Branches of Buddhism

For two and a half thousand years, people have followed a religion based on the teachings of Buddha, meaning the enlightened one. The main principle of Buddhism isn't to accept fixed beliefs or dogma or even the reality of god (all are of secondary importance) but to help people overcome the difficulties of life and achieve full life. The objective of Buddhism is enlightenment which means to be fully awake to the reality of life, to have an understanding of why there is suffering in the world and how we may overcome it.

There are two main branches of Buddhism , Theravada or Hinayana Buddhism and Mahayana. However there is a common basis to all Buddhism expressed in what is called the Triple Jewel (Tri Ratna).The Buddha(the enlightened one), the Dharma(teaching) and the sangha (community of monks).