What Buddhism

BBC's World Service features a "Religions of the World" web-series providing intros to world's great religious traditions and their teachings. Buddhism is first represented as "a vast and complex religious and philosophical tradition which stretches back over 2,500 years". It's a nice start if anything. However, after you visit page "Basic Buddhism" you'll find that this vast and complex religious and philosophical tradition focuses on each individual seeking to attain enlightenment, that key beliefs and values are contained in the Four Noble Truths, and that "nothing permanently exists" is a key insight. Furthermore, suffering can end in enlightenment and the state known as nirvana, where "all action and interaction ceases". One can escape from life-process by attaining such nirvana. Rather gloomy, don't you think? And this should present a vast and complex system of philosophical thought and exquisite spiritual practice?

Moving on, one finds mention of various "schools" of Buddhism, wherein vehicles and schools are mentioned in a confusing way, without giving any clue as to their philosophical and/or practical spiritual differences. As if all these schools agree on what was said about Buddhism in the "Basic" part of the presentation. In the remaining two pages, we can learn how Siddhartha was disillusioned with his life, although he lived comfortably.

Altogether, according to BBC's World Service, the monotheistic religions are much more fun, but again - equally dull. (Maybe paganism and rastafari provide the juice?) There is another menu, though, that could improve a bit the impression left by the Intro - find it here. Still, one could only hope for more.