The spread of Buddhism - an interesting fact about Buddhism

An interesting fact about Buddhism is its history.

Buddhism first developed in India through the teaching of Lord Gautama Buddha about 2500 years ago. His teaching is carried on in the tradition of Theravada Buddhism or the Teaching of the Elders. It is also called Hinayana Buddhism. Theravada and Hinayana are two names of the same tradition.

The life of Buddha

For 6 years the Buddha practiced austerities with single-minded devotion until he was skin and bones, a more skeleton. At length he found himself in Gaya (now in Bihar in India) and understood that extreme austerities would lead him nowhere. He had to find the middle way between luxury and austerities. He partook of some rice and milk and then refreshed, did an all right sitting meditation, resolving not to get up until he had reached his goal. And at the dawning of the morning star he became enlightened.

So the life of Buddha includes the story of Lord Gautama Buddha's enlightenment. Another interesting fact about Buddhism is the that the Buddha had to practice the middle way and forgo extremes before he became enlightened.

The Theravada Buddhism tradition is the Buddha Gautama's original teaching. It is called the Path of the Elders. It is also called Hinayana Buddhism or the lesser vehicle. This is in comparison with Mahayana Buddhism – the Greater Vehicle.

Buddhism originated in India the land of the Hindu faith. And in fact the two religions differ mainly in emphasis of certain concepts. For more on the subject please visit this page on Hinduism and Buddhism

An interesting fact about Buddhism is that it is a living seed and the Buddhist teaching has grown over the centuries under the influence of other enlightened masters. Shakyamuni Buddha – the original Siddharth Gautama – is only one of the many enlightened masters who form part of the Buddhist tradition. The Buddhist teaching grew under the influence of these other masters in North India, Tibet, China and Japan. In all these places Mahayana Buddhism took root.

Buddhism Mahayana is called the Greater Vehicle as it has many skillful means of attaining enlightenment - more than in the Theravada tradition. There are many schools of Mahayana Buddhism each with its own original method of practice. Buddhism - in fact - is not a religion or philosophy or doctrine. The original Lord Gautama Buddha’s teaching says nothing about God or the nature of the Universe or about other philosophical questions. The Mahayana Buddhist teaching as also Theravada and Zen are a method or rather many methods; they are many skillful means (upayas) for attaining enlightenment. So an interesting fact about Buddhism are the many skillful means that it has for attaining enlightenment.

Tibetian Buddhism

The entire country of Tibet embraced Buddhism. Tibet had many monks and monasteries and the common people made the Buddhist teachings a way of life.

So an interesting fact about Buddhism is the way it adapted itself and changed according to the genius and requirements of the various countries.

Buddhism in China

For it we are to take seriously this sentence that “This very mind is the Buddha,” then we need to change our attitude to the antics of the mind. No matter what we are thinking or feeling at the moment we need to observe it politely and with respect, even reverence. This is an interesting fact about Buddhism and is opposed to our commonplace ways of dealing with negative feelings.

It does not matter if you are feeling anger, rage, hatred, spite, malice, hurt, depression or any other feeling – negative or positive. It is still the Buddha mind. It does not matter if we want to murder the pope or rape a nun – it is still the Buddha mind. Observe it with respect it, be in the presence of the Buddha. Do not try to change it – it is the Buddha mind – a manifestation of God.

Paradoxically it is just this attitude that opens up the possibility of change. For when we observe mindfully - neither expressing nor repressing – we give these impulses room to play themselves out. Once they play themselves out we are then free of the impulses and it opens up the possibility of change.

So this is another interesting fact about Buddhism – just one in fact of the many skillful means (upayas) that you will find in this tradition.

So in Buddhism China History we find the lives and teachings of many inspired masters.

Zen Buddhism flourished in China in the first millenium after Christ and during part of the second. It influenced and was influenced by the peculiar Chinese genius – by the philosophy of Confucius and of Taoism. And from China Buddhism spread to Japan.

An interesting fact about Buddhism is the fact that at no time was Buddhism propogated through force of arms or war. Buddhism spread peacefully from China to Japan and from India to China and Tibet earlier.

Buddhism in Japan

Zen is unique in the sense that it has no doctrine or philosophy or teachings that can be learned from books. It stresses only experiential understanding. Zen is thought of as being the fastest way to enlightenment. Slower than it is the Mahayana teaching and slowest of all is the Theravada tradition.

In the Zen monasteries in Japan today we many skillful means to aid the student in his quest. Prominent amongst these methods in Japanese Buddhism are Zazen meditation and the Koan.

One interesting fact about Buddhism as regards Zazen is the attitude that the monk is expected to bring to it. Normally we do all tasks – including meditation – because we expect a certain result. We meditate because we want happiness peace, enlightenment and the like. This however is just grasping or craving in another form. Monks doing Zazen are for this reason instructed to do their sitting meditation practice for the sake of doing the practice. And not because they want to gain something from their practice – whether enlightenment or anything else.

The Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh encourages us in his book The Miracle of Mindfulness to wash dishes for the sake of washing dishes. Normally we regard washing dishes as a chore to be completed quickly so that we can move on to more enjoyable activities. However it we do this then – as Thich Nhat Hanh points out – we are not open to life during the time we are doing the washing. We are unable to experience the mystery of life if we wash dishes with this attitude. If we practice as Thay recommends then we will have transformed the way we live our lives, the way we perform the smallest of tasks. We will have dropped our mind and we will be open to the present moment. And in this way we will be able to truly live without grasping or craving.

It is just this attitude that monks are expected to bring to Zazen meditation.

These paradoxical methods are common to and are another interesting fact about Buddhism.

Would you like to know more about the Buddhist doctrine of salvation. Please visit this page on 5 facts Buddhism

I hope you enjoyed this article.

For more articles, new perspectives on life and useful tips to transform yourself visit this page on Buddhism

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