Buddhism

Buddhism

Introduction

Buddhism is one of the globe's most significant and oldest religions. It has spread through almost all of Asia, influencing the many cultures there, and is now gaining followers in the West. But it had its started in India and arose from the understanding of one person. Buddhism derives its name from the Sanskrit word buddha (awakened, wise, or learned), which was one of the many epithets given to Siddhartha Gautama (c. 563-c. 483 BCE), the founder of the set of theories and practices that are now called Buddhism. This paper discusses Buddhism and the origin and background of the this religion.

Discussion

The origin and background of Buddhism is as old as 2580 years. The religion commenced with the Buddha's birth. Buddha is considered to be the originator of Buddhism. Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) was born in the Lumbini, Southern Nepal. Buddha was born a Kshatriya warrior prince. When he was 29 years old, he left his home seeking elucidation. After finding the enlightenment. He commenced a expedition to teach the public the pathway to the truth that would free them from death and life cycle. Early Buddhism stayed focused in the valley of Ganges, increasing steadily from its earliest heartland. Buddhism might have remained an entirely Indian religion, much as Jainism has, if it were not for an energetic king named Ashoka, who flourished about 250 B.C.E. (Timeline 4.1). Ashoka's plan to expand his rule over a large part of India naturally entailed much fighting. After a particularly bloody battle in eastern India, as Ashoka was inspecting the battlefield, he saw the scene very differently than he had before. The whole experience was so horrifying that Ashoka converted to the ideal of nonviolence. Although it is uncertain whether Ashoka became a Buddhist, he did make political use of Buddhist moral values. A cynic might note that forbidding violence is a practical move for any ruler who wishes to remain on the throne. In any case, the principle of nonviolence is most effective when it is embraced widely; otherwise, the few people who are nonviolent will be preyed upon by the violent.

To bring a large number of the population around to his new nonviolent way of thinking and acting, Ashoka decided to spread the principles of nonviolence throughout India and possibly even beyond. To do this, he erected many stone columns inscribed with his principles, placing some at sites important in the Buddha's life. A number of these columns still exist today.

The historical knowledge of Ashoka is quite limited, but he looms large in Buddhist legend. One story tells us that Ashoka sent as a missionary to Sri Lanka a son or nephew named Mahinda. Whatever the truth of this story, it is a fact that Sri Lanka is largely Buddhist today. Indeed, it may have been Ashoka who gave Buddhism its urge to spread and helped to make it one of the world's great missionary religions.

In the first centuries after the Buddha's death, in response to widespread and long-standing ...