Main beliefs in Theravada Buddhism

The Buddha

• The Buddha was a man, not a god - a human being just like ourselves who had special characteristics such as the 32 marks of existence and his miraculous birth
• A Buddha is a very rare occurrence and does not mean any enlightened person, but only one who has achieved enlightenment and taught others
• The Buddha is now dead and beyond any contact with struggling beings, however, tradition gives us everything we need to know about what he taught when he was alive

God and the gods

• There is no proof that a personal all-loving God exists and the suffering we experience is evidence of this
• They believe in gods, which are seen as limited beings, though they may be able to help with some problems
• Gods are simply one of the life forms in samsara - we may be born in their realm but it is only in the human realm that you can find enlightenment

Self-reliance

• As there is …