Buddhism

Buddhism Religion

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November 22 , 2006

Table of Contents

TOC \o "1-3 " \h \z \u HYPERLINK \l "_Toc0 " 1 . Introduction PAGEREF _Toc0 \h 3

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc1 " 2 . Origin PAGEREF _Toc1 \h 3 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc2 " 3 . Budda 's Teachings PAGEREF _Toc2 \h 4

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc3 " 4 . Buddhists Branches PAGEREF _Toc3 \h 4

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc4 " 5 . The Spread of Buddhism in Asia PAGEREF _Toc4 \h 5

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc5 " 5 .1 . Ashoka PAGEREF _Toc5 \h 5

HYPERLINK

\l "_Toc6 " 5 .2 . Sri-Lanka PAGEREF _Toc6 \h 6

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc7 " 5 .3 . South-East Asia PAGEREF _Toc7 \h 7

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc8 " 5 .4 . China PAGEREF _Toc8 \h 9 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc9 " 6 . Buddhism Today PAGEREF _Toc9 \h 10

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc0 " References PAGEREF _Toc0 \h 11 Introduction It would be relevant to start this research with the definition ' of Buddhism . I put the word definition in inverted commas as far as any definition of Buddhism will be incomplete and imprecise because the content of such a vasty cultural phenomenon cannot be limited to several lines . However , to provide the initial account on Buddhism we may apply a definition . The following definition is by the Buddhists themselves : Buddhism is a tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development . Buddhists strive for a deep insight into the true nature of life and do not worship gods or deities (Morgan , 23

Origin

Buddhism starts from a real living person Buddha , who created this teaching . The Buddha was born in the Terai lowlands near the foothills of the Himalayas just inside the bs of modern-day Nepal . The word `Buddha ' is a not a personal name but an honorific title which means `enlightened one . The Buddha 's personal name was Siddhattha Gotama . The conventional dates for the Buddha 's life are 566-486 BC . His father Suddhodhana , was the ruler of the kingdom of Kosala and Siddhattha was therefore born into a life of wealth and privilege

At the age of twenty-nine , he left his father 's palace , disenchanted with the life of pleasure and comfort he had led . He came to realize that all of this was transitory and that one day he would succumb to old age , sickness and death . However , he also believed that there must be an escape from suffering which would be found in some form of higher realization or enlightenment . Buddha 's created own teaching and preached it among the peoples . He traveled a lot and his preaching makes a favorable impression at the courts of north-east India which he visited as a wandering teacher (Buddhism : Step by Step

Budda 's Teachings

Budda 's teachings say that salvation can be achieved through escape from samsara , the endless cycle of birth and rebirth . The state of nirvana (or as it is also called the state of Enlightenment ) is a state of liberation from the passions and annoyances of ordinary mortal living which can be achieved by following the Way , or the eightfold path Budda 's...