The Buddhist Faith

Buddhism is based on the teachings of the Buddha Shakyamuni who lived in Northern India 2500 years ago. Buddhists believe that the essense of Buddha is within each of us and we can attain our Buddhahood through sincere practise of the eight-fold path, which includes virtuous conduct such as compassion, meditation and the cultivation of wisdom. There are several schools of Buddhist thought and practise, including the Theravadan tradition (originally from India, Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand), the Tibetan tradition (northern India, China, Tibet and Mongolia), the Zen Buddhist tradition (China to Korea, Japan and Malaysia) and the Western Buddhist Order.

Buddhist festivals generally commemorate particular events in the Buddha's life, including his birth (Wesak), his enlightenment, the day of his first teaching (Dharma Day) and his death (Parinirvana). Although their high valuation of life and their rejection of violence means that some Buddhists are vegetarian, this is not always the case.

Buddhism in Scotland                                                                                                 

There are meditation groups and centres throughout the main Scottish cities. These include a large Tibetan Buddhist temple at Samye Ling together with its retreat centre on Holy Island, a priory in Edinburgh for the Soto Zen School and Glasgow and Edinburgh Buddhist Centres.