6.

FOUNDATIONS OF BUDDHISM

ISSN: 2631-2131

– By Dhakal D.R.

ISSN 2631-2131
Author(s) Devraj Dhakal

Association Lumbini Buddhists University (PhD Scholar)

Received Date 20th March 2021

Abstract

Buddha was born in Nepal. The crown prince after turning or being Buddha gave the Buddhists
philosophy to the world. The three characteristics of existence that have in mind are the
characteristics of impermanence (Anitya), suffering (Duhkha) and not-self (Anatma). These three
characteristics are always present in or are connected with existence, and they tell us about the
nature of existence. The main objective of the study is to analyze specifically the basic foundation
of Buddhism in Nepal. The study is predominantly a review paper. It has reviewed the prominent
research articles available in Nepal. Finally, the study concludes as morality is simply a good
conduct. It is the specific analysis of eight-fold path. The Noble Eightfold Path has been traditionally
divided into the three groups of training or the three ways of practice and they are morality or good
conduct (Shila), meditation or mental development (Samadhi), and wisdom or insight (Prajna). The
Noble Eightfold Path is the means of arriving at the goal of Buddhism.

Keywords: Buddhism, Eightfold paths, Five Percepts

Introduction

The statue of Buddha, siting straight in peaceful meditative mind, symbol of peace and illumination
for the world, is known to everybody in the earth. Gautama Buddha, emblem of world peace and
mediation for blissful life, was born and raised in Nepal. Prince Siddhartha of King Suddhodan
of Nepal, after his devotion meditation, renunciation of material world and labor got enlighten

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and became an icon of knowledge- Buddha. Buddha left his newly born baby Rahul, beautiful
wife Yeshodhara, father a powerful Emperor of Nepal, everything for that entire human being is
dying for. He renounced entire worldly material wealth, love, or power and became Buddha to
liberate humanity. He left the entire causes of suffering. The Buddha is the typical title given to
Siddhartha Gautama, founder or re-founder of the Buddhist tradition. It is among a number of
epithets assigned to Gautama and to some other spiritual leaders of the period. The term means
‘awakened one’ or ‘enlightened one’ and is related to the word Bodhi, meaning ‘awakening’ or
‘enlightenment’. The latter expression has become the favorite translation of the word in modern
English (Smart, 1997, p. 275). In reincarnation (Different life forms of Buddha), the individual may
recur repeatedly. In rebirth, a person does not necessarily return to Earth as the same entity ever
again. He compares it to a leaf growing on a tree. When the withering leaf falls off, a new leaf will
eventually replace it. It is similar to the old leaf, but it is not identical to the original leaf. Buddhism
is a philosophy of life expounded by Gautama Buddha («Buddha» means «enlightened one»),
who lived and taught in the 6th century B.C. The Buddha was not a god and the philosophy of
Buddhism does not entail any theistic world view. The teachings of the Buddha are aimed solely
at liberating sentient beings from suffering.

Textual sources provide affirmation that Buddhism was introduced in Nepal Valley during Buddha’s
period. The Mulasarvastivada Vinaya Samgraha compiled by Jinamitra and translated by I-sting
in 700 A.D. mentions an episode relating to the transport of wool a group or Bhikkhus in route
toward Nepal (Ni-po-lo) at the time the Buddha was residing at Shravasti. In the same text, it is
stated that Ananda. Buddha’s cousin went to the Kathmandu Valley to meet his relatives. Ananda
came back to Shravasti with his toes bitten by frost. Seeing his condition, the Bhiksus enquired of
the climatic condition of Nepal and cause of his frost bitten toes. Ananda replied that Nepal is the
place surrounded by the tall big mountains covered with snow, many waterfalls and a lot of cold
rivers. It was through those rivers and snowy mountains that he had to walk barefooted, thus his
foot was frost bitten. The people of Nepal used to wear shoes to protect themselves from cold
and frost. The Buddha later made vinaya to use shoes for the monk (Shakya, 1995). However, the
world knows with miss-conceptually Buddha or Buddhism was originated in India. Buddha was
born in Nepal so Buddhism is blessing to the world by Nepal.

Objectives and Method

The main objective of the study is to analyze specifically the basic foundation of Buddhism in
Nepal. The study is predominantly a review paper. It has reviewed the prominent research articles
available in Nepal.

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Basic Teachings of Buddhism

It teaches the values Shila, Samaadhi and Pragya against killing, stealing, false speech, adultery,
and indulgence in intoxicants, further pride, anger, lust, envy, jealousy, and greediness. These are
the basic elements of human suffering. Buddhism in Nepal started spreading since the reign of
Ashoka through Indian and Tibetan missionaries. The Kiratas were the first people in Nepal who
embraced Gautama Buddha’s teachings, followed by the Licchavis and Newar people. Buddha was
born in Lumbini in the Shakya Kingdom. Lumbini is considered to lie in present-day Rupandehi
District, Lumbini zone of Nepal. Buddhism is the second-largest religion in Nepal. According to
2011 census, 11% of Nepal’s population practiced Buddhism, consisting mainly of Tibeto-Burman-
speaking ethnicities, the Newar. However, in the 2011 census, Buddhists made up just 9% of the
country’s population. Buddhism was developed to correct the misconducts of Vedism. Beliefs and
practices which were not part of the earliest form of Buddhism but which arose at later dates
have been purposely excluded from this book, are identified as later developments. An attempt
has also been made to separate fact from fiction by stripping away the many legendary tales and
stories that have inevitably grown around the birth, life, and person of the Buddha. Development
arises from inside (Badal, 2017)

It has not been possible to assign with certainty the year in which Prince Siddhartha, the birth
name of the Buddha, was born, it is usually placed at around 563 BCE. In Nepal’s hill and mountain
regions Hinduism has absorbed Buddhist tenets to such an extent that in many cases they have
shared deities as well as temples. For instance, the Muktinath Temple is sacred and a common
house of worship for both Hindus and Buddhists

The Basic Teachings of Buddha which are core to Buddhism are:

1. The Three Universal Truths (Nothing is lost in the universe, Everything Changes, The Law
of Cause and Effect - Pacicasamutpada);

2. The Four Noble Truths (Dukha, Samudaya, Nirodh, Marga);

3. The Five percepts -Panchasila (Abstention from killing living beings, Abstention from
taking what is not given, Abstention from sexual misconduct, Abstention from telling lies,
Abstention from partaking of intoxicants); and

4. The Eightfold Path (Right View, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness
and concentration)

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5. The lifetime practice (Sila, Samadhi, Pagya)

Three Universal Truths

The basic universal truth according to Buddhism are: Impermanence, Laws of Karma and
Universe. The fact that Buddhist teachings simultaneously parallel both contemporary scientific
and existential/phenomenological approaches to psychology can be of enormous value to the
West; Buddhism’s insistence on finding “middle-way” solutions offers an opportunity to heal the
rift between these disparate realms (Segall, 2003, p. 11). In Buddhism, the law of karma, says
«for every event that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was caused by the
first, and this second event will be pleasant or unpleasant according as its cause was skillful or
unskillful.» Therefore, the law of Karma teaches that the responsibility for unskillful actions is
borne by the person who commits them. After his enlightenment, the Buddha 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. Wherever 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.»

Once, the Buddha and his disciple 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.»
After many such cycles, if a person releases their attachment to desire and the self, they can attain
Nirvana. This is a state of liberation and freedom from suffering.

The four Noble Truths

The Buddha’s Four Noble Truths explore human suffering (Swearer, 2010, p. 45). They may be
described (somewhat simplistically) as:

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1. Dukkha: Suffering exists: Life is suffering. Suffering is real and almost universal. Suffering
has many causes: loss, sickness, pain, failure, and the impermanence of pleasure.
2. Samudaya: There is a cause of suffering. Suffering is due to attachment. It is the desire to
have and control things. It can take many forms: craving of sensual pleasures; the desire
for fame; the desire to avoid unpleasant sensations, like fear, anger or jealousy.
3. Nirodha: There is an end to suffering. Attachment can be overcome. Suffering ceases
with the final liberation of Nirvana (Nibbana). The mind experiences complete freedom,
liberation and non-attachment. It lets go of any desire or craving.
4. Marga: In order to end suffering, you must follow the Eightfold Path. There is a path for
accomplishing this.

The five precepts (Sila)

Buddhism has long been celebrated as a religion of peace and non-violence. With its increasing
vitality in regions around the world, many people today turn to Buddhism for relief and guidance
at the time when peace seems to be a deferred dream more than ever, with the wars in the Middle
East and Africa, and the terrorist activities expanding into areas where people never expected that
scope of violence before such as Bali, London, and New York (Yeh, 2006, p. 92).

The Five precepts or five rules of training (Panchasila) is the most important system of morality
for Buddhist people (Upasak / Upasika). Buddhism, like most of the great religions of the world,
is divided into a number of different traditions. However, most traditions share a common set of
fundamental beliefs. One central belief of Buddhism is often referred to as reincarnation - the
concept that people are reborn after dying. In fact, most individuals go through many cycles of
birth, living, death and rebirth. A practicing Buddhist differentiates between the concepts of
rebirth and reincarnation. The five precepts(Panchasila) are based on five philosophical bases of
Buddhism. In early Buddhism, the five precepts were regarded as an ethic of restraint, to restrain
unwholesome tendencies and thereby purify one’s being to attain enlightenment (Emmanuel,
2013, p. 03).

These are rules to live by. Sila is regarded as the foundation of Buddhist Way of living. It denotes
virtuous conduct that consists of physical, mental, and verbal actions. Sila is also called good
practice. A good practice is a practice that keeps our well and benefits. They are somewhat
analogous to the second half of the Ten Commandments in Judaism and Christianity -that part
of the Decalogue which describes behaviors to avoid. However, they are recommendations, not
commandments. Believers are expected to use their own intelligence in deciding exactly how to
apply these rules:
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1. Do not kill. This is sometimes translated as «not harming» or an absence of violence.
2. Do not steal. This is generally interpreted as including the avoidance of fraud and
economic exploitation.
3. Do not lie. This is sometimes interpreted as including name-calling, gossip, etc.
4. Do not misuse sex. For monks and nuns, this means any departure from complete celibacy.
For the laity, adultery is forbidden, along with any sexual harassment or exploitation,
including that within marriage. The Buddha did not discuss consensual premarital sex
within a committed relationship, thus, Buddhist traditions differ on this. Most Buddhists,
probably influenced by their local cultures, condemn same-sex sexual activity regardless
of the nature of the relationship between the people involved.
5. Do not consume alcohol or other drugs. The main concern here is that intoxicants cloud
the mind. Some have included as a drug other methods of divorcing ourselves from
reality - e.g. movies, television, and the Internet.

Those preparing for monastic life or who are not within a family are expected to avoid an additional
five activities: Taking untimely meals, Dancing, singing, music, watching grotesque mime, Use of
garlands, perfumes and personal adornment, Use of high seats, and Accepting gold or silver. There
is also a series of eight precepts which are composed of the first seven listed above, followed
by the eighth and ninth combined as one. «Ordained Theravada monks promise to follow 227
precepts!»

According to the Discourse on the Bad Effects of Evil Deeds, Anguttara iv, 247, breaking of precepts
when pursued, practiced, increased, causes one to arise in hell, in the animal world and in the
world of ghosts. If reborn as a human being, the following are the very least results: • Killing will
lead to shortening of one’s life. • Stealing will lead to loss of one’s wealth. • Sexual misconduct
will breed rivalry and hatred. • False speech will cause one to be falsely accused. • Partaking of
intoxicants will cause one to be afflicted with insanity (Emmanuel, 2013, p. 45).

On the other hand, the observance of the Five Precepts leads to the accumulation of wholesome
karma tending to rebirth in the happy realms of humans or deities. If reborn as a human being, the
following are the results: • Abstention from killing will lead to longevity. • Abstention from stealing
will lead to prosperity. • Abstention from sexual misconduct will lead to popularity. • Abstention
from lying will cause one to have a good reputation. • Abstention from partaking of intoxicants will
lead to mindfulness and wisdom(Ibid.). In the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, the Buddha expounded to
the villagers of Pataligama the five blessings gained by one who observes the precepts and who
is established in morality. i) He acquires much wealth as a result of his diligence. ii) He acquires

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a good reputation and fame. iii) He approaches and enters any assembly of nobles, Brahmins,
householders and monks with complete self-confidence, without any fear or hesitation. iv) He
lives the full span of life and dies undeluded. v) After death, he is reborn in the happy realms of
humans or devas (Sujato & Brahmali, 2013).

The Eightfold Path

The Buddha’s Eightfold Path (Solution of suffering) consists of following five points. Twenty-five
hundred years later, the science of psychology is talking the Buddha’s language (Wright, 2017), as
much closer to science from the path.

1. Samma ditthi: Right Understanding of the Four Noble Truths. Right View is the true
understanding of the four noble truths.
2. Samma sankappa: Right thinking; following the right path in life. Right Aspiration is the true
desire to free oneself from attachment, ignorance, and hatefulness. These two are referred
to as Pragyna, or Wisdom. Sila: Virtue, morality:
3. Samma vaca: Right speech: No lying, criticism, condemning, gossip, harsh language. Right
Speech involves abstaining from lying, gossiping, or hurtful talk.
4. Samma kammanta Right conduct or Right Action involves abstaining from hurtful behaviors,
such as killing, stealing, and careless sex. These are called the Five Precepts.
5. Samma ajiva: Right livelihood: Support yourself without harming others. Right Livelihood
means making your living in such a way as to avoid dishonesty and hurting others, including
animals. These three are referred to as Shila, or Morality. Samadhi: Concentration, meditation:
6. Samma vayama: Right Effort: Promote good thoughts; conquer evil thoughts. Right Effort is
a matter of exerting oneself in regards to the content of one’s mind: Bad qualities should be
abandoned and prevented from arising again. Good qualities should be enacted and nurtured.
7. Samma sati: Right Mindfulness: Become aware of your body, mind and feelings. Right
Mindfulness is the focusing of one’s attention on one’s body, feelings, thoughts, and
consciousness in such a way as to overcome craving, hatred, and ignorance.
8. Samma samadhi: Right Concentration: Meditate to achieve a higher state of consciousness.
Right Concentration is meditating in such a way as to progressively realize a true understanding
of imperfection, impermanence, and non-separateness.

The verses were spoken by the Buddha on various occasions (Bodhi, 1993). There are, however,
many sects of Buddhism and there are different kinds of Buddhist monks all over the world. The life
and customs of Buddhist monks are not only different and unique but consist of a spiritual meaning.
Their daily life follows a strict schedule that revolves around meditation, study of scriptures, and
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taking part in ceremonies. There are Buddhist shrines, Buddhist monasteries, where monks live,
Gompas and Buddhist Stupas all over the world (Shakya & Shakya, 2008). Though it originated in
northern India, the Emperor Ashoka helped to spread Buddhism into South East Asian countries
such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and Indo-China, from where it moved on to influence people
in the Himalayan kingdoms of Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, Central Asia as well as
China, Korea, Viet Nam and Japan. Around 95 per cent of the population in Thailand is Buddhist,
the highest concentration in the world, with Cambodia, Myanmar, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Lao
People’s Democratic Republic, Viet Nam, Japan, Macao (China) and Taiwan Province of China
following close behind. The verses were spoken by the Buddha on various occasions (Bodhi, 1993).

Three lifetime Practices

Each verse contains a truth (Dhamma), an exhortation, a piece of advice (Mullar, 1895). Thus Sila,
Samadhi, and Pragya are the basic lifetime practice of Buddhism. Eightfold paths are divide in
three section like the section as well (Bhikkhu, 2016).

1. Sila: Virtue, good conduct, morality. This is based on two fundamental principles: The principle
of equality: that all living entities are equal. The principle of reciprocity: This is the «Golden Rule»
in Christianity - to do unto others as you would wish them to do unto you. It is found in all major
religions.

2. Samadhi: Concentration, meditation, mental development. Developing one’s mind is the path
to wisdom which, in turn, leads to personal freedom. Mental development also strengthens and
controls our mind; this helps us maintain good conduct.

3. Pragya: Discernment, insight, wisdom, enlightenment. This is the real heart of Buddhism.
Wisdom will emerge if your mind is pure and calm.

The first two paths listed in the Eightfold Path, described below, refer to discernment; the last
three belong to concentration; the middle three are related to virtue (Mullar, 1895).

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is complete mirror or reflection of Nepal school of Buddhism. It gives the complete
guideline of Buddhism. To provide a brief, reliable, clear, well-arranged outline of the life and
original teachings (Aggavada) of the Buddha, as preserved in the Paḷi scriptures of Theravada in
Buddhism, it is a perfect literature. It has added the analysis of Himalayan Buddhism, Bajrayan
and Lumbini of Nepal. The evidence of the early texts suggests that Siddhartha Gautama was born

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into the Shakya clan, a community that was on the periphery, both geographically and culturally,
of the eastern Indian subcontinent in the 5th century BCE. One of his usual names was “Sakamuni”
or “Sakyamuni” (“Sage of the Shakyas”). It was either a small republic, or an oligarchy, and his
father was an elected chieftain, or oligarch. According to the Buddhist tradition, Gautama was
born in Lumbini, now in modern-day Nepal, and raised in the Shakya capital of Kapilvastu, which
may have been either in what is present day Tilaurakot, Nepal or Piprahwa, India. According to
Buddhist tradition, he obtained his enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, gave his first sermon in Sarnath,
and died in Kushinagar

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