The time of the creation of Buddhism. The spread of early Buddhism

Time ", time emergence dates Buddhism emergence Buddhism

https: //www.site/journal/142665

Time ", time emergence rational philosophy and ethically oriented religions, when the archaic immoral religiosity of the sacralized cosmos is replaced by the religions of salvation and liberation human being... The Buddhist tradition itself recognizes two dates parinirvana (death) of the founder Buddhism- Siddhartha Gautama ... one should indulge in the "fetishism of origins" and hope that knowledge of the causes emergence Buddhism will reveal its essence for us. Moreover, we must frankly admit that ...

https: //www.site/religion/12992

Gautama - the founder Buddhism... The second is the rock edicts of Emperor Ashoka, in which the names of the sutras set forth by the Buddha himself are given. Emergence Buddhism was associated with the appearance of a number of works that later became part of the canonical code Buddhism- Tipitaki (... of them have survived to this day. According to sources and inscriptions on the bells themselves, it is possible to establish dates making some of them. In 725, a bronze bell was cast for the Sanvonsa monastery, in 745 ...

https: //www.site/religion/12381

Taking into account the Greek testimony of date the coronation of Ashoka, from 566 to 486 BC; according to the latest research by G. Bechert - from 480 to 400 BC; some directions Buddhism adhere to dates 488–368 BC). Currently Buddhism is the predominant religion in Ceylon, ... Buddhism was and remains a religion that hosts different shapes depending on where it is distributed. Questions for self-control: 1. What are the historical and social preconditions emergence Buddhism. ...

https: //www.site/religion/19889

Understand exactly how the Buddha continues the Indian mystical-ascetic tradition; he believes in "liberation in life" but refuses to give his definition. "If Buddha refuses to talk about a liberated person, it is not because he does not exist ... focusing his attention on a variety of objects. It is about kasina, who served as a support for meditation long before emergence Buddhism... They are mentioned several times in the Visuddhimagga. Subsequently, these kasina began to play an extremely important ...

https: //www..html

State, etc. - Please tell us about the changes that are taking place in Buddhism with time. Buddhism in time and history. - There is also the phenomenon of the mystical Buddhism... V.P. Mazurik. Yes, mystical Buddhism there was a rise in popularity in the first half of the 80s. XX century ... About this ... such a background, imagine what it is Buddhism and when he got to Japan. And what role he could play there and played. Officially date borrowing Buddhism, by some traditional convention, based on ...

https: //www.site/religion/12335

Wisdom cannot be described as "this, not that." Legend of Buddha Mid-1st millennium BC NS. marked by the emergence new religion - Buddhism who received wide use in India and beyond and had a tremendous influence on the ideology, culture and way of life ... Bihar) sitting under the sacred bodhi tree, Siddhartha learned "four noble truth". Teaching of Buddha Emergence teachings The first five people converted by the Buddha into new faith, became his students and formed the core ...

B Uddism is one of the most popular religions in the world! She ranks 3-4th in the list of the most common religions. Buddhism is widespread in Europe and Asia. In some countries, this religion is the main one, but somewhere it is one of the main in the list of religions preached in the state.

The history of the emergence 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, his philosophy? Let's learn more about this religion in search of answers to these questions.

Where and when did Buddhism begin

The date of the origin of Buddhism is considered to be the historical moment of Buddha's departure to another world. However, there is an opinion that it is more correct to consider the years of life of the progenitor of religion. Namely, the period of enlightenment of Gautam Buddha.

According to official information recognized by UNESCO, Buddha's parinirvana took place in 544 BC. Literally a century ago, namely in 1956, the world was lit up with a solemn celebration of the 2500th anniversary of Buddhism.

The capital of Buddhism and other countries where religion is preached

Today Buddhism is the 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 has given the world one of the largest religions. Therefore, India is rightfully called the capital of Buddhism.

In addition to India, Buddhism is preached in countries such as China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. In these countries, Buddhism is an officially recognized religion, which is ranked 1–2 on the list. They preach Buddhism in Tibet, Malaysia, Singapore. More than 1% of the inhabitants of Russia preach this religion.

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

The rise 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 is 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 is enlightened by the highest knowledge.
• Siddhartha - fulfilled his destiny.
• Shakyamuni is a sage from the Shakya tribe.

And yet the most familiar to a person who has a shallow knowledge of the foundations of this religion, the name of the founder is 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 will 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 the ruler or the Enlightened One.

Siddhartha's father, King Shuddhodana, protected the boy from worldly imperfections, illnesses and misfortunes throughout his childhood and youth. Until his twenty-nine 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 handsome young prince married the beautiful Yashodhara. The young couple had a healthy, glorious son, Rahula. They lived happily, but one day the young husband and father went out of the palace gates. There he found people worn out by disease, suffering, poverty. He saw death and realized that old age and ailments exist. He was upset by such discoveries. He realized all the futility of being. But despair did not have time to overwhelm the prince. He met a renounced monk - 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 left his family, left his father's house. He went in search of the truth.

On his way, Gautama was given severe austerities. He wandered in search of sages 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 rejection of harsh asceticism and the rejection of excessive excesses.

At the age of 35, Siddhartha Gautama attained Enlightenment and became a Buddha. From that time on, he happily shared his knowledge with people. He returned to his native places, where his loved ones were very happy with him. After listening to Buddha, the wife and son also chose the path of monasticism. Buddha found liberation and peace at the beginning of his ninth decade. He left a huge legacy - the Dharma.

How Buddhism Spread

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

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

In the spread of religion, the geography of the emergence of this religion primarily played a role. Countries where Buddhism has long been the main religion have donated this faith to neighboring states. The opportunity to travel around the world opened up acquaintance with Buddhist philosophy to people from distant countries. Today there is a lot of literature, documentary and fictional videos about this faith. But, of course, you can only really get interested in Buddhism by touching this unique culture once.

There are ethnic Buddhists in the world. These are people born in families with this religion. Many have 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 yourself. This is a personal choice for everyone. However, we can unequivocally say that the philosophy of Buddhism is an interesting area that is interesting to many from the point of view of self-development.

What is Buddhism

Summing up, I would like to note that Buddhism is a whole philosophy based on religion that originated in India before our era. The progenitor of the sacred teachings of the Dharma is the 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 Buddhist schools that are scattered across the countries. Some details of the teaching may differ depending on the school. But in general, Buddhism, Tibetan or Indian, Chinese, Thai and anyone else, carries the same ideas and truths. This philosophy is based on love, goodness, renunciation of excesses and walking 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 goodness to others. Buddhism does not limit intellectual development. On the contrary, this religion is filled with meaning, it is based on a 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. There are eight good symbols worth highlighting:

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

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

One of the most ancient world religions is Buddhism. Among the features of Buddhism, it should be noted that a person who has adopted Buddhism can simultaneously profess other religions, for example, Hinduism, Taoism, Shintoism. This feature originates from the teachings of the Vedas, important feature which had a liberal attitude towards other teachings. Despite the fact that Buddhism arose as an unorthodox school, that is, it did not recognize the authority of the Vedas, this teaching adopted many principles from the Vedas.

Buddhists are chronologically counting the existence of their religion from the time of Buddha's departure from life in this world. According to the tradition of the oldest Buddhist Theravada school, Buddha lived from 624 to 544 BC. NS.

India is the birthplace of Buddhism. Buddhism arose during the crisis of Brahmanism and belongs to unorthodox schools. Unlike brahmanism, in Buddhism, a person is perceived not through the prism of class affiliation, but through the prism of his individual qualities... Buddhism does not agree to consider the distinction between people according to varnas and castes to be legal, valid and could not, of course, recognize them by their very essence. One of the episodes of Buddhist legends eloquently speaks about this - a conversation between the beloved disciple of Buddha Ananda and Prakriti, a girl from a lower caste. According to legend, Ananda asks the girl for water; surprised, she points out to him that she belongs to a lower caste, that is, that it is impossible for him to take water from her, and Ananda answers her that he did not ask her, his sister, about the caste, but only asked for water.

It is also important that in Buddhism, women could attain enlightenment as well as men. The significance of a human being is determined by the development of his mind. In fact, in Buddhism, the idea of ​​a single person is posed, which in potential expresses ideas about the self-worth and self-sufficiency of a person.

Speaking about the very founder of the religion, Buddha, it is necessary to emphasize that Buddha is not a name that expresses the existence of a specific person, but is a state of a person in which he gains absolute enlightenment and liberation. Literally from Pali and Sanskrit word Buddha translates as enlightened, awakened... A similar ancient Indian word budha translates as wise... The name of the founder of Buddhism is Gautama. However, for the convenience of perceiving the material of the teaching, we will use the word Buddha to mean exactly Gautama. He was the son of King Shuddhodana and his wife Maya and heir to his father's authority. Prince long time lived in palace luxury. One day he went outside the palace and learned that there is a lot of grief in the world. Special attention he drew on sickness, old age and death. Then he decided to save people from suffering and began to look for ways to universal happiness. For some time he thought that asceticism, self-restraint in food would allow one to know the truth. However, when the Buddha felt physically ill, he decided that depletion of the body leads to depletion of the mind. At the age of 35, while meditating under a fig tree, Buddha became enlightened, after which he began to preach and became famous for his piety and wisdom.

Buddhism, along with Islam and Christianity, is considered a world religion. This means that it is not determined by ethnicity her followers. Any person can practice it, regardless of their race, nationality and place of residence. In this article, we will briefly review the main ideas of Buddhism.

A summary of the ideas and philosophy of Buddhism

Briefly about the history of the emergence of Buddhism

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

If we consider the emergence of Buddhism briefly, then, according to a separate category of 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 caught up with a cultural and economic crisis. Those tribal and traditional ties that existed before that time began to gradually undergo changes. It is very important that it was during that period that the formation of class relations... Many ascetics appeared, roaming the vastness of India, who formed their own vision of the world, which they shared with other people. So, in opposition to the foundations of that time, Buddhism appeared, which deserved recognition among the people.

A large number of scholars believe that the founder of Buddhism was a real man by the name Siddhartha Gautama , known as Shakyamuni Buddha ... He was born in 560 BC. in a well-to-do family of the king of the Shakya tribe. From childhood he knew neither disappointment nor need, he was surrounded by boundless luxury. And this is how Siddhartha lived his youth, unaware of the existence of disease, old age and death. The real shock for him was that he once encountered an old man, a sick man and a funeral procession while walking outside the palace. This influenced him so much that, at the age of 29, he joins a group of itinerant hermits. So he begins to search for the truth of being. Gautama tries to understand the nature of human troubles and tries to find ways to eliminate them. Realizing that an endless series of reincarnations is inevitable, if not getting rid of suffering, he tried to find answers to his questions from the sages.

After spending 6 years wandering, he tested various techniques, practiced yoga, but came to the conclusion that such methods cannot be enlightened. Effective methods he considered meditation and prayer. It was while he was spending time meditating under the Bodhi tree that he experienced enlightenment, thanks to which he found the answer to his question. After his discovery, he spent several more days at the site of a sudden insight, and then went to the valley. And they began to call him Buddha ("enlightened"). 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, refusal comfortable conditions external environment... Buddha, after spending a long time in meditation and deep reflection, mastered the method of controlling his own consciousness. In the process, he came to the conclusion that people are very attached to worldly goods, overly worried about the opinions of other people. Because of this human soul not only does not develop, but also degrades. Having achieved nirvana, one can lose this addiction.

The Inherent Four Truths Underlying Buddhism:

1. There is the concept of dukkha (suffering, anger, fear, self-flagellation and other negatively colored experiences). Everyone is under the influence of dukha 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. One can completely free oneself from dukha through the path leading to nirvana.

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

There are three main jewels in Buddhism:

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

To achieve all three gems, Buddhists have recourse to the fight against three poisons:

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

According to the ideas of Buddhism, everyone experiences both physical and mental suffering. Disease, death and even birth are suffering. But such a 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, in the center of which is God, who created the world. Buddhism is a philosophy, the principles of which we will briefly consider below. Teaching involves help in directing a person to the path of self-development and self-awareness.

In Buddhism, there is no idea that there is an eternal soul that atones for sins. However, everything that a person does and in what way will find his 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 their own karma.

In Buddhism, there are basic truths revealed by the Buddha:

1. Human life is suffering. All things are impermanent and transient. As it arises, everything must be destroyed. Existence itself is symbolized in Buddhism as a flame devouring itself, and yet fire can only bring suffering.
2. Suffering arises from desires. Man is so attached to the material aspects of existence that he is frantically hungry for life. The more this desire is, the more he will suffer.
3. Getting rid of suffering is possible only through getting rid of desires. Nirvana is a state in which a person experiences the extinction of passions and thirst. Thanks to nirvana, a feeling of bliss arises, freedom from 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 "middle", allowing you to get rid of suffering by rejecting extremes, which is something in between torturing the flesh and indulging in physical pleasures.

The eightfold path of salvation presupposes:

• 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 principle of which is human egoism;
• correct speech - it should be good, so it is worth watching your words (so that they do not ooze evil);
• right actions - one should do good deeds, refrain from non-virtuous actions;
• a correct way of life - only a worthy way of life that does not harm all living things is able to bring a person closer to deliverance from suffering;
• correct efforts - it is necessary to tune in to good, drive away all evil from yourself, carefully following the course of your thoughts;
• correct thoughts - the most important evil comes from our own flesh, getting rid of the desires of which you can get rid of suffering;
• correct concentration - the eightfold path requires constant training, concentration.

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

Directions of Buddhism

The very first who supported the Buddha's teachings began to gather in a secluded place during that period while it rained. Because they renounced any property, they were called bhiksa - "beggars." They shaved their heads bald, dressed in rags (mostly yellow color) and moved from place to place. Their life was unusually ascetic. In the rain, they hid in caves. They were usually buried where they lived, and a stupa (dome-shaped crypt structures) was erected on the site of their graves. Their entrances were made deafly walled up and buildings for various purposes were erected around the stupas.

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

Can be distinguished three main philosophical schools of Buddhism , formed in different periods of the existence of the doctrine:

1. Hinayana... The monk is considered the main ideal of the direction - only he can get rid of reincarnations. There is no pantheon of saints who could intercede for a person, there are no rituals, the concept of hell and heaven, religious sculptures, icons. Everything that happens to a person is the result of his actions, thoughts and lifestyle.
2. Mahayana... Even a layman (of course, if he is pious), on a par with a monk, can achieve salvation. The institution of bodhisattvas appears, who are saints who help people on the path of their salvation. The concept of paradise, 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 a person's life is suffering and one should strive to get rid of it. This teaching continues to spread confidently across the planet, gaining more and more adherents.

According to Buddhist myofolgia, During many kalpas (1 kalpa is a period of time equal to 24,000 “divine” years or 8,640,000,000 human years) Buddha was reborn on earth in the form of different living beings - 83 times as a saint, 58 times as a king, 24 times as a monk, 18 times as a monkey, 13 times as a merchant, 12 times as a chicken, 8 times as a goose, 6 times as an elephant, as well as a fish, a rat, a carpenter, a blacksmith, a frog, a hare, etc. There were 550 such rebirths in total.

Since the world had plunged into the darkness of ignorance during this time, the gods considered that it was time for him to be born in the form of a man, to achieve enlightenment during his lifetime, to become a Buddha, to start preaching his teachings, to show humanity the way to salvation. And so it happened. You can read about his earthly life here.

At the age of 80, the Buddha died, according to tradition, in the town of Kushinagara. His body was burned in accordance with the customs of the people of India, and the ashes were divided among eight of his followers, six of whom were sent by the monastic communities. All those who received the ashes buried it and erected a grave pyramid (stupa) over their own part. The cult of stupas in different architectural versions is still widespread in all countries of the Buddhist world.

Soon after the death, or parinirvana of the Buddha, five hundred monks met at the council in Rajagrha. Upali recited, as he remembered, the code of monastic laws (Vinaya). Ananda, Buddha's cousin, friend and beloved disciple, and a man with an amazing memory, quoted the Buddha's teachings (sutras). The monks discussed the details and voted on the final versions. Other monks memorized them in order to later translate them into many languages ​​of the Indian plains. It should be noted that Buddhism remained an oral tradition for two hundred years after the first council for the simple reason that there was no alphabet in India at that time.

Over the next few centuries, the original unity of Buddhism began to disintegrate. The most significant split occurred after the second council, held in Vesali 100 years after the first. After a debate between the conservatives and the more liberal group, the latter called themselves “mahasangha” (Great Sangha). Later, they eventually developed into the North Asian tradition of the Mahayana.

Traditionalists now called Sthaviravada(the path of the elders) - or, in Pali, Theravada, developed a complex of philosophical ideas in addition to those that were preached by the Buddha. They were collected in the Abhidharma ("higher" or "high" teachings). But these philosophical ideas, in turn, provoked the emergence of disagreements, in connection with which one group after another broke away from the Conservatives. In the end, from these groups 18 schools were formed, each of which interpreted some parts of the teaching in its own way. These schools spread throughout India and South Asia. Today, only the school that grew out of the Sri Lankan Theravadins has survived.

Ashoka

One of the most significant events in the history of Buddhism was the meeting of the monk Nigrodha and the emperor Ashok Maruya. Ashoka was deeply alarmed after the suppression of the revolt in the province of Kalinga. Nigrodha, who was met by Emperor Ashoka, convinced him to devote himself to peace. On his instructions, thousands of stone columns were erected, on which the words of the Buddha were carved in the new Brahmi language - these were the first written evidence of Buddhism. The third council of monks was held in Pataliputra, the capital of the Ashoka empire.

There is a story about a poor boy who had nothing to give the Buddha as a gift. He collected a handful of dust and innocently presented it. The Buddha smiled and accepted her with the same gratitude with which he accepted gifts from prosperous devotees. This boy is said to have been reborn as Emperor Ashoka.

Ashoka sent missionaries throughout India and beyond. Some made it to Egypt, Palestine and Greece. Saint Origen even mentions that they made it to Britain. Greeks from one of the Alexandrian kingdoms in northern India converted to Buddhism after their king Menandros (Pali: Milinda) was orated by a Buddhist monk named Nagasena - their conversation became immortal, being recorded in Milinda Pacha. A Kushan king from northern India named Kanishka was also converted, and at a council held in about 100 AD in Kashmir, Greek Buddhists wrote down the teachings on copper plates, which, unfortunately, were irretrievably lost.

Interestingly, there is a saint in Orthodox Christianity named Josaphat, who was the Indian king. His story is essentially the story of the Buddha. It is believed that Josaphat is a distorted word for "bodhisattva."

Sri Lanka and Theravada

One of his sons, Mahindu, and one of his daughters, named Sanghamitta, a monk and nun, to Sri Lanka (Ceylon) around 240 BC. They were greeted by the King of Sri Lanka, Devanampiyatissa, and then converted to Buddhism. One of the gifts they brought with them was a branch from the Bodhi tree that took root successfully. Her descendants are still growing on the island.

The fourth council was held in Sri Lanka at the Aloka cave in the first century BC. Also at this time, a complete set of sutras was written in the Pali language on palm leaves. This became the Pali canon of Theravada, from which so much Buddhist knowledge originated. They are also called Tripitaka (Pali: Tipitaka) - Three baskets, or three sections of the teaching: Vinaya Pitaka (monastic zona), Sutta Pitaka (words of the Buddha) and Abhidamma Pitaka (philosophical commentaries).

It can be said absolutely firmly that the Sri Lankan monks are credited with preserving the Theravada tradition. Although it is said to have spread from India throughout Southeast Asia, it almost perished in competition with Hinduism and Islam, as well as in war and colonization. The Theravada monks spread this tradition from Sri Lanka to Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos, and from these countries to Europe and the West in general.

Mahayana

The Mahayana appeared in the first century AD as a continuation of the Mahasangha rebellion. Their more liberal attitude towards monastic traditions allowed ordinary society to gain a greater voice in the nature of Buddhism. For good or not, it was easier for the Mahayanists to meet the simpler demands of the common people. For example, people are used to heroes and gods. This is how the doctrine of Trikaya (three bodies) arose: not only the Buddha lived, who attained Enlightenment, he is also represented by various god-like Buddhas in many heavens, just like the Dharma itself, and Shunyata (emptiness), and Buddha Consciousness, depending on interpretations are a kind of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

More important, however, was the increasing importance of the Bodhisattva. A Bodhisattva is one who attains Enlightenment but chooses to remain in this world or Sansara in order to lead others to Enlightenment. He looks a lot like a saint or spiritual hero.

Along with new ideas came new scriptures. They are also called sutras and for this reason are attributed to the Buddha himself, sometimes to special transmissions that the Buddha supposedly found too difficult for his original listeners and therefore hid in anticipation of better times. The most significant of these sutras were:

Prajnaparamita, or Perfection in Wisdom, is a vast collection of frequent esoteric texts, including the famous Heart and Diamond Sutras. The first known print is actually a copy of the Diamond Sutra, printed in China in 868 CE.

Saddharma- The Pundarika Sutra, the White Lotus of the True Dharma, is also largely esoteric, includes Avalokiteshvara - a sutra, a prayer to this Bodhisattva.

Vimalakirti- Nirdesa, or Vimalakirti's narration, are teachings and stories about the enlightened homeowner Vimalakirti.

Shurangama- Samadhi, or Hero's sutra, provides a guide to concepts such as meditation, shunyata and bodhisattva. Most popular among Zen Buddhists.

Sukhavati- vyuha or Pure Land Sutra - this is the most important sutra among Buddhist schools of the pure land. Buddha tells Ananda about Amitab and his Pure Land, or Heaven, and how to reincarnate there.

There are many, many others. So Mahayana is based on two new philosophical interpretations of Buddhism: Madhyamika and Yogachara.

Madhyamika
Madhyamika means “middle way” (“middle way”). You may remember that Buddha himself called his path the middle path in his very first sermon. At the time, he meant that he was the middle between rival schools of thought - eternalism and annihilationism, that is, the belief that the soul is eternal and that at the moment of death the soul disappears. In the book Mulamadhyamik - a caric, written in 150 BC. An Indian monk named Nagarjuna expanded on this idea by creating a philosophy that is known as Madhyamika.

Basically based on logical arguments, he concludes that nothing is absolute, that everything is relative, that nothing exists by itself, that everything is interdependent. All systems, starting with the idea that every single thing (object) is just it and nothing else (Aristotle's law of the excluded middle), come to the fact that they contradict themselves. Meticulous logic leads a person away from all systems to the concept of shunyata.

Shunyata means “ emptiness“. This does not mean that nothing exists, it means that nothing exists either in itself or by itself, but only as a part of the universal web of being. This will become the central concept of all branches of the Mahayana. Of course, this is in reality a confirmation of the central Buddhist concepts of atman, anitya, dukkha.

Yogachara
The second philosophical invention, yogachara, belongs to two brothers, Asanga and Vasubandhu, who lived in India in 300 AD. They perfected early movements towards the philosophy of idealism, or chitta matra. Chitta matra literally means consciousness only. Asanga and Vasubandhu believed that all that exists is just the mind or consciousness. What we usually think of as physical things are just projections of our consciousnesses, illusions and hallucinations. To get rid of them, it is necessary to meditate, which in the Yogachara school meant to create pure consciousness free of any content. In this way, we leave our separate minds, mired in illusions, and join the universal mind, or the consciousness of the Buddha.

Tantra and Vajrayana
Already at the beginning of the 1st millennium A.D. NS. from the Mahayana, the Vajrayana ("diamond chariot") is separated, which soon becomes the third main direction in Buddhism. Another name for this trend - tantric Buddhism comes from the word "tantra", which has many meanings in Sanskrit, including "secret knowledge", "intricacies", "flow", "continuity". Probably, the combination of these meanings can help in understanding what a secret esoteric teaching in combination with ritual practice is, kept secret from the uninitiated by its followers for centuries.

The last invention was less philosophical and more practical: tantra. Tantra refers to scriptures that focus not on philosophical research, but on practical tips on the path to enlightenment, not just on enlightenment through several rebirths, but on "enlightenment here and now!"

To accomplish this feat requires dramatic methods that may seem rather strange to the uninitiated. Tantra is the realm of siddhu, an adept is someone who knows the secrets, a magician in the sense of the ways [of gaining] Enlightenment. There are many techniques used in Tantra, including the well-known mandalas, mantras and mudras. Mandalas are drawings or other representations of higher knowledge, usually in the form of a circular set of images that can provide a focus (goal) for one-directional meditation. Mantras are words or phrases that can serve the same purpose, such as the famous “om mnai padme hum”. Mudras are hand positions that symbolize certain qualities of enlightenment.

According to tantric theory, the main ritual action should affect three aspects of a living being: body, speech and thought.

Less well known are the yidams. A yidam is an image of a youth or a goddess, or other spiritual being, which is represented physically or, more often, is clearly represented by the eyes of the mind. Again, they represent the archetypal qualities of enlightenment, and one-pointed meditation on these complex images leads the adept towards his or her goal.

These ideas had a huge impact on the Mahayana, and they were not without criticism. But at the same time: Madhyamika is sometimes criticized for playing on words, Yogachara for the next introduction [of the concept] of atman, the eternal soul or essence, into Buddhism. Tantra is the most frequently criticized, especially for its emphasis on secret methods and strong adherence to the guru. However, these inventions sparked a new flurry of activity in the first half of the millennium and laid the foundation for the types of Buddhism that can be found in China, Tibet, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other countries in East Asia.

About the concept of Kalachakra
Its essence is in the interconnection and interdependence of the universe and man. As everything that happens in the universe affects a person, so everything that happens in a person, his psyche and body, is capable, according to this concept, to affect the universe. That is why it is so important for each person to realize their place in the universe and a sense of responsibility for everything that happens in it. Kalachakra it is also a “wheel of time” in its cyclical perception, which encompasses small 12-year cycles combined into larger time units - 60-year cycles.

China
The legend tells how Chinese emperor Ming Ti had a dream and sent his agents to the Silk Road - the ancient road that linked China to the West - in order to understand its significance. The agents returned with a picture of the Buddha and a copy of the sutras in forty-two parts. This sutra became in 68 AD. the first sutra translated into Chinese. It is believed that the first of China's Buddhist communities was located in Loyang. It was founded by "foreigners" in 150 AD, during the Han dynasty. By 589, the number of Buddhist monks and nuns had increased to two million.

In fact, there were three competing lines of thought in China - Confucianism, Taoism and folk religion It should be borne in mind that Confucianism and Taoism are no less complex than Buddhism. Although these different streams sometimes competed with each other, at the same time, they nourished each other, enriched each other and intertwined with each other. Over time, the Indian Mahayana became Chinese, and then Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese.

Chronology of the further spread of Buddhism
In the IV century. Buddhism penetrates Korea, in the 6th century - to Japan, in the 7th century - to Tibet, from the 13th to the 16th centuries - to Mongolia, in the 17th - 18th centuries - to Buryatia and Tuva. In the countries of the Indochina Peninsula (Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand) and further - in the island part of the South East Asia- Buddhism began to gain positions starting from the II century, and by the VIII-IX centuries. already very good at it. At the end of the XIX - beginning of the XX century. it penetrates Europe and America.

Tibet
Tibet first met Buddhism in the 700s, when the tantric master Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) came from India and defeated the demons. Demons were subdued, but forever remained part of the Tibetan Buddhism- as his defenders!

Buddha in his teachings never rejected the gods of other religions and did not forbid them to pray. He simply explained that this can give some kind of temporary relief, but in no way bring a person closer to the ultimate goal - enlightenment, nirvana, salvation. That is why a significant number of the gods of pre-Buddhist India immediately entered the pantheon of the gods of Buddhism. This is the creator of the world
Brahma; the god of thunder and lightning Indra, the personification of the energy that makes the world comfortable, Vishnu; the leader of the lower deities with the body of a man and the head of an elephant, Ganesha; the demigods of the Gandharvas, the guardians of the cardinal points of the Lokapala, etc. In parallel, the process of mythologization was going on
real historical figures who played important role in the creation and dissemination of teachings. First of all, this concerns the Buddha Shakyamuni himself and his closest disciples. Soon they were joined by the abbots of the most significant monasteries, teachers of the faith, hermits, etc.

In the 800s - 900s came to Tibet “ Dark times”, Buddhism fell into decay. But in the 1000s, it revived vigorously. In 1578, the Mongol rulers named the head of the Gelug school "Dalai Lama", which means "great as an ocean." It is noted that the fifth Dalai Lama established religious and political control over Tibet.

As you know, the lineage of the Dalai Lamas continues to this day.

Buddhism today
Buddhism- the oldest of the three world religions. Christianity is five years younger than him, and Islam is twelve centuries younger. The bulk of his followers live in the countries of South, Southeast and East Asia: Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bhutan, China (as well as the Chinese population of Singapore and Malaysia), Mongolia, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma ), Thailand, Laos. In our country, Buddhism is traditionally practiced by the inhabitants of Buryatia, Kalmykia, Tuva, and in last years Buddhist communities arose in Moscow, St. Petersburg and in all large cities Russia. From the end of the XIX - beginning of the XX century. followers of Buddhism appeared in the countries of Europe and in the USA: today almost all significant directions and schools existing in the East are represented there. It is difficult to determine the total number of Buddhists in the world: such censuses have not been conducted anywhere, and they contradict the ethical and legal norms of many countries. However, it can be said very roughly that in the world today there are about 400 million lay people professing Buddhism, and about 1 million monks and nuns.

Literature Snelling, John (1991). The Buddhist Handbook. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion (1994). Boston: Shambhala, The Encyclopaedia Britannica CD (1998). Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica. Dr. C. George Boeree, Shippensburg University - History of buddhism

doctor east Sciences Zhukovskaya N.P., Doctor of History Sciences Kornev V.I: BUDDHISM AS A CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL PHENOMENON