Specifics of Buddhism. Characteristic features of Buddhism as a world religion. Some of the famous teachers

The most important tenet of Buddhism is the idea of identity between being and suffering. Buddhism did not refute the doctrine of transmigration of souls developed by Brahmanism, i.e. the belief that after death any living being is reborn again in the form of a new living being (human, animal, deity, spirit, etc.).

However, Buddhism introduced significant changes to the teachings of Brahmanism. If the Brahmans argued that through rituals, sacrifices and spells that were different for each class (“varna”), one could...

The Western Buddhist community is growing. Did Tibetan Buddhist teachers have to make any changes in order to teach to Western students?

Beginning in the 1960s and early 70s, lamas in Asia (India, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan) began holding public teachings, which were initially intended for the Tibetan community, but the participation of students from the West was always welcomed.

Except when it comes to high level tantric teachings. But even in this case, if the representative...

There is a lot of controversy about Buddhism in the world. This is a very interesting religion. My opinion is that the main essence of Buddhism is endless peace, spiritual tranquility and tranquility.

The Middle Path of the Buddha: “Four Great Truths” and the Path of the Eight Stages

The path to enlightenment that Gautama offered people is called the middle path, that is, in order to achieve the state of nirvana, a person, on the one hand, should not torture himself with strict asceticism, as prescribed by the religious system of Jainism, and on the other hand... .

Buddhism is the first of the world religions, which arose in the 6th century. BC e. He went on to win millions of followers in different countries world and especially Asia.

The emergence of Buddhism is associated with the name of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha).

He was born around 560 BC. e. His birthplace is considered to be northeast India near the Nepal border. Prince Gautama was the son of the head of the Shakya tribe. At the age of 29, he gave up his carefree, luxurious life, left home, left his wife and son and went wandering...

Orthodoxy is one of the main branches of Christianity, widespread among many peoples of the world, especially in almost all countries of Eastern Europe, as well as in the Balkans.

The basis of Orthodox dogma is the Niko-Tsarygrad Creed.

In 12 paragraphs of this symbol, certain ideas about God as a creator, his relationship to man and the world were formulated. This also includes views on the trinity of God, atonement, incarnation, baptism, resurrection from the dead...

Buddhism is the oldest world religion, dating back to the teachings of the Indian ascetic Shakyamuni, nicknamed Buddha (“enlightened”, “awakened”). Buddhists themselves date their religion from the death of the Buddha, but among them there is no complete agreement regarding the dating of the time of his life (according to the tradition of the Theravada school.

Buddha lived from 624 to 544 BC; according to the scientific version, taking into account the Greek evidence about the date of Ashoka's coronation, from 566 to 486 BC; according to the latest...

Buddhism is the name given to a religious movement whose origins lie in the life and teachings of the great Buddha. But more strictly speaking, Buddhism means the unchanging teaching or Dharma that lies behind everything that is transitory.

At the center of Buddhism is the teaching of the “4 Noble Truths”: there is suffering, its cause, the state of liberation and the path to it.

Suffering and liberation are subjective states and at the same time a certain cosmic reality: suffering a state of anxiety, tension...

Buddhism became widespread in most of Europe. countries; buddha organizations, centers or small groups are practically available. in all Western countries. Europe, as well as in the department. Eastern countries Europe. In almost all Western Europe. countries there are branches of the international buddhas.

Organizations “International Soka Gakkai”. The oldest in Europe are Buddhas. organizations in Germany (since 1903), Great Britain (since 1907), France (since 1929). In 1906 in Leipzig, the German Buddhist Mission Society held a Buddhist Congress, in...

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Plan

Introduction

Main features of the geography of religion

The emergence of Buddhism

Buddha's Teachings

Buddhist pantheon

Distribution and some features of modern Buddhism

1. Introduction

The word “religion” appears very often in everyday speech, in scientific texts, in journalism, fiction. This is a set of views on the world, which are most often based on belief in God.

Human thought has long sought to understand the phenomenon of religion, its nature, meaning, and essence.

IN different periods history, humanity has sought to express its attitude towards religion and religious beliefs. Today it is important to recognize that religion occupies an important place in the history of the peoples of the world and it is not just belief or disbelief in gods. Religion permeates the lives of peoples of all continents. A person is born and dies with religious rituals. Ethics, morality, morality in most countries were of a religious nature. Many cultural achievements are associated with religion: icon painting, architecture, sculpture, painting, etc. Religion is also politics. The crusaders carried out their conquests in the name of God. The struggle between various religious groups has more than once led to bloody wars in the countries of the East.

In order for religion to bring benefit to humanity, for understanding many processes and phenomena in modern world it needs to be studied. Each religion is unique and interesting in its own way. But there are three world religions. These are Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. This essay aims to show the reasons for the emergence and features of Buddhism, to find out the main features of the Buddha’s teachings, to get acquainted with the Buddhist pantheon, holidays, Buddhist rituals and modern Buddhism in various regions.

2.Aboutmain features of the geography of religion

The role of religion in society and in everyday life today different nations stay very big. This also applies to the economically developed countries of the West, where the church, especially the Catholic one, acts as a major banker, landowner, and influences politics, education, school education, and many other areas of life. This also applies to former socialist countries, in which a “religious boom” began after the collapse of the socialist system. Equally, if not more, is the influence of religion in developing countries, where the general cultural and educational level is usually lower. That is why familiarity with the religious composition of the population is necessary for understanding many processes and phenomena of our time.

The Encyclopedia Britannica for 1998 provides the following data on the religious composition of the population of various countries:

	Number of believers (million people)	Main areas and countries of distribution
Christianity, including Catholicism		Countries of Europe, North and Latin America, Asia (Philippines)
Protestantism		Countries of Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa (South Africa and former British Colonies)
Orthodoxy		Countries of Eastern Europe (Russia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine, Belarus, etc.)
		European countries (Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia), Asian countries, North Africa
Buddhism and Lamaism		China, Mongolia, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia (Buryatia, Tuva)
		India, Nepal, Sri Lanka
Confucianism
Shintoism
Local traditional religions		African countries, South America, Oceania, China, Indonesia
(source:	British	Encyclopedia)

From the table data it follows that in overseas Europe Christianity is widespread almost exclusively in all three of its forms. Catholicism is most widely represented in the southern, partly western and eastern parts, Protestantism - in the northern, central and western parts, Orthodoxy - in the east and southeast. In the CIS countries, Christianity (Orthodoxy and Catholicism) and Islam are most widespread. foreign Asia All world and major national religions are widespread. This Islam is predominantly Sunni and only in Iran (partly in Iraq and Yemen) is Shiite. One of the largest Muslim countries (in terms of the number of believers - about 150 million) is Indonesia. In foreign Asia, the following are widespread: Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Judaism, as well as Christianity, which became widespread only in the Philippines, Lebanon (along with Islam) and Cyprus.

In North Africa, in some countries south of the Sahara, in Somalia and parts of Ethiopia, Sunni Islam predominates. In South Africa, among the white population, Protestantism predominates, in Ethiopia - Christianity. In all other countries, both Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism) and traditional local beliefs are represented.

IN North America Christianity dominates in its two forms. For example, in the USA, out of 140 million believers, 72 million are Protestants and 52 million are Catholics. There are more Catholics in Canada than Protestants. IN Latin America Catholicism predominates, so America accounts for more than half of all Catholics in the world.

In Australia, Protestants predominate among believers, who are approximately twice as numerous as Catholics.

IN Lately V international relations, politics, economics, ideology, culture, countries of the Muslim world are beginning to play an increasingly important role

3. The emergence of Buddhism

Buddhism arose and began its existence two and a half thousand years ago, around the 1st century BC, and is associated with the name of the legendary Buddha. Obviously, he was a historical figure, although the facts of his biography, set out in canonical works, seemed to have disappeared into a colossal number of legendary messages, the main events of his life can be identified quite often.

As Buddhist chronicles testify, Buddha's mother, Maya Devi, came from the Kshatriya caste and was married to King Suddodana. One day she had a dream, as if a white elephant, wandering along a golden mountain, approached her and, as it seemed to her, entered her. The next day the Brahmins were called to try to unravel its meaning. They announced that Maya had conceived and would give birth to either the ruler of the entire world or the Buddha. The meaning of the word "Buddha" from Sanskrit and Pali can be translated as "one who has been awakened" and in a religious context "one who has been enlightened."

When the time came to give birth, Maya went to her parents in Devahada. Nearby was the picturesque town of Lumbini. While walking nearby in a shady grove, Maya felt labor pains. She clung to a tree branch and, standing, gave birth to a boy, who immediately rose to his feet and, taking seven steps, exclaimed: “I will be the first among all!” "" The baby was named Siddhartha. Full name Siddhartha Guatama. Guatama is a family name, and he came from the Shakya tribe, who lived in Northern India on the southern border of modern Nepal. Hence one of his nicknames - Shakya-Muni - the hermit of the Shakyas. During the naming ceremony, King Suddhodana asked the Brahmins to determine whether his son would be the monarch of the entire world or whether he would become the Buddha. Seven of them could not answer this question, and only one Kondanna confirmed that the boy would become a Buddha. Then Siddhartha’s childhood and youth began to flow, about which the most contradictory information is found in chronicle sources. In his adolescence, the chronicles note, Siddhartha had no equal in strength, archery accuracy, or mastery of the fine arts. At the age of 16 or 17, at the insistence of his father, he married his cousin Yasadhara. According to some sources, he had not one wife, but several. Well-born, rich, strong, he did not experience any material difficulties, deprivations, or shocks. Buddhist texts talk about four significant encounters that led to his decision to leave home and become a wandering monk. Thus, one day he met a decrepit old man and realized that old age was inevitable. Another time he came across a pathetic, weak person. A sick man. The chariot driver Chandana then explained to the prince that illness is the lot of all people. The third episode that impressed Siddhartha was the meeting of the funeral procession. And the future Buddha realized that sooner or later, people die. Finally, he one day saw a monk with a staff who abandoned worldly life, wandered and begged for alms. At the age of 29, Siddhartha leaves his home, family, wives, shaved his head bald and went on a journey on a horse, accompanied by only a few servants. He abandoned all temptations, began a long fast, lost weight, but did not achieve insight. After long wanderings, Siddhartha reached the Bodh tree. Lying under it with his legs crossed, he plunged into meditation. A certain Mara, the embodiment of evil, tried to prevent insight. He attacked him with force, but in vain. Then he sent his three daughters - Desire, Pleasure and Lust, but they could not seduce the future Buddha. And then insight descended on Siddhartha. He saw the origins of the existence of everything, the cause of birth and death, learned the path to liberation from all earthly hardships and suffering and became a Buddha.

4.Teachings of Buddha

The Buddha's teachings are set out in early texts called the Tipitaka in Pali, which translates to the Triple Basket. The texts were written on palm leaves and filled three baskets, hence the name.

The Buddha's teachings are based on four truths.

First: life is full suffering . Everything that exists is permeated with suffering, and this suffering is invariably connected with the very fact of existence, because not a single blessed person, not a single Brahman, nor the gods, can make sure that that which is subject to old age does not grow old, so that that which is subject to illness does not get sick so that what is subject to death does not die. Suffering and being are synonymous.

Second: the cause of suffering is unfulfilled desires.

Third: To avoid suffering, you need to suppress your desires.

Fourth: This can be achieved by following a path of eight steps. This is the "eight-fold path": righteous faith in the Buddha, his teaching and community; righteous determination; righteous words and righteous deeds; righteous lifestyle and righteous aspirations; righteous thoughts; righteous contemplation (meditation and yoga).

Following this path, a person achieves enlightenment, becomes an arhat - a saint and plunges into nirvana - non-existence (literally - “destruction”, “attenuation”), when the chain of rebirths (sansar a) ceases and death is already does not lead to a new birth, but liberates from everything - from all desires, and with it from suffering, from a return to any form of individual existence.

Buddhists explained the essence of rebirth in this way - death ceases the existence of an individual, but the deeds performed by him affect new existences.

Gradually two sects emerged in Buddhism; Mahayana (“Great Vehicle”) and Hinayana (“Small Vehicle”). The main tenets of the Mahayana sect are compassion for loved ones and the desire for self-improvement. The path to nirvana, according to the beliefs of the Mahayana sect, lies through an endless series of reincarnations. The Hinayana sect shows no interest in the future and the past; she considers the whole world, both earthly and heavenly, in the present tense. The ideal of this sect is to transform a person into a Buddha. The Hinayana sect does not recognize reincarnation: life is eternal, there is no death, that is, there is no future, no past, and the present is endless. In the early history of Buddhism, it was believed that only a monk was capable of achieving final “liberation.” Buddhists created communities - sanghi. Entry into the sangha was accompanied by the ritual of “leaving the world.” The future monk shaved his head, put on a cape made of rags and chose a mentor. He became a full member upon reaching 20 years of age. Before this, during the probationary period, he studied the basics of doctrine and the rules of the community.

Monks could not have property. Their attire was extremely simple. Each monk had three pieces of clothing: an undergarment, an outer robe, and a cassock. Its color is yellow in the south of the country, reddish in the north. Then he has a razor, a needle, a belt, a sieve so as not to swallow some insect with the water, in most cases toothpicks, a rosary, always a begging bowl. They were not supposed to earn food by labor, but were supposed to live only by alms. When collecting alms, he did not dare accept money, but he also should not beg for food, but only wait silently. All energy had to be directed towards internal self-improvement.

Initially, the sangha did not have a clear organizational structure. Formally, it consisted of four meetings: monks who had retired from the world, nuns, laymen - followers of Buddhist doctrine, and laywomen.

During the dry season, members of the community wandered around the country, and during the rainy season (July - September) they usually gathered together in caves or suburban groves around a particularly revered preacher.

Leaving the sangha was not accompanied by punishment for apostasy. But if a monk violated the main disciplinary rules, engaged in theft, or was involved in murder, he was severely punished and could be expelled from the community forever. Gradually, a permanent composition of monks was formed in the “places of rest,” and then monasteries arose, which in the 1st century BC had already developed regulations and organization. He who entered the monastery renounced everything that connected him with the world - family, caste, property, and took five vows - do not kill, do not steal, do not get drunk, do not lie, do not commit adultery. At any moment the monk could return to peaceful life. Those who decided to devote their entire lives to religion underwent a rite of passage and took additional five vows - not to sing, not to dance, not to sleep on comfortable beds, not to eat at inappropriate times, not to eat things with a strong smell and brightly colored, and not to engage in money-grubbing.

5. Buddhist pantheon

Initially, Buddhism did not have any service to the gods. But over time, a Buddhist pantheon emerged from many deities - Buddhas and bodisattvas. The main ones are: the Buddha of the past, the Buddha of the present and the Buddha of the future. In addition to the main Buddhas, “secondary” ones were also revered: the Buddha of repentance, the Buddha of healing, the Buddha of desires, the Buddha of contemplation and many others. In the pantheon of Buddhism there are more than a thousand Buddhas who are supposed to appear to the world in the future. The most important companions of the Buddhas were considered bodisattvas - supernatural beings, celestial beings engaged in earthly affairs and doing good to people. They brought people closer to Buddha. Although these deities achieved the high perfection of holiness, they did not plunge into blissful nirvana. With the advent of bodhisattvas in Buddhism, a pantheon of saints began to develop to whom one can pray, asking for their help and intercession. Along with the great Buddha (Shakyamuni), many other Buddhas appeared, they acquired a name, were personified, objects of veneration and cult appeared. In many countries of the East, rock-cut figures of Buddhas and Bodisattvas, images of various scenes from their lives have survived to this day. Then ideas about heaven and hell, previously unknown to Buddhism, appeared, and a cosmogony was developed, depicting many heavens on which the divine pantheon was located. Buddha himself turned from a teacher of wisdom into a savior god. Following the example of other sects, Buddhism created holidays, days of pilgrimage to holy places - to the site of the Buddha’s homeland, his first sermon, and his death. The remains of the teacher also became an object of veneration. A chapel was erected over them, as well as over the remains of other saints of the Buddhist church. With its further development, Buddhism adopted all the elements of ordinary cult - prayers, images, temples, priests. Buddhism borrowed some holidays from the customs of other sects, such as the celebration of a day of rest four times a month, something like the Sabbath. Buddhists had holidays that were common to Hindus: at the beginning of the seasons, and also annually, the main moments in the life of the teacher were remembered. It is assumed that the Buddha designated as the four sacred places of pilgrimage those cities where he was born, where he achieved supreme enlightenment, where he first preached, and where he entered nirvana. These are the cities of Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar. He allegedly distributed the relics to be venerated: bodily remains, objects that the saint venerated, and what was erected in honor of the saint. Special chapels containing some of the remains of the Buddha or the remains of other saints were called stupas and were built in large numbers in Buddhist countries. In general, Buddhism is a pessimistic religion in its assessment of the world, its meaning and reality. In sociological terms, Buddhism did not attach any importance to the forms of community, social organization and associations emerging in this world. Buddha rejected the caste system. For the Buddha and his followers, there were no boundaries between people established by caste. All castes were given access to Buddhist communities and thus the path to salvation was opened. In Buddhism there is no aspiration for missionary preaching, when it is believed that a person should be saved today, before it is too late, before he loses his life. According to Buddhism, man gradually and slowly matures into knowledge and thereby enlightenment and salvation. In Buddhism great importance has the commandment of mercy. You cannot kill any living creature. We must be equally kind to both the good and the evil. You cannot pay evil for evil, for this only multiplies evil and suffering. Non-resistance to evil is an absolute rule that knows no exceptions. The teachings of the Buddha himself are often characterized as “atheistic,” meaning the following. According to this teaching, a person should rely not on the gods, but on himself. The main thing in Buddhism is the ethical teaching of personal salvation of a person without the help of supernatural forces.

6. Spread of Buddhism

The spread of Buddhism went hand in hand with the influence of Indian culture and the expansion of Indian trade. From India, Buddhism spread to Ceylon. From there, Buddhist preachers brought this teaching to Burma and Siam, to the islands of Indonesia. In Indonesia, Buddhism, together with Brahmanism, lasted until the 14th century, when it was supplanted by Islam. Traces of Buddhism today remain only on the island of Bali. In the 2nd century, Buddhism entered China and became widespread. It existed in China for about two thousand years, having a huge impact on Chinese culture. It did not become the dominant religion here for a number of reasons, but took a strong place in religious life, in which Confucianism played a major role.

In China in the 9th century, Chan Buddhism arose, today more often called Zen Buddhism. Zen instilled in Buddhism Chinese sobriety and rationalism: not trying to achieve nirvana or become a Buddha, but to see and understand the Truth that is around you - in the beauty of nature, in the joy of work, and so on. This teaching had a huge influence on the development of not only Chinese, but also Japanese culture, as well as the cultures of a number of other countries in the East, and in the 20th century - also in the West. From China, Buddhism penetrated to Korea in the 4th century, and from there to Japan in the 6th century V. In Japan, Buddhism competed and interacted with the local religion - Shintoism, in Korea with local cults and Confucianism. In Nepal, bordering India, Buddhism spread under Ashoka, and later took the form of Tibetan Buddhism. Buddhists now make up less than 10 percent of the population in Nepal. The main country where the teachings of Buddha blossomed most magnificently was Tibet. It was brought here in the 7th century. AD And for a long time remained the religion of court circles. From the 9th century Buddhism began to spread among the people. In the XI-XII centuries. Tibet became covered with a network of Buddhist monasteries, where many monks lived - in Tibetan lam(hence the common name for Tibetan-Mongolian Buddhism - lamaism). Religious books are translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan. The Mongol conquerors supported Buddhism here. But they tried in every possible way to split the country, supporting some monks and persecuting others. The secular power in Tibet belonged to the Chinese emperors, and the spiritual power Panchen Lama And Dalai Lama. The first was considered higher in rank, as he was considered a reincarnation of the Buddha, and the second was considered a reincarnation of a bodhisattva. After the Chinese Revolution in 1951, Tibet became part of China and the Chinese people's government adopted the religious traditions of Tibet. From Tibet Buddhism to Mongolia in the 16th century, and from early XVII V. began to spread among Kalmyks, Buryats, and Tuvans. The tsarist government, after some hesitation, legalized the Buddhist Church in Transbaikalia. To weaken her connection with Mongolia and Tibet, Catherine II even created the position of the Supreme Lama. Since 1809, the large Gusinoozersky datsan has become its seat and center of administration of the Buddhist church in Russia. In 1853, a special “Regulation on the Lamai clergy in Russia” was published.

For all northern Buddhism, Tibet is the metropolis, the cherished country. Lhasa is a sacred city where Buddhist pilgrims flock from everywhere. The majority of the population of this city are monks. The Tibetan language is considered sacred by all northern Buddhists, and extensive religious literature is written in it.

Currently, Buddhism plays the most prominent socio-political and cultural role in the countries of the Indochina Peninsula. In Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand, Buddhism acts as the state religion.

In Japan, Buddhism, divided into many sects, is so intertwined with purely national Shintoism that today it is difficult to say which sect is based on Shinto and which on Buddhist doctrine. Mostly they coexist peacefully.

The general assessment of the historical role of Buddhism is beyond doubt. Buddhist teachings gave the suffering person some kind of consolation, although often illusory. Penetrating into backward countries - Tibet, Mongolia, Buryatia - Buddhism carried with it elements of culture and education, primarily writing, scraps of knowledge brought from India. However, education and culture were not available to many. They were mainly used by the lama aristocracy.

Send your good work in the knowledge base is simple. Use the form below

Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.

Plan

Introduction

Main features of the geography of religion

The emergence of Buddhism

Buddha's Teachings

Buddhist pantheon

Distribution and some features of modern Buddhism

1. Introduction

The word “religion” is found very often in everyday speech, in scientific texts, in journalism, and fiction. This is a set of views on the world, which are most often based on belief in God.

Human thought has long sought to understand the phenomenon of religion, its nature, meaning, and essence.

At different periods of history, humanity has sought to express its attitude towards religion and religious beliefs. Today it is important to recognize that religion occupies an important place in the history of the peoples of the world and it is not just belief or disbelief in gods. Religion permeates the lives of peoples of all continents. A person is born and dies with religious rituals. Ethics, morality, morality in most countries were of a religious nature. Many cultural achievements are associated with religion: icon painting, architecture, sculpture, painting, etc. Religion is also politics. The crusaders carried out their conquests in the name of God. The struggle between various religious groups has more than once led to bloody wars in the countries of the East.

In order for religion to bring benefit to humanity, it must be studied to understand many processes and phenomena in the modern world. Each religion is unique and interesting in its own way. But there are three world religions. These are Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. This essay aims to show the reasons for the emergence and features of Buddhism, to find out the main features of the Buddha’s teachings, to get acquainted with the Buddhist pantheon, holidays, Buddhist rituals and modern Buddhism in various regions.

2.Aboutmain features of the geography of religion

The role of religion in society and in everyday life among different peoples today remains very large. This also applies to the economically developed countries of the West, where the church, especially the Catholic one, acts as a major banker, landowner, and influences politics, education, school education, and many other areas of life. This also applies to former socialist countries, in which a “religious boom” began after the collapse of the socialist system. Equally, if not more, is the influence of religion in developing countries, where the general cultural and educational level is usually lower. That is why familiarity with the religious composition of the population is necessary for understanding many processes and phenomena of our time.

The Encyclopedia Britannica for 1998 provides the following data on the religious composition of the population of various countries:

	Number of believers (million people)	Main areas and countries of distribution
Christianity, including Catholicism		Countries of Europe, North and Latin America, Asia (Philippines)
Protestantism		Countries of Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa (South Africa and former British Colonies)
Orthodoxy		Countries of Eastern Europe (Russia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine, Belarus, etc.)
		European countries (Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia), Asian countries, North Africa
Buddhism and Lamaism		China, Mongolia, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia (Buryatia, Tuva)
		India, Nepal, Sri Lanka
Confucianism
Shintoism
Local traditional religions		Countries of Africa, South America, Oceania, China, Indonesia
(source:	British	Encyclopedia)

From the data in the table it follows that in foreign Europe Christianity is widespread almost exclusively in all three of its forms. Catholicism is most widely represented in the southern, partly western and eastern parts, Protestantism - in the northern, central and western parts, Orthodoxy - in the east and southeast. In the CIS countries, Christianity (Orthodoxy and Catholicism) and Islam are most widespread. All world and major national religions are widespread in foreign Asia. This Islam is predominantly Sunni and only in Iran (partly in Iraq and Yemen) is Shiite. One of the largest Muslim countries (in terms of the number of believers - about 150 million) is Indonesia. In foreign Asia, the following are widespread: Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Judaism, as well as Christianity, which became widespread only in the Philippines, Lebanon (along with Islam) and Cyprus.

Christianity in two of its forms predominates in North America. For example, in the USA, out of 140 million believers, 72 million are Protestants and 52 million are Catholics. There are more Catholics in Canada than Protestants. Latin America is predominantly Catholic, with America accounting for more than half of the world's Catholics.

In Australia, Protestants predominate among believers, who are approximately twice as numerous as Catholics.

Recently, countries of the Muslim world are beginning to play an increasingly important role in international relations, politics, economics, ideology, and culture.

3. The emergence of Buddhism

4.Teachings of Buddha

The Buddha's teachings are set out in early texts called the Tipitaka in Pali, which translates to the Triple Basket. The texts were written on palm leaves and filled three baskets, hence the name.

The Buddha's teachings are based on four truths.

Second: the cause of suffering is unfulfilled desires.

Third: To avoid suffering, you need to suppress your desires.

Buddhists explained the essence of rebirth in this way - death ceases the existence of an individual, but the deeds performed by him affect new existences.

5. Buddhist pantheon

Initially, Buddhism did not have any service to the gods. But over time, a Buddhist pantheon emerged from many deities - Buddhas and bodisattvas. The main ones are: the Buddha of the past, the Buddha of the present and the Buddha of the future. In addition to the main Buddhas, “secondary” ones were also revered: the Buddha of repentance, the Buddha of healing, the Buddha of desires, the Buddha of contemplation and many others. In the pantheon of Buddhism there are more than a thousand Buddhas who are supposed to appear to the world in the future. The most important companions of the Buddhas were considered bodisattvas - supernatural beings, celestial beings engaged in earthly affairs and doing good to people. They brought people closer to Buddha. Although these deities achieved the high perfection of holiness, they did not plunge into blissful nirvana. With the advent of bodhisattvas in Buddhism, a pantheon of saints began to develop to whom one can pray, asking for their help and intercession. Along with the great Buddha (Shakyamuni), many other Buddhas appeared, they acquired a name, were personified, objects of veneration and cult appeared. In many countries of the East, rock-cut figures of Buddhas and Bodisattvas, images of various scenes from their lives have survived to this day. Then ideas about heaven and hell, previously unknown to Buddhism, appeared, and a cosmogony was developed, depicting many heavens on which the divine pantheon was located. Buddha himself turned from a teacher of wisdom into a savior god. Following the example of other sects, Buddhism created holidays, days of pilgrimage to holy places - to the site of the Buddha’s homeland, his first sermon, and his death. The remains of the teacher also became an object of veneration. A chapel was erected over them, as well as over the remains of other saints of the Buddhist church. With its further development, Buddhism adopted all the elements of ordinary cult - prayers, images, temples, priests. Buddhism borrowed some holidays from the customs of other sects, such as the celebration of a day of rest four times a month, something like the Sabbath. Buddhists had holidays that were common to Hindus: at the beginning of the seasons, and also annually, the main moments in the life of the teacher were remembered. It is assumed that the Buddha designated as the four sacred places of pilgrimage those cities where he was born, where he achieved supreme enlightenment, where he first preached, and where he entered nirvana. These are the cities of Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar. He allegedly distributed the relics to be venerated: bodily remains, objects that the saint venerated, and what was erected in honor of the saint. Special chapels containing some of the remains of the Buddha or the remains of other saints were called stupas and were built in large numbers in Buddhist countries. In general, Buddhism is a pessimistic religion in its assessment of the world, its meaning and reality. In sociological terms, Buddhism did not attach any importance to the forms of community, social organization and associations emerging in this world. Buddha rejected the caste system. For the Buddha and his followers, there were no boundaries between people established by caste. All castes were given access to Buddhist communities and thus the path to salvation was opened. In Buddhism there is no aspiration for missionary preaching, when it is believed that a person should be saved today, before it is too late, before he loses his life. According to Buddhism, a person gradually and slowly matures to knowledge and, thereby, to enlightenment and salvation. In Buddhism, the commandment of mercy is of great importance. You cannot kill any living creature. We must be equally kind to both the good and the evil. You cannot pay evil for evil, for this only multiplies evil and suffering. Non-resistance to evil is an absolute rule that knows no exceptions. The teachings of the Buddha himself are often characterized as “atheistic,” meaning the following. According to this teaching, a person should rely not on the gods, but on himself. The main thing in Buddhism is the ethical teaching of personal salvation of a person without the help of supernatural forces.

6. Spread of Buddhism

In China in the 9th century, Chan Buddhism arose, today more often called Zen Buddhism. Zen instilled in Buddhism Chinese sobriety and rationalism: not trying to achieve nirvana or become a Buddha, but to see and understand the Truth that is around you - in the beauty of nature, in the joy of work, and so on. This teaching had a huge influence on the development of not only Chinese, but also Japanese culture, as well as the cultures of a number of other countries in the East, and in the 20th century - also in the West. From China, Buddhism penetrated to Korea in the 4th century, and from there to Japan in the 6th century V. In Japan, Buddhism competed and interacted with the local religion - Shintoism, in Korea with local cults and Confucianism. In Nepal, bordering India, Buddhism spread under Ashoka, and later took the form of Tibetan Buddhism. Buddhists now make up less than 10 percent of the population in Nepal. The main country where the teachings of Buddha blossomed most magnificently was Tibet. It was brought here in the 7th century. AD and for a long time remained the religion of court circles. From the 9th century Buddhism began to spread among the people. In the XI-XII centuries. Tibet became covered with a network of Buddhist monasteries, where many monks lived - in Tibetan lam(hence the common name for Tibetan-Mongolian Buddhism - lamaism). Religious books are translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan. The Mongol conquerors supported Buddhism here. But they tried in every possible way to split the country, supporting some monks and persecuting others. The secular power in Tibet belonged to the Chinese emperors, and the spiritual power Panchen Lama And Dalai Lama. The first was considered higher in rank, as he was considered a reincarnation of the Buddha, and the second was considered a reincarnation of a bodhisattva. After the Chinese Revolution in 1951, Tibet became part of China and the Chinese people's government adopted the religious traditions of Tibet. From Tibet Buddhism to Mongolia in the 16th century, and from the beginning of the 17th century. began to spread among Kalmyks, Buryats, and Tuvans. The tsarist government, after some hesitation, legalized the Buddhist Church in Transbaikalia. To weaken her connection with Mongolia and Tibet, Catherine II even created the position of the Supreme Lama. Since 1809, the large Gusinoozersky datsan has become its seat and center of administration of the Buddhist church in Russia. In 1853, a special “Regulation on the Lamai clergy in Russia” was published.

Currently, Buddhism plays the most prominent socio-political and cultural role in the countries of the Indochina Peninsula. In Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand, Buddhism acts as the state religion.

What is Buddhism

The Buddhist religion, like Islam and Christianity, is considered a world religion. In other words, its principles are followed by people all over the world, without belonging to a particular nationality or country.

The word “Buddhism” arose only in the 19th century - this is how Europeans dubbed the Eastern religion. The adherents themselves call it “dharma” or “bodhidharma,” which means “the teaching of awakening.” From this point of view, Buddhism is often called not a religion, but a teaching , philosophy, tradition.

Historical sources claim that it arose two and a half thousand years ago - in the 500-600s BC. The founder is considered to be Shakyamuni Buddha. It was he who called his teaching “dharma”, which can be understood as “truth”, “nature”, “consciousness”.

Buddha is highly revered, but at the same time he is not God, not the Creator. He is the Great Teacher who revealed the truth to people, suggestedpathgaining freedom.

Who is Buddha

In 560 BC, in the northeast of India, in the territory of the modern state of Bihar, a son was born to the ruler of the Shakya family. He was named Siddhartha Gautama.

The boy grew up in a palace in luxury, did not know troubles, but at the same time was very gifted and kind. When he grew up, he fell in love with a beautiful girl and married her. Soon they had an heir.

When Siddhartha was 29 years old, he went outside the palace. Something terrible pierced his heart - in one walk he saw a sick man, an old man and a funeral. On this day he realized how great the suffering of people was.

This thought haunted Siddhartha, and he was determined to find the truth and save people from endless hardships and hardships. Then he left his wife, child, father and subjects and went on a journey.

He spent six years wandering. During this time, Siddhartha communicated with many sages, tried different techniques, led an ascetic lifestyle to the point of self-denial, but did not come to anything.

Almost in despair, he sat down under a tree and began to meditate, pray, and meditate again. So he spent 49 days and finally experienced a state that is now called enlightenment - a feeling of complete clarity and understanding, absolute joy and a bright mind. He found the truth of existence, and this very tree was called the “Bodhi tree.”

Siddhartha seemed to become a different person. He headed into the valley, where he met people who wanted to follow him, listening to the speeches of the young man, which contained the truth. So Prince Siddhartha Gautama became Buddha Shakyamuni - the Awakened One of the Shakya family.

For many years, Buddha preached and shared his teachings with his followers, who grew in number. Together they comprehended the dharma and engaged in spiritual meditation.

Already a very old man, Buddha went into parinirvana - into the final nirvana, leaving our world and getting rid of suffering. And his teachings, 25 centuries later, are still spreading across our planet.

Development of the doctrine

Having appeared in Ancient India and spreading throughout the East, Buddhist thought has witnessed many events throughout its existence and endured various vicissitudes of history: the emergence of Hinduism in India, the raids of the Aryans, oppression by Muslims, the establishment of the powerful Mughal Empire, modern times with its globalization.

However, the dharma continues to spread throughout the world - today there are about 500 million adherents.

This is mainly, of course, the south, southeast Asia and the Far Eastern regions: Thai, Bhutanese, Vietnamese, Chinese (especially Tibetan), Japanese, Cambodian, Laotian, Korean, Sri Lankan, Myanmar, Nepalese, Mongolian territories.

In India, whichisthe birthplace of Buddhism, with the spread of Hinduism the teaching lost itsmeaning– here it is professed by less than one percent of the total population.

Some national republics in Russia also traditionally adhere to Buddhist views: Kalmykia, Tuva, Buryatia, and part of the Altai regions. Bypassing them, thought moves deeper and deeper to the West: to Moscow, St. Petersburg, to European countries and to the American continent.

Main postulates

The main ideas of Buddhist teaching come down to three concepts:

- the wheel of rebirth, a series of reincarnations, during which people and all living beings after death are reincarnated in a new world, incarnating in another body.
Karma is the rule of cause and effect. According to him, all our actions - good or bad - will be reflected in the future and lead to consequences. Good thoughts and actions will entail favorable consequences. Having committed any crime, a person will certainly feel the consequences of karma. Its effect extends to subsequent incarnations - if you behave with dignity by the standards of Buddhism, in future life you can be reborn into more higher worlds.
– the goal of any Buddhist, a state of liberation from suffering, when a person manages to escape from the wheel of samsara. You can achieve nirvana through constant spiritual growth, meditation, reflection, and getting rid of attachments to the benefits of humanity.

In addition, there is the concept of “dukkha”. It is identified with negative feelings: fear, pain, dissatisfaction, anger, anxiety, greed - generally speaking, this is suffering. Associated with the concept of dukha are the Four Noble Truths, which are considered the basis of the Buddhist path:

There is dukkha - suffering.
Every suffering has a cause, which is expressed in attachment, dependence.
There is a path that eliminates suffering and leads to nirvana.
This trail is .

The Eightfold Path assumes the correct:

understanding - awareness that there is suffering and attachment in life;
intentions – the desire to overcome suffering by taking the true path and overcoming one’s own vices;
speech – maintaining the purity of words;
actions - actions that bring only good;
lifestyle - habits that correspond to the behavior of a Buddhist;
effort - the desire to achieve truth, sow goodness and renounce evil;
thoughts – purity of thoughts, rejection of coarse, greedy, lustful ideas;
concentration – focus on results, constant spiritual work.

The stages of the Eightfold Path need to be comprehended not one by one, but all together, as a complex - they are inextricably linked with each other and lead to liberation.

We see that the stages of the Eightfold Path help to comprehend wisdom, cultivate moral behavior and train the mind. The Buddha bequeathed that in observing these fundamentals there is no need to rush to extremes from complete asceticism to a life satiated with luxury, one must find the “golden mean” - this rule Shakyamuni called the Middle Way.

It is impossible to achieve nirvana without constant spiritual purification, meditation practices and observance of the main commandments. The latter prescribe:

Not causing harm or acts of violence to other living beings is the so-called rule of ahimsa.
Do not steal or appropriate someone else's property.
Don't commit adultery.
Don't lie to anyone.
Do not consume alcohol, drugs or other intoxicating substances.

The sacred scriptures in Buddhist philosophy are called sutras. Different sutras are revered in different directions, but the essence of the dharma is fully expounded in the Pali canon, which is called the Tripitaka.

Tripitaka consists of several volumes:

Vinaya Pitaka - includes rules of behavior, order of ceremonies, a set of rules for monks;
Sutta Pitaka - conveys the main points of the Buddha's teachings;
Abhidharma Pitaka - expounds the texts of Buddhism that reflect the idea of life.

The uniqueness of dharma

Buddhism as a religion is unique in its own way because it has many differences from other religions. It incorporated features of both religion and philosophy. That is why it is more correct to call Buddhism a religious-philosophical teaching.

Buddhist teachings differ from other faiths in many ways:

the Creator, the One God or several gods do not stand in the center;
there is no concept of the universe - no one created it and no one controls it;
the number of worlds is infinite;
there are no sins and their atonement - there is only karma, which is considered the law of life;
there are no unconditional dogmatic rules;
Buddha bequeathed that there can be no blind faith - all truths should be passed through oneself and verified by one’s own experience;
the teachings of the Buddha do not consider themselves the only true ones - Buddhists can simultaneously accept another religion without violating the rules of dharma;
the teaching does not relieve one from “God’s punishment”, which exists in other faiths - it leads to knowledge of one’s own nature and spiritual development.

Unlike Hinduism, which is also based on the laws of karma, samsara, and rebirth, Buddhist philosophy considers all people equal, regardless of their position in society and origin - in contrast to this in Hinduism, varnas and.

However, Buddhist philosophy, spreading to more and more new lands, poured into different currents and accepted different shapes. Each school acquired its own characteristics, and some directions became more like a religion, for example Tibetan Buddhism.

In this case, the Buddha is deified: offerings are made to him, altars are built, statues are made, images similar to icons are made. A pantheon of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas appears - enlightened ones who help other people find liberation.

There are more and more temples, which are also called datsans, khurals, vats, and monasteries. Monks in special attire, services in temples, holidays, meditations with reading mantras, rituals - in some areas all the components of the religious movement can be traced. Thus, Buddhism is a philosophy and a religion at the same time - it all depends on the school of dharma.

How to become a Buddhist

“Buddhists are not born, they are made” - you can adapt a well-known expression. Indeed, one cannot become a Buddhist only by being born into a Buddhist family - one must consciously choose the teaching as a guiding star in life, or, as followers of the dharma say, “take refuge.”

Three jewels are taken for refuge:

Buddha is the Great Teacher Buddha Shakyamuni or another Awakened One;
Dharma - the Teachings of the Buddha, his principles, commandments, truths, paths, dogmas;
Sangha is a Buddhist community that lives according to the laws of dharma.

To achieve the main jewels, you need to give up three poisons:

ignorance, blindness to the nature of existence and all things;
desires, egoism, passions, lusts;
anger and anger.

On the path of truth, a Buddhist equips himself with special methods:

studying the Dharma - a mentor, teacher or guru should help with this to suggest a list of texts for study, answer questions, and point you on the right path;
reflections on the teaching - independent work, analysis of texts, comparing them with oneself and with real life;
practice - meditation, yogic practices, as well as the application of the basics of dharma in everyday life.

By choosing the path of dharma and observing the main rules, followers of the Buddha come closer to understanding themselves, the world around them, and liberation from suffering.

Buddhist monks

The first Buddhist monk was the founder of the teaching himself - Buddha Shakyamuni. By way of life and appearance he was somewhat similar to the ascetic sages who belonged to the early religious movements and wandered across the eastern expanses.

Following the Buddha, other monks appeared from among his disciples and introduced the dharma to the laity. Buddhist monasticism still exists - many have probably seen them in films, photographs or even in person, dressed in orange-red clothes.

Today's monks do not lead a hermit life - they usually settle in a monastery as a whole community and closely interact with lay people - Buddhists who lead a familiar modern life. The monks preach the dharma to the laity, teach them spiritual life, and the laity gives them clothes, food, and shelter in case of accidents.

Male monks are called bhikkhus, and female monks are called bhikkhunis. They live under strict laws and restrictions, which may vary depending on the direction of Buddhist thought and the scriptures that prescribe the rules of monastic life.

The life of monks can also be different due to climate and nature. For example, monks who live in the Tibetan highlands or the Mongolian steppes may have more items of clothing. And in monasteries that are located far from the settlements of the laity and therefore cannot accept alms from them, there may be their own kitchen, where the monks prepare food for themselves.

Schools

Over time, Buddhist thought spread throughout Asia and further to the West. In each area, it was superimposed on the mentality of the local population, religious beliefs that took root there before the advent of Buddhism, so there are many of its directions.

The three main schools of Buddhist philosophy are:

1. Hinayana – Small Vehicle

In modern times, the name more often used is the teaching of the elders. It is considered the oldest and most orthodox school. Distributed in the southeast Asian region, it is often called “Southern Buddhism.”

Countries: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam.

Theravada has the following characteristics:

Only a monk can achieve nirvana by following strict dogmas.
Liberation depends only on the person himself, on his actions - no one can help him.
There is no pantheon of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
There is no hell and heaven - there is only samsara and the way out of it is nirvana.
There are no rituals, sculptures, icon painting, or worship of them.

2. – Great chariot

It is less conservative than Hinayana. Considered "Northern Buddhism" due to its geography.

Countries: Japan, China, South Korea, northern regions of India.

Distinctive features:

Both a monk and a layman can achieve nirvana.
Buddhas and bodhisattvas can help people with this.
The saints line up in a pantheon.
Their images and sculptures appear.
Offerings are made to them, rituals, services, holidays are held, and prayers are held.
There is a peculiar concept of heaven and hell - beings with good karma in the next life are incarnated on the higher, heavenly planets, with bad karma - in the lower, hellish worlds.

3. – Diamond Chariot

It appeared as an offshoot from Mahayana. Also known as Tantric Buddhism.

Countries: Tibetan part of China, Nepal, Mongolia, Buddhist republics of Russia - Buryatia, Tuva, Kalmykia.

Peculiarities:

focus on self-awareness;
the great importance of the teacher, the guru - he is revered and worshiped;
meditative and yogic practices;
reading mantras;
various rituals, holidays, services.

The main teacher in Tibetan Buddhism is the Dalai Lama.

Each of the listed schools may have several more branches. Buddhism is also familiar with areas that do not belong to any of the main schools.

Branches that trace elements of the Buddha's teachings, but which do not belong to traditional schools, are combined under the name "neo-Buddhism." Most often they are common in “non-Buddhist” countries of Europe and America.

A very popular direction in the West now is . However, it has been practiced for many centuries in Japanese, Korean and especially Chinese territories - here it is called “chan”.

Japanese Zen Buddhist monk

The main features of Zen Buddhism include:

rejection of religious rituals, ceremonies, paraphernalia, pantheon of saints;
lack of sacred sutras, sermons;
the goal is to discover the nature of the Buddha with his compassion and mercy.

This goal can be achieved through the practice of contemplation. It is performed in padmasana - lotus position. By closing their eyes, Zen adherents focus only on their own breathing, detach themselves from what is happening around them and, as it were, look inside themselves.

Conclusion

Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! We hope that today you learned a lot of new things, got acquainted with the amazing philosophy of Buddhism and opened the door to the still unknown world of the East.

Of course, it is impossible to tell everything about dharma in one article, because even a hundred books could not do this. But we still want to continue to reveal Eastern wisdom with you.

May truth, curiosity and kindness accompany you on the path of life. If you liked the article, leave comments, share with friends, join us - subscribe to the blog, and we will search for the truth together.