Gabriel Lopez

Professor Bandara
14 December 2015
Final Paper
The Evolution of Buddhism
Buddhism is one of the most popular religions in the world today. But, what is
Buddhism? To begin there are two main types of Buddhism, Theravada and Mahayana.
Theravada or traditional Buddhism was the first Buddhism introduced by Siddhartha Gautama in
fifth century B.C.E. He brought five main teaching to his people; the three characteristics of all
phenomena, the five aggregates, dependent arising, the four noble truths and the eightfold path to
nirvana. These teaching fused with local religions as Buddhism spread across much of Asia and
parts of the Middle East to form Mahayana Buddhism. This Buddhism was different than
traditional Buddhism because it focuses on social suffering, rather than ceasing your own
personal suffering.
Mahayana Buddhism is also referred to as Socially Engaged Buddhism (Buddhism).
Because of all the different catastrophes that effected Buddhist countries in the twentieth century
from genocide, mass starvation, ecological disasters and communist regimes, to name a few.
Affected the masses within multiple countries, to address these issues many Buddhist reforms
took place. In China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India these changes were most
prominent. Each country had someone who chose to rise up and address the social issues within
their country. Let us delve into what, how and why these people decided to change their
countries for the better.

First well start with China. In 1949, the Republic of China took control of the
neighboring island of Taiwan. Many elder monks chose to go to the island, to teach the way of
the Buddha and thus, brought about a Buddhist resurgence. From the years of 1951 to 1987 over
ten thousand people were ordained with over sixty percent of them being woman (Buddhism).
The exceptional woman who brought change to Taiwan, China and many other countries, name
is Cheng Yen. She chose to become a nun at age twenty-three and was taken under the wing of
Dharma Master Yin Shun.
Cheng Yen chose to live simply and dedicate her life to helping the poor. She believes
that there is exceptional animosity in the world because people do not have a universal love for
all beings. Cheng Yen says If we remember that all creatures in the universe are one, we will
know how to let go of our egotism We will return to the true, clear essence of our human
nature and from the depths of our hearts will arise a reverent love for all beings (Buddhism). In
1966, she founded the Tzu Chi Compassion Relief Association to help to poor, then in 1980 she
founded the Tzu Chi Foundation with eight specific missions.
Each mission is different but, they all bring about social reform to help those in need. The
first mission is charity work, giving food, other essentials and spiritual support. The second
mission in to provide medical care, the Tzu Chi has established multiple hospitals and mobile
clinics in Taiwan along, with many other countries. The third mission is education, they educate
the young about compassion and good it can do at a young age. The fourth mission is a cultural
mission to bring their values to the masses in the forms of books, television shows, newspapers
and magazines. The fifth mission is the renowned Tzu Chi bone-marrow donor registry, one of
the largest in the word. The sixth mission is their international relief program and the seventh
mission is environmental protection. Finally, the eighth mission is volunteerism.

Living by these missions to help those in need the Tzu Chi members embody the
Mahayana bodhisattva way of life and live by the teaching of the Buddha. They seek to change
the world by starting with themselves (Buddhism) to postpone person Buddhahood out of
compassion to help others attain enlightenment. Over the years, the original thirty members of
the Tzu Chi Foundation has grown to over ten million members worldwide (Youtube). Cheng
Yen will forever be remembered for her universal compassion, amazing humanitarian work and
her foundation with continue to help those in need long after she is gone.
Next, well look at Vietnam. The man who changed Vietnam goes by the name Thich
Nhat Hanh. Martin Luther King called him, An apostle of peace and non-violence (Plum).
When he was seventeen years old he entered a Zen monastery in Hue, Vietnam. Where he
practiced Theravada Buddhism, Thien Buddhist mindfulness and koan practices. He continued
his studies at the Saigon University as well as Princeton (Buddhism). Upon returning to Vietnam
after his studies, the country was in the midst of the Vietnam War. He then founded the School of
Youth for Social Service.
The organization then became one of the leading Buddhist socially engaged programs in
the Vietnam War. But, it was not enough. In 1965, Thich founded the Order of Interbeing, a new
sector of Thien Buddhism. During the war, they worked to help rebuild villages, create crease
fire lines, provide medical care to war-torn victims, and so much more. They believed that
given the interdependence of life, all persons, including Viet Cong, the innocent villagers, and
the American soldiers, are intertwined victims in a web of suffering (Buddhism). That can be
ceased by loving kindness and compassion.
However, because the Order refused to take a side in the war neither North nor South.
After the war, the Buddhists activists hoped they would be able to cooperate with the new

communist government but, that was not the case. The new leaders feared that Buddhist
influence throughout the nation would undermine their new government. Many Buddhist leaders
were imprisoned and some even tortured. Just because they wanted to help their fellow man.
Thich longs for the day will he will see his home country of Vietnam but, the country refuses him
a visa.
The Order of Interbeing is still very active today. They are constantly working to improve
the lives of people around the world. They live by the fourteen percepts, a spin-off of the original
Eightfold path given by the Buddha. Although, it evolved to help those in the dreadful situation
of the Vietnamese people. The new socially engaged Buddhism spread like wildfire. Because it
was about helping those around you with their suffering, not about the selfish traditional aspect
of worrying solely of your own suffering. Thich Nhat Hanh is yet another Buddhist with
universal compassion, extraordinary humanitarian work and renowned peace activist.
Furthermore, we travel to Sri Lanka. This tiny island has been subject to copious change
as various rulers have come and gone throughout the centuries. With the rapid expanse of the
Westernization idea to acquire more and more became a nationwide plague. People were
forgetting of those less fortunate, losing their religious values and becoming newly born rats to
join the ranks in the rat race. Realizing the significant change in the population, A. T. Ariyaratne
founded the Sarvodaya Shramadana movement; meaning the gift of sharing ones time and
labor (Buddhism).
Sarvodaya members seek to live by the Dharma, give, help, and support all members of
the community. Ariyaratne reinterpreted the Buddhas Four Divine Adobes to help with Sri
Lankan issues as so; by Loving kindness and respect for all persons, that would lead to
compassion for those less fortunate, thus leading to sympathetic joy from helping those people,

and finally leading to equanimity for a lifetime. This he then applied to his village-renewal
programs.
These programs helped to unite the people and bring more compassion into the lives of
the masses. They would work together as a community to solve social ills, from clean drinking
water to developing community elected village committees. From the start of the Sarvodaya
movement it has helped over 15,000 villages in and around Sri Lanka (Sarvodaya). What I find
most fascinating is that they do not discriminate against other religions. They developed Vishwa
Niketan, a place where anyone could come to learn the teaching of the Buddha, gather inner
peace and spiritual growth. Ariyaratne said, The ultimate objective of Buddhists and other
religious individuals should be building a critical mass of spiritual consciousness on this planetwhich is the surest way to live in a culture of peace (Buddhism). I find this idea to be
completely true in all aspects.
Next, we continue our journey to Thailand. Sulak Sivaraksa, a student to the great
Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, is the man who changed Thailand with his countless efforts to end the
social ills in his country. Yet again, the Westernization view of life took hold of the masses in
Thailand and Sivaraksa believed that the capitalistic government of the nation was to blame.
Because it pits man against man in the endless battle to acquire personal wealth and belonging.
But, according to the words of the Buddha, our attachment to these such things is ultimately the
reason for our suffering.
As a result of our personal suffering the chain reaction eventually brings to life, the social
ills and suffering within the society. To combat these ills, Sivaraksa founded the Asian Cultural
Forum on Development or ACFD for sort (Buddism). This humanitarian organization serves to

help rekindle the volatile Thai community by protecting the environment, helping those in need,
promoting educational programs and to create a social harmony within the people.
Sivaraksas way to help the Thai people grasp these concepts is his evolved interpretation
of the original Five Precepts. These precepts were developed with the intention to bring to light
the social issues in the country and show the interdependent relationship of all things in life. For
example, the first percept is not to take life [and] is reinterpreted to mean not to deprive people
of a decent living, deplete the soil, contaminate the water, pollute the air, destroy forests, or
consume wastefully while people die of starvation (Buddhism). This alone shows by all of those
action you are depriving life to animals, plants, fish and humans. We are one, the domino effect
of ones actions causes numerous reactions to those around us.
Sivaraksa is very similar to those I have already discussed I this paper. He believes that
through the Four Grounds of kindness, one may reconstruct their consciousness to be free from
the three roots of evil and will bring about the ultimate spiritual experience. His reinterpretation
of Buddhism helped the Thai people regain their compassion for those suffering within their
community and to reunite the people with the Dharma for a better change in society.
Finally, our journey ends in India. In 1891, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born to the
untouchable class in India. He was a prominent Hindu leader until six weeks before his death he
converted to Buddhism. Growing up and even in is adulthood, he faced immense scrutiny
because he was from the untouchable class, the lowest caste in the Hindu caste system. His
personal suffering caused him to search for a way out. Buddhism provided his way out along,
with over three million other untouchables. Ambedkar reinterpreted Buddhism to fit the situation
of the untouchable class.

He chose to set aside the Buddhas Four Noble Truths, monastic life, karma and rebirth.
For he knew that his people would not be able to comprehend them for their situation. However,
he strongly believed in the Four Divine Adobes and the Eightfold path was a path to overcome
the roots of evil. Even though he passed shortly after his conversion, he helped millions
undermine the caste system for better personal and social growth. Ambedkars followers chose to
continue his work after death and started the Buddhist Order of the Three Realms or TBM.
The TBM has a three step process in working to create a better society. The first step is a
public center where they teach the Dharma and apply it to daily situations. The second step is
retreat center where they go more into depth of the Dharma and teaching of Buddhism. The final
step is their residential communities, here they work to develop friendships, how to live together
in peace, and teamwork skills to develop strong community relations. As well as various other
humanitarian work describe in previous programs.
All of the people discussed in this essay have multiple things in common. They have a
universal compassion for all beings and love for the Dharma. The traditional Buddhism is not
selfish it is just about understanding yourself and your own suffering. Whereas, this new
socially engaged Buddhism is about your fellow man and the community you live in as a whole.
Although, each person reinterpreted the Dharma to fit their own countries ills, they have all had a
positive reaction and have helped countless people around the world. If more people could
realize the never ending rat race of society today, maybe just maybe we could have more positive
change in the world. I believed Buddhism is one of the leading religions in the world because of
the good done by these people and organizations. People notice when you can make a difference
and this evolved form of social Buddhism has changed the lives of millions, including mine.

Works Cited
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Dec. 2015.
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2002. Print.
Pistono, Matteo. "The Engaged Buddhism of Sulak Sivaraksa." Kyoto Journal. Kyoto Journal, 27
Mar. 2013. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.
Tzu Chi English. "DISCOVERY Channel: Master Cheng Yen and Tzu Chi." YouTube. YouTube,
22 July 2013. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.
Village, Plum. "Thich Nhat Hanh | Plum Village." Plum Village. Parallax Press, 1 Jan. 2015.
Web. 17 Dec. 2015.