We saw no Buddhist temples or stupas or gompas on this trip, but know that Buddhism is here, particularly popular in the north of India, bordering Nepal and Bhutan. There are barely 1% of the population of Buddhists in India, but Bodhgaya, the place where the Buddha achieved true enlightenment, is located in the northern state of Bihar, and attracts pilgrims from all over the world. Tibetan refugees have also added to the numbers of adherents.
There are two predominant strains of Buddhism: Theravada (Doctrine of the Elders) and Mahayana (the Great Vehicle - no Martin this does not mean a Tata truck). Enlightenment is the goal of the former, to liberate oneself from the burden of being born and dying. Meditation is a key element. Proponents of the latter feel that deliberately remaining active in that cycle of birth and death in order to help others will attain a state of true awakening.
Buddha lived in the 5th century BC, originally a prince who decided that the world of suffering was too great to participate in and so sought spiritual liberation. He was very critical of the caste system and also of what he felt was unthinking worship of the gods. His four Noble Truths were: life is rooted in suffering, suffering is caused by craving, to eliminate suffering one had to eliminate craving, and to eliminate craving one had to follow a specific path of 8 noble elements: right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right awareness and right concentration.
The spiritual leader of Buddhism is the Dalai Lama. The current Dalai Lama (the 14th) has been exiled from Tibet by the Chinese government and lives in India.
There are two predominant strains of Buddhism: Theravada (Doctrine of the Elders) and Mahayana (the Great Vehicle - no Martin this does not mean a Tata truck). Enlightenment is the goal of the former, to liberate oneself from the burden of being born and dying. Meditation is a key element. Proponents of the latter feel that deliberately remaining active in that cycle of birth and death in order to help others will attain a state of true awakening.
Buddha lived in the 5th century BC, originally a prince who decided that the world of suffering was too great to participate in and so sought spiritual liberation. He was very critical of the caste system and also of what he felt was unthinking worship of the gods. His four Noble Truths were: life is rooted in suffering, suffering is caused by craving, to eliminate suffering one had to eliminate craving, and to eliminate craving one had to follow a specific path of 8 noble elements: right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right awareness and right concentration.
The spiritual leader of Buddhism is the Dalai Lama. The current Dalai Lama (the 14th) has been exiled from Tibet by the Chinese government and lives in India.
No comments:
Post a Comment