Buddhism

Five Great Events of Buddha’s

Life and their Symbols

Birth: Lotus and Bull, Great Renunciation: Horse,Nirvana: Bodhi tree, First Sermon: Dharmachakra or wheel, Parinirvana or Death: Stupa

Four Noble Truths

1. The world is full of sorrows.
2. Desire is root cause of sorrow.
3. If Desire is conquered, all sorrows can be removed. 
4. Desire can be removed by following the eight-fold path.

Eight Fold Path

1. Right understanding
2. Right speech
3. Right livelihood
4. Right mindfulness
5. Right thought
6. Right action
7. Right effort
8. Right concentration

Three Ratnas

1. Buddha
2. Dhamma
3. Sangha

Sacred Shrines

Lumbini, Bodh-Gaya. Sarnath and Kusinagar, where the tour principal events of the Buddha’s life, namely, Birth, Enlightenment. First sermon and Mahaparinirvana took place. To these are added tour places Sravasti, Rajgriha. Vaishali and Sankasya—these eight places have all along been considered as the eight holy places (ashtamahasthanas).

Other centres of Buddhism in Ancient India—Amravati and Nagarjunikonda in
Andhra Pradesh; Nalanda in Bihar; Junagadh and Valabhi in Gujarat; Sanchi and Bharhut in
MP; Ajanta-Ellora in Maharashtra, Dhaulagiri in Orissa; Kannauj. Kausambi and Mathura in U.P.: and Jagadala and Somapuri in West Bengal.

Buddhist architecture developed essentially in three forms, viz. (a) Stupa (relics of the
Buddha or some prominent Buddhist monk are preserved) (b) Chaitya (prayer hall) © Vihara
(residence)

Types of Buddhism

Hinayana 

(a) Its followers believed in the original teachings of Buddha, (b) They sought individual salvation through self-discipline and meditation. (c) They did not believe in idol-worship, (d) Hinayana, like Jainism, is a religion without God, Karma taking the place of God. (e) Nirvana is regarded as the extinction of all. (f) The oldest school of Hinayana Buddhism is the Sthaviravada (Theravada in Pali) or the ‘Doctrine of the Elders’, (f) Its Sanskrit counterpart, which is more philosophical is known as Sarvastivada or the doctrine which maintains the existence of all things, physical as well as mental, (g) Gradually, from Sarvastivada or Vaibhasika branched oft another school called Sautantrika, which was more critical in outlook.

Mahayana

(a) Its followers believed in the heavenliness of Buddha and sought the salvation of all through the grace and help of Buddha and Bodhisatvas. (b) Believes in idolworship, (c) Believes that Nirvana is not a negative cessation of misery but a positive state of bliss, (d) Mahayana had two chief philosophical schools: the Madhyamika and the Yogachara. (e) The former took a line midway between the uncompromising realism of Hinayanism and the idealism of Yogachara. (f) The Yogachara school founded by Maitreyanatha completely rejected the realism of Hinayana and maintained absolute idealism.

Vajrayana

 (a) Its followers believed that salvation could be best attained by acquiring the magical power, which they called Vajra. (b) The chief divinities of this new sect were the Taras. © It became popular in Eastern India, particularly Bengal and Bihar.

Know The Important Facts

The Buddha extended the teaching of two elder contemporaries, Alara Kalama, and Udlaka.

According to Buddhism there is no-self, no God, no soul and no spirit.

There is very little theological or philosophical speculation involved

Buddhism is scientific in approach, a search for cause and effect relationships and knowledge of reality, as each individual human being experiences it.

It is psychological in approach, that is, it begins with human being.

“If women were not admitted into the monasteries, Buddhism would have continued for a thousand years, but because this admission has been granted, it would last only five hundred years” – Buddha
Roots of Buddhism in the Past
The Vedanta
Sankhya philosophy
The Upanishads : Ideas about Kerma, soul, rebirth, moksha, ahimsa etc.

Contribution of Buddhism

The doctrine of Ahimsa—so strongly stressed, devoutly preached and sincerely practiced by the Buddhists. Was incorporated in Hinduism of later days.

The practice of worshipping personal Gods, making their images and erecting temples in their honour became a part of the later day Hinduism.

Buddhism proved to be one of the greatest civilising forces, which India gave to the neighbouring countries.

Buddhism broke the isolation of India and helped in establishment of intimate contacts
between India and foreign countries.