

Buddhism for Beginners
Buddhism for Beginners is your free gateway to the vast and varied world of the Buddha’s teachings. Created for those new to Buddhism, it offers a clear, accessible starting point for exploring Buddhist teachings, history, and practice. Whether you’re curious about the life of the Buddha, seeking to understand core teachings, or ready to explore different traditions, you’ll find a wealth of knowledge here—an open invitation to begin an endless journey into one of the world’s oldest wisdom traditions.
You can browse any topic on its own or take a guided tour by clicking START LEARNING and then moving through the Buddhism for Beginners pages in order. Each page ends with links to the next three articles for a seamless learning experience.Tricyclearticles and curated resources from across the web are linked throughout each page. Some of these additional readings are free, while others are part of our subscriber archive—unlocking them will give you the full depth of theTricycleexperience, with access to decades of dharma talks, teachings, films, and articles to enrich your study and practice.
- What Is Buddhism?
- What Is Buddhism?
- Who Was the Buddha?
- What Was the Buddha’s World Like?
- What Did the Buddha Teach?
- What Is Buddhist Cosmology?
- What Are Common Buddhist Practices?
- What Are the Buddhist Canons?
- What Is Theravada Buddhism?
- What Is Mahayana Buddhism?
- What Is Vajrayana Buddhism?
- The Spread of Buddhism
- Temples, Monasteries, and Monastics
- Buddhism’s Rich Visual Culture
- Misunderstandings About Buddhism
- Misunderstandings About BuddhismWhat you thought you knew about Buddhism might not be the whole story.
- Do All Buddhists Meditate?
- Is Mindfulness the Primary Form of Buddhist Practice?
- Do Buddhists Believe That There Is No Self?
- Is the Dalai Lama the Leader of Buddhism?
- Are All Buddhists Vegetarians?
- Are All Buddhists Pacifists?
- Does Buddhism Teach to Rid Ourselves of Emotions?
- Is Buddhism a Philosophy or Way of Life, and Not a Religion?
- Was the Buddha a god?
- Does Zen Reject Traditional Buddhist Rules and Norms?
- Do Buddhists Believe We Are All One?
- Do All Spiritual and Religious Traditions have the Same Goal?
- Buddha
- Dharma
- Dharma
- What Does Dharma Mean?
- Where Does Faith Factor into Buddhism?
- Samsara, Karma, and Rebirth
- The Four Noble Truths
- The Eightfold Path
- The Three Marks of Existence
- The Three Poisons
- Dependent Origination
- Nonself
- The Five Hindrances
- Buddhist Virtues
- Enlightenment in Buddhism
- Nirvana in Buddhism
- The Silence of the Buddha
- Sangha
- The Journey of Buddhism
- The Journey of Buddhism
- How Buddhism Spreads
- Early Buddhism
- Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia
- The Silk Road and Central Asia
- East Asia: China
- East Asia: Vietnam, Korea, and Japan
- Tibet and the Himalayan Region
- Mongolia and the Manchuria
- Europe and the Americas
- New Buddhist Movements
- Pilgrimage and the Circulation of Practice
- The Global Present and the Future of Buddhism
- Theravada
- Theravada Buddhism
- What is Theravada Buddhism?
- History of Theravada
- The Pali Canon
- The Buddha, Buddhas, and Arhats
- Buddhaghosa and the Commentarial Tradition
- Women Renunciants
- Everyday Lay Practices
- Vipassana and Meditation Movements
- Theravada in Southeast Asia Today
- Theravada in the West
- Important Historic and Contemporary Teachers
- Mahayana
- Mahayana Buddhism
- Origins and Development
- Mahayana Scriptures and Teachings
- Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
- The Bodies of a Buddha
- Pure Lands
- Emptiness in the Mahayana
- Yogacara and Mind-Only Thought
- Buddha-Nature and the Potential for Awakening
- The Bodhisattva Path
- Skillful Means and Compassionate Action
- Merit and Devotional Practices
- Vajrayana
- The Meditation Schools: Chan, Thien, Seon, Zen
- The Meditation Schools: Chan, Thien, Seon, Zen
- What Are the Meditation Schools?
- Origins and Developments of Chan in China
- Lineages and Transmissions: The Five Houses
- Core Debates and Practices
- Thien in Vietnam
- Seon in Korea
- Zen in Japan
- Foundational Texts and Records
- Women in the Meditation Schools
- Aesthetics and the Arts
- Meditation Schools in the Modern World
- Pure Land Buddhism
- Nichiren Buddhism
- Nichiren Buddhism
- What Is Nichiren Buddhism
- The Life and Times of Nichiren Daishonin
- The Lotus Sutra in Nichiren Buddhism
- Core Practices: Daimoku and Gongyo
- The Gohonzon and Three Great Secret Dharmas
- The Ten Realms and Mutual Possession
- Nichiren Schools and Lineages
- Soka Gakkai and Global Nichiren Buddhism
- Nichiren Buddhism and Social Engagement
- Buddhahood in Everyday Life
- Gosho: The Writings of Nichiren
- Tibetan Buddhism
- Modern Buddhism
- Modern Buddhism
- Roots of Modern Buddhism
- Buddhism and Colonialism
- Buddhism Meets Science
- Engaged Buddhism and Social Justice Movements
- Secular Buddhism
- Mindfulness and Western Psychology
- Digital Buddhism
- Challenges and Critiques of Modern Buddhism
- Buddhism and Politics
- Buddhism and Medical Ethics
- Women in Buddhism Today
- New Buddhist Traditions
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