The Essence of the Buddha’s Teaching

The teachings of the Buddha are vast, numbering well over 100 volumes, yet at the same time, they can all be essentialized in a very profound way. When Buddha himself was asked to summarize his teachings he said: 

'Commit not a single unwholesome action,
Cultivate a wealth of virtue,
To tame this mind of ours,
This is the teaching of the Buddha.'

First, try as much as possible to abandon all the unwholesome, negative and harmful actions, which are the cause of suffering for yourself and others. Second, adopt the positive, beneficial and wholesome actions that are the cause of happiness, again for both you and others. Finally, and most important of all, work to transform your mind—the root of all happiness and suffering—and understand it’s true nature. This is whole point of the teachings and our entire existence.