BUDDHA AND BUDDHISM
Buddhism, pronounced BU dihz uhm or BOO dihz uhm, is one of the major religions of the world. It was
founded in
The beliefs of Buddhism
All Buddhists have faith in (1) Buddha; (2) his teachings, called the dharma; and (3) the religious community he founded, called the sangha. Buddhists call Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha the Three Refuges or Three Jewels.
Note: Jesus Christ
was not impressed with Buddah.
John
10:7-10 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the
sheep. All who ever came before
Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door.
If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go
in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to
kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may
have it more abundantly.”
Buddha probably was born sometime during the 500's or 400's
B.C. in southwestern
After traveling throughout northeastern
Note: Buddah taught that you can save yourself to a better beyond.
Ephesians
2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest
anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk
in them.
The dharma. Buddha preached that existence was a continuing cycle of death and rebirth. Each person's position and well-being in life was determined by his or her behavior in previous lives. For example, good deeds may lead to rebirth as a wise and wealthy person or as a being in heaven. A person's evil deeds may lead to rebirth as a poor and sickly person or even in hell.
Note: Christianity
teaches that there is not a continual cycle of deaths and births.
Hebrews
9:27-28 And as it is appointed for men to die once,
but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of
many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart
from sin, for salvation.
Buddha also taught that as long as individuals remain within
the cycle of death and rebirth, they can never be completely free from pain and
suffering. Buddha said people could break out of the cycle by eliminating any
attachment to worldly things. By ridding themselves of such attachment, people
would gain a kind of perfect peace and happiness. Buddha called this state of
peace and happiness nirvana. According to Buddha, those who are willing and
able to follow the
The
Note: Buddhism denies
that Jesus Christ is the truth.
John
14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through Me.”
The Noble Eightfold Path consists of (1) knowledge of the truth; (2) the intention to resist evil; (3) saying nothing to hurt others; (4) respecting life, morality, and property; (5) holding a job that does not injure others; (6) striving to free one's mind of evil; (7) controlling one's feelings and thoughts; and (8) practicing proper forms of concentration.
Note: Buddhism has
never produced much good in the world.
John 15:5-8 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who
abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for
without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me,
he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them
into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me,
and My words abide in you, you will ask what
you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that
you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
Note: Only
disciples of Jesus Christ produce lasting good in the world.
After Buddha's death, his followers collected the traditions that had developed around the dharma. The oldest of the many Buddhist schools compiled a scripture called the Tripitaka. This word means Three Baskets. The first part, the Basket of Discipline, deals with the rules for regulating the order of Buddhist monks. The second part, the Basket of Discourses, consists largely of sermons. The third part, the Basket of the Higher Dharma, contains later and more systematic discussions of doctrine. Later Buddhist schools have added their own scriptures.
Note: Self righteousness
counts for nothing eternally.
Romans
3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being
witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through
faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no
difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to
demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over
the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His
righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith
in Jesus.
The sangha. The word sangha sometimes refers to the ideal Buddhist community, which consists of those who have reached the higher stages of spiritual development. The word also refers to the order of Buddhist monks and nuns. In addition, the term means the community of monks, nuns, and laity.
Note: To do good to others you must be around people so that good can be
done.
1
Corinthians 5:9-11 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with
sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with
the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go
out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone
named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a
reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to
eat with such a person.
The order of monks has always had a special role within the sangha. It has played an important part in preserving and spreading Buddhism. In many Buddhist groups, the discipline of monastic life is considered essential to those who seriously seek nirvana. In most Buddhist countries, monks are expected to live a life of poverty, meditation, and study. Monks are also expected to avoid sexual activity.
Some Buddhists become monks for life, but others serve in the sangha for only short periods of time. The monks wear special robes and are a common sight in all Buddhist countries.
Note: Christians do not
honor images but the true and living God.
1
Thessalonians 1:9-10 For they themselves declare
concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God
from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from
heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from
the wrath to come.
The laity also has an important role in the life of the sangha. Members are expected to honor Buddha, to follow basic moral rules, and to support the monks. They are also expected to pay special honor to images of Buddha and to objects that are associated with him.
Many of the laity have influenced
the history of Buddhism. During the 200's B.C., Ashoka,
an Indian emperor, supported Buddhism. Ashoka
established a tradition that has led to close relations between religion and
government in many Buddhist countries. In 1956, B. R. Ambedkar,
an Indian layman, led a mass conversion that brought more than 1 million former
Hindus in
Buddhist schools
Various Buddhist schools developed in
The Theravada. The word theravada means Way of the Elders.
The Theravada school is the only one of the early Buddhist schools that has
survived. Today, it is the dominant religious tradition in
Note: Buddhist countries are all dictatorial in nature reflecting the Buddhist religion.
The Theravadans emphasize the importance of Buddha as a historical figure, the virtues of the monastic life, and the authority of the Tripitaka. For them, the ideal Buddhist is a kind of saint called an arhat. Mahayanists and others have often referred to the Theravada and similar schools as Hinayana, a term that means lesser vehicle. However, the Theravadans do not accept this name.
The Mahayana. The word mahayana means great vehicle. Most
followers of the Mahayana live in
The Mahayanists encourage everyone to follow the ideal of the bodhisattva. A bodhisattva is a person who vows to become a Buddha by leading a life of virtue and wisdom. At the highest level, a bodhisattva is one who postpones entering into nirvana in order to work to relieve suffering through acts of love and compassion.
The Mantrayana.
The word mantrayana means sacred recitation vehicle.
The school's major centers are in the Himalayan regions, in
Zen is practiced chiefly in
Contributor: Frank E. Reynolds, Ph.D., Professor of History
of Religions and Buddhist Studies,
Additional resources
Bercholz, Samuel, and Kohn, S. C., eds.Entering the Stream: An Introduction to the Buddha and His Teachings. Shambhala, 1993.
Ganeri, Anita.What Do We Know About Buddhism? Bedrick, 1997. Younger readers.
Reat, Noble R.Buddhism: A History. Asian Humanities, 1993.
Snelling, John.The Buddhist Handbook. Inner Traditions, 1991.
2004 World Book
Encyclopedia