This page will contain wikis about Buddhism, as they become available.BuddhismStatues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living.Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived between approximately 563 and 483 BCE. Originating in India, Buddhism gradually spread throughout Asia to Central Asia, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Southeast Asia, as well as the East Asian countries of China, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan. Buddhism teaches followers to perform good and wholesome actions, to avoid bad and harmful actions, and to purify and train the mind. The aim of these practices is to end the suffering of cyclic existence, samsara, by awakening the practitioner to the realization of true reality, the achievement of Nirvana and Buddhahood. Buddhist morality is underpinned by the principles of harmlessness and moderation. Mental training focuses on moral discipline (sila), meditative concentration (samadhi), and wisdom (prajñā). While Buddhism does not deny the existence of supernatural beings (indeed, many are discussed in Buddhist scripture), it does not ascribe power for creation, salvation or judgement to them. Like humans, they are regarded as having the power to affect worldly events, and so some Buddhist schools associate with them via ritual. What is a Buddha?A stone image of the Buddha.Buddha is a word in ancient Indian languages including Pāli and Sanskrit which means "one who has awakened". It is derived from the verbal root "budh", meaning "to awaken" or "to be enlightened", and "to comprehend". The word "Buddha" denotes not just a single religious teacher who lived in a particular epoch, but a type of person, of which there have been infinite ones throughout the course of cosmic time. (As an analogy, the term "American President" refers not just to one person, but to everyone who has ever held the office of American presidency.) The Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, then, is simply one member in the spiritual lineage of Buddhas, which stretches back into beginningless past and forward into the distant horizons of the future. Gautama, who is referred to by Buddhists as Shakyamuni Buddha, did not claim any divine status for himself, nor did he assert that he was inspired by a god or gods. A Buddha is anyone who has fully awakened to the true nature of existence, liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth and has achieved omniscience. (Buddhas are not omnipotent, like the god of Judaism, Christianity or Islam.) Anyone can free themselves from suffering as Gautama did, regardless of age, gender, or caste. The principles by which a person can be led to enlightenment are known as the Buddhadharma, or simply the Dharma, meaning (in this context) "law, doctrine, or truth". OriginsAs with any history so old, there are many different stories of how the Buddha to be, Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit; in Pāli, Siddhattha Gotama) made his way to enlightenment. Here is one: Legend has it that he was born around the 6th century BCE. His birthplace is said to be Lumbini in the Shākya state, one of a small group of old Hindu oligarchic republics, in what is now Nepal. His father was a (Hindu) king, and Siddhārtha lived in luxury, being spared all hardship. The legends say that a seer predicted shortly after his birth, that Siddhartha would become either a great king or a great holy man; because of this, the king tried to make sure that Siddhartha never had any cause for dissatisfaction with his life, as that might drive him toward a spiritual path. Nevertheless, at the age of 29, he came across what has become known as the Four Passing Sights: an old crippled man, a sick man, a decaying corpse, and finally a wandering holy man. These four sights led him to the realization that birth, old age, sickness and death come to everyone, not only once but repeated for life after life in succession since beginningless time. He decided to abandon his worldly life, leaving behind his wife, child and rank, etc. to take up the life of a wandering holy man in search of the answer to the problem of birth, old age, sickness, and death. Indian holy men (sādhus), in those days just as today, often engaged in a variety of ascetic practices designed to "mortify" the flesh. It was thought that by enduring pain and suffering, the ātman (Sanskrit; Pāli: atta) or "soul" became free from the cycle of rebirth with its pain and sorrow. Siddhārtha proved adept at these practices, and was able to surpass his teachers. However, he found no answer to his problem and, leaving behind his teachers, he and a small group of companions set out to take their austerities even further. After nearly starving himself to death with no success (some sources claim that he nearly drowned), Siddhārtha began to reconsider his path. Then he remembered a moment in childhood in which he had been watching his father start the season's plowing, and he had fallen into a naturally concentrated and focused state in which time seemed to stand still, and which was blissful and refreshing. The temple of the Tooth, in Kandy, Sri Lanka, which is said to contain Buddha's toothTaking a little buttermilk from a passing goatherd, he found a large tree (now called the Bodhi tree) and set to meditating. He developed a new way of meditating, which began to bear fruit. His mind became concentrated and pure, and then, six years after he began his quest, he attained Enlightenment, and became a Buddha. According to one of the stories in the Āyācana Sutta (Samyutta Nikaya VI.1), a scripture found in the Pāli and other canons, immediately after his Enlightenment the Buddha was wondering whether or not he should teach the Dharma. He was concerned that, as human beings were overpowered by greed, hatred and delusion, they wouldn't be able to see the true Dharma which was subtle, deep and hard to understand. A god, Brahma Sahampati, however, interceded, and asked that he teach the Dharma to the world, as "There will be those who will understand the Dharma". With his great compassion, the Buddha agreed to become a teacher. At the Deer Park near Benares in northern India he set in motion the Wheel of Dharma by delivering his first sermon to the group of five companions with whom he sought for enlightenment before. They, together with Buddha, formed the first sangha, the company of Buddhist monks. In other versions of his life-story, the Buddha leaves home in the "prime of his youth", his parents weeping and wailing all the while. The state of Shākya, where he was born, was an oligarchic republic at that time, so there was no royal family of which to speak. Therefore, it is believed that the Buddha's father was not a king in the sense of an absolute ruler, but rather an influential tribal figure. However, regardless of the details of his early life, the evidence strongly indicates that the Buddha was indeed a historical person living in approximately the same time and place in which he is traditionally placed. It has also been advanced that the influence of Jain culture and philosophy in ancient Bihar gave rise to Buddhism. In fact the Jain culture, or religion as we may call it, was founded just prior to Buddhism, and both philosophies shared the same area in which they taught a Dharma that admits no "creator" or an omnipotent being. Principles of BuddhismThe Three JewelsSymbol of the Three Jewels (triratna), surmounted by a Dharma wheel, on a "footprint" of the Buddha, 1st century, Gandhara.Buddhists seek refuge in what are often referred to as the Three Jewels, Triple Gem or Triple Jewel. These are the Buddha, the Dharma (or Dhamma), and the "noble" (Sanskrit: arya) Sangha or community of monks and nuns who have become enlightened. While it is impossible to escape one's karma or the effects caused by previous thoughts, words and deeds, it is possible to avoid the suffering that comes from it by becoming enlightened. In this way, dharma offers a refuge. Dharma, used in the sense of the Buddha's teachings, provides a raft and is thus a temporary refuge while entering and crossing the river. However, the real refuge is on the other side of the river. To one who is seeking to become enlightened, taking refuge constitutes a continuing commitment to pursuing enlightenment and following in the footsteps of the people who have followed the path to enlightenment before. It contains an element of confidence that enlightenment is in fact a refuge, a supreme resort. Many Buddhists take the refuges each day, often more than once in order to remind themselves of what they are doing and to direct their resolve inwardly towards liberation. In all— forms of Buddhism, refuge in the Three Jewels are taken before the Sangha for the first time, as a part of the conversion ritual. However, the personal choice for taking ones' life-path in this direction is more important than any external ritual. It is good to note that in Buddhism, the word "refuge" should often not be taken in the English sense of "hiding" or "escape"; instead, many scholars have said, it ought be thought of as a homecoming, or place of healing, much as a parent's home might be a refuge for someone. This simple misunderstanding has led some Western scholars to conclude that Buddhism is "a religion for sticking one's head in the sand", when most Buddhists would assert quite the opposite. On the other hand, the main goal of Buddhism is to escape from the suffering of cyclic existence. Although Buddhists concur that taking refuge should be undertaken with proper motivation (complete liberation) and an understanding of the objects of refuge, the Indian scholar Atisha identified that in practice there are many different motives found for taking refuge. His idea was to use these different motivations as a key to resolving any apparent conflicts between all the Buddha's teachings without depending upon some form of syncretism that would cause as much confusion as it attempted to alleviate. In the 11th century, Lamp for the Path by Atisha, and in the subsequent Lamrim tradition as elaborated by the Tibetan master Tsongkhapa, the several motives for refuge are enumerated as follows, typically introduced using the concept of the "scope" (level of motivation) of a practitioner:
See also: Three Jewels The Four Noble TruthsThe Buddha taught that life was dissatisfactory because of craving, but that this condition was curable by following the Eightfold Path. This teaching is called the Four Noble Truths:
The Noble Eightfold PathMain article: Noble Eightfold Path Buddhist monk Geshe Konchog Wangdu reads Mahayana sutras from an old woodblock copy of the Tibetan Kanjur.In order to fully understand the noble truths and investigate whether they were in fact true, Buddha recommended that a certain lifestyle or path be followed which consists of:
Sometimes in the Pāli Canon the Eightfold Path is spoken of as being a progressive series of stages which the practitioner moves through, the culmination of one leading to the beginning of another, but it is more usual to view the stages of the 'Path' as requiring simultaneous development. The Eightfold Path essentially consists of meditation, following the precepts, and cultivating the positive converse of the precepts (e.g. benefiting living beings is the converse of the first precept of harmlessness). The Path may also be thought of as a way of developing śīla, meaning mental and moral discipline. The Five PreceptsThe Buddha statue Aukana, in Sri LankaBuddhists undertake certain precepts as aids on the path to coming into contact with ultimate reality. Laypeople generally undertake five precepts. The Five Precepts are not given in the form of commands such as "thou shalt not ...", but rather are promises to oneself: "I will (try) to...". The five precepts are:
It should be noted that the literal, and possibly original, meaning of the third precept covers more than the now generally standard meaning "sexual misconduct" and actually involves refraining from "wrong indulgence in all sensory pleasures". In some schools of Buddhism, serious lay people or aspiring monks take an additional three to five ethical precepts, and some of the five precepts are strengthened. For example, the precept pertaining to sexual misconduct becomes a precept of celibacy; the fourth precept, which pertains to incorrect speech, is expanded to four: lying, harsh language, slander, and idle chit-chat. Fully ordained monks and nuns of the Theravada school also vow to follow the 227 patimokkha rules. Fully ordained Mahayana monks and nuns follow 348 equivalent rules with an additional set of, generally, 41 bodhisattva vows. See also: Pancasila and Buddha Statues of Bamiyan The three marks of conditioned existenceAccording to the Buddhist tradition, all phenomena (dharmas) are marked by three characteristics, sometimes referred to as the Dharma Seals:
See also: three marks of existence Buddha-dhatu ("Buddha-Principle", Buddha-nature)The Buddha's Mahayana doctrines contain a set of "ultimate" (nitartha) teachings on the immanence of a hidden core Reality within all sentient beings which is linked to the eternality of the Buddha and Nirvana. This immanent yet transcendent essence is variously called, in the key tathagatagarbha sutras which expound it, the Buddha-dhatu ("Buddha-element", Buddha-nature) or the Tathagatagarbha. This Buddha-dhatu is empty of all that is contingent, painful and impermanent. In the Nirvana Sutra, it is called by the Buddha the "True Self" (to distinguish it from the "false" worldly self of the five skandhas). It is no less than the unfabricated, uncreated, uncompounded, immaculate, immortal, all-knowing, radiantly shining Principle of blissful Buddhahood - the very Dharmakaya. This Tathagatagarbha/ Buddha-dhatu, inherent in all beings, can never be destroyed or harmed, and yet is concealed from view by a mass of obscuring mental and moral taints within the mind-stream of the individual being. Once the Buddha-dhatu is finally seen and known by the faithful Buddhist practitioner, it has the power to transform that seer and knower into a Buddha. The doctrine of the Tathagatagarbha/Buddha-dhatu is stated by the Buddha of the Mahaparinirvana Sutra to be the "absolutely final culmination" of his Dharma. Other principles and practices
VegetarianismThe first lay precept in Buddhism prohibits killing. Many see this as implying that Buddhists should not eat the meat of animals. However, this is not necessarily the case. The Buddha made distinction between killing an animal and consumption of meat, stressing that it is immoral conduct that makes one impure, not the food one eats. In one of the Pali sutras belonging to the Theravada lineage of Buddhism, Buddha says that vegetarianism is preferable, but as monks in ancient India were expected to receive all of their food by begging they had little or no control over their diet. Furthermore, Buddha did not wish to lay an extra burden on his lay followers by demanding that the food should be vegetarian. During the Buddha's time, there was no general rule requiring monks to refrain from eating meat. In fact, at one point the Buddha specifically refused to institute vegetarianism and the Pali Canon records the Buddha himself eating meat on several occasions. There were, however, rules prohibiting certain types of meat, such as human, leopard or elephant meat. Monks are also prohibited from consuming meat if the monk witnessed the animal's death or knows that it was killed specifically for him. This rule was not applied to commercial purchase of meat in the case of a general who sent a servant to purchase meat specifically to feed the Buddha. Therefore, eating commercially purchased meat is not prohibited. On the other hand, the Buddha in certain Mahayana sutras strongly denounces the eating of meat. In the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the Buddha states that "the eating of meat extinguishes the seed of great compassion", adding that all and every kind of meat and fish consumption (even of animals already found dead) is prohibited by him. The Buddha also predicts in this sutra that later monks will "hold spurious writings to be the authentic Dharma" and will concoct their own sutras and mendaciously claim that the Buddha allows the eating of meat, whereas in fact (he says) he does not. A long passage in the Lankavatara Sutra shows the Buddha weighing strongly in favor of vegetarianism, since the eating of the flesh of fellow sentient beings is said by him to be incompatible with the compassion which a Bodhisattva should strive to cultivate. Several other Mahayana sutras also emphatically prohibit the consumption of meat. A solution to this problem was given when monks from the Indian sphere of influence migrated to China, as of the year 65 AD. There they met followers who provided them with money instead of food. From those days onwards Chinese monastics, and others who came to inhabit northern countries, cultivated their own vegetable plots and bought everything else they needed in terms of food in the market. In the modern world, attitudes toward vegetarianism vary by location. In the Theravada countries of Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, monks are bound by the vinaya to accept almost any food that is offered to them, often including meat, while in China and Vietnam, monks are expected to eat no meat. In Japan and Korea, some monks practice vegetarianism, and most will do so at least when training at a monastery, but otherwise they typically do eat meat. In Tibet, where vegetable nutrition was historically very scarce, and the adopted vinaya was the Nikaya Sarvāstivāda, vegetarianism is very rare, although the Dalai Lama and other esteemed Lamas invite their audiences to adopt vegetarianism when they can. In the West, of course, a wide variety of practices are followed. Lay Buddhists generally follow dietary rules less rigorously than monks. The three main branches of BuddhismStone carvings at Dazu near Chongqing, China.Buddhism has evolved into myriad schools that can be roughly grouped into three types: Nikaya (also called Hinayana), Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Of the Nikaya schools, only the Theravada survives. Each branch sees itself as representing the true, original teachings of the Buddha, and some schools believe that the dialectic nature of Buddhism allows its format, terminology, and techniques to adapt over time in response to changing circumstances, thus validating dharmic approaches different from their own.
At the present time the teachings of all three branches of Buddhism have spread throughout the world and are now easily available in the developed countries, and increasingly translated into local languages. Buddhism after the BuddhaOne of the first representations of the Buddha, 1st-2nd century CE, Gandhara.Buddhism spread slowly in India until the powerful Mauryan emperor Asoka converted to it and actively supported it. His promotion led to construction of Buddhist religious sites and missionary efforts that spread the faith into the countries listed at the beginning of the article. After about 500 CE, Buddhism showed signs of waning in India, becoming nearly extinct after about 1200 CE. This was partially due to Muslim invasions and partially due to Hinduism's revival movements such as Advaita and the rise of the bhakti movement. Elements of Buddhism have remained within India to the current day: the Bauls of Bengal have a syncretic set of practices with strong emphasis on many Buddhist concepts. Other areas of India have never parted from Buddhism, including Ladakh and other areas bordering the Tibetan, Nepali and Bhutanese borders. Buddhism also remained in the rest of the world although in Central Asia and later Indonesia it was mostly replaced by Islam.
In China and Japan, it adopted aspects of the native beliefs of Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto respectively. In Tibet, the Tantric Vajrayana lineage was preserved
after it disappeared in India. History of the schoolsThree months after the passing of Gautama Buddha, The First Council was held at Rajagaha by his immediate disciples who had attained Arahantship (Enlightenment). Maha Kassapa, the most respected and elderly monk, presided at the Council. The Dhamma and the Vinaya were recited at the First Council. All Arahants unanimously agree that no disciplinary rule laid down by the Buddha should be changed, and no new ones should be introduced. At this point, no conflict about what the Buddha taught is known to have occurred, so the teachings were divided into various parts and each was assigned to an elder and his pupils to commit to memory. These groups of people often cross-checked with each other to ensure that no omissions or additions were made. Novice monks in BurmaAt the Second Council, one hundred years later, it was not the dharma that was called into question but the monks' code of rules or vinaya. This resulted in the formation of the Sthaviravādin and Mahāsānghika schools. Opinions differ on the cause of the split: the Sthaviravādins described their opponents as lax monks who had ceased to follow all the vinaya rules, while the Mahāsānghikas argued that the Buddha had never intended a rigid adherence to all the minor rules. Apart from Pāli sources, an important independent account of this split is found in the Shāriputra-pariprcchā (The Enquiry of Shāriputra), an eclectic text of Indic origin, which differs radically from the received Theravādin version. According to this version, the Mahāsānghikas were not the defeated party, but the conservative party that preserved the original vinaya unchanged against the reformist attempts of the Sthāviras to establish a reorganized and stricter version. However, after this initial division, more were to follow. Schism in early Buddhism was typically not on points of doctrine (orthodoxy), but in the area of practice (orthopraxy). So if two schools shared a vinaya, but were in dispute over doctrinal matters, it was likely that they would continue to practice together. However, if one group disputed the vinaya of another, this would often prevent common practice. In the 3rd century BCE, Theravadin sources state that a Third Council was convened under the patronage of Emperor Ashoka, but since no mention of this council is found in other sources and because of various implausible features in this account, most scholars treat the historicity of this Third Council with skepticism although it is generally accepted that one or several disputes did occur during Asoka's reign, involving both doctrinal and vinaya matters, although these are likely to have been too informal to be called a Council. However, according to the Theravadin account, this Council was convened primarily for the purpose of establishing an official orthodoxy. At the council, small groups raised questions about the specifics of the vinaya and the interpretation of doctrine. The chairman of the council, Moggaliputta Tissa, compiled a book called the Kathavatthu, which was meant to refute these arguments. The council sided with Moggaliputta and his version of Buddhism as orthodox; it was then adopted by Emperor Ashoka as his empire's official religion. This school of thought was termed Vibhajjavada (Pali), literally "Teaching of Analysis". The version of the scriptures that had been established at the Third Council, including the vinaya, sutta and the abhidhamma commentaries (collectively known as Tripitaka), was taken to Sri Lanka by Emperor Ashoka's son, the Venerable Mahinda. There it was eventually committed to writing in the Pali language. The Pali Canon remains the only complete set of Nikaya scriptures to survive, although fragments of other versions exist. Whatever might be the truth behind the Theravādin account, it was around the time of Asoka that further divisions began to occur within the Buddhist movement and a number of additional schools emerged, including the Sarvāstivāda and the Sammitīya. All of these early schools of Nikayan Buddhism eventually came to be known collectively as the Eighteen Schools in later sources. Unfortunately, with the exception of the Theravāda, none of early these schools survived beyond the late medieval period by which time several were already long extinct, although a considerable amount of the canonical literature of some of these schools has survived, mainly in Chinese translation. Moreover, the origins of specifically Mahāyāna doctrines may be discerned in the teachings of some of these early schools, in particular in the Mahāsānghika and the Sarvāstivāda. Between the 1st century BCE and the 1st century CE, the terms Mahayana and Hinayana were first used in writing, in, for example, the Lotus Sutra. A Fourth Council is said to have been convened by the Kushan emperor Kanishka, around 100 CE at Jalandhar or in Kashmir, although it seems to have been primarily a Sarvāstivāda affair. For this reason, Theravāda Buddhism does not recognize the authenticity of this council, and sometimes they call it the “council of heretical monks”. It is said that Kanishka gathered 500 monks, headed by Vasumitra, primarily, it seems, to compile extensive commentaries on the Abhidharma, although it is possible that some editorial work was carried out upon the canon itself. The main fruit of this Council was the vast commentary known as the Mahā-Vibhāshā ("Great Exegesis"), an extensive compendium and reference work on a portion the Sarvāstivādin Abhidharma. Scholars beleieve that it was also around this time that a significant change was made in the language of the Sarvāstivādin canon, by converting an earlier Prakrit version into Sanskrit. Although this change was probably effected without significant loss of integrity to the canon, this event was of particular significance since Sanskrit was the learned language of scholars in India, regardless of their specific religious or philosophical allegiance, thus enabling a far wider audience to gain access to Buddhist ideas and practices. For this reason, all major Budhist scholars in India thereafter wrote their commentaries and treatises in Sanskrit. During and after the 2nd century explicitly Mahayana philosophies were defined in the works of Nagarjuna, Asanga, Shantideva, Ashvagosha, and Vasubandhu. A painting depicting a Central Asian Tocharian monk (left) along with a Chinese monk (right). The painting is from the 9th or 10th century in the Tarim Basin.Around the 1st century, Buddhism spread from India through successive waves of merchants and pilgrims. It reached as far as Turkmenistan and Arabia to the west, and eastward to southeast Asia, where the first records of Buddhism date from around 400. Mahayana Buddhism established a major regional center in what is today Afghanistan, and from there it spread to China, Korea, Mongolia, and Japan. In 475, the Indian monk Bodhidharma travelled to China and established the Chan (Chinese; Japanese: Zen), school. During the first millennium, monks from China such as Faxian, Yijing and Xuanzang made pilgrimages to India and wrote accounts of their travels when they returned home. These Chinese travel records constitute extremely valuable sources for information concerning the state of Buddhism in India during the early medieval period. At one time, different Turkic and Tocharian groups along the northern fringe of East Turkestan (modern Xinjiang in western China) adhered to Nikaya Buddhism. However, Buddhism there was supplanted by the introduction of Islam around 1000. Vajrayana also evolved at this stage carried from India to Tibet from around 800 by teachers such as Padmasambhava and Atisha. There it initially coexisted with native belief systems such as Bön, but later came to largely supplant or absorb them. An early form of esoteric Vajrayana known as Shingon was also transmitted by the priest Kūkai to Japan, where it continues to be practiced. There is still an active debate as to whether or not Tantrism was initially developed within Buddhism or Hinduism. Buddhist literature tends to predate the later puranic Tantras, and there is some evidence to suggest that the basic structure of tantra depends upon the Mahayana Buddhist philosophical schools. However, it is thought by others that meditative Shiva sects seem to have existed from pre-Vedic times; also, from scriptural citations and study of the Vedas, some say Tantra saw its philosophical basis in the mystical rites and mantras of the Atharva Veda (and later the Hindu Upanishads and Mahayana school of Buddhism). See also: History of Buddhism and Timeline of Buddhism ScripturesThe Buddhist canon of scripture is known in Sanskrit as the Tripitaka and in Pāli as the Tipitaka. These terms literally mean "three baskets" and refers to the three main divisions of the canon, which are: Young Buddhist monks in Tibet
During the first few centuries after Gautama Buddha, his teachings were transmitted orally, but around the 1st Century CE they began to be written down. A given school of Buddhism will generally have its own distinctive canon of texts, which will partially overlap with those of other schools. The most notable set of texts from the early period is the Pali Canon, which was preserved in Sri Lanka by the Theravāda school. The sutras it contains are also part of the canon of every other Buddhist sect. Full versions of the original text[1] (http://jbe.gold.ac.uk/palicanon.html) and partial English translations[2] (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/) are now readily available on the internet. The appearance of the Mahāyāna tradition brought with it a collection of new texts, composed in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit, many of which were also described as actual sermons of the Buddha. These include the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, the Avataṃsaka, the Lotus Sutra, the Vimalakīrti Sutra, and the Nirvana Sutra. Many of the Mahayana sutras were translated into Tibetan and classical Chinese and are also now read in the West. The Mahāyāna corpus of sutras further expanded after Buddhism was transmitted to China, where the existing texts were translated, and new texts were composed for the purpose of adapting the Indian tradition to the East Asian philosophical mindset. Some of these works are considered by modern scholars to be spurious. On the other hand, there were texts, such as the Platform Sutra and the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment did not pretend to be of Indian origin, but are widely accepted as valid scriptures on their own merits. Later writings include the Linji Lu of Chan master Linji. In the course of the development of Korean Buddhism and Japanese Buddhism, further important texts were composed. These included, for example, in Korea, some of the writings of Jinul, and in Japan, works such as Dogen's Shobogenzo. Arguably the most thorough compilation of Mahayana works is found in the Tibetan canon. This is split into those texts attributed to be authored by the Buddha (Kanjur), and those texts which are understood to be commentaries by Indian practitioners (Tenjur). Vajrayāna practitioners also study distinctive texts such as the Buddhist tantras. Recently an important archaeological discovery was made, consisting of the earliest known Buddhist manuscripts, recovered from somewhere near ancient Gandhara in northwest Pakistan. These fragments, written on birch bark, are dated to the 1st century and have been compared to the Dead Sea scrolls in importance. Donated to the British Library in 1994, they are now being studied in a joint project at the University of Washington[3] (http://depts.washington.edu/ebmp/). Relations with other faithsSome Hindus (primarily in the northern regions of India) believe that Gautama is the 9th incarnation (see avatar) of Vishnu; there are accounts of the Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu that are pro- and anti-Buddhist (i.e., either that Vishnu "really meant" what he said while incarnated as Buddha or that he was intentionally tricking those who follow unorthodox doctrines). This is not a majority view, however. The avatar theory came into existence in approximately the 9th century CE. Traditionally, there has been a sharp distinction between Buddhism and what is today called "Hinduism"; this distinction is more accurately between Astika and Nastika philosophies, that is, philosophies in India which either affirmed the Vedas as divinely revealed scriptures or else regarded them as fallible human inventions. Thus Buddhism is essentially a heresy vis à vis orthodox Indian philosophy, though there are many syncretic or ecumenical tendencies within either group which are accepting of the beliefs and practices of the other. In the Japanese religion of Shintoism Buddha is seen as a Kami (god). The Bahá'í Faith states he was an independent Manifestation of God. Siddhartha Gautama is thought to have been sanctified by the Roman Catholic Church as Saint Josaphat based on a mistaken account of his conversion to Christianity. Some Muslims believe that Gautama Buddha is Dhul-Kifl, one of the prophets mentioned in the Qur'an. Jainism is an ancient religion and school of thought that predates Buddhism. One of its two most revered teachers, Mahāvīra (599 - 527 BC), was a senior contemporary of the Buddha whose philosophy, sometimes described as dynamism or vitalism, was a blend of the earlier Jain teacher Pārśvanātha's order and the reforms instituted by Mahavira himself. Dialogues between the Buddha's disciples and Mahāvīra are recorded in Jain texts, and dialogues between Mahāvīra's disciples and the Buddha are included in Buddhist texts. Buddhism in the modern worldThe international Buddhist flag was designed in Sri Lanka in the 1880s with the assistance of Henry Steele Olcott and was later adopted as a symbol by the World Fellowship of Buddhists.Estimates of the number of Buddhists vary between 230 and 500 million, with 350 million as the most commonly cited figure. [4] (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html) Modern AsiaIn northern Asia, Mahāyāna remains the most common form of Buddhism in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, (parts of) Indonesia and Singapore. Theravāda predominates in most of Southeast Asia, including Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, as well as Sri Lanka. It has seats in Malaysia and Singapore. Vajrayāna is predominant in Tibet, Mongolia, portions of Siberia and portions of India, especially those areas bordering Tibet. Kalmykia, while geographically located in Europe, is culturally closely related to Mongolia and thus its Buddhism is more properly grouped with Asian than with Western Buddhism. While in the West Buddhism is often seen as exotic and progressive, in the East Buddhism is regarded as familiar and part of the establishment. Buddhist organizations in Asia frequently are well-funded and enjoy support from the wealthy and influential. In some cases, this has led critics to charge that certain monks and organizations are too closely associated with the powerful and are neglecting their duties to the poor. Buddhism and the WestIn the latter half of the 19th century, Buddhism (along with many other of the world's religions and philosophies) came to the attention of Western intellectuals. These included the pessimistic German philosopher Schopenhauer and the American philosopher Henry David Thoreau, who translated a Buddhist sutra from French into English. German writer Hermann Hesse also showed great interest in the eastern religion, even writing a book entitled Siddhartha. Spiritual enthusiasts enjoyed what they saw as the exotic and mystical tone of the Asian traditions. At first Western Buddhology was hampered by poor translations (often translations of translations), but soon Western scholars began to learn Asian languages and translate Asian texts. In 1880 J.R. de Silva and Henry Steel Olcott designed the International Buddhist flag to celebrate the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Its stripes symbolise universal compassion, the middle path, blessings, purity and liberation, wisdom, and the conglomeration of these. The flag was accepted as the International Buddhist Flag by the 1952 World Buddhist Congress. A hallway in California's Hsi Lai TempleIn 1899 Gordon Douglas became the first Westerner to be ordained as a Buddhist monk. The first Buddhists to arrive in the United States were Chinese. Hired as cheap labor for the railroads and other expanding industries, they established temples in their settlements along the rail lines. See the article on Buddhism in America for further information. The Buddhist Society, London was founded by Christmas Humphreys in 1924. The cultural re-evaluations of the hippie generation in the late 1960s and early 1970s led to a re-discovery of Buddhism, which seemed to promise a natural path to awareness and enlightenment. Many people, including celebrities, traveled to Asia in pursuit of gurus and ancient wisdom. During and after the Chinese occupation of Tibet, many of them fled to Nepal and India, including most renown Buddhist masters. This Tibetan form of Buddhism proved especially intriguing to quite a number of westerners. Buddhism had become the fastest-growing religion in Australia and many other Western nations by the 1990s, in contrast to the steady decline of traditional western beliefs (see Christianity). A distinctive feature of Buddhism has been the continuous evolution of the practice as it was transmitted from one country to another. This dynamic aspect is particularly evident today in the West. Chögyam Trungpa, the founder of the Shambhala meditation movement, claimed in his teachings that his intention was to strip the ethnic baggage away form traditional methods of working with the mind and to deliver the essence of those teachings to his western students. Another example of a school evolving new idioms for the transmission of the dharma is the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, founded by Sangharakshita. Lama Surya Das is a prominent Western-born teacher continuing to bring the teachings of Buddhism to Westerners. This page about Buddhism includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about Buddhism News stories about Buddhism External links for Buddhism Videos for Buddhism Wikis about Buddhism Discussion Groups about Buddhism Blogs about Buddhism Images of Buddhism |
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Lama Surya Das is a prominent Western-born teacher continuing to bring the teachings of Buddhism to Westerners. The Patriots re-signed Troy Brown, who they released earlier in the Offseason. Another example of a school evolving new idioms for the transmission of the dharma is the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, founded by Sangharakshita. On April 29, the Patriots surprised many by bringing Doug Flutie, the former Boston College and Patriots quarterback most recently with the San Diego Chargers, back to the team as a veteran backup to Brady. Chögyam Trungpa, the founder of the Shambhala meditation movement, claimed in his teachings that his intention was to strip the ethnic baggage away form traditional methods of working with the mind and to deliver the essence of those teachings to his western students. During the 2005 NFL Draft, the Patriots used their first round pick on Logan Mankins, an offensive guard out of Fresno State. This dynamic aspect is particularly evident today in the West. The offseason turned around however, with Tom Brady signing a new contract that would keep him in New England through the 2010 season, and the addition of Seattle linebacker Chad Brown. A distinctive feature of Buddhism has been the continuous evolution of the practice as it was transmitted from one country to
another. Still, wanting to be a part of the team, Bruschi remarked that he would
reevalute his condition for playing football at the end of the 2005 season. Buddhism had become the fastest-growing religion in Australia and many other Western nations by the 1990s, in
contrast to the steady decline of traditional western beliefs (see Christianity). Troy Brown, the long-time Patriots receiver, was released for salary
cap reasons, surprising many after he had contributed on defense, offense, and special teams to help fill in for injured players
(but understandable given that he was entering a "dummy year" with an inflated cap number, Troy Brown was re-signed on May 23).
Other players who left include Joe Andruzzi, Keith Traylor, and Roman Phifer. Many people, including celebrities, traveled to Asia in pursuit of gurus and ancient wisdom. In the Conference Championship on January 23, they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 41-27, advancing to Super Bowl XXXIX to face the Philadelphia Eagles. The cultural re-evaluations of the hippie generation in the late 1960s and early 1970s led to a re-discovery of Buddhism, which seemed to promise a natural path to awareness and enlightenment. On January 16, 2005, the Patriots advanced to the AFC Conference Championship game by beating the Indianapolis Colts, 20-3. The Buddhist Society, London was founded by Christmas Humphreys in 1924. On December 12, the Patriots clinched the AFC East division championship for the third time in the past four years. See the article on Buddhism in America for further information. The streak finally came to an end on October 31 when the Patriots were beaten by the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-20. Hired as cheap labor for the railroads and other expanding industries, they established temples in their settlements along the rail lines. They also extended their overall winning streak to 21. The first Buddhists to arrive in the United States were Chinese. On October 24 they broke the record for the most consecutive regular season victories at 18 after beating the New York Jets 13-7. In 1899 Gordon Douglas became the first Westerner to be ordained as a Buddhist monk. On October 10 they set the record for the number of consecutive wins (regular and post-season) in NFL history, at 19, after beating the 0-4 Miami Dolphins 24-10. The flag was accepted as the International Buddhist Flag by the 1952 World Buddhist Congress. These moves paid off, as the Patriots finished the regular season at 14-2. Its stripes symbolise universal compassion, the middle path, blessings, purity and liberation, wisdom, and the conglomeration of these. Their biggest move was obtaining superstar running back Corey Dillon from the Cincinnati Bengals. In 1880 J.R. de Silva and Henry Steel Olcott designed the International Buddhist flag to celebrate the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. The Patriots made more big moves in the 2004 offseason to make sure a repeat of the disappointing 2002 season did not happen. At first Western Buddhology was hampered by poor translations (often translations of translations), but soon Western scholars began to learn Asian languages and translate Asian texts. The victory also made the 2003 Patriots the first team ever to win - or for that matter, even reach - the Super Bowl after having been shut out on opening day. Spiritual enthusiasts enjoyed what they saw as the exotic and mystical tone of the Asian traditions. The Patriots won their second Super Bowl in three years, 32-29; and Brady was named MVP again. German writer Hermann Hesse also showed great interest in the eastern religion, even writing a book entitled Siddhartha. A trick pass to linebacker Mike Vrabel in the end zone with just over 2:00 to play put the Patriots back in the lead, but Ricky Proehl tied it up with another touchdown to tie it 29-29. Brady then repeated his role from two years ago, moving the Patriots quickly downfield to force another Adam Vinatieri field goal with four seconds left. These included the pessimistic German philosopher Schopenhauer and the American philosopher Henry David Thoreau, who translated a Buddhist sutra from French into English. The third quarter was scoreless, but Antowain Smith scored on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 21-10. Carolina scored two more touchdowns (neither of which were converted) to make it 22-21. In the latter half of the 19th century, Buddhism (along with many other of the world's religions and philosophies) came to the attention of Western intellectuals. After a defensive battle for most of the first half, the teams traded touchdowns late in the second quarter, then more quick strikes by both teams made the score 14-10 Patriots at halftime. Buddhist organizations in Asia frequently are well-funded and enjoy support from the wealthy and influential. In some cases, this has led critics to charge that certain monks and organizations are too closely associated with the powerful and are neglecting their duties to the poor. Super Bowl XXXVIII was one of the closest championship games ever played. While in the West Buddhism is often seen as exotic and progressive, in the East Buddhism is regarded as familiar and part of the establishment. The Patriots were back in the Super Bowl, this time to face the Carolina Panthers. Kalmykia, while geographically located in Europe, is culturally closely related to Mongolia and thus its Buddhism is more properly grouped with Asian than with Western Buddhism. Despite only one offensive touchdown by the Patriots, they held on to win 24-14. Vajrayāna is predominant in Tibet, Mongolia, portions of Siberia and portions of India, especially those areas bordering Tibet. The New England defense frustrated Colts quarterback Peyton Manning all day, forcing him to throw four interceptions (three to Ty Law) and sacking him three times. It has seats in Malaysia and Singapore. The Patriots then faced the Indianapolis Colts for the AFC Championship. Theravāda predominates in most of Southeast Asia, including Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, as well as Sri Lanka. An incomplete Steve McNair pass on 4th down with 1:40 left won the game 17-14 for New England. In northern Asia, Mahāyāna remains the most common form of Buddhism in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, (parts of) Indonesia and Singapore. Played in a temperature of 5 degrees F, (making it the second-coldest game in NFL history) the Patriots and Titans kept it close until Vinatieri kicked the go-ahead field goal with 4 minutes left. Estimates of the number of Buddhists vary between 230 and 500 million, with 350 million as the most commonly cited figure. [4] (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html). The first opponent was the Tennessee Titans. Dialogues between the Buddha's disciples and Mahāvīra are recorded in Jain texts, and dialogues between Mahāvīra's disciples and the Buddha are included in Buddhist texts. The Patriots had the NFL's best record at 14-2 and had home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. One of its two most revered teachers, Mahāvīra (599 - 527 BC), was a senior contemporary of the Buddha whose philosophy, sometimes described as dynamism or vitalism, was a blend of the earlier Jain teacher Pārśvanātha's order and the reforms instituted by Mahavira himself. The Patriots also shut out 3 opponents: the Dallas Cowboys (led by Bill Parcells), the Dolphins (in a snowy Gillette Stadium), and a revenge 31-0 win over Buffalo in the final game of the regular season. Jainism is an ancient religion and school of thought that predates Buddhism. Several big plays marked the team's season: an 82-yard touchdown from Brady to Troy Brown in overtime in Miami, a 4th-quarter comeback in Denver known for an intentional safety, and a goal-line stand in Indianapolis where Edgerrin James was stopped by Willie McGinest on 4th and goal by from the 2 yard line in the dying seconds. Some Muslims believe that Gautama Buddha is Dhul-Kifl, one of the prophets mentioned in the Qur'an. The Patriots only lost one game the rest of the season, despite several injuries. Siddhartha Gautama is thought to have been sanctified by the Roman Catholic Church as Saint Josaphat based on a mistaken account of his conversion to Christianity. The following week the Patriots traveled to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles, who had also been shut out in their opener (17-0 at home by Tampa Bay), thus setting up the first NFL game matching two teams that had been shut out the week before since 1991, and the first game in the second week of a season between two teams that had been shut out in the first week since 1932 (the Patriots won this game 31-10). The Bahá'í Faith states he was an independent Manifestation of God. But the surprise release of Lawyer Milloy days before the season opener (immediately dubbed "Lawyergate" by the press) shocked observers, and he ended up with the Buffalo Bills, who beat the Patriots 31-0 in Week 1. In the Japanese religion of Shintoism Buddha is seen as a Kami (god). In the 2003 offseason the Patriots picked up several big-name players in free agency such as linebacker Roosevelt Colvin (Colvin was placed on the injured reserve due to an injury early on in the season), safety Rodney Harrison and defensive lineman Ted Washington. Traditionally, there has been a sharp distinction between Buddhism and what is today called "Hinduism"; this distinction is more accurately between Astika and Nastika philosophies, that is, philosophies in India which either affirmed the Vedas as divinely revealed scriptures or else regarded them as fallible human inventions. Thus Buddhism is essentially a heresy vis à vis orthodox Indian philosophy, though there are many syncretic or ecumenical tendencies within either group which are accepting of the beliefs and practices of the other. The Patriots started the 2002 season on a high note too, winning their first 3 games. However, injuries and problems with the offensive and defensive lines cost the team down the stretch, and the team finished 9-7. They missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker. The avatar theory came into existence in approximately the 9th century CE. Bledsoe was traded to the Buffalo Bills in the 2002 off-season. This is not a majority view, however. Brady was selected Super Bowl MVP. Some Hindus (primarily in the northern regions of India) believe that Gautama is the 9th incarnation (see avatar) of Vishnu; there are accounts of the Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu that are pro- and anti-Buddhist (i.e., either that Vishnu "really meant" what he said while incarnated as Buddha or that he was intentionally tricking those who follow unorthodox doctrines). After 42 years, the Patriots were Super Bowl champions. Donated to the British Library in 1994, they are now being studied in a joint project at the University of Washington[3] (http://depts.washington.edu/ebmp/). Brady calmly led New England's offense downfield, missing only one pass, when Adam Vinatieri won it with a 48-yard field goal as time expired. These fragments, written on birch bark, are dated to the 1st century and have been compared to the Dead Sea scrolls in importance. Louis scored two touchdowns to tie it at 17-17 with 1:30 to go. Recently an important archaeological discovery was made, consisting of the earliest known Buddhist manuscripts, recovered from somewhere near ancient Gandhara in northwest Pakistan. After trailing 17-3 early in the fourth quarter, St. Vajrayāna practitioners also study distinctive texts such as the Buddhist tantras. Belichick's defense held the Rams high-powered offense in check until the fourth quarter, forcing three turnovers (one returned by Ty Law for a touchdown and the other two leading to scores as well). This is split into those texts attributed to be authored by the Buddha (Kanjur), and those texts which are understood to be commentaries by Indian practitioners (Tenjur). Louis Rams, who had beaten the Patriots in the regular season. Arguably the most thorough compilation of Mahayana works is found in the Tibetan canon. Brady was back to face the heavily-favored St. These included, for example, in Korea, some of the writings of Jinul, and in Japan, works such as Dogen's Shobogenzo. With two special teams touchdowns and two Kordell Stewart interceptions in the fourth quarter, the Patriots stunned Pittsburgh 24-17 to advance to Super Bowl XXXVI. In the course of the development of Korean Buddhism and Japanese Buddhism, further important texts were composed. After Brady was injured in the second quarter, Bledsoe (in his last appearance as a Patriot) came off the sideline and immediately threw a touchdown. Later writings include the Linji Lu of Chan master Linji. The team then went to Pittsburgh to face the favored Steelers in the AFC Championship. On the other hand, there were texts, such as the Platform Sutra and the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment did not pretend to be of Indian origin, but are widely accepted as valid scriptures on their own merits. Kicker Adam Vinatieri tied the game with a 45-yard field goal in the final 30 seconds, and then won it 16-13 in overtime. Some of these works are considered by modern scholars to be spurious. In what Patriots fans saw as justice for Ben Dreith's controversial call in 1976, a Brady fumble was ruled an incomplete pass using the little-known "tuck rule". The Mahāyāna corpus of sutras further expanded after Buddhism was transmitted to China, where the existing texts were translated, and new texts were composed for the purpose of adapting the Indian tradition to the East Asian philosophical mindset. The Patriots opened the playoffs in a snowstorm against the Oakland Raiders in the last game ever played at Foxboro Stadium. Many of the Mahayana sutras were translated into Tibetan and classical Chinese and are also now read in the West. Even after Bledsoe was healthy again, Brady continued as the starting quarterback. These include the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, the Avataṃsaka, the Lotus Sutra, the Vimalakīrti Sutra, and the Nirvana Sutra. The Patriots continued to pick up momentum through the season, and won 6 games in a row to capture the AFC East with an 11-5 record. The appearance of the Mahāyāna tradition brought with it a collection of new texts, composed in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit, many of which were also described as actual sermons of the Buddha. But the big story was quarterback Tom Brady, who went his first four games (three of them wins) without throwing an interception. Full versions of the original text[1] (http://jbe.gold.ac.uk/palicanon.html) and partial English translations[2] (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/) are now readily available on the internet. Receivers Troy Brown and David Patten had career seasons, first-round draft pick Richard Seymour revitalized the defensive line, and Antowain Smith (a free agent signed from Buffalo) ran for 1000 yards. The most notable set of texts from the early period is the Pali Canon, which was preserved in Sri Lanka by the Theravāda school. The sutras it contains are also part of the canon of every other Buddhist sect. Few could have predicted what happened during the rest of the season. A given school of Buddhism will generally have its own distinctive canon of texts, which will partially overlap with those of other schools. Chris Slade had left for the Carolina Panthers, and Coates was long gone as well. During the first few centuries after Gautama Buddha, his teachings were transmitted orally, but around the 1st Century CE they began to be written down. It looked like a similar result was in the cards for the 2001 season, with Bledsoe injured in Week 2 and Glenn with a drug suspension and contract holdout. These terms literally mean "three baskets" and refers to the three main divisions of the canon, which are:. After a tough season with lots of close losses, the Patriots finished 5-11. The Buddhist canon of scripture is known in Sanskrit as the Tripitaka and in Pāli as the Tipitaka. Luckily for the Patriots, Bill Belichick, hand-picked to be Parcells' successor with the Jets, quit after one day to join New England. See also: History of Buddhism and Timeline of Buddhism. The team started 6-2 but finished 8-8, and Carroll was fired. However, it is thought by others that meditative Shiva sects seem to have existed from pre-Vedic times; also, from scriptural citations and study of the Vedas, some say Tantra saw its philosophical basis in the mystical rites and mantras of the Atharva Veda (and later the Hindu Upanishads and Mahayana school of Buddhism). With no running game and tough competition in the division the 1999 season was tough for the Patriots. Buddhist literature tends to predate the later puranic Tantras, and there is some evidence to suggest that the basic structure of tantra depends upon the Mahayana Buddhist philosophical schools. It opened in 2002. There is still an active debate as to whether or not Tantrism was initially developed within Buddhism or Hinduism. After the Hartford plan was scuttled by delays, he eventually built Gillette Stadium next to the old stadium in Foxboro. An early form of esoteric Vajrayana known as Shingon was also transmitted by the priest Kūkai to Japan, where it continues to be practiced. After not getting a deal from the city of Boston to replace the aging and inadequate Foxboro Stadium, Kraft announced in 1999 he was moving the team to Hartford, Connecticut. There it initially coexisted with native belief systems such as Bön, but later came to largely supplant or absorb them. Backup quarterback Scott Zolak proved to be no match for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first playoff game. Vajrayana also evolved at this stage carried from India to Tibet from around 800 by teachers such as Padmasambhava and Atisha. Bledsoe and Glenn were later both knocked out for the season, and the Patriots backed into the last playoff seed with a 9-7 record. However, Buddhism there was supplanted by the introduction of Islam around 1000. After stumbling through the first half of the season (5-6 after the first 11 games), Bledsoe, playing with a broken finger, engineered late 4th-quarter comebacks against the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills to save the season. At one time, different Turkic and Tocharian groups along the northern fringe of East Turkestan (modern Xinjiang in western China) adhered to Nikaya Buddhism. The game was an officially-sponsored activity that took place during Pro Bowl weekend. These Chinese travel records constitute extremely valuable sources for information concerning the state of Buddhism in India during the early medieval period. Robert Edwards, a rookie draft pick, was his replacement but his career was over after a breakout rookie season by an injury he suffered in Hawaii while playing a game of flag football on the beach. During the first millennium, monks from China such as Faxian, Yijing and Xuanzang made pilgrimages to India and wrote accounts of their travels when they returned home. Parcells convinced several players, including Curtis Martin, to join the Jets in time for the 1998 season. In 475, the Indian monk Bodhidharma travelled to China and established the Chan (Chinese; Japanese: Zen), school. A late fumble (recovered by future Patriot Mike Vrabel) won the game for Pittsburgh, 7-6. Mahayana Buddhism established a major regional center in what is today Afghanistan, and from there it spread to China, Korea, Mongolia, and Japan. After having an easy time with the Miami Dolphins in Foxboro, the injury-plagued Patriots met the Steelers in Pittsburgh for a rematch in the divisional playoff. It reached as far as Turkmenistan and Arabia to the west, and eastward to southeast Asia, where the first records of Buddhism date from around 400. In 1997 the Patriots still won the AFC East with a 10-6 record, but some key losses (including a loss to Parcells' Jets and a 4th-quarter collapse against the Pittsburgh Steelers) meant the team had to play in the wild card round. Around the 1st century, Buddhism spread from India through successive waves of merchants and pilgrims. The new regime was immediately derided for botching draft picks, and the Patriots slipped back further in the standings during each of Carroll's years. During and after the 2nd century explicitly Mahayana philosophies were defined in the works of Nagarjuna, Asanga, Shantideva, Ashvagosha, and Vasubandhu. Parcells did take the Jets job in the offseason, and Pete Carroll was named the new coach. For this reason, all major Budhist scholars in India thereafter wrote their commentaries and treatises in Sanskrit. The Packers won 35-21. Although this change was probably effected without significant loss of integrity to the canon, this event was of particular significance since Sanskrit was the learned language of scholars in India, regardless of their specific religious or philosophical allegiance, thus enabling a far wider audience to gain access to Buddhist ideas and practices. In the days leading up to the game, rumors that Parcells was going to take the vacant head coaching job with the New York Jets were running rampant. The Patriots played the Packers close in the first half, but two long Brett Favre touchdowns and a kickoff return for a touchdown by Desmond Howard sealed New England's fate. Scholars beleieve that it was also around this time that a significant change was made in the language of the Sarvāstivādin canon, by converting an earlier Prakrit version into Sanskrit. But relations between Kraft and Parcells were strained, and may have cost the team a championship. The main fruit of this Council was the vast commentary known as the Mahā-Vibhāshā ("Great Exegesis"), an extensive compendium and reference work on a portion the Sarvāstivādin Abhidharma. The Patriots blew out the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-3 in the divisional playoff, and held off the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-6 in the AFC Championship. The team advanced to Super Bowl XXXI against the Green Bay Packers. It is said that Kanishka gathered 500 monks, headed by Vasumitra, primarily, it seems, to compile extensive commentaries on the Abhidharma, although it is possible that some editorial work was carried out upon the canon itself. The Patriots finished 11-5, first in the AFC East, and gained a first-round bye. A Fourth Council is said to have been convened by the Kushan emperor Kanishka, around 100 CE at Jalandhar or in Kashmir, although it seems to have been primarily a Sarvāstivāda affair. For this reason, Theravāda Buddhism does not recognize the authenticity of this council, and sometimes they call it the “council of heretical monks”. Linebackers Tedy Bruschi and Ted Johnson arrived on the scene to help McGinest and Slade. Between the 1st century BCE and the 1st century CE, the terms Mahayana and Hinayana were first used in writing, in, for example, the Lotus Sutra. On defense, rookie safety Lawyer Milloy made an impact, as did Willie Clay (signed from the Detroit Lions) and second-year cornerback Ty Law. Moreover, the origins of specifically Mahāyāna doctrines may be discerned in the teachings of some of these early schools, in particular in the Mahāsānghika and the Sarvāstivāda. In 1996 the team added wide receiver Terry Glenn, who did the same work to the passing game that Martin did to the running game. Unfortunately, with the exception of the Theravāda, none of early these schools survived beyond the late medieval period by which time several were already long extinct, although a considerable amount of the canonical literature of some of these schools has survived, mainly in Chinese translation. Bledsoe went down with injuries though, and the Patriots finished a lackluster 6-10. All of these early schools of Nikayan Buddhism eventually came to be known collectively as the Eighteen Schools in later sources. Curtis Martin joined the team for the 1995 season, giving the team a much-needed boost to the running game. Whatever might be the truth behind the Theravādin account, it was around the time of Asoka that further divisions began to occur within the Buddhist movement and a number of additional schools emerged, including the Sarvāstivāda and the Sammitīya. The team finished 10-6 and won a wild card playoff spot. The Patriots were quickly turned away in the first round by the Cleveland Browns - the last team to beat New England in the regular season, and coached by future Pats hero Bill Belichick. The Pali Canon remains the only complete set of Nikaya scriptures to survive, although fragments of other versions exist. The Patriots won the game 26-20 in overtime, and did not lose a game for the rest of the regular season. There it was eventually committed to writing in the Pali language. Bledsoe set single-game records for pass attempts and completions. The version of the scriptures that had been established at the Third Council, including the vinaya, sutta and the abhidhamma commentaries (collectively known as Tripitaka), was taken to Sri Lanka by Emperor Ashoka's son, the Venerable Mahinda. The Patriots looked flat in the 1994 season until Drew Bledsoe sparked a second-half comeback against the Minnesota Vikings by switching to the no-huddle offense. This school of thought was termed Vibhajjavada (Pali), literally "Teaching of Analysis". Louis after the season looked imminent, but Orthwein ended up selling the team to Boston businessman Robert Kraft instead. The council sided with Moggaliputta and his version of Buddhism as orthodox; it was then adopted by Emperor Ashoka as his empire's official religion. A move to St. At the council, small groups raised questions about the specifics of the vinaya and the interpretation of doctrine. The chairman of the council, Moggaliputta Tissa, compiled a book called the Kathavatthu, which was meant to refute these arguments. Bledsoe came back later in the season and won four in a row to end the season at 5-11, including a dramatic overtime win in the final week to knock the Dolphins out of the playoffs. However, according to the Theravadin account, this Council was convened primarily for the purpose of establishing an official orthodoxy. After losing the first four games, Bledsoe was injured and replaced with former Dolphins backup Scott Secules, who won one of his two games. In the 3rd century BCE, Theravadin sources state that a Third Council was convened under the patronage of Emperor Ashoka, but since no mention of this council is found in other sources and because of various implausible features in this account, most scholars treat the historicity of this Third Council with skepticism although it is generally accepted that one or several disputes did occur during Asoka's reign, involving both doctrinal and vinaya matters, although these are likely to have been too informal to be called a Council. Other draft picks such as tight end Ben Coates and linebackers Willie McGinest and Chris Slade, helped the team immediately. However, if one group disputed the vinaya of another, this would often prevent common practice. This was only part of a major season of change in New England. Bill Parcells was hired as head coach, and even the logo and uniforms changed. So if two schools shared a vinaya, but were in dispute over doctrinal matters, it was likely that they would continue to practice together. With the first pick in the 1993 draft, the Patriots selected quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Schism in early Buddhism was typically not on points of doctrine (orthodoxy), but in the area of practice (orthopraxy). Louis were circulating and the team finished 2-14. However, after this initial division, more were to follow. Optimism was high entering the 1992 season, but rumors of a move to St. According to this version, the Mahāsānghikas were not the defeated party, but the conservative party that preserved the original vinaya unchanged against the reformist attempts of the Sthāviras to establish a reorganized and stricter version. Hugh Millen took over at quarterback partway through the season, and the Patriots improved to 6-10 with several upsets over playoff teams. Apart from Pāli sources, an important independent account of this split is found in the Shāriputra-pariprcchā (The Enquiry of Shāriputra), an eclectic text of Indic origin, which differs radically from the received Theravādin version. Louis businessman James Orthwein, who had thoughts of moving the team to his hometown. Opinions differ on the cause of the split: the Sthaviravādins described their opponents as lax monks who had ceased to follow all the vinaya rules, while the Mahāsānghikas argued that the Buddha had never intended a rigid adherence to all the minor rules. The new owner was St. This resulted in the formation of the Sthaviravādin and Mahāsānghika schools. First-year coach Rod Rust was fired and replaced by Dick MacPherson. At the Second Council, one hundred years later, it was not the dharma that was called into question but the monks' code of rules or vinaya. The Colts win was the only one of the season, with the team finishing 1-15. These groups of people often cross-checked with each other to ensure that no omissions or additions were made. Kiam's handling of the situation was called into question, and he ended up selling the team. At this point, no conflict about what the Buddha taught is known to have occurred, so the teachings were divided into various parts and each was assigned to an elder and his pupils to commit to memory. Newspaper reporter Lisa Olson was sexually harassed by players Zeke Mowatt, Michael Timpson and Robert Perryman following a win over the Indianapolis Colts. All Arahants unanimously agree that no disciplinary rule laid down by the Buddha should be changed, and no new ones should be introduced. 1990 became the most tumultuous season in Patriots history. The Dhamma and the Vinaya were recited at the First Council. Eason, Flutie and Grogan rotated the starting quarterback job as the Patriots finished 5-11. Maha Kassapa, the most respected and elderly monk, presided at the Council. The season was over before it began - three of the team's biggest stars on defense (Andre Tippett, Garin Veris and Ronnie Lippett) were injured in one preseason game. Three months after the passing of Gautama Buddha, The First Council was held at Rajagaha by his immediate disciples who had
attained Arahantship (Enlightenment). In 1989 founder Billy Sullivan sold the team to Remington shaver magnate Victor Kiam. In Tibet, the Tantric Vajrayana lineage was preserved
after it disappeared in India. Elements of Buddhism have remained within India to the current day: the Bauls of Bengal have a syncretic set of practices with strong emphasis on many Buddhist concepts. Many defensive stars for New England crossed the picket line. This was partially due to Muslim invasions and partially due to Hinduism's revival movements such as Advaita and the rise of the bhakti movement. Doug Flutie, the future Canadian Football League and Buffalo Bills star, played one game for the Patriots during a players' strike in 1987. After about 500 CE, Buddhism showed signs of waning in India, becoming nearly extinct after about 1200 CE. The team did not return to the playoffs for eight years. His promotion led to construction of Buddhist religious sites and missionary efforts that spread the faith into the countries listed at the beginning of the article. A late fourth-quarter touchdown pass from John Elway to Vance Johnson won it for Denver, and the Patriots' fate was sealed. Buddhism spread slowly in India until the powerful Mauryan emperor Asoka converted to it and actively supported it. Eason stepped up the passing game (with Stanley Morgan getting nearly 1500 yards receiving) as New England won the AFC East with an 11-5 record, and traveled to Denver to take on the Broncos in the first round playoff game. At the present time the teachings of all three branches of Buddhism have spread throughout the world and are now easily available in the developed countries, and increasingly translated into local languages. Indeed, the team had the worst rushing offense in the league that season. Each branch sees itself as representing the true, original teachings of the Buddha, and some schools believe that the dialectic nature of Buddhism allows its format, terminology, and techniques to adapt over time in response to changing circumstances, thus validating dharmic approaches different from their own. When John Hannah, still widely considered to be the greatest offensive lineman of all-time, retired before the 1986 season, a lot of people thought the Patriots' offense would collapse. Of the Nikaya schools, only the Theravada survives. The final score was 46-10 Chicago. Buddhism has evolved into myriad schools that can be roughly grouped into three types: Nikaya (also called Hinayana), Mahayana, and Vajrayana. But the Bears scored the next 46, including one touchdown by William "Refrigerator" Perry. Lay Buddhists generally follow dietary rules less rigorously than monks. The Bears had not allowed a point in the playoffs, but the Patriots took an early 3-0 lead after a Walter Payton fumble in the first quarter. In the West, of course, a wide variety of practices are followed. Unfortunately for New England, the Bears had one of the greatest defenses of all time according to most experts. In Tibet, where vegetable nutrition was historically very scarce, and the adopted vinaya was the Nikaya Sarvāstivāda, vegetarianism is very rare, although the Dalai Lama and other esteemed Lamas invite their audiences to adopt vegetarianism when they can. The Patriots made an improbable run to Super Bowl XX, where they faced the Chicago Bears. In Japan and Korea, some monks practice vegetarianism, and most will do so at least when training at a monastery, but otherwise they typically do eat meat. The Patriots had lost 20 straight games in Miami at the time, but won this one, dominating the Dolphins defensively again en route to a 30-14 win. In the Theravada countries of Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, monks are bound by the vinaya to accept almost any food that is offered to them, often including meat, while in China and Vietnam, monks are expected to eat no meat. In the divisional playoff against the Los Angeles Raiders the Patriots forced six turnovers and won 27-20, to set up an AFC Championship showdown against the rival Miami Dolphins. In the modern world, attitudes toward vegetarianism vary by location. In the first round the Patriots beat the New York Jets to win their first playoff game since 1963. From those days onwards Chinese monastics, and others who came to inhabit northern countries, cultivated their own vegetable plots and bought everything else they needed in terms of food in the market. New England won six straight games and finished 11-5, with a wild card playoff berth. A solution to this problem was given when monks from the Indian sphere of influence migrated to China, as of the year 65 AD. There they met followers who provided them with money instead of food. But Grogan broke his leg late in the season, and Eason got the starting job again. Several other Mahayana sutras also emphatically prohibit the consumption of meat. After struggling to start the 1985 season, new coach Raymond Berry replaced Eason with Grogan. A long passage in the Lankavatara Sutra shows the Buddha weighing strongly in favor of vegetarianism, since the eating of the flesh of fellow sentient beings is said by him to be incompatible with the compassion which a Bodhisattva should strive to cultivate. In 1984 the Patriots lost three straight games in December, and again missed the playoffs at 9-7. The Buddha also predicts in this sutra that later monks will "hold spurious writings to be the authentic Dharma" and will concoct their own sutras and mendaciously claim that the Buddha allows the eating of meat, whereas in fact (he says) he does not. The team again lost some key games, and finished out of the playoffs at 8-8. In the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the Buddha states that "the eating of meat extinguishes the seed of great compassion", adding that all and every kind of meat and fish consumption (even of animals already found dead) is prohibited by him. Rookie Tony Eason became the new quarterback for the 1983 season, but split duties for much of the mid-1980s with Grogan. On the other hand, the Buddha in certain Mahayana sutras strongly denounces the eating of meat. In 1982, a snowplow-aided 3-0 late-season win over the Miami Dolphins put the Patriots in the playoffs, but the first-round rematch in Miami was easily won by the Dolphins. Therefore, eating commercially purchased meat is not prohibited. Coach Erhardt was fired and replaced by Ron Meyer. This rule was not applied to commercial purchase of meat in the case of a general who sent a servant to purchase meat specifically to feed the Buddha. With these performances in mind, a local sportswriter intimated that the team suffered from the "Bozo Syndrome," meaning that they played "like clowns in the clutch." The Patriots completely collapsed in 1981, finishing 2-14, including two losses to the Baltimore Colts which were the only two games the Colts won that year. Monks are also prohibited from consuming meat if the monk witnessed the animal's death or knows that it was killed specifically for him. In 1980, with star running back Sam Cunningham holding out all season, the Patriots started 6-1 but finished 10-6, again out of the playoffs. There were, however, rules prohibiting certain types of meat, such as human, leopard or elephant meat. In 1979 the team lost three games in December to finish 9-7 and out of the playoffs. In fact, at one point the Buddha specifically refused to institute vegetarianism and the Pali Canon records the Buddha himself eating meat on several occasions. The Patriots became poster children for late-season failure through the late 1970s. In one of the Pali sutras belonging to the Theravada lineage of Buddhism, Buddha says that vegetarianism is preferable, but as monks in ancient India were expected to receive all of their food by begging they had little or no control over their diet. Furthermore, Buddha did not wish to lay an extra burden on his lay followers by demanding that the food should be vegetarian. During the Buddha's time, there was no general rule requiring monks to refrain from eating meat. The stunned team lost its first round playoff game to the Houston Oilers. The Buddha made distinction between killing an animal and consumption of meat, stressing that it is immoral conduct that makes one impure, not the food one eats. Owner Billy Sullivan suspended Fairbanks and hired Ron Erhardt on the spot to coach the final game. However, this is not necessarily the case. Coach Chuck Fairbanks announced he would be leaving the team to take a job at the University of Colorado. Many see this as implying that Buddhists should not eat the meat of animals. In a preseason game against the Raiders, wide receiver Darryl Stingley was paralyzed by Oakland's Jack Tatum, who has never apologized for the incident. The Patriots rebounded and finished 11-5, tops in the AFC East, but a bizarre incident hours before the last game of the season shocked the team. The first lay precept in Buddhism prohibits killing. 1978 almost became an even bigger disappointment. The doctrine of the Tathagatagarbha/Buddha-dhatu is stated by the Buddha of the Mahaparinirvana Sutra to be the "absolutely final culmination" of his Dharma. The Patriots finished 9-5, one game out of first place, and out of the playoffs. Once the Buddha-dhatu is finally seen and known by the faithful Buddhist practitioner, it has the power to transform that seer and knower into a Buddha. 1977 was a disappointing season, aided by contract holdouts by offensive linemen John Hannah and Leon Gray. This Tathagatagarbha/ Buddha-dhatu, inherent in all beings, can never be destroyed or harmed, and yet is concealed from view by a mass of obscuring mental and moral taints within the mind-stream of the individual being. The referee, Ben Dreith, was not allowed to officiate Patriots games again. It is no less than the unfabricated, uncreated, uncompounded, immaculate, immortal, all-knowing, radiantly shining Principle of blissful Buddhahood - the very Dharmakaya. Many Patriots fans to this day think that touchdown should never have happened, blaming a roughing-the-passer penalty earlier in the drive that should not have been called. In the Nirvana Sutra, it is called by the Buddha the "True Self" (to distinguish it from the "false" worldly self of the five skandhas). The game was close and was settled in the final seconds with a touchdown run by Oakland quarterback Ken Stabler. This Buddha-dhatu is empty of all that is contingent, painful and impermanent. The opponent was the Oakland Raiders, whose only regular season loss had come at the hands of New England. This immanent yet transcendent essence is variously called, in the key tathagatagarbha sutras which expound it, the Buddha-dhatu ("Buddha-element", Buddha-nature) or the Tathagatagarbha. The Patriots finished 11-3 and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 1963. The Buddha's Mahayana doctrines contain a set of "ultimate" (nitartha) teachings on the immanence of a hidden core Reality within all sentient beings which is linked to the eternality of the Buddha and Nirvana. Steve Grogan became New England's quarterback for the 1976 season. See also: three marks of existence. The draft picks acquired in the Plunkett trade, used to select defensive backs Mike Haynes and Tim Fox set the stage for the team's first winning
season in the NFL. According to the Buddhist tradition, all phenomena (dharmas) are marked by three characteristics, sometimes referred to as the Dharma Seals:. In 1973 the team hired Chuck Fairbanks to lead it. See also: Pancasila and Buddha Statues of Bamiyan. During this time the Patriots consistently had losing records, and went through three coaches in four seasons. Fully ordained Mahayana monks and nuns follow 348 equivalent rules with an additional set of, generally, 41 bodhisattva vows. Also new in 1971 was a new quarterback, first-round pick Jim Plunkett, taken with the draft's first overall selection, which the Patriots received for having finished worst overall in 1970. Fully ordained monks and nuns of the Theravada school also vow to follow the 227 patimokkha rules. Since it was located several miles outside Boston, the team was renamed the New England Patriots. For example, the precept pertaining to sexual misconduct becomes a precept of celibacy; the fourth precept, which pertains to incorrect speech, is expanded to four: lying, harsh language, slander, and idle chit-chat. The following season, after bouncing around between four different stadiums in their first 11 years, Foxboro Stadium (originally called Schaefer Stadium) opened. In some schools of Buddhism, serious lay people or aspiring monks take an additional three to five ethical precepts, and some of the five precepts are strengthened. In 1970 the Patriots became a member of the NFL pursuant to the merger of the AFL and NFL that had been agreed to three years earlier, but their first experience therein was anything but pleasant as they finished 2-12 and in sole possession of the newly-merged league's worst record. It should be noted that the literal, and possibly original, meaning of the third precept covers more than the now generally standard meaning "sexual misconduct" and actually involves refraining from "wrong indulgence in all sensory pleasures". In the late 1960's, fullback Jim Nance became a powerful offensive weapon for the Patriots, gaining 1,458 yards in 1966 and 1,216 in 1967, when he was the American Football League's MVP. The five precepts are:. In 1963, eleven Patriots made the AFL All-star team, including Gino Cappelletti, Nick Buoniconti, and Babe Parilli. The Five Precepts are not given in the form of commands such as "thou shalt not ...", but rather are promises to oneself: "I will (try) to...". Although the team made only two AFL playoff appearances, it had numerous stars. Laypeople generally undertake five precepts. The Boston Patriots played in the first-ever game in the American Football League, against the Denver Broncos on September 9, 1960. Buddhists undertake certain precepts as aids on the path to coming into contact with ultimate reality. The New England Patriots are a National Football League team based in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Path may also be thought of as a way of developing śīla, meaning mental and moral discipline. Ted Washington. benefiting living beings is the converse of the first precept of harmlessness). Mosi Tatupu. The Eightfold Path essentially consists of meditation, following the precepts, and cultivating the positive converse of the precepts (e.g. Andre Tippett. Sometimes in the Pāli Canon the Eightfold Path is spoken of as being a progressive series of stages which the practitioner moves through, the culmination of one leading to the beginning of another, but it is more usual to view the stages of the 'Path' as requiring simultaneous development. Irving Fryar. In order to fully understand the noble truths and investigate whether they were in fact true, Buddha recommended that a certain lifestyle or path be followed which consists of:. Jim Plunkett. Main article: Noble Eightfold Path. Babe Parilli (born 1930). This teaching is called the Four Noble Truths:. Ross O'Hanley. The Buddha taught that life was dissatisfactory because of craving, but that this condition was curable by following the Eightfold Path. Jim Nance. See also: Three Jewels. Jon Morris (born 1942). In the 11th century, Lamp for the Path by Atisha, and in the subsequent Lamrim tradition as elaborated by the Tibetan master Tsongkhapa, the several motives for refuge are enumerated as follows, typically introduced using the concept of the "scope" (level of motivation) of a practitioner:. Lawyer Milloy. His idea was to use these different motivations as a key to resolving any apparent conflicts between all the Buddha's teachings without depending upon some form of syncretism that would cause as much confusion as it attempted to alleviate. Pete Carroll. Although Buddhists concur that taking refuge should be undertaken with proper motivation (complete liberation) and an understanding of the objects of refuge, the Indian scholar Atisha identified that in practice there are many different motives found for taking refuge. Harry Jacobs. On the other hand, the main goal of Buddhism is to escape from the suffering of cyclic existence. Jim Lee Hunt. This simple misunderstanding has led some Western scholars to conclude that Buddhism is "a religion for sticking one's head in the sand", when most Buddhists would assert quite the opposite. Steve Grogan. It is good to note that in Buddhism, the word "refuge" should often not be taken in the English sense of "hiding" or "escape"; instead, many scholars have said, it ought be thought of as a homecoming, or place of healing, much as a parent's home might be a refuge for someone. Larry Eisenhauer. However, the personal choice for taking ones' life-path in this direction is more important than any external ritual. Bob Dee. In all— forms of Buddhism, refuge in the Three Jewels are taken before the Sangha for the first time, as a part of the conversion ritual. Jim Colclough (1936 - 2004). Many Buddhists take the refuges each day, often more than once in order to remind themselves of what they are doing and to direct their resolve inwardly towards liberation. Gino Cappelletti (born 1934). It contains an element of confidence that enlightenment is in fact a refuge, a supreme resort. Ron Burton (1936-2003). To one who is seeking to become enlightened, taking refuge constitutes a continuing commitment to pursuing enlightenment and following in the footsteps of the people who have followed the path to enlightenment before. Drew Bledsoe. However, the real refuge is on the other side of the river. Houston Antwine (born 1939). Dharma, used in the sense of the Buddha's teachings, provides a raft and is thus a temporary refuge while entering and crossing the river. Julius Adams. In this way, dharma offers a refuge. 89 Bob Dee. While it is impossible to escape one's karma or the effects caused by previous thoughts, words and deeds, it is possible to avoid the suffering that comes from it by becoming enlightened. 79 Jim Lee Hunt. Buddhists seek refuge in what are often referred to as the Three Jewels, Triple Gem or Triple Jewel. These are the Buddha, the Dharma (or Dhamma), and the "noble" (Sanskrit: arya) Sangha or community of monks and nuns who have become enlightened. 78 Bruce Armstrong. In fact the Jain culture, or religion as we may call it, was founded just prior to Buddhism, and both philosophies shared the same area in which they taught a Dharma that admits no "creator" or an omnipotent being. 73 John Hannah. It has also been advanced that the influence of Jain culture and philosophy in ancient Bihar gave rise to Buddhism. 57 Steve Nelson. Therefore, it is believed that the Buddha's father was not a king in the sense of an absolute ruler, but rather an influential tribal figure. However, regardless of the details of his early life, the evidence strongly indicates that the Buddha was indeed a historical person living in approximately the same time and place in which he is traditionally placed. 56 Andre Tippett. The state of Shākya, where he was born, was an oligarchic republic at that time, so there was no royal family of which to speak. 40 Mike Haynes. In other versions of his life-story, the Buddha leaves home in the "prime of his youth", his parents weeping and wailing all the while. 20 Gino Cappelletti. They, together with Buddha, formed the first sangha, the company of Buddhist monks. Lonie Paxton. At the Deer Park near Benares in northern India he set in motion the Wheel of Dharma by delivering his first sermon to the group of five companions with whom he sought for enlightenment before. Adam Vinatieri. With his great compassion, the Buddha agreed to become a teacher. Richard Seymour. A god, Brahma Sahampati, however, interceded, and asked that he teach the Dharma to the world, as "There will be those who will understand the Dharma". Rodney Harrison. He was concerned that, as human beings were overpowered by greed, hatred and delusion, they wouldn't be able to see the true Dharma which was subtle, deep and hard to understand. David Givens. According to one of the stories in the Āyācana Sutta (Samyutta Nikaya VI.1), a scripture found in the Pāli and other canons, immediately after his Enlightenment the Buddha was wondering whether or not he should teach the Dharma. Corey Dillon. His mind became concentrated and pure, and then, six years after he began his quest, he attained Enlightenment, and became a Buddha. Tedy Bruschi. He developed a new way of meditating, which began to bear fruit. Tim Dwight. Taking a little buttermilk from a passing goatherd, he found a large tree (now called the Bodhi tree) and set to meditating. Deion Branch. Then he remembered a moment in childhood in which he had been watching his father start the season's plowing, and he had fallen into a naturally concentrated and focused state in which time seemed to stand still, and which was blissful and refreshing. Josh Miller. After nearly starving himself to death with no success (some sources claim that he nearly drowned), Siddhārtha began to reconsider his path. Bethel Johnson. However, he found no answer to his problem and, leaving behind his teachers, he and a small group of companions set out to take their austerities even further. Asante Samuel. Siddhārtha proved adept at these practices, and was able to surpass his teachers. Randall Gay. It was thought that by enduring pain and suffering, the ātman (Sanskrit; Pāli: atta) or "soul" became free from the cycle of rebirth with its pain and sorrow. Eugene Wilson. Indian holy men (sādhus), in those days just as today, often engaged in a variety of ascetic practices designed to "mortify" the flesh. Ted Johnson. to take up the life of a wandering holy man in search of the answer to the problem of birth, old age, sickness, and death. Mike Vrabel. He decided to abandon his worldly life, leaving behind his wife, child and rank, etc. Willie McGinest. These four sights led him to the realization that birth, old age, sickness and death come to everyone, not only once but repeated for life after life in succession since beginningless time. Vince Wilfork. Nevertheless, at the age of 29, he came across what has become known as the Four Passing Sights: an old crippled man, a sick man, a decaying corpse, and finally a wandering holy man. Chad Brown. The legends say that a seer predicted shortly after his birth, that Siddhartha would become either a great king or a great holy man; because of this, the king tried to make sure that Siddhartha never had any cause for dissatisfaction with his life, as that might drive him toward a spiritual path. Ty Warren. His father was a (Hindu) king, and Siddhārtha lived in luxury, being spared all hardship. Kevin Faulk. His birthplace is said to be Lumbini in the Shākya state, one of a small group of old Hindu oligarchic republics, in what is now Nepal. Daniel Graham. Legend has it that he was born around the 6th century BCE. Christian Fauria. Here is one:. Matt Light. As with any history so old, there are many different stories of how the Buddha to be, Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit; in Pāli, Siddhattha Gotama) made his way to enlightenment. Brandon Gorin. (Buddhas are not omnipotent, like the god of Judaism, Christianity or Islam.) Anyone can free themselves from suffering as Gautama did, regardless of age, gender, or caste. Dan Koppen. A Buddha is anyone who has fully awakened to the true nature of existence, liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth and has achieved omniscience. Patrick Pass. Gautama, who is referred to by Buddhists as Shakyamuni Buddha, did not claim any divine status for himself, nor did he assert that he was inspired by a god or gods. Doug Flutie. (As an analogy, the term "American President" refers not just to one person, but to everyone who has ever held the office of American presidency.) The Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, then, is simply one member in the spiritual lineage of Buddhas, which stretches back into beginningless past and forward into the distant horizons of the future. Tom Brady. The word "Buddha" denotes not just a single religious teacher who lived in a particular epoch, but a type of person, of which there have been infinite ones throughout the course of cosmic time. Mike Haynes. It is derived from the verbal root "budh", meaning "to awaken" or "to be enlightened", and "to comprehend". John Hannah. Buddha is a word in ancient Indian languages including Pāli and Sanskrit which means "one who has awakened". Nick Buoniconti. Like humans, they are regarded as having the power to affect worldly events, and so some Buddhist schools associate with them via ritual. While Buddhism does not deny the existence of supernatural beings (indeed, many are discussed in Buddhist scripture), it does not ascribe power for creation, salvation or judgement to them. Mental training focuses on moral discipline (sila), meditative concentration (samadhi), and wisdom (prajñā). Buddhist morality is underpinned by the principles of harmlessness and moderation. The aim of these practices is to end the suffering of cyclic existence, samsara, by awakening the practitioner to the realization of true reality, the achievement of Nirvana and Buddhahood. Buddhism teaches followers to perform good and wholesome actions, to avoid bad and harmful actions, and to purify and train the mind. Originating in India, Buddhism gradually spread throughout Asia to Central Asia, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Southeast Asia, as well as the East Asian countries of China, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan. Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived between approximately 563 and 483 BCE. Though the Theravādin Abhidhamma is well preserved and widely known, it should be noted that a number of the early Eighteen Schools each had their own distinct Abhidharma collection with virtually no common textual material. The Abhidhamma (Skt: Abhidharma) or commentary Pitaka, containing a philosophical systematization of the Buddha's teaching, including a detailed analysis of Buddhist psychology. The Sutta Pitaka (Pāli; Sanskrit: Sutra Pitaka), containing discourses of the Buddha. The Vināya Pitaka, containing disciplinary rules for the Sangha of Buddhist monks and nuns, as well as a range of other texts which explain why and how rules were instituted, supporting material, and doctrinal clarification. Native Vajrayana is practiced today mainly in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia, Kalmykia, areas of India, and -- among the Shingon (Zhènyān, 真言) and Tendai schools -- in China and Japan. In addition to the Theravada and Mahāyāna scriptures, Vajrayāna Buddhists recognise a large body of texts that include the Buddhist Tantras. Using these techniques, it is claimed that a practitioner can achieve Buddhahood in one lifetime, or even as little as three years. These profound states are in turn to be used as an efficient path to Buddhahood. One component of the Vajrayāna is harnessing psycho-physical energy as a means of developing profoundly powerful states of concentration and awareness. The Vajrayāna or "Diamond Vehicle" (also referred to as Mantrayana, Tantrayana, Tantric or esoteric Buddhism) shares the basic concepts of Mahāyāna, but also includes a vast array of spiritual techniques designed to enhance Buddhist practice. Native Mahāyāna Buddhism is practiced today in China, Japan, Korea, and most of Vietnam. The Pure Land is normally conceived of as a state which is not enlightenment in itself but which is a highly conducive environment for working toward enlightenment, although some sources indicate that it is synonymous with enlightenment. Because of this immense timeframe, some Mahāyāna schools accept the idea of working towards rebirth in a Pure Land. These scriptures were written in some form of Sanskrit, except a few manuscripts in Prakrit, and are concerned with the purpose of achieving Buddhahood by following the path of the bodhisattva over the course of what is often described as countless eons of time. In addition to the Nikaya scriptures, Mahāyāna schools recognize all or part of a genre of scriptures that were first put in writing around 1 CE. The Mahāyāna (literally "Great Vehicle") branch emphasizes universal compassion and the selfless ideal of the bodhisattva, whose goal is to achieve Buddhahood in order to be of greatest benefit to other sentient beings. Native Theravada is practiced today in Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and portions of Vietnam and Malaysia. Nikaya Buddhism and consequently Theravada are sometimes referred to as Hinayana or "lesser vehicle", although this is considered by some to be impolite. Theravada is the only surviving representative of the historical Nikaya branch. The nikaya sutras are generally considered by modern scholars to be the oldest of the surviving types of Buddhist literature, and they are accepted as authentic in every branch of Buddhism. The Theravada school, whose name means "Doctrine of the Elders", bases its practice and doctrine exclusively on the Pali Canon, which is a collection of what are known as agamas or nikaya sutras. The full realization of the absence of an eternal self or soul (the doctrine of anatta (Pāli; Sanskrit: anātman)) breaks this cycle of birth and death (samsara). This being said, action in a past life takes effect in this one, making a chain of existence. Rebirth, which is closely related to the law of karma. An action in this life may not give fruit or reaction until the next life time. Most teachers are, however, quick to point out that though it may be a result of someone's past-life karma that they suffer, this should not be used as an excuse to treat them poorly; indeed, all should help them and help to alleviate their suffering, leading to them working to alleviate their own suffering. Some actions bring instant retribution while the results of other actions may not appear until a future lifetime. These actions are expressed by the way of mind, body or speech. Central to Buddhist doctrine and practice is the law of karma and vipaka; action and its fruition, which happens within the dynamic of dependent origination (pratītya-samutpāda). Actions which result in positive retribution (happiness) are defined as skillful or good, while actions that produce negative results (suffering) are called unskillful or bad actions. Meditation or dhyāna of some form is a common practice in most if not all schools of Buddhism, for the clergy if not the laity. We perceive a self, and act to enhance that self by pursuing pleasure, and seek to prolong pleasure when the self too is a fleeting phenomenon. We desire lasting satisfaction and happiness, but look for it amongst constantly changing phenomena. Dukkha (Pāli; Sanskrit: duḥkha): Because we fail to truly grasp the first two conditions, we suffer. Nothing lasts. Things are constantly coming into being, and ceasing to be. Everything is in constant flux, and so conditions and the thing itself are constantly changing. (Practically) everything is made up of parts, and is dependent on the right conditions for its existence. Anicca (Pāli; Sanskrit: anitya): All compounded phenomena (things and experiences) are inconstant, unsteady, and impermanent. It is finally revealed (in the last of the Buddha's Mahayana sutras, the Nirvana Sutra) not as the circumscribed "non-Self", the clinging ego (which is indeed anatta / anatman), but as the ever-enduring, egoless Great Self or Dharmakaya of the Buddha. It is presented by the Buddha in the relevant sutras as ultimately inexplicable, primordially present Reality itself - the living potency for Buddhahood inside all beings. It does not "exist" in the time-space conditioned and finite mode in which mundane things are bodied forth. The paradox is that as soon as the Buddhist practitioner tries to grasp at this inner Buddha potency and cling to it as though it were his or her ego writ large, it proves elusive. It is the opposite of a personalised, samsaric "I" or "mine". On the other hand, this Buddha-essence or Buddha-nature is also often explained as the potential for achieving Buddhahood, rather than an existing phenomenon one can grasp onto as being me or self. This immaculate Buddhic Self (Atman) is in no way to be construed as a mundane, impermanent, suffering "ego", of which it is the diametrical opposite. the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the Tathagatagarbha Sutra, the Srimala Sutra, amongst others), the Buddha is presented as clarifying this teaching and saying that, while the skandhas (constituents of the ordinary body and mind) are not the Self, there does truly exist an eternal, unchanging, blissful Buddha-essence in all sentient beings, which is the uncreated and deathless Buddha-nature ("Buddha-dhatu") or "True Self" of the Buddha himself. However, in a number of major Mahayana sutras (e.g. He taught that all concepts of a substantial personal self were incorrect, and formed in the realm of ignorance. The Buddha rejected all concepts of ātman, emphasizing not permanence, but changeability. This concept and the related concept of Brahman, the Vedantic monistic ideal, which was regarded as an ultimate ātman for all beings, were indispensable for mainstream Indian metaphysics, logic, and science; for all apparent things there had to be an underlying and persistent reality, akin to a Platonic form. Anatta (Pāli; Sanskrit: anātman): In Indian philosophy, the concept of a self is called ātman (that is, "soul" or metaphysical self), which refers to an unchanging, permanent essence conceived by virtue of existence. To refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness. To refrain from incorrect speech (lying, harsh language, slander, idle chit-chat). To refrain from sexual misconduct. To refrain from taking that which is not freely given (stealing). To refrain from harming living creatures (killing). Right Concentration. Right Mindfulness. Right Effort. Right Livelihood. Right Action. Right Speech. Right Thought. Right Understanding. Marga: There is a path that leads out of suffering, known as the Noble Eightfold Path. Nirodha: There is an end of suffering, which is Nirvana. Samudaya: There is a cause of suffering, which is attachment or desire (tanha) rooted in ignorance. Dukkha: All worldly life is unsatisfactory, disjointed, containing suffering. Highest scope is also sometimes included: to achieve Buddhahood in this life. High scope: to achieve Buddhahood in order to liberate others from suffering. Middle scope: to achieve Nirvana (liberation from rebirth). Low scope: to gain high rebirth and avoid the low realms. Worldly scope: to improve the lot of this life - but this is not a Buddhist motivation. |