What are the important beliefs of Buddhism?
According to Buddhists, the story of the Buddha does not begin with the story of Siddhartha Guatama, but rather many lifetimes as bodhisattva, a Buddha-to-be. During these lifetimes he laid the groundwork for his awakening by performing acts of generosity, moral courage, and self-sacrifice. This concept of the Buddha reflects the importance of generosity and self-sacrifice to Buddhists. It also reflects the Buddhist belief in samsara, which literally means wandering from one life to the next. The fate of the soul is determined by karma, the soul’s actions. Samsara, the soul’s wandering and the endless cycle of death and rebirth is frustrating because no matter how enjoyable a life’s pleasures might be, they will eventually slip away. The Buddha set out to find the solution to this problem with his search for the answer to end suffering. The Buddha’s teachings, Dharma, and their elaboration by Buddhists, “chart a path out of suffering and into an experience of freedom from the endless c
