2. Buddhism is the world's fourth-largest
religion with over 520 million followers,
or over 7% of the global population,
known as Buddhists. Buddhism
encompasses a variety of traditions,
beliefs and spiritual practices largely
based on original teachings attributed to
the Buddha and resulting interpreted
philosophies.
ABOUT BUDDHISM
3. SOME RULES OF THE
BUDDHISM RELIGION ARE :-
Refrain from taking life. Not killing any living
being. ...
Refrain from taking what is not given. Not
stealing from anyone.
Refrain from the misuse of the senses. Not
having too much sensual pleasure. ...
Refrain from wrong speech. Not lying or
gossiping about other people.
Refrain from intoxicants that cloud the mind.
4. CLOTHES OF BUDDHIST
PEOPLE
The robes of the Mahayana Buddhist monks are
simple and plain. In addition, the colours of the
robe appear more silent. The monks in China and
Korea wear robes of brown, grey or blue colour.
On the other hand, Japanese Buddhist monks
will most likely wear robes of black or grey
colours.
6. EARLY LIFE OF GAUTAMA
BUDDHA
India at the time of the Buddha was very spiritually open. Every major
philosophical view was present in society, and people expected
spirituality to influence their daily lives in positive ways.
At this time of great potential, Siddhartha Gautama, the future Buddha,
was born into a royal family in what is now Nepal, close to the border with
India. Growing up, the Buddha was exceptionally intelligent and
compassionate. Tall, strong, and handsome, the Buddha belonged to the
Warrior caste. It was predicted that he would become either a great king
or spiritual leader. Since his parents wanted a powerful ruler for their
kingdom, they tried to prevent Siddhartha from seeing the unsatisfactory
nature of the world. They surrounded him with every kind of pleasure. He
was given five hundred attractive ladies and every opportunity for sports
and excitement. He completely mastered the important combat training,
even winning his wife, Yasodhara, in an archery contest.
7. Suddenly, at age 29, he was confronted with impermanence and suffering. On a
rare outing from his luxurious palace, he saw someone desperately sick. The
next day, he saw a decrepit old man, and finally a dead person. He was very
upset to realize that old age, sickness and death would come to everyone he
loved. Siddhartha had no refuge to offer them.
The next morning the prince walked past a meditator who sat in deep
absorption. When their eyes met and their minds linked, Siddhartha stopped,
mesmerized. In a flash, he realized that the perfection he had been seeking
outside must be within mind itself. Meeting that man gave the future Buddha a
first and enticing taste of mind, a true and lasting refuge, which he knew he had
to experience himself for the good of all.
8. Buddha’s Enlightenment
The Buddha decided he had to leave his royal responsibilities and his
family in order to realize full enlightenment. He left the palace secretly, and
set off alone into the forest. Over the next six years, he met many talented
meditation teachers and mastered their techniques. Always he found that
they showed him mind’s potential but not mind itself. Finally, at a place
called Bodhgaya, the future Buddha decided to remain in meditation until
he knew mind’s true nature and could benefit all beings. After spending six
days and nights cutting through mind’s most subtle obstacles, he reached
enlightenment on the full moon morning of May, a week before he turned
thirty-five.
At the moment of full realization, all veils of mixed feelings and stiff ideas
dissolved and Buddha experienced the all-encompassing here and now.
All separation in time and space disappeared.
9. Past, present, and future, near and far, meltedinto one radiant state of
intuitive bliss. He became timeless, all-pervading awareness. Through
every cell in his body he knewand was everything. He became Buddha, the
Awakened One.
After his enlightenment, Buddha travelledon foot throughout northern
India. He taught constantlyfor forty-five years. People of all castes and
professions, fromkingsto courtesans,were drawnto him. He answered
their questions, alwayspointing towards that which is ultimately real.
Throughouthis life, Buddha encouragedhis students to questionhis
teachings and confirmthemthroughtheir own experience. This non-
dogmatic attitude still characterizes Buddhismtoday.
11. MAHABODHI TEMPLE IN BODH
GAYAThe Mahabodhi Temple or the Mahabodhi Mahavihar, a UNESCO World Heritage
Site, is an ancient, but much rebuilt and restored, Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya,
marking the location where the Buddha is said to have
attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya (in Gaya district) is about 96 km (60 mi)
from Patna, Bihar state, India.
The site contains a descendant of the Bodhi Tree under which Buddha gained
enlightenment, and has been a major pilgrimage destination for Hindus and
Buddhists for well over two thousand years, and some elements probably date to
the period of Ashoka (died c. 232 BCE). What is now visible on the ground
essentially dates from the 7th century CE, or perhaps somewhat earlier, as well as
several major restorations since the 19th century. But the structure now may well
incorporate large parts of earlier work, possibly from the 2nd or 3rd century CE.
12. Many of the oldest sculptural elements have been moved to
the museum beside the temple, and some, such as the carved
stone railing wall around the main structure, have been
replaced by replicas. The main temple's survival is especially
impressive, as it was mostly made of brick covered with stucco,
materials that are much less durable than stone. However, it is
understood that very little of the original sculptural decoration
has survived.
The temple complex includes two large straight-
sided shikhara towers, the largest over 55 metres (180 feet)
high. This is a stylistic feature that has continued in Jain
and Hindu temples to the present day, and influenced Buddhist
architecture in other countries, in forms like the pagoda.
13. HISTORY OF BUDDHISM
The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, was born circa 563 BCE into a
wealthy family. Gautama rejected his life of riches and embraced a lifestyle
of asceticism, or extreme self-discipline. After 49 consecutive days of meditation,
Gautama became the Buddha, or “enlightened one”. He made this announcement
in public at about 528 BCE and gained a group of disciples who became Buddhist
monks and travelled throughout northern India spreading his teachings.
Buddhism has a strong individualistic component: everyone has responsibility for
their own happiness in life. Buddha presented the Four Noble Truths as guiding
principles: there is suffering in life; the cause of suffering is desire; ending desire
means ending suffering; and following a controlled and moderate lifestyle will end
desire, and therefore end suffering.
14. In order to achieve these goals, theBuddhapresentedthe Noble EightfoldPath: right belief, right
resolve, right speech, right conduct, right occupation, right effort, right mindfulness, and right
Samadhi—or meditation. Accordingto Buddhist practice, followingthe NobleEightfold Pathwill
ultimatelyresult in being liberatedfrom samsara, the cycle of rebirthand suffering.
Manyfollowers of this path to enlightenment participatedin an emergingBuddhist monastic
tradition. Monasticismis a religious wayof lifewhich involves leavingbehind worldlypursuits
and devotingoneself to spiritual activity.
Buddhism’s individual outlook anddisregard for the caste systemin attainingenlightenment
were appealing to people in lower castes. Buddhism suggested that individual people might be
able to attain enlightenment in this life and held that castewasnot a punishment for deeds
committedin a past life. Womenalso hadsome opportunities within Buddhismthat they
wouldn’t have had access to otherwise,such as the abilityto become Buddhist monks. Buddhism
gave theman optionfor work outside the traditional sphere of familyand home.
As you can imagine, followingthe NobleEightfold Pathwas not an easytask! Buddhismwas less
popular withpeoplein the vaishya—merchant—or shudra—servant—classes whocould not
devoteall of their time and mental energyto pursuingthese challenginggoals.
15. Partly in response, Mahayana Buddhism
arose. Mahayana Buddhism is a form of Buddhism
in which people could still attain enlightenment by
performing acts of devotion or performing the
duties of their jobs. This alternative approach made
Buddhism more acceptable for a greater number of
people. Mahayana means the greater vehicle and
refers to the opportunity for more people to gain
salvation.
Buddhism also received support from the state. In
260 BCE, King Ashoka adopted Buddhism after a
violent war against the feudal state of Kalinga. He
wanted to renounce violence and publicly turned to
Buddhism in order to achieve this. He may have also
turned to Buddhism as a way of uniting people of
many castes and cultures under a similar religion,
which might have made his empire easier to govern.
