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Today's Dhammapada
Mano Pubbangama Dhamma
Mano Setta Manomaya
Manasace Passannena
Bhasativa Karotiva

Mind precedes all knowables,
mind's their chief, mind-made are they.
If with a clear, and confident mind
one should speak and act
as one's shadow ne'er departing.
Happiness Follows The Doer of Good

Explanation: All that man experiences springs out of his thoughts. If his thoughts are good, the words and the deeds will also be good. The result of good thoughts , words and deeds will be happiness. This happiness will never leave the person whose thoughts are good. Happiness will always follow him like his shadow that never leaves him.
Source: Buddhanet.net
Core of Buddhism - An introduction to Dhamma
In Buddhism, any person who has awakened from the "sleep of ignorance" (by directly realizing the true nature of reality), without instruction, and teaches it to others is called a Samma Sam-Buddha, while those who achieve realizations but do not teach others are called Pratyekabuddhas. All traditional Buddhists agree that Shakyamuni or Gotama Buddha was not the only Buddha: it is generally taught that there have been many past Buddhas and that there will be future Buddhas too. If a person achieves this awakening, he or she is called an arahant. Siddhartha Gautama, Buddha, is thus only one among other buddhas. His teachings are oriented towards the attainment of this kind of awakening, also called liberation, or Nirvana.

Part of the Buddha’s teachings regarding the holy life and the goal of liberation is constituted by the "The Four Noble Truths", which focus on Dukkha, a term that refers to suffering or the unhappiness ultimately characteristic of unawakened, worldly life. The Four Noble Truths regarding suffering state what is its nature, its cause, its cessation, and the path leading to its cessation. The path that leads to the cessation of suffering is called "The Noble Eightfold Path", which is one of the fundamentals of Buddhist virtuous or moral life.

Numerous groups have formed since the passing away of the Buddha, with diverse teachings that vary widely in practice, philosophical emphasis, and culture. However, there are certain doctrines that are common to the majority of schools and traditions in Buddhism. Few valid generalizations are possible about all Buddhists.
 
 
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The Essence of all the Buddhist teachings is the "Four Noble Truths". In his first sermon after attaining Buddhahood Lord Buddha preached it to monks. They are,

01. The Suffering.
02. The Cause of Suffering
03. The Cessation of suffering
04. The path that leads to the Cessation of suffering.

The Suffering
Life is full of suffering. Anxiety, physical pain, mental pain, meeting with unloved ones and hateful people, death, illness are some of them.

When things we like change we feel sad. Common people in this world believe in eternalism or to live in permanent bliss. But when things start changing they are unable to cope with it.

But a person who practices Buddhism and has learned to live in a Buddhist way of life is in a position to well cope with the unforeseen changes in life.

The Cause of Suffering
According to Buddha's Teachings Suffering is caused by.

01. Attachment to each and every item of five sensual pleasures.
02. Attachment to existence due to the belief in Eternalism
03. Attachment to Nihilism.

These 3 Wsts create births, deaths and rebirths. The greed, delight or the attachment causes rebirths.

The greed is full of variety, attachment towards five sensual pleasures, worldly things, wealth, status rank, power etc.

Even ideas, imaginations, views, beliefs, faiths etc are loved by worldlings. In this world we often find conflicts, wars, disputes, rivalries, Competition due to greed. Greed causes sorrow. All difficulties and problems arise because of selfishness or greed.

In this world we live in, common people everywhere believe in eternalism or continuous life.

Greed mistakes life to be good, possessing essence or soul. The cycles of existences show themselves as the work of tanha here and hereafter. Greed instigates and makes all kinds of planes existences in various universes. Only when this "lust of Life" is eliminated these Samsaric lives are stopped forever. This signifies one has attained the truth of the cessation of sorrow.

If one realizes nibbanic truth in this very life he / she is able to put off continuity of living.

Cessation of Suffering
The term "cessation" means the complete and total eradication of lust greed and attachment. Greed must be abandoned, uprooted, discarded or destroyed completely.

Worldlings are used to giving attachment to all or one of the five grasping groups. They often do not see the four noble truths, as lust of life is very strong. Therefore five grasping khanda groups must me given up. Non attachment must be done. Complete abandonment is the goal of life, as this state alone is the cessation of suffering. Hence all series of lives, all Khanda processes cease. Becoming being is totally stopped. Therefore the elimination of becoming being is Nibbana (Bhava Nirodho Nibbanam)

The path leading to the cessation of suffering
Suffering exists as long as there is craving.

In order to cease the suffering one must practice noble eightfold path diligently.

01. Right understanding or Right view
02. Right aim or aspiration
03. Right Speech
04. Right conduct
05. Right living or Right means of livelihood
06. Right Effort / Endeavor
07. Right Mindfulness
08. Right Concentration

Middle Path
This is the only way to Nibbana, avoiding two extremes, namely, self torture, and self indulgence.

First extreme to avoid by all renunciates is to avoid sensual pleasures of the laymen and laywomen. Sensual pleasures are not real happiness.

The second extreme to avoid by all renunciates are extreme asceticism, or self mortification. Such deeds do not lead to true nobility, peace and purity even for rishis, hermits, wanderers. This practice does not lead to nibbanic peace and purity.

Avoiding these two extremes the true bhikkhus follow the path of moderation and peace, as taught by the Buddha in his first sermon.

In essence all the Buddha's teachings centre on this middle path of sanity and sanctity so that this alone, this noble method alone is the true, original teaching of the omniscient Buddha.
 

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