Mahayana (Great Vehicle) in China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan, and Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle) of the Tibetan highlands.

It would be a mistake to introduce Buddhism with a discussion of doctrine, religion, or beliefs. These are certainly part of Buddhism, but they are neither unifying or fundamental. For example, some Buddhists believe in reincarnation, and others do not.

The core of Buddhism is a method, a method for the elimination of suffering. It is something anyone can learn and try to do. When we try to end suffering, we are seeking to be awake, to be a Buddha. When we study the teachings of the historical Buddha and those who followed him, we study and practice the Way, the Dharma. And, when we get together to do this, we are the Sangha, the community of practitioners.

The core teachings of Buddhism are the Four Noble Truths, and they are laid out like a medical prescription:
1. In all of life, there is suffering (dukkha).
2. Suffering arises as the result of the mind grasping, attaching onto things (tanha). Change is inevitable, but we want things to stay the same, or change in a different ways than they do. We suffer because, in the mind, we do not accept things as they are, and act from a basis of accepting, and responding to, what is actually happening.
3. There is a way to extinguish suffering. (nirvana dukkha) Unfortunately, this is often shortened to one word, Nirvana, and some people think that Buddhists are Nihilists, seeking extinction. That is a misunderstanding. The extinction of suffering brings a peaceful life in which we share peace and are available to help others end their suffering, instead of adding more suffering to the world.
4. We can bring an end to suffering through eight steps, the Eightfold

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