An understanding of the Principles of Buddhism is a basic requirement for a person who desires to understand Buddhism on the whole. These Principles include the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, Refuge in Three Jewels, the Five Precepts and the Three Marks of Conditioned Existence.

The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism teach that life is a suffering, there is a cause of this suffering, it is possible to put an end to this suffering and the Noble Eightfold Path is the means to end this suffering. Refuge in Three Jewels are the three components of Buddhism which protect a person from the unstable world as he progresses on the path to become a Buddhist. The Five Precepts lay down the moral conduct to make human world a better place to live. These precepts prevent Buddhists from indulging in deeds that restrict spiritual growth and cause harm to others. The Three Marks of Conditioned Existence explain that everything in this world is impermanent, without substance and full of suffering.

The above mentioned one line explanations, quiet obviously, are not suffcient to understand these Principles. Hence, this section on Principles of Buddhism attempts to introduce you to all these topics individually. Go through the texts in the section and gain a comprehensive idea about each of them.