Buddhism

Buddhism

Buddhism spread worldwide for over 2,500 years through trade, royal patronage, migration, scholarly study, and travel. Currently, about 350 million people of the world, which accounts for 6 percent of the entire population, identify themselves as Buddhist, with Mahayana the largest tradition. Besides Mahayana Buddhism, the other primary schools are Theravada and Vajrayana. However, Vajrayana also regarded as a form of Mahayana Buddhism and is said to provide a faster path to Buddhism or enlightenment. In addition, there are organizations or individuals who identify themselves as nonsectarian Buddhists.

From the beginning, Buddhism distinguished certain human values absolute, universal, valid for all, and the precepts of the most rigid observance of which is proper to monks. The five rules are recommended to the laity (Panca sila): respect for life, abstaining from stealing, chastity, do not lie, do not drink alcoholic beverages. The five mandatory rules for the monks, in addition to the above five, are discipline in the hour of meals (i.e. eat when required), not to seek worldly pleasures, avoid ointments and ornaments, do not use large, comfortable beds, do not receive money.

Under these requirements, Buddhism was not original like a catalog can be found e.g. in Yoga. The originality of Buddhism is elsewhere. The moral precepts have not targeted a single individual, isolated, who targeted his own salvation, but rather consider man as a living among others is not enough to do no harm, do not you just do not kill or not to offend, it is necessary also participate in the love lives of others, to have sympathy for his fellows, rejoice in their joys and commiserate and relieve their pain.

Siddhartha Gautama, later known as Gautama Buddha was born at some place near present day Nepal, in %83 BCE. His father was a king of a large tribe, Shakya. One of the religious celebrant of that time prophesied that the price will either be a great conquer or a spiritual teacher. The king wanted his son to be a whopping leader and insoluble conquer and nurtured his childhood with all the luxuries of life. He provided him basic learning of life and an understanding of common suffering of his people. Gautama reached the age of 29 in the shelter of his palace, with little knowledge about the world outside. Excited by the thrill of the outside world he begins his countrywide journeys. In these journeys, he observed the suffering of men ...