Buddhism << BU dihz uhm or BOO dihz uhm >> is one of the world’s major religions. It was founded in India about 500 B.C., or shortly afterward, by a teacher called the Buddha. At various times, Buddhism has been a dominant religious, cultural, and social force in most of Asia. Today, Buddhism has about 350 million followers. Most live in Tibet and other regions of China, and in Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Sri Lanka, and mainland Southeast Asia.
Beliefs and practices
All Buddhists take refuge—that is, seek comfort, guidance, and security—in (1) Buddha; (2) his teachings, called the dharma; and (3) the religious community he founded, called the sangha. These elements of Buddhism are known as the Three Refuges or Three Jewels.
Buddha
is a title given to a person believed to have transcended the cycle of rebirth known as samsara and attained nirvana (enlightenment). The first Buddha and founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama, born in the 500’s or 400’s B.C. in Nepal. Buddhist accounts tell that he was born a prince.
As a young man, after providing for his wife and young son, Gautama resolved to leave his family and palace life to seek spiritual liberation as a wandering ascetic (a person who denies himself worldly comforts and pleasures). After traveling throughout northeastern India for six years, Gautama experienced nirvana and discovered the Four Noble Truths. These central teachings state that (1) suffering is part of life; (2) there are causes of suffering, like emotional attachment, ignorance, and selfishness; (3) there is a state of transcendence of suffering; and (4) there is a path that leads to that state. Eventually, Gautama decided to teach his message and founded a community of followers. After others learned of his discovery, they called him the Buddha, which means Enlightened One. See Buddha.
The dharma.
The Buddha preached that existence was a continuing cycle of death and rebirth. Each person’s position and well-being in life was determined by his or her behavior in previous lives. For example, good deeds may lead to rebirth as a wise and wealthy person or as a divine being in one of the Buddhist heavens. A person’s evil deeds may lead to rebirth as a poor and sickly person or even in one of the Buddhist hells.
The Buddha also taught that as long as individuals remain within the cycle of rebirth, they will encounter suffering. However, they can transcend this cycle by following the Middle Way and the Noble Eightfold Path. The Middle Way calls for moderation and the avoidance of both self-indulgence and extreme self-denial. The Noble Eightfold Path includes (1) knowledge of the truth; (2) the intention to resist evil; (3) saying nothing to hurt others; (4) respecting life, morality, and property; (5) holding a job that does not injure others; (6) striving to free one’s mind of evil; (7) controlling one’s feelings and thoughts; and (8) practicing proper forms of concentration.
After the Buddha’s death, his followers collected his teachings in a set of texts called the Tripitaka (Three Baskets). The first part, the Basket of Discipline, deals with the rules for living as a monk. The second part, the Basket of Discourses, consists of sermons. The third part, the Basket of the Higher Dharma, contains philosophical discussions of doctrine. Later Buddhist traditions have added their own scriptures.
The sangha.
The word sangha sometimes refers to the early and often idealized Buddhist community believed to have existed during the time of the Buddha. It included monks, nuns, and laymen and laywomen. Since that time, the word has come to refer almost exclusively to ordained monks. The monastic community has played an important role in preserving and spreading Buddhism. The discipline of monastic life often is considered essential to those who practice the path to nirvana. In most Buddhist countries, monks are expected to live a life of simplicity, meditation, and study, and to refrain from sexual relations. Some Buddhists become monks for life, but others join the sangha for short periods.
Lay Buddhists also have an important role in the life of the sangha. They are expected to honor the Buddha, to follow basic moral rules, and to support the monks. They pay special honor to images of the Buddha and other objects associated with him.
Lay Buddhist kings have shaped history in important ways. In the 200’s B.C., the Indian emperor Ashoka converted to Buddhism. Ashoka and his descendants created close relations between religion and government in many Buddhist countries, including Sri Lanka and countries in Southeast Asia. In A.D. 1956, B. R. Ambedkar, an Indian layman, led a mass movement in which more than 1 million Hindus in India converted to Buddhism.
Meditation,
in many forms, is central to Buddhism. Among the best-known types of meditation is Zen, practiced in Japan and elsewhere in East Asia. Zen originated in China, where it is called Chan. It is associated with the Mahayana tradition. Zen emphasizes a close relationship between a master and his disciples, and the attainment of a state of spiritual enlightenment called satori. Many followers of Zen believe that satori comes in a sudden flash of insight. Others believe that it must be achieved gradually through a long process of self-discipline, meditation, and instruction.
Vipassana or insight meditation has become increasingly popular in Asia and among Western converts to Buddhism. Many laypersons and monks in the Theravada tradition practice this kind of meditation. The goal of vipassana is to gain a personal intellectual understanding of the truth of Buddhist teachings. It employs many techniques, including mental discipline and controlled breathing.
Buddhist schools
Various Buddhist schools, known as yana (vehicles), developed in India and other Asian countries. These yana include the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana traditions. According to some scholars, a fourth vehicle to enlightenment exists in the adapted traditions of Western converts and Buddhists living outside Buddhist countries. The various schools share much in common but also differ in important ways.
The Theravada.
The word theravada means teachings of the elders. The Theravada school is the only one of the early Buddhist schools that has survived. Today, it is the dominant religious tradition in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (also called Burma), Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The Theravadins view Buddha as a historical figure. They emphasize the virtues of monastic life and the authority of the Buddha’s teachings, collected in the Tripitaka. For Theravadins, the ideal Buddhist is a kind of saint called an arhat, who has mastered the teachings of the Buddha.
The Mahayana.
The word mahayana means great vehicle. Most followers of the Mahayana live in Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and Tibet and other regions of China. Mahayanists visualize the existence of multiple Buddhas with superhuman qualities. They focus on Buddhas in the heavens and on people who will become Buddhas in the future. Mahayanists believe that these present and future Buddhas are able to save people through grace and compassion. Most Mahayanists accept many of the Theravada scriptures, but they believe that their own later scriptures reveal a higher level of truth. The Mahayana ideal of practice is a bodhisattva, a person who vows to become a Buddha by leading a life of virtue and wisdom. At the highest level, a bodhisattva postpones entering into nirvana in order to work to relieve suffering through acts of compassion.
The Vajrayana.
The word vajrayana means diamond vehicle. This school is also called the Mantrayana, meaning vehicle of sacred recitation, or tantric Buddhism. It is based on texts called tantra that emphasize meditation, recitation, and ritual. Major centers of Vajrayana Buddhism are in the Himalayan regions, in Mongolia, and in Japan, where the tradition is called Shingon. Vajrayana Buddhism accepts most Mahayana doctrines, but it gives special attention to a close relationship between a spiritual leader called a guru and a small group of disciples. The disciples spend much time reciting spells called mantras, performing sacred dances and gestures, and meditating. Many deities (gods and goddesses) and guardian spirits inhabit the universe of the tantra. Attempts to visualize these deities and spirits, and the use of magic, are important aspects of tantric teachings and rituals. Followers generally keep many of their beliefs and practices secret from outsiders. Some branches of Vajrayana Buddhism stress sexual symbolism.
