Buddhism in India
(Indian Religion & Culture)
Origin
§ Buddhism
started in India over 2,600 years ago as a way life that had a potential of
transforming a person.
§ It is one
of the important religions of South and South-Eastern Asian countries.
§ The religion is based upon the teachings, life experiences of its founder Siddhartha Gautam, born in circa 563 BCE.
§ He was
born into royal family of Sakya clan who ruled from Kapilvastu, in Lumbini which
is situated near the Indo-Nepal Border.
§ At the
age of 29, Gautama left home and rejected his life of riches and embraced a
lifestyle of asceticism, or extreme self-discipline.
§ After 49
consecutive days of meditation, Gautama attained Bodhi (enlightenment) under
a pipal tree at Bodhgaya a village in Bihar.
§ Buddha
gave his first sermon in the village of Sarnath, near the city
of Benares in UP. This event is known as Dharma-Chakra-Pravartana (turning
of the wheel of law).
§ He died
at the age of 80 in 483 BCE at a place called Kushinagara a
town in UP. The event is known as Mahaparinibban.
Tenets of Buddhism
§ Buddha
asked his followers to avoid the two extremes of indulgence in worldly pleasure
and the practice of strict abstinence and asceticism.
§ He
ascribed instead the 'Madhyam Marg' or the middle path which
was to be followed.
§ According
to him everyone was responsible for their own happiness in life, stressing upon
the individualistic component of Buddhism.
§ The main
teachings of Buddhism are encapsulated in the basic concept of four noble
truths or ariya-sachchani and eightfold path or astangika marg.
§ Four
noble truths:
o Suffering
(dukkha) is the essence of the world.
o Every
suffering has a cause – Samudya.
o Suffering
could be extinguished – Nirodha.
o It can be
achieved by following the Atthanga Magga (Eight Fold Path).
§ Eight
Fold Paths: the path consists of various interconnected activities related to
knowledge, conduct, and meditative practices.
o Right
view
o Right
intention
o Right
speech
o Right
action
o Right
livelihood
o Right
mindfulness
o Right
effort
o Right
concentration
§ Dukkha
and its extinction are central to the Buddha’s doctrine. Suffering is not
limited to the actual pain but also to the potential to experience these
things.
§ The
essence of Buddhism is the attainment of enlightenment. It points to a way of
life that avoids self-indulgence and self-denial. There is no supreme god or
deity in Buddhism.
§ The
ultimate goal of Buddha’s teaching was the attainment of nibbana which was not
a place but an experience, and could be attained in this life.
§ Buddha
also established code of conduct both for the monastic order and the laymen to
follow which are also known as the Five Precepts or Pancasil and
refrain from them.
o Violence
o stealing
o sexual
misconduct
o lying or
gossip
o taking
intoxicating substances e.g. drugs or drink
Major Buddhist Texts
§ The
Buddha's teaching was oral. He taught for 45 years, adapting the teaching to
suit the group he was addressing.
§ The
Sangha memorized the teachings, and there were group recitations at festivals
and special occasions.
§ The
teachings were rehearsed and authenticated at the First Council and were
divided in Three Pitakas in 483 BC.
§ His
teachings were written down around 25 B.C.E. in Pali.
Three Pitakas
§ The Vinaya
Pitaka consists of rules of conduct and discipline applicable to the
monastic life of the monks and nuns.
§ The Sutta
Pitaka consists of the main teaching or Dhamma of Buddha. It is
divided into five Nikayas or collections:
o Digha
Nikaya
o Majjhima
Nikaya
o Samyutta
Nikaya
o Anguttara
Nikaya
o Khuddaka
Nikaya
§ The Abhidamma
Pitaka is a philosophical analysis and systematization of the teaching
and the scholarly activity of the monks.
§ Other
important Buddhist texts include Divyavadana, Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, Milind
Panha etc.
Buddhist Councils
§ Buddhist
Councils marked important turning points in the early Buddhism.
§ These
councils resulted in sectarian clashes and the eventual Great Schism that
resulted in the two major schools, Theravada and Mahayana.
§ In total,
4 major Buddhist councils were convened:
First Council
§ It was
held soon after the Mahaparinirvan of the Buddha, around 483 BC under
the patronage of King Ajatshatru and was presided by
Mahakasyapa, a monk.
§ The
council was held in the Sattapani cave at Rajgriha.
§ The
council was held with the purpose of preserving Buddha’s teachings (Sutta) and
rules for disciples. During this council, the teachings of Buddha were divided
into three Pitakas.
Second Council
§ It was
held in Vaishali, a village in Bihar under the patronage
of the king Kalasoka in 383 BC. It was presided by Sabakami.
Third Council
§ It was
held in 250 BC in Patliputra under the patronage of
Ashoka and was presided by Moggaliputta Tissa.
Forth Council
§ It was
held in 72 AD at Kundalvana, Kashmir. It was presided by
Vasumitra, while Asvaghosa was his deputy under the patronage
of King Kanishka of Kushan Empire.
§ Buddhism
was divided into two sects namely Mahayan and Hinayan.
Schools of Buddhism
§ Mahayana:
o It is one
of the two main schools of Buddhism.
o The term
Mahayana is a Sanskrit word which literally means "Great Vehicle".
o It
believes in the heavenliness of Buddha and Idol worship of Buddha and
Bodhisattvas embodying Buddha Nature.
o It
originated in northern India and Kashmir and then spread east into Central
Asia, East Asia and some areas of Southeast Asia.
o Buddhist
schools embedded in China, Korea, Tibet and Japan belong to the Mahayana
tradition.
§ Hinayana
o Literally Lesser
vehicle, also known as Abandoned Vehicle or Defective vehicle.
It believes in the original teaching of Buddha or Doctrine of elders.
o It does
not believe in Idol worship and tries to attain individual salvation through
self discipline and meditation.
o Theravada
is a Hinayana sect.
§ Theravada
o It is the
most ancient branch of extant Buddhism today.
o It
remains closest to the original teachings of the Buddha.
o Theravada
Buddhism developed in Sri Lanka and subsequently spread to the rest of
Southeast Asia. It is the dominant form of religion in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar,
Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
§ Vajrayana
o Vajrayana
means “The Vehicle of the Thunderbolt”, also known as tantric Buddhism.
o This
Buddhist school developed in India around 900 CE.
o It is
grounded on esoteric elements and very complex set of rituals compared with the
rest of the Buddhist schools.
§ Zen
o It is a
school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty as
the Chan school of Chinese Buddhism in and later developed into various
schools.
o It spread
to Japan in 7th century C.E.
o Meditation
is the most distinctive feature of this Buddhist tradition.
Spread of Buddhism
§ Buddha
had two kinds of disciples – monks (bhikshus) and lay worshippers (upasikas).
§ The monks
were organized into the Sangha for the purpose of spreading his teachings.
§ The
Sangha was governed on democratic lines and was empowered to enforce discipline among its members.
§ Owing to
the organised efforts made by the Sangha, Buddhism made rapid progress in North
India even during Buddha’s life time.
§ After the
death of Buddha, his followers traversed on his path of meditation and roamed
throughout the countryside.
§ For 200
years Buddhism remained overshadowed by their Hindu counterparts until the
advent of Great Mauryan King – Ashoka.
§ After the
bloodbath in his Kalinga conquest, emperor Ashoka decided to give up the policy
of worldly conquest and adopted Dhamma conquest.
§ Ashoka
during the third Buddhist council dispatched various Buddhist missions to
different areas such as Gandhara, Kashmir, Greece, Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar),
Egypt, and Thailand.
§ Through
his missionary effort Ashoka spread Buddhism into West Asia and Ceylon. Thus a
local religious sect was transformed into a world religion.
Contribution of
Buddhism to Indian Culture
Buddhism has made remarkable contribution to the development of Indian culture:
§ The
concept of ahimsa was its chief contribution. Later, it became one of the
cherished values of our nation.
§ Its
contribution to the art and architecture of India was notable. The stupas at
Sanchi, Bharhut and Gaya are wonderful pieces of architecture.
§ It
promoted education through residential universities like those at Taxila,
Nalanda and Vikramasila.
§ The
language of Pali and other local languages developed through the teachings of
Buddhism.
§ It had
also promoted the spread of Indian culture to other parts of Asia.
Buddhism as a Way of
Soft Diplomacy
§ Buddhism
in India as a Soft Power is different from the conventional sense of the term.
India talks about shared cultural development instead of export of culture.
§ The
values of peace, accommodation, inclusiveness, and compassion that are part of
our societies can be attributed to the influence of the teachings of Lord
Buddha and Buddhism.
§ The
ideals of Buddhism continue to intersect with the political and economic
contexts of many Asian nations with 22% of the world’s population.
§ Buddhism
can act as an intensifying factor for Asian emotional bonding and connectivity
as it is embedded into their “nationalistic” thinking and actions.
§ Buddhism
is not restricted to Asia and has been able to generate a spiritual awakening
elsewhere in the world and influenced a stream of philosophical traditions
world over.
§ India has
in its favour at the moment abundance of resources by way of pilgrimage sites,
the presence of the Dalai Lama, and international goodwill, as well as the
right intentions.
Way Forward
§ Effective
revitalisation of the Nalanda University project and encouragement of Buddhist
studies in well-established universities will bring International community at
a common platform.
§ The
promotion of Buddhist tourism reminiscent of the ‘Incredible India’ campaign is
required to popularise India’s association with the faith internationally.
§ The
government faces the crucial challenge of effective execution. Buddhist
diplomacy would go a long way in countering the rise of China, strengthening
its relations with Asian countries, and helping it further down the path of its
regional and global power ambitions.
Note: Heritage City Development Scheme (HRIDAY) and identification of 3
Buddhist circuits are some of the few initiatives by central government to
harness the Buddhist pilgrims to both augment the Tourism and employment
opportunities.
UNESCO’s heritage sites related to Buddhism:
§ Archaeological
Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar
§ Buddhist
Monuments at Sanchi, MP
§ Mahabodhi
Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya, Bihar
§ Ajanta
Caves Aurangabad, Maharashtra
