Part 7 - Baudha-dharma

Buddhism is the religion of enlightenment or the path of understanding that propounded by Gautama, the Buddha. This religion is known as 'Baudhadharma' that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on teachings attributed to Gautama the Buddha. ‘Buddhism’ is a western term that comes from ‘budhi’, ‘to awaken’. Buddha means one who has realized Truths of nature as they really are, or who has got enlightenment (Nirvāṇa). Buddhism originated in Ancient India in the sixth century BCE by Gautama the Buddha. It is the first religion that introduced the missionary system not only in India but also in other parts of the world. The Buddha himself established the missionary system in his lifetime. In the beginning, Buddhism only spread and developed within the Indian subcontinent. But few centuries after, it spread to the South-East Asian countries and to the most parts of Asia. Buddha Shakyamuni, founder of the Buddhism lived and taught in India some two and a half thousand years ago. Since then millions of people around the world have followed the pure spiritual path he shown. Today, Buddhism has become an international religion with adherents all over the world. Over the course of twenty-five centuries, Buddhism has not only brought peace and happiness to people but also provided a basis of humanism and has made great contributions to the development of society.

Gautama the Buddha preached his doctrine to guide and attain eternal peace from the worldly suffering due to innumerable series of birth and death. The teaching of Gautama Buddha transcended the barriers of caste, creed, race, country or nation. Buddhist practice is the way of self-improvement by the training in Śīla, Samādhi, and Prajñā; and its aim is to relieve people from worldly suffering and help them attain true happiness. The Buddhist way of life of peace, loving kindness and wisdom is just as relevant today as it was in ancient India. Buddha explained that all our problems and suffering arise from confused and negative states of mind, and that all our happiness and good fortune arise from peaceful and positive states of mind. He taught methods for gradually overcoming our negative minds such as anger, jealousy and ignorance, and developing our positive minds such as love, compassion and wisdom. Through this we will come to experience lasting peace and happiness. These methods work for anyone, in any country, in any age. Once we have gained experience of them for ourselves we can pass them on to others so they too can enjoy the same benefits. The Buddha asked all his followers not to take his word as true, but rather to test the teachings for them. In this way, each person decides for themselves and takes responsibility for their own actions and understanding. This makes Buddhism less of a fixed package of beliefs which is to be accepted in its entirety, and more of a teaching which each person learns and uses in their own way.

Immediately after the death of Buddha schismatic tendencies began to develop within the religion which he had founded. Even in Buddha's lifetime there were tendencies to schism among his followers, but his magnetic personality was able to prevent their development. The first great doctrinal controversy in Buddhism was about the nature of Buddha. A major reason for this development of different schools within Buddhism may be that the Buddha taught for decades. Given the vast amount of teachings it is not easy to unanimously decide what the exact interpretation of all teachings should be, or even how to summarize hem logically.

Depending on whom the Buddha would be teaching to, the explanation would be quite different and sometimes seemingly contradictory. This can be understood as skilful means; a satisfying explanation to a learned philosopher is probably too complex for an uneducated person. On top of this, the Buddha clearly stated that he did not just intend to teach a doctrine, but intended to show the path that people can follow for their own development. This intention ultimately leads to the point where every individual has to decide which practices to follow and how to interpret the teachings, rather than adhering to a fixed doctrine. These schools have been divided into the two Yānas^[1] or ‘Vehicles’ or ‘Paths’; namely Theravāda (also known as Hinayāna)and Mahāyāna. Though each of the schools has its own opinions about interpretation and practice the of Buddha’s teaching, their aim is not different.

Theravāda is known as the original form, whereas Mahāyāna is known as the developed form of Buddhism. The term ‘Mahāyāna’ or “Great Vehicle” is the distinctive name of Buddhist philosophy and practice. It is called “Great Vehicle” by its adherents, in comparison to the narrowness of its opponent school, Hinayāna or “Small Vehicle,” and at the same time, for conveying the sense of superiority and universality of its doctrine and aim.^[2]

Hinayāna Buddhism was called Southern Buddhism, since it prevailed in southern countries like Burma and Ceylon. On the other hand Mahāyāna Buddhism was called Northern Buddhism, since it flourished in northern countries like China and Japan. However this division seems to be an artificial one. Rhys Davids says in this regard: “There is not now, and never has been, any unity either of opinion or of language in what is called Northern or in what is called Southern Buddhism.”{GL_NOTE::} Although the division is artificial from a geographical point of view it is all important on higher grounds: the ‘southern’ school insists that it has preserved the original teachings of Buddha with no accretions; the ‘northern’ school is manifestly a broader interpretation. The northern school has never been essentially dependent upon the historical Buddha. Dates and documents have never mattered much to this Idealism.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

A ‘Yāna’ is referred to the vehicle that one takes to reach from the sufferings to enlightenment. In layman’s terms, a Hinayāna is a lesser vehicle while Mahāyāna is a Greater vehicle.

[2]:

Edward, Conze, Thirty Years of Buddhist Studies, Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 2008, p. 48; & K. C., Ananda, Buddha and the Gospel of Buddhism, Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 2003, p.228.

[3]:

R. Davids, Buddhist India, p. 173.