I've had it repeatedly explained to me that Buddhism accompanies a wide range of belief... and one should look within for answers... many buddhists I know have zero opinion on soul, or afterlife, or rebirth or G!d.... They feel many questions that are simply unprovable, unanswerable are not worth their time....that their are many questions that have solutions in this life...and feel their time is well spent working on those. And usually this is the answer I get from the ordained.
Buddhist CONTRIES ACCOMPANY a wide range of beliefs.
Every educated non-buddhist knows that karma and repeated birth are the path until nirvana is achieved.
Buddhist scriptures exist. But Buddha himself only wrote a little. Just as Jesus only composed an all-encompasing prayer in the Lord's Prayer.
The
Tripitaka (
Pali Canon),
Mahayana Sutras and the
Tibetan Book of the Dead are three major noncanonical Buddhist texts. The
Pali Canon, which means “the word of Buddha,” includes some of the Buddha's discourse, but it also incorporates the teachings of his pupils. Initially, they were composed orally, but were written down by the third century bce. The word means "the three baskets," (tri=three, pitaka=baskets), and refers to the way the texts were first recorded.
The Buddha said: "One who is willing to
attain Nirvana, has to understand Four Noble Truths. These Noble Truths are the key to
attain Nirvana, without proper understanding of Suffering, Cause of Suffering, Relief of Suffering and the way to end Suffering, These are the four Noble Truths."
[BTW, The Gita says not to disturb the minds of the un-believers]
The
Four Noble Truths comprise the essence of
Buddha's teachings, though they leave much left unexplained. They are the
truth of suffering, the
truth of the cause of suffering, the
truth of the end of suffering, and the
truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.
The
Four Noble Truths refer to and express the basic orientation of
Buddhism[1] in a short expression:
[2][note 1] we
crave and
cling to
impermanent states and things,
[3] which are
dukkha,
[4] "incapable of satisfying"
[web 1] and painful.
[web 1][3][5][6][7][web 2] This craving keeps us caught in
samsara,
[note 2] the endless cycle of repeated
rebirth and dying again, and the
dukkha that comes with it.
[note 3]There is, however, a way to
end this cycle,
[8][note 4] namely by attaining
nirvana, cessation of craving, whereafter rebirth and associated
dukkha will no longer arise again.
[note 5][9] This can be accomplished by following the
eightfold path,
[note 1] restraining oneself, cultivating discipline, and practicing
mindfulness and meditation. The four truths became of central importance in the
Theravada tradition of Buddhism,
[26][27] which holds to the idea that insight into the four truths is liberating in itself.The four truths became of central importance in the
Theravada tradition of Buddhism,
[26][27] which holds to the idea that insight into the four truths is liberating in itself.
Thus it was said by the Blessed One. And the Happy One, the Master, further said:
Through not seeing the Four Noble Truths,
Long was the weary path from birth to birth.
When these are known, removed is rebirth's cause,
The root of sorrow plucked; then ends rebirth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths
