BUDDHISM INTRODUCTION Buddhism is a path of practice

BUDDHISM

INTRODUCTION üBuddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development. ü The ultimate goal of practicing Buddhism is to obtain Enlightenment. üBuddhism with about 708 million adherents, is the fourth-largest religion in the world. Buddhism can guide towards a loving and peaceful existence.

FOUNDER OF BUDDHISM § Gautam Buddha is the founder of Buddhism. § He is considered to be an avatar of Lord Vishnu. § He was born and raised in a royal family but attained true knowledge, which he later spread to the world through the tenets of his teachings.

His original name was Siddhartha Gautam. He was born to king Shuddhodhan of kingdom Kapilvastu. The name of queen was Maha Maya. He was a father of a kid named Rahul he had from Queen Yashodhara.

HISTORY BEHIND BUDDHA’S BIRTH Queen Maya dreamt a vivid dream and saw‘Four Devas taking her to the Himalayan lake and clothed her in flowers. A magnificent white elephant with a white lotus in its trunk approached Maya and walked around her three times. The elephant struck her on the right side and vanished into her. ’ 64 brahmans were called to interpret the dream Queen Maya would give birth to a son, the Brahmans said. If the son did not leave the household, would become World conqueror, otherwise Buddha (Enlightened Soul)

HISTORY BEHIND BUDDHA’S BIRTH • Queen Maya , on her way to her parental home , gave birth to Gautam buddha at Lumbhini. • The Queen and her son were showered with perfumed blossoms, and two streams of sparkling water poured from the sky to bathe them. • The infant stood, and took seven steps, and proclaimed

BUDDHA’S EARLY LIFE • Seven days after his birth his mother died, leaving him to the care of her sister and his step mother Mahajapati, . • His father tried his best to shield him from all maladies and provided all material comforts, so that when he grows up, he could become a great ruler. • He built three palaces for his son with all the amenities.

THE GREAT RENUNCIATION (THE FOUR SIGHTS) • Siddhartha began to question life, and asked what was beyond the palace walls. He convinced his charioteer Channa to take him outside 4 times. • On these occasions, he saw an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and lastly a holy man (sadhu). • The first three sights dispirited him, but through the fourth he could figure out how to stop all the suffering in life. • He decided to leave his family to become a wandering holy man in search of the truth.

ASCETICISM • Siddhartha stayed with some yogins for a couple of years and learnt the art of meditation but later joined some ascetics. • Siddhartha decided that since he had lived a life of material luxury, he would starve himself. • Legend has it that he reduced his food until he was living on 3 grains of rice a day and almost died. • He eventually realised that this was not helping him realise the truth, and with

ENLIGHTENMENT • Soon after this, Siddhartha sat under a peepal tree (bodhi tree) and decided he would not move until he had an answer to the world’s suffering. • Eventually Siddhartha came to realise the truth about reality and became enlightened. • He was now the Buddha (Enlightened one)

• Buddha widely preached the knowledge that he had received through enlightenment. • At the age of 80, he suddenly announced that he would soon be leaving his earthly body. • Gautam Buddha left this world, having spread his teachings across India and

Four Noble Truths 1. Suffering and unhappiness are a part of human life. No one can escape sorrow. 2. Suffering comes from our desires for pleasure and material goods. 3. People can overcome desire and ignorance and reach nirvana , a state of perfect peace. 4. E ightfold path leads to wisdom, enlightenment, and salvation .

The Noble Eightfold Path is a progressive series of stages through which the practitioner moves: v Right View v Right Intention v Right Speech v Right Action v Right Livelihood v Right Effort v Right Mindfulness THE NOBLE EIGHT FOLD PATH

CHINA • China recorded contact with Buddhism with the arrival of a Buddhist scholar, Bodhi Dharma, who travelled from India to China along with other monks in 475 CE. • Bodhi Dharma introduced the teachings of the Buddha to the Chinese, who were influenced by the teachings. • From the Central Asian kingdom of Kusha, in 148 BC, a monk named An Shih-kao, began translating Indian Buddhist texts into Chinese.

SRI LANKA • Ashoka’s most successful missions were headed by his son Mahindra, who travelled to Sri Lanka. • This mission turned out to be so successful that the king of Sri Lanka himself became a Buddhist. • He also helped in finding a monastery named Mahavihara, which became the main supporter of the Theravadin orthodoxy in Sri Lanka for over 1, 000 years.

KOREA AND JAPAN • In the centuries that followed, Buddhism gained its own identity, and from China, Buddhism traveled further towards Korea and Japan. • As per Nihonshoki in 552 CE, the Korean state of Paekche sent Buddhist texts and images to Japan. • In the initial stages, Japanese inclination towards Buddhism was majorly related to the magical powers of Buddha and Buddhist monks. • When the emperor Yomei (CE 585 - CE 587) adopted Buddhism, the Japanese began to travel to China in order to learn from the Buddhist teachers there, and a number of indigenous Buddhist schools developed in Japan.

WESTERN COUNTRIES • Buddhism is acquiring a grip in Western countries today, where a number of prominent Buddhist teachers have established successful centres in Europe and North America. • The Dalai Lama, a number of Zen masters (Roshi), and Theravada meditation teachers have been successful in spreading Buddhist teachings outside Asia. • Besides these, books and articles on Buddhism are becoming a huge hit with the westerners.

SYMBOLS OF BUDDHISM

In all its long history, no war has ever been fought in the name of Buddhism. It is this peace and tolerance, growing out of a profound yet reasonable philosophy, that makes the Buddha’s message timeless and always vitally relevant.

DECLINE OF BUDDHISM IN INDIA • In the north and west, the collapse of Harsha Vardhana 's kingdom marked the end of Buddhist ruling clans. • Nonetheless, it appears that Buddhism endured longer in southern India than anywhere else in India. One factor that contributed to the demise of Buddhism was the diminishing of Buddhism's distinctiveness with respect to the rise of Hinduism.

IS IT A RELIGION? Buddhism is not a system of faith and worship owing any allegiance to a supernatural being. Buddhism does not demand blind faith from its adherents. Buddhism cannot, therefore, strictly be called a religion because it is neither a system of faith and worship. If, by religion, is meant a teaching which takes a view of life that is more than superficial, a teaching which looks into life , or a system to get rid of the ills of life, Then it is certainly a Religion of Religions.

HINDUISM Vs BUDDHISM HINDUISM BUDDHISM

Present Significance of Buddhism • The Buddhist teaching of the law of karma offers people a just, incorruptible foundation and reason for living a moral life. • Today, meditation grows increasingly popular a it has been proven beneficial to both mental and physical wellbeing. • Today’s world is too small and vulnerable for us to live angrily and alone, and thus tolerance, love and compassion are so very important. • Forgiveness, gentleness, and peaceful compassion are

In all its long history, no war has ever been fought in the name of Buddhism. It is this peace and tolerance, growing out of a profound yet reasonable philosophy, that makes the Buddha’s message timeless and always vitally relevant.

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