BUDDHISM

Sakyamuni or Tathagata or Buddha

 Suddhartha was born in 563 BC at Lumbini

 Father – Suddhodana, chief of the republican Sakya
clan
 Mother – Mahamaya, princes of the Kosala dynasty,
died seven days after his birth.
 Step-Mother Gautami
 Yashodhara- Wife (at the early age of 16 years)
 Rahula- son
Mahabhinishkramana

At the age of 29, after the sight of-

 An Old Man
 A Sick man
 A Corpse
 An Ascetic
He turned away from worldly life.
 At the age of 35 attained Nirvana/
Enlightenment at Gaya under Peepal tree a
Uruvela, on the banks of Niranjana.
 Dharma Chakka-Pavattana- Turning the
wheel of Dharma
 First sermon on deliverance from suffering to
his five former companions in a deer park at
Sarnath
 Parinibbana at the age of 80 at Kusinara
Ariya- Sachchani – Four Nobel Truths

 Dukkha -The truth of suffering

 Samudaya-The truth of the origin of suffering
 Nirodha -The truth of the cessation of
suffering
 Magga -The truth of the path to the cessation
of suffering
Ashtangika-Marga-Eightfold Path
Division Eightfold Path factors
3. Right speech- Samma Vaca
Sila- Moral virtue 4. Right action- Samma Kammanta
5. Right livelihood- Samma Ajiva
6. Right effort- Samma Vayama

Samadhi- Meditation 7. Right mindfulness- Samma Sati

8. Right concentration- Samma
Samadhi
1. Right view- Samma-Ditthi
Prajna- Insight, wisdom
2. Right resolve- Samma- Sankappa
Causes of Origin

 Kshatriyas reaction against domination of the

Brahmins
 Varna Hierarchy
 Ritualistic dominations
 Agricultural economy which demanded
animal husbandry
 Slaughtering of animals
Buddhism and Brahmanism

 Considered Varna based on action

 The Sangha had members from all castes
 Brahmin Monks- Mahakassapa, Sariputta,
Mahamoggallana
 Kshatriya- Buddha, Ananda, Aniruddha
 A Barber- Upali
 Blacksmith- Chunda
 Its supported the social order on classes and
did not aim at abolishing social differences
Early Buddhist literature

 Canonical and Non-Canonical texts

 Pali, Tibeten, Chinese, East Asian Languages
 Canonical- historical information, quotes,
definitions, grammars
 Non-Canonical texts – consists of a dialogue
ex...on various philosophical issues between
Indo-Greek king Milinda/ Menander
Tipitaka or The Three Baskets

 Sutta Tipitaka (Basket of Discourses) –

doctrine issues
 Vinaya Tipitaka (Discipline Basket )– rules of
monks and nuns
 Abhidhamma Tipitaka (Basket of Higher
Teachings) – systemisation of the teachings
 Chaityas – Prayer halls of Monks
 Viharas- Monasteries
 Pravrajya- Ceremony to mark a person going
forth from home into homelessness
 Upasampada- ordinary ceremony when the
novice becomes a full fledged member of the
monastic community
 Uposatha- Ceremony held on full moon and
new moon
Middle path

 The one between Extreme indulgence and

extreme asceticism
 Eight fold Path way
 Parajika- literary meaning defeat-
Sexual intercourse
Taking what is not given
Killing someone
Making false claims of spiritual attainment
 Pavarana or Buddhist Lent- Buddhist holy
day, it makes the end of the rainy season
 On this day, each monk must come before
the SANGHA and atone for an offense he
may have committed during the VASSA
(Rainy Season)
 Upasakas- Male followers who have taken
refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha ,
but who have not taken monastic vows
 Upasikas- female followers who have taken
refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha ,
but who have not taken monastic vows
Buddhist Councils

Buddh Time Place Ruler President Specifications

ist
Counc
il

1st 483 Rajgriha Ajatashatru Mahakassappa Soon after the death

BCE of the Buddha, it was
at this this council that
Buddha Teachings
were divided into
three categories or
baskets

1. Vinaya Pitaka,
rules of the order,
recited by UPALA
2. Sutta Pitaka, great
collection of
Buddhas sermons,
by Ananda
Buddhist Councils

Buddh Tim Place Ruler President Specifications

ist e
Counc
il

2nd 386 Vaishali Kolasoka Sabbakami Debate on certain practices

BCE of Buddhist monks, specially
in western India

Division : 1.Sathaviradins
and
2.Mahasanghikas
(Theravada and Mahayana)

1.The group who stayed

called themselves the Elders-
Thera in Pali
2. Interpreted Buddhas
teachings more liberally
Buddhist Councils

Buddh Tim Place Ruler President Specifications

ist e
Counc
il

3rd 250 Patliputra Ashoka Mogaliputta Purify the Buddhist

BCE Tissa movement from
opportunistic factions

Origen of Theravada

Tripatika coded in pali

language

Sent Buddhist missionaries

to other countries
Buddhist Councils

Buddhi Time Place Ruler President Specifications

st
Council

4th 1st Kashmir Kanishka Vasumitra Divided into

centu the Mahayana and
ry The Hinayana

Theravada council at
Tambapanni

And second at Kashmir

Buddhist Scholars

 Asvagosha : Buddhacharita – in Sanskrit

 Nagarjuna: founder of the Madhyamaka
school of Mahayana Buddhism and he was a
friend and contemporary of Satvahana King
Gautamiputra of Andhra
 Asanga (Vijnanavada School)and Vasubandhu
(Abhidharmakosa- Encyclopaedia of
Buddhism): two brothers who flourished in the
Punjab region in the AD 4th century
 Buddhagosha: lived in 5th century and was a
great Pali scholar. Work- Visuddhimagga or
path of Purification
 Dinnaga: lived in 5th century, well known as
the founder of the Buddhist logic
 Dharmakirti : He lived in the 7th century A.D
well versed in logic, a subtle Philosophical
thinker and dialectician
Hinayana- Mahayana Vajrayana
Theravada
Literary Literary Literary means ‘
Vehicle of
means ‘the means ‘the Thunderbolt’ or
Lesser Path’ – Greater Path’ – Diamond Vehicle is
Doctrine of the also referred to as
Elders The terms Mantrayana.,
Mahayana and Tantrayana,
Tantric or Esoteric
Hinayana were Buddhism
given by the The period of Indian
Vajrayana Buddhims
Mahayana has been classified as
School the final period of
Buddhism in India.
Orthodox school- Heterodox Appeared in the
original school of school- originated Eastern India in
Buddhist later the 8th century
Philosophy Finally established
It has two chief in Tibet in the 11th
philosophical century
schools: the
Madhyamika and The two truths
Yogachari Doctrine is the
central concept
Conventional-
consensus reality
and common
sense notions
Ultimate-
awakened and
enlightened mind
Scripts are in Pali Scripts are in Highly symbolic
Sanskrit language
Samdhya-bhasa or
Twilight language –
that aims at helping the
followers of its
disciplines

Buddhism as Treats Buddha as Salvation can be best

attained by acquiring the
noting more than a god
magical power
human being Worship of idols of Emphasises the role of
Buddha Bodhisattava
Does not believe Universal Mantras- esoteric verbal
in Idol worship liberation from formulas
Self discipline, suffering for all Mandalas- diagrams and
paintings
meditation beings Great emphasis is placed on
‘Spiritual the role of Guru - LAMA
upliftment’
Hinayana- Mahayana Vajrayana
Theravada
At present Present found Popular in
Theraveda in Japan Eastern India
Buddhism is to China Bengal
found in Srilanka Asian countries Himalayan
Myanmar Kanishka nations- Tibet
Thailand patronised Nepal
Ashoka Mahayana Bhutan
patronised Harsha Mongolia
Hinayana Vardhana
South East supported it as
Asian contries well