Buddhism

Buddhism
Dirk Beyer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Buddhism
Founder	Siddhartha Gautama
Founded date	c. 5th century BCE
Founded place	Lumbini
Scripture	Tipiṭaka, Mahāyāna sūtras, Tibetan Kangyur, Lotus Sūtra
Languages	Pāli, Sanskrit, Tibetan language, Classical Chinese, Japanese language, Khmer language, Thai language, Burmese language
Population	Estimates vary

Buddhism is a major world religious and philosophical tradition originating in ancient South Asia. It centers on the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama and developed diverse schools across India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet, Mongolia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and modern diasporas. Over millennia it produced extensive scriptures, monastic systems, art, and institutions that influenced societies from the Maurya Empire to contemporary nations.

Origins and Early Development

Early formation occurred in the milieu of the Śramaṇa movements and interacted with contemporaneous figures such as Mahavira and the religious context of the Upanishads. Key early patronage came from rulers like Ashoka of the Maurya Empire, whose inscriptions at Sarnath and Sanchi promoted missionary activity to regions including Sri Lanka and Central Asia. Councils such as the First Buddhist Council and Third Buddhist Council sought to codify the Pāli Canon and monastic discipline; later redactions compiled texts in Pāli and Sanskrit. Important archaeological sites linked to early development include Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Ajanta Caves, and Taxila.

Core Teachings and Doctrines

Foundational doctrines are attributed to Siddhartha Gautama and organized in early texts like the Dhammapada and the Tipiṭaka. Central teachings include analyses of suffering taught in frameworks akin to the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, ethical precepts codified in the Vinaya Pitaka, and phenomenological analyses in the Abhidhamma Pitaka. Philosophical developments produced systems such as Madhyamaka by Nāgārjuna and Yogācāra associated with Asanga and Vasubandhu, while later scholastic efforts by figures like Shantarakshita and Atisha shaped Himalayan doctrines. Doctrinal texts include the Perfection of Wisdom literature, the Lotus Sūtra, and the Heart Sutra.

Practices and Rituals

Monastic life follows rules preserved in the Vinaya tradition observed in communities like those at Mahāvihāra and Abhayagiri Monastery. Meditative practices range from concentration methods (samatha) used in traditions traceable to teachers like Buddhaghosa to insight practices (vipassanā) popularized in modern movements such as Vipassana (meditation). Rituals include devotional acts at stupas like Ruwanwelisaya, chanting of sūtras in Pāli Canon or Chinese sutras, circumambulation practiced at Shwedagon Pagoda, and ceremonial rites led by figures from Theravāda bhikkhus to Tibetan Buddhism rinpoches such as Dalai Lama. Ethical observances include the Five Precepts and lay practices tied to festivals like Vesak and temple offerings at institutions such as Wat Phra Kaew.

Major Traditions and Schools

Major branches emerged as distinct schools: the early schools including Theravāda centered in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, the Mahāyāna movement prominent in China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, and the Vajrayāna traditions associated with Tibet and Mongolia. Notable Mahāyāna schools include Pure Land Buddhism, Zen, Tiantai, Huayan, Nichiren Buddhism and Shingon. Important Tibetan schools include Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug whose modern figures include the 14th Dalai Lama. India’s monastic universities such as Nalanda and Vikramashila were formative; influential teachers include Bodhidharma, Dōgen, Huineng, Ananda Maitreya, Tsongkhapa and Padmasambhava.

Historical Spread and Cultural Impact

State sponsorship and missionary routes spread the tradition: royal conversion under Anawrahta in Burma and sponsorship by King Kanishka in the Kushan Empire accelerated expansion into Central Asia and China via the Silk Road where translators like Kumārajīva and Xuanzang transmitted texts. Interaction with dynasties such as the Tang dynasty, Silla, Heian period Japan, and the Goryeo shaped local forms. Colonial encounters with British Raj, reform movements like Buddhist modernism, and 19th–20th century figures such as Anagarika Dharmapala, Thích Nhất Hạnh, D.T. Suzuki, and Mahasi Sayadaw influenced global dissemination into Europe and North America. Cultural impacts appear in law and polity under empires like the Srivijaya Empire and artistic patronage in courts like the Khmer Empire.

Arts, Literature, and Institutions

Buddhist-inspired arts range from monumental architecture such as the Great Stupa at Sanchi and Borobudur to painting traditions like the Ajanta Caves frescoes and Tibetan thangka schools patronized by the Pala Empire. Literary corpora include commentaries by Buddhaghosa, sutra anthologies preserved at Kōfuku-ji and Hōryū-ji, and philosophical treatises like Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā. Institutions include monastic universities (Nalanda, Vikramashila), modern centers such as Rangoon University Buddhist College, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, and organizations like the International Buddhist Confederation. Contemporary cultural presences include museums such as the National Museum, New Delhi and festivals at sites like Lumbini that continue to shape pilgrimage, scholarship, and social welfare networks in countries including Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan, China and Laos.

Category:Religions