Relig. Philosopher a teaching that arose in ancient India in the 6th-5th centuries. BC e. and transformed in the course of its development into one of the three, along with Christianity and Islam, world religions. Founder of B. ind. Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who received... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia
Religion founded by Gautama Buddha (6th century BC). All Buddhists revere Buddha as the founder of the spiritual tradition that bears his name. In almost all areas of Buddhism there are monastic orders, whose members act as teachers and... ... Collier's Encyclopedia
In the second half of the 6th first quarter of the 5th century. BC e. Another religious and philosophical teaching arose, which entered into open confrontation with the Vedic religious and mythological thinking and was so clearly manifested in the Vedas and epics. It is connected... Encyclopedia of Mythology
- (from Buddha). Religious doctrine founded by Buddha; confession of this teaching and worship of Buddha as a deity. Dictionary foreign words, included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. BUDDHISM [Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Buddhism- – if necessary VI Vғ.ғ. Let's go back and forth between philosophy and philosophy. Negіzіn qalaushy Siddhartha Gautama (Gotama), key ol Buddha dep atalgan (magynasy – kozi ashylgan, oyangan, nurlangan). Ol oz uagyzdarynda brahmanismdі baylyk pen san… … Philosophy terminerdin sozdigi
Buddhism- a, m. bouddhisme m. One of the world religions that arose in the 6th century. BC e. in India and named after its legendary founder Gautami, who later received the name Buddha (enlightened); Buddhism became widespread in China... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language
Buddhism is now split into two different Churches: Southern and Northern. The former is said to be a purer form as it more strictly preserves the original teachings of the Lord Buddha. This is the religion of Ceylon, Siam, Burma and other countries, at that time... Religious terms
Cm … Synonym dictionary
One of the three world religions. Originated in Ancient India in the 6th centuries BC in India and named after its legendary founder Gautama, who later received the name Buddha (enlightened). The founder is considered to be Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhism... ... Encyclopedia of Cultural Studies
BUDDHISM- is now split into two different Churches: Southern and Northern. The former is said to be a purer form as it more strictly preserves the original teachings of the Lord Buddha. It is the religion of Ceylon, Siam, Burma and other countries, while... ... Theosophical Dictionary
BUDDHISM, one of the three world religions along with Christianity and Islam. B. originated in ancient India in the 6th–5th centuries. BC e. and in the course of its development it was divided into a number of religious and philosophical schools. The founder of B. is considered to be the Indian prince Siddhartha... ... Big encyclopedic Dictionary
Books
- Buddhism, Nile. This book will be produced in accordance with your order using Print-on-Demand technology. Reproduced in the author's original spelling…
- Buddhism, A. N. Kochetov. The book you are holding in your hands is not a novel or an adventure story. These are not travel notes, although the author often shares his impressions of the birthplace of Buddhism, which he recently…
Hello, dear readers!
Today in our article we will talk about what Buddhism is and give short description this religion.
Buddhism is one of the main world religions along with Christianity and Islam. There are about 500 million “pure” Buddhists in the world who profess only Buddhism. However, this religion does not prohibit adherence to any other faith. IN Lately Buddhism is very popular in the Western world, many people come to the desire to join it. Perhaps not last role The peacefulness and tranquility of this religion plays into this.
Story
First, let's find out where and how this religious and philosophical movement appeared.
Buddhism originated in the 6th century BC. in India. From India, Buddhism spread to other Asian countries. The more popular it became, the more branches it formed.
The founder of Buddhism was Prince Gautama Siddhartha. He was born into a rich family, and his life was full of luxury and fun.
According to legend, at the age of 29, the prince had an epiphany: he realized that he was wasting his life. Deciding to leave his previous existence, he becomes an ascetic. For the next six years, Gautama was a hermit: he wandered and practiced yoga.
Legend has it that at 30 s. extra years Having achieved spiritual enlightenment, the prince began to be called , which means “enlightened one.” He sat under a tree and meditated for 49 days, after which his mind became detached and bright. He realized a state of joy and peace.
Later, the Buddha's disciples called this tree "", or the tree of enlightenment. Buddha had many followers. His disciples came to him, listened to his speeches about the teachings, or dharma, listened to his sermons, and meditated in order to also become enlightened.
Buddhism says that anyone can become enlightened by achieving high awareness of their soul.
Basic concepts in Buddhism
Since in Buddhism there are many philosophical concepts that reflect the essence of this Eastern ideology, let's dwell on the main ideas and analyze their meanings.
One of the main views is the concept. Samsara- this is the wheel of earthly reincarnations of all living beings. In the process of this life cycle, the soul must “grow”. Samsara depends entirely on your past actions, your karma.
- these are your past accomplishments, noble and not so noble. For example, you can be reincarnated as higher forms: into a warrior, human or deity, or into lower forms: an animal, a hungry ghost or a resident of hell, i.e. karma directly depends on your actions. Worthy deeds entail reincarnation into higher species. The end result of samsara is nirvana.
Nirvana- this is a state of enlightenment, awareness, the highest spiritual being. Nirvana frees us from karma.
- This is the teaching of Buddha. Dharma is the maintenance of world order by all living beings. Everyone has their own path and must follow it in accordance with ethical standards. Since Buddhism is a very peaceful religion, this aspect is incredibly important: do not harm another.
Sangha is a community of Buddhists who adhere to the rules and laws of the Buddha's teachings.
Buddhism is based on four noble truths:
- Life is suffering. We all suffer, experience anger, anger, fear.
- Suffering has its causes: envy, greed, lust.
- Suffering can be stopped.
- The path to nirvana will help you escape from suffering.
The goal of Buddhism is to escape from this suffering. Stop experiencing negative feelings and emotions, get rid of various addictions. According to the Buddha, the true path, which is also the path to the state of nirvana, is the middle one, it is located between excesses and asceticism. This path is called in Buddhism. You need to go through it in order to become a noble, conscious person.
Stages of the Eightfold Path
- Correct understanding, worldview. Our actions are the result of our thoughts and conclusions. Wrong actions that bring us pain rather than joy are the result of wrong thoughts, so we need to develop awareness and monitor our thoughts and actions.
- Correct aspirations and desires. You need to limit your selfishness and everything that causes pain. Live in peace with all living beings.
- Correct speech. Do not use foul language, avoid gossip and evil expressions!
- Correct actions and deeds. Do not harm the world and all living things, do not commit violence.
- The right way of life. Right actions will lead to a righteous lifestyle: without lies, intrigue, deception.
- The right effort. Focus on the good, monitor your thoughts, get away from the negative image of consciousness.
- Correct thinking. It comes from right effort.
- Correct concentration. To achieve calmness and abandon disturbing emotions, you need to be conscious and focused.
The concept of God in Buddhism
As we have already seen, Buddhism is a very unusual ideology for our mentality. Since in any religion one of the main concepts is the concept of God, let's figure out what this means in Buddhism.
In Buddhism, God is all living things that surround us, a divine essence that manifests itself in humans, animals, and nature. Unlike other religions, there is no humanization of God. God is everything around us.
Is it religion or even spiritual teaching focuses on psychological state a person, his spiritual growth, rather than on ritual or symbolic actions, during which we honor the main deity. Here you yourself can achieve a divine state by working on yourself.
Directions of Buddhism
Buddhism is divided into three main branches, which we will talk about now:
- Hinayana (Theravada), or Small Vehicle, is southern Buddhism, widespread in southeast Asia: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam. It is considered the earliest school of this religious teaching. The essence of Theravada is individual spiritual enlightenment, i.e. one must complete the eightfold path, become liberated from suffering, and therefore achieve nirvana.
- , or Great Vehicle - Northern Buddhism. It became widespread in northern India, China, and Japan. Arose as a opposition to orthodox Theravada. From the Mahayana point of view, Theravada is a rather selfish teaching, because... provides a path to enlightenment for an individual. Mahayana preaches helping others achieve a state of awareness, divinity. Anyone who chooses this path can achieve Buddhahood and can count on help.
- , or Tantric Buddhism formed within the Mahayana. It is practiced in the Himalayan countries, Mongolia, Kalmykia, and Tibet. The ways to achieve enlightened consciousness in Vajrayana are: yoga, meditation, recitation of mantras and worship of the teacher. Without the help of a guru, it is impossible to begin your path of awareness and practice.
Conclusion
So, dear readers, today we talked about what is included in the concept of Buddhism, about its principles and essence, and got acquainted with this teaching. I hope that getting to know him was interesting and useful for you.
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Buddhism is the first world religion in origin. The rest of the world's religions arose much later: Christianity - about five hundred years, Islam - more than a thousand. Buddhism is considered a world religion by the same right as the two above-mentioned: Buddhism is a religion of very different peoples with different cultural characteristics and traditions, which has spread throughout the globe and has gone far beyond ethno-confessional and ethno-state borders. The Buddhist world extends from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to Buryatia and Tuva, from Japan to Kalmykia, gradually spreading also to America and Europe. Buddhism is the religion of hundreds of millions of inhabitants of Southeast Asia, which is closely connected with the birthplace of Buddhism - India, and the Far East, whose culture grew up on the traditions of Chinese civilization; The citadel of Buddhism for a thousand years has been Tibet, where, thanks to Buddhism, Indian culture came, writing appeared, literary language and the foundations of civilization were formed.
Buddhist philosophy was admired by famous European thinkers - A. Schopenhauer, F. Nietzsche and M. Heidegger. Without understanding Buddhism, there is no way to comprehend the great civilizations of the East - Indian and Chinese, and even more so - Tibetan and Mongolian - permeated with the Buddhist spirit to the last stone. In line with the Buddhist tradition, sophisticated philosophical systems have emerged that can expand and enrich modern Western philosophy, which stopped at the crossroads of new European classics and postmodernity.
History of origin
Buddhism originated in the Indian subcontinent (in the lands historical India in our time there are several countries - the Republic of India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, as well as the island of Lanka) in the middle of the first millennium BC. This was the time of the birth of rational philosophy and ethically oriented religions focused on the liberation and salvation of human beings from suffering.
The “homeland” of Buddhism is northeastern India (today the state of Bihar is located there). At that time, there were the ancient states of Magadha, Vaishali and Koshala, where Buddha taught and where Buddhism spread widely from the very beginning.
Historians believe that here the position of the Vedic religion and the associated class system, which guaranteed a special, privileged position for the brahmana (priests) class, was much weaker than in other regions of the country. Moreover, it is here full swing There was a process of creating new state formations, which involved the promotion to the first positions of the second “noble” class - the Kshatriyas (warriors and kings). In addition, the orthodox Vedic religion, the essence of which was sacrifices and rituals, was in a serious crisis, manifested in the birth of new ascetic movements of the so-called shramanas (in the Pali language - samanas) - devotees, ascetics, wandering philosophers who rejected the unconditional authority of the sacred Vedas and brahmanas , and those who longed to independently find the truth through yoga (the psychopractice of transforming consciousness) and philosophy. All these conditions created fertile ground for the emergence of a new teaching.
The Shramans and Shraman movements had a huge influence on the formation of Indian culture and philosophy. It was thanks to them that the school of free philosophical debate was born, and philosophy was enriched by the tradition of logical-discursive justification and derivation of certain theoretical positions. While the Upanishads only proclaimed certain metaphysical axioms, the Sramanas began to substantiate and prove philosophical truths. It was in the disputes between the numerous Sramana groups that Indian philosophy arose. It can be said that if the Upanishads are philosophy in subject, then the discussions of the Sramanas are philosophy in form. One of the Samanas was also the historical founder of Buddhism - Buddha Shakyamuni. So he can be considered not only a sage and founder of a religion who cultivated wisdom through the practice of contemplation, but also one of the first Indian philosophers who discussed with other Samanas according to the rules approved among them.
Founder of Buddhism - Buddha Shakyamuni
The founder of Buddhism is Buddha Shakyamuni, who lived and preached in India around the 5th-4th centuries. BC.
There's no way to recreate scientific biography Buddha, since science does not have enough material for a real reconstruction. So what is presented here is not a biography, but a traditional biography of the Buddha, compiled from several Buddhist hagiographic texts (such as Lalitavistara and Life of the Buddha).
Over the course of many, many lives, the future Buddha performed incredible acts of compassion and love, step by step accumulating merit and wisdom, in order to escape the cycle of painful alternation of death and birth. And now the time has come for his last incarnation. The Bodhisattva was in the Tushita heaven and looked at the world of people in search of a suitable place for his last rebirth (he had reached such high level development that he could choose). His gaze fell on a small country in northeastern India, belonging to the Shakya people (the land of modern Nepal), which was ruled by the wise Shuddhodana from an ancient royal family. And the Bodhisattva, who could appear in the world without entering the mother’s womb, chose for his birth royal family so that people, having deep respect for the ancient and glorious family of Shakya kings, would accept the teachings of the Buddha with great confidence, seeing in him a descendant of a respected family.
That night, Queen Mahamaya, the wife of King Shuddhodana, dreamed that a white elephant with six tusks entered her side, and she realized that she had become the mother of a great man. (Buddhism claims that the conception of Buddha occurred naturally, and the dream of a white elephant is only a sign of the appearance of an outstanding being).
According to custom, shortly before giving birth, the queen and her retinue went to her parents' house. As the procession passed through a grove of sal trees called Lumbini, the queen went into labor, grabbed a tree branch, and gave birth to a son, who left her womb through the hip. The baby immediately rose to his feet and took seven steps, proclaiming himself a being superior to both gods and men.
Alas, the miraculous birth turned fatal, and Mahamaya soon died. (The son did not forget about his mother: after the Awakening, he was transported to the Tushita heaven, where Mahamaya was born, told her that he had become Buddha, the conqueror of all suffering, and conveyed to her the Abhidharma - the Buddhist philosophical teaching). The future Buddha was brought to his father's palace, located in the city of Kapilavastu (near Kathmandu, the modern capital of Nepal).
The king called the astrologer Ashita to predict the fate of the child, and he discovered thirty-two signs of a great creature on his body (a special bulge on the crown of the head - ushnishu, the sign of a wheel between the eyebrows, on the palms and feet, membranes between the fingers and others). Based on these signs, Ashita declared that the boy would become either the ruler of the world (chakravartin) or a saint who knew the ultimate truth - Buddha. The child was named Siddhartha Gautama. Gautama is a family name; "Siddhartha" means "Completely Achieved the Goal."
The king, of course, wanted his son to become a great ruler, so he decided to arrange the prince’s life in such a way that nothing would lead him to think about the meaning of existence. The boy grew up in bliss and luxury in a magnificent palace, protected from outside world. Siddhartha grew up, invariably ahead of his friends in science and sports. However, the tendency to think appeared already in childhood, and one day, while sitting under a rose bush, he suddenly entered a state of yogic trance (samadhi) of such intensity that his power even stopped one of the deities flying past. The prince had a meek disposition, which even displeased his bride, Princess Yashodhara, who believed that such gentleness was incompatible with the vocation of a kshatriya warrior. And only after Siddhartha showed her his martial art, the girl agreed to marry him; The couple had a son, Rahula. Everything indicated that the king’s father’s plan would come true. However, when the prince turned twenty-nine years old, it so happened that he went on a hunt that changed his whole life.
While hunting, the prince encountered the manifestation of suffering for the first time, and it shook him to the depths of his heart. He saw a plowed field and birds pecking at worms, and was amazed why some creatures could only live at the expense of others. The prince met the funeral procession and realized that he and all people were mortal, and neither titles nor treasures would protect from death. Siddhartha came across a leper and realized that illness awaits every creature. A beggar begging for alms showed him the illusory and fleeting nature of nobility and wealth. Finally, the prince found himself in front of the sage, immersed in contemplation. Looking at him, Siddhartha realized that the path of self-knowledge and self-deepening is the only way to comprehend the causes of suffering and find a way to overcome them. It is said that the gods themselves, also locked in the wheel of samsara and yearning for salvation, arranged these meetings to inspire the prince to embark on the path of liberation.
After this day, the prince could no longer live peacefully in the palace, enjoying luxury. And one night he left the palace on his horse Kanthaka, accompanied by one servant. On the outskirts of the forest, he parted with the servant, giving him a horse and a sword, with which he finally cut off his beautiful “honey-colored” hair as a sign of his renunciation of life in the world. Then he entered the forest. Thus began a period of study, asceticism and search for truth.
The future Buddha traveled with different Sramana groups, quickly learning everything that their leaders taught. His most famous teachers were Arada Kalama and Udraka Ramaputra. They followed teachings close to Samkhya, and also taught yogic practices, including breathing exercises, which required prolonged holding of the breath, which was accompanied by very unpleasant sensations. Followers of Samkhya believe that the world is the result of a false identification of spirit (purusha) with matter (prakriti). Liberation (kaivalya) and relief from suffering is achieved through the complete alienation of spirit from matter. Siddhartha quickly achieved everything his mentors taught, and they even offered to take their place later. However, Siddhartha refused: he did not find what he was looking for, and the answers he received did not satisfy him.
It should be noted that the Parivarjiks - Sramana philosophers - propagated a variety of doctrines. Some of them are mentioned in the Pali Buddhist texts: Makhali Gosala (head of the famous Ajivika school) proclaimed strict determinism and fatalism as the basis of all existence; Purana Kassapa taught the futility of actions; Pakuddha Kacchayana - about the eternity of seven substances; Ajita Kesakambala followed a teaching resembling materialism; Nigantha Nataputta was skeptical, while Sanjaya Belatthiputta was completely agnostic.
Siddhartha listened to everyone attentively, but did not become anyone's follower. He indulged in mortification and severe asceticism. He reached such exhaustion that, touching his stomach, he touched his spine with his finger. However, asceticism did not make him Enlightened, and the truth was still as far away as it was during his life in the palace.
Then the former prince abandoned the extreme of asceticism and accepted modest nutritious food (milk rice porridge) from the hands of a girl who lived nearby. Five ascetics who practiced with him considered him an apostate and left, leaving him alone. Siddhartha sat in a pose of contemplation under a banyan tree (ficus religiosa), later called the “Tree of Awakening” (Bodhi), and vowed that he would not move until he reached his goal and comprehended the truth. He then entered a state of deep concentration.
Seeing that Siddhartha was close to victory over the world of birth and death, the demon Mara attacked him along with hordes of other demons, and having been defeated, tried to seduce him with his beautiful daughters. Siddhartha remained motionless, and Mara had to retreat. Meanwhile, Siddhartha became increasingly immersed in contemplation, and the Four Noble Truths about suffering, the causes of suffering, liberation from suffering, and the path leading to liberation from suffering were revealed to him. He then grasped the universal principle of dependent origination. Finally, at the fourth level of concentration, the light of nirvana, the Great Liberation, shone before him. At this moment, Siddhartha plunged into a state of samadhi of Oceanic Reflection, and his consciousness became like the boundless surface of the ocean in a state of complete calm, when the mirror-like surface of motionless waters reflects all phenomena. At that moment, Siddhartha disappeared, and Buddha appeared - the Enlightened One, the Awakened One. Now he was no longer the heir to the throne and the prince, he was no longer a man, since people are born and die, and the Buddha is beyond life and death.
The whole universe rejoiced, the gods showered the Victor with beautiful flowers, a delightful fragrance spread throughout the world, and the earth shook with the appearance of the Buddha. He himself remained in a state of samadhi for seven days, tasting the bliss of liberation. When he came out of his trance on the eighth day, Mara the tempter approached him again. He advised the Buddha to remain under the Bodhi Tree and enjoy bliss without telling the truth to other beings. However, the Blessed One immediately rejected this temptation and went to one of the spiritual and educational centers of India - Benares (Varanasi), located next to Vajrasana (Vajrasana (Sanskrit) - Pose of Diamond Indestructibility, an epithet of the place of Awakening; now Bodhgaya, Bihar state). There he went to the Deer Park (Sarnath), where he gave the first teachings about the Turning of the Wheel of Dharma (Teachings). The first disciples of the Buddha were the same ascetics who once abandoned Gautama, who refused to mortify the flesh, with contempt. Even now they did not want to listen to Buddha, but they were so shocked by his new appearance that they decided to listen to him anyway. The Tathagata's teachings were so convincing that they believed in the truth of his words, and became the first Buddhist monks, the first members of the Buddhist monastic community (sangha).
In addition to the ascetics, two gazelles listened to the words of the Buddha, images of which can be seen on both sides of the eight-radius Wheel of Teaching (dharmachakra). The eight spokes represent the eight stages of the Noble Path. This image has become a symbol of the Teaching, and can be seen on the roofs of many Buddhist temples.
Siddhartha left the palace at twenty-nine and achieved Enlightenment at thirty-five. He then taught for forty-five years different countries northeastern India. The wealthy merchant Anathapindada gave the monastic community a grove near Shravasti, the capital of the Koshala state. Coming to Koshala, the Victor and his followers often stopped at this place. The Sangha expanded rapidly and, as stated in the sutras, grew to 12,500 people. Of the first monks, the most outstanding disciples of the Buddha were identified: Ananda, Mahamaudgalyayana, Mahakasyapa (“Standard Bearer of the Dharma”), Subhuti and others. A community for women was also created, so that in addition to bhikkhus - monks, bhikkhunis - nuns also appeared. Buddha also did not forget about his family. He visited the Shakya state and was enthusiastically received by his father, wife, Princess Yashodhara, and the people. After listening to the teachings of the Buddha, his son Rahula and Yashodhara accepted monasticism. Buddha's father, Shuddhodana, was left without heirs, and took an oath from Buddha that he would never again accept the only son in the family into the community without parental consent. Buddha promised, and since then this custom has been sacredly observed in Buddhist countries, especially in Far East.
However, not everything went well. Buddha's cousin, Devadatta, became jealous of his fame. He had been jealous of the prince before, and after his departure he even tried to seduce Yashodhara. At first, Devadatta tried to kill the Buddha: he unleashed an intoxicated elephant on him (which, however, knelt before the Enlightened One), and dropped a heavy stone on him. Since these attempts were unsuccessful, Devadatta pretended to be a disciple of the Buddha and became a monk, trying to quarrel the members of the sangha among themselves (he accused the Victor of insufficiently strict asceticism, protested against the creation of a community of nuns and in every possible way interfered with any of his brother’s undertakings). Finally he was expelled from the community in disgrace. Jatakas (didactic stories about the past lives of the future Buddha) are full of stories about how Devadatta was at enmity with the Bodhisattva in their previous lives.
Time passed, Buddha grew old, and the day of his departure to final nirvana was approaching. This happened at a place called Kushinagara, on the banks of the Nairanjani River, near Benares. Having said goodbye to his disciples and giving them the last instruction - “to be your own guiding light,” rely only on your own strengths and work hard for Liberation, the Buddha took the lion pose (lay down on his right side, head to the south and face to the east, placing right hand under his head) and entered into contemplation. First he rose to the fourth level of concentration, then the eighth, then returned to the fourth, and from there he entered the great and eternal nirvana. His last life is over, there will be no more new births and new deaths. The circle of karma was broken and life left the body. From that moment on, the Enlightened One no longer existed in the world, and the world did not exist for him. He entered a state devoid of suffering and filled with supreme bliss that cannot be described or imagined.
Following custom, Buddha's disciples cremated the Teacher's body. After the ceremony, they found sharira in the ashes - special formations in the form of balls remaining after the bodies of saints were burned. Sharira are considered the most important Buddhist relics. The rulers of neighboring states asked to give them part of the ashes of the Awakened One; later, these particles of ashes and sharira were placed in special repositories - stupas, cone-shaped religious buildings. They were the predecessors of Tibetan chortens (Mongolian suburgans) and Chinese pagodas. When the relics ran out, sutra texts began to be placed in the stupas, which were revered as the true words of the Buddha. Since the essence of the Buddha is his Teaching, the Dharma, the sutras represented the Dharma as his spiritual body. This replacement (physical body - spiritual body; “relics” - texts; Buddha - Dharma) turned out to be very important for the subsequent history of Buddhism, serving as the source of the extremely important teaching of Mahayana Buddhism about the Dharmakya - the Dharma Body of the Buddha. Buddha lived a fairly long life: at 35 he achieved Enlightenment, and he had another 45 years at his disposal to convey his Word to his disciples and followers. The Dharma (Teaching) of the Buddha is very extensive and contains 84,000 teachings intended for people different types, with different abilities and capabilities. Thanks to this, everyone can practice Buddhism, regardless of age and social environment. Buddhism has never known a single organization, and there is also no “standard”, “correct” Buddhism. In every country where the Dharma came, Buddhism acquired new features and aspects, flexibly adapting to the mentality and cultural traditions places.
Spreading
Formation of the canon
According to legend, after Buddha's nirvana, all the Buddha's disciples gathered, and three of them - Ananda, Mahamaudgalyayana and Mahakasyapa reproduced from memory all the teachings of the Buddha - the "disciplinary charter" of the sangha (Vinaya), the teachings and sermons of the Buddha (Sutras) and his philosophical teaching (Abhidharma ). This is how the Buddhist Canon developed - Tripitaka (in Pali - Tipitaka), the “Three Baskets” Teachings (in Ancient India they wrote on palm leaves that were carried in baskets). In reality, the Pali Tipitaka - the first of the now known versions of the Canon - took shape over several centuries and was first written down in Lanka around 80 BC, more than three hundred years after the Nirvana of the Buddha. So to completely equate the Pali Canon with early Buddhism, and even more so with the teachings of the Enlightened One himself, is very credulous and unscientific.
The first Buddhist texts have reached us in the Pali language - one of the languages transitional from Sanskrit, ancient language Vedas, to modern Indian languages. It is believed that Pali reflected the phonetic and grammatical norms of the dialect spoken in Magadha. However, all later Indian Buddhist literature, both Mahayana and Hinayana, is written in Sanskrit. It is said that the Buddha himself objected to the translation of his teachings into Sanskrit, and encouraged people to study the Dharma in their native language. However, Buddhists had to return to Sanskrit for two reasons. Firstly, numerous modern Indian languages (Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Urdu, Telugu and many others) appeared and developed at tremendous speed, so it was impossible to translate the Tripitaka into everything. It was much easier to use Sanskrit - the unified language of Indian culture, which all educated people in India knew. Secondly, Buddhism gradually became “Brahmanized”: the intellectual “cream” of the sangha came from the Brahman caste, and they created all Buddhist philosophical literature. Sanskrit was a language that Brahmins absorbed almost with their mother’s milk (to this day there are Brahmin families in India where Sanskrit is considered their native language), so turning to Sanskrit was quite natural.
However, the Tripitaka in Sanskrit, unfortunately, was not preserved: during the Muslim conquest of Bengal (the last stronghold of Buddhism in India) and the Pals in Magadha (Bihar) in the 13th century. Buddhist monasteries were burned, and many libraries and Sanskrit Buddhist texts stored there were destroyed. Modern scholars have a very limited set of Sanskrit Buddhist texts (only fragments of some remain). (True, sometimes Buddhist texts in Sanskrit are found that were previously considered completely lost. For example, in 1937 N. Sankrityayana discovered the original text of the fundamental philosophical text “Abhidharmakosha” by Vasubandhu in the small Tibetan monastery of Ngor. Let's hope for new discoveries).
Now we have access to three versions of the Tripitaka: the Pali Tipitaka, recognized by Theravada followers living in Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, as well as two versions of the Mahayana Tripitaka - in Chinese (the translation of the texts and the formation of the Canon was completed in the 7th century) and Tibetan (the formation of the Canon was completed in the 12th–13th centuries) languages. The Chinese version is authoritative for Buddhists in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, and the Tibetan version is authoritative for residents of Tibet, Mongolia and Russian Buddhists of Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva. The Chinese and Tibetan Tripitakas coincide in many ways, and partly complement each other: for example, the Chinese Canon includes much fewer works tantric literature and later logical-epistemological philosophical treatises than in Tibetan. In the Chinese Tripitaka one can find earlier Mahayana sutras of the Mahayana than in the Tibetan one. And, of course, in the Chinese Tripitaka there are almost no works of Tibetan authors, and in the Tibetan Kangyur/Tengyur there are almost no works of Chinese ones.
Thus, by 80 BC. (the year of the written recording of the Tipitaka) the first, “pre-canonical” stage of the development of Buddhism ended and the Pali Theravada Canon was finally formed; The first Mahayana sutras also appear around this time.
Schools and directions of Buddhism
Buddhism has never been a single religion, and the Buddhist tradition claims that after the parinirvana of the Buddha it began to divide into different schools and movements. Over the next 300-400 years, about 20 schools (usually speaking about 18) appeared within Buddhism, representing two main groups - the Sthaviravadins (the Pali version of the Theravadins) and the Mahasanghikas; at the turn of our era, they initiated the emergence of the main schools of Buddhism that exist to this day: Hinayana (Theravada) and Mahayana. Some of the eighteen schools differed from each other insignificantly, for example, in their understanding of the issues of the disciplinary code of monks (Vinaya), and between some the differences were very significant.
Purpose of Buddhism
Buddhism is the oldest teaching about the nature of the mind, liberation from suffering and the achievement of timeless happiness. The goal of Buddhism is to achieve Enlightenment, a state of unconditional happiness that lies beyond all concepts and phenomena.
Basics of Buddhism
Buddhism is often called a “religion of experience,” wanting to show that the basis of the Path here is personal practice and testing all teachings for truth. The Buddha urged his disciples not to take anyone's word for it (not even his), and to carefully determine whether they were true before accepting someone's advice. Leaving this world, Buddha said: “I told you everything I knew. Be your own guiding light,” pointing people to their original wisdom and enlightened nature, which are our best teachers.
There are several basic tenets of the Teaching that are common to all Buddhists, regardless of school, direction and country.
- Refuge in the Three Jewels (Sanskrit meditation, and attempts to follow the Teaching in the flow of everyday life).
It is best to study the Dharma under the guidance of an experienced mentor, because the volume of teachings is incredibly vast, and figuring out where to start and which texts to choose can be quite difficult. And even if we cope with this task, we will still need comments and explanations knowledgeable person. However independent work is also necessary.
By reflecting on the information we receive, we gain understanding and can check whether it follows formal logic. When analyzing, we should ask ourselves what is the benefit of these teachings and whether they can be followed in practical life, whether they correspond to the goal that we want to achieve.
Practice - meditation and application of acquired knowledge in the “field”, that is, in life - helps to translate intellectual understanding into the sphere of experience.
By following this path, you can quickly eliminate all obscurations and reveal your true nature.
Notes
- From the very beginning, Buddhism relied precisely on secular, royal power, and, in fact, was a teaching in opposition to Brahmanism. Later, it was Buddhism that contributed to the emergence of new powerful states in India, such as the empire of Ashoka.
- Buddhist stupas are one of the earliest monuments of Indian architecture (generally speaking, all early architectural monuments of India are Buddhist). The walled stupa at Sanchi has survived to this day. The texts state that there were one hundred and eight such stupas.
- The origin of the term "mahasanghika" is not precisely established. Some Buddhist scholars believe that it is connected with the intention of the Mahasanghas to expand the monastic community - the Sangha, by admitting lay people into it (“Maha” means “great”, “sangha” means “community”). Others believe that the followers of this trend represented the majority of the sangha and were “Bolsheviks,” which explains the name.
One of the most widespread religions (along with Christianity and Islam). Originated in slave-owning India 6-5 centuries. BC e. The founder of B. is considered to be Siddhartha from the family of Gautama, nicknamed Buddha - the enlightened one. B. preaches humility, submission, reconciliation with reality, and non-resistance to evil. Also widespread in Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, China, Japan and other countries. One of the varieties of B. is Lamaism.
Great definition
BUDDHISM
the most ancient (more than 25 centuries old) world religion.
There are at least 1 billion Buddhists in the world. Buddhism became widespread not only in its traditional area - Southeast and Central Asia, in the Far East, but, starting from the second half of the 19th century, in Europe, first among intellectuals, and then among the wider population.
The founder of the teaching that became the basis of Buddhist religious doctrine was an Indian prince from the Shakya dynasty ruling in Kapilavasta (modern Southern Nepal) - Siddhartha Gautama, nicknamed Buddha (“enlightened one”).
The life of the Buddha is known from numerous written sources written down centuries after his life. According to some sources, the years of his life are 623–544 BC. e., others believe that he was born a century later. According to the Buddhist canon, at the age of 29, Prince Siddhartha left his family, spent several years in deprivation, subjecting himself to severe bodily fasting, and finally achieved a “spiritual awakening” as a result of prolonged meditation.
He realized that the world around him is just an illusion, and all the things of the world are just combinations of dharmas - instantaneous entities. These combinations are not free, they are predetermined by a special law - karma. Man is the only creature who can, to a certain extent, control his karma, in his case, the sum of his own actions and thoughts. Their quality determines what the combination of our constituent dharmas will become after our death. In a series of rebirths, we can become a stone, a spirit, a plant, an animal, and, least likely, a human. This is why we must especially value human existence: only in it can we achieve salvation.
There can be only one path to salvation - exit from the “wheel of samsara” - a karmically determined series of rebirths. Only by taking the path of calming the dharmas will we destroy our karma and be able to achieve a state in which a new birth becomes impossible - nirvana. It is the final deliverance from suffering.
The center of Buddhist doctrine is the so-called. "four noble truths":
1) suffering determines a person’s life and all its events - birth, illness, old age, love, encountering something unpleasant and losing something pleasant, inability to achieve what you want, death;
2) suffering is generated by thirst, leading through joys and passions to rebirth;
3) to get rid of suffering, you need to eliminate thirst;
4) a means for this - the so-called. the good “eightfold path”, which includes right judgment, correct solution, right speech, right life, right aspiration, right attention, right concentration.
Adherence to these principles presupposes a way of life equally far from both sensual pleasures and ascetic practice and self-torture that exhaust the flesh.
The Buddhist canon was subsequently developed in detail and commented on in extensive religious literature, and sections of the “Eightfold Path” of self-improvement were thoroughly developed in sacred texts and became normative for the daily activities of millions of Buddhists - both monks and ordinary followers of the teaching. The practice of spiritual self-improvement, including meditation, has been developed in detail in the Buddhist canon.
Buddhism least of all resembles the classical monotheistic (Abrahamic) religions that arose in the Middle East - Judaism, Christianity, Islam. In Buddhism there is no concept of the Creator, Buddhism does not know history and, accordingly, cannot think about either its beginning - the act of creation, or its completion associated with the Last Judgment. This is the most “atheistic” religion of all the world.
But it would be wrong to reduce Buddhism only to a set of ethical norms and a description of various meditative practices. Over hundreds of years of existence, the ideas set forth by Buddha in his sermons became the basis of dozens of schools and movements, many of which turned into powerful spiritual and religious communities with their own clergy, an extensive hierarchy, and parishioners.
In its homeland, India, the new religion experienced its greatest flourishing in the first centuries of our era. By the 12th century. Buddhism almost completely disappears from India, giving way to Hinduism. However, by this time Buddhism had already become a world religion, penetrating many countries.
The two main schools of modern Buddhism are Hinayana ("small vehicle", "narrow path") and Mahayana ("great vehicle").
Hinayana has more than 100 million followers in Sri Lanka and most of the countries of Southeast Asia - Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. The term “Hinayana” was introduced by supporters of the Mahayana, while its followers themselves call their movement “Theravada” (“teaching of the elders”).
In Hinayana there is no deification of Buddha, and salvation through moral improvement and achievement of nirvana is possible only for monks. A perfect person - an arhat - achieves spiritual harmony individually, without caring about the welfare of others. Therefore, in the Hinayana, Buddha is mainly a teacher and a perfect person, an object to be imitated, but not a deity.
In the Hinayana over many centuries, as in any teaching, elements of a religious cult have developed, but it did not and does not have a total character that leaves an imprint on all spheres of social life, as is the case with the predominance of monotheistic religions.
Monks are the bearers of religious consciousness in countries where the population professes Buddhism in the Hinayana form. The mass consciousness of citizens of states where this form of Buddhism is dominant is characterized by polytheistic views that coexist with the teachings of Buddha - remnants of pagan ideas, Hinduism in all its diverse manifestations, from ancient Brahmanism to Krishnaism.
Mahayana (“great vehicle”, “broad path”) is the most widespread movement in Buddhism. Hundreds of millions of his supporters live in Nepal, Bhutan, China, Japan, Mongolia, as well as in Buryatia and Kalmykia (in Russia).
Unlike Hinayana, Mahayana is developed religious system with an extensive clerical hierarchy. Until the middle of the 20th century. The religious leader of the Buddhists of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, was also the secular head of state. In Mongolia, until 1921, the secular ruler was also the head of the local Lamaists - the Bogdo Gegen.
In Mahayana doctrine, an important role is played by the cult of bodhisattvas - saints who have achieved the opportunity to enter nirvana, but do not do this to help others achieve perfection. They will voluntarily suffer until all people are freed from suffering.
For followers of Mahayana, Buddha is not a historical figure, the founder of the teaching, but a divine being who embodies the absolute. The essence of the Buddha manifests itself in three bodies, of which only one of its manifestations - in the form of a person - fills all living things. Unlike Hinayana, Mahayana assumes the possibility of achieving nirvana by any lay person.
A variety of Mahayana is Lamaism, which its supporters prefer to call “traditional Buddhism.” It is practiced by Mongols, Buryats, Tuvans, and Kalmyks. Lamaism is characterized by the simplified nature of its rituals: for the illiterate population, who are unable to learn prayers and mantras, they made special hurde wheels with fragments of religious texts. By turning these wheels, the believer “communicates” with the deity.
Lamaists also retain pagan beliefs: they include national heroes, such as Genghis Khan, in the Buddhist pantheon.
Vajrayana (“Diamond Chariot”), which originated in the depths of Mahayana, is usually called the “third way” of Buddhism, although the adherents of its schools themselves emphasize their loyalty to Mahayana.
Vajrayana is widespread in Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva, and Kalmykia. It is practiced in some schools of Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, as well as in the West.
Vajrayana is distinguished from other Buddhist movements by its special mystical practice, which is different from traditional monastic practice. It involves receiving a special initiation from a teacher who has achieved spiritual perfection and achieving the so-called. "expanded consciousness". It is believed that only those who have studied the spiritual experience of the Mahayana are able to embark on this path.
The special role of the teacher and mentor in achieving the highest truth is also common in the practice of Zen Buddhism. Founded in China in the 5th century. Indian monk Bodhidharma, this Buddhist sect pays great attention to self-discipline and mental training.
Within the framework of the latter, an important role is played by logical exercises based on paradoxes (koans), which, according to the teachers, should liberate the student’s thinking and help him achieve the final goal of the spiritual path - enlightenment, insight (satori).
Chan Buddhism (in Japanese transcription - Zen Buddhism) in the 1960s. turned into one of the main components of the eclectic ideology of nonconformists in the West and, more broadly, of the radical left intelligentsia. Western followers of Zen - beatniks, hippies - saw in this Buddhist school a means to achieve complete spiritual, social, intellectual liberation without purposeful political struggle through the “expansion of consciousness” through drugs, psychedelic music, deliberately shocking forms of art - pop op art, a deliberately asocial lifestyle (see Escapism).
“Pilgrimage to the East” has become an obligatory sign of belonging to “thinking people,” a fashion that has had and continues to have a significant influence on the spiritual life of a fundamentally unspiritual Western society. But this Buddhist school influenced the mentality of an entire nation much more fundamentally and deeply.
In its homeland, China, Chan Buddhism did not take root and remained one of the many sects, clearly manifesting itself, perhaps, only in the sophisticated art of martial arts practiced in the Chinese Shaolin monastery.
In Japan, which turned out to be immune to Confucian norms brought from China, the theory and practice of Zen not only took root, actually becoming part of the national religion - Shinto, but largely shaped the character of the Japanese, determined the development of national art and the principles of a specific aesthetics known throughout the world Land of the Rising Sun.
The paradoxes of Zen eccentrics turned into principles of spiritual organization not only of the clan aristocracy and samurai, but also of the entire Japanese society. In the end, for many years they determined the primacy of Japan in the system of the modern capitalist system and the configuration of the model called the “Japanese economic miracle.”
IN Russian Empire official recognition of Buddhism as a Buryat religion took place in 1741. In 1763
The institution of Hambo Lama, the head of the Lamaist church, was approved. The Russian queens who established Buddhism in Russia - Elizaveta Petrovna and Catherine II - entered the pantheon of Russian Lamaists as goddesses. In 1913, the first Buddhist temple in Europe was built in St. Petersburg.
At the end of the 1920s. Persecution began against Russian Buddhists. More than 15 thousand lamas were killed on suspicion of organizing anti-Soviet riots. In 1944, the attitude of the Soviet authorities towards Buddhist organizations warmed up, and a decree was signed on the opening of the Ivolginsky and Aginsky datsans (monasteries).
The residence of the Central Spiritual Administration of Buddhists of Russia is located in the Ivolginsky datsan (Buryatia).
Buddhism plays an important role in the political life of many countries, especially Asian ones. In many of them, national liberation movements unfolded under the slogans of this religion, and even the movement of “Buddhist socialism” arose.
Buddhism is becoming an important factor in the ideological and political struggle and is actively used by various political forces to achieve their goals. A striking example The politicization of Buddhism is the involvement of the spiritual leader of Buddhists, the Dalai Lama XIV, in the struggle for the independence of Tibet, occupied by China in the 1950s. In 2008, anti-Chinese forces organized mass protests “for a free Tibet” around the world in order to disrupt the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Great definition
Incomplete definition ↓
In our series of articles about Nepal, there are several materials dedicated to Buddhist shrines (for example, stupas), which are important tourist attractions in the country. Many tourists like to visit these places, but Russians know very little about Buddhism, and there is a lot they simply don’t understand. This short series of articles will give you some knowledge about this religion and will make your excursions more interesting.
The main thing about Buddhism
The first thing you need to know is that Buddhism is not a religion in the traditional sense of the word by Russians. It would be more accurate to call Buddhism an ideology.
Buddhists do not believe in the existence of God - the supreme being and creator of the universe. Of course, in Buddhist cosmology one finds “devas,” who are sometimes called “gods.” But this idea is wrong. The Devas did not create this world and do not decide the fate of people. We can say that they are just people, but from an alternative reality.
You ask: “Who is Buddha?” He is just a man, a great teacher and real historical character, who lived about 2,500 years ago. His name is Siddhartha Gautama, he was the prince of one of the Indian principalities.
Therefore, the question is: “Do you believe in Buddha?” sounds as absurd as “Do you believe in Julius Caesar?” or “Do you believe in Ivan the Terrible?”
Let us dwell in detail on the essence of the concept of Buddha, since most people associate it with Buddha Shakyamuni (Siddhartha Gautama), but this is not entirely true. The word "Buddha" is translated as "enlightened" or "awakened" and it refers to any person who has achieved enlightenment. There were a lot of such living beings, and they were all Buddhas.
Usually it is customary to write only the Great Buddhas with a capital letter, and all others with a small letter. Among the Great Ones there is the Badda of the Present - Shakyamuni and several Great Buddhas of the past. Past Greats according to the canons different schools from 6 to 21.
Branches of Buddhism
Buddhism has three main branches: Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana.
It is correct to call them the word “trend”, and they should not be associated with the division of churches in Christianity, which many do.
The division of churches among Christians (Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant) is, first of all, an organizational division. Buddhists do not have churches or a single organization at all.
The movements differ in the details of their ideology, the list of revered bohhitsattvas, and their views on the processes of purification of the mind and enlightenment.
The well-known Dalai Lama is not the leader of all Buddhists, and certainly not similar to the Pope. His name is Tenjing Gyamtsho, and he is the main Buddhist teacher for the Tibetans and Mongols. For example, in neighboring China, Buddhists do not recognize him, but they respect him.
Vajrayana is a very small movement, which many consider to be an integral part of Mahayana. Derived from the word “vajra”, which translates as “diamond”. There is a sacred object with this name. It can be seen in Nepal near the stupa in Kathmandu.
Relationships between schools of Buddhism
They have always been extremely peaceful. Buddhism is generally a very peaceful religion that prohibits causing any harm to living beings.
Distribution of schools by region
Theravada (or Mahayana or Lesser Vehicle) is considered the oldest school and is often given the epithet “orthodox Buddhism.” Theravada is common in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The number of Theravada followers is estimated at 100-200 million.
Mahayana (or Great Vehicle) is much more widespread. This scale of Buddhism is common in Tibet, China, Japan and Korea.
The number of Mahayana followers is much more difficult to estimate, since there is no exact data on the percentage of believers in China. The approximate number of followers is estimated at 500,000,000.
And a separate large branch is the schools of Buddhism in China, many of which are difficult to classify anywhere.
Basic concepts of Buddhist philosophy
There are a lot of them, we will dwell a little on each of them, and in the following articles we will describe them in detail.
Karma. It is a fundamental principle that explains the causes and consequences of all actions and events that happen to us. The principle of karma can be briefly described by the phrase “what goes around comes around.”
Incarnations. The principle of rebirth of some living beings into others. This doctrine is slightly different from the principle of “transmigration of souls”, since it does not recognize the existence of a permanent soul, like, for example, the “atman” of the Hindus. Karma as a result of reincarnation passes from one living being to another.
Four Noble Truths. They were formulated by Shakyamuni Buddha and are the basis of the ideology of Buddhism. Their translation into Russian is very inaccurate, since there is a serious difference in concepts between languages. In one of the following articles we will talk about this in detail.
We will present four noble truths, but we ask you not to take them too literally.
1. Our whole life is dissatisfaction and suffering.
2. The cause of suffering is thirst.
3. The end of suffering is the destruction of thirst.
4. The method is the eightfold path.
As you noticed, these definitions are very general, they can and should be deciphered, which we will do in one of the following articles.
Enlightenment. A state of mind cleared of negative thoughts, emotions and impulses, allowing one to see all things as they truly are and achieve nirvana.
Nirvana. A condition that cannot be described in human language. Therefore, we will not describe it.
Samsara. Or the “wheel of life”. This is the state in which all living beings arrive, except enlightened minds.
In the following articles we will talk about all this in detail. .
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