Consciousness continues after death, and finds expression in a future life.
By following the Buddha's path one escapes the cycle of craving and suffering. The Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path which lead the Buddhist towards the path of Enlightenment. The Buddha taught that the human tendency is to avoid the difficult truths of life and this in turn leads to suffering. By enabling the mind to be at peace through meditation a human being can confront reality and overcome hatred and craving.