Buddhism

Buddhism is a 2,500 year old spiritual tradition that concentrates on personal spiritual growth and the realization of a deep insight into the true nature of existence. It is based on the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama also known as Buddha (the Enlightened One). Buddhism is generally accepted as being constituted of two main branches: Theravada, which has a widespread following in Southeast Asia and Mahayana found throughout East Asia. It mainly teaches that all life is interrelated, so empathy is natural and this tradition is not based on the relationship between man and God as they do not believe in a personal God. Buddhist believe that change is inevitable. It is a family of beliefs and practices regarded by the majority to be a religion.

The history of Buddhism is the tale of one man's spiritual journey to Enlightenment, and of the teachings and ways of living that grew from it. Siddhartha Gautama (563 – 483 BC), the price of Shakya kingdom (Lumbini), now in Nepal, introduced Buddhism in India. Being brought up in luxury, he was insulated from the sufferings of life. One day, after growing up, entering matrimony and having a child, Siddhartha went outside the royal palace and for the first time witnessed an old man, a sick man, and a corpse. Deeply moved and hurt by what he saw, he abandoned his luxuriant life and wandered in far off places like a religious beggar in search of the meaning of life.

As encouraged by an Indian ascetic, he practiced intense austerity to the point of starving himself to death. However, he realized that self-torture weakened his mind while failing him to move forward towards enlightenment and hence turned to a sober way of abandonment and concentrated on superior meditative techniques. Eventually, seated beneath the Bodhi tree he achieved enlightenment and became Buddha. Buddhists regard him as an awakened teacher who shared his vision with them to help end their sufferings by accepting the true character of the phenomena, there by achieving Nirvana (freedom from cycle of death and re birth).

The tradition spread in India in a peaceful way and is divided into five periods. Early Buddhism being the first and occasionally being called Pre-sectarian Buddhism basically taught about the three characteristics (Anitya meaning impermanence, Dukkha meaning unsatisfactoriness and Anatman meaning no-self), the five aggregates (form, perception, sensation, mental formation and consciousness), dependent arising, karma and re birth, the four noble truths (the nature of suffering: Dukkha, sufferings origin :Samudaya, suffering cessation: Nirodha and the way leading to the cessation of suffering: Marga), the eight fold path often denoted by the dharma wheel (Wisdom denoting right view and right intension, Ethical conduct denoting right speech, right action and right livelihood, Concentration denoting right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration) and Nirvana. The period of the Early Buddhist Schools being the second period during which the first Buddhist council was held.

The Sangha began to break after the second council forming two separate groups namely, Sthaviras and Mahasanghikas. The Early Mahayana Buddhism was the third significant period in Indian Buddhism which saw the origin of Mahayana and Mahayana Sutras. The fourth period, Late Mahayana Buddhism lead to the development of the most recent and the last four major types of thoughts: Madhyamaka, Yogacara, Tathagatagarbha, and Buddhist Logic. The last period, Esoteric Buddhism (also called Vajrayana Buddhism) is still in its early stages and has a lot of issues which make its research difficult.

The Buddhists follow a number of colorful customs like veneration of Buddha where a person meditates on the qualities of Buddha and honoring the Buddha figure. In Theravada tradition, the Buddhist layperson gives gifts to Buddhist monks, which is thought to benefit laypersons and to win him merit. Pilgrimage is an important Buddhist practice which fosters a spiritual discipline to travel. Ordination is also an important ceremony where vows are exchanged and ten precepts are repeated.

By the late Middle Ages, Buddhism had become practically inactive in India, and it continued to exist in surrounding countries but its influence was no longer spreading. It is now again gaining power in India and elsewhere. According to a survey it’s fast becoming the fourth largest religion in the world.