Buddhism

Main Principles & Schools

Buddhist thought developed from an amalgamation of the more ancient Vedic and Yogic religious traditions of Northern India. The concepts of the soul, rebirth and spiritual release from rebirth become important qualities of all major religious traditions (apart from Buddhism) that develop in ancient South Asia.

Siddhartha Gautama (Sakyamuni or “sage of the Sakya tribe” from Lumbini in modern-day southern Nepal) (ca. 563-483 BC) is the professed founder of Buddhism. The site of Siddhartha’s enlightenment was under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya in the modern-day Indian state of Bihar.

The three “Jewels” of Buddhism

a. The Buddha himself

b. The dharma (teachings)

c. The sangha (community of believers)

Buddhism adopts the “Middle Path” between self-indulgence and self-denial.

The Four Noble Truths & the Eight-fold Path

Theravada (Lesser Vehicle): predominate in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia; stronger focus on good works in the community. Nirvana reached (as an arahat) by ones' own efforts.

Mahayana (Greater Vehicle): in East Asia; Strong focus on self-cultivation and faith. Goal was to become a bodhisattva by postponing one’s own enlightenment to help others.

Historical Development

King Asoka (304 BCE-232 BCE): third monarch of the Indian Mauryan dynasty, who was the first political leader to adopt Buddhism and spread its influence throughout his realm.

Cakravartin or “Wheel turning Monarch” became a position of supreme political power in the Buddhist world.

Buddhism’s Arrival and Adaptation in East Asia

The nomadic Northern Wei (386-534) rulers of northern China were great patrons of Buddhism.

The Chinese Goddess of Compassion Guanyin, while still in India, was the male bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, who was famed for his mercy.

The fierce Indian bodhisattva Maitreya became the Mi lo Buddha (or “Laughing Buddha”).

Buddhism was introduced in Japan in 550 by a Korean delegation from the Paekche Kingdom. Prince Shotoku (573-621) would call for the establishment of Buddhism as the state religion when he became Regent at the Yamato court in 593.

In 580 Buddhism (Zen) begins to spread more widely in Viet Nam with the arrival of the Indian missionary Vinitaruci.

Problems: Buddhism vs. Confucianism