In all the various schools of Buddhism, there are many similarities that we can find. These form nothing less than the essence of the Buddha's teachings.
Buddhism does not take its starting point from grand questions like "Who made this world?", or "What happens to us after death?" It is not concerned with proving the existence of a God or gods. Rather, it is more interested in down to earth facts, about every one of us wanting to be truly happy. Thus, foremost in the Buddha's teachings are The 4 Noble Truths. It is in these Truths that we find the reasons and motivations for practising the Dharma.
The first impression people get from a statement like that is that is it is very pessimistic! It is important to note that the Buddha is not saying that there is only dissatisfaction in life. He is just describing what, precisely, is problematic.
The 2nd Noble Truth tells us about the causes of these dissatisfactions. Craving and Aversion (Greed and Hatred). It is the dissatisfaction with the present that we want to reach out for something else out of Ignorance. We are thus never truly at peace.
There IS a way out of suffering- this is the reason why Buddhism exists! In Buddhism, we call this state, the complete end of suffering, Nirvana. It is the goal of all Buddhists. The next Noble Truth tell us how to reach this state,
The 4th Noble Truth provides us with a path and teaches us what practical steps to take in order to attain Nirvana:
The Noble 8 Foldpath:
1) Right Understanding
2) Right Thought
3) Right Speech
4) Right Action
5) Right Livelihood
6) Right Effort
7) Right Mindfulness
8) Right Concentration