Buddhism: Core Ideas

1. Cause and Effect: Explains karma, causality, emptiness, responsibility, and common misunderstandings of cause and effect. 2. Causes of the Cycle of Birth and Death: Discusses samsara and the kleshas: greed, anger, ignorance, pride, wrong views, and doubt. 3. The Eighteen Realms: Presents the six roots, six objects, six consciousnesses, and three realms. 4. The Five Skandhas: Explains form, sensation, perception, activity, and individual consciousness. 5. The Twelve Links: Introduces dependent origination and methods for contemplating the twelve links. 6. Samadhi: Discusses meditative concentration, the eight samadhis, and methods for attaining samadhi states. 7. Prajna: Explains Buddhist wisdom, transforming knowledge into wisdom, and seeing true nature. 8. The Four Boundless States of Mind: Covers bodhicitta, boundlessness, loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. 9. Repentance: Presents Buddhist views of shame, repentance, methods of repentance, and its benefits. 10. Sharing: Discusses the ethical and spiritual meaning of sharing. 11. The Six Paramitas: Explains generosity, restraint, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom. 12. Mahayana Buddhism: Introduces Madhyamika, Mind Only, general Mahayana features, and the eight schools.