History of Buddhism - Essay Sample

Introduction

The History of Buddhism is based on the life of a single man's spiritual pursuit towards Enlightenment, and the ways of living and teachings developed from it. Siddhartha Gautama was a son of an Indian King who in his early adulthood lived an extravagant and a life full of luxury owing to the privileges of the social caste. With time, Gautama got bored with the indulgences of royalty; he was committed to the course of the search for understanding. Consequently, he denounced his princely title and became a monk with the desire to comprehend the truth around the world. His meditation finally bore fruits one day while seating beneath a tree, Bodhi tree, in which he meditated and reflected about life (Harvey 199). Finally, he received enlightenment and became the Buddha, "Enlightened man." This research aims at exploring the history, the practice, and the doctrine of Buddhism as practiced in the world. The topic is of particular interest owing to the fact that this is one of the oldest world religions, whose growth and expansion has been incredible in the recent years. In general, Buddhism is a religion whose focus is on spiritual development, striving from deeper insights towards life's true nature with no worship of deities or gods.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Basic Beliefs/Doctrines of Buddhism

The core beliefs of the religion are based on the teachings transmitted by Buddha, previously transmitted orally by his disciples. The major beliefs are the four noble truths, karma, the wheel of life/rebirth.

The four noble truths. The truths comprise the basis of his teachings despite being less explained. They are suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path that leads to sufferings end. In other words, suffering exists and has a cause which has an ultimate end and that there is a path to its end ("Basics of Buddhism"). While the first truth identifies the cause of suffering, both physical and mental, the second truth seeks to determine its cause. According to Buddhism, ignorance, and desire are thought to be the root of suffering, that is, the desire and craving for material goods, pleasure, and immortality which can never be satisfied. Ignorance, on the other hand, gives birth to anger, hatred, envy, and greed among other vices, which all result from the inability to see the world as it actually is (Harvey 205). The third truth has two dimensions, end of suffering either in the physical or spiritual life. The end of the spiritual suffering is through achieving Nirvana, a state free from suffering and the cycle of birth and rebirth, while physical suffering seizes with the end of this life.

Karma. In Buddhism, karma is used in reference to either good or bad deeds man takes in his lifetime. Good actions either involve positive acts such as generosity or the absence of bad actions which result in happiness while bad actions such as lying results to unhappiness ("Basics of Buddhism"). For these actions, their weight is determined by their either of the following conditions: frequency and repetition, determined and international actions, actions done with no regret, negative actions against extraordinary persons, and against those who have helped you in the past.

The cycle of rebirth. The cycle of rebirth in Buddhism takes place in six separate planes into which anyone can be reborn: three fortunate realm, and three unfortunate realms. Positive actions result in reborn into the fortunate reams: the realm of gods, demigods, and the reality of men. The realm of men is taken to be the highest realm of rebirth (Harvey 215). The three unfortunate realms, for people with negative karma, are the realm of ghosts, animals, and hell. These people greatly suffer unlike those reborn in the realm of man, where achieving Nirvana is possible.

Buddhist Rituals and Practices

Different rituals and practices in Buddhism are intended to assist in one's journey to enlightenment and to yield blessings.

Meditation. Buddhist meditation is a form of mental concentration that is the ultimate path towards spiritual freedom and enlightenment. In religion, it can either vipassana (insight) or samatha (tranquility) meditation ("Basics of Buddhism"). While samatha aims to train the mind to concentrate and still the mind, vipassana aims at realizing important truths such as suffering.

Pilgrimage. These are travels set by Buddhists to specific locations key in Buddha's life ("Rituals in Buddhism : Insight Meditation Center"). The purposes of pilgrimage are to enhance spiritual discipline, fulfill vows, and express feelings of devotion by the believers and further create a connection with historical figures.

The exchange of gifts. Gifts are often given to monks by Buddhist laypersons, especially in Theravada tradition ("Rituals in Buddhism : Insight Meditation Center"). Nevertheless, the attribute of giving is also encouraged among the members. It is useful as it wins merit to the lay people.

Worship. Worship in Buddhism can either be conducted at home or in temples. At home, a room is often set aside as a shrine and s Buddha's statue is mounted, incense burners, and candles. Worship in Temples is often for public rituals, and are built to symbolize five elements; Fire, air, earth, water, and wisdom ("Buddhist Worship"). However, all temples must contain the statute of Buddha.

Sacred Texts

The sacred texts in Buddhism consist of Sutras: the teachings and words of Buddha. Apart from the Sutras, there a number of noncanonical texts for supplementary rules of conduct, teachings, and explanations on the transitional states after death. In Theravada Buddhism, Buddha's teachings are contained in the Pali Canon in three groups of writing, known as the Tipitaka (Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs at Georgetown University). The Vinaya Pitaka, or the discipline basket, contains nun's and monk's precepts; the Sutta Pitaka, or the teaching basket, has Buddha's discourses; and the Abhidhamma Pitaka, or the metaphysical basket, is the source of the religion's theology (Harvey 200). Other traditions, such as the Mahayana, have texts such as the Book of the Dead, which gives details on the stages of death.

Becoming a Monk and Buddhism Appeal to Young Adults

Although monasticism is a central feature of Buddhism, not all traditions observe it. In general, there are two levels of ordination; the samanera, and the bhikkhu. In samanera, one becomes a novice monk before being fully fledged as a monk, or just acquires it for a short time to gain religious merit. Becoming a monk starts with the first noble truth, dissatisfaction, which compels one to seek for an alternative. The rigorous training, which includes learning of the rules and observation to a greater extent, takes place in monasteries, where monks live in through the training. This process takes years before one becomes a monk. Notably, becoming a novice monk is taken as a rite of passage for many young people, as they seek to deeply understand religion and gain spiritual merit.

Buddhism on the Death Penalty

Notably, Buddhism exists in many forms and in many traditions, and hence there is no unified policy or stand in relation to capital punishment. The doctrine of the death penalty is largely inconsistent in Buddhism, as the religion largely put emphasis on compassion for life and nonviolence ("Capital Punishment"). The religion generally advocates for reformative approaches towards wrongdoers at the expense of punitive measures.

Buddhism and Hinduism

Both religions, Buddhism and Hinduism, are largely practiced in Asia and are thought to originate both in India. Although they differ greatly in terms of doctrine, there exist a number of similarities between them. First, while sacred texts exist in Buddhism, Sutras, no sacred books are found in Hinduism. In terms of foundation, while Buddhism was started by a single person, Hinduism has no single founder. Further, while Hinduism main features include priests, formal rituals and the caste system, Buddhism rejects these practices. The main teaching in Buddhism is that the ideal way to seek enlightenment is only through meditation. However, a similarity exists in relation to believe in karma, reincarnation, and meditation, although meditation serves different purposes in Hinduism.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Buddhism religion's focus is on spiritual development, striving from deeper insights towards life's true nature with no worship of deities or gods. Among the world religions, Buddhism claims a significant percentage, with its main stronghold being in Asia. Started by Buddha, whose name translates to "Enlightened man," the religion has spread to many regions. Notably, although the religion is similar to Hinduism in relation to elements such as karma and reincarnation, it differs, especially in the means of attaining enlightenment.

Works Cited

"Basics of Buddhism." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm. Accessed 11 Apr. 2019.

Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs at Georgetown University. "Buddhist Scriptures." Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/essays/buddhist-scriptures. Accessed 11 Apr. 2019.

"Buddhist Worship." BBC - Home, 10 Apr. 2006, www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/customs/worship_1.shtml.

"Capital Punishment." BBC - Home, 23 Nov. 2009, www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/buddhistethics/capitalpunishment.shtml. Accessed 11 Apr. 2019.

Harvey, Peter. "The Later History and Spread of Buddhism." An Introduction to Buddhism, pp. 194-236.

"Rituals in Buddhism : Insight Meditation Center." Insight Meditation Center, www.insightmeditationcenter.org/books-articles/articles/rituals-in-buddhism/. Accessed 11 Apr. 2019.