History of Buddha

Teaching of Buddha

Meditation

About Buddhism

Some 2,500 years ago, an Indian prince, Siddhartha Gautama, sat quietly in a place known as the Deer Park at Sarnath. In this quiet place, before a small assembly he began to offer simple teachings, based on his own experience. These teachings, referred to as the "dharma," meaning "truth," were practical instructions on how to relate to one's everyday experience of life and mind.

Because his realization was profound, he became known as the "Buddha," which means "the awakened one." The teachings he offered came to be known as buddhadharma ("the teaching of the awakened one"), and ultimately as Buddhism. The Buddhist teachings proclaim the possibility of awakening the potential within every human being, and they provide a practical method for doing so. This practical method, passed down from generation to generation, is known as meditation, which is the practice of mindfulness and awareness.

Meditation is a natural process of allowing oneself to examine the nature of thoughts, emotions and physical sensations, and to discover the inherent purity of one's being. It is a practice based on direct experience, rather than on blind belief.

Buddhism is taking an increasingly prominent role in contemporary western society as interest increases in this approach to life. A unique quality of the Buddhist teachings is that they can be expressed through existing cultural norms, making use of them rather than destroying or replacing them. This allows many westerners to practice Buddhism today without renouncing their cultural heritage or radically changing their lifestyles.

Origins of Buddhism

The word "buddhism" comes from the Sanskrit word "buddha," which means "the awakened one." buddhism, or buddhadharma, is the proclamation of, and journey toward, an awakening of human potential.

The historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was born around 560 B.C. at Lumbini, in present-day Nepal. He was brought up as a prince of the Shakya clan and excelled in all the worldly arts. After realizing the truth of impermanence at the age of twenty-nine, he left his kingdom to seek spiritual understanding.

After studying for six years with many spiritual teachers, Siddhartha realized that neither the extreme of worldly success nor of asceticism could lead him to full awakening. He sat under the bodhi tree on the banks of the Ganges and vowed not to rise until he had attained enlightenment. Through examining the nature of his body and mind, he attained complete awakening.

The Buddha's discovery of awakened mind cannot adequately be described as a religion, a philosophy, or a psychology. It is better described as a way of living. The buddhadharma provides a practical method for attaining the realization of which it speaks: meditation, which is the practice of mindfulness and awareness. Meditation is a natural process of allowing oneself to examine the nature of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations and to discover the inherent purity of one's being. It is a practice based on real experience, rather than on blind belief.

A variety of schools of buddhism developed in India after the Buddha's death, or parinirvana. The schools that were prominent earlier, called hinayana, placed primary emphasis on self-liberation through personal discipline. The schools that were prominent later, called the mahayana or "great vehicle," placed greater emphasis on working for the liberation of society as a whole. Both schools -were disseminated from India throughout Asia. The tradition established in Tibet is mahayana buddhism. It is also known as vajrayana, or "the indestructible vehicle," referring to the particularly powerful and direct methods of realization it employs.