An Introduction to Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who lived about 25 centuries ago in what is now Nepal and northeastern India. He came to be called "the Buddha," which means "awakened one," after he experienced a profound realization of the nature of life, death and existence. In English, the Buddha was said to be enlightened, although in Sanskrit it is bodhi, "awakened." In the remaining years of his life, the Buddha traveled and taught. However, he didn't teach people what he had realized when he became enlightened. Instead, he taught people how to realize enlightenment for themselves. He taught that awakening comes through one's own direct experience, not through beliefs and dogmas. In the centuries following the Buddha's life, Buddhism spread throughout Asia to become one of the dominant religions of the continent. Estimates of the number of Buddhists in the world today vary widely, in part because many Asians observe more than one religion and in part because it is hard to know how many people are practicing Buddhism in Communist nations like China The most common estimate is 350 million, which makes Buddhism the fourth largest of the world's religions.[1] Two major branches of Buddhism are recognized: Theravada ("The School of the Elders") and Mahayana ("The Great Vehicle"). Theravada has a widespread following in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Mahayana is found throughout East Asia and includes the traditions of Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Shingon, Tiantai

(Tendai) and Shinnyo-en. In some classifications Vajrayana a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Mongoliais recognized as a third branch, while others classify it as a subcategory of Mahayana.[2] Buddhist schools vary on the exact nature of the path to liberation, the importance and canonicity of various teachings and scriptures, and especially their respective practices. The cardinal doctrine of dependent origination is the only doctrine that is common to all Buddhist teachings from Theravada to Dzogchen to the extinct schools. The foundations of Buddhist tradition and practice are the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma (the teachings), and the Sangha (the community). Taking "refuge in the triple gem" has traditionally been a declaration and commitment to being on the Buddhist path and in general distinguishes a Buddhist from a non-Buddhist. Other practices may include following ethical precepts, support of the monastic community, renouncing conventional living and becoming a monastic, the development of mindfulness and practice of meditation, cultivation of higher wisdom and discernment, study of scriptures, devotional practices, ceremonies, and in the Mahayana tradition, invocation of Buddhas and bodhisattvas.

THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA Life in the Palace Buddhism is one of the major religions in the world. It began around 2,500 years ago in India when Siddhartha Gautama discovered how to bring happiness into the world. He was born around 566 BC, in the small kingdom of Kapilavastu. His father was King Sudhodana and his mother was Queen Maya. Soon after Prince Siddhartha was born, the wise men predicted that he would become a Buddha. When the king heard this, he was deeply disturbed, for he wanted his son to become a mighty ruler. He told Queen Maya, "I will make life in the palace so pleasant that our son will never want to leave." At the age of sixteen, Prince Siddhartha married a beautiful princess, Yasodhara. The king built them three palaces, one for each season, and lavished them with luxuries. They passed their days in enjoyment and never thought about life outside the palace. The Four Sights Soon Siddhartha became disillusioned with the palace life and wanted to see the outside world. He made four trips outside the palace and saw four things that changed his life. On the first three trips, he saw sickness, old age and death. He asked himself, "How can I enjoy a life of pleasure when there is so much suffering in the world?" On his fourth trip, he saw a wandering monk who had given up everything he owned to seek an end to suffering. "I shall be like him." Siddhartha thought.

Renunciation Leaving his kingdom and loved ones behind, Siddhartha became a wandering monk. He cut off his hair to show that he had renounced the worldly lifestyle and called himself Gautama. He wore ragged robes and wandered from place to place. In his search for truth, he studied with the wisest teachers of his day. None of them knew how to end suffering, so he continued the search on his own. For six years he practiced severe asceticism thinking this would lead him to enlightenment. He sat in meditation and ate only roots, leaves and fruit. At times he ate nothing. He could endure more hardships than anyone else, but this did not take him anywhere. He thought, "Neither my life of luxury in the palace nor my life as an ascetic in the forest is the way to freedom. Overdoing things can not lead to happiness. " He began to eat nourishing food again and regained his strength. Enlightenment On a full-moon day in May, he sat under the Bodhi tree in deep meditation and said. "I will not leave this spot until I find an end to suffering." During the night, he was visited by Mara, the evil one, who tried to tempt him away from his virtuous path. First he sent his beautiful daughters to lure Gautama into pleasure. Next he sent bolts of lightning, wind and heavy rain. Last he sent his demonic armies with weapons and flaming rocks. One by one, Gautama met the armies and defeated them with his virtue. As the struggle ended, he realized the cause of suffering and how to remove it. He had gained the most supreme wisdom and understood things as they truly are. He became the Buddha, 'The Awakened One'. From then on, he was called Shakyamuni Buddha.

The Buddha Teaches After his enlightenment, he went to the Deer Park near the holy city of Benares and shared his new understanding with five holy men. They understood immediately and became his disciples. This marked the beginning of the Buddhist community. For the next forty-five years, the Buddha and his disciples went from place to place in India spreading the Dharma, his teachings. Their compassion knew no bounds, they helped everyone along the way, beggars, kings and slave girls. At night, they would sleep where they were; when hungry they would ask for a little food. Whenever the Buddha went, he won the hearts of the people because he dealt with their true feelings. He advised them not to accept his words on blind faith, but to decide for themselves whether his teachings are right or wrong, then follow them. He encouraged everyone to have compassion for each other and develop their own virtue, "You should do your own work, for I can teach only the way." He never became angry or impatient or spoke harshly to anyone, not even to those who opposed him. He always taught in such a way that everyone could understand. Each person thought the Buddha was speaking especially for him. The Buddha told his followers to help each other on the Way. Following is a story of the Buddha living as an example to his disciples. Once the Buddha and Ananda visited a monastery where a monk was suffering from a contagious disease. The poor man lay in a mess with no one looking after him. The Buddha himself washed the sick monk and placed him on a new bed. Afterwards, he admonished the other monks. "Monks, you have neither mother nor father to look after you. If you do not

look after each other, who will look after you? Whoever serves the sick and suffering, serves me."

The Last Years Shakyamuni Buddha passed away around 486 BC at the age of eighty. Although he has left the world, the spirit of his kindness and compassion remains. The Buddha realized that that he was not the first to become a Buddha. "There have been many Buddhas before me and will be many Buddhas in the future," The Buddha recalled to his disciples. "All living beings have the Buddha nature and can become Buddhas." For this reason, he taught the way to Buddhahood. The two main goals of Buddhism are getting to know ourselves and learning the Buddha's teachings. To know who we are, we need to understand that we have two natures. One is called our ordinary nature, which is made up of unpleasant feelings such as fear, anger, and jealousy. The other is our true nature, the part of us that is pure, wise, and perfect. In Buddhism, it is called the Buddha nature. The only difference between us and the Buddha is that we have not awakened to our true nature.[3]

THE BASIC PREACHINGS OF BUDDHISM THE THREE UNIVERSAL TRUTHS One day, the Buddha sat down in the shade of a tree and noticed how beautiful the countryside was. Flowers were blooming and trees were putting on bright new leaves, but among all this beauty, he saw much unhappiness. A farmer beat his ox in the field. A bird pecked at an earthworm, and then an eagle swooped down on the bird. Deeply troubled, he asked, "Why does the farmer beat his ox? Why must one creature eat another to live?" During his enlightenment, the Buddha found the answer to these questions. He discovered three great truths. He explained these truths in a simple way so that everyone could understand them. 1. Nothing is lost in the universe The first truth is that nothing is lost in the universe. Matter turns into energy, energy turns into matter. A dead leaf turns into soil. A seed sprouts and becomes a new plant. Old solar systems disintegrate and turn into cosmic rays. We are born of our parents, our children are born of us. We are the same as plants, as trees, as other people, as the rain that falls. We consist of that which is around us, we are the same as everything. If we destroy something around us, we destroy ourselves. If we cheat another, we cheat ourselves. Understanding this truth, the Buddha and his disciples never killed any animal. 2. Everything Changes The second universal truth of the Buddha is that everything is continuously changing. Life is like a river flowing on and on,

ever-changing. Sometimes it flows slowly and sometimes swiftly. It is smooth and gentle in some places, but later on snags and rocks crop up out of nowhere. As soon as we think we are safe, something unexpected happens. Once dinosaurs, mammoths, and saber-toothed tigers roamed this earth. They all died out, yet this was not the end of life. Other life forms like smaller mammals appeared, and eventually humans, too. Now we can even see the Earth from space and understand the changes that have taken place on this planet. Our ideas about life also change. People once believed that the world was flat, but now we know that it is round. 3. Law of Cause and Effect The third universal truth explained by the Buddha is that there is continuous changes due to the law of cause and effect. This is the same law of cause and effect found in every modern science textbook. In this way, science and Buddhism are alike. The law of cause and effect is known as karma. Nothing ever happens to us unless we deserves it. We receive exactly what we earn, whether it is good or bad. We are the way we are now due to the things we have done in the past. Our thoughts and actions determine the kind of life we can have. If we do good things, in the future good things will happen to us. If we do bad things, in the future bad things will happen to us. Every moment we create new karma by what we say, do, and think. If we understand this, we do not need to fear karma. It becomes our friend. It teaches us to create a bright future. The Buddha said, "The kind of seed sown will produce that kind of fruit. Those who do good will reap good results. Those who do evil will reap evil results.

If you carefully plant a good seed, You will joyfully gather good fruit." Dhammapada [4] THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS Once there was a woman named Kisagotami, whose first-born son died. She was so stricken with grief that she roamed the streets carrying the dead body and asking for help to bring her son back to life. A kind and wise man took her to the Buddha. The Buddha told her, "Fetch me a handful of mustard seeds and I will bring your child back to life." Joyfully Kisagotami started off to get them. Then the Buddha added, "But the seeds must come from a family that has not known death." Kisagotami went from door to door in the whole village asking for the mustard seeds, but everyone said, "Oh, there have been many deaths here", "I lost my father", I lost my sister". She could not find a single household that had not been visited by death. Finally Kisagotami returned to the Buddha and said, "There is death in every family. Everyone dies. Now I understand your teaching." The Buddha said, "No one can escape death and unhappiness. If people expect only happiness in life, they will be disappointed." Things are not always the way we want them to be, but we can learn to understand them. When we get sick, we go to a doctor and ask:

What's wrong with me? Why am I sick? What will cure me? What do I have to do get well?

The Buddha is like a good doctor. First a good doctor diagnoses the illness. Next he finds out what has caused it. Then he decides what the cure is. Finally he prescribes the medicine or gives the treatment that will make the patient well again. The Four Noble Truths 1. There is Suffering Suffering is common to all. 2. Cause of Suffering We are the cause of our suffering. 3. End of Suffering Stop doing what causes suffering. 4. Path to end Suffering Everyone can be enlightened. 1. Suffering: Everyone suffers from these thing Birth- When we are born, we cry. Sickness- When we are sick, we are miserable. Old age- When old, we will have ache and pains and find it hard to get around. Death- None of us wants to die. We feel deep sorrow when someone dies. Other things we suffer from are: Being with those we dislike, Being apart from those we love, Not getting what we want, All kinds of problems and disappointments that are unavoidable.

The Buddha did not deny that there is happiness in life, but he pointed out it does not last forever. Eventually everyone meets with some kind of suffering. He said: "There is happiness in life, happiness in friendship, happiness of a family,

happiness in a healthy body and mind, ...but when one loses them, there is suffering." Dhammapada 2. The cause of suffering The Buddha explained that people live in a sea of suffering because of ignorance and greed. They are ignorant of the law of karma and are greedy for the wrong kind of pleasures. They do things that are harmful to their bodies and peace of mind, so they can not be satisfied or enjoy life. For example, once children have had a taste of candy, they want more. When they can't have it, they get upset. Even if children get all the candy they want, they soon get tired of it and want something else. Although, they get a stomach-ache from eating too much candy, they still want more. The things people want most cause them the most suffering. Of course, there are basic things that all people should have, like adequate food, shelter, and clothing. Everyone deserve a good home, loving parents, and good friends. They should enjoy life and cherish their possessions without becoming greedy. 3. The end of suffering To end suffering, one must cut off greed and ignorance. This means changing one's views and living in a more natural and peaceful way. It is like blowing out a candle. The flame of suffering is put out for good. Buddhists call the state in which all suffering is ended Nirvana. Nirvana is an everlasting state of great joy and peace. The Buddha said, "The extinction of desire is Nirvana." This is the ultimate goal in Buddhism. Everyone can realize it with the help of the Buddha's teachings. It can be experienced in this very life. 4. The path to the end of suffering: The path to end suffering is known as the Noble Eightfold Path. It is also known as the Middle Way.

THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH When the Buddha gave his first sermon in the Deer Park, he began the 'Turning of the Dharma Wheel'. He chose the beautiful symbol of the wheel with its eight spokes to represent the Noble Eightfold Path. The Buddha's teaching goes round and round like a great wheel that never stops, leading to the central point of the wheel, the only point which is fixed, Nirvana. The eight spokes on the wheel represent the eight parts of the Noble Eightfold Path. Just as every spoke is needed for the wheel to keep turning, we need to follow each step of the path. 1. Right View. The right way to think about life is to see the world through the eyes of the Buddha--with wisdom and compassion. 2. Right Thought. We are what we think. Clear and kind thoughts build good, strong characters. 3. Right Speech. By speaking kind and helpful words, we are respected and trusted by everyone. 4. Right Conduct. No matter what we say, others know us from the way we behave. Before we criticize others, we should first see what we do ourselves. 5. Right Livelihood. This means choosing a job that does not hurt others. The Buddha said, "Do not earn your living by harming others. Do not seek happiness by making others unhappy." 6. Right Effort. A worthwhile life means doing our best at all times and having good will toward others. This also means not wasting effort on things that harm ourselves and others.

7. Right Mindfulness. This means being aware of our thoughts, words, and deeds. 8. Right Concentration. Focus on one thought or object at a time. By doing this, we can be quiet and attain true peace of mind. Following the Noble Eightfold Path can be compared to cultivating a garden, but in Buddhism one cultivates one's wisdom. The mind is the ground and thoughts are seeds. Deeds are ways one cares for the garden. Our faults are weeds. Pulling them out is like weeding a garden. The harvest is real and lasting happiness.

Thervada Buddhism
Theravada (of Sanskrit: sthaviravda); literally, "the Teaching of the Elders", or "the Ancient Teaching") is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It is relatively conservative, and generally closest to early Buddhism, and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka (about 70% of the population) and most of continental Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand). It is also practiced by minorities in parts of southwest China (by the Shan and Tai ethnic groups), Vietnam (by the Khmer Krom), Bangladesh (by the ethnic groups of Baruas, Chakma, and Magh), Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia, whilst recently gaining popularity in Singapore and Australia. Today Theravada Buddhists number about 200 million worldwide, and in recent decades Theravada has begun to take root in the West and in the Buddhist revival in India.

History The Theravada school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavada (or 'doctrine of analysis') grouping which was a continuation of the older Sthavira (or 'teaching of the Elders') group at the time of the Third Buddhist Council around 250 BCE, during the reign of Emperor Asoka in India. Vibhajjavadins saw themselves as the continuation of orthodox Sthaviras and after the Third Council continued to refer to their school as the Sthaviras/Theras ('The Elders'), their doctrines were probably similar to the older Sthaviras but were not completely identical. After the Third Council geographical distance led to the Vibhajjavdins gradually evolving into four groups: the Mahsaka, Kyapya, Dharmaguptaka and the Tmraparnya. The Theravada is descended from the Tmraparnya, which means 'the Sri Lankan lineage'. Some sources claim that only the Theravada actually evolved directly from the Vibhajjavdins. Main Doctrines The main doctrines of Theravada are from the teachings found in the Pali Canon of early Buddhism. These include the Four Noble Truths, The Noble Eightfold Middle Path, and the Hindrances to Enlightenment. There is little to no use of worship in Theravada and emphasis is on mental development through meditation. Levels of Attainment A Buddha is someone who is fully enlightened. A person who is fully enlightened, but not the Buddha of our time, is called an Arahant in Pali. Such a person has eradicated all ten hindrances to enlightenment: 1. The belief in a permanent personality, ego

2. Doubt, extreme skepticism 3. Attachment to rites, rituals, and ceremonies 4. Attachment to sense desires 5. Ill-will, anger 6. Craving for existence in the Form world (heavenly realms) 7. Craving for existence in the Formless world (heavenly realms) 8. Conceit 9. Restlessness 10. Ignorance An anagami (non-returner) has completely eradicated the first five hindrances and never returns to earth or any other world system (planet, solar system). Such a person is re-born to a heavenly realm and attains enlightenment from there. A sakadagami (once returner) has eradicated the first three hindrances and greatly weakened the fourth and fifth; attachment to sense desires and ill-will. Such a person will be re-born to either the human or heavenly realm and will attain enlightenment there. A sottapanna (stream entrant) has eradicated the first three hindrances and will be re-born no more than seven more times and re-birth will either be as a human or a deva in a heavenly realm. Different forms Theravada takes Theravada Buddhism has taken four distinctive forms in the West and around the world, in modern times: A. The Secular Buddhist Society Model. This is concerned with the intense study of the Dhamma in its original formulation as given in the Pali Canon, the development of norms of living in substantial conformity of the requirements

of the Dhamma, and the encouragement of the observance of the Dhamma generally. B. The Original London Vihara Model. This model encompasses the objectives of the secular societies, but places greater emphasis on the necessity to accommodate ordained monks to expound the Dhamma. In its interpretation of the Canon it tends to place greater emphasis on Buddhaghosa's exegesis whereas the secular societies tend to go the original Canon itself. C. The Lankarama Model. This is the ethnic Buddhist Model par excellence. Its main objective appears to be to cater to the spiritual needs of expatriate groups using the particular national models of Buddhism as practiced in their home countries without any consideration of its relevance to the universality of the Buddha's teaching or the external conditions in the host country. D. The Meditation Centre Model. Here the Buddhist Institution is transformed into a centre for "meditation" under the guidance of a self-proclaimed "teacher". The meditation practiced is a simplified form of the first foundation of satipatthana ignoring all the preconditions which the Buddha was careful to lay down for the correct practice of this technique of mindfulness. Dr. Gunasekara argues that models A and B are appropriate modes in following the teachings of Buddha whereas models C and D are departures from the teachings. Variations A and sometimes B and D tends to be a Modern Theravada which focuses on the Pali Canon and acknowledges that some of the suttas are not meant to be taken too literally. Variation B and sometimes C are a Classical Theravada which tends to use the literal word of the writings in the Pali Canon and the Commentaries.[7]

Mahayana Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism, also known as the Great Vehicle, is the form of Buddhism prominent in North Asia, including China, Mongolia, Tibet, Korea, and Japan. Arising out of schisms about both doctrine and monastic rules - within Indian Buddhism in the first century C.E., the Great Vehicle considers itself a more authentic version of the Buddha's teachings. The Mahayana accepts the canonical texts of the Theravada tradition (what they derisively call the Hinayana, or "lesser vehicle), but also have a vast corpus of philosophical and devotional texts. The most distinctive teaching of the Mahayana is that the great compassion that is an inherent component of enlightenment is manifest in

bodhisattvas (enlightenment beings); these beings postpone nirvana (final enlightenment) in order to assist and guide those beings still suffering in the cycle of rebirths. They employ what the Mahayana calls "skillful means," which is the ability to know the particular mental and emotional capacity of each individual, and to deliver guidance appropriate to those capacities. The Mahayana developed a vast pantheon of bodhisattvas, Buddhas, and other powerful beings, and a complex array of devotional and meditational practices directed toward them. As the Mahayana moved beyond India, it took typically adopted distinct local cultural characteristics; thus the Mahayana pantheon in China is significantly different than that found in India, or that in Japan.
Mahayana Buddhism Beggings :

The Mahayana emerged between 100 B.C.E. and 100 C.E. in India in the context of debate about proper Buddhist doctrine and practice, about monastic discipline, and particularly about the ongoing presence of the Buddha after his death as well as the nature of enlightenment itself. Mahayana Buddhism Influences
Mahayana Buddhism Influences :

Initially, the Mahayana was influenced by other Buddhist schools of thought in India; as it spread in and beyond India, it absorbed and adopted aspects of indigenous religious traditions, such as Taoism, Confucianism, Bon, and various forms of Hinduism.

Mahayana Buddhism Founders

Mahayana Buddhism Founders :

The philosopher/monk Nagarjuna is sometimes said to be the founder of the Mahayana, along with such early figures as Asanga and Vasubandhu, although each of these figures actually founded sub-schools within the early Mahayana; in reality there is no single founder of the tradition.

Mahayana Buddhism Scriptures

Mahayana Buddhism Scriptures :

The earliest Mahayana texts compose the vast corpus known as the "Prajnaparamita" ("Perfection of Wisdom"), which forms the foundation of many later Mahayana schools. Other important early texts include the "Sadharmapundarika" ("Lotus Sutra") and the "Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra."

Mahayana Buddhism Historical Perspectives

Mahayana Buddhism Historical Perspectives :

Mahayana thought has been extremely influential in western philosophy and, in recent decades, western religious and ethical practice. Early scholarship on the Mahayana focused primarily on Mahayana thought, but more attention recently has been paid to ritual and devotional practices.

Mahayana Buddhism Early Developments

Mahayana Buddhism Early Developments :

The early Mahayana is marked by, among other things, a profound emphasis on the importance of the book; hundreds of new texts were written, copied, disseminated, and often worshipped. This may have been intended to counter the dominance of stupa veneration in other Buddhist schools.

Mahayana Buddhism Schisms, Sects

Mahayana Buddhism Schisms and Sects :

The Mahayana itself is often understood as a schismatic movement. After the initial emergence of the Mahayana, a number of important sub schools emerged in India and then in China - among them Madhyamaka, Yogacara, the Pure Land Schools, and Ch'an. Mahayana Buddhism Exploration, Conquest, Empire (incl. violence, persecution)
Mahayana Buddhism Exploration, Conquest, Empire :

A variety of kings in both India and east and Southeast Asia supported the Mahayana, among them: the Kushanas, Guptas, and Palas in India; the Han and Tang in China; the Srivijaya and Sailendra in Indonesia.

Mahayana Buddhism Missions, Spread, Changes, Regional Adaptations

Mahayana Buddhism Missions, Spread, Changes, Regional Adaptions :

The Mahayana spread throughout the Indian subcontinent through the missionary activities of monks and the patronage of kings. By the 2nd century C.E. it had made its way to China. It also spread to both east and Southeast Asia. Mahayana Buddhism Modern Age
Mahayana Buddhism Modern Age :

Mahayana Buddhism has adapted to tremendous change in its 2000-year history, and the tradition has continued to evolve in the modern world. In Asia, Europe, and North America the Mahayana has thrived, often by integrating seeming secular aspects of political and social-welfare activities into its practices. Mahayana Buddhism Sacred narratives
Mahayana Buddhism Beliefs :

There is no single sacred narrative in Mahayana Buddhism. Accounts of the lives and activities of the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, female deities, and significant monks serve as a means of spreading and explaining Mahayana doctrine and practice. The bodhisattva is perhaps the defining characteristic of the Mahayana. Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who remain in the world to assist those beings still suffering in samsara.

The Mahayana pantheon is populated by thousands of bodhisattvas, as well as Buddhas and goddess-like figures. The Mahayana holds that the cultivation of wisdom, prajna -through various meditation techniques, sometimes with the help of bodhisattvas -- allows individuals to cut through the ignorance and grasping that keep them stuck in samsara. As with other schools of Buddhism, the Mahayana holds that suffering is caused by grasping on to things and experiences that are, by their very nature, impermanent. Final salvation in the Mahayana is nirvana, although the meaning of that term changed significantly as the Mahayana developed. Some schools hold that enlightened beings are reborn in pure lands, limitless paradises where they reside with Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Mahayana Sacred Time
Mahayana Buddhism Ritual, Worship, Devotion, Symbolism :

The Mahayana does not hold a consistent idea of sacred time. The bodhisattvas are always present and active in the world, and thus in a sense all time could be understood to be sacred. Mahayana temples represent a kind of sacred space. Mandalas, often elaborate diagrams used in meditation, are another kind of sacred space; practitioners can inhabit the spaces that they represent through various meditation practices. Mahayana Buddhists engage in a tremendous range and variety of rituals and ceremonies: complex meditation

practices, ritual devotion to Buddhas and bodhisattvas, visualizations, pilgrimage, and mantra recitation. Mahayana Buddhists worship a wide range of bodhisattvas and semi-divine beings. The Buddha, the bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, and Amitabha, and the goddess Tara are among the most popular objects of devotion, providing protection and guidance to their devotees. The lotus (purity) and the eight-spoke wheel (the Buddha's teachings, dharma) are ubiquitous symbols in the Mahayana; other common symbols are various hand gestures (mudras), seated and standing postures, the book (dharma and wisdom) and the sword (insight and wisdom).
Mahayana Buddhism Ethics, Morality and Community :

Although each individual Buddhist is fully responsible for his or her own progress, monks provide a moral and ethical model for the laity, as well as guidance and teaching. Mahayana monks have typically been celibate men, although in some countries monks are married, and the monastic path is open to women. As with other schools of Buddhism, there is a symbiotic relationship between lay people and monks in the Mahayana; lay people materially support the monks, while the monks provide teaching and guidance to the laity. Monasteries are hierarchically structured based on seniority. Karma is at the center of all discussions of morality and ethics in the Mahayana, along with the idea of selfless compassion (karuna). It is the bodhisattvas' selfless compassion, coupled

with wisdom (prajna) and skillful means (upaya) that compels them to remain in the world to aid other beings. The Mahayana, literally the "great vehicle," holds that all beings can and will eventually become perfectly enlightened beings. The goal of all people is to act ethically and compassionately, and thereby ideally to affect a perfectly harmonious society. Images of spiritually powerful and advanced female figures are common in the Mahayana -- Tara, who guides and protects her devotees; Prajnaparamita, who embodies wisdom. Some Mahayana schools employ sexual imagery to symbolize the union of wisdom and skillful means, and the overcoming of oppositions.[8]

Buddhist Literature
In monasteries perched on hillsides in the arid moonscape of Laddakh and among emerald rice fields in Thailand, young saffron clad monks sway and recite the same prayers. The Buddha's teachings are inscribed on prayer wheels in Mongolia, tangkha paintings in Tibet and palm leaf manuscripts in Sri Lanka. After 2500 years, Gautama Buddha still lives in his teachings, which have not been forgotten. After the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha at Kushinagar, the legends and myths, the commentaries and analyses began.

Buddhist literature began with what the Buddha said and around it a body of canonical and non-canonical writing emerged. The earliest Buddhist literature to have survived is in Pali.
Pitakas

The oldest Buddhist canonical writings like the Vinaya and Sutra Pitakas began as oral literature. Buddhist tradition has it that at the First great Council of monks at Rajgir after the death of the Master, his two disciples recited his teaching from memory. Upali recalled the Vinaya Pitaka and Ananda the Sutra Pitaka. The earliest pali canon anthologies of writings, Pitakas. It is an immense divided into a number of commentaries the Tripitaka, consists of three Vinaya, Sutra and Abhidharma body of writing, with each Pitaka books and further subdivided into and abstracts.

Vinaya Pitaka, the book of Discipline deals with the rules of monastic order, while Sutra Pitaka, the Book of Discourses, deals with the ethical principles of the Buddha's teachings. Abhidharma Pitaka, a collection on abstract philosophy, elaborates on the metaphysical principles underlying the doctrine. Dhammapada, or in the steps of the Dharma, is a book people instantly connect with the sermons of Gautama Buddha. Its terse sayings are in Pali verse, on a variety of subjects ranging from happiness, anger and craving to Enlightenment. These

verses, memorized by young monks and lay believers of all ages across the world, embody the very spirit of the Buddha's teachings.
Poetic-Writings

In the verses of the Theragatha and Therigatha one can still heat the poetic voices of bhikshus and bhikshunis describing how their lives were transformed by the teachings of the Buddha. Many of the poets were contemporaries of Sakyamuni. The verses by the bhikshus in the Theragatha are often spiritual and meditative, with may beautiful passages on nature while the nuns strike a more personal note and sing to the joys, sorrows and complexities of life. The Therigatha is the earliest anthology of women's writing in India, and includes verses by Amrapali, the courtesan of Vaishali who became a bhikshunis.
Jataka-tales

Children across the Buddhist world grow up listening to the Jataka tales. Jataka means 'birth stories' and they chronicle the former incarnations of the Buddha as a man and as an animal. The stories have been told and retold for centuries to popularize the teachings of the Master. More than 500 stories still exist, many of them with animals as the main characters and have the humor and liveliness of folk tales and fables. Though many of the Jataka stories have a moral, some are simple adventure tales. At the end of each story the hero is identified as a Bodhisattva. Episodes from the tales are carved

on the gateway of the stupas of Sanchi and Bharhut among other sites, and also painted in the AjantaCaves.

Milindapanha

One of the most interesting non-canonical works is Milindapanha or Questions of Milinda, which was written in Sanskrit in India in the beginning of the Christian era. The book is a dialogue between Milinda (Menander), a GrecoBactrian king of Sakala (modern Sialkot in Pakistan) and a Buddhist monk, Nagasena. Milinda begins as a doubting man but by the end he is converted by Nagasena's brilliant replies and becomes an ardent believer.

Life

Stories

of

the

Buddha

The most famous life stories of the Buddha are Lalitavistara of the Sarvastivadin sect and Buddhancharita composed by the poet Aswaghosha in the 1st century AD. Then there are the three great Sri Lankan verse chronicles - Dipavamsa, the Island Chronicle; the Mahavamsa, the Great Chronicle; and Culavamsam the Lesser Chronicle. There are works in progress with monks constantly adding to them. They narrate the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Buddhist literature is a gift to the world from thousands of forgotten monks and nuns who preserved the manuscripts in

their monasteries with care and devotion. In their fragile pages we can still hear the wise, compassionate voice of one of the greatest thinkers of world civilization.[9]

BUDDHIST MONKS or BHIKKUS

A Bhikku is a ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called Bhikkhuni (Skt: Bhiku). Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis keep many precepts: they live by the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline, the basic rules of which are called the patimokkha. Their lifestyle is shaped so as to support their spiritual practice, to live a simple and meditative life, and attain Nirvana. Bhikku may be literally translated as "beggar" or more broadly as "one who lives by alms". It is philologically analysed in the Pli commentary of Buddhaghosa as "the person who sees danger (in samsara or cycle of rebirth)" (Pli

= Bhaya ikkhatti: bhikkhu). He therefore seeks ordination in order to release from it. The Dhammapada states: He is not thereby a Bhikku merely because he seeks alms from others; by following the whole code (of morality) one certainly becomes a Bhikku and not (merely) by seeking alms. Herein he who has transcended both good and evil, whose conduct is sublime, who lives with understanding in this world, he, indeed, is called a Bhikku. A bhikkhu has taken a vow to enter the Sangha (Buddhist monastic community) and is expected to obey the Patimokkha, rules of monastic conduct (typically around 227 for a male, and 311 for a female) as set out in the Vinaya, although there are considerable local variations in the interpretations of these rules. A novice monk or nun in the Tibetan tradition takes 36 vows of conduct. The minimum age to take bhikkhu vows according to ruling is 20 years counted from the conception (i.e. app. 19 years and 3 months from birth). In Mahayana traditions, a Bhiksu may take additional vows not related to ordination, including the Bodhisattva vows, samaya vows, and others, which are also open to laypersons in most instances. In addition, in some traditions there are forms of non-Vinaya ordinations, the holders of which are not considered Bhikkhus. These included ordination into the "White Sangha" lineage of Tibetan yogis (Tib. naljorpa/naljorma , <rnal hbyor pa/ma>), and all of the ordination lineages of the various Japanese traditions.

Ordination" in Buddhism is a cluster of methods of selfdiscipline according to the needs, possibilities and capabilities of individuals. According to the spiritual development of his followers, the Buddha gave different levels of vows. The most advanced method is the state of a bikshu(ni), a fully ordained follower of the Buddha's teachings. The goal of the bhikku (ni) in all traditions is to achieve liberation from suffering.[10]