Buddhism can be considered in three ways.

At its simplest, it is a state of mind; a way of reacting to the events and people we come across that will help us feel more calm and peaceful and, as a result, generally happier. This approach can be practised by anyone, regardless of whether they are religious, atheist or don’t really care either way.

In fact, many people adopting these practises and attitudes would not consider themselves Buddhist at all. But they are tolerant and open minded enough to look at approaches to life and society that may be very unfamiliar to them. You can read more about this in Attitudes and it is also explored in more depth in the ebook Finding Peace.

The second approach is a way of viewing the world we see around us. Buddhism takes an Eastern view of the world which is very different from what we are familiar with in the West as it introduces concepts such as rebirth and karma. This way of viewing the world is explained further in World View.

The third approach is where Buddhism becomes a religion. This is where concepts such as the Buddha and enlightenment come in. It means living life in accordance with the first two approaches plus adopting a number of additional practises. These practises can also be of benefit even if we have no religion or follow a different faith entirely. You can read more about them in the Religion and Articles sections.

There are also a number of misperceptions about Buddhism which you can read more about in Misconceptions.

This website is designed to give you a brief overview of the three approaches. But remember that most people get enormous benefit from the first approach without ever having to look at the Eastern way of viewing the world, or treating Buddhism as a religion. The first approach and some of the practises described in Articles and Finding Peace can greatly strengthen your existing religious beliefs, or just make you feel a bit more chilled generally and better able to cope with the world.