PRESENT HISTORY OF BUDDHISM

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHISM
HISTORY OF SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA HISTORY OF ASOKA HISTORY OF MAHAYANA

HISTORY OF THERAVADA

Introduction to Buddhism
History of Siddhartha Gautama
by Tan Ming Yih 14980

major world religion and philosophy Variety of traditions , beliefs and practices 4th largest religion of the world explains the purpose of life, injustices and inequality around the world.

 Started 2500 years ago birth of Buddha , Siddhartha Gautama on Indian Subcontinent Spread from the north-eastern region through - Central Asia - East Asia - Southeast Asia

EARLY SPREAD OF BUDDHISM

EAST ASIA

HISTORY FOUNDER OF BUDDHISM ??

Siddhartha Gautama

Backgrounds :: Born as a prince in Nepal, India in 623 BCE Father : King Suddhodana
Mother : Queen Maha Maya Died at the age of 80

The Journey(Life) of Siddhartha Gautama

Since young, he was kind to everyone gentle with his horse and other animals easy life All creatures like to be happy and do not like suffering pain. He will thought deeply about what he saw around him suffering in life.

 However, King did not want his son to think about deep things in life. A wise man had predicted that his son might leave the palace and become a monk.

In order to distract him , the King built a beautiful palace.

 King arranged for him to be married to Princess Yasodhara. The prince was not happy. He wanted to know what life was for people outside palace walls.

King allowed short visits to the towns went with his attendant , Channa.

Short Visits Four Sights 1. Old Age

saw a wrinkled old man surprised never seen anyone old before everyone will be old one day.

2. Sickness
saw a man lying on the ground and moaning rushed over to the man Channa warned him that the man was sick and that everyone , even noble people like King could get sick also.

3. Death

saw 4 men carrying another man on a stretcher. the man was dead. no one can escape death.

4. Monk

saw a monk The man was a monk left his family and given up his desire for pleasures to search for freedom from suffering . The prince felted inspired by the sight of monk leave home to search for freedom.

HISTORY OF SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMAs TEACHING / BELIEFS

BY HU HIN ANG 14951

WHAT HAPPEN AFTER SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA EXPERIENCES FOUR SIGHTS ?

FROM
Although he was happy, there are still a lot of sufferings in life HENCE, he wants to find a way out of the suffering of old age, sickness and death . He is then inspired by a peaceful monk and Began to want to leave home to search for the freedom . At the age of

29

Become a homeless monk, leaving behind his wife and his lovely baby RAHULA.

to understand life and what caused suffering find how they could escape from suffering

The leader of fire worshippers lifted his sword and want to kill the first sheep, but

If people expect mercy, they should show mercy. By the law of cause and effect (karma), those who kill others will, in turn, be killed. If we expect happiness in the future, we must not harm any creature. Whoever sows suffering will reap the same fruits.

Went to see a sage (wise person) Alara Kalama learn how to make his mind very calm
Learn with another sage (wise person)-Uddaka Ramaputta learn how to make his mind very still and empty of all thoughts and emotions

Decided to find the ultimate truths by his own wisdom and effort.

The Four Noble Truths

Life is suffering Suffering is caused by desire Desire can be overcome There is a path that overcomes desire and ends suffering

The Eightfold Path

Right understanding Right thought Right speech Right action Right livelihood Right effort Right mindfulness Right concentration

Buddhism

three jewels

*Buddha () teacher or the Buddha nature the ideal or highest spiritual potential that exists within all beings *Dharma () teachings of the Buddha
*Sangha () Community of those who have attained enlightment

 Ashok Maurya or Ashoka, popularly known as Ashoka the Great. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests.

 He was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC.

 While the early part of Ashoka's reign was apparently quite bloodthirsty. He became a follower of the Buddha's teaching after his conquest of Kalinga on the east coast of India.

 From his 13th inscription, he come to know that the battle was a massive one and caused the deaths of more than 100,000 soldiers and many civilians who rose up in defense; over 150,000 were deported.

What have I done? If this is a victory, what's a defeat then? Is this a victory or a defeat? Is this justice or injustice? Is it gallantry or a rout? Is it valor to kill innocent children and women? Do I do it to widen the empire and for prosperity or to destroy the other's kingdom and splendor? One has lost her husband, someone else a father, someone a child, someone an unborn infant.... What's this debris of the corpses? Are these marks of victory or defeat? Are these vultures, crows, eagles the messengers of death or evil?

 Regretting the horrors and misery brought about by the conflict.

The king magnanimously decided to renounce violence, to replace the misery caused by war with respect and dignity for all humanity.

 He used his position to propagate the relatively new religion to new heights.

As far as ancient Rome and Egypt.

He made Buddhism his state religion around 260 BC, and propagated it and preached it within his domain and worldwide from about 250 BC.

 Emissaries were sent to various countries in order to spread Buddhism.

As far south as Sri Lanka and as far west as the Greek kingdoms, in particular the neighboring Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, and possibly even farther to the Mediterranean.

History of Mahayana
By: FOO KIAN XIONG 14775

Overview
Known as the Great Vehicle Buddhism prominent in North Asia As the Mahayana moved beyond India, it took typically adopted distinct local cultural characteristics. Pantheon in China is significantly different than that found in India

Different Pantheon

India

China

Beginning and Influences

Between 100 B.C.E. and 100 C.E in india. Debate about proper Buddhist doctrine and practice. Presence of the Buddha after his death
Adopted aspects of indigenous religious tradition

Founders & Scriptures

Philosopher/monk Nagarjuna Early figures as Asanga and Vasubandhu, founded sub-schools In reality, there is no single founder of the tradition. Vast corpus known as the "Prajnaparamita" ("Perfection of Wisdom")

"Sadharmapundarika" ("Lotus Sutra") and the "Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra."

Historical Perspectives
Extremely influential in western philosophy In recent decades,it inflence western religious and ethical practice.

More attention recently has been paid to ritual and devotional practices.

Early Development
Emphasis on the importance of the book Hundreds of new texts were written, copied, disseminated, and often worshipped Counter the dominance of stupa veneration in other Buddhist schools

Empire, Spread, & Changes

Variety of kings in Asia supported the Mahayana Kushanas, Guptas, and Palas in India Han and Tang in China Srivijaya and Sailendra in Indonesia. Spread throughout the Indian subcontinent By the 2nd century C.E. it had made its way to China, east and southeast Asia.

Modern Age
Tremendous change in its 2000-year history Evolve in the modern world. Integrate seeming secular aspects of political and social-welfare activities into its practices.

JOSHUA TEOH HEIN YIK 14894 CV

THE HISTORY OF THERAVADA BUDDHISM

A little knowledge on Theravada Buddhism

1) Known as Doctorine of the elders The teaching of the elders The ancient Teaching 2) It is one of the three major vects of Buddhism 3) Theravada buddhism is the surviving part of the Pali school and belongs to the oldest school of buddhism. 4) It has 100 million adherents worldwide.

The Beginning of Theravada Buddhism

Theravada Buddhism is found in India and prominent in Sri Lanka (3rd B.C.E 6th C.E) Spread to Southeast Asia includes Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos (11th -14th centuries) This places are known as southern Buddhism. Practiced by minorities in southwest china such as the Shan and Tai Ethics group.

The Theravada Renaissance

From the 11th century, the destruction of Buddhism due to the invasion of Islamic led to the decline of Mahayana faith. This led to the adoption of the Theravada Buddhism of the Pali canon.

King Anawrahta (1044 1077), founder of the Burmese empire adopted the Theravadin Buddist faith and build many temples at Pagan. The power of the Burmese waned with the rise of Thai and with the seizure of the Pagan by the Mongols, but Theravada Buddism still remain as the main Burmese faith until now.

Furthurmore, The Theravda faith was adopted by ethnic Thai kingdom of Sukhothai around 1260 and further reinforced during the Ayuttaya period (14th18th century).

In the continental areas, Theravada Buddhism expand into Laos and Cambodia in the 13th century. From the 14th century, it expands into Malaysia, Indonesia, and most of the islands as far as the southern Philippine.