Basics of Buddhism

Founded in ancient India in the 6th century BC by Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha, Buddhism is a major world religion and spiritual philosophy. This offers a brief introduction to Buddhism and highlights its core principles of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, which provide a framework for understanding suffering and the path to enlightenment.

Buddhism emphasizes the importance of mindfulness, compassion, and the pursuit of inner peace. It has various traditions, including Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, each with its own interpretations and practices.

This influential belief system spread throughout Asia and the world, influencing art, culture, and philosophy. It continues to attract followers who seek spiritual awakening and a deeper understanding of human existence, making Buddhism a timeless and significant aspect of the global spiritual heritage.

Buddhism – Founder, Beliefs & Origin

Historical Facts	Buddhism
Founder of Buddhism	Gautama Buddha
Other Names of Buddha	Sakyamuni or Tathagata
Birth of Buddha	563 BC
Buddha’s birth date	Vaisakha Purnima
Birthplace of Buddha	Lumbini, near Kapilavastu
Buddha’s parents	Suddhodana and Mayadevi
Buddha’s Wife	Yasodhara
Buddha’s son	Rahula
Leaving the palace	age of 29
Gain bodhi	age of 35
first sermon	Sarnath
Death of Buddha	483 BC

Introduction

The movement that shocked Brahmanism the most was Buddhism. Gautama Buddha, a well-known Mahavira contemporary, established it. The Buddha, the religion’s founder, the Dhamma, his teachings, and the Sangha, a community of Buddhist monks and nuns, are the three pillars of Buddhism.

Buddha

The Sakyan Republic’s capital, Kapilavastu, was where Gautam Buddha, also known as Shakyamuni or Tathagata, was born in 563 BC on Vaisakha Purnima in the royal grove at Lumbini. At the time, his father, Suddhodana, was the ruler of the region. Seven days after giving birth, his mother passed away. Gautami, his stepmother, raised the youngster. Gautama was raised in a sheltered environment and given access to every luxury possible. At the age of 16, he married Yasodhara, the lovely daughter of a nearby chief, and spent thirteen years raising their son Rahula.

He was practically a prisoner in the palace, and he got out secretly. The things he saw outside made a deep impression on him. It is said that he saw an old man, completely decrepit and ugly, and then a sick man who was sick and suffering. Thirdly, he saw a corpse; all this deeply depressed him because it showed that there is nothing in the world but sorrow and suffering, and death comes to each of us. Finally, he saw a religious beggar, an ascetic devoted to religion. This man looked quite composed. This way of life appealed to him, so at the age of 29, he left his palace at night to seek peace of mind in the homeless life of an ascetic.

For six years, Gautama sought a solution to the ills of the world. During this period, he sought out, researched, and scrutinized the prevailing schools of thought. Finally, one fine Vaisakha Pumima morning at the age of 35, he attained enlightenment at Buddha Gaya in Bihar. The Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath (Isipatana) before five ascetics who were formerly his colleagues. After that, for forty-five years, the Buddha walked the earth, from city to city and from village to village, spreading spiritual enlightenment for the benefit of suffering humanity. He attained Mahaparinirvana at Kusinara (now Kasia in the Gorakhpur district of U.P.) in 483 BC, at the age of 80.

Dhamma

The essence of Buddhism lies in the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism (Sanketas), i.e., suffering; its cause; its stopping; and the path leading to the cessation of suffering. “There are two extremes,” said the Buddha, “which one who seeks enlightenment must avoid. Which two? A life addicted to pleasure, which is vulgar and worthless, and a life devoted to self-mortification, which is painful and equally useless.” The path to nirvana (emancipation) in Buddhism, or the path that leads to the cessation of suffering, higher wisdom, and peace of mind, is known as the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism or Middle Path (Ariya Atthangikamagga) This path is:

• 1. Right understanding, free from superstition and delusion (Sammaditthi)
• 2. Right thoughts, high and worthy of an intelligent, serious person (samma-sanappa).
• 3. Right speech is kind, open, and truthful (samma-vaca).
• 4. Right conduct is peaceful, honest, and pure (Samma Kammanta).
• 5. Right livelihood that brings injury or danger to no living being (samma-ajiva)
• 6. Right effort in self-training and in self-control (samma-vayama)
• 7. Right mindfulness, active, alert mind (Sammasati)
• 8. Right concentration and sincere thought on the deep secrets of life (samma-samadhi)

Of these, the first two factors are grouped under the heading of wisdom, the next three under morality, and the last three under concentration. But according to the order of development, the order is:

• 1. Morality (Sheela)
• 2. Concentration (samadhi)
• 3. Wisdom (virgin).

Buddha was unconcerned with the insignificant metaphysical question, which, in the age he came to redeem, had become the stock-in-trade of those brought up in the creed of ancient Indian religious thought and practice. He rejected the idea of ​​a Supreme God and emphasized moral progress without dependence on any creator of the universe. He said, “Be your own lamp. Rely on yourselves and rely not on outside help.” The Buddha claimed that the “mind” is the nerve center of all human activity. Thus, in Buddhism, vipassana (meditation) is more important than prayer and various abstinences that border on asceticism.

Buddhist philosophy

The three characteristics of Buddhism are anicca (impermanence), dukka (sorrow), and anatta (spiritlessness). In other words, life is constantly changing, and all conditioned things are transitory. Whatever is transitory is painful, and where change and sorrow prevail, the question of a permanent, immortal soul does not arise. In particular, the Buddha criticized the theory of the permanent soul as a selfish system from an ethical point of view, as it implied the solitary striving of the soul for its own liberation. He did not accept that there was an immortal being who survived the death of the body and was born in other forms through a series of incarnations. However, the Buddha accepted the principle of soul transmigration (rebirth) and the process of rebirth is explained in the paticca samuppada (dependent origination) as follows:

On “delusion” (avijja), it depends on “karma formations” (sankhara).

The “creation of karma” depends on “consciousness” (vinnana; beginning with the consciousness of rebirth in the mother’s womb).

On “consciousness” depend “mental and physical existence” (namarupa).

On’mental and physical existence depend the ‘six sense-organs’ (sal-ayathana).

“Sense impression” (phassa) depends on the six sense organs.

On Sense impression depends on “feeling” (vedana).

Sensation depends on “desire” (tanha).

Craving depends on “clinging” (upadana).

Clinging depends on the process of becoming (bhava).

The process of becoming (karma-bhava or karma-process) depends on’rebirth’ (jati).

“Decomposition and death” (jaramarana), sorrow, lamentation, pain, sorrow, and despair depend on rebirth.

Besides being a great spiritual teacher and preacher, the Buddha was also a great social reformer. Before his advent, social and religious laws in India were strict, partisan, oppressive, and even cruel to the vast majority of the people. Buddha rebelled against social quality and rituals for the common good of all. Verify that it was Buddha who first attacked the strongholds of privilege, caste system, ritual, religious fanaticism, superstition, and ignorance. Again, it was the Buddha who expounded the transcendental philosophy of universal brotherhood and equality in all respects. Thus, Lord Buddha was the creator of virtues such as individual freedom, tolerance, compassion, non-destruction of life (ahimsa), moral character, benevolence, service, and sacrifice.

Buddhist sangha or church

The Buddha had two kinds of disciples: monks (bhikkhus or śramanas) and lay believers (upasakas). The former were organized into a sangha, or congregation. Membership in the sangha was open to all persons, male or female, over fifteen years of age who did not suffer from leprosy, consumption, or other infectious diseases. There were no caste restrictions. The Sangha was governed in an absolutely democratic manner and was empowered to enforce discipline among its members. The lives of the monks and nuns were strictly governed by laws and the Ten Commandments, and there was no room for personal likes or dislikes. A major shortcoming of the sangha system was the absence of a central coordinating body.

The Sangha, or Order of Bhikkhus, founded by the Buddha, still exists in its original form in Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Among the most famous Bhikkhus of the Buddha’s time were: Sariputta, who had the deepest insight into the dhamma; Moggallana, who had the greatest supernatural powers; Ananda, a devoted disciple and constant companion of the Buddha; Maha-Kassapa, chairman of the Buddhist council held at Rajagriha immediately after the Buddha’s death; Anuruddha, master of right mindfulness; Upali, master of the Vinaya; and Rahula, son of the Buddha. A Bhikkhu is not a priest in the sense of a theistic religion. As the bearer of the torch of dhamma, he acts as a friend, philosopher, and guide to the laity in all religious and social matters. Every Buddhist monk must be samanera (ashamed) before being ordained as a full member of the sangha. The higher Bhikkhu ordination is called upasampada.

Buddhist councils

Four Buddhist councils were held in Buddhism.

(i) Shortly after the Buddha’s death, in 483 BC, the first Buddhist council was held in the Sattapanni cave near Rajagriha to compile dhamma (religious doctrines) and vinaya (monastic code). Five hundred monks representing various local sanghas gathered there and accepted the authoritative canonical texts by dividing the Buddha’s teachings into two pitakas – vinaya and dhamma.

(ii) A century later, a dispute arose over the code of discipline because the monks of Vaishali wanted a relaxation of the rules with regard to the ten points. A second council was convened around 383 BC in Vaishali (Bihar), which condemned ten heresies. As the Vaishali monks stuck to their views, no agreement was reached, and the council ended in a permanent schism of the Buddhist Church into Sthavirs and Mahasamghikas.

(iii) The third council was held at Pataliputra during the reign of Asoka, 236 years after the death of the Buddha, under the leadership of the learned monk Moggaliputta Tissa, to revise the scriptures. The Third Council achieved two important results. First, she created a new classification of the Buddhist canonical Pitaka, which contained philosophical interpretations of the teachings of the existing two Pitakas. As a result, the Buddha’s sayings and discourses became known as the Tripitaka. Second, canonical literature was precisely, definitively, and authoritatively established to eliminate all disruptive tendencies, so that any division in the church was punishable.

(iv) The fourth council was held during the reign of Kanishka in Kashmir under the leadership of the elder Vasumitra and the great scholar Asvaghosi. The convening of this council led to the division of Buddhism into two broad sects, namely the Mahayana and the Hinayana.

Sects of Buddhism

Immediately after the Buddha’s death, differences arose among his followers in the interpretation of the Master’s teachings. After the Second Council, held 100 years after the Buddha, two great schools arose in Vaishali: the Sthaviravadins and the Mahasanghika. At the time of Ashoka, there were eighteen different schools, each with its interpretation of the canonical doctrines. Asoka called a third council to stem the tide. Finally, the Mahasanghikas paved the way for the emergence of Mahayana in the first century AD at the Fourth Council held during the reign of Kanishka. Mahayanists emphasized the bodhisattva ideal and emphasized the liberation of all sentient beings rather than the salvation of the individual, the ideal of arhatship in Theravada. Mahayanists believed that all things have an insubstantial and indefinable character and are empty at the bottom. Because everything is empty, there is really no process and no cessation. They further emphasized the Eternal Buddhas, who look like the gods of theistic religions. The Mahayanists’ emphasis on the bodhisattva theory led to the emergence of another school called Yogacara, in which not only imaginary beings but also representatives or leaders of various sects were worshiped as bodhisattvas. As a result of the intermingling of Buddhist and Brahmanical speculations, the Yogacara school paved the way for Vajrayana Buddhism or Tantric Buddhism. Even today, there are three main sects of Buddhism: Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Vajrayana. Regionally speaking, contemporary Theravada Buddhist Asia includes Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, and southern Vietnam. Mahayana Buddhist Asia now includes China (to some extent), Hong Kong-Macao, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and certain communities in Indonesia, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Nepal, and Singapore. Contemporary Vajrayana Buddhist Asia includes Bhutan, Mongolia (to some extent), Tibet, and certain communities in India and Nepal.

In the modern world, the differences between the three schools of Buddhism have narrowed. All are now working on the cause of dhamma in cooperation with each other as members of the World Buddhist Community founded in Sri Lanka in 1950. So the emphasis is now on Buddhayana, the universal teachings of the Buddha.

Sacred shrines

India, the birthplace of Buddha and Buddhism, has many sacred shrines. The four places—Lumbini (in Nepal), Buddha Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar—where the four major events of the Buddha’s life—namely birth, enlightenment, the first sermon, and mahaparinirvana took place—are locked with utmost respect. To these are added four other places that were also intimately connected with the Buddha. These places are Srasvasti, Sankasya, Rajagriha, and Vaishali. These eight places have, throughout time, been regarded as the eight holy places (ashtamahasthanas), celebrated as much in Buddhist tradition as in art.

Apart from the eight sacred shrines, some other important centers of Buddhism in ancient India were Amravati and Nagarjunakonds in Andhra Pradesh; Nalanda in Bihar; Junagadh and Valabhi in Gujarat; Sanchi and Bharhut in Madhya Pradesh; Ajanta-Ellora in Maharashtra; Dhaulagiri in Odisha; Kanauj, Kausambi, and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh; and Jagaddala and Somapuri in West Bengal.

With the decline of Buddhism, all Buddhist shrines fell into disuse. They were either destroyed and looted or just ignored and overlooked. The sanctuaries in western India were mostly in the form of rock-hewn caves, covered with natural growth, and lucky to have escaped destruction and even desecration. Most of the ancient sanctuaries discovered by archaeologists and explorers have since been restored and developed as religious tourism centers.

Buddhist customs and manners

An individual who reveres the Buddha, the Enlightened One, as the greatest spiritual leader and makes an effort to live in accordance with his teachings is referred to be a Buddhist. A person who takes refuge in the Triple Gem (tri-ratna) does so in a way that not only acknowledges the Buddha but also pledges to living in accordance with the dhamma and helping the bhikkhu-sangha. The Five Moral Precepts (pancha sila), which serve as the cornerstone of the Buddhist way of life, are followed by the Three Refuges. The five principles include not engaging in murder, theft, adultery, lying, or intoxication. Every morning and evening, devoted Buddhists recite the Refuge-cum-Precepts formula in Pali. Also, it is recited during all religious and secular gatherings.

Buddhists are divided into two classes, i.e., upasakas and monks. An upasaka (fem. upasika) is a lay devotee or lay follower who has taken refuge with the Buddha, the dhamma and the sangha. Those who renounce the life of a householder and adopt the life of a recluse by joining the sangha are known as monks (bhikkhus). In Buddhism, there are four classes based on adherence to ethical precepts. They are: upasakas observing the five precepts; upasakas observing the Eight Precepts; sumneri observing the ten precepts; and bhikkhus observing 227

Regulations. Buddhists have four sacred days in a month that are considered fasting days. These days are the new moon, full moon and two quarter moons. They are called uposatha (roya in Sri Lanka), i.e. fasting days. On uposatha days, devout Buddhists follow the Eight Precepts (atthanga sila) and abstain from worldly pleasures. They visit the viharas and offer alms to the bhikkhus.

The most sacred and important holiday for all Buddhists is Vaishakha Purnima, known in India as Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti. It is fixed by the full moon day of Vaishakha, which falls in May. This is the three-blessing day that Lord Buddha was born (at Lumbini) and attained enlightenment (at Buddha Gaya). and entered Mahaparinirvana (at Kusinara) on this day.

Conclusion

The most significant fact is that Buddhism has proven to be one of India’s biggest contributions to neighboring nations’ civilizations. Buddhism ended India’s isolation and forged close ties between it and other countries. India’s greatest contribution to the outside world was that. From the period of Asoka, Buddhist missionaries spread Indian culture and civilization to China, Mongolia, Manchuria, Korea, Japan, Burma, Java, Sumatra, and other countries.

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