Buddhism is what religion. Buddhism - basic philosophy and basic ideas in brief

Geography of Buddhism…………………………………………………………….1

The Birth of Buddhism……………………………………………………………...1

Biography of Buddha……………………………………………………………...2

Mythological biography of Buddha………………………….3

Basic principles and features of Buddhism as a religion…………….4

List of references…………………………………8

Geography of Buddhism

Buddhism is the oldest of the world's religions, which received its name from the name, or rather from the honorary title, of its founder Buddha, which means “Enlightened One”. Buddha Shakyamuni (a sage from the Shakya tribe) lived in India in the 5th-4th centuries. BC e. Other world religions - Christianity and Islam - appeared later (five and twelve centuries later, respectively).

If we try to imagine this religion from a bird’s eye view, we will see a motley patchwork of trends, schools, sects, subsects, religious parties and organizations.

Buddhism has absorbed many diverse traditions of the peoples of those countries that fell into its sphere of influence, and also determined the way of life and thoughts of millions of people in these countries. Most adherents of Buddhism now live in South, Southeast, Central and East Asia: Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Cambodia, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Thailand and Laos. In Russia, Buddhism is traditionally practiced by Buryats, Kalmyks and Tuvans.

Buddhism was and remains a religion that takes different forms depending on where it spreads. Chinese Buddhism is a religion that speaks to believers in a language Chinese culture and national ideas about the most important values ​​of life. Japanese Buddhism is a synthesis of Buddhist ideas, Shinto mythology, Japanese culture, etc.

Birth of Buddhism

Buddhists themselves count down the existence of their religion from the death of the Buddha, but among them there is no consensus about the years of his life. According to the tradition of the oldest Buddhist school, Theravada, Buddha lived from 624 to 544 BC. e. According to the scientific version, the life of the founder of Buddhism is from 566 to 486 BC. e. Some areas of Buddhism adhere to later dates: 488-368. BC e. The birthplace of Buddhism is India (more precisely, the Ganges Valley). The society of Ancient India was divided into varnas (classes): brahmans (the highest class of spiritual mentors and priests), kshatriyas (warriors), vaishyas (merchants) and sudras (serving all other classes). Buddhism for the first time addressed a person not as a representative of any class, clan, tribe or a certain gender, but as an individual (unlike the followers of Brahmanism, the Buddha believed that women, on an equal basis with men, are capable of achieving the highest spiritual perfection). For Buddhism, only personal merit was important in a person. Thus, the word “brahman” is used by Buddha to call any noble and wise person, regardless of his origin.

Biography of Buddha

The biography of Buddha reflects the fate of a real person framed by myths and legends, which over time almost completely pushed aside the historical figure of the founder of Buddhism. More than 25 centuries ago, in one of the small states in northeast India, a son, Siddhartha, was born to King Shuddhodana and his wife Maya. His family name was Gautama. The prince lived in luxury, without worries, eventually started a family and, probably, would have succeeded his father on the throne if fate had not decreed otherwise.

Having learned that there are diseases, old age and death in the world, the prince decided to save people from suffering and went in search of a recipe for universal happiness. In the area of ​​​​Gaya (it is still called Bodh Gaya) he achieved Enlightenment, and the path to the salvation of humanity was revealed to him. This happened when Siddhartha was 35 years old. In the city of Benares, he delivered his first sermon and, as Buddhists say, “turned the wheel of Dharma” (as the teachings of the Buddha are sometimes called). He traveled with sermons in cities and villages, he had disciples and followers who were going to listen to the instructions of the Teacher, whom they began to call Buddha. At the age of 80, Buddha died. But even after the death of the Teacher, the disciples continued to preach his teaching throughout India. They created monastic communities where this teaching was preserved and developed. These are the facts of the real biography of Buddha - the man who became the founder of a new religion.

Mythological biography of Buddha

Mythological biography is much more complex. According to legends, the future Buddha was reborn a total of 550 times (83 times as a saint, 58 as a king, 24 as a monk, 18 as a monkey, 13 as a merchant, 12 as a chicken, 8 as a goose, 6 as an elephant; in addition, as a fish, rat, carpenter, blacksmith, frog, hare, etc.). This was until the gods decided that the time had come for him, born in the guise of a man, to save the world, mired in the darkness of ignorance. The birth of Buddha into a kshatriya family was his last birth. That is why he was called Siddhartha (He who has achieved the goal). The boy was born with thirty-two signs of a “great man” (golden skin, a wheel sign on the foot, wide heels, a light circle of hair between the eyebrows, long fingers, long earlobes, etc.). A wandering ascetic astrologer predicted that a great future awaited him in one of two spheres: either he would become a powerful ruler, capable of establishing righteous order on earth, or he would be a great hermit. Mother Maya did not take part in raising Siddhartha - she died (and according to some legends, she retired to heaven so as not to die from admiring her son) shortly after his birth. The boy was raised by his aunt. The prince grew up in an atmosphere of luxury and prosperity. The father did everything possible to prevent the prediction from coming true: he surrounded his son with wonderful things, beautiful and carefree people, and created an atmosphere of eternal celebration so that he would never know about the sorrows of this world. Siddhartha grew up, got married at the age of 16, and had a son, Rahula. But the father's efforts were in vain. With the help of his servant, the prince managed to secretly escape from the palace three times. For the first time he met a sick person and realized that beauty is not eternal and there are ailments in the world that disfigure a person. The second time he saw the old man and realized that youth is not eternal. For the third time he watched a funeral procession, which showed him the fragility of human life.

Siddhartha decided to look for a way out of the trap of illness - old age - death. According to some versions, he also met a hermit, which led him to think about the possibility of overcoming the suffering of this world by leading a solitary and contemplative lifestyle. When the prince decided on the great renunciation, he was 29 years old. After six years of ascetic practice and another unsuccessful attempt to achieve higher insight through fasting, he became convinced that the path of self-torture would not lead to the truth. Then, having regained his strength, he found a secluded place on the river bank, sat down under a tree (which from that time on was called the Bodhi tree, i.e., the “tree of Enlightenment”) and plunged into contemplation. Before Siddhartha's inner gaze, his own past lives, the past, future and present lives of all living beings passed, and then the highest truth - Dharma - was revealed. From that moment on, he became the Buddha - the Enlightened One, or the Awakened One - and decided to teach the Dharma to all people who seek truth, regardless of their origin, class, language, gender, age, character, temperament and mental abilities.

Buddha spent 45 years spreading his teachings in India. According to Buddhist sources, he won followers from all walks of life. Shortly before his death, the Buddha told his beloved disciple Ananda that he could have extended his life by a whole century, and then Ananda bitterly regretted that he had not thought to ask him about this. The cause of Buddha's death was a meal with the poor blacksmith Chunda, during which Buddha, knowing that the poor man was going to treat his guests to stale meat, asked to give all the meat to him. Buddha died in the town of Kushinagara, and his body was traditionally cremated, and the ashes were divided among eight followers, six of whom represented different communities. His ashes were buried in eight different places, and subsequently memorial tombstones - stupas - were erected over these burials. According to legend, one of the students pulled out a Buddha tooth from the funeral pyre, which became the main relic of Buddhists. Now it is located in a temple in the city of Kandy on the island of Sri Lanka.

Basic principles and features of Buddhism as a religion

Like other religions, Buddhism promises people deliverance from the most painful aspects of human existence - suffering, adversity, passions, fear of death. However, not recognizing the immortality of the soul, not considering it something eternal and unchanging, Buddhism does not see the point in striving for eternal life in heaven, since eternal life from the point of view of Buddhism and other Indian religions is just an endless series of reincarnations, a change of bodily shells . In Buddhism, the term “samsara” is adopted to denote it.

Buddhism teaches that the essence of man is unchangeable; under the influence of his actions, only a person’s existence and perception of the world changes. By doing badly, he reaps illness, poverty, humiliation. By doing well, he tastes joy and peace. This is the law of karma (moral retribution), which determines a person’s fate both in this life and in future reincarnations.

Buddhism sees the highest goal of religious life in liberation from karma and exit from the circle of samsara. In Hinduism, the state of a person who has achieved liberation is called moksha, and in Buddhism - nirvana.

People who are superficially familiar with Buddhism believe that Nirvana is death. Wrong. Nirvana is peace, wisdom and bliss, the extinction of the life fire, and with it a significant part of emotions, desires, passions - everything that makes up life ordinary person. And yet this is not death, but life, but only in a different quality, the life of a perfect, free spirit.

I would like to note that Buddhism is neither a monotheistic (recognizing one God) nor a polytheistic (based on belief in many gods) religions. Buddha does not deny the existence of gods and other supernatural beings (demons, spirits, creatures of hell, gods in the form of animals, birds, etc.), but believes that they are also subject to the action of karma and, despite all their supernatural powers, cannot The most important thing is to get rid of reincarnations. Only a person is able to “take the path” and, by consistently changing himself, eradicate the cause of rebirth and achieve nirvana. To be freed from rebirth, gods and other beings will have to be born in human form. Only among people can the highest spiritual beings appear: Buddhas - people who have achieved Enlightenment and Nirvana and preach the Dharma, and Bodhisattvas - those who put off going to Nirvana in order to help other creatures.

Unlike other world religions, the number of worlds in Buddhism is almost infinite. Buddhist texts say that they are more numerous than drops in the ocean or grains of sand in the Ganges. Each of the worlds has its own land, ocean, air, many heavens where the gods live, and levels of hell inhabited by demons, spirits of evil ancestors - pretas, etc. In the center of the world stands the huge Mount Meru, surrounded by seven mountain ranges. At the top of the mountain there is a “sky of 33 gods”, headed by the god Shakra.

The most important concept for Buddhists is the concept of dharma - it personifies the teachings of the Buddha, the highest truth that he revealed to all beings. “Dharma” literally means “support,” “that which supports.” The word “dharma” in Buddhism means moral virtue, primarily the moral and spiritual qualities of the Buddha, which believers should imitate. In addition, dharmas are the final elements into which, from the Buddhist point of view, the stream of existence is divided.

Buddha began preaching his teachings with the “four noble truths.” According to the first truth, the entire existence of man is suffering, dissatisfaction, disappointment. Even the happy moments of his life ultimately lead to suffering, since they involve “separation from the pleasant.” Although suffering is universal, it is not the original and inevitable condition of man, since it has its own cause - the desire or thirst for pleasure - which underlies the attachment of people to existence in this world. This is the second noble truth.

The pessimism of the first two noble truths is overcome by the next two. The third truth says that the cause of suffering, since it is generated by man himself, is subject to his will and can be eliminated by him - in order to put an end to suffering and disappointment, one must stop experiencing desires.

How to achieve this is explained by the fourth truth of the Noble Eightfold Path: “This noble eightfold path is: right views, right intentions, right speech, correct actions, right living, right effort, right awareness and right concentration.” The Four Noble Truths are in many ways similar to the principles of treatment: medical history, diagnosis, recognition of the possibility of recovery, prescription of treatment. It is no coincidence that Buddhist texts compare the Buddha with a healer who is engaged not in general reasoning, but in the practical healing of people from spiritual suffering. And the Buddha calls on his followers to constantly work on themselves in the name of salvation, and not waste time ranting about subjects that they do not know. own experience. He compares a lover of abstract conversations with a fool who, instead of allowing an arrow that has hit him to be pulled out, begins to talk about who fired it, what material it was made of, etc.

In Buddhism, unlike Christianity and Islam, there is no church, but there is a community of believers - the sangha. This is a spiritual brotherhood that helps in progress along the Buddhist path. The community provides its members with strict discipline (vinaya) and the guidance of experienced mentors.

Used Books:

This report used materials from the site.

Buddhism is considered the oldest of the world's religions. Christianity and Islam arose much later - six and thirteen centuries after the appearance of the Buddha's doctrine.

Over the years of its formation and development, Buddhism has created and improved not only a religious worldview, but also philosophy, culture, and art. By professing this religion, a person can experience the whole spectrum scientific knowledge, not limited to one point of view. What is the Buddhist faith? What are its foundations and practices?

What does the word "Buddhism" mean?

Representatives of Buddhism themselves call their religion Buddhadharma, and its founder Buddha Shakyamuni - Dharma. The concept comes from the Sanskrit phrase buddha dharma, which translated means "Teachings of the Enlightened One" . Term "Buddhism" was invented by Europeans in the 19th century to designate a religious and philosophical movement that came to Europe from Ancient India.

Buddhism originated around the 6th century BC thanks to the spiritual teacher Siddhattha Gotama, who later became known as the Buddha. It is believed that his path to enlightenment began in previous lives, but his understanding of the harsh reality appeared only when last birth under the name Gotama.

At the age of 16, he married Princess Yashodhara, and at the age of 29, he got out of the palace and saw 4 so-called “spectacles” that completely turned his life upside down. That day, Buddha met a hermit, a poor man, a sick person and a decomposed corpse, after which he realized that neither wealth nor fame can protect people from deprivation, illness and death.

What he saw prompted Buddha to leave the palace and go in search of enlightenment. During his journey, he practiced meditation, and at the age of 35, he finally achieved awakening (bodhi) and gained knowledge of the Four Noble Truths.


From that time on, Buddha began to pass on his acquired knowledge to other people, and after his death, all his dialogues, sayings and covenants were collected by his students into a single Buddhist canon, the Tripitaka.

What is Buddhism?

Today, Buddhism is a world religion and philosophical doctrine, although some researchers and historians call it the “science of consciousness.” There are two main branches of Buddhism in the world, differing in methods of practice and philosophical views.

The Mahayana (Great Vehicle) teaching is based on beliefs about a certain path along which people can achieve bodhi. Hinayana (Little Vehicle) is based on ideas about the state of being and on the denial of the human soul as an independent entity.

In addition to the two main movements of Buddhism, there is an additional worldview, Vajrayana (Diamond Chariot), which separated from Mahayana in the 5th century.

Who are Buddhists?

Buddhists include adherents of the Buddhist religion, that is, people who have dedicated their lives to the path to spiritual awakening. Total There are more than 460 million followers of this religion in the world, of which about 1 million are Buddhist monks.

The teaching became most widespread in Asia - mainly in the southern and eastern parts of the continent. Maximum amount Buddhists are concentrated in India, Vietnam, China, and Cambodia. In Russia, Buddhist communities can be found in Tuva, Kalmykia and Buryatia.

What are the Four Noble Truths?

The basis of Buddhist teachings are the “Four Noble Truths,” the knowledge of which allows people to come to awakening.

First, Buddhists believe that there is suffering (dukkha) in the world.

Secondly, dukkha has causes.

Thirdly, every person has the opportunity to get rid of suffering by eliminating the cause of dukkha.

And fourthly, adherents of Buddhism believe that there is a path in the world through which one can get rid of dukkha.

How is Buddhism different from other world religions?

If we compare Buddhism with monotheistic religions that recognize the unity of God, its main difference is the fact that Buddhists do not believe in the existence of a creator God.


They do not recognize the creation of the world by the Almighty and believe that it was not created by anyone and is not controlled by anyone. The teaching denies the possibility, there is no heresy and unconditional faith in it. In addition, Buddhism does not have unified textual canons and a common religious organization similar to Christian churches.

Buddhism, along with Islam and Christianity, is considered a world religion. This means that it is not defined by the ethnicity of its followers. It can be confessed to any person, regardless of his race, nationality and place of residence. In this article we will briefly look at the main ideas of Buddhism.

A summary of the ideas and philosophy of Buddhism

Briefly about the history of Buddhism

Buddhism is one of the most ancient religions in the world. Its origin occurred in contrast to the then dominant Brahmanism in the middle of the first millennium BC in the northern part. In the philosophy of Ancient India, Buddhism occupied and occupies a key place, closely intertwined with it.

If we consider the emergence of Buddhism briefly, then, according to separate category scientists, this phenomenon was facilitated by certain changes in the life of the Indian people. Around the middle of the 6th century BC. Indian society was hit by a cultural and economic crisis.

Those tribal and traditional ties that existed before this time began to gradually undergo changes. It is very important that it was during that period that the formation of class relations took place. Many ascetics appeared, wandering across the expanses of India, who formed their own vision of the world, which they shared with other people. Thus, in the confrontation with the foundations of that time, Buddhism also appeared, earning recognition among the people.

A large number of scientists believe that the founder of Buddhism was a real person named Siddhartha Gautama , known as Buddha Shakyamuni . He was born in 560 BC. in the wealthy family of the king of the Shakya tribe. Since childhood, he knew neither disappointment nor need, and was surrounded by limitless luxury. And so Siddhartha lived through his youth, ignorant of the existence of illness, old age and death.

The real shock for him was that one day, while walking outside the palace, he encountered an old man, a sick man and a funeral procession. This influenced him so much that at the age of 29 he joins a group of wandering hermits. So he begins the search for the truth of existence. Gautama tries to understand the nature of human troubles and tries to find ways to eliminate them. Realizing that an endless series of reincarnations was inevitable if he did not get rid of suffering, he tried to find answers to his questions from the sages.


After spending 6 years wandering, he experienced different techniques, practiced yoga, but came to the conclusion that enlightenment could not be achieved using these methods. Effective methods he considered reflections and prayers. It was while he was spending time meditating under the Bodhi tree that he experienced enlightenment, through which he found the answer to his question.

After his discovery, he spent a few more days at the site of the sudden insight, and then went to the valley. And they began to call him Buddha (“enlightened one”). There he began to preach the doctrine to people. The very first sermon took place in Benares.

Basic concepts and ideas of Buddhism

One of the main goals of Buddhism is the path to Nirvana. Nirvana is a state of awareness of one’s soul, achieved through self-denial, renunciation comfortable conditions external environment. Buddha holding for a long time in meditation and deep reflection, he mastered the method of controlling his own consciousness. In the process, he came to the conclusion that people are very attached to worldly goods and are overly concerned about the opinions of other people. Because of this, the human soul not only does not develop, but also degrades. Having achieved nirvana, you can lose this addiction.

The essential four truths that underlie Buddhism:

  1. There is the concept of dukkha (suffering, anger, fear, self-flagellation and other negatively colored experiences). Every person is influenced by dukkha to a greater or lesser extent.
  2. Dukkha always has a reason that contributes to the emergence of addiction - greed, vanity, lust, etc.
  3. You can get rid of addiction and suffering.
  4. You can completely free yourself from dukkha thanks to the path leading to nirvana.

Buddha was of the opinion that it is necessary to adhere to the “middle path,” that is, every person must find the “golden” mean between a wealthy, satiated with luxury, and an ascetic way of life, devoid of all the benefits of humanity.

There are three main treasures in Buddhism:

  1. Buddha - this can be either the creator of the teaching himself or his follower who has achieved enlightenment.
  2. Dharma is the teaching itself, its foundations and principles, and what it can give to its followers.
  3. Sangha is a community of Buddhists who adhere to the laws of this religious teaching.

To achieve all three jewels, Buddhists resort to fighting three poisons:

  • detachment from the truth of being and ignorance;
  • desires and passions that contribute to suffering;
  • incontinence, anger, inability to accept anything here and now.

According to the ideas of Buddhism, every person experiences both physical and mental suffering. Illness, death and even birth are suffering. But this state is unnatural, so you need to get rid of it.

Briefly about the philosophy of Buddhism

This teaching cannot be called only a religion, at the center of which is God, who created the world. Buddhism is a philosophy, the principles of which we will briefly consider below. The teaching involves helping to direct a person on the path of self-development and self-awareness.

In Buddhism there is no idea of ​​what exists eternal soul, atoning for sins. However, everything a person does and in what way will find its imprint - it will definitely return to him. This is not divine punishment. These are the consequences of all actions and thoughts that leave traces on your own karma.

Buddhism has the basic truths revealed by Buddha:

  1. Human life is suffering. All things are impermanent and transitory. Having arisen, everything must be destroyed. Existence itself is symbolized in Buddhism as a flame consuming itself, but fire can only bring suffering.
  2. Suffering arises from desires. Man is so attached to the material aspects of existence that he craves for life. The greater this desire, the more he will suffer.
  3. Getting rid of suffering is possible only through getting rid of desires. Nirvana is a state, having reached which a person experiences the extinction of passions and thirst. Thanks to nirvana, a feeling of bliss arises, freedom from the transmigration of souls.
  4. To achieve the goal of getting rid of desire, one must resort to the eightfold path of salvation. It is this path that is called the “middle”, which allows one to get rid of suffering by rejecting extremes, which consists of something between the torture of the flesh and the indulgence of physical pleasures.

The Eightfold Path of Salvation includes:

  • correct understanding - the most important thing to do is to realize that the world is full of suffering and sorrow;
  • correct intentions - you need to take the path of limiting your passions and aspirations, the fundamental basis of which is human egoism;
  • correct speech - it should bring good, so you should watch your words (so that they do not exude evil);
  • right actions - one should do good deeds, refrain from unvirtuous actions;
  • the right way of life - only a worthy way of life that does not harm all living things can bring a person closer to getting rid of suffering;
  • correct efforts - you need to tune in to goodness, drive away all evil from yourself, carefully monitoring the course of your thoughts;
  • correct thoughts - the most important evil comes from our own flesh, by getting rid of the desires of which we can get rid of suffering;
  • correct concentration - the eightfold path requires constant training and concentration.

The first two stages are called prajna and involve the stage of achieving wisdom. The next three are regulation of morality and correct behavior(sewed). The remaining three steps represent mental discipline (samadha).

Directions of Buddhism

The very first who supported the teachings of the Buddha began to gather in a secluded place while the rains were falling. Since they refused any property, they were called bhikshas - “beggars.” They shaved their heads bald, dressed in rags (mostly yellow color) and moved from place to place.

Their life was unusually ascetic. When it rained, they hid in caves. They were usually buried where they lived, and a stupa (domed-shaped crypt building) was built on the site of their graves. Their entrances were made tightly walled up and buildings for various purposes were built around the stupas.

After the death of the Buddha, a convocation of his followers took place, who canonized the teaching. But period greatest prosperity Buddhism can be considered the reign of Emperor Ashoka - III century. BC.

You can select three main philosophical schools of Buddhism , formed in different periods of the doctrine’s existence:

  1. Hinayana. The main ideal of the direction is considered to be a monk - only he can get rid of reincarnation. There is no pantheon of saints who could intercede for a person, there are no rituals, the concept of hell and heaven, cult sculptures, icons. Everything that happens to a person is the result of his actions, thoughts and lifestyle.
  2. Mahayana. Even a layman (if he is pious, of course), can achieve salvation just like a monk. The institution of bodhisattvas appears, who are saints who help people on the path of their salvation. The concept of heaven, a pantheon of saints, images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas also appear.
  3. Vajrayana. It is a tantric teaching based on the principles of self-control and meditation.

So, the main idea of ​​Buddhism is that human life is suffering and one must strive to get rid of it. This teaching continues to confidently spread across the planet, winning more and more supporters.

Name: Buddhism (teachings of Buddha)
Time of occurrence: VI century BC.
Founder: Prince Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)
Basic sacred texts : Tripitaka

At the age of 35, Prince Gautama achieved enlightenment, after which he changed his life and the lives of many people who followed him. He was called “Buddha” by his followers (from the Sanskrit “buddha” - enlightened, awakened). His preaching lasted 40 years, Siddhartha died at the age of 80, without leaving a single written work about himself. Before and after him there were other enlightened personalities - Buddhas - who contributed to spiritual development civilization. Followers of some areas of Buddhism also consider preachers of other religions - Mohammed and others - to be Buddha teachers.

Some individual traditions revere Buddha as God, but other Buddhists see him as their founder, mentor and enlightener. Buddhists believe that enlightenment can only be achieved through the infinite energy of the Universe. Thus, the Buddhist world does not recognize a creator God, omniscient and omnipotent. Every person is a part of the deity. Buddhists do not have one permanent God; every enlightened person can achieve the title of “Buddha”. This understanding of God makes Buddhism different from most Western religions.

Buddhists strive to purify the clouded states of mind that distort reality. These are anger, fear, ignorance, selfishness, laziness, jealousy, envy, greed, irritation and others. Buddhism cultivates and develops such pure and beneficial qualities of consciousness as kindness, generosity, gratitude, compassion, hard work, wisdom and others. All this allows you to gradually learn and clear your mind, which leads to a lasting sense of well-being. By making the mind strong and bright, Buddhists reduce anxiety and irritation, which lead to adversity and depression. Ultimately, Buddhism is a necessary condition for the deepest insights that lead to the ultimate liberation of the mind.

Buddhism is a religion not so much of a mystical as of a philosophical nature. Buddhist doctrine contains 4 main “noble truths” about human suffering:

  • about the nature of suffering;
  • about the origin and causes of suffering;
  • about ending suffering and eliminating its sources;
  • about ways to end suffering.

The last, fourth truth, points to the path to the destruction of suffering and pain, otherwise called the eightfold path to achieving inner peace. This state of mind allows you to immerse yourself in transcendental meditation and achieve wisdom and enlightenment.

Other directions:

Dzogchen Tradition of Buddhism | Secrets of Dzogchen Title: Dzogchen (“great perfection”, “great completeness”) or ati-yoga, maha-ati, santi maha, ma...

Buddhism is one of the most popular world religions! It ranks 3rd–4th in the list of most frequently occurring religions. Buddhism is widespread in Europe and Asia. In some countries this religion is the main one, and in others it is one of the main ones on the list of religions preached in the state.

The history of Buddhism goes back centuries. This is a middle-aged religion that has long been firmly entrenched in the world. Where did it come from and who gave people faith in Buddha and his philosophy? Let's learn more about this religion in search of answers to these questions.

Where and when did Buddhism originate?

The date of the birth of Buddhism is considered to be the historical moment of the Buddha’s departure into the next world. However, there is an opinion that it is more correct to count the years of life of the progenitor of the religion. Namely, the period of enlightenment of Gautama Buddha.

By official information, recognized by UNESCO, Buddha's parinirvana occurred in 544 BC. Literally a century ago, namely in 1956, the world was illuminated by the solemn celebration of the 2500th anniversary of Buddhism.

The capital of Buddhism and other countries where the religion is preached

Today Buddhism is state religion in 4 countries: Laos, Bhutan, Cambodia, Thailand. But the birth of this religion took place in India. About 0.7–0.8% (about 7 million people) of the population of this country preach Buddhism. This wonderful country gave the world one of the largest religions. Therefore, India is rightfully called the capital of Buddhism.

Besides India, Buddhism is preached in countries such as China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar. In these countries, Buddhism is the officially recognized religion, which ranks 1st or 2nd on the list. They preach Buddhism in Tibet, Malaysia, and Singapore. More than 1% of Russian residents preach this religion.

The spread of this belief is growing. The reason for this is the special peace-loving nature of religion, its colorfulness, philosophical richness, and intellectual background. Many people find peace, hope, and knowledge in Buddhism. Therefore, interest in religion does not dry out. Buddhism spreads to different parts peace. But, of course, India has been and will remain forever the capital of world Buddhism.

The emergence of Buddhism

Many people who have plunged into the knowledge of Buddhism or are just studying this type of religion will be interested in how this religion arose and what lies at the origins of the development of Buddhism.

The creator of the doctrine on the basis of which the religion was formed is Gautama. It is also called:

  • Buddha - enlightened by the highest knowledge.
  • Siddhartha - the one who fulfilled his destiny.
  • Shakyamuni is a sage from the Shakya tribe.


And yet, the most familiar name for a person who has little knowledge of the foundations of this religion is the name of the founder - Buddha.

The Legend of Buddha's Enlightenment

According to legend, an unusual boy named Siddhartha Gautama was born to a couple of Indian kings. After conception, Queen Mahamaya saw prophetic dream, which indicated that she was destined to give birth not to an ordinary person, but to a great personality who would go down in history, illuminating this world with the light of knowledge. When the baby was born, noble parents saw for him the future of a ruler or an Enlightened One.

Siddhartha's father, King Shuddhodana, protected the boy from worldly imperfections, illnesses and misfortunes throughout his childhood and youth. Until his twenty-ninth birthday, the young Buddha lived in a flourishing palace, far from the frailty of life and adversity. ordinary life. At the age of 29, the young handsome prince married the beautiful Yashodhara. The young couple gave birth to a healthy, glorious son, Rahula. They lived happily, but one day the young husband and father walked out of the palace gates. There he found people exhausted by illness, suffering, and poverty. He saw death and realized that old age and illness exist. He was upset by such discoveries. He realized the futility of existence. But despair did not have time to overwhelm the prince. He met a renounced monk - a samanu. This meeting was an omen! She showed the future Enlightened One that by renouncing worldly passions, one can find peace and serenity. The heir to the throne abandoned his family and left his father's house. He went in search of the truth.

On his path, Gautama adhered to strict asceticism. He wandered in search of wise men to listen to their teachings and thoughts. As a result, Buddha found his ideal way to get rid of suffering. He discovered for himself the “golden mean,” which implied the denial of strict asceticism and the rejection of immoderate excesses.

At the age of 35, Siddhartha Gautama gained Enlightenment and became Buddha. From that time on, he joyfully shared his knowledge with people. He returned to his native place, where his loved ones were very happy with him. After listening to the Buddha, the wife and son also chose the path of monasticism. Buddha found liberation and peace in his early 90s. He left a huge legacy - Dharma.

How Buddhism Spread

The total number of Buddhists throughout the world is more than 500 million people. And this figure is growing irrepressibly. The ideas and principles of Buddhism interest and touch the hearts of many people.

This religion is distinguished by the absence of obsessive philosophy. The ideas of Buddhism really touch people, and they themselves acquire this faith.

The geography of the origin of this religion primarily played a role in the spread of religion. Countries where Buddhism has long been the main religion have donated this faith to neighboring states. The opportunity to travel around the world exposed people from distant countries to Buddhist philosophy. Today there is a lot of literature, documentary and artistic video materials about this faith. But, of course, you can only become truly interested in Buddhism once you touch this unique culture.

There are ethnic Buddhists in the world. These are people born into families with this religion. Many people adopted Buddhism consciously, having become acquainted with the philosophy of Enlightenment in adulthood.

Of course, acquaintance with Buddhism is not always marked by the adoption of this religion for oneself. This is everyone's personal choice. However, we can definitely say that the philosophy of Buddhism is an interesting area that is of interest to many from the point of view of self-development.


What is Buddhism

To summarize, I would like to note that Buddhism is an entire philosophy based on a religion that originated in India before our era. The progenitor of the sacred teaching of Dharma is Buddha (the Enlightened One), who was once the heir to the Indian throne.

There are three main directions in Buddhism:

  • Theravada;
  • Mahayana;
  • Vajrayana.

There are different schools of Buddhism that are scattered throughout the countries. Some teaching details may vary depending on the school. But in general, Buddhism, Tibetan or Indian, Chinese, Thai and any other, carries the same ideas and truths. This philosophy is based on love, kindness, renunciation of excesses and the passage of the ideal path to get rid of suffering.

Buddhists have their own temples, datsans. In every country where this religion is preached, there is a Buddhist community where every sufferer can find informational and spiritual support.

People who practice Buddhism maintain special traditions. They have their own understanding of the world. As a rule, these people strive to bring good to others. Buddhism does not limit intellectual development. On the contrary, this religion is filled with meaning; it is based on centuries-old philosophy.

Buddhists have no icons. They have statues of Buddha and other Saints who follow this faith. Buddhism has its own special symbolism. It is worth highlighting eight good symbols:

  1. Umbrella (chhatra);
  2. Treasure Vase (bumpa);
  3. gold fish(matsya);
  4. Lotus (padma);
  5. Shell (shankha);
  6. Banner (dvahya);
  7. Wheel of Drachma (Dharmachakra);
  8. Infinity (Srivatsa).

Each symbol has its own rationale and history. There is nothing random or empty in Buddhism at all. But in order to understand the truths of this religion, you will have to spend time familiarizing yourself with them.