Buddhism : Then And Now

Buddhism is based on the teachings of an Indian prince named Siddhartha Gautama who lived around 500 B.C. Buddhist tradition says that one day the prince looked beyond the walls of his palace and saw the suffering of his people and wanted to make a change. Siddhartha left his wife and 2 kids and began the path to become Buddha (enlightened one) and after years of practice, he spent the remains 45 years of his life teaching “dharma”(the path to liberation from suffering) and established Sangha (a community of monks).

Buddhism is a major global religion with a complex history and system of beliefs. The founder of Buddhism is said to be Siddhartha Gautama, the son of an Indian warrior-king. Gautama led an extravagant life through early adulthood, reveling in the privileges of his social class. Gautama became bored with the indulgences of royal life so he wandered into the world searching for understanding. After encountering an old man, ill man, a corpse, and an ascetic, he was convinced that suffering lay at the end of all existence. He then became a monk, depriving himself of worldly possessions in the hope of comprehending the truth of the world around him. The culmination of his search came while meditating beneath a tree, where he finally understood how to be free from suffering, and ultimately, to achieve salvation. Gautama became known as the Buddha, meaning the “Enlightened One.” He spent the remainder of his life

Buddhism as a universalizing religion in the first millennium was influenced by many different factors during the time it spread across Asia. Buddhism both adapted and resisted some of these factors. As a result of these factors Buddhism transformed, created new forms of art and literature, and also universalized Asia. Buddhism was also able to surpass several features such as distance and differing cultures but was resisted by other influences

Whenever I thought of Buddhist I saw bald men or women with orange robes, white socks, and brown sandals. Obviously, not the older woman with gray hair that was now facing me and the other twenty congregants in the meditation room. She was obviously the leader.

Buddhism has been around for over two thousand years, and continues to do so in many countries around the world. This religion originates in Asia and has a very unique adversity, much of its structure arose from the end of World War II, predominantly Asian nations needed to restructure society (RoAT 167). The word ‘Buddha’ means one who has awakened and will no longer be reborn. Thereafter, one who will enter nirvana, the state of being free from suffering.

The Kannon Bosatsu, or Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, is a carved wood statue of a Bodhisattva figure standing about two and one half to three meters tall. This statue shows a high level of detail on the Bodhisattva 's body, and is carved so smoothly that it could be mistaken for a stone carving. The show of skilled craftsmanship can be seen around the shoulders with the interaction of the cloth with the jewelry the Bodhisattva. The statue is placed on an ornate pedestal to cause the figurine to appear taller, giving it a feeling of authority, which contrasts with its calm, expressionless face. While the figure appears to be standing in a meditative state like the Buddha, the jewelry present all over the body of this figure distinguishes this figure as a Bodhisattva instead of a Buddha. In his book, The Story of Buddhism a Concise guide to Its History and Teachings, Donald S. Lopez Jr. establishes the importance of imagery in Buddhism. One major point he makes concerning the worship of Buddhist figures, is that the disciples of Buddhism not only believe that the figures are a mere representation of Buddha, but that the figures actually become and are animated by Buddha, an argument which seems to hold merit as truth.

Buddhism is a world religion based on the teachings of Buddha, who was born Siddhartha Gautama in Nepal around 563 B.C.E. and lived in Nepal and India. Siddhartha was a privileged man who withdrew from the world, learned and meditated, and achieved the Enlightenment that made him Buddha. Buddhism has undergone schisms and evolutions but has some core beliefs such as Nirvana, Anatta and Dependent Arising. In addition, the Buddha's teaching centered on the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path to end the cycle of suffering and achieve Enlightenment and Nirvana.

In the world today, there are dozens of religions that have spread all over to many parts of the world to promote their idea of spiritual enlightenment and peace. One of the interesting things that occurs with some of these religions is after it spreads to a new area, how it becomes popular with the people and becomes a part of everyday life. The religion of Buddhism is one of these that had this effect when it began to spread from India where it originated, to many Asian countries especially China where it would have the biggest impact. In China, Buddhism would take root and would grow to become a popular religion in the country much like the other major religions of China, Confucianism and Taoism, which together with Buddhism would later be known as the “Three Teachings”. Additionally, at some point Buddhism would began to lose its popularity in India due to Hinduism, which had absorbed some of the features of Buddhism and another famous religion from India Jainism, in order to re-emergence as the major religion of India. In China, this would not be the case, as it would continue to grow and remain strong long after it fell out of popularity in India. This study will explore some of the ways of how Buddhism was able to prosper and survive longer in China where in India it was only able to last until Hinduism re-remerged as the major religion for India.

Albert Einstein once said, “the religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a personal god, avoid dogmas and theology. Covering both the natural and spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all natural and spiritual and a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism.”# Many great minds like Albert Einstein have converted or become Buddhists. Many people from the west are turning their attention towards Buddhism because of the Buddha’s simple way to life and the lack of worship or prayer to a divine being.

There are many different religions with many different beliefs, traditions, practices, and rituals. These differences are a very important part of understanding and appreciating the culture and history behind the specific religion. However, the practices that certain religions have in common can aid even more in furthering the understanding of specific beliefs of other religions. Since most religions cultivate from the practices and beliefs of other religions, they use those core values and beliefs and transform them into what they believe is a better way practicing. Religions use similarities within each other and twist them into their own. There are certain beliefs within every religion that shape their practices such as their morals or their most essential or absolute value, their position on human beings’ problems and solutions, and their view on life and death within their religion. Pure Land Buddhism (a form of Mahayana Buddhism) and Vaishnavites (a group within Hinduism) are great examples of this very concept.

Buddhism is a philosophically-religious study, that concentrates on people’s life, their bodies, and minds, and promotes harmony between them all. It is crucially different from all other world religions in the way that it puts people in the center of everything and offers to achieve the better reality, Nirvana, through meditation and acceptance of four noble truths. Vipassana meditation, as one of the branches of Buddhism, can be understood as secular, not religion. To understand Vipassana, better, we should go back to exploring what Buddhism is, how it connects body and mind, and the ways to achieve Nirvana.

In the beginnings, Buddhism was started singlehandedly by Siddhartha Gautama, an Indian prince who was the son of Queen Maha Maya, Mahapajapati Gotami, and King Śuddhodana. He was born in Lumbini (present day Nepal) during the fifth century BCE. According to Buddhist tradition, Siddhartha lived a wealthy and comfortable life as a prince until at one point, he left on a journey and was horrified at the sight of four people suffering of old age, illness, poverty, and death. At the age of 29, after witnessing their sufferings, he decided to leave his family in an attempt to seek enlightenment through self-discipline, or asceticism, but even his most intense asceticism didn’t bring him enlightenment. He then sat under a tree for 49 days vowing not to move until he had reached enlightenment. He came out as the Buddha,

The religion of Buddhism was founded by Siddartha Guatama in northern India, or modern day Nepal, around the late 6th century. Buddhism is a nontheistic religion, meaning there’s no belief in personal gods. Siddartha, or Buddha, was the prince of a royal family and was said to have been meant for great things. When he was in his late twenties, he moved to the forest to live a spiritual life. After years of meditation, Buddha was sought out to teach what he knew. This included teaching people how to end their personal suffering by getting rid of things like ignorance and greed. Buddha taught this through the Four Noble Truths. The four truths are what can be translated to: all life is suffering, suffering is caused

Buddhism’s founder was a man named Siddhartha Gautama, meaning “one who realized his goal.” Buddhists believe that when Siddhartha’s mother, Maha, was conceived she had a dream involving a white elephant carrying a lotus flower. She interpreted the dream to mean that her son would grow up to become a great spiritual leader. Just a week after Siddhartha was born, his mother died. Upon her death, he lived with his wealthy aunt and his father on a large estate. As Siddhartha grew up, his father kept him away from all suffering and anguish of the world. Unlike many of his peers, he was well educated and free from the world’s sorrows.

Buddhism stands as a philosophy and a religion founding itself on the theory of a possible eternal soul. Until awakening is achieved, this eternal soul is locked in the vicious cycle of rebirth (Samsara). According to the Four Noble Truths preached by the Buddha, life is a perpetual suffering caused by desire and attachment, and freedom from suffering is only possible by practicing the Eightfold Path. The World is suffering in a succession of temptations and negative experiences from birth to death. Therefore Buddhism advises on searching to go beyond suffering, and only aspire to rest, nothingness, and liberation, into a final state called Nirvana. Happiness or Nirvana can eventually be achieved in a hereafter, another life, if man abandons any desire or perspective of action within his present life, in order to go past suffering.