Buddhism

Writer : Mashrura Marzan (Mashrura Marzan she is student of Independent University, Chittagong Campus)

Buddhism is one of the world's oldest religions. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices considered by most to be a religion and is based on the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, Commonly known as ''The Buddha'' (the Awakened One), who lived in the northeastern region of the Indian subcontinent. He likely died around 400BCE.



Life of Buddha :

The name of the founder of Buddhism was Sidhartha Gautama, with Buddha being am honorific title given to him after he attained Samma-Sambodhi (perfect enlightenment) Born about 563BC, the son of King Suddhodana, ruler of Kapilavastu, a principality on

the border of modern Nepal. Siddhartha renounced the splendour and comfort of princely life in his 29th year in order to discover the origin of suffering and the means of extirpating it. At the age of 35 , under the bodhi tree on the banks of the Niranjana at Gaya, he seemed to have succeeded in his quest for perfect wisdom and deliverance and henceforth was called the Buddha, the "Awakened" or "Enlightened" one.

Buddhist concept:

The Buddha was neither a god nor a prophet. While he was a prince, he was still an ordinary man, awakened to the highest truth by his own efforts. He did not claim to be a savior. Instead, he exhorted his follower of depend upon themselves and work out their own salvation. According to him, 'You yourself must make the effort; Buddha's only point the way.

Buddha taught revolves around the problem of suffering. The truths the discovered and propound concerning this most practical and vital question of life are traditionally known as the Four Noble Truths:

1) Suffering  (Dukkha)
2) The Arising of Suffering (Dukkha-Samudaya);
3) The Extinction of Suffering (Duddha-Nirodha) and
4) The Way to the Extinction of Suffering ( Duddha-nirodha-Gamani-Patipada).

Buddhism , however, does not advocate an attitude of hopelessness toward life and should not to be labelled pessimistic. The Buddha perceived the universality of sorrow realistically and suggested that the way to end this universal sickness of human life was by attaining Nirvana, the extinction of craving that causes suffering. This state is to be realzed by developing the Fourth Noble Truth known as the Eight-fold Path (Astangika-Marga) which consists of

Right Understanding (Sammaditthi);
Right Resolve (Samma Sangkppa);
Right Speech (Samma Vacha);
Right Action (Samma Kammanta);
Right Livelihood (Samma Ajiva);
Right Effort (Samma Vayama);
Right Mandfulness (Samma Sati; and
Right Concentration (Aamma Samdhi).

The eight steps are grouped under three headings ; the first two are caller wisdom (Prajna)' the next three morality (shida) and the last htree are known as meditation (samadhi) which must be harmoniously cultivated in order to attain Nrvana. The buddha was concerned with the familiar and everyday world, not an after-life. Nirvana is to be realized in this world and not in some transcendental realm.

Furthermore, the Buddha explained the cause and origin of suffering not bt positting a creator or first cause. But by his Doctrine of Dependent Origination (patichchasamutpada), according to which, everything in the world is related to, contingent upon and conditioned by something else'.

On this doctrine are based the three other theories taught by the Buddha: namely, the theory of impermanence (anitta), the theory of no soul (anitta) and the theory of karma. Buddhaism teaches that all things flow ceaselessly, everything is subject to change and decay and so there is no abiding substance called the soul. The theory of karma is a principle of universal causality, stating that one has to reap the consequences  of one's actions, so that the suffering of human beings is of their own making and it is only they who can eradicate it, if they choose, by their own efforts and actions.

The teachings of the Buddha have been handed down in Pali and have been preserved in three voluminous collections of books known as the "Tripitaka". The word "Tripitaka" means Triple Baskets or three parts. These are:

*) The Basket of Discipline (Vinayapitaka) dealing with the rules of the monastic order;
*) The Basket of Discourses (Suttapitaka) containing the Buddha"s numerous discourses, dialogues, sermons, verses etc.; including his doctrine as summarized in the Four Noble Truths;

*) The Basket of Ultimate Doctrine ( Abhidhammapitaka) comtaining texts that enumerate and explain the teachings of the Suttapitaka in systematic and philosophical form.

The Tripitaka is the sacred literature of the Theravada od Hinayana sect. Mhayana literatur includes the Mahayana Sutras, also caller Vaipulya Sutras, which are traditionally believed to have been proclaimed by the Buddha. Perhaps the most famous and the most representative as well as the most ancient Mahayana literature is constituted by Prajnaparamita Sutras, containing the Buddha's discourses on the perfection of wisdom (Prajna).

Preaching of Buddhism:
After the Buddha passed away (parinirvana), controversies arose amongst his followers with regard to the exact interpretation of his teachings. Although such disputes were resolved in the firs Council of about five hundred leading monks held at Rajagriha, renewd controversy about a century after he Buddha's death, resulted in a schism within the Sangha in the second Council held Vaishali. The elder members of the Sangha, who preserved and upheld the orthodox and ancient doctrines of their teacher, were called Theravadins, and the dissenters, who held separate and unorthodox vies, came to be known as Mahasanghikas. This division of the Buddhist Sangha into two factions is said to have eventually given rise to as many as eighteen buddhist sects.

Historically, however, the most important divisions  of Buddhism are Hinayana and Mahayana. The followers of Mahayana, literally, 'treat vehicle', claim that their religion as taught by the. . . . .



TO BE CONTINIUE. . . . . .