Overview of Buddhism and the Jodo Shinshu Tradition What is Buddhism? At its core Buddhism is a set of teachings and practices that helps us to live a happy and meaningful life that flows in harmony with reality. The various Buddhist traditions found throughout the world can all be traced back to a historic person, Shakyamuni Buddha (also known as Siddhartha Gautama or sometimes just “The Buddha”), who was born in Nepal and lived in India over 2500 years ago. Image: Shakyamuni Buddha in “Enlightenment Pose” (statue at Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple) Buddhist teachings tend to share an understanding...