Buddhism

Background and Introduction

Buddhism is a religious tradition founded by Siddhartha Gautama, who lived in Northern India in the 6th century BC Gautama was called the Buddha after he attained enlightenment; the name Buddha means “The Awakened” or “Enlightened One.” (Robinson, 36) Through study, contemplation, and great effort, the Buddha achieved an understanding of the true nature of reality. He then showed his followers that they, too, could reach the same level of knowledge through their own study and practice. Buddhists believe that everyone has a fundamental Buddha-nature and that every human being has the potential to become a Buddha.

Because Buddhism can be regarded as a philosophy, a religion, and a way of life, it does not fit into one category. Everyone has Buddha-nature. Everyone has the potential to achieve what the Buddha himself accomplished and escape the endless cycle of sufferings, cravings, and transitory pleasures. Moreover, human beings are responsible for their own actions, which can have repercussions after death due to the law of karma. For these reasons, Buddhism is often regarded as a “do it yourself” religion, with a focus on compassion and wisdom (Lee, 65).

Practitioners are instructed by a living master called a lama or a guru. They strive to become a Buddha themselves in order to attain enlightenment, a state of wisdom. There is a belief in a future Buddha. The word belief is easily subject to misinterpretation with regard to Buddhism, however; Buddhists do not simply accept by faith what the Buddha taught and leave it at that. Instead, they learn by study, contemplation, and practice to experience the teachings and apply them to their daily lives (Chitkara, 68).

In the latter part of the 20th century, Buddhism has spread to many parts of the world and is growing in popularity in the West. It is estimated that there are 200,000 converts in Europe and America.

History

Siddhartha decided to retreat to the forest, abandoning the palace life and his family. There he lived as an ascetic for 6 long years, but he eventually realized that simply starving himself was counterproductive. So he decided to abandon all extremes and practice a moderate, middle way instead. Finally, while in deep meditation under the Bodhi tree at a place called Bodh Gaya (now located in the Indian state of Bihar), he achieved the ultimate realization of the true nature of life and all creatures within it; he thus became the Buddha, the Enlightened One (Heinrich, 24). After spending 7 weeks meditating on what he had realized, he decided to communicate what he had achieved to anyone who would listen. He was then about 35 years old, and he spent the next nearly 50 years teaching what he had learned. The series of teachings, which is called the Tipitaka, is broken into three types:

Sutras, or conventional teachings and stories

The Vinaya, or instructions on morality for monks

The Abhidharma, teachings on moral psychology and philosophy (these are generally attributed to the Buddha, though some scholars believe they grew out of commentaries written by followers ...