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QUOTE
The Buddha refers to the awakened one, the Dharma to the Buddha's teachings, and the Sangha to the people who follow the Buddha and his teachings.

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Hajj = Pilgrimage

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QUOTE
I will not hurt a person or animal that is alive.
I will not take something if it was not given to me.
I will not engage in sexual misconduct.
I will not lie or say things that hurt people.
I will not take intoxicants, like alcohol or drugs, causing heedlessness.

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Tripitaka

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62% Asia
over 683 million followers Indonesia Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
non-Arab countries Turkey and Iran Muslim-majority
Egypt and Nigeria most Muslims in Africa

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610? (no letters)

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2500 years ago

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Follow the Noble Eightfold Path to help change your mind

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Cure = stuff don't want

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Reason for something is desiring stuff

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Life is suffering

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Sawm/Siyam = Fasting during Ramadan

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Zakat = charity

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Salaat = Pray 5 times a day

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Shahadah = Faith

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The one God created the universe and everything in it

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Second largest religion in Europe

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Is the word of god

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Quran = holy scripture

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Mecca/Saudi Arabia

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Northeastern India

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Siddhartha Gautama

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Prophet Mohamed

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Buddhism originated in India, based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, later known as Gautama Buddha. A Buddha is one who is said to be awake to the truth of life. Buddha is a Pali word which means "the awakened one." According to Buddhism, there were countless Buddhas before Gautama Buddha, and there will be many Buddhas after him.

Over the centuries, Gautama Buddha's teachings spread from Nepal to Central Asia, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, Europe, North, and South America. Theravada Buddhism is most common in South Asia; Mahayana is most common further north. Buddhism exists in many different strands today, but all versions share basic ideas. About seven percent of the people of the world are Buddhist.

While many people see Buddhism as a religion, others see it as a philosophy, and others as a way of finding reality.

Background and Buddhist concepts

Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BC) began life as the infant prince of a small kingdom in what is now the southern part of Nepal. As an adult, he left wealth and status behind to search for truth. The Buddha spent the next 45 years of his life traveling and teaching in the northern part of India. He died at the age of 80.

The Buddha focused much of his teaching on how to overcome suffering. He saw that all living things suffer. He taught that by overcoming suffering, a person will be truly happy.

He began teaching holy men or monks the Four Noble Truths of Life and the Eightfold Noble Path (see below). These teachings identify the causes of suffering and their cure. The Buddha taught that there are three marks of existence: He said life is best understood as being impermanent (everything changes), unsatisfactory (left on our own we are never truly happy), and interdependent (all things are linked).

In discussing suffering, the Buddha identified the "three poisons" of desire, anger, and stupidity, and he showed that we could end our suffering by letting go of desires and overcoming anger and stupidity.

The complete letting go of negative influences is called Nirvana, meaning "to extinguish," like putting out the flame of a candle. This end of suffering is also called Enlightenment. In Buddhism, Enlightenment and Nirvana often mean the same thing.

The Buddha taught that living in balance is the best way to live. He called this "the middle way." He also recommended meditation as a way to train the mind to see the world as it is.

The Buddha taught that actions have consequences for good or bad. People who make good decisions will be happier and have more peace of mind. This is called karma.

Another teaching of Buddhism is reincarnation - the idea that when people die, they will be reborn as someone or something else. They live their life the best they can in hopes of reincarnating as something better until they eventually reach enlightenment.

Buddhists would not say whether or not there is a God or gods. Buddhists do not believe that people should look to gods to save them or bring them enlightenment. Instead, they believe individuals should work out their own path the best they can. Many of the Buddha's ideas are found in other Indian religions, especially Hinduism.

Beliefs of Buddhism

The three jewels

Buddhists respect and treasure the Three Jewels, which are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

The Buddha refers to the awakened one, the Dharma to the Buddha's teachings, and the Sangha to the people who follow the Buddha and his teachings.

Buddhists say "I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha." They find comfort in these jewels or treasures.

Four Noble Truths

The Buddha's first and most important teachings are the Four Noble Truths.

1. Life is suffering.

2. The reason for this suffering is that we want things to be a certain way.

3. The way to cure suffering is to rise above this desire.

4. The way to rise above desire is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path, practices which help us change our minds and understanding.

Noble Eightfold Path

The Buddha told people to follow a special way of life called the Noble Eightfold Path if they want to understand the Four Noble Truths. These are:

1. Appropriate views. Know and understand the Four Noble Truths.

2. Appropriate thought. Turn your mind away from the world and toward the Dharma.

3. Appropriate speech. Tell the truth, don't gossip, and don't talk badly about others.

4. Appropriate conduct. Don't commit evil acts, like killing, stealing, or living an unclean life.

5. Appropriate livelihood. Earn your money in a way that doesn't harm anyone.

6. Appropriate effort. Work to make your mind more good and less evil.

7. Appropriate mindfulness. Remember the Dharma and apply it all the time.

8. Appropriate meditation. Practice meditation as a way of understanding reality.

Five precepts

Buddhists are encouraged to follow five precepts, or guidelines:

1. I will not hurt a person or animal that is alive.

2. I will not take something if it was not given to me.

3. I will not engage in sexual misconduct.

4. I will not lie or say things that hurt people.

5. I will not take intoxicants causing heedlessness.

If a person wants to be a monk or nun, he or she will follow other precepts as well.

Interesting facts about Buddhism

The term "Buddhism" was invented by Western scholars in the 1830s. Buddhists don't refer to their religion as "Buddhism."

The Buddha founded an order of monks and nuns known as the Sangha who have preserved his teachings.

Because of its emphasis on meditation and mindfulness, Buddhism is often considered to be a form of psychology rather than a religion.

In Buddhism, there is no single holy book.

Buddhists do not believe in a supreme being or creator God.

A Buddha is a person who has reached enlightenment.

Buddhist monks and nuns shave their hair.

In Buddhism, each person must work their way to enlightenment.

Related pages

Images for kids

An aniconic depiction of the Buddha's spiritual liberation ( moksha) or awakening ( bodhi), at Sanchi. The Buddha is not depicted, only symbolized by the Bodhi tree and the empty seat.

Living at the root of a tree ( trukkhamulik'anga) is one of the dhutaṅgas, a series of optional ascetic practices for Buddhist monastics.

A section of the Northern wall mural at the Lukhang Temple depicting tummo, the three channels ( nadis) and phowa

A Buddhist triad depicting, left to right, a Kushan, the future buddha Maitreya, Gautama Buddha, the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, and a monk. Second-third century. Guimet Museum

Frontispiece of the Chinese Diamond Sūtra, the oldest known dated printed book in the world

In Spanish: Budismo para niños

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The Muslim year is based on Lunar calendar.

(Ramadhan)
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and a time when Muslims across the world will fast (do not eat) during the hours of daylight.

The Muslim year is a lunar (moon) year, so Ramadan moves forward by ten or eleven days each year. The day Ramadan begins is decided by the sighting of the new moon.

Muslims believe that the gates of Heaven (Jannah) are open and the gates of Hell (Jahanam) are locked for the duration of Ramadan.

During Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the time when the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Ramadan is a time of worship and contemplation. A time to strengthen family and community ties.

Every Muslim is expected to fast from sunrise to sunset. Muslims must not eat or drink during daylight hours. During Ramadan Muslims get up early before dawn (Fajr) and have a light meal. This time is known as Suhoor.

At the end of each day (Maghrib), Muslims traditionally break their fast with a meal called the iftar. Following the custom of Prophet Muhammad, the fast is often broken with dates, then followed by a prayer and dinner.

Ramadan concludes with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr.

(Id-ul-Fitr)- The festival for the first day after Ramadan.
Eid-ul-Fitr marks the breaking of the fast for Muslims at the end of Ramadan. Lasting three days, it is a time for family and friends to get together, for celebrating with good food and presents for children, and giving to charity.

The Festival of Sacrifice which occurs 70 days after Eid-al-Fitr.Eid ul-Adha is the second most important festival in the Muslim calendar. It is to remember the time when Abraham was going to sacrifice his own son to prove obedience to God and marks the end of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca). It takes place on the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar.

Dhu Al-Hijja:
The month of pilgrimage during which all Muslims, at least once in their life, should try to make the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Al Hijra:
The Islamic New Year begins on the day Muhammad left Mecca to travel to Medina.
Calendar of Religious Festivals 2008

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The Muslim year is based on Lunar calendar. (Ramadhan) Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and a time when Muslims across the world will fast (do not eat) during the hours of daylight. The Muslim year is a lunar (moon) year, so Ramadan moves forward by ten or eleven days each year.

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Introduction
A major world religion, Islam is based on the revelations of the Prophet Muhammad and was first established in Mecca (now in Saudi Arabia). From the Atlantic Ocean across North Africa, the Middle East, and South and Central Asia to the Pacific Ocean, the world's predominantly Muslim countries form a long, continuous band. (Muslims are those who practice the religion of Islam.) Within this band lie the countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the Persian Gulf states, Oman, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The largest minority populations of Muslims are found in India and in Nigeria. Muslims also live in the United States, Europe, and many other countries throughout the world. Altogether there are more than 1 billion Muslims around the world.

The word Islam means "surrender" or "submission," submission to the will of the one God (in Arabic, Allah). Muslims are those who have submitted themselves. The basic creed of Islam is brief: There is no God but God, and Muhammad is the Prophet of God.

One night in the year 610, Muhammad received the first of many revelations from God. Delivered by the angel Gabriel, the message sent to Muhammad told him that there was but one God, not many gods, as most Arabs believed. This God was creator of the world, and He would one day judge humankind. This was no novel message: Judaism and Christianity were already spreading monotheism-the idea that there is only one God. Muhammad saw his task, therefore, not as something new, but as a continuation and conclusion. He was the last in a succession of prophets-stretching from Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Elijah, to Jesus -who proclaimed the oneness of God, or Allah. (In Islam, Jesus is considered a divinely inspired messenger but not the Son of God.) Islam thus shares with Judaism and Christianity both monotheism and some of the same prophets.

But Islam was never incorporated into either Judaism or Christianity. It remained a separate religion and soon emerged as a new empire and a new civilization. The revelations that Muhammad received were collected into the Koran (or Qurʾan), the holy book of Islam that directed Muhammad's followers in what to believe and how to live.

Because Muslims believed that everything Muhammad said and did was inspired by Allah, many reports of his sayings and deeds were collected as Hadith. At first these were just remembered and spread by word of mouth. Later they were captured in writing, to serve as an additional guide for believers, along with the Koran.

Basic Beliefs
Islam teaches that there is one God, the creator and sustainer of the universe. God is compassionate and just. Because He is compassionate, He calls all people to believe in Him and worship Him. Because He is also just, on the Last Day He will judge every person according to his deeds. On the Last Day, all the dead will be resurrected and either rewarded with heaven or punished with hell.

Humankind is regarded as the crown of creation, entrusted by God with management of the whole created order. Yet humanity is also seen as weak and prone to disbelief in God and to disobedience to His will. Humanity's weakness is pride: It does not realize its limitations and views itself as self-sufficient.

To compensate for this frailty, God has sent prophets to communicate His will. These prophets, all mortal humans, were elected messengers to whom God spoke through an angel or by inspiration. Unfortunately for humankind, most of the prophets have been ignored. People, deluded by Satan, or the Devil, continued to disbelieve in Allah. In spite of this, God is always ready to pardon individuals and restore them to the sinless state in which they started life.

The life of each Muslim is primarily within the community of the faithful but also includes the larger world of creation including all human beings: All are declared to be "brothers to each other," with the mission to "enjoin good and forbid evil." Muslims are expected to establish social and economic justice. They are also expected to carry their message out to the rest of the world.

In the early Islamic community, this carrying of the Koran's message brought conflict with those who opposed it. The Muslim community was told to defend itself in the form of jihad, or holy war. Muhammad told them that the greater jihad is an internal struggle against evil and oppression and that the lesser jihad was the struggle against external evil and oppression. The intent was not to force conversion on anyone; this was forbidden by the Koran.

According to the Hadith, Muhammad identified certain essential principles in his teachings to serve as anchoring points for the Islamic community. These have come to be called the five pillars of Islam. The five pillars are the basic creed ( shahadatain), prayer ( salat, or salah), pilgrimage (hajj), fasting ( sawm), and the zakat (or charitable contribution).

Basic Creed
Christine Osborne-World Religions Photo Library/Alamy

The first pillar is the shahadah, or the profession of faith. "There is no God but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God" is the core assertion upon which membership in the community depends.

Ali Arkady/Metrography/Getty Images

Islam recognizes two forms of prayer. One is the personal, devotional, and spontaneous type ( dua), not bound by any rituals or formulas. The other is ritual, often congregational, prayer ( salat), with specific words and postures ( rakʿah), to be offered five times a day: at dawn, midday, midafternoon, sunset, and before going to bed. Before prayer, ablutions are performed by washing the hands, feet, and face. A person called the muezzin calls for prayer and chants from a raised platform or minaret tower at the mosque (the house of communal worship). Congregational prayer is started with the imam, the prayer leader, standing at the front of the mosque facing Mecca, the holy city of Islam. The congregation is lined up in rows behind him. (There are no seats in a mosque.) Each prayer consists of several units, during which the individual is either standing, kneeling, or prostrate. At every change in posture, "God is great" is recited.

The chief day of communal worship is Friday. Believers gather at the mosque to pray, listen to portions of the Koran, and hear a sermon based on the text. The sermon may have moral, social, or political content. It should be noted that Islam has no ordained clergy such as exists in the Christian churches, but there are men specially trained in religion, tradition, and law. Theoretically, anyone considered competent can be called upon to deliver the Friday sermon.

Pilgrimage
Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Sonyasgar/Dreamstime.com

The hajj is an annual Muslim rite that every believer is expected to take part in at least once in his lifetime, if he or she is physically and financially able to do so. It is also an important act of religious worship and devotion. From the seventh to the tenth day in Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic (Arabic lunar) calendar, thousands of Muslims converge on the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to visit the holy shrine of the Kaaba in the Great Mosque. Tradition has it that the shrine was built by Abraham, considered by Islam, Judaism, and Christianity to be a prophet and the founder of the faith. The pilgrimage culminates with the feast of sacrifice, one of the two major festivals that are celebrated during the Islamic (Arabic lunar) year.

For centuries, the pilgrimage has brought together thousands of Muslims from many countries and has provided a valuable link between the centers of Islam. It also gives the believers a sense of belonging to a vast world community. In the 20th century all Muslim countries sent official delegations to the hajj, providing for an interchange of ideas on all sociopolitical issues facing the Muslim peoples. Some 2 million pilgrims undertake the hajj each year.

Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz

In the second chapter of the Koran is the statement "Fasting is decreed for you as it was decreed for those before you." Because the Koran was first revealed to Muhammad in the month of Ramadan, the whole month was set aside as a period of fasting. During each day, from dawn to darkness, all eating, drinking, and smoking are forbidden. Those who are ill or on a journey may postpone the fast until a "similar number of days later on," according to the Koran. The second major festival of the Islamic (Arabic lunar) year begins at the termination of the fast and lasts several days.

The last pillar is an obligatory tax called the zakat, a contribution made by Muslims to the state or to the community. An act of religious devotion, payment of the tax is made for the benefit of the poor and needy of society.

Divisions and Schools of Thought
The second chapter of the Koran says: "There shall be no compulsion in religion. True guidance is now distinct from error. He that renounces idol worship and puts his faith in Allah shall grasp a firm handle that will never break. . . .  As for the unbelievers, their patrons are false gods."

Islam has always been characterized by diversity with unity. As the above verses suggest, once the believer has made his allegiance to Allah as the one God, he is a Muslim and trusts in God to guide him in his beliefs and actions. The consensus of the community should keep him from straying far afield into erroneous practices. There has been no inordinate fear of differences in beliefs and practices, such as developed in Christianity. Muhammad himself was quoted as having said, "Difference of opinion in my community is a manifestation of divine mercy."

This is not to suggest that there were not, in the long history of Islam, periods of persecution over differences in belief and practice; there have been people in every religion who have regarded themselves as arbiters and enforcers of truth. But such occasions have been far fewer than in most other major beliefs.

The major divisions in the history of Islam arose over questions of leadership of the Muslim community, called the caliphate, not over issues of doctrine. Only later did there emerge sects based on divergent emphases in doctrine and practice. Yet all have continued to recognize each other as Muslims on the basis of allegiance to Allah.

The seeds of division were sown early. Muhammad's death left the community without a commonly accepted leader, or caliph (from khalifah, meaning both "successor" and "deputy"). The leadership crisis was compounded by the fact that it came at a turbulent time, when Muslim armies were already beginning the century of conquests that would create a vast new empire.

The first three caliphs, Abu Bakr (Muhammad's father-in-law), ʿUmar, and ʿUthman ibn ʿAffan, had all been close companions of the Prophet. ʿUthman was a member of the important and wealthy Umayyad clan at Mecca and a son-in-law of Muhammad. His murder in 656 led to his replacement by another son-in-law of the Prophet, ʿAli ibn Abi Talib, and to a civil war among Muslim factions. His murder in 661 again opened the question of whose right it was to be caliph. It also was the occasion of the first and only major division in Islam-between the Sunnites (or Sunnis) and the Shiʿites, the latter the followers of ʿAli.

This branch of Islam, to which the great majority of Muslims belong, was defined in the decades of the earliest schisms. The conflicts over leadership, belief, and practice enabled the Sunnites to develop what they believed to be correct religious positions, based on the Koran and the sayings (Hadith) of the Prophet and in reaction to what they regarded as sectarian points of view. Sunnites regard their sect as orthodox Islam, representing the consensus of the Islamic community against wayward positions.

While condemning schisms and sects, the Sunnites also developed the contrasting trend of toleration in order to embrace the widest range of views that could be accepted as orthodox, in accordance with Muhammad's statement on the virtue of diversity. This toleration made it possible for diverse sects and schools of thought to coexist within the larger community of Islam. No group would be excluded unless it specifically renounced Allah and Muhammad. This toleration was the answer of Sunnism to those who were trying to narrow the concept of Islam according to the use of selective passages in the Koran or the Hadith.

After the murder of ʿAli, his followers, called the Shiʿites, demanded that the rule of the community be restored to the family of ʿAli. By his marriage to Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, he was a kinsman of the Prophet; and the Shiʿites claimed the divine right of the family of Muhammad to rule.

In the course of its history, Shiʿism developed some distinctive doctrines and a number of sects. Probably out of its reverence for ʿAli, it came to regard the community leader, the imam, as an infallible being who alone knew the hidden and true meaning of the Koranic revelations. Orthodox Shiʿites recognize 12 imams in their history, the last of whom (named Muhammad) disappeared in the 9th century. Orthodox Shiʿites believe that the 12th imam will return near the end of time to inaugurate a reign of truth and justice. Until he returns, all law and doctrine are interpreted by scholars called mujtahid s.

Since the divine knowledge was mediated through the infallible teachings of an imam, the Shiʿites believed (in contrast to the Sunnites) that all knowledge derived from fallible, human sources was useless. It was not what the community thought, but what the imam proclaimed that counted. This narrowed the scope for toleration of divergent views.

Another major difference from Sunnite emphasis was the emergence of a "passion history" among the followers of Shiʿism, comparable in many ways to the Passion plays about the life of Jesus. The violent death in 680 of ʿAli's son, Husein, is celebrated annually with orations, plays, and processions. These celebrations have influenced Sunnite believers in Afghanistan and India, who participate in similar passion plays. The influence of Shiʿism is also felt in the veneration in which all Muslims hold ʿAli and his family and in the respect that they show for his descendants.

In addition to the main body of Shiʿite believers, there are a number of sects that have broken away. The largest group is the Ismaʿilis. The difference originates in the identity of the seventh imam. The main body of Shiʿah accepted Musa, but the Ismaʿili recognized instead his brother Ismaʿil. Since his disappearance, they await his return and hence are usually called Seveners, instead of Twelvers, the name applied to orthodox Shiʿites. The seven imams recognized by the Ismaʿilis are, in a sense, higher in excellence than the Prophet because they receive their teachings directly from God Himself. Ismaʿilis are found mainly in East Africa, Yemen, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

The Ismaʿilis are divided into two groups: the Nizaris and the Mustaʿlis. The head of the Nizaris is the Aga Khan, believed to be a direct descendant of ʿAli. The Nizaris live in India and Pakistan and in parts of Iran, Syria, and Africa. The Mustaʿlis live mostly around Mumbai (Bombay), India, and have their own spiritual head.

A number of other sects arose out of the Shiʿite movement: the Nusayris, the Zaidis (Yezidis), and the Druzes. Only the Druzes have any considerable following, mostly in Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan, and the West Bank.

There is also a worldwide non-Muslim religion that grew out of Shiʿism in Iran in the 19th century. The Bahaʾi faith was inspired by a Shiʿite Muslim named ʿAli Mohammad; it was later founded by his follower Bahaʾ Allah.

The total Shiʿite movement comprises probably less than 10 percent of the Islamic world. The greatest concentration is in Iran, where Shiʿism has long been the national religion and where 90 percent of the population is Shiʿite. It is in Iran that the conflict between the Shiʿites and the Sunnites became explosive in the late 20th century. After the 1979 takeover of the government of Iran by the Islamic fundamentalist leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his followers, other Muslim countries in the Middle East feared that their governments would be subverted by Shiʿite fundamentalism.

Early in the history of Islam there emerged groups who were not satisfied with the outward observances and rituals of religion. They wanted, instead, a religion of inner experience, an asceticism that renounced the luxuries of the world and devoted itself purely to obedience to God. By the 8th century these groups became known as Sufis, probably from the garments of wool ( suf in Arabic) that they wore.

Sufism evolved through three phases: asceticism, the rejection of worldliness; ecstasy, the desire for communion with God; and the cognitive (knowing), by which the believer sought a higher knowledge than that granted to the average Muslim. Because Sufism developed largely within the Sunnite branch of Islam, it helped balance the expansion of the Shiʿite movement that also had high regard for such exceptional divine knowledge.

Sufism remained a parallel development within Sunnism until the 11th century, when the theologian al-Ghazali made a formal attempt to merge the doctrines of mysticism with the orthodox consensus of the Sunnite community. He told the other theologians that unless they created a "science of the heart" for all believers, the doctrines of Islam would be nothing more than outward formalities devoid of any inner life or meaning.

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Introduction A major world religion, Islam is based on the revelations of the Prophet Muhammad and was first established in Mecca (now in Saudi Arabia). From the Atlantic Ocean across North Africa, the Middle East, and South and Central Asia to the Pacific Ocean, the world's predominantly Muslim countries form a long, continuous band.

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Buddhist worship at home or at a temple. Worshippers may sit on the floor barefoot facing an image of Buddha and chanting. It is very important that their feet face away from the image of Buddha. They listen to monks chanting from religious texts and take part in prayers.
Home
Buddhists will often have a shrine. There will be a statue of Buddha, candles, and an incense burner.
Temple
Buddhist temples come in many shapes. Perhaps the best known are the pagodas of China and Japan. Another typical Buddhist building is the Stupa (upside down bowl shape). All Buddhist temples contain an image or a statue of Buddha.

Buddhist Temples in Thailand
How to Buddhists Worship?
Buddhist worship is called puja. People chant to show their love for the Buddha. They make offerings of flowers, candles, incense and pure water at a shrine. People thank Buddha for his teachings.

When Buddhist worship alone they usually meditate and read from the Buddhist holy books.

Every month. most Buddhists have special religious days. These are often days when there is a full moon. Many Buddhists go to temples to worship on these special days.

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Understanding Buddhism for Children doing their homework

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Buddhism is the name for a complex system of beliefs developed around the teachings of the Buddha. Though used by many religious groups in ancient India, the title Buddha (meaning "the Enlightened One") became associated with the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, who lived between the 6th and the 4th centuries bc. There are now dozens of different schools of Buddhist philosophy throughout Asia, and many of these schools have spread to Europe and the United States. These schools have different writings and languages and have grown up in different cultures. There is no single sacred text of Buddhism, but all Buddhists share some basic beliefs.

Buddhism is a Western word. The religion is known in Asia as the Buddha-Dharma, or the teachings of the Buddha. These teachings, based on Siddhartha's experience of Enlightenment, form the foundation of Buddhism. For every Buddhist the religion is both a discipline and a body of beliefs: that is, Buddhists share beliefs about the nature of the world and how to act in it.

According to Buddhist tradition, Siddhartha Gautama, having led an indulgent life as a young man, decided to pursue a course of bitter self-denial in order to gain insights into life's meaning. So severe was his lifestyle that he nearly died from it. He then realized that this brought him no closer to the truth he sought than the rich life he had led before. One day when he felt close to reaching the truth, he sat down under a tree now known as the Bo tree (also called the Bodhi, or "Enlightenment," tree). There he attained the bliss and knowledge he had been seeking. Legend has it that, though tempted by a demon, he sat quietly under the tree for 49 days. The place where he sat became known as the Immovable Spot. The Buddha devoted the rest of his many years, until his death at age 80, to wandering through India teaching people. ( See also Maha Bodhi Temple.)

The Buddha was uncertain what to do after his Enlightenment because he realized that the truths that had been revealed to him would be difficult for others to understand. He decided that he should make his inspiration about the nature of life available to others for their betterment. He formulated his experience into a doctrine known as the Four Noble Truths, and these truths are the basis of all schools of Buddhism.

The first truth is that all life is suffering, pain, and misery, or dukkha. The second truth is that this suffering has a cause- tanha, or selfish craving and personal desire. The third truth is that the cessation ( nirodha) of selfish craving can be achieved. The fourth truth is that the way ( magga) to overcome this misery is through the Eightfold Path.

All Buddhists believe in the idea of "no-self," that it is a mistake to identify oneself too strongly with one's own personal existence in any one life. To the follower of the Buddha, life goes on and on in many reincarnations or rebirths. This cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, known as samsara, condemns the individual to the suffering of being alive and striving. Life's goal, according to the Buddha, is to escape from this cycle, to stop being born as a suffering individual with selfish cravings and passions. This release is called Nirvana, the highest bliss, the end of the self.

In order to achieve Nirvana, the Buddha developed the Eightfold Path, which all Buddhists must follow. The Buddha called his path the Middle Way, because it lies between a life of luxury and a life of unnecessary poverty. Not everyone can reach the goal of Nirvana, but every practicing Buddhist is at least on the Path toward Enlightenment.

A basic step, too basic to be listed as one of the eight, is Right Association. One cannot achieve perfection unless one keeps the right company. A Buddhist is supposed to associate with other seekers of truth in a spirit of love.

1. Right Knowledge is knowledge of what life is all about; knowledge of the Four Noble Truths is basic to any further growth as a Buddhist.

2. Right Aspiration means a clear devotion to being on the Path toward Enlightenment.

3. Right Speech involves both clarity of what is said (taking care to say just what is meant) and speaking kindly and without malice.

4. Right Behavior involves reflecting on one's behavior and the reasons for it. It also involves five basic laws of behavior for Buddhists: not to kill, steal, lie, drink intoxicants, or commit sexual offenses.

5. Right Livelihood involves choosing an occupation that keeps an individual on the Path; that is, a path that promotes life and well-being, rather than the accumulation of a lot of money.

6. Right Effort means training the will and curbing selfish passions and wants. It also means placing oneself along the Path toward Enlightenment.

7. Right Mindfulness implies continuing self-examination and awareness. The Dhammapada, a basic Buddhist text, begins, "All we are is the result of what we have thought."

8. Right Concentration is the final goal-to be absorbed into a state of Nirvana.

Buddhists believe that the first two steps on the Path can be taken by anyone. The third, fourth, and fifth steps are for novice monks, and the last three steps show real progress toward the goal. As in many Asian traditions, the religion is not based on attaining the goal so much as being on the road.

The Buddha lived and taught for about 45 years after his Enlightenment, but he did not write down a single word of his teachings. No one during his lifetime put anything he said in writing. His original teachings were handed down from one generation to the next by word of mouth. This continuing oral tradition was not put in writing until about three centuries after his death. By this time, the religion had split into a number of schools. Each school set down the teachings as it understood them.

Since the Buddha felt his teachings were for everyone, not just scholars, he spoke in a language many people in India understood, Pali. ( Hindu texts were written in Sanskrit, which few people could read or understand.) In a country with a system of segregation based on caste, the Buddha's democratic views were a novelty and won him many followers.

Since no one wrote down exactly what the Buddha said, all the Buddhist teachings begin with the phrase, "Thus have I heard." Then they go on to tell what Buddha taught and believed. The oldest Buddhist writings, the Pali Canon, are also known as the Three Baskets. One of the baskets, the Vinaya (meaning "discipline") spelled out the rules for the Buddhist monks, known as bhikkus. These monks constitute the oldest continuous religious order of all the world's great religions. Buddhist texts indicate that in the beginning the Buddha allowed only men to enter the monastic community (called the sangha) but that later he permitted women to take vows as well. Buddhist nuns are known as bhikkunis.

After the Buddha's death, his followers split into a number of factions, each with its own interpretations of the master's teachings. Within 200 years two major traditions emerged. This schism has persisted to the present time. Even within the major traditions, there are smaller sects.

The older tradition, known as the Way of the Elders, is also called Hinayana, or the Lesser Vehicle. Its adherents are the more conservative interpreters of the Buddhist teachings, and the name was given them by the other major tradition, the Mahayana, or the Greater Vehicle. A more respectful name for the Way of the Elders is Theravada Buddhism. It is still the main tradition in countries such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. The Greater Vehicle, Mahayana, is the form of Buddhism popular in Mongolia, Tibet, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Nepal. The word vehicle suggests that Buddhism is a means of journeying from the pain of this world to the bliss of the next. Each tradition believes that it is the best vehicle for Buddhists on their Path.

Zen Buddhism is a derivative of the Mahayana school, which has far more followers than the Theravada school. The most popular school of Buddhism in Japan is part of the Mahayana tradition.

The Mahayana tradition accepts a number of teachings and texts not recognized by the Theravadan, but the basic difference between the two schools is in how they see the life and teachings of the Buddha. Theravada Buddhists honor him as a perfected master. They focus on the historical figure and stress the monastic life and the striving for wisdom. Mahayana Buddhists, on the other hand, emphasize the heavenly nature of the Buddha and stress the importance of many different buddhas, both those in the past and those to come in the future; they believe striving for compassion is just as important as the cultivation of wisdom.

This difference of interpretation led to the fundamental split between the two schools. Theravada Buddhists concentrate on the emancipation of the individual through his own efforts, while the Mahayana stress salvation through a life of good works. The Mahayanists emphasize compassion for all things and believe that the ideal goal is to become a bodhisattva, a person who has achieved Enlightenment but has delayed entry into Nirvana to help others attain salvation. Since all the teachings of the Buddha were written long after his death, each school disputes the other's writings. The Theravada school criticizes the writings of the Mahayana for not being authentic. The Mahayanas believe that the Buddha taught each according to his own level of understanding and taught only the most basic ideas to the Theravadas. His deepest insights, say the Mahayanas, he reserved for those on the Greater Vehicle (the Mahayanas).

A third major movement emerged as Buddhism spread into new regions and came into contact with new religions. Vajrayana ("Diamond Vehicle"), or Esoteric Buddhism, first appeared in India in the 6th century ad and later spread into Tibet. This school, which has its own texts, the Tantras, emphasizes the importance of the master-student relationship and adopts a mystical approach to the Path toward Enlightenment.

In all its many different forms, Buddhism has three cornerstones that are always the same. These are the Three Jewels: Buddha, the teacher; dharma, the teachings or laws; and sangha, the monastic community. Monks, nuns, and devout laypeople believe that these three elements of their religion shelter and protect them in the world. This is expressed in a Buddhist prayer, "I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the dharma. I take refuge in the sangha."

For those who choose to live their lives as Buddhist monks or nuns, the Three Jewels form the center of their daily lives. Prayer, meditation, and other rituals keep them on the Eightfold Path. In the Theravada tradition monks live isolated lives in their monastery retreats, whereas Mahayana monks include service to the larger community as part of their Path.

Throughout the Buddhist countries of Asia, holidays are celebrated to commemorate the life and teachings of the Buddha. The Theravada tradition celebrates four days every month as uposatha days. These are the new moon, the full moon, and the eighth day after each new and full moon. Sermons, prayers, and offerings mark the uposatha day ceremonies. These ceremonies include offering flowers to the image of the Buddha, reciting the sutras (key texts on the teachings of the Buddha), and meditating. During the uposatha days, monks confess their transgressions and listen to recitations of the rules of conduct, and religious laypersons take special vows and dress simply.

Theravada Buddhists continue the practice of vassa, a three-month retreat during the rainy season, from July to October. The Buddha himself made this retreat. Many laypeople take a monk's vows for three months, and monks mark their years in the community by the number of vassas they have attended. The end of vassa is often marked by great celebrations and the giving of gifts to the monks.

Three major points in the life of the Buddha are celebrated in all Buddhist countries-his birth, Enlightenment, and his death or final Nirvana. In countries of the Theravada tradition, all three events are celebrated on the same day. This is the full moon of the sixth lunar month, usually falling in April. In Mahayana countries, the Buddha's birth is remembered on April 8, his Enlightenment on December 8, and his death on February 15. In Japan the celebration of the Buddha's birth merged with a native religious ceremony into the flower festival known as Hanamatsuri.

In China and Japan, with their long traditions of ancestor worship, Buddhists have an All Souls Festival for the dead. This festival has two purposes: to remember the dead and to bring final peace to the spirits of those who have died unburied.

For the first 200 years after the Buddha's death, Buddhism was a local religion in India. When King Ashoka converted to Buddhism in the 3rd century, he used the resources of his kingdom to spread the religion as far south as Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka) and as far north as Kashmir. Buddhism remained an important religion in India until the 12th century, when a combination of factors led to its demise. In the 20th century Buddhism enjoyed a revival in India as a result of the entry of Buddhists from Tibet and the conversion to Buddhism of many intellectuals and people from the lower castes.

Beginning about ad 150, trade between India, China, and the Roman Empire brought Indian people and ideas into China. Buddhism traveled overland from India to China as Mahayana monks rode with the traders' caravans. In the 3rd century the Mahayana sutras, key texts on the teachings of the Buddha, were translated into Chinese. In the 4th and 5th centuries Buddhism became the dominant faith of China, reaching a peak in the 7th century.

Buddhism was introduced into Korea in the 4th century. First accepted by the royal court, the religion slowly spread among the Korean people. Ultimately one sect of Chinese Buddhism, known as Ch'an (Zen in Japanese), became the dominant school of Buddhist thought in Korea.

From Korea, Buddhism was brought to Japan for the first time in the 6th century, between 550 and 600. Korean royalty sent missionaries to the Japanese imperial court, assuring the Japanese that Buddhism would bring great blessings to their country. In the 7th century a devout Buddhist regent, Prince Shotoku, introduced Buddhism into the governing of the state. By the 8th century Buddhist monks were working as civil servants for the imperial government in the outlying areas. After the 8th century many different sects grew up and prospered. Those with the biggest following were known as Tendai and Shingon. The largest sect in Japan today is known as the True Pure Land sect, or Jodo Shinsu.

The Chinese Ch'an group, which flourished in China between the 11th and 13th centuries, was the last great Buddhist sect to thrive in China. It was introduced into Japan as Zen in the 9th century and became popular about 1200. During Japan's civil war (1300 to 1600), the Zen temples were the only available centers of peace and learning. Buddhism was introduced into Tibet in the 7th century. Tibetan Buddhism is a combination of Mahayana and Vajrayana elements from northern India.

Visual art has been a useful instrument in bringing Buddhism to many people. Throughout Asia, drawings, paintings, and sculptures of the Buddha have been used for teaching and veneration.

Buddhist art is not just decoration. Images of the Buddha show people what it looks like to have achieved Nirvana, total bliss. He is shown as calm and loving, usually with a soft smile and radiant energy. Some scenes show the Buddha at key moments of his life, for example, sitting under the Bo tree. Others illustrate his teachings. There is a story that tells of the Buddha offering his body as food for a hungry mother tiger and her cubs because he felt that all life was sacred. This scene is a popular visual theme in the cave temples of China and Japan. The earliest representations of the Buddha, however, depict him in symbols: a tree indicating his Enlightenment or a wheel his first sermon.

Other Buddhist paintings illustrate the sacred writings, as stained glass windows were created to illustrate the Bible in many Christian churches. Since Buddhists believe that anyone can be on the Path toward Enlightenment, these visual images of the Buddha along his own Path are a helpful addition to the writings that people study. They make the texts more personal and inviting.

Buddhist imagery has played a significant role in the development of sacred art and temple architecture throughout Asia. It is through the artistic images and temple remains that scholars have been able to trace the growth and spread of Buddhism. Artistic styles, for example, were carried from one culture to another as Buddhism spread throughout Asia. Many of the Buddhist images of China and Japan had their origin in India many centuries before.

The primary Buddhist architectural monument is the stupa, a shrine containing the relics of the Buddha. Stupas were introduced to new regions with the spread of Buddhism and brought with them traditions of Buddhist art. The stupas not only contained relics of the Buddha but were decorated with scenes from his life. ( See also Indian architecture.)

Buddhist sacred writings influenced the literature of the countries that accepted Buddhism as a religion. The oldest texts of Buddhism are the Pali Canon, the writings that are held most authentic by the older and more conservative school, the Theravada. These texts concentrate on the Theravada goal of the individual becoming a Buddha. The Mahayana school has for many centuries built on this base, but their writings are more keyed to their own philosophy of serving others.

Like the religion itself and the visual imagery, Buddhist sacred literature began in India and was spread in translation through Asia. Each country made the literature its own and was, in turn, influenced in other areas of cultural development by the teachings of the Buddha.

Buddhism has always been ready and able to develop in new environments, with different cultures and customs, and yet still remain faithful to the teachings of the Buddha. It is therefore not surprising that Buddhism continues to flourish in Asia.

During the colonial expansion of the European powers throughout Asia, only Japan and Thailand were not colonized. In all other Buddhist countries, Buddhists chose to take a nationalist and political stand against imperialism. As one example, the king of Burma (now Myanmar) proclaimed himself the protector of the Buddhist community in order to protect his people.

In the 20th century Buddhism had to contend with communism, with varying degrees of success. Mongolia, China, Tibet, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam had all become communist countries by the late 1970s, though most of them later rejected communism. The most damage to Buddhism was done in Tibet, where the Chinese communist occupation that began in the 1950s almost wiped out the spiritual and cultural basis of the Tibetan culture. In 1959 the Dalai Lama, head of the Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy, fled to India with 100,000 followers. In his absence thousands of temples were destroyed and monks were persecuted. Many monks went to Europe or the United States.

In Japan, the most industrialized of East Asian countires, Buddhism is still a strong force. The most successful of the "new religions" that sprang up in 20th-century Japan was the Buddhist group Soka-Gakkai ("Value Creation Society"), which was based on the 13th-century teachings of Nichiren. Today, Soka-Gakkai claims millions of followers.

Western thinkers have been interested in Buddhism for nearly 200 years, from the time of the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. European artists, scholars, and philosophers started Buddhist study groups in Europe early in the 19th century. European interest in Buddhism at first centered on the Theravada school, but in the 20th century Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism attracted more attention.

Buddhism was brought to the United States by immigrants in the 19th century. Many Buddhists arriving from Asia established communities and temples to continue their religious practices. At first, the largest communities were on the West coast, where the immigrants arrived. Now there are Buddhist communities throughout the United States. Many different schools of Buddhism are represented, the two fastest growing being Zen and Tibetan Buddhism.

Many Westerners have become so deeply interested in Buddhism that they are becoming Buddhist teachers themselves. In the United States the centuries-old religion is undergoing yet another major transformation. Much as it has been adapted before to so many cultures, Buddhism is being modified to fit 21st-century American ideas and culture.

Michael Frassetto

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Buddhism is the name for a complex system of beliefs developed around the teachings of the Buddha. Though used by many religious groups in ancient India, the title Buddha...