Buddhism For Beginners

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Buddhism is not what we call a ‘top-down religion’, one in which a deity reveals religious and spiritual truths to humanity. It is a ‘bottom-up religion’ created by humans as an attempt to express spiritual concepts. Buddhism does not deny the existence of gods or of other worlds, and indeed the devotional practices of many Buddhist traditions involve the veneration and invocation of special beings. Buddhism is a non-theistic religion, and unlike other world religions, Buddhism is not a doctrine of revelation. The Buddha did not claim to be the bearer of a message from high. He made it clear that whatever he taught, he had discovered for himself through his own efforts.

Last updated: September 28, 2026

Jordan Bryant