When I'm asked the question "What is Buddhism?" by a curious friend or acquaintance, I often take a little while to respond and, in many cases, leave feeling as though I didn't do justice to something I have profound respect for. So I'm going to use my first post here to organize my thoughts and hopefully clarify, at least for myself, what Buddhism is.
I define Buddhism as the school of thought begun by a man who learned an efficient and effective way to make himself truly and eternally happy. That man of course was the Buddha.
A "buddha" is a person who achieves the eternal happiness that comes from eliminating their own suffering, a state which is known as Enlightenment. There have been many buddhas throughout time, and the one we refer to as THE Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) was not the first, nor was/will he be the last, but rather was the one who developed the "way" to that happiness which is practiced to this day.
Extreme Sparknotes Version of Buddhist Teachings:
The Buddha taught that all of life's suffering is caused by desire and ignorance, and by training your mind to forgo those two emotional habits, and by fostering compassion for all beings, you can attain complete, pure happiness and peace.
Buddhism is a collection of logical, complexly-simplistic, calming, and beautiful teachings that any person can apply to their life, regardless of race, religion (yes, religion), gender, or age, to make him/herself a better, happier, and more loving person. And that is all I have to say on the matter.
Smile, breathe, and go slowly.
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