Buddhism in a Nutshell

Four Noble Truths

All Life is suffering
Suffering's cause is craving
That can be ended
Through the Eight-fold Path

Right/skillful views Right/skillful thought Right/skillful mindfulness Right/skillful speech	Right/skillful action Right/skillful effort Right/skillful concentration Right/skillful livelihood

The Bodhisattva Vow (Mahayana)

Beings are numberless; I vow to save them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
Buddha's Way is unsurpassable; I vow to become it.

Whimsical take on these vows, from Kobun

Three Doors of Liberation

Anata: non-self, interbeing (letting go of ego's fixations)
Anica: impermanence, everything changes (openness, signlessness, notionlessness)
Dukkha: dissatisfaction (instead of craving, wishlessness)

Triple Treasures (Mahayana; Bodhisattva Refuges)

Buddha (self nature: kind heart, open mind, grounded body)
Sangha (community: intimate and local)
Dharma (truth: teachings, laws, wisdom, actuality)

Two versions of The Three Pure Precepts

Do no harm, Cultivate what is good and wholesome, Understand heart and mind.	Embrace and sustaining right conduct. Embrace and sustaining every good. Embrace and sustaining all beings.

Precepts, in negative and positive columns

no wasting or killing
no stealing
no being greedy, no misuse of sex
no lying
no being intoxicated
not talking about others' faults
not self over others
not being stingy
not being angry
not slandering the treasures

Everlasting Truth: not raising the view of extinction
Ungraspable Truth: not arousing the thought of gain
Free Truth: not raising the view of attachment
Inexplicable Truth: not expounding a word
Pure Truth: not arousing ignorance
Faultless Truth: not talking about sins and mistakes
Truth of Equality: not talking about self and others
Pervading Truth: not clinging to a single thing
Truth of No-self: not contriving a reality of self
Truth of Oneness: not raising a distinction between Buddhas and beings

Major monastic practices within Buddhism

Hinayana: Self-development through monastic, intensive, or rulebound practice
Mahayana: Expanding to include wider communities, and embracing all beings
Vajrayana: Embracing life itself as enlightenment

The Paramitas (Virtues, Perfections) with Milarepa's Take (Nothing to Do Other Than ...)

Giving/generosity (dana) Morality/precepts (sila) Patience/equinanimity (ksanti) Devotion/energy (virya) Meditation (dhyana) Wisdom (prajna)	Stop fixating on self. Stop being dishonest. Don't fear what is ultimately true. Practice continuously. Rest in presence. Know directly.

An Avowal

All my ancient wrong actions
arising from beginningless greed, anger and ignorance,
based on mind, speech and body,
I fully avow.

Coming soon

Four foundations of mindfulness
Seven factors of awakening,
Major levels of concentration in meditation

Acknowledgements, Sources, and Web Resources
Mind and Meditation