Teachings of the Buddha- The Wisdom of the Dharma, from the Pali Canon to the Sutras

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There are about 350 million Buddhists worldwide, making it the fourth largest of the world's traditional religions. At one time, Europeans classified Buddhism as a philosophy rather than a religion, something to be read and reflected upon instead of practised. Just as Christians today follow the teachings of Jesus, a man who lived some 2,000 years ago, the adherents of Buddhism follow in the footsteps of a sage. who was born Prince Siddhartha Gautama more than 2,500 years ago in the foothills of the mighty Himalayas, which stretch from the burning plains of India through modern- day Nepal up onto the high-altitude Tibetan plateau, the "roof of the world"

The Buddha, as Prince Siddhartha became known, developed teachings and practices as a result of his disturbing observations on the fleeting nature of this life, which culminated in a final insight that resolved all his doubt and fear. Such was the awesome power of this profound insight that the Buddha set about trying to communicate it to all those he could interest -and he did so through his presence, through his behaviour, and through the formulation and clear exposition of what became known as "the path", or "way".

Much of what the Buddha said and did is contained in the scriptures that have been handed down from one generation of followers to the next. Initially these were transmitted orally, the monks having regularly recited and memorized the words of the Buddha. Later, monks began to write them down on palm leaves, subsequently they were preserved in print and now they are available electronically.

Towards "wholeness"

The Buddha's teachings and their historical basis have much less importance to Buddhists than do the scriptures based on revelation for those who are believers of the monotheistic Abrahamic religions. The reasons for this need to be understood clearly in order to avoid a trap that exists: thinking that the teachings represent truth rather than serving merely as a map or guide that will enable people to arrive at wholeness. The teachings are therefore, in part, a manual of "how to", as well as a description of the sights and landmarks on the journey towards freedom and emancipation in short, they offer a method.