Facts
Of Buddhism
Buddhism is a major global religion with a complex
history and system of beliefs. Founded in India
2,500 years ago, Buddhism
remains the dominant religion of the Far East
and is increasingly popular in the West. Over
its long history Buddhist has developed into
a wide variety of forms, ranging from an emphasis
on religious rituals and worship of deities
to a complete rejection of both rituals and
deities in favor of pure meditation. But all
share in common a great respect for the teachings
of the Buddha, "The Enlightened One.".
Buddhism was founded by an Indian prince named
Siddharta Gautama around the year 500 BCE. According
to tradition, the young prince lived an affluent
and sheltered life until a journey during which
he saw an old man, a sick man, a poor man, and
a corpse. Shocked and distressed at the suffering
in the world, Gautama left his family to seek
enlightenment through asceticism. But even the
most extreme asceticism failed to bring enlightenment.
Finally, Gautama sat beneath a tree and vowed
not to move until he had attained enlightenment.
Days later, he arose as the Buddha - the "enlightened
one." He spent the remaining 45 years of
his life teaching the path to liberation from
suffering (the dharma) and establishing a community
of monks (the sangha).
Today, there are over 360 million followers
of Buddhism. Although virtually extinct in its
birthplace of India, it is prevalent throughout
China, Japan and Southeast Asia. In the 20th
century, Buddhism expanded its influence to
the West and even to western religions. There
are now over one million American Buddhists
and even a significant number of "Jewish
Buddhists." Buddhist beliefs have also
been influential on western society in general,
primarily in the areas of meditation and nonviolence.
Mahayana Buddhism, prominent in China and Japan,
incorporates several deities, celestial beings,
and other traditional religious elements. In
Mahayana, the path to liberation may include
religious ritual, devotion, meditation, or a
combination of these elements. Zen, Nichiren,
Tendai, and Pure Land are the major forms of
Mahayana Buddhism.
Buddhist
beliefs vary significantly across various sects
and schools, but all share an admiration for
the figure of the Buddha and the goal of ending
suffering and the cycle of rebirth. Theravada
Buddhism, prominent in Southeast Asia, is atheistic
and philosophical in nature and focuses on the
monastic life and meditation as means to liberation.
Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual
development leading to Insight into the true
nature of life. Buddhist practices such as meditation
are means of changing oneself in order to develop
the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom.
The experience developed within the Buddhist
tradition over thousands of years has created
an incomparable resource for all those who wish
to follow a path — a path which ultimately
culminates in Enlightenment or Buddha hood.
Because Buddhism does not include the idea of
worshipping a creator god, some people do not
see it as a religion in the normal, Western
sense. The basic tenets of Buddhist teaching
are straightforward and practical: nothing is
fixed or permanent; actions have consequences;
change is possible. Thus Buddhism addresses
itself to all people irrespective of race, nationality,
or gender. It teaches practical methods (such
as meditation) which enable people to realize
and utilize its teachings in order to transform
their experience, to be fully responsible for
their lives and to develop the qualities of
Wisdom and Compassion.
