From the author: written for the traditional Buddhist sangha This is not an idle question. In recent years, we, Russian, and especially Moscow citizens, have been bombarded with so much previously inaccessible information, some new teachings, interpretations and people who want to help us with something that we perceive any new word, person or teaching with caution and critically, regardless of its real meaning and meaning. And even more so if it is new - something overseas, unfamiliar. It means alien, hostile. And in many ways we are right. Much of what has come to our land recently has turned out to be either a trap, a snare, or, at best, an alien dud. One listing of all these innovations, starting from Herbalife, and ending with various Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses and various other seekers and catchers of human souls would take a whole page. Behind all this, it is sometimes difficult to discern something true, to separate the wheat from the chaff. And what is Buddhism among all this? Why did he appear in our lives? It will probably be difficult to answer these questions correctly, especially since they are not formulated very correctly. Well, a big conversation requires a slow start, prudence and the opportunity to think, get used to the topic, choose the right direction and speed, and then... So we’ll start with the usual: with doubt, with ignorance, with curiosity. Well, first of all, Buddhism is not among all this. It arose a long time ago, when there was no trace of any of this. This teaching arose in the 6th century BC, when Prince Gautama, despite the efforts of his parents to protect him from meeting the real troubles and difficulties of earthly existence, met an old man, a sick man, a dead man and a hermit, and, realizing the impermanence and illusory nature of his life, "happy" existence, decided to find and give humanity a way that would save it from the inevitability of earthly suffering. His quest was not easy, but the result was worth it: he was able to escape from this world of passions and suffering and achieved complete awakening. Later he spoke about this as the most difficult and rare phenomenon: “In this world, in this cruel life, where five evils reign - the evil of the illusion of time, the evil of opposing oneself and others, the evil of universal passion, the evil of reincarnation and the evil of destroying others for the sake of self-preservation - in such a life I was able to achieve Awakening!” And speaking of why Buddhism appeared in our lives, we need to make an amendment: Buddhism is probably the only world teaching that has not been propagated in any form in the entire history of its existence. This is a teaching that you can grow into, mature, and then it will turn out to be a precious gift, knowledge that relieves suffering. Thus, it is impossible to explain to an infant all the intricacies of science and the universe; his mind must be ready for this, but when, having matured, he becomes acquainted with them, he will understand that modern existence is impossible without them. It's the same with Buddhist teachings. And it began to appear precisely at a time when conditions were ripe, when the need for it grew, when the understanding became increasingly clear that there was no worthy alternative in the world. It is impossible for us in a short article to even touch the depths of Buddhist thought - they are endless, We would just like to understand what it is and somehow make up our minds in relation to it. And how does it differ from other teachings, philosophies, religions. Formally, Buddhism belongs to the world religions. But this more reflects a formal approach to the categorization of a phenomenon and is associated with the form of distribution throughout the world. From a content point of view, it is considered a logical-psychological, ethical teaching. And here, probably, lies a fundamental difference from all world religions. The entire harmonious edifice of Buddhism rests not on faith, but on the practical value of its practices, which form the basis of its philosophy. Do not trust the authority of the preacher, the beauty of his speeches, but check the effectiveness of his words in your own practice, and only after making sure of their correct action, accept them as your life method. Probably, absolutely peaceful and.