Download Development, Expansion

Development, Expansion
The founder of Buddhism
Siddhartha Gautama lived in Northern India about
2,500 years ago. He gained Enlightenment while
meditating under a Bodhi tree. He could have left
his body at once and passed into the blissful state of
Nirvana. Instead, he made a decision to remain and
assist others to achieve Enlightenment.
Siddhartha Gautama went in search of some monks
that he once knew and shared his wisdom with them.
He preached his first sermon at the Deer Park near the
city of Benares. There he taught the four Noble Truths
and the Eightfold Path, which is the basis of Buddhism.
When the monks fully understood his teaching they
became his first followers.
The Buddha, as he was now known, continued to
teach for the next forty years. He travelled all over
India, sharing his wisdom with everyone he met. The
Buddha died at the age of eighty years and passed into
Nirvana.
The Sangha
The Buddha founded the Sangha, a community of
monks and nuns. These were men and women who
were able to follow his example, and spend all their
time in meditation. The monks came from every level
of society and were treated as equals in Buddhist
communities. This was highly unusual, as at that time
people from different castes and social classes did not
mix in Indian society.
Buddhist monks receiving gifts of food.
Life in the Sangha has changed little over the centuries.
It is a simple and well organised existence. The
monks study the sacred texts, meditate together as a
community, and follow the teaching of the Buddha.
The rules are strict, and monks have few personal
possessions, apart from a robe and a begging bowl.
Monks wear orange or maroon coloured robes and
shave their heads as a sign of their willingness to follow
the Buddha’s rule. Every day they walk in single file into
a town or village. Monks are treated with great respect
in Buddhist countries. Local people place food in their
begging bowls, it is regarded as a blessing to do so. At
religious festivals, people bring gifts of cloth to the
monasteries for the monks’ robes.
During the rainy season, the monks spend three
months on retreat in their monastery. The rest of
the year is spent on missionary work, teaching the
Buddhist way of life.
A Buddhist monastery.
Section C: Foundations of Religion - Buddhism
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The spread of Buddhism
At the time of his death the Buddha had
many followers. The very first Sangha
spread the Buddha’s teaching all over
northern India.
In the third century BCE, a powerful Indian
emperor called Asoka learned about
Buddhism. He helped the missionaries to
spread the Buddha’s teaching across India
and into parts of Asia. The teaching of the
Buddha was carried along the great trade
routes as far as China. It spread gradually
throughout Asia over the following
centuries.
As Buddhism spread, it adapted to the
needs of various cultures. As a result
different customs and practices developed
in different countries.
Buddhism has been divided into separate
parts since the first century CE.
 Theravada Buddhism.
 Mahayana Buddhism.
Map showing the spread of Buddhism.
Direction in which THERAVADA Buddhism MAHAYANA Buddhism.
Buddhism spread.
Theravada Buddhism
Theravada Buddhism is the main form of
Buddhism in Thailand, Burma, and Sri Lanka.
It is regarded as the orthodox branch of
Buddhism.
Theravada Buddhists believe they follow the teaching
of the Buddha more closely than other Buddhists. They
do not worship the Buddha as a god because he was
only human. Instead they focus on his teaching.
For Theravada Buddhists the best way to imitate
the Buddha and follow his teaching is to become
a monk. Monks live a disciplined life in a
monastery with a lot of time for meditation
and for studying the Tipitaka, the sacred text of
Theravada Buddhism. A monk gains wisdom
through knowledge of the Four Noble Truths and
the practice of The Eightfold Path. It is believed
monks will be more successful than lay people in
the search for Enlightenment.
In Theravada Buddhism there is great respect for the
Sangha. Following the example of the Buddha, the
monks live a simple life without any luxuries. Every
day, lay people make offerings of food to the monks
and receive a blessing in return. They also visit the
monasteries to receive guidance from the monks,
especially during the rainy season retreat. Lay men and
boys often enter the monastery for up to three months
or a year. Living like a monk, even for a short time,
helps them to prepare for life as a good Buddhist.
Visiting a Buddhist monastery.
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Section C: Foundations of Religion - Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism is the main form of Buddhism
in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. It is regarded as
the more liberal wing of Buddhism. It is also the largest
division within Buddhism - over half the Buddhists in
the world belong to this group.
Mahayana Buddhists focus on the Buddha himself,
more than on his teaching. They pray to him and
worship him as a god. They also believe in Bodhisattvas
- these are people who are ready to enter Nirvana, yet
they choose to stay in the world because they want to
help others to achievement Enlightenment. Learning to
have this kind of compassion for others is thought to be
more important than gaining wisdom through study of
the sacred texts.
Mahayana Buddhists believe it is not essential to be a
monk in order to gain Enlightenment. A Buddhist lay
person can strive for Enlightenment through following
the Buddha’s teaching and by being caring and
compassionate in the world. Buddhism is for everyone,
and so there are fewer monks in Mahayana Buddhism.
Vajrayana Buddhism
The Dalai Lama.
Vajrayana Buddhism is another unique form of
Buddhism. It is sometimes called Tibetan Buddhism;
it flourished in Tibet from the 8th century CE up to
1950 when the country was invaded by China. Tibet’s
religious and political leader, the Dalai Lama, was
forced to flee and now lives in exile abroad.
Vajrayana is a minority form of Buddhism. It uses
distinctive practices to help people toward Nirvana.
Vajrayana Buddhists chant mantras (sacred verses
and sounds) and use mandalas (sacred patterns) in
meditation.
There are various customs and practices in
different Buddhist countries, yet all forms of
Buddhism stress the importance of following
the Buddha’s teaching of the Four Noble Truths
and the Eightfold Path. This leads to Nirvana,
the goal all Buddhists try to achieve.
Questions
Statue of the Buddha.
Section C: Foundations of Religion - Buddhism
1. What are some of the key moments in the life of
the founder of Buddhism?
2. What is the Sangha?
3. How far had Buddhism spread within the first
few centuries after the Buddha’s death?
4. What are the main forms of Buddhism, and in
what countries are they to be found today?
5. Compare two forms of Buddhism.
a. What are the similarities? AND
b. What are the main differences
between them?
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