What is Buddhism

SUNDAY, 15 MARCH 2009 11:38

Today in the wo!d we "ind #any di""eent "o#$ o cults o" %&ddhi$#' (t i$ not t&e that
a!! o" the#ae a&thenti) and e*e$ent what %&ddhi$# a)t&a!!y is'
To $tate what %&ddhi$# i$, we ha+e to ta)e ,a)- to the *e$on who "o&nd %&ddhi$# #oe than 2,500 yea$
a.o in (ndia: Gotama.
The wod$ Buddha, Tathagata, Blessed One, et)', ae )a!!ed ,y the wo!d towad$ /ota#a to ad#ie and
a**e)iate hi$ +aio&$ 0&a!itie$' (n the #o$t an)ient and a&thenti) )anon o" %&ddhi$# 1 Pali Canon2, thee i$
de$)i*tion o" what he a)t&a!!y looks !i-e' /enea!!y $*ea-in., he ha$ .o!den hai, ,!&e eye$, hi$ hand$ )an
ea)h hi$ -nee$ witho&t ,endin., et)' Thee ae 32 di$tin)t #a-$ on hi# that di$tin.&i$h hi# "o# the e$t o"
h&#an ,ein.$' And thee i$ a !ot o" hi$toi) *oo" o" hi$ e3i$ten)e in hi$toy' Thee"oe the %&ddha 1/ota#a2
i$ a ea! e3i$tin. *e$on in h&#an hi$toy' 1#oe o" hi$ !i"e $toie$ )an ,e ead "o# the %&ddha4$
5i"e $e)tion2
A"te he ha$ ea)hed the &!ti#ate Enlightenment - Nibbana 1the $tate that i$ ,eyond !i"e and death o
$&""ein.2, he *ea)hed in (ndia "o 657 yea$ ti!! the end o" hi$ !i"e' Ri.ht a"te hi$ *a$$in., hi$ #o$t
di$)i*!ined di$)i*!e$ .atheed to.ethe and )o#*i!ed the 8a!i Canon , whi)h wa$ the #o$t an)ient and
a&thenti) tea)hin.$ o" the %&ddha' The )o#*i!ation $e$$ion i$ -nown a$ The First Great Council '
Tho&.ho&t h&#an hi$toy, thee ha$ ,een 9 /eat Co&n)i!$ , and ea)h wa$ he!d "o di""eent *&*o$e$' 1"o
#oe in"o#ation, *!ea$e $ee Co&n)i!$ and S)hi$#$e)tion2
The t&th i$, e+e $in)e the Second Great Council , $)hi$# ,e.an to ai$e' The )a&$e wa$ that $o#e #on-$
e"&$ed to o,$e+e thePatimokkha 1&!e$ that wee !aid down ,y the %&ddha to ,e *a)ti)ed and o,$e+ed
,y #on-$: it a!$o .o+en$ the #on-$2 and ,e.an to *a)ti)e i#*&e way$, $&)h a$ ta-in. #oney "o# la
!eo!le 1wo!d!y *eo*!e2 die)t!y 1the %&ddha "o,id$ thi$, and i" a *e$on wi$he$ to donate #oney to a #on-,
anothe !ay *e$on ha$ to -ee* the #oney "o the #on-2'
(t wa$ do)&#ented in hi$toy that ,etween the Second Great Council and the Third Great Council the .o&*
o" #on-$ who e"&$ed to o,$e+e the Patimokkha .atheed to.ethe ,y the#$e!+e$ and "o#ed a new
Co&n)i!, whi)h wa$ -nown a$ the "ahaana Council' The wod "ahaana!itea!!y #ean$ the Great
Beacon o the Greater Path' The na#e ao$e "o# the .o&* o" #on-$4 $e!";)on)eited #ind$' And in ode to
di$tin.&i$h ,etween the <i.ina! %&ddhi$# and the new!y ao&$ed $e)t, the na#e Thera#ada wa$
e$ta,!i$hed "o the .o&* o" #on-$ who &*he!d the Patimokkha and the oi.ina! tea)hin.$ o" the %&ddha'
The wod Thera#ada !itea!!y #ean$ the Elders.
=&the#oe, a$ %&ddhi$# ,e)a#e the #ain$tea# e!i.ion in (ndia, #o$t >in.$ and )o&ntie$ "a+o
%&ddhi$t #on-$, and a$ a e$&!t, #any ?*ie$t$? and ?#on-$? "o# othe e!i.ion$ )on+eted to %&ddhi$#'
Howe+e, #o$t o" the# did not )on+et thei ,e!ie+e$ and *a)ti)e$' Thi$ *o!!&ted the tea)hin. o" the %&ddha
and di+ided the oi.ina! %&ddhi$# into 18 sects o cults in the Third Great Council, whi)h then ,e)a#e the
$o!e *&*o$e o" the Third Great Council ; to )!ea o&t the$e won. +iew$ and *a)ti)e$ in %&ddhi$#'
Howe+e, in the end #any $e)t$ o )&!t$ $ti!! *e$i$ted in thei way$ and #i$e*e$ent %&ddhi$# in h&#an
hi$toy ti!! today'
The 8a!i Canon ha$ a!way$ ,een the #o$t we!!;*e$e+ed oi.ina! tea)hin.$ o" the %&ddha ,e)a&$e it i$
#aintained ,y di$)i*!e$ who ha+e "aith and ea)hed $rahantshi! 1#eanin. the *e$on ha$
ea!i@ed Nibbana and thi$ ,ein. the !a$t o&nd o" ,ith2'
New )o#e$ o" %&ddhi$# ae hi.h!y e)o##ended to $tee into the 8a!i Canon ,e"oe $te**in. into any
othe "o#$ o )&!t$ o" %&ddhi$#'
Hee i$ a )o#*i!ed !i$t o" what %&ddhi$# is and is not in .enea!:
Ahat %&ddhi$# (S N<T:
A e!i.ion $*e)ia!i@e$ in #a-in. it&a!$ o )ee#onie$
A e!i.ion $*e)ia!i@e$ in #a.i)-
A e!i.ion on!y to ea)h $&*eh&#an $tate
A e!i.ion that $&**ot$ the +iew o" <ne /od
A e!i.ion that *o#ote$ #ateia! .ain$ and $&**ot$ #ateia! +iew$
A e!i.ion that *o#ote$ #&$i) and $on.$ 1in)!&din. $in.in. and a)tin.2
A e!i.ion that e!ie$ on &ni0&e ati"a)t$ 1$&)h a$ #a.i)a! ne)-!a)e, ,ead$, et)2
A e!i.ion that $&**ot$ #a$$ ad+eti$in., #ind!e$$ *ea)hin., and #a-in. ,&$ine$$e$'
A e!i.ion that e!ie$ on a ?Sa+io? to $a+e &$ a!! "o# the #a$$ o" $&""ein.'
A e!i.ion that )onde#n$ non;,e!ie+e$ o non;"o!!owe$ to He!!'
A e!i.ion that a$$i.n$ )hie" a&thoity to a $in.!e *e$on o .o&* 1e'.' 8o*e, Bati)an, et)'2 a"te the
%&ddha had *a$$ed away' 1$in)e doin. $o .i+e$ i$e to *otentia! $tat&$ 0&o *o,!e#, "a!$e )!ai#$ o" the
%&ddha $tat&$, and +aio&$ othe ea$on$2
A e!i.ion that ,e!ie+e$ )hantin. #anta$ 1$a)ed wod$2, *e"o#in. )ee#onia! ite$, *a)ti)in.
$e!";#oti"i)ation 1$&)h a$ wa!-in. on "ie, .oin. na-ed, "a$tin., et)'2, *a)ti)in. $in.!ene$$ o" #ind
1Samadhi #editation2, et)', )an a)hie+e en!i.hten#ent'
Ahat %&ddhi$# (S:
A e!i.ion, a$ a $et o" *a)ti)e$, to a)hie+e *ea)e
A e!i.ion, a$ a $et o" *a)ti)e$, to a)hie+e ,!i$$
A e!i.ion, a$ a $et o" *a)ti)e$, to )on0&e the #ind
A e!i.ion, a$ a $et o" *a)ti)e$, to a)hie+e i.ht )on)entation
A e!i.ion, a$ a $et o" *a)ti)e$, to attain Ni,,ana
A e!i.ion, a$ a $et o" *a)ti)e$, to a)hie+e i.ht #ind"&!ne$$
A e!i.ion, a$ a $et o" *a)ti)e$, to a)hie+e *e"e)t #oa!ity

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Quotes
? Hee he eCoi)e$, heea"te he eCoi)e$: one who *e"o#$ #eitoio&$ deed$ eCoi)e$ in ,oth e3i$ten)e$'
He eCoi)e$ and .eat!y eCoi)e$ when he $ee$ the *&ity o" hi$ own deed$' ?
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