Buddhism

• Founded by Gautam Buddha (Original Name → Siddhartha)
• Born in 563 BC at Lumbini in Nepal near Kapilavastu (As a kshatriya in Shakya clan)
• Parents → Suddhodhana & Mahamaya
• Left Home at the age of 29 in search of truth & did intense penance & meditation.
• Attained Nirvana under a Pipal tree at Bodh Gaya & henceforth known as Buddha (The enlightened one)
• Delivered his 1^st sermon at Sarnath (Banaras) & died at the age of 80 at Kushinagar (U.P)

Noble truth by Buddha

• World is full of sorrow
• People suffer on account of desires
• If desires are conquered, Nirvana can be achieved i.e., free from cycle of birth & death & which can be done by following 8-fold path (ashtangika marga):

Tri Ratnas of Buddhism

• Buddha (The enlightened)
• Dhamma (Doctrine of Buddhism)
• Sangha (Order of Buddhism)

Teachings by Buddha

• Buddha was a practical reformer & did not believe in soul or God or metaphysical world & concerned himself with the worldly problems
• Suggested that a person should avoid excess of both, Luxury & Austerity & prescribed a middle path
• Laid great emphasis on Karma (Varna based on action not on birth) & Ahimsa
• Opposed varna system & laid down the principle of social equality

Spread of Buddhism

• Buddhism had 2 kinds of disciples – Monks (Bhikshus) & Lay worshippers (Upasikas)
• Monks were organised into sangha for the purpose of spread of Buddhist teachings.
• Membership was open to all, Male or female without any cast distinction, but every member had to take vow of continence, poverty & faith (Penance to achieve liberation)
• Use of Pali language also contributed to the spread of Buddhism.

Buddhist Text

• Tripitakas → All written in Pali Language

• Sutta-pitaka
• Vinaya-pitaka
• Abhidhamma-pitaka

Contribution of Buddhism

• Slaves & debtors couldn’t join sangha rule helped moneylenders & richer sections of society
• Earliest Budhhist text “Suttanipata” pleads for protection of cattles & helped to prevent their decimation
• Taught people to put reason in everything & pleaded for logic instead of superstitions hence promoted rationalism in people
• Promoted education through residential universities like Vallabhi, Nalanda & Vikramshila
• Formed Hybrid Sanskrit by mixture of Pali & Sanskrit

Cause of Decline

• Revival of Brahmanism & rise of Bhagavatism
• Use of Sanskrit instead of Pali from 4^th Buddhist council (Around 100 AD)
• After birth of Mahayana, Practice of Idol worship, huge offerings & donations became common & led to the deterioration of moral standards
• Attack of Hunas (Around 500 – 600 AD) & Attack of Turkish invaders (1200 AD) destroyed major Buddhist Monasteries
• Brahamana ruler Pushyamitra have said to persecuted Buddhists
• Shaivite Shashanka have said to cut the original Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya

Buddhist Councils

1^st Council @ Rajgir

• Was held immediately after the death of Buddha at Saptaparni cave in which the unwritten teachings of Buddha were penned down after his death.
• Held at Rajgir under the patronage of Ajatashatru under the chairmanship of Mahakashyap
• Ananda composed Suttapitaka (Buddha’s Teachings) & Upali composed Vinaypitaka (Monastic code for Buddhism)

2^nd Council @ Vaishali

• Was held approx. 100 years after the death of Buddha under the patronage of King Kalasoka under the chairmanship of Sabakami
• Mainly due to 10 disputed points under Vinaypitaka (Monastic codes of Buddhism)

3^rd Council @ Patliputra

• Held under the patronage of Ashoka under the chairmanship of Mogliputra tissa
• Compilation of Abhidhamma pitaka took place (Philosophical exposition of Buddhism)
• Buddhism preached & propagated by Ashoka is known as Hinyana

4^th Council @ Kashmir

• Held under the patronage of Kanishka under the chairmanship of Vasumitra
• Resulted in division of Buddhism into Hinyana & Mahayana
• Asvaghosa participated in this council & all the deliberations were made in Sanskrit

Origin of Mahayana Buddhism

• Monks around beginning of Christian era started to accept huge cash & donations & even started accepting non-vegetarian foreigners in Sangha
• Monks became more lax in day-to-day life, started accepting gold & silver, started eating non-veg food & started wearing elaborated robes
• Disciples even deserted religious order of Sangha & resumed their householder’s life; Started using Sanskrit instead of Pali & started worshipping statues of Buddha & started practicing rituals instead of his symbols.
• This new kind of Buddhism was known as Mahayana (Greater vehicle) & Hinyana (Lesser vehicle); the former believed in image worship, rituals and Bodhisattvas, (incarnations of Buddha) while the latter continued the practices of the earlier Buddhism.