Buddhism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Buddha Sakyamuni In the stupa of Bodh Gaya Contents: 1) Doctrines 1_The Four Noble Truths 2_The Noble Eightfold Path 3_Bodhi 4_Karma 5_Middle Way 6_Refuge in the Three Jewels 7_Śīla (Virtuous Behaviour) 8_ Samadhi/Bhāvana (Meditative Cultivation) 9_ Prajñā (Wisdom) 10_Buddhism Symbols 2) Indian Buddhism 1_Early Buddhism 2_Rise of Mahayana Buddhism 3_Emergence of the Vajrayāna 4_Decline of Buddhism in India and Central Asia ∙ 3) Main Traditions 1_Southern Buddhism (Theravāda) 2_Eastern (East Asian) Buddhism 3_Northern (Tibetan) Buddhism 4_Intellectualism and Buddhist worldview 4) Buddhist texts 5) Present state of Buddhism 1 Buddhism is a dharmic, non‐theistic religion, a philosophy, and a system of psychology. Buddhism is also known in Sanskrit or Pali, the main ancient languages of Buddhists, as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means the teachings of ʺthe Awakened Oneʺ. Thus was called Siddhartha Gautama, hereinafter referred to as ʺthe Buddhaʺ. Early sources say that the Buddha was born in Lumbini (now in Nepal), and that he died aged around 80 in Kushinagar (India).
He lived in or around the fifth century BCE, according to recent scholarship. Buddhism spread throughout the Indian subcontinent in the five centuries following the Buddhaʹs passing, and thence into Central, Southeast and East Asia and Eastern Europe over the next two millennia. Eventually, Indian Buddhism became virtually extinct, except in parts of Nepal. Most scholars classify present‐day Buddhism into the same three traditions, though describing or naming them differently.
_Southern Buddhism, or Theravada (its own usual name for itself), or Southeast Asian Buddhism, or Pali Buddhism ‐ practiced mainly in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and parts of Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Bangladesh (Southeast Asia) _Eastern Buddhism, or East Asian Buddhism, or Chinese Buddhism, or Sino‐ Japanese Buddhism, or Mahayana ‐ practiced predominantly in China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Singapore and parts of Russia _Northern Buddhism, or Tibetan Buddhism, or Tibeto‐Mongolian Buddhism, or Vajrayana, sometimes called Lamaism ‐ practiced mainly in Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan and parts of Nepal, India, China and Russia. Eastern and Northern Buddhism both call themselves Mahayana. The term Hinayana, referring to Theravada and various extinct Indian schools, is sometimes used, but is often considered derogatory, and the World Federation of Buddhists recommends it be avoided. Buddhism continues to attract followers worldwide and is considered a major world religion.
According to one source, ʺWorld estimates for Buddhists vary between 230 and 500 million, with most around 350 million.ʺ However, estimates are uncertain for several countries. According to one analysis, Buddhism is the fifth‐largest religion in the world behind Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and traditional Chinese religion. The monksʹ order (Sangha), which began during the lifetime of the Buddha in India, is amongst the oldest organizations on earth. In Buddhism, any person who has awakened from the ʺsleep of ignoranceʺ by directly realizing the true nature of reality is called a buddha.
Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, is thus only one among other buddhas before or after him. His teachings are oriented toward the attainment of this kind of awakening, also called enlightenment, Bodhi, liberation, or Nirvana. Part of the Buddha’s teachings regarding the holy life and the goal of liberation is constituted by the ʺThe Four Noble Truthsʺ, which focus on dukkha, a term that refers to suffering or the sorrow of life. The Four Noble Truths regarding suffering state what is its nature, its cause, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation.
This way to the cessation of suffering is called ʺThe Noble Eightfold Pathʺ, which is one of the fundamentals of Buddhist virtuous or moral life. 2 1) Doctrines Gautama Buddha, Gandhara, northern Pakistan. Numerous distinct groups have developed since the passing of the Buddha, with diverse teachings that vary widely in practice, philosophical emphasis, and culture. However, there are certain doctrines which are common to the majority of schools and traditions in Buddhism, though the Mahayana tends not to regard them as central.
1_The Four Noble Truths According to the scriptures, the Buddha taught that in life there exists sorrow / suffering which is caused by desire and it can be cured (ceased) by following the Noble Eightfold Path (Sanskrit: Ārya Mārga, Pāli: Ariyo Maggo). This teaching is called the Catvāry Āryasatyāni (Pali: Cattāri Ariyasaccāni), the ʺFour Noble Truthsʺ. 1° Suffering: Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering. 2° The cause of suffering: The desire which leads to renewed existence (rebirth) (the cycle of samsara) 3° The cessation of suffering: The cessation of desire.
4° The way leading to the cessation of suffering: The Noble Eightfold Path; According to the scriptures, the Four Noble Truths were the topic of the first sermon given by the Buddha after his enlightenment[4], which was given to the five ascetics with whom he had practiced austerities, and were originally spoken by the Buddha, not in the form of a religious or philosophical text, but in the form of a common medical prescription of the time. 3 2_The Noble Eightfold Path The eight‐spoked Dharmachakra. The eight spokes represent the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism. According to a saying attributed in some traditions to the Buddha, if a person does not follow the goal of Total Realization, one lives oneʹs life like a preoccupied child playing with toys in a house that is burning to the ground.
The Noble Eightfold Path is the way to the cessation of suffering, the fourth part of the Four Noble Truths. This is divided into three sections: Sila (which concerns the physical bodily actions), Samadhi (which concerns the ʹConsciousʹ mind) and Panna (which concerns the ʹUnconsciousʹ mind). Sila is morality—abstaining from unwholesome deeds of body and speech. Within the division of sila are three parts of the Noble Eightfold Path: 1° Right Speech ‐ One speaks in a non hurtful, not exaggerated, truthful way 2° Right Actions ‐ Wholesome action, avoiding action that would do harm 3° Right Livelihood ‐ Oneʹs way of livelihood does not harm in any way oneself or others; directly or indirectly Samadhi is developing mastery over one’s own mind.
Within this division are another three parts of the Noble Eightfold Path: 4°Right Effort/Exercise ‐ One makes an effort to improve (samyag‐vyāyāma, sammā‐vāyāma) 5° Right Mindfulness/Awareness ‐ Mental ability to see things for what they are with clear consciousness 6° Right Concentration ‐ Being aware of the present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion. Panna is the wisdom which purifies the mind. Within this division fall two more parts of the Noble Eightfold Path: 7° Right Thoughts ‐ Change in the pattern of thinking 8° Right Understanding ‐ Understanding reality as it is, not just as it appears to be. 4 The word samyak means ʺperfectʺ.
There are a number of ways to interpret the Eightfold Path. On one hand, the Eightfold Path is spoken of as being a progressive series of stages through which the practitioner moves, the culmination of one leading to the beginning of another, whereas others see the states of the ʹPathʹ as requiring simultaneous development. It is also common to categorize the Eightfold Path into prajñā (Pāli paññā, wisdom), śīla (Pāli sīla, virtuous behaviour) and samādhi (concentration). 3_Bodhi Bodhi (lit.
awakening) is a title given in Buddhism to the specific awakening experience attained by the Buddha. When used in a generic sense, a buddha is generally considered to be a person who discovers the true nature of reality through lifetimes of spiritual cultivation, investigation of the various religious practices of his time, and meditation. This transformational discovery is called Bodhi (literally, ʺawakeningʺ — more commonly called ʺenlightenmentʺ). In Japanese Buddhism (Zen) this experience is called Satori.
After attainment of Bodhi, it is believed one is freed from the cycle of sa sāra: birth, suffering, death and rebirth. Bodhi is attained only by the accomplishment of the pāramitās (perfections), when the Four Noble Truths are fully grasped, and when all karma has reached cessation. At this moment, all greed (lobha), hatred (Pali dosa), delusion (moha), ignorance (Sanskrit avidyā, Pāli avijjā), craving Pāli tanhā) and belief in that which is not the self (anātmān, Pāli anāttā) are extinguished. Bodhi thus implies understanding of anātman (Pāli anatta), the absence of ego‐centeredness.
All schools of Buddhism recognise three types of Bodhi. They are Śrāvakabodhi (Pāli: Sāvakabodhi), Pratyekabodhi (Pāli: Paccekabodhi) and Samyaksambodhi (Pāli: Sammāsambodhi), the perfect enlightenment by which a Bodhisattva becomes a fully enlightened Buddha. The aspiration to attain the state of samyaksambodhi, known as the Bodhisattva ideal, is considered as the highest ideal of Buddhism. 4_Karma In a discourse (A.63 Nibbedhika Sutta) the Buddha is reported to have said: “Intention, monks, is karma I say.
Having willed, one acts through body, speech and mind”. According to the teachings attributed to the Buddha the moral order rests on each individual and not on any divine being: ʺOwners of their own Karma, O young man, are living beings heirs of their Karma, have karma as the wombs from which they spring, having Karma as their refuge. Karma marks of living being, making them become depraved and excellent.ʺ (Culakamma vibhanga sutta.) In Buddhism, Karma has a specific meaning quite different from other teachings. Karma means action derived from mental intent or volition and its result (Vipaka) or its effect upon the doer of that volitional deed (be that deed one of thought, word, or physical action).
5 5_ Middle Way The primary guiding principle of Buddhist practice is the Middle Way which was discovered by the Buddha prior to his enlightenment (bodhi). The Middle Way or Middle Path is often described as the practice of non‐extremism; a path of moderation away from the extremes of self‐indulgence and opposing self‐mortification. 6_ Refuge in the Three Jewels Footprint of the Buddha with Dharmachakra and triratna, 1st century CE, Gandhāra. Acknowledging the Four Noble Truths and making the first step in the Noble Eightfold Path requires taking refuge, as the foundation of oneʹs religious practice, in Buddhismʹs Three Jewels (Sanskrit: Triratna or Ratna‐traya, Pali: Tiratana).
Tibetan Buddhism sometimes adds a fourth refuge, in the lama. The person who chooses the bodhisattva path makes a vow/pledge. This is considered the ultimate expression of compassion. The Three Jewels are: 1° The Buddha (i.
This is a title for those who attained Awakening similar to the Buddha and helped others to attain it. See also the Tathāgata and Śākyamuni Buddha. The Buddha could also be represented as the wisdom that understands Dharma, and in this regard the Buddha represents the perfect wisdom that sees reality in its true form. Other Mahayana visions of the Buddha see him as the Great Self (mahatman), who alone possesses genuine immortality and eternity.
2° The Dharma: The teachings or law as expounded by the Buddha. Dharma also means the law of nature based on behavior of a person and its consequences to be experienced (action and reaction). It can also (especially in the Mahayana) connote the ultimate and sustaining Reality which is inseverable from the Buddha. 3° The Sangha: This term literally means ʺgroupʺ or ʺcongregation,ʺ but when it is used in Buddhist teaching the word refers to one of two very specific kinds of groups: either the community of Buddhist monastics (bhikkhus and bhikkhunis), or the 6 community of people who have attained at least the first stage of Awakening (Sotapanna (pali) ‐ one who has entered the stream to enlightenment).
According to some modern Buddhists, it also consists of laymen and laywomen, the caretakers of the monks, those who have accepted parts of the monastic code but who have not been ordained as monks or nuns. According to the scriptures, The Buddha presented himself as a model and besought his followers to have faith (Sanskrit śraddhā, Pāli saddhā) in his example of a human who escaped the pain and danger of existence.