INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHISM:

Buddhism catered to religious striving of the time. It was a midway between Hinduism and
Jainism. Buddhism presented the ascetic traditions to Indian society. It had more followers
abroad than in India. Buddhism is one of the imprints that India has left on other civilisations.

GAUTAMA BUDDHA:

Gautama Buddha was the founder of Buddhism. He belonged to the Kshatriya clan of Sakya.
According to one legend he was born in 563 BC at Lumbini near Kapilavastu, in Nepal. His
childhood name was Siddharth. His father Suddhodana was the ruler of Kapilavastu. Like
Mahavira, he was inclined from his childhood, towards spiritual pursuits.
All the royal luxuries in which Gautama lived had no effect on him. He was married at young
age to a princess called Yashodhara and had a son named Rahul.

The Great Renunciation:

Once Gautama’s charioteer was driving him through the town. The appearance of an old man
bent with age moved Gautama. Again the sight of a sick man, groaning with pain, was pathetic.
The dead body of a man being carried for cremation made Gautama think about man’s destiny.
He was consoled when he saw an ascetic in search of salvation, These sights are known as the
‘Four Great Sights’. Gautama left home, his wife and the child in order to find a solution. This
event is known as Mahabhiskramana or ‘The Great Renunciation’.

ENLIGHTENMENT:

After leaving home in search of Truth, Gautama wandered from place to place. For some time he
studied under renowned teachers of Rajgrihaani then went to Gaya.He practised severe penance
and led a life of extreme austerity. Finally, at the age of thirty-five Gautama attained
enlightenment at Bodh Gaya in Bihar. From then onwards he began to be called the Buddha or
the Enlightened One.

Dharmachakrapravartana:

At the place where Buddha got enlightenment, a temple known as Mahabodhi Temple was
constructed later. The peepal tree is now referred to as the Mahabodhi Tree. Buddha was also
called the Tathagat, the founder of Truth. After the enlightenment, he embarked on preaching his
religion. He delivered his first sermon at the Deer Park in Sarnath near Varanasi in the presence
of five ascetics. This event in the history of Buddhism is known as Dharmachakrapravartana or
the turning of the wheel of sacred law. Buddha’s fame spread far and wide. For another forty
years he travelled all over the country spreading his message. He established a Bodh Sangha
(Buddhist order) at Magadha. He had a large number of followers including Magadha, Kosala
and Kosambi. His disciples were from all classes of society. Gautama Buddha, in his last years
went to Kushinagar, which is near Gorakhpur district in Uttar Pradesh. He obtained
mahaparinirvana at the age of 80 at Kushinagar. His disciples took his sacred remains to eight
different places where huge mounds called stupas were erected.

TEACHINGS OF BUDDHISM:

Buddha followed a simple path and inspired people to lead a simple life. His teachings have been
reconstructed from stories, found mainly in the Sutta Pitaka. His message to people was that the
world is full of sufferings and a man could attain salvation by following his teachings contained
in the Eightfold Path and Four Noble Truths.

Four Noble Truths:

The essence of Buddhism lies in Four Noble Truths. They are:
1)The world is full of suffering.
2) The suffering has a cause.
3)Desire is the cause of suffering.
4) If desire is stopped, suffering can also be stopped.

Eightfold Path:

The way to nirvana, in Buddhism, or the path that leads to removal of suffering, is known as the
Eightfold Path (Ashtangika Marg) or the middle path. It is a path midway between luxurious
living and hard penance. It includes:
1) Right action: To remain away from theft, luxuries and violence.
2) Right thought: To remain away from empty rituals and worldly evils.
3) Right belief: To give up desire.
4) Right living: Not to have dishonest dealings with others.
5) Right speech: Speak the truth and do not think ill of others.
6) Right effort: Work for deliverance from sins and for the welfare of others.
7) Right recollection: Think about pious things.
8) Right meditation: Concentrate on only what is right.
Attitude towards God:
Buddha held that the whole universe was controlled by Dhanna, a universal law. He was silent
about the existence of God, though he never formally denied it. Like Mahavira he emphasised on
non-violence.

Code of conduct:
Buddha formulated a code of conduct for his followers. This included the following:
1) Not to tell a lie.
2) Not to own property.
3) Not to consume alcoholic drinks.
4) Not to commit violence.
5) Not to indulge in corrupt practices.

Philosophical concepts:

a.Karma:
Like Hinduism, Buddhism believed in the theory of Karma. Buddhism said that man is the maker
of his destiny and it believed in rebirth. The evil deeds will be punished. Therefore, man should
follow a middle path.It is Karma which decides the type of man's existence in the next life. It is
called the wheel of Existence.

b.Stress on Morality:
Buddha insisted on a life based on good actions. His followers were enjoined to practise
non-violence and to lead an upright life.

Nirvana:
The ultimate goal of life is to attain Nirvana or salvation. It is a peaceful state of mind, which
conquers all diseases, makes the person free from the cycle of birth and death.

No Faith in Rituals and Sacrifices:

Buddha said that yajnas cannot change a man’s destiny. Sacrifices and rituals are empty
ceremonies.

Ahimsa:
Like Mahavira, Buddha attached importance to sanctity of life and followed the path of
non-violence. Thus, the importance given to conduct and values rather than claims of superiority
based on birth, fellow feelings, compassion for the young and weak drew men and women to
Buddhist teachings.
ORGANISATION
The Sangha:
The organisation for teaching of Buddhism came to be known as the Sangha. It was a monastic
order established to spread Buddhism. Later the Sangha became a powerful institution. It helped
to spread Buddhism far and wide. The principles that governed the Sangha are the following:

1) Membership: The members of the monastic order were called Bhikshus (monks) and
Bhikshunis (nuns). They were required to renounce the world before joining the Sangha. The
minimum age was 15 years during Buddha’s time. The members had to take the oath—
Buddham Sharnam Gachhami, Dharmam Sharnam Gachhami and Sangam Sharnam Gachhami.
(I take shelter under Buddha; I take shelter under Religion; I take shelter under the Sangha). The
followers had to undergo training for 10 years.

2) Ten Commandments: The members had to lead a disciplined life and follow the ten
commandments (Paramita):
1) To speak the truth.
2) To abide by Brahmacharya.
3) not to harm creatures.
4) not to own property.
5) To shun music and dancing.
6) To take meals only at fixed times.
7) not to use intoxicants.
8) not to use scented goods.
9) not to sleep on cushions.
10) not to keep money.

3)Viharas:
The Bhikshus and the Bhikshuni were required to roam about in different parts of the country for
eight months of the year. They had to sleep in Viharas which had separate sections for men and
women. Special mules were framed for the Bhikshunis. This was done to ensure discipline. In
the Viharas, the members led a life of chastity, austerity, devotion, and purity.

Sects of Buddhism:
During the deliberations of the 4th Buddhist Council, in the reign of Kanishka, Buddhism split
into two sects—the Hinayana and the Mahayana.

Hinayana: Hinayana stood for following the doctrine of Buddha in letter and spirit. It denied the
existence of God. Hinayana holds that the Eightfold Path is the only means of salvation.It shuns
idol-worship and does not believe the Buddha was God. Buddha was regarded as a human being
who attained enlightenment and nirvana through his own efforts. Pali was used by the followers
of Hinayana as the language of its scriptures. The Hinayana sect is found in India, Sri Lanka,
Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

Mahayana: The term Mahayana means “Greater Vehicle” of salvation. It is a combination of

Buddhism and Hinduism. Mahayana believes that he the Buddha was an incarnation of God and
was one who could ensure salvation. Simultaneously, the concept of the Bodhisattvas also
developed. According to Mahayana, the Bodhisattvas were those holy Buddhists who had not as
yet got Nirvana like Buddha but who were proceeding rapidly towards it. In fact, they were
Buddha in the making. They made their goal to attain swarga (a state of Bliss) rather than
attaining Nirvana. The worship of images of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas became an important
component of Mahayana. Buddhist scholars like Nagarjuna and Asanga founded the Mahayana
sect. They wrote their scriptures in Sanskrit. Kanishka was a follower of Mahayana. The
followers of this sect are found in North-western parts of India, South-east Asian countries,
China and Japan.

Impact of Buddhism:

Buddhism made a lasting contribution to Indian culture, religion, art and social life in the
following respects:
(i) Ahimsa: The doctrine of Ahimsa became a weapon against the ills in the society. After the
rise of Buddhism, animal protection became a new culture. Mahatma Gandhi later used Ahimsa
in the form of non-violent struggle against the British rule.

(ii) Influence on Religious Life: Buddhism provided a challenge to Hinduism. They soon
started a reform movement within Hinduism. The costly yajnas and sacrifices and rigidity of
caste system were done away with.

(iii) Influence on Social Life: Buddhism fostered intellectual tradition and exposed the
weaknesses in our society. The weaker sections of the society, who had been subjected to many
atrocities, got an opportunity to have their say in matters of political and social life.

(iv) Political Impact: The republics of Shakyas, Vajjis and Mallas embraced Buddhism. Ashoka
and Kanishka made Buddhism their state religion.

(v) Cultural Impact: Buddhism spread wide in South-East Asia, China and Sri Lanka. It had a
far-reaching cultural impact in raising the prestige of India. There emerged close cultural
contacts between these countries and India. Buddhism acted as a vital force between different
cultures.
 (vi) Language and Literature: Buddhism made valuable contribution to the field of language
and literature. A vast and varied nature of literature was produced in the language of the masses,
i.e., Pali. The Tripitakas and the Jatakas are the most important literary works of the Buddhists.
Besides these, other literary works of importance, written in Pali language are Mahavamsha and
Deepavamsha. Divyavadana, Laltvistara, Saundaranand and Buddhacharita are significant works
of Buddhist literature written in Sanskrit.

(vii) Art and Architecture: Buddhism made immense contribution to the evolution of art and
architecture. Stupas, chaityas, viharas and rock- cut cave temples were their unique contribution.
Stupa is a semi-spherical solid dome- structure containing the relics of Buddha like hair, teeth or
bones. The Stupas at Sanchi, Bharhut and Amravati are remarkable specimens of art surviving
upto this day. Chaityas were rectangular halls with semi-circular roof supported by a number of
columns. These halls were meant for worship. The Viharas were the monasteries for monks to
live in. Later when statues of Buddha began to be carved after the Christian era, there emerged
several schools of art and architecture. Even during Mauryan times, specially during the time of
Ashoka, stone cutting and chiselling of pillars required high technical skill.

Decline of Buddhism:
(i) Split in Buddhism: The division of Buddhism into Hinayana and Mahayana sects brought
about many changes in Buddhism. Its popularity and prestige suffered. Differences had begun to
surface right from the Second Buddhist Council. Hinayana and Mahayana actually were only two
major sects. There were sixteen other sects and each had its own followers.

(ii) Language: Buddha preached his teachings in Pali. After his death, Sanskrit, the language of
the upper classes, also came to be adopted.

(iii) Corruption in Sangha: The monks and nuns started living a luxurious life. There was
deterioration in the spiritual life. Buddhist Sanghas received patronage of royalty and had
become very rich. The monks and nuns used the riches for their personal benefit. They began to
lead a worldly life. Therefore, the religious decline was not a surprise.

iv) Reforms in Hinduism: Reform movement in Hinduism started with full vigour and the appeal
of new religions vanished. Hinduism assimilated the positive aspects of Buddhism. Even foreign
invaders and settlers adopted Hinduism as their new religion. Among these are included the
Shakas and the Satavahanas.

(v) Invasions: From the eighth century AD the Turkish invasion dealt a blow to Buddhism. The
monasteries, which had accumulated great wealth, were looted. The invaders plundered the
monasteries of Nalanda and Takshila and forced some of the monks to flee to neighbouring
countries like Nepal and Tibet.

(vi) End of Royal Patronage: Rajput rulers were war like and could not follow the policy of
ahimsa. Besides, the kings of the Gupta period patronised temples in honour of Hindu gods and
goddesses. Thus, the lack of royal patronage brought about the decline of Buddhism.