Buddhism: May All Beings Be Free from Suffering

October 5, 2026

At Common Ground, people of every faith—and no faith—gather to learn from one another and work for a more compassionate and just world. In this week’s post, we listen to one tradition’s history and wisdom while respecting the diversity found within it.

The Path of Awakening

Buddhism began in South Asia more than 2,500 years ago with Siddhartha Gautama, who became known as the Buddha, or Awakened One. Buddhist traditions later spread throughout Asia and around the world. Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhism contain many schools and cultural expressions. Buddhism does not center on belief in a creator God; it focuses on understanding suffering and following a path toward wisdom, compassion, and liberation.

Sacred Writings and Practices

Buddhist teachings are preserved in several canons and collections rather than one book shared identically by every school. These include the Pali Canon and many Mahayana and Vajrayana sutras. Practices may include meditation, chanting, ethical precepts, offerings, study, pilgrimage, and generosity. Vesak commemorates the Buddha’s birth, awakening, and death in many Buddhist communities.

The Golden Rule

Buddhist teaching begins with the recognition that all beings wish to be happy and do not wish to suffer. The Dhammapada teaches that, seeing others as like oneself, a person should neither harm nor cause harm. Instead of beginning with a command from God, the Buddhist form of the Golden Rule grows from attention: my neighbor experiences fear, pain, hope, and longing just as I do.

Compassion Without Losing Ourselves

Metta, or loving-kindness, and karuna, or compassion, are cultivated deliberately. In loving-kindness meditation, a person may extend wishes for safety, health, peace, and freedom first to oneself and then outward to loved ones, strangers, difficult people, and all beings. Compassion does not require approving harmful behavior. Wisdom and boundaries help prevent compassion from becoming self-erasure.

Finding Our Common Ground

Buddhism invites us to slow down long enough to notice suffering and choose not to add to it. At Common Ground, we can practice this by listening carefully, speaking without cruelty, interrupting harm, and extending care to ourselves as well as others. May all beings be safe. May all beings know peace. May all beings be free from suffering.

Common Ground is an open and affirming interfaith gathering where people of every faith—and no faith—explore justice, compassion, and community together. Come as you are. Everyone belongs.