1. Abstain from killing or harming living beings (known as Ahimsa), including animals, which is why many Buddhists are vegetarian or vegan. According to Theravada, Buddha allowed the eating pork, chicken and fish if the monk was aware that the animal was not killed on their behalf. 
2. Abstain from taking what is not given
3. Abstain from improper sexual conduct (incest, prostitution, etc)
4. Abstain from false speech (telling lies, gossiping, etc)
5. Abstain from taking intoxicating substances (alcohol and harmful drugs), a traditional way of detoxifying our bodies and minds.

1. Abstain from eating at the forbidden time (after noon, can vary)
2. Abstain from dancing, music, singing and going to see any form of entertainment
3. Abstain from the use of products to beautify or adorn the body (makeup, decorative jewellery, perfume, etc..)
4. Abstain from using comfortable or luxurious beds
5. Abstain from accepting gold or silver (money)

1. Suffering (Dukka) - To live is to suffer from things such as birth, old age, disease, death, being apart from loved ones and not always get what we want.
2. Origin of Suffering (Samudaya) - The cause of suffering is negative desire, cravings, or selfishness which are a result of ignorance and delusion. The possessions that people desire most cause them the most suffering, if one has the basic necessities they should not want for more.  
3. Extinction of Suffering (Nirodha) - The goal of Buddhism is to end suffering by reaching nirvana. Reaching nirvana will be possible only when the urge to possess more and more things is destroyed. To cut off greed means changing one’s views and living a more natural and peaceful life. The person attaining nirvana is in a blissful, happy and content state where nothing can cause them physical mental or emotional suffering. 
4. Path Leading to the Extinction of Suffering (Magga) - To end suffering one must adopt the middle way by following the noble eightfold path. 

• A state of concentration the leads to enlightenment.
• Encompasses a variety of meditation techniques that aim to develop mindfulness, concentration, supramundane powers, tranquility, and insight.

• Vipassana (insight) and Samatha (tranquility).
• The two are often combined or used one after the other (usually vipissana follows samatha). 

• Basic purpose of samatha or tranquility meditation is to still the mind and train it to concentrate. 

• Mindfulness of breathing and of thoughts, feelings and actions are being used to gain insight into the true nature of reality. 

• Buddhists don’t pray to a Creator God, but they do have devotional meditation practices which could be compared to praying.
• The purpose of Buddhist prayer is to awaken the innate inner capacities of strength, courage and wisdom rather than to petition external forces. 
• The process of bringing forth the supreme state of life referred to as “Buddha nature.” 

                                     Golden Chain
           I am a link in Lord Buddha’s golden chain of love 
                       that stretches around the world. 
                   I must keep my link bright and strong. 
       I will try to be kind and gentle to every living thing, 
            and protect all who are weaker than myself.  
           I will try to think pure and beautiful thoughts, 
       to say pure and beautiful words, and to do pure and        
          beautiful deeds, knowing that on what I do now
                   depends my happiness and misery.
        May every link in Lord Buddha’s golden chain of love
                   become bright and strong and may we 
                              all attain perfect peace.

• Symbolic or ritualistic gestures commonly used in yoga and meditation.
• Influences energies and moods around you
• Held for a few minutes (approximately 15 minutes)
• Buddha statues are commonly constructed with mudras

• First used by Tibetans before Buddhism began (around 4th Century BCE)
• Colourful cloths placed on a single pole 
• Placed high in the mountains for the wind to carry blessings from the flag to everyone
• The 5 colours of cloth (blue, white, red, green, yellow) symbolize the 5 elements within Buddhism.

• A very popular mantra is the Avalokitesvara Mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, which is meant to evoke the blessing of the Buddha of Compassion. In English, the mantra means: "Hail to the jewel in the lotus
• The Amitabha Mantra, pronounced Oṃ Amideva Hrīḥ, is aimed at removing obstacles and hindrances in the chanter's path. This is the sacred mantra of Buddha Amitabha and repeating it 108 times a day is meant to guarantee rebirth in the "pure land."

• There are more than 2000 Sutras (i.e. Lotus Sutra and Heart Sutra).

• Three major non canonical texts are The Tripitaka, Mahayana Sutras, and the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
• The Tripitaka, or Pali Canon (in Theravada Buddhism), is a collection of scriptures that contains teachings in the “three baskets”. These are the 
• Vinaya Pitaka (discipline basket), which contains 227 rules of conduct and discipline (for monks and nuns).
• Sutta Pitaka (teaching basket), which contains the main teachings and writings of Buddha.
• The Abhidhamma Pitaka (metaphysical basket), which contains the “higher and further teaching” → a study of the nature of God and Buddhism beliefs.

• Zen Buddhism rejects scriptures altogether.
• Vajrayana Buddhism reveres the Tripitaka. It also uses the Mahayana Sutras, the writings of Nagarjuna, and several Tantric texts.
• Mahayana Buddhism follows Sutras and also sees the Pali Canon as sacred texts.
• Tibetan Buddhism follows the Book of the Dead, which about the stages of death in their point of view (it is popular in North America).

• https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/essays/buddhist-scriptures
• http://www.thebuddhistsociety.org/page/scriptures-texts
• https://www.myss.com/free-resources/world-religions/buddhism/buddhisms-sacred-texts/
• http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/texts
• http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides/Religion-and-Spirituality/Sacred-Texts.pg_0.html
• http://www.uwyo.edu/religionet/er/buddhism/btexts.htm

• The fourth of the Four Noble Truths
• It is the guide to the end of suffering

The Eight parts of the Noble Path are:

1. Right* Understanding (Samma ditthi)

• The understanding of things as they are, and the Four Noble Truths

• Thoughts of love and non-violence, projected towards all beings

• Abstention from telling lies, back talking, spreading rude messages, or spreading useless gossip

• Imposing and promoting peaceful and moral conduct

• Making your living off of something that does not bring harm to others, (eg. trading arms, slaughtering animals, etc.)

• The need to produce and develop good mindsets and things, as well as prevent and get rid of any evils that arise. 

• To be aware and attentive of the activities of the body (kaya), sensations or feelings (vedana), the activities of the mind (citta) and ideas, thoughts, conceptions and things (dhamma).

• Leading to the four stages of Dhyana, generally called trance or recueillement:

1. Unwholesome thoughts are discarded.
2. Intellectual activities are suppressed, tranquillity of the mind is developed.
3. Active feeling of joy disappears, but the disposition of happiness remains.
4. All sensations, happiness/joy and sorrow/despair, disappear, only pure equanimity and awareness remains.

• For three days after the first full moon in April, Buddhists celebrate the New Year.
• Families and friends gather to celebrate together 
• This can change depending on several aspects
• Those who celebrate the Tibetan New Year celebrate with family the first day and with their friends for the next two days. There are special religious ceremonies and rituals that they take part in to get rid of evil spirits.

• Occurs on the day of the full moon in March. 
• This day is believed to be the day that Buddha gave his followers a message called the “Ovadha Patimokha,” resulting in wondrous things. 
• One of these things involved 1,250 Buddhists coming to see him in the Magaha state capital to pay their respects.
• The followers joined together to form the “Fourfold Assembly” because they all:

1. Were enlightened Arahats-monks.
2. Were all appointed by the Buddha.
3. Formed the assembly without planning.
4. Came on the full moon of March.

• Vesak is the major Buddhist festival of the year as it celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha on the one day, the first full moon day in May, 
• This celebration is called Vesak being the name of the month in the Indian calendar.
• During the Vesak celebration, an image of the new-born Buddha is usually displayed in the shrine room.
• Buddhists use light to celebrate Vesak to recall that the Buddha showed people how to become enlightened.

• The white father Vairocana transforms anger
• The blue father Aksobhya transforms ignorance and stupidity
• The yellow father Ratnasambhava transforms pride
• The red father Amitabha transforms passion
• The green father Amoghasiddhi transforms jealousy