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History and Development of Buddhism

History and Development of Buddhism. Rels 120: Religion, Spirituality & Health 22 October 2013. Key Dates. 563 to 483 BCE  Lifetime of Siddhartha Gautama , the Buddha (also called Shakyamuni ) 482 BCE  1 st Buddhist Council – oral tradition set

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History and Development of Buddhism

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  1. History and Developmentof Buddhism Rels 120: Religion, Spirituality & Health 22 October 2013

  2. Key Dates 563 to 483 BCE Lifetime of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha (also called Shakyamuni) 482 BCE 1st Buddhist Council – oral tradition set 383 BCE 2nd Buddhist Council – first schism 250 BCE 3rd Buddhist Council 100 CE 4th Buddhist Council – Theravada texts written on palm leaves in Pali 1871 CE 5th Buddhist Council 1954-6 CE 6th Buddhist Council – 2500 yrs after the Buddha’s death rels 120 - appleby

  3. http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/a.html Siddhartha Gautama was born in 563 BCE in the Himalayan foothills, now part of modern Nepal. The First Indian Empire, the Mauryan Empire, covered much of modern India. rels 120 - appleby

  4. King Asoka [Ashoka] was ancient India's greatest ruler. • His grandfather Chandragupta Mauryahad established the first Indian empire. • When Asoka succeeded to the throne, he tried to complete the conquest of the Indian peninsula. rels 120 - appleby ASHOKA (273 to 232 BCE) King / Emperor of India, Mauryan Dynasty

  5. rels 120 - appleby “In the course of his conquests, however, Asoka became so disgusted by the cruelty of warfare that he renounced it. He adopted the peaceful doctrines of Buddhism and declared that henceforth his conquests should be conquests of religion.”

  6. “He set up inscriptions all over the land rehearsing the teachings of Buddha, and missionaries were sent to Kashmir, Persia and Ceylon. But soon after Asoka's death the Mauryan empire disintegrated.” http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/a.html rels 120 - appleby

  7. King Ashoka’s Pillar rels 120 - appleby

  8. After the Buddha’s Death • 3 months after the Buddha’s death, the 1st Buddhist Council was held (482 BCE) • Ananda (companion and disciple of the Buddha for 25 years) could recite all of the Buddha’s teachings (sermons & discourses) • The Dharma was divided into sections, with an Elder and a group of students learning each section by memory • Following days of recitation, ensuring that there were no errors or omissions, the Dharma was agreed upon rels 120 - appleby

  9. Components of the Dharma • The Three Refuges (or Jewels) The Three Marks of Reality: 4 Noble Truths: The Eightfold Path to Enlightenment: 5 moral rules/ 5 precepts: • Do not destroy life; Show kindness and compassion • Do not steal; Practice generosity and renunciation • Do not engage in sexual misconduct; Seek joyous satisfaction with one’s spouse • Do not lie; Seek truth, discernment and insight • Do not become intoxicated; Be mindful, content and aware rels 120 - appleby

  10. Buddhist Councils • 2nd Council – 383 BCE • 1st split in the sangha, into 2 schools; one school insisted on strict adherence to the rules for monks; the other school allowed greater liberties with the rules for eating, begging, sleeping, etc. • 8 monks judged teachings for purity • 3rd Council – 250 BCE • During the reign of King Ashoka; great wealth • Divisions over corruption and conflicting teachings • Teachings approved at this Council became known as the “Teaching of the Elders” = Theravada school • Up to 18 “heretical” or “non-approved” schools were represented, including the Mahayana schools • 60,000 participants in total rels 120 - appleby

  11. 4th Council – 29 BCE Attended by many schools – Held in Sri Lanka • Entire Dharma was recited (over 3 years) by 500 monks • Differences discussed and choices made • Complete oral text was written in a cave on palm leaves in the Pali language rels 120 - appleby

  12. Palm leaf manuscripts rels 120 - appleby Go to: http://www.pbs.org/thestoryofindia/gallery/photos/10.html

  13. 5th Buddhist Council • 1871, in Burma • Full oral recitation of the Dharma (over 3 years) by 2400 monks • After deliberating about some textual revisions, the Pali text was inscribed on 729 marble slabs rels 120 - appleby

  14. Shrines containing the marble slabshttp://www.allthingsburmese.com/Places_Mandalay.htm rels 120 - appleby

  15. 6th Buddhist Council • 1954-56 in Burma • 2500 Theravada Buddhist monks from 8 countries recited Dharma • Texts were tested and approved, then translated into Burmese script • 2500th anniversary of the life of the Buddha rels 120 - appleby

  16. Lacquered Burmese Manuscripts http://www.tribaltrappings.com/AL_2.html rels 120 - appleby

  17. Expansion out of India • Buddhism spread throughout Asia, primarily through trade routes • Monasteries were established in villages and in forests • Monasteries provided schools and libraries, administered land and buildings, loaned money, practiced medicine, established shrines • Monks studied and meditated • Lay people provided food for the monks rels 120 - appleby

  18. 3 Main Schools • Theravada • Mahayana • Vajrayana Buddhism developed with significant diversity in practice among the schools • Also diversity within each main tradition rels 120 - appleby

  19. Where did they go? North into the Himalayas & Mongolia • Tibetan Buddhism South into Sri Lanka • Centre for Theravada Buddhism East into China • Centre for Mahayana Buddhism In China • Influenced by cultural contexts of Confucianism, indigenous traditions, and Daoism • Monks translated the Dharma into Chinese texts • Sacred shrines established rels 120 - appleby

  20. Chart from A Concise Introduction to World Religions,ed. by Oxtoby & Segal (OUP 2007), p.379 rels 120 - appleby

  21. Theravada Buddhism • Takes a conservative approach, focused on preserving the teachings of the Buddha • Turned away from Vedic Ritual and the Hindu brahmin priesthood • Practises simplicity, meditation, and detachment from life and possessions • Today, Theravada continues this original pattern – “the way of the elders” • Found in Sri Lanka, Southwest Asia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia rels 120 - appleby

  22. Theravada (cont’d) • Lay people support monasteries • Monasteries only for male followers • No Theravada Buddhist nuns – no female ordination • In Thailand, where the government is officially Theravada Buddhist, the monasteries and male dominance is enforced by both government and religion rels 120 - appleby

  23. Theravadan teachings Tripitaka= 3 groups (or baskets) of teachings • Rules and procedures for male monastic life in the sangha – ethical conduct • Sayings of the Buddha – from sermons or dialogues – meditation • More advanced teachings – wisdom/insight 8-spoked wheel of life – Noble Eightfold Path rels 120 - appleby

  24. Mahayana Buddhism • Developed as Buddhism spread into China • More inclusive – accommodates wider diversity • Any person can achieve nirvana – lay person, married/single, monks nuns • Less emphasis on asceticism – more devotions and rituals • Principle virtues = wisdom and compassion rels 120 - appleby

  25. Mahayana’s spread • Tibet, Korea, China, Japan, Mongolia, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia • Significant diversity and smaller schools within Mahayana • Bodhisattva =a person who delays his or her own enlightenment in order to compassionately assist other beings in seeking enlightenment • Bodhisattvas can be earthly or heavenly • Zen Buddhism is one school within Mahayana rels 120 - appleby

  26. Mahayana Buddhism The Great Vehicle • China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Nepal, parts of Vietnam, Mongolia • Ongoing revelation of the Buddha’s insight throughout history; new sutras developed by means of new revelations; adapted rules for monks • Emphasis on (mystical) experience of enlightenment (insight, intuition, emptiness); seek through meditation • Mahayana emerged around 50 BCE and by 400 CE was firmly established; founder Nagarjuna • Introduced celestial Buddhas & Bodhisattvaswho delay their own passage to nirvana; virtues of compassion & wisdom expressed by both monk and lay person • Zen (Japan) and Ch’an (China) – direct transmission of Buddha’s teachings through mind-to-mind transmission – Zazen(sitting meditation) rels 120 - appleby

  27. Central Teaching in Mahayana:Karuna= compassion • Also expressed in empathy, sympathy and kindness • Everyone is part of an ever-changing, impermanent universe • Being kind to others is being kind to oneself – demonstrates awareness of unity and interrelatedness • Great prayer = May all creatures be well and happy • Goal of greater spiritual awareness = skillful means rels 120 - appleby

  28. Zen Buddhism • Emphasis on the 7th step of the Eightfold Path • Dhyana– meditation; sitting meditation - zazen • (Chan, Ch’an – Chinese; Zen – Japanese) • Practice seated meditation – like the Buddha • Practice silence, detachment, acceptance, distrust of symbols • See union with the universe • Enlightenment experience = satori– experience of ultimate unity of self and universe • Manual work of the monks is an essential aspect of Zen rels 120 - appleby

  29. Laughing Buddha • Some Mahayana schools expect a 2nd incarnation of the Buddha • At this time, a future golden age will be inaugurated rels 120 - appleby

  30. Vajrayana Buddhism = the Diamond Vehicle • Most prominent form is Tibetan Buddhism • Tibetan Buddhism = combination of Mahayana Buddhism and Tibetan shamanism • Centrality of enlightened awareness that comes like a flash or bolt of lightening • Also called the Thunderbolt Vehicle • Vajrayana sees Buddha nature in a multitude of male and female deities • Also includes Tantric Buddhist practices rels 120 - appleby

  31. Vajrayana Buddhism Diamond Vehicle • Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Mongolia, northern India (Dharamsala) • Emerged from Mahayana • Emphasis on Buddha-nature; esoteric path (for advanced practitioners) to higher levels of consciousness • experience of Supreme Truth, ecstasy and bliss in one’s “subtle mind”; clarity with no distortions or delusions • Practice of levitation, clairvoyance, meditation, bodily austerities, chanting mantras, prayer wheels & flags • Religious teachers/leaders are Lamas • Virtues of inner peace, kindness & compassion rels 120 - appleby

  32. Tibetan Buddhism • Large monasteries developed in Tibet, surrounded by complex town civilizations • Monastic leaders also acted as political leaders for the Tibetan people for many centuries • Chief leader (executive head) is the Dalai Lama– considered to be a reincarnation of former gurus/lamas • All lamas emanate from the heavenly boddhisattva of compassion rels 120 - appleby

  33. Tibet invaded by China in 1959 – thousands of monks were massacred rels 120 - appleby

  34. Born in 1935 – the 14th Dalai Lama Prior to the Chinese invasion, fled into northern India travels worldwide teaches consults with religious and political leaders continues to be seen as spiritual leader of an independent Tibet rels 120 - appleby The Dalai Lama

  35. http://www.wildmind.org/metta/special-lovingkindness-meditations/war-meditationhttp://www.wildmind.org/metta/special-lovingkindness-meditations/war-meditation “This meditation is called the “KarunaBhavana.” Karunais the Buddhist word for compassion, and Bhavana means development or cultivation. So the KarunaBhavanais the practice of development of compassion. “Compassion is what we experience when love meets suffering.” rels 120 - appleby

  36. Metta: Universal Loving KindnessMettais based on a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of all living things an attitude of the heart and mind that unconditionally seeks the well being of all the antidote to hatred or ill will The MettaBhavanameditation is a practice which helps develop an attitude of well-wishing towards all living beings. There are five stages to the meditation: One develops an attitude of kindness, appreciation and well-wishing: • towards oneself - may I be well; may I be happy; may I be free of suffering • a good friend – may she/he be well; may he/she be happy • a person one doesn’t feel much connection with - may she/he be well; may he/she be happy • a person one dislikes - may she/he be well; may he/she be happy • all living beings – may all things be well; may they be free of suffering http://www.clear-vision.org/Schools/Students/Ages-15-16/living-the-buddhist-life/metta-and-karuna.aspx rels 120 - appleby

  37. http://meditation.org.au/index.asp?mobilecheck=true rels 120 - appleby

  38. http://www.buddhanet.net/ World Buddhist Directory,http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/ • THERAVADA BUDDHISM – CANADA, http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/search.php?keyword=&search=Begin+Search&country_id=1&province_id=0&tradition%5B%5D=theravada • MAHAYANA BUDDHISM – CANADA, http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/search.php?keyword=&search=Begin+Search&country_id=1&province_id=0&tradition%5B%5D=mahayana • VAJRAYANA BUDDHISM – CANADA, http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/search.php?keyword=&search=Begin+Search&country_id=1&province_id=0&tradition%5B%5D=vajrayana • NON-SECTARIAN BUDDHISM – CANADA, http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/search.php?keyword=&search=Begin+Search&country_id=1&province_id=0&tradition%5B%5D=non-sectarian rels 120 - appleby

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