Early Buddhism
Siddhartha Gautama (536 B.C.E- 438 B.C.E) - The founder of Buddhism - He comes from Kshatriya Family - He gave up his position and inheritance in order to seek salvation - Born in a small tribal state governed by his father in the footsteps of Himalayas - His father don't wants him to face miseries ,so he spent his childhood in palaces and parks - He married his cousin - He excelled in the programs in studies that would prepare him to succeed in his father's as governor - One day, when he was riding he saw a old man suffering,so he asked the chariot driver about it and he told him that human being suffer from old ages. - Gautama noticed a Monk walking by foot in a distinctive dress - He followed his and found about the human suffering Gautama's Search for enlightenment - About 534 B.C.E. Siddhartha felt his family and lead the existence of a hold man - He wandered around the Ganges valley and finally started mediating under the Bo tree in Bodh Gaya - He mediated for 49 day, during the mediation he faced many difficultly - At at the end of the last day of his mediation he became a the Buddha "The enlightened one" - The Buddha and His Followers - Buddha announced his doctrine " Turning of the wheel of the Law" in 528 B.C.E. - The law of righteousness - He organized a community of monks who only owned their yellow robes and begging bowls - For 40 years he lead his disciples though Northern India in hope of bringing spiritual enlightenment to others - About 483 B.C.E., at an age of 80 years he died Buddhist Doctrine: The Dharma - Four Noble Truths - All life involves suffering - The desire in the cause of suffering - The elimination of desire brings an end to suffering - The noble eight fold path brings the elimination of suffering (eight fold path calls for a individual to lead a balance and moderate life) - The eight fold path includes right belief, right resolve, right speech, right behavior, right occupation, right effort, right contemplation, and right mediation - They believed in incarnation to achieve nirvana Appeal of Buddhism - Appealed strongly in the members of lower castes - Appealed to women that all souls are considered equal - Accepted that merchant had a role in faith - Less demanding than Jainism, but more popular - Reasons for Buddhism to became popular - They spoke the language of people not like Sanskrit - They had holy sites to visit that Buddha traveled - From the Mauryan, Ashoka became a devotee Buddhist - He gave the Buddhist lots of land - Helped people to convert into Buddhism Spread of Buddhism - Started from India to East Asia along the Silk Road - Some of his later followers started to worship him as god |