How did Buddhism originate? Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion that teaches that the soul constantly reincarnates. The death of one body is the birth of another. Each new life is new suffering and trials, needs and desires. The theory of reincarnation has another name, which sounds like the "wheel of Samsara". It spins, and the soul of the creature is born again and again in a different image. The founder of Buddhism is a real historical character who, by his example, showed how to break the vicious circle.

Birth of the Enlightened One

The lotus flower is a symbol of Buddha. It originates and grows in a swamp, however, it fascinates with its purity and innocence. Throughout the ages, the flower has been associated with human consciousness. Everyone can live like in a swamp, surrounded on all sides by mud, but this should not prevent him from sprouting as a pure and beautiful lotus.

The name of the founder of Buddhism is Siddhartha Gautama. This is a real historical figure who was born under the Himalayas around 563 BC in the city of Lumbini. Then it was the territory of northern India, now part of Nepal. The future educator was the son of a raja. His father, Shuddhodana, ruled over a semi-independent kingdom. There is a legend that before the pregnancy his mother had a strange dream. She saw a white elephant - a symbol of great happiness. The woman died a few hours after the baby was born. According to Buddhism, having given birth to the Enlightened One, she fulfilled the purpose of her life. The child was raised by an aunt.

It was the father who gave the name Siddhartha, which means "fulfillment of desires." After the birth of his son, the king called the wise man to tell him the fate of the child. The righteous Asita prophesied for him the life of either a successful ruler who would unite the lands, or a great philosopher. Everything depended on the path he chose. He could come to the second only by coming into contact with all the horrors human life. But the father of the blessed child decided to choose the fate for his son himself. He was afraid that he would refuse the inheritance. Then the man did not even guess that his son was the founder of the religion of Buddhism.

Great Destiny

Shuddhodana limited the child's communication with the real world. The guy lived in happiness and without sadness. Depending on the season, the prince lived in a different palace. He dressed richly, he was constantly entertained by beautiful dancers. Everyone around him was young, healthy and cheerful. The son of a wealthy man, he was educated in classical Indian literature. Gautama came from a warrior caste, so he also studied military craft. According to historical evidence, the founder of Buddhism was a handsome young man. At 16, he married a princess.

But the essence demanded a different life, and already with early years The Buddha often plunged into the world of dreams, comprehended silence, and sometimes moments of enlightenment came to him.

In general, Siddhartha lived without knowing about illness, poverty and death.

Four events directed on the path of self-knowledge

Everything changed when the Buddha was about thirty years old. On a walk with a servant, he met an elderly and infirm man. This shocked Siddhartha, and he continuously questioned the servant about old age. Further, fate introduced him to a leper who was terminally ill. The young man also saw the funeral procession. The fourth event that destroyed the familiar world was a meeting with an ascetic monk. But it was in him that he saw blessed peace and happiness. Everything new impressed Siddhartha so much that he was overcome by deep sadness. The serene childhood is gone forever.

Then the future founder of Buddhism decided to find a way out of the world of sorrow and suffering.

All the requests of relatives to leave the vain search for happiness did not convince the man. Gautama left wealth, entertainment and the family where his son was born, and went to the path of enlightenment as a poor man. At that time it was a rarity, because family values ​​were high.

Path to awakening

The man lived in poverty and ate almost nothing. He was fond of various sciences of self-knowledge, but did not find what he was looking for. The study philosophical systems did not provide answers to his lofty questions. The teachings of various schools and practices also became fruitless.

He further searched for truth through asceticism. He starved himself and tortured his body. He turned to various gurus for advice, since the gods of Buddhism were not a path to the truth for anyone. There are sources that say that his body became so thin that his spine could be seen through his belly. But holding his breath and giving up earthly goods did not bring him closer to the truth.

So, after some time he spent several days on the road. At the Nairanjana River, due to fatigue, he could not get up and fell into a deep faint. Attempts to know the truth through renunciation ended unsuccessfully, after which the man decided to no longer practice hunger and immobility. Taking a plate of rice from a peasant woman, he became an outcast for his friends. The ascetics thought that after six years of wandering through the forests, the man decided to return to a luxurious life.

Discovery of truth

Then the founder of Buddhism sat in the lotus position under a tree on the river bank. He promised himself to meditate until the truths were revealed before his eyes.

Siddhartha was motionless for 49 days. And only after four weeks of practice on a May night, similar to the one when he was born, enlightenment came to him. He saw all his previous lives, the births and deaths of other beings, he realized that the mind is not eternal, but changes over time. From that day on, the man was called Buddha, that is, the Enlightened One.

The founder of Buddhism knew that the soul cannot find rest as long as desires arise. Man's thirst for power, glory, wealth is the basis of rebirth. And only by overcoming the weakness for desires in oneself, one can leave the world that is filled with pain and grief. Such a victory will be crowned with nirvana, a state of absolute peace.

Even today, the Buddhist world celebrates vesak on this occasion. This is a celebration of the birth, enlightenment and death of a teacher.

Vocation

He returned from the beautiful world of silence, and the first thing he did was to catch up with his fellow ascetics. To them, a man opened his way to nirvana. He became a spiritual mentor for the nations. Now in a world full of disappointments, the Buddha shared his knowledge with people.

And so for another 45 years, the founder of the religion of Buddhism walked around eastern and northern India. He and his followers opened to everyone, regardless of origin, the secret road to peace. His teaching was called "the eight-year path". The Buddha broke faith in the Brahmins and encouraged everyone to seek their own path of insight. He broke the theory about the traditions of religions.

End of suffering

Gautama lived to be 80 years old. His life ended in a poor blacksmith's hut, where his supporters were with him. After the death of the preacher, his disciples continued his work. One of them, two thousand years later, was the Dalai Lama.

Today Buddhism is not just a religion, it is also a philosophy.

There are no gods in Buddhism as such, but there is the teaching of Gautama. Fans consider him special because he was the first to discover nirvana, but not the only one to achieve enlightenment. Everyone who follows the right path will be able to achieve success. One's own path is a tool through which one can obtain absolute peace. This is not just a renunciation of desires and material things, this is not a desire to possess them. The Buddha also taught that there was once something formless, eternal and all-encompassing. But the main goal is to grow something like God in yourself.

The concept of deity in Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion without God. In old Buddhist texts there are legends about some mythological creatures that made up the celestial pantheon. So, for example, Siddhartha himself met under a tree, where he was enlightened, with the evil deity Mara. He tried to seduce him with beautiful dancers and scare him with terrible demons. But, as you know, the Buddha survived and received insight as a reward. And neither Gautama nor spirits like the Marys were prayed to. This deity, like many other things, the religion learned from Hinduism. So, for example, the concept of karma passed into faith.

Buddha cannot be called an atheist. He avoided talking about God and preached the dharma. This teaching of the Buddha is translated as "the way", "law", "truth" or " life force”, depending on the language.

On the teacher's path

Gradually, through the disciples of the Enlightened One, religion spread throughout the East. But the man, the founder of the current, was never considered something immense and heavenly. Not unique creature, but only an example to follow - that's who the Buddha was. Religion easily entered the traditions of people, because it did not contradict their perceptions of God. The followers who preached the way to the truth gathered during the rainy season to socialize in a circle of like-minded people. Monastic communities subsequently arose from such meetings. Their days consisted of meditations leading to nirvana.

There have been other Enlightened Ones in history, but they all came to the truth through the teachings of the Buddha. And today, millions of people worship the wisdom of Siddharha. His devotion to the idea of ​​a higher destiny of man inspires him to seek his own path. Engage in self-knowledge and develop spiritually. This man gave up everything, starved, lost the respect of his relatives and more than once was on the verge of death. But in the end, he became immortal and helped many to find the true meaning of life. Siddharha clearly demonstrated by his example that material values ​​\u200b\u200bmean nothing, because in fact everything is based on love.

The Perfect One is free from any conception, for he has realized what his body is, where it comes from and where it disappears to. He comprehended the meaning of feelings, how they arise and how they disappear. He realized samkhara (mental structures), how they arise and how they go. He comprehended the nature of consciousness, how it arises and how it disappears.

Literally in these words lies the whole meaning of the Buddhist teaching, at least in its original form. The founder and main object of worship in Buddhism is Prince Gautama Siddhartha, who lived in 563-483 BC, which indicates that this religion is one of the oldest in the world.

According to legend, at the age of 35, Gautama achieved enlightenment, after which he changed his life and the lives of many people who followed him. It can be easily argued that this is still happening today. He was called "Buddha" by his followers (from the Sanskrit "buddha" - enlightened, awakened). His sermon lasted 40 years, Siddhartha died at the age of 80, without leaving a single written composition about himself. Before and after him, there were other enlightened personalities - Buddhas who contributed to spiritual development civilization. Followers of some branches of Buddhism consider the preachers of other religions as teachers-Buddhas - Christ, Mohammed and others.

Concept of God in Buddhism

Some individual sects revere the Buddha as God, but the rest of the Buddhists see him as their founder, mentor and enlightener. Buddhists believe that enlightenment can only be achieved through the infinite energy of the universe. Thus, the Buddhist world does not recognize a creator god, omniscient and omnipotent. Every person is a part of God. Buddhists do not have one permanent God, every enlightened one can achieve the title of "Buddha". This understanding of God makes Buddhism different from most Western religions.

The essence of the practice of Buddhism

Buddhists seek to purify clouded states of mind that distort reality. These are anger, fear, ignorance, selfishness, laziness, jealousy, envy, greed, irritation and others. Buddhism cultivates and develops such pure and beneficial qualities of consciousness as kindness, generosity, gratitude, compassion, diligence, wisdom, and others. All this allows you to gradually learn and clear your mind, which leads to a lasting sense of well-being. By making the mind strong and bright, Buddhists reduce the anxiety and irritation that lead to adversity and depression. Ultimately, Buddhism is necessary condition for the deepest insights that lead to the final liberation of the mind.

Buddhism is not so much a mystical religion as a philosophical one. The Buddhist doctrine contains 4 main "noble truths" about human suffering:

On the nature of suffering;
about the origin and causes of suffering;
about the cessation of suffering and the elimination of its sources;
about ways to end suffering.

The last, fourth truth points to the path to the destruction of suffering and pain, otherwise called the eightfold path to achieve inner peace. This state of mind allows one to plunge into transcendental meditation and achieve wisdom and enlightenment.

Morality and Ethics of Buddhism

Buddhist morality and ethics are built on the principles of doing no harm and moderation. At the same time, a sense of morality, concentration and wisdom is brought up and developed in a person. And with the help of meditation, Buddhists learn the mechanisms of the mind and cause-and-effect relationships between the bodily, spiritual and psychological processes. The teachings of Buddhism have become the basis of a number of schools, which are united by the fact that each, at its own level of understanding the life and teachings of the Buddha, is aimed at the all-round development of a person - the meaningful use of the body, speech and mind.

But since the Buddhist teaching is multifaceted and based not on faith, but on experience, it is not enough to confine ourselves to a description of its content. Features of this spiritual path become visible only in comparison with other worldviews and religions. And it is worth approaching the teachings of the Buddha only after the energy of the mind has been released from strict moral standards.

The development of Buddhism in the world

The call for freedom from suffering and faith in the energy of the universe led to the emergence of Western mentalistic doctrines of the 19th and 20th centuries. The first adherents of Buddhism in the West were mainly people from Asia and the countries of the East, who were tormented inner restlessness and then they were joined by agnostics and atheists of all affiliations.

In Tibet, Buddhism was the state religion and before the capture of Tibet by China, the main Buddhist of the country, the Dalai Lama, was also the head of state. After the Chinese invasion in the 50s of the last century, the XIV Dalai Lama was forced to leave the country and go to India in order to bring the light of teaching to his followers from there. He is the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Worship of the Dalai Lama is banned in Tibet, and even possessing a photo of the Dalai Lama will result in severe penalties for Tibetans.

In the United States and Europe, Buddhism received its large-scale distribution in the form of Zen Buddhism, a trend that arose in Japan in the 12th century. The Buddhist monk Shaku Soen, a representative of this trend, at the World Congress of Religions in Chicago (1893) delivered a stormy speech about the "deity of reason" of Zen Buddhism. After that day, Zen and yoga are the most popular Eastern teachings in the West, where the control of the mind over the body is considered a priority. Zen practices an increased focus on individual meditations and a lack of authority for scriptures, prayers and teachings. As in Buddhism, in Zen wisdom is attained through experience, and its highest hypostasis is enlightenment (awakening). It is possible that such interest in Zen Buddhism in the West arose because of the simplicity of this teaching. After all, according to the teachings of the Buddha, each person himself is capable of becoming a Buddha, which means that everyone is part of an earthly deity. And you need to look for answers only in yourself.

Hello, dear readers seekers of knowledge and truth!

Buddhism is so widespread in our time that, probably, in any corner of our planet there is a person who, if not professing it, then at least clearly interested in it. This article will tell you in which countries Buddhism is practiced, as well as tell about its features depending on the location on the map and the national mentality.

Buddhism on the world map

The oldest of the world religions appeared in the middle of the first millennium BC. During this time, she managed to take root at her origins - in India, weaken due to the appearance of Hinduism there, "spread" throughout Asia and convey her knowledge, like streams, to many states in the world.

As early as the 4th century, it reached Korea. By the 6th century it reached Japan, and in the 7th century it broke into Tibet, where it turned into a special direction. philosophical thought. Islands South-East Asia Buddhism conquered gradually - from about the 2nd century, and by the beginning of the second millennium it became widespread.

The "capture" of Mongolia by this religion lasted for many centuries - from the 8th to the 16th centuries, and from there to XVIII century it reached the border of Russia in the person of Buryatia and Tuva. In the last two centuries, Buddhist teachings have traveled tens of thousands of kilometers and have interested the inhabitants of Europe and America.

Today Buddhism has become the state religion of Thailand, Cambodia, Bhutan and Laos. It has affected the lives of people from most Asian countries in many ways. By the number of followers, you can rank countries:

1. China
2. Thailand
3. Vietnam
4. Myanmar
5. Tibet
6. Sri Lanka
7. South Korea
8. Taiwan
9. Cambodia
10. Japan
11. India

In addition, there are many followers of the Buddha in Bhutan, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia.

Curiously, in each country Buddhism took on its own, unlike the others, outlines, new forms of this philosophy, directions of thought appeared. This was explained folk features religions and cultural traditions that existed there earlier.

In Europe, Buddhism spread in the largest and most powerful countries. Here at the beginning of the 20th century. the first Buddhist organizations appeared: Germany (1903), Great Britain (1907), France (1929). And today in the United States, Buddhism boasts an honorable fourth place in terms of the number of followers, following Christianity, Judaism and atheism.

There is a World Fellowship of Buddhists whose purpose is to spread and support Buddhist thought in the world. It includes 98 centers from 37 states. Thailand has been chosen as the headquarters of this organization.

Top Buddhist countries

Even scientists find it difficult to say how many Buddhists live on the planet. Someone calls "modest" figures of 500 million, and someone says that their number ranges from 600 million to 1.3 billion. All these people come from dozens different countries. It was difficult, but we have compiled a list of the most interesting "Buddhist" countries.

India

India opens this list due to its status as the birthplace of Buddhism. Two and a half millennia ago, Prince Siddhartha Gautama appeared in the northeast of this country, and now these places are shrines in themselves. Many Buddhists make pilgrimages here and seem to be returning to the past.

Here, in a place called Bodh Gai with its Mahabodhi temple, Siddhartha understood what enlightenment is. Here is the city of Sarnath - Buddha read the first sermon. Further - Kushinagar - and the saint reached full nirvana. Today, however, among the believing population of India, the proportion of Buddhists is less than one percent.

Thailand

Everyone who has been to Thailand knows which religion is the most widespread in the country and how much the Thais love it. Buddhist, statues and other paraphernalia in this exotic country can not be counted.

Buddhism is accepted as the state religion here. According to the Constitution, the king is required to be a Buddhist.

The Thai direction of this philosophical thought is also referred to as "southern Buddhism". The way of life of people is greatly influenced by a strong belief in the laws of karma. Men are required to go through monasticism. In the capital, Bangkok, special Buddhist universities have been established.

Sri Lanka

Legends say that the Buddha personally sailed to the former Ceylon to exorcise evil spirits. So he originated here new religion which is now practiced by more than 60% of the population. Even the current sights and cultural monuments have a religious connotation.

Vietnam

Vietnam is ruled by socialism, and formally the main religion in the country is its absence - atheism. But among religions, Buddhism is in first place: about one tenth of the 94 million population somehow recognizes the teachings of the Mahayana. Supporters meet in the south and number in the tens of thousands.

Taiwan

The main religion in Taiwan is Buddhism, which is practiced by about 90% of the island's population. But this teaching is more like a symbiosis with Taoism. If we talk about strict Buddhism, then 7-15% of people adhere to it. The most interesting feature Taiwanese line of thought is the attitude towards nutrition, namely vegetarianism.

Cambodia

The history of Buddhism in Cambodia can be called truly tragic. But, looking ahead, we can say that everything ended well.

There were more than three thousand Buddhist temples in the country until the politician Pol Pot came to power and staged a "cultural revolution". Its result was the reckoning of the monks to the lower class and their subsequent repression and destruction. Few of them were destined to be saved.

After the Republic of Kampuchea was created, all the forces of the authorities were thrown into the restoration of Buddhist religious thought among the population. In 1989 it was recognized as the state religion.

China

In China, one of the components, along with Confucianism and Taoism, of the so-called San Jiao - "three religions" - on which religious views Chinese.

In the early 1990s, there was a conflict of power with Tibetan Buddhism, which she wanted to suppress by engaging in the "patriotic education" of the monks. Today, Chinese state structures tightly control the activities of religious organizations, including Buddhist ones.

Myanmar

The vast majority, namely 90% of the inhabitants of Myanmar consider themselves Buddhists. These are such nationalities as the Burmese, Mons, Arakanese, and they can be attributed to several schools of Theravada.

The Buddhist ideas of the Burmese - the followers of these schools - are mixed with the pre-existing spirit cult. Mahayana is supported mainly by the Chinese living in Myanmar.

Tibet

Buddhism came to Tibet from India, and, having absorbed the ideas and traditions of the ancient Tibetan Bon religion, took root here, becoming the main religion of the country. The three main schools - Gelug, Kagyu and Nyingma - are considered the most influential.

In the middle of the 20th century, China seized the country, persecution of monks began, many temples and monasteries were devastated by the invaders, and the Dalai Lama XIV with his supporters was forced to flee to India.

Nevertheless, Tibetans, both living in their homeland and those who fled from the Chinese authorities abroad, carefully preserve and maintain Buddhist traditions and way of life.

Japan

Japanese Buddhism covers most of the inhabitants, but it is divided into a huge number of directions and currents. Some of them took Buddhist philosophy as a basis, the second - the reading of mantras, and the third - meditative practices.

Intertwined with each other, they formed more and more new schools that are successful among different segments of the population. All of them can be conditionally divided into two groups: classical schools and neo-Buddhism.

It is Japanese preachers who study Buddhist teachings who most actively bring this knowledge to the "non-Buddhist" world, primarily to Europe and America.

Russia

Even in Russia, the ideas of Buddhism are well known, and in such national republics as Kalmykia, Buryatia, Tuva, they almost completely captured the minds of people.

Most belong to the Tibetan Gelug and Karma Kagyu schools. In the largest cities - in Moscow, St. Petersburg - Buddhist communities have long existed.

Conclusion

The Buddhist teaching over the long centuries of its existence has completely changed the consciousness of the Eurasian society. And every day this philosophy expands its boundaries, primarily in the minds of people.

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Probably, everyone has questions, the answers to which are not so easy to find. Many think about the spiritual beginning, begin to look for a way to realize their existence. One of the oldest religious denominations - Buddhism, helps in such searches, teaches the comprehension of wisdom and the increase of one's own spirituality.

What is this religion

It is difficult to answer briefly what Buddhism is, since this, its postulates are more reminiscent of philosophy. One of the fundamental provisions is the assertion that only impermanence is permanent. Simply put, in our world, only the incessant cycle of everything is constant: events, birth and death.

It is believed that the world arose by itself. And our life is, in fact, the search for the reasons for our appearance and awareness, for which we appeared. Speaking briefly about religion, Buddhism and its path are moral and spiritual, the realization that all life is suffering: birth, growing up, attachments and achievements, fear of losing what has been achieved.

The ultimate goal is enlightenment, the achievement of the highest bliss, that is, "nirvana". The Enlightened One is independent of any concepts, he has comprehended his physical, mental, mind and spirit.

Origins of Buddhism

In the north of India in the town of Lumbini in royal family the boy Siddhartha Gautama was born (563-483 BC, according to other sources - 1027-948 BC). At the age of 29, thinking about the meaning of life, Siddhatrha left the palace and took an ascetic life. Realizing that severe asceticism and debilitating will not give answers, Gautama decided to cleanse by deep.

By the age of 35, he had achieved enlightenment, becoming a Buddha and a teacher to his followers. The founder of Buddhism, Gautama, lived until the age of eighty, preaching and enlightening. It is noteworthy that Buddhists accept enlightened other religions as teachers, such as Jesus and Mohammed.

Separately about the monks

The community of Buddhist monks is considered the most ancient religious community. The way of life of the monks does not imply a complete estrangement from the world, many of them actively participate in worldly life.

Usually they travel in small groups, staying close to the laity who share their faith, since it is monasticism that is entrusted with the mission of preserving, enlightening in the faith, instructing and spreading the teachings of Gautama. It is noteworthy that after making a decision to devote their lives to monasticism, initiates are not required to completely break with the family.

The monks live off the donations of the laity, being content with only the most necessary things. Shelter, and they are provided by the laity. It is believed that a layman who helps a monk in his mission improves his own by working through its negative aspects. Therefore, believing laymen provide the monasteries financially.

The task of the monks is to show by example the right way of life, to study religion, to improve themselves both morally and spiritually, and also to keep religious writings, holy book Buddhism - Tripitaka.

Did you know? Contrary to the existing opinion that only men are monks in Buddhism, there were also women among them, they were called bhikkhunis. A classic example of this is the mother of Gautama Mahaprajapati, whom he himself elevated to the monastic rank.

Fundamentals of Doctrine

Unlike other religions, Buddhism has more philosophy than mysticism or blind faith. The main ideas of Buddhism are based on the "four noble truths". Let's briefly consider each of them.

The truth about suffering (duhkha)

The truth about suffering is that it is continuous: we are born from suffering, during our life we ​​experience it, constantly returning thoughts to some problems, having achieved something, we are afraid to lose, suffering again about this.

We suffer in search of correcting the deeds of the past, we feel guilty for misconduct. Constant experiences, fear, fear of imminent old age and death, dissatisfaction, disappointment - this is the cycle of suffering. Awareness of oneself in this cycle is the first step to the truth.

On the Cause of Suffering (Trishna)

Following the path of self-awareness, we begin to look for the cause of constant dissatisfaction. At the same time, all actions and actions lend themselves to scrupulous analysis, as a result we come to the conclusion that life is a constant struggle with suffering. Striving for something and getting what he wants, a person begins to desire even more, and so on in a circle. That is, the primary source of our suffering is an insatiable thirst for more and more new achievements.

On the cessation of suffering (nirodha)

Rotating in the cycle of struggle with their own dissatisfaction, many mistakenly believe that they can get rid of suffering by defeating their ego. However, this path leads to self-destruction. It is possible to come to an understanding of the path without suffering only by stopping the struggle with it..

Letting go of negative thoughts (anger, envy, hatred that destroy the mind and soul), starting to look for piety in ourselves, we can look at our struggle from a distance. At the same time, an understanding of the true goal comes - the cessation of the struggle is moral purification, the rejection of unholy thoughts and desires.

Truth about the path (marga)

It is important to correctly understand the true path to enlightenment. The Buddha called it the "middle way", that is, self-development and spiritual purification without fanaticism. Some of his students misunderstood the truth about the path: they saw it in a complete renunciation of desires and needs, in self-torture, and in meditative practice, instead of calm concentration, they tried to introduce themselves to bring themselves to.

This is fundamentally wrong: even the Buddha needed food, clothes, in order to have strength for further preaching. He taught to look for a way between severe asceticism and a life of pleasure, without extremes. On the path of enlightenment, meditation practice plays an important role: in this case, concentration is mainly aimed at gaining peace of mind and observing the flow of one's thoughts in the present moment.

By learning to analyze your actions here and now, in the future you can avoid repeating any mistakes. Full awareness of one's "I", the ability to step beyond the limits of the ego lead to the realization of the true path.

Did you know? In the hills east of Moniwa in Myanmar, there are unusual Buddha statues. Both are hollow inside, open to everyone, while inside there are images of events related to the development of religion. One of the statues rises to 132 meters, the second depicting the Buddha in a reclining position, has a length of 90 meters.

What Buddhists Believe: Stages of the Buddhist Path

Followers of the Buddha's teachings believe that each person did not appear on this earth by chance, each of us with each of our appearances (reincarnation) has a chance to clear karma and achieve special grace - "nirvana" (liberation from rebirth, a state of blissful peace). To do this, you need to realize the truth and free your mind from delusions.

Wisdom (prajna)

Wisdom lies in the determination to follow the teachings, the realization of truths, the manifestation of self-discipline, the renunciation of and desires. This is a vision of the situation through the prism of doubts and the acceptance of oneself and the surrounding reality as they are.

Comprehension of wisdom consists in opposing one's "I", intuitive insight through meditation, overcoming delusions. This is one of the foundations of the teaching, which consists in comprehending reality, unclouded by worldly prejudices. The word itself in Sanskrit means "superknowledge": "pra" - the highest, "jna" - knowledge.

Morality (sila)

Morality - conducting right image life: renunciation of violence in any form, trafficking in weapons, drugs, people, abuse. This is the observance of moral and ethical standards: purity of speech, without the use of swear words, without gossip, lies, rude attitude towards one's neighbor.

Concentrations (samadhi)

Samadhi in Sanskrit means unification, completion, perfection. Mastering the methods of concentration, awareness of oneself not as an individual, but in merging with the higher cosmic mind. Such an enlightened state is achieved through meditation, calming one's consciousness and contemplation, as a result, enlightenment leads to perfect consciousness, that is, to nirvana.

About the currents of Buddhism

Throughout the history of teaching, many schools and branches from classical perception have been formed, at the moment there are three main currents, and we'll talk about them. In fact, these are three paths to knowledge, which the Buddha conveyed to his disciples in different ways, in different interpretations, but they all lead to the same goal.

Hinayana

Hinayana is the oldest school that claims to accurately transmit the teachings of its founder, Buddha Shakyamuni (in the world - Gautama), based on the teacher's first sermons on the four truths. Followers draw the basic postulates of faith from the most authoritative (according to them) sources - Tripitaka, sacred texts compiled after Shakyamuni's departure to nirvana.

Of all the (eighteen) schools of Hinayana, there is the Theravada today, more of a meditative practice than a philosophy of teaching. The goal of the followers of Hinayana is to get away from everything worldly through strict renunciation, achieve enlightenment, like the Buddha, and leave the cycle of samsara, having gone into a state of bliss.

Important! The key difference between the Hinayana and the Mahayana is that in the first, the Buddha is a real person who has achieved enlightenment, in the second, a metaphysical manifestation.

Mahayana and Vajrayana

The Mahayana movement is associated with Shakyamuni's disciple Nagarjuna. In this direction, the Hinayana theory is rethought and supplemented. This direction has become widespread in Japan, China and Tibet. The theoretical basis is the sutras, the written form of spiritual revelations, according to the practitioners of Shakyamuni himself.

However, the teacher himself is perceived as a metaphysical manifestation of nature, the primary matter. The sutras state that the teacher did not leave samsara and cannot leave it, because a part of him is in each of us.

Fundamentals of the Vajrayana - . The direction itself, along with the practice of Mahayana, uses various rituals and rituals, reading to strengthen the individual and her spiritual growth, and self-awareness. Tantrics most revere Padmasambhava, the founder of the Tantric movement in Tibet.

How to become a Buddhist

For a person interested in learning, there are several recommendations:

• Before becoming a Buddhist, read the relevant literature, ignorance of terminology and theory will not allow you to fully immerse yourself in the teachings.
• You should decide on the direction, choose the school that suits you.
• Study the traditions of the chosen trend, meditative practices and basic postulates.

To become a part of a religious teaching, it is necessary to go through the eightfold path of realizing the truth, which consists of eight stages:

1. Understanding, which is achieved by thinking about the truth of being.
2. Determination, which is expressed in the renunciation of everything that exists.
3. This stage is to achieve a speech in which there are no lies and swear words.
4. On the this stage a person learns to do only good deeds.
5. At this stage, a person comes to an understanding of true life.
6. At this stage, a person comes to the realization of the true thought.
7. At this stage, a person must achieve complete, renunciation of everything external.
8. At this stage, a person reaches enlightenment, having gone through all the previous stages.

Having traveled this path, a person learns the philosophy of teaching and joins it. Beginners are advised to seek guidance and some clarification from a teacher, this may be a wandering monk.

Important!Keep in mind that several meetings will not give the result you expect: the teacher will not be able to answer all the questions. To do this, next to him you need to live side by side for a long time, perhaps years.

The main work on oneself is to renounce everything negative, you need to apply in life everything that you read about in the sacred texts. Give up bad habits, do not show violence and rudeness, foul language, help people without expecting anything in return. Only self-purification, self-improvement and morality will lead you to an understanding of the teaching itself and its foundations.

You can be formally recognized as a true follower by meeting with the Lama in person. Only he will decide whether you are ready to follow the teachings.

Buddhism: differences from other religions

Buddhism does not recognize one god, the creator of all things, the doctrine is based on the fact that everyone has a divine principle, everyone can become enlightened and achieve nirvana. Buddha is a teacher.

The path of enlightenment, unlike world religions, consists in self-improvement and the achievement of morality and morality, and not in blind faith. A living religion recognizes and recognized science, smoothly adjusting to it, recognizing the existence of other worlds and dimensions, while considering the Earth a blessed place from where, by purifying karma and achieving enlightenment, you can get into nirvana.

Sacred texts are not an indisputable authority, but only guidance and guidance on the path to truth. The search for answers and awareness of wisdom lies through self-knowledge, and not unquestioning obedience to the postulates of faith. That is, faith itself is based primarily on experience.

Unlike Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, Buddhists do not accept the idea of ​​absolute sin. Sin, from the point of view of the teachings, is a mistake of the individual, which can be corrected in subsequent reincarnations. That is, there is no strict definition of "hell" and "heaven" because there is no morality in nature. Any mistake is correctable, and as a result, any person through reincarnation can clear karma, that is, pay off his debt to the Universal Mind.

In Judaism, Islam or Christianity, the only salvation is God. In Buddhism, salvation depends on oneself, understanding one's nature, following moral and ethical standards, refraining from negative manifestations of one's ego, and self-improvement. There are also differences in monasticism: instead of complete thoughtless submission to the abbot, monks make decisions as a community, the head of the community is also elected collectively. Of course, respect must be shown to elders and experienced people. In the community also, unlike the Christian ones, there are no titles or ranks.

It is impossible to learn everything about Buddhism at once, teaching and improvement takes years. One can be imbued with the truths of the teaching only by devoting oneself entirely to this religion.

Buddhism, along with Islam and Christianity, is considered a world religion. This means that she is not defined by the ethnicity of her followers. Anyone can profess it, regardless of race, nationality and place of residence. In the article we will briefly consider the main ideas of Buddhism.

Summary of the Ideas and Philosophy of Buddhism

Briefly about the history of the emergence of Buddhism

Buddhism is one of the most ancient religions in the world. Its origin took place in opposition to the then dominant Brahminism in the middle of the first millennium BC in the northern part of India. In philosophy ancient india Buddhism occupied and occupies a key place, closely intertwined with it.

If we consider the emergence of Buddhism briefly, then, according to a separate category of scientists, certain changes in the life of the Indian people contributed to this phenomenon. Approximately in the middle of the VI century BC. Indian society was overtaken by a cultural and economic crisis. Those tribal and traditional ties that existed before that time began to gradually undergo changes. It is very important that it was during that period that the formation of class relations took place. There were many ascetics roaming the expanses of India, who formed their own vision of the world, which they shared with other people. So, in opposition to the foundations of that time, Buddhism appeared, which earned recognition among the people.

A large number of scholars believe that the founder of Buddhism was a real man by the name Siddhartha Gautama , known as Buddha Shakyamuni . He was born in 560 BC. in a wealthy family of the king of the Shakya tribe. From childhood, he knew neither disappointment nor need, he was surrounded by boundless luxury. And so Siddhartha lived his youth, being ignorant of the existence of disease, old age and death. The real shock for him was that he once encountered an old man, a sick man and a funeral procession while walking outside the palace. This influenced him so much that at the age of 29 he joins a group of wandering hermits. So he begins the search for the truth of being. Gautama tries to understand the nature of human troubles and tries to find ways to eliminate them. Realizing that an endless series of reincarnations is inevitable if one does not get rid of suffering, he tried to find answers to his questions from the sages.

After spending 6 years wandering, he tested different techniques, practiced yoga, but came to the conclusion that such methods of enlightenment cannot be achieved. Effective methods he counted meditations and prayers. It was while he was spending time meditating under the Bodhi tree that he experienced enlightenment through which he found the answer to his question. After his discovery, he spent a few more days at the site of a sudden insight, and then went to the valley. And they began to call him Buddha ("enlightened"). There he began to preach the doctrine to people. The very first sermon took place in Benares.

Basic concepts and ideas of Buddhism

One of the main goals of Buddhism is the path to nirvana. Nirvana is a state of awareness of one's soul, achieved through self-denial, rejection of the comfortable conditions of the external environment. The Buddha, after spending a long time in meditation and deep reflection, mastered the method of controlling his own consciousness. In the process, he came to the conclusion that people are very attached to worldly goods, overly worried about the opinions of other people. Because of this human soul not only does not develop, but also degrades. Having reached nirvana, you can lose this addiction.

The essential four truths underlying Buddhism are:

1. There is the concept of dukkha (suffering, anger, fear, self-flagellation and other negatively colored experiences). Everyone is affected by dukkha to a greater or lesser extent.
2. Dukkha always has a cause that contributes to the appearance of addiction - greed, vanity, lust, etc.
3. Addiction and suffering can be overcome.
4. It is possible to be completely free from dukkha through the path leading to nirvana.

The Buddha was of the opinion that it is necessary to adhere to " middle way”, that is, each person must find the“ golden ”mean between a well-to-do, satiated with luxury, and an ascetic, deprived of all the benefits of humanity, way of life.

There are three main treasures in Buddhism:

1. Buddha - he can be both the creator of the teaching himself, and his follower who has achieved enlightenment.
2. Dharma is the teaching itself, its foundations and principles, and what it can give to its followers.
3. Sangha is a community of Buddhists who adhere to the laws of this religious teaching.

In order to achieve all three jewels, Buddhists resort to fighting three poisons:

• removal from the truth of being and ignorance;
• desires and passions that contribute to the emergence of suffering;
• intemperance, anger, inability to accept anything here and now.

According to the ideas of Buddhism, every person experiences both bodily and mental suffering. Sickness, death and even birth are suffering. But such a state is unnatural, so you need to get rid of it.

Briefly about the philosophy of Buddhism

This doctrine cannot be called only a religion, in the center of which is God, who created the world. Buddhism is a philosophy, the principles of which we will briefly discuss below. The teaching involves assistance in directing a person to the path of self-development and self-awareness.

In Buddhism, there is no idea that there is an eternal soul that atones for sins. However, everything that a person does and how, finds its imprint - it will definitely return to him. This is not divine punishment. These are the consequences of all actions and thoughts that leave traces on one's own karma.

In Buddhism, there are basic truths revealed by the Buddha:

1. Human life is suffering. All things are impermanent and transitory. When it arises, everything must be destroyed. Existence itself is symbolized in Buddhism as a flame that devours itself, and fire can only bring suffering.
2. Suffering comes from desire. Man is so attached to the material aspects of existence that he craves life passionately. The more this desire is, the more he will suffer.
3. Getting rid of suffering is possible only with the help of getting rid of desires. Nirvana is a state upon reaching which a person experiences the extinction of passions and thirst. Thanks to nirvana, a feeling of bliss arises, freedom from the transmigration of souls.
4. To achieve the goal of getting rid of desire, one should resort to the eightfold path of salvation. It is this path that is called the "middle" one, which allows you to get rid of suffering by refusing to go to extremes, which is somewhere between the torture of the flesh and the indulgence of physical pleasures.

The Eightfold Path of Salvation suggests:

• right understanding - the most important thing to do is to realize that the world is full of suffering and sorrow;
• right intentions - you need to take the path of limiting your passions and aspirations, the fundamental basis of which is human egoism;
• correct speech - it should be good, so you should watch your words (so that they do not exude evil);
• right deeds - one should do good deeds, refrain from non-virtuous deeds;
• the right way of life - only a worthy way of life, not harming all living things, can bring a person closer to getting rid of suffering;
• right efforts - you need to tune in to good, drive away all evil from yourself, carefully following the course of your thoughts;
• right thoughts - the most important evil comes from our own flesh, getting rid of the desires of which you can get rid of suffering;
• correct concentration - the eightfold path requires constant training, concentration.

The first two stages are called prajna and suggest the stage of attaining wisdom. The next three are the regulation of morality and right conduct (sila). The remaining three steps represent the discipline of the mind (samadha).

Directions of Buddhism

The very first who supported the teachings of the Buddha began to gather in a secluded place for the period while it was raining. Since they renounced any property, they were called bhiksha - "beggars". They shaved their heads baldly, dressed in rags (mostly yellow color) and moved from place to place. Their life was unusually ascetic. When it rains, they hide in caves. They were usually buried where they lived, and on the site of their graves a stupa was built (structures-crypts of a domed shape). Their entrances were made blindly immured and buildings of various purposes were built around the stupas.

After the death of the Buddha, a convocation of his followers took place, who canonized the teaching. But the period of the greatest flourishing of Buddhism can be considered the reign of Emperor Ashoka - III century BC. BC.

Can be distinguished three main philosophical schools of Buddhism , formed in different periods of the existence of the doctrine:

1. Hinayana. The monk is considered the main ideal of the direction - only he can get rid of reincarnations. There is no pantheon of saints who could intercede for a person, there are no rituals, the concept of hell and paradise, cult sculptures, icons. Everything that happens to a person is the result of his actions, thoughts and lifestyle.
2. Mahayana. Even a layman (of course, if he is pious), along with a monk, can achieve salvation. There is an institution of bodhisattvas, who are saints who help people on the path to their salvation. The concept of paradise, the pantheon of saints, images of buddhas and bodhisattvas also appear.
3. Vajrayana. It is a tantric teaching based on the principles of self-control and meditation.

So, the main idea of ​​Buddhism is that human life is suffering and one should strive to get rid of it. This teaching continues to spread steadily around the planet, gaining more and more supporters.