Information about Tibetan Buddhism
Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan regions which include northern Nepal, Bhutan, India (Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Sikkim), Mongolia, Russia (Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva) and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). It includes the teachings of the three vehicles (or yanas in Sanskrit) of Buddhism: Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana (sometimes called Tantrayana).
The invasion and occupation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China in 1959, which resulted in the Tibetan diaspora, eventually led to the spread of Tibetan Buddhism to many Western countries where the tradition has gained great popularity. In the past, Tibetan Buddhism was referred to by some westerners as "Lamaism" but this is now considered by many to be based on a misunderstanding of the practice of guru devotion ('guru' is the Sanskrit equivalent of the Tibetan word 'lama' which means 'spiritual teacher') in Tibetan.
Buddhahood is defined as a state of omniscience (sarvajñä) that is freedom from the obstructions to liberation (or negative states of mind such as ignorance, hatred and desirous attachment) and the obstructions to omniscience (which are the imprints or 'stains' of delusions imagining inherent existence). When one is freed from mental obscurations one is said to attain a state of continuous bliss mixed with a simultaneous cognition of the true nature of reality, where all limitations on one's ability to help all other living beings are removed. This includes the attainment of omniscience - that is the removal of all obstructions to knowing all phenomena (or seeing the empty nature of each phenomena as well as each of their relative characteristics). From the perspective of Tibetan Buddhism, when one conceives of a particular object the mind gives rise to the appearance of that object. In perceiving the empty nature of all phenomena as well as each of their relative characteristics, one becomes both omniscient and omnipresent.
There are said to be countless beings that have attained Buddhahood, or countless Buddhas. Buddhas spontaneously, naturally and continuously perform activities to benefit all sentient beings. However it is believed that sentient beings' karma (or 'actions') limit the ability of the Buddhas to help them. Thus, although Buddhas possess no limitation from their side on their ability to help others, sentient beings continue to experience suffering as a result of the limitations of their own former negative actions.
There is also an ecumenical movement known as Rime (alternative spelling:Rimed).
The Bön religion, which predated Buddhism in Tibet, has now been formally honoured by the Dalai Lama as the fifth religious tradition of Tibet. Bön practitioners honour Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche as their founder instead of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Two belong to the older Hinayana path (Skt. for Lesser Vehicle, Tib. theg dman). (Hinayana is sometimes referred to as Śravakayāna (Skt. Vehicle of Hearers) because "lesser" may be considered derogatory):
The other two are Mahayana (Skt. Greater Vehicle) (Tib. theg-chen):
It is not clear, if these four streams ever actually existed as distinct traditions in India or if this classification was introduced by Tibetan Scholars only after the transmission to Tibet.
The tenet system is used in the monasteries and colleges to teach buddhist philosophy in a systematic and progressive fashion, each philosophical view being more subtle than its predecessor. Therein the four schools can be seen as a gradual path from a rather easy to grasp, "realistic" philosophical point of view to more and more complex and more subtle views on the ultimate nature of reality, that is on emptiness and dependent arising, culminating in the philosophy of the Madhyamikas, which is widely believed to present the most sophisticated point of view.
Although there were many householder-yogis in Tibet, monasticism was the foundation of Buddhism in Tibet. It is estimated that in the period from the 16th century through to the Chinese invasion in 1959 as much as 25% of the population of Tibet were monks
. There were thousands of monasteries in Tibet, and nearly all were ransacked and destoyed by the Chinese communists, mainly during the cultural revolution. Most of the major ones have been at least partially re-established.
In Mongolia during the 1920s approximately one third of the male population were monks, though many lived outside monasteries. These monasteries were largely dismantled during Communist rule, but many have been reestablished with the Buddhist revival in Mongolia following the fall of Communism.
Monasteries generally adhere to one particular school. Some of the major centers in each tradition are as follows:
Many Kagyu monasteries are in Kham, eastern Tibet. Tsurphu, one of the most important, is in central Tibet, as is Ralung.
The earliest well-documented influence of Buddhism in Tibet dates from the reign of king Songtsän Gampo, who died in 650. He married a Chinese Buddhist princess, Wencheng. According to a Tibetan legendary tradition, he also married a Nepalese Buddhist princess, Bhrikuti; but Bhrikuti, who bears the name of a goddess, is not mentioned in reliable sources. Songtsän Gampo founded the first Buddhist temples. By the second half of the 8th century he was already regarded as an embodiment of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.[2]
The successors of Songtsän Gampo seem to have been less enthusiastic about the propagation of Buddhism. But in the 8th century, emperor Trisong Detsen (755-797) established Buddhism as the official religion of the state.[3] He invited Indian Buddhist scholars to his court. In his age the famous tantric mystic Padmasambhava arrived in Tibet according to the Tibetan tradition. It was Padmasambhava (more commonly known in the region as Guru Rinpoche) who merged tantric Buddhism with the local Bön religion to form what we now recognize as Tibetan Buddhism. In addition to writing a number of important scriptures (some of which he hid for future tertons to find), Padmasambhava established the Nyingma school from which all schools of Tibetan Buddhism are derived.
Tibetan Buddhism exerted a strong influence from the 11th century AD among the peoples of Central Asia, especially in Mongolia and Manchuria. It was adopted as an official state religion by the Mongol Yuan dynasty and the Manchu Qing dynasty that ruled China.
Tibetan King Khri srong lde btsan (742–797) invited the Ch’an master Mo-ho-yen (whose name consists of the same Chinese characters used to transliterate “Mahayana”) to transmit the Dharma at Samye Monastery. Mo-ho-yen had been disseminating Dharma in the Tun-huang locale, but lost an important philosophical debate on the nature of emptiness from the Indian master Kamalashila, and the king declared Kamalashila's philosophy should form the basis for Tibetan Buddhism.[6]
Today, Tibetan Buddhism is adhered to widely in the Tibetan Plateau, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia, Kalmykia (on the north-east shore of the Caspian), Siberia (central Russia, specifically Buryatia and Chita Oblast), and the Russian Far East (concentrated in Tyva). In the wake of the Tibetan diaspora, Tibetan Buddhism has gained adherents in the West and throughout the world; there are estimated to be tens of thousands of practitioners in Europe and the Americas. Western celebrity Tibetan Buddhism practitioners include Richard Gere, Adam Yauch, Allen Ginsberg; Philip Glass, and Steven Seagal (who has been proclaimed a tulku).[7]
..... Click the link for more information.
A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists.
..... Click the link for more information.
The invasion and occupation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China in 1959, which resulted in the Tibetan diaspora, eventually led to the spread of Tibetan Buddhism to many Western countries where the tradition has gained great popularity. In the past, Tibetan Buddhism was referred to by some westerners as "Lamaism" but this is now considered by many to be based on a misunderstanding of the practice of guru devotion ('guru' is the Sanskrit equivalent of the Tibetan word 'lama' which means 'spiritual teacher') in Tibetan.
Introduction
Tibetan Buddhism is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition, meaning that the goal of all practice is to achieve enlightenment (or Buddhahood), as opposed to mere personal liberation, in order to help all other sentient beings attain this state. The motivation for Mahayana practice is Bodhicitta (a Sanskrit word meaning 'mind of enlightenment') --the altruistic intention to become enlightened for the sake of all sentient beings.Buddhahood is defined as a state of omniscience (sarvajñä) that is freedom from the obstructions to liberation (or negative states of mind such as ignorance, hatred and desirous attachment) and the obstructions to omniscience (which are the imprints or 'stains' of delusions imagining inherent existence). When one is freed from mental obscurations one is said to attain a state of continuous bliss mixed with a simultaneous cognition of the true nature of reality, where all limitations on one's ability to help all other living beings are removed. This includes the attainment of omniscience - that is the removal of all obstructions to knowing all phenomena (or seeing the empty nature of each phenomena as well as each of their relative characteristics). From the perspective of Tibetan Buddhism, when one conceives of a particular object the mind gives rise to the appearance of that object. In perceiving the empty nature of all phenomena as well as each of their relative characteristics, one becomes both omniscient and omnipresent.
There are said to be countless beings that have attained Buddhahood, or countless Buddhas. Buddhas spontaneously, naturally and continuously perform activities to benefit all sentient beings. However it is believed that sentient beings' karma (or 'actions') limit the ability of the Buddhas to help them. Thus, although Buddhas possess no limitation from their side on their ability to help others, sentient beings continue to experience suffering as a result of the limitations of their own former negative actions.
Vajrayana
Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism encompasses Vajrayana (a Sanskrit word that is a conjunction of vajra which may be translated as diamond, thunder or indestructible and yana or vehicle). It is said that Vajrayana practice is the fastest method for attaining Buddhahood, however this is only the case for advanced practitioners who have a solid and reliable grounding in the preliminary practices (which may be categorized as renunciation, Bodhicitta and Wisdom - specifically, the wisdom realizing emptiness). For practitioners who are not qualified, Vajrayana practice is in fact dangerous, and will only lead to suffering if it is not practiced with the pure motivation of Bodhicitta. For this reason also, Vajrayana should only ever be practiced after receiving an appropriate initiation (also known as an empowerment) from a qualified lama.Schools of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism has four main traditions (the suffix pa is comparable to "er" in English):)
Founder of Tibetan Buddhism: Guru Rinpoche - Padmasambhava
- Nyingma(pa), The Ancient Ones, the oldest and original order founded by Padmasambhava, a Tibetan master, and relies on very early esoteric scriptures known as tantras. In this school there is a good deal of emphasis placed on meditation.
- Kagyu(pa), Oral Lineage, has one major subsect and one minor subsect. The first, the Dagpo Kagyu, encompasses those Kagyu schools that trace back to Gampopa. In turn, the Dagpo Kagyu consists of four major sub-sects: the Karma Kagyu, headed by the Karmapa, the Tsalpa Kagyu, the Barom Kagyu, and Pagtru Kagyu; as well as eight minor sub-sects, all of which trace their root to Pagtru Kagyu. Among the eight sub-sects the most notable of are the Drikung Kagyu and the Drukpa Kagyu. The once-obscure Shangpa Kagyu, which was famously represented by the 20th century teacher Kalu Rinpoche, traces its history back to the Indian master Niguma, sister of Kagyu lineage holder Naropa. This is an oral tradition which is very much concerned with the experiential dimension of meditation. Its most famous exponent was Milarepa, an eleventh century mystic who meditated for many years in mountain caves before eventually reaching enlightenment.
- Sakya(pa), Grey Earth, headed by the Sakya Trizin, founded by Khon Konchog Gyalpo, a disciple of the great translator Drokmi Lotsawa. Sakya Pandita 1182–1251CE was the great grand-son of Khon Konchog Gyalpo. This school very much represents the scholarly tradition.
)
Statue of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelugpa Sect, on the altar in His Temple (His birth place) in Kumbum Monastery, near Xining, Qinghai (Amdo), China. Foto by writer Mario Biondi, july 7, 2006
- Gelug(pa), Way of Virtue, also known as Yellow Hats, whose spiritual head is the Ganden Tripa and whose temporal head is the Dalai Lama, who was ruler of Tibet from the mid-17th to mid-20th centuries. It was founded in the 14th to 15th century by Je Tsongkhapa, based on the foundations of the Kadampa tradition. Tsongkhapa was renowned for both his scholasticism and his virtue. The Dalai Lama belongs to the Gelukpa school and is regarded as the embodiment of Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion (the equivalent of Avalokitesvara).
Red Hat and Yellow Hat Sects, Ka'ma and Sarma traditions
The schools are sometimes divided into the "Old Translation", or Nyingma, and "New Translation" (Sarma) traditions, with the Kagyu, Sakya and Kadam/Gelug among the latter. They are also sometimes classified as "Red Hat" and "Yellow Hat" schools, with the Nyingma, Kagyu and Sakya among the former and the Gelug comprising the latter. The terms "Old Translation" and "New Translation" particularly designate translations and lineages of various Tantric texts.Bön, Minor Schools, and Movements
Besides the above main schools, there are a number of minor ones like Jonang, Zhije, Bodong and Buton. The Jonangpa were suppressed by the rival Gelukpa in the 1600s and were once thought extinct, but are now known to survive in Eastern Tibet.There is also an ecumenical movement known as Rime (alternative spelling:Rimed).
The Bön religion, which predated Buddhism in Tibet, has now been formally honoured by the Dalai Lama as the fifth religious tradition of Tibet. Bön practitioners honour Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche as their founder instead of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Study of tenet systems in Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhists divide Buddhist philosophy as transmitted from India into four main streams of philosophical tenets:Two belong to the older Hinayana path (Skt. for Lesser Vehicle, Tib. theg dman). (Hinayana is sometimes referred to as Śravakayāna (Skt. Vehicle of Hearers) because "lesser" may be considered derogatory):
- Vaibhasika (Tib. bye-brag smra-ba)
- Sautrantika (Tib. mdo-sde-pa)
The other two are Mahayana (Skt. Greater Vehicle) (Tib. theg-chen):
- Yogacara, also called Cittamatra (Tib. sems-tsam-pa), Mind-Only
- Madhyamaka (Tib. dbu-ma-pa)
It is not clear, if these four streams ever actually existed as distinct traditions in India or if this classification was introduced by Tibetan Scholars only after the transmission to Tibet.
The tenet system is used in the monasteries and colleges to teach buddhist philosophy in a systematic and progressive fashion, each philosophical view being more subtle than its predecessor. Therein the four schools can be seen as a gradual path from a rather easy to grasp, "realistic" philosophical point of view to more and more complex and more subtle views on the ultimate nature of reality, that is on emptiness and dependent arising, culminating in the philosophy of the Madhyamikas, which is widely believed to present the most sophisticated point of view.
Monasticism
)
Lamayuru monastery.
In Mongolia during the 1920s approximately one third of the male population were monks, though many lived outside monasteries. These monasteries were largely dismantled during Communist rule, but many have been reestablished with the Buddhist revival in Mongolia following the fall of Communism.
Monasteries generally adhere to one particular school. Some of the major centers in each tradition are as follows:
Nyingma
The Nyingma lineage is said to have "six mother monasteries," although the composition of the six has changed over time:- Dorje Drak
- Dzogchen
- Kathok
- Mindroling
- Palyul
- Shechen
- Samye — the first monastery in Tibet, established by Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita
Kagyu
)
- Palpung Monastery — the seat of the Tai Situpa and Jamgon Kongtrul
- Ralung Monastery -- the seat of the Gyalwang Drukpa
- Surmang Monastery — the seat of the Trungpa tülkus
- Tsurphu Monastery — the seat of H.H. the Gyalwa Karmapa
Sakya
- Sakya Monastery — the seat of H.H. the Sakya Trizin
Gelug
The three most important centers of the Gelugpa lineage are Ganden, Sera and Drepung Monasteries.- Ganden Monastery — the seat of the Ganden Tripa
- Drepung Monastery — the home monastery of the Dalai Lama
- Sera Monastery — the largest monastery in Tibet, containing numerous colleges
- Tashi Lhunpo Monastery — the seat of the Panchen Lama
- Jokhang Temple/Monastery — said to have been built by King Songtsen Gampo in 647 AD, a major pilgrimage site
History of Tibetan Buddhism
According to a Tibetan legendary tradition, Buddhist scriptures (among them the Karandavyuha Sutra) and relics (among them the Cintamani) arrived in southern Tibet during the reign of Lha Thothori Nyantsen, the 28th "king of Tibet" (fifth century), who was probably just a local chief in the Yarlung valley. The tale is miraculous (the objects fell from the sky on the roof of the king's palace), but it may have an historical background (arrival of Buddhist missionaries).[1]The earliest well-documented influence of Buddhism in Tibet dates from the reign of king Songtsän Gampo, who died in 650. He married a Chinese Buddhist princess, Wencheng. According to a Tibetan legendary tradition, he also married a Nepalese Buddhist princess, Bhrikuti; but Bhrikuti, who bears the name of a goddess, is not mentioned in reliable sources. Songtsän Gampo founded the first Buddhist temples. By the second half of the 8th century he was already regarded as an embodiment of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.[2]
The successors of Songtsän Gampo seem to have been less enthusiastic about the propagation of Buddhism. But in the 8th century, emperor Trisong Detsen (755-797) established Buddhism as the official religion of the state.[3] He invited Indian Buddhist scholars to his court. In his age the famous tantric mystic Padmasambhava arrived in Tibet according to the Tibetan tradition. It was Padmasambhava (more commonly known in the region as Guru Rinpoche) who merged tantric Buddhism with the local Bön religion to form what we now recognize as Tibetan Buddhism. In addition to writing a number of important scriptures (some of which he hid for future tertons to find), Padmasambhava established the Nyingma school from which all schools of Tibetan Buddhism are derived.
Tibetan Buddhism exerted a strong influence from the 11th century AD among the peoples of Central Asia, especially in Mongolia and Manchuria. It was adopted as an official state religion by the Mongol Yuan dynasty and the Manchu Qing dynasty that ruled China.
Transmission of Ch'an to the Nyingmapa
Chinese Ch'an Buddhism was introduced to the Nyingmapa in three principal streams: the teachings of Master Kim, Kim Ho-shang, (Chin ho shang) 金和尚 transmitted by Sang Shi[4] in c750 CE; the lineage of Master Wu Chu, 無住 of the Pao T'ang School was transmitted within Tibet by Ye shes dbang po; and the teaching from Mo Ho Yen, 和尚摩訶衍 (Tibetan: Hwa shang Mahayana) that were a synthesis of the Northern School of Ch'an and the Pao T'ang School.[5]Tibetan King Khri srong lde btsan (742–797) invited the Ch’an master Mo-ho-yen (whose name consists of the same Chinese characters used to transliterate “Mahayana”) to transmit the Dharma at Samye Monastery. Mo-ho-yen had been disseminating Dharma in the Tun-huang locale, but lost an important philosophical debate on the nature of emptiness from the Indian master Kamalashila, and the king declared Kamalashila's philosophy should form the basis for Tibetan Buddhism.[6]
Tibetan Buddhism in the contemporary world
)
The statue of Buddha in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
See also
- Organizations
References
1. ^ Studholme, Alexander: The Origins of Om Manipadme Hum, Albany, NY 2002, p. 14.
2. ^ Macdonald, Alexander: Religion in Tibet at the time of Srong-btsan sgam-po: myth as history, in: The History of Tibet, ed. Alex McKay, Vol. 1, London 2003, p. 354-363 (for the queens see p. 355); Dargyay, Eva: Srong-btsan sgam-po of Tibet: Bodhisattva and king, in: The History of Tibet, ed. Alex McKay, Vol. 1, London 2003, p. 364-378 (for the queens see p. 373).
3. ^ Beckwith, C.I.: The revolt of 755 in Tibet, in: The History of Tibet, ed. Alex McKay, Vol. 1, London 2003, p. 273-285 (discusses the political background and the motives of the ruler).
4. ^ Sang Shi later became an abbot of Samye Monastery.
5. ^ Barber, A. W.(1990). The Unifying of Rdzogs Pa Chen Po and Ch'an. Chung-Hwa Buddhist Journal. Vol.3, 04.1990. PP.301-317. Source: [1] (accessed: October 20, 2007).
6. ^ Yamaguchi, Zuihō (undated). The Core Elements of Indian Buddhism Introduced into Tibet: A Contrast with Japanese Buddhism. Source: [2] (accessed: October 20, 2007)
7. ^ Steven Seagal - "The Action Lama"
2. ^ Macdonald, Alexander: Religion in Tibet at the time of Srong-btsan sgam-po: myth as history, in: The History of Tibet, ed. Alex McKay, Vol. 1, London 2003, p. 354-363 (for the queens see p. 355); Dargyay, Eva: Srong-btsan sgam-po of Tibet: Bodhisattva and king, in: The History of Tibet, ed. Alex McKay, Vol. 1, London 2003, p. 364-378 (for the queens see p. 373).
3. ^ Beckwith, C.I.: The revolt of 755 in Tibet, in: The History of Tibet, ed. Alex McKay, Vol. 1, London 2003, p. 273-285 (discusses the political background and the motives of the ruler).
4. ^ Sang Shi later became an abbot of Samye Monastery.
5. ^ Barber, A. W.(1990). The Unifying of Rdzogs Pa Chen Po and Ch'an. Chung-Hwa Buddhist Journal. Vol.3, 04.1990. PP.301-317. Source: [1] (accessed: October 20, 2007).
6. ^ Yamaguchi, Zuihō (undated). The Core Elements of Indian Buddhism Introduced into Tibet: A Contrast with Japanese Buddhism. Source: [2] (accessed: October 20, 2007)
7. ^ Steven Seagal - "The Action Lama"
Further reading
- Introductory books
- Wallace, B. Alan (October 25, 1993). Tibetan Buddhism From the Ground Up: A Practical Approach for Modern Life. Wisdom Publications. ISBN-10: 0861710754, ISBN-13: 978-0861710751
- Other books
- Coleman, Graham, ed. (1993). A Handbook of Tibetan Culture. Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc.. ISBN 1-57062-002-4.
- The Ri-Me Philosophy of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great: A Study of the Buddhist Lineages of Tibet by Ringu Tulku, ISBN 1-59030-286-9, Shambhala Publications
- Smith, E. Gene (2001). Among Tibetan Texts: History and Literature of the Himalayan Plateau. Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-179-3
External links
- Tibetan Buddhism at the Open Directory Project
- LamRim.com - Tibetan Buddhist Internet Radio
- The Tibetan and Himalayan Digital Library
- The Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center
- Famous Monasteries of Tibet
- Tibetan Buddhism: History and the Four Traditions
- The extensive archives of teachings from Alexander Berzin
- Lotsawa House | Tibetan Buddhist Texts | Translations
- Tibetan Buddhism in the West by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
- Shambhala Sun - Tibetan Buddhism
- Documentary feature film about how to follow a Vajrayana Buddhist teacher
Tibetan Buddhism | ||
|---|---|---|
) | Gelug •Kagyu • Nyingma • Sakya • Jonang • Kadampa • Rim •Vajrayana Lhasa Bn • Dzogchen • Dalai Lama • Panchen Lama • Lama • Tulku • Jokhang Temple • Ganden Monastery • Sera Monastery • Padmasambhava • Je Tsongkhapa • Thangka • Drepung Monastery • Ramoche Temple • Sanga Monastery • Shambhala • Tashilhunpo • Zhefeng Temple • Mahamudra • Trisong Detsen •Rinpoche •Drukpa Kagyu • Dorje Shugden •Kulayarāja Tantra • Yogacara | |
Buddhism is often described as a religion[1] and a collection of various philosophies, based initially on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as Gautama Buddha.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
The History of Buddhism spans from the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. This makes it one of the oldest religions practiced today.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
3 (9).
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
1st Buddhist council (c. 5th century BCE)
..... Click the link for more information.
Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. Below are given a number of important Buddhist terms, short definitions, and the languages in which they appear.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
The Four Noble Truths (Pali: Cattāri ariyasaccāni, Sanskrit: Catvāri āryasatyāni, Chinese: Sìshèngdì, Thai: อริยสัจสี่, Ariyasaj Sii
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Noble Eightfold Path (Pāli: Ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo; Sanskrit: Ārya 'ṣṭāṅga mārgaḥ; Chinese: 八正道, Bāzhèngdào; Japanese: 八正道,
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Śīla (Sanskrit) or sīla (Pāli) is usually rendered into English as "behavioral discipline", "morality", or ethics. It is often translated as "precept". It is an action that is an intentional effort.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Nirvāṇa ( Sanskrit:
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Three Jewels, also called the Three Treasures, the Three Refuges, or the Triple Gem, are the three things that Buddhists give themselves to, and in return look toward for guidance, in the process known as taking refuge.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. Below are given a number of important Buddhist terms, short definitions, and the languages in which they appear.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Dukkha (Sanskrit duhkha) or unsatisfactoriness, 'dis-ease' (also often translated "suffering," though this is somewhat misleading). Nothing found in the physical world or even the psychological realm can bring lasting deep satisfaction.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
The five skandhas (Sanskrit) or khandhas (Pāli) are the five "aggregates" which categorize or constitute all individual experience according to Buddhist phenomenology.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Buddhist cosmology is the description of the shape and evolution of the universe according to the canonical Buddhist scriptures and commentaries.
..... Click the link for more information.
Introduction
..... Click the link for more information.
Saṃsāra
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Rebirth in Buddhism is the doctrine that the consciousness of a person (as conventionally regarded), upon the death or dissolution of the aggregates (skandhas) which make up that person, becomes one of the contributing causes for the arising of a new group of skandhas which may
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
For a general discussion of the concept, see Dharma.
Dharma (Sanskrit: धर्म) or Dhamma (Pāli: धम्म) in Buddhism has two primary meanings:
..... Click the link for more information.
Dharma (Sanskrit: धर्म) or Dhamma (Pāli: धम्म) in Buddhism has two primary meanings:
- the teachings of the Buddha which lead to enlightenment
..... Click the link for more information.
The doctrine of Pratītyasamutpāda (Sanskrit: प्रतीत्यसमुत्पाद) or Paticcasamuppāda
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Karma (Sanskrit: कर्मन karman, Pāli: कमा Kamma) means "action" or "doing"; whatever one does, says, or thinks is a karma.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
- Pandita redirects here. For the butterfly genus, see Pandita (butterfly).
A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists.
Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools
..... Click the link for more information.
Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent and the founder of Buddhism.[1] He is generally recognized by Buddhists as the supreme Buddha (Sammāsambuddha) of our age.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
buddha (Sanskrit: Awakened) is any being who has become fully awakened (enlightened), and has experienced Nirvana.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers.
Please [improve the article] or discuss this issue on the talk page. This article has been tagged since August 2007.
..... Click the link for more information.
Please [improve the article] or discuss this issue on the talk page. This article has been tagged since August 2007.
..... Click the link for more information.
The four stages of enlightenment in Buddhism are the four degrees of approach to full enlightenment as an Arahant which a person can attain in this life. The four stages are Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami and Arahant.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Buddhism
History of Buddhism
Timeline of Buddhism
Buddhist councils
Foundations
Four Noble Truths
Noble Eightfold Path
Buddhist Precepts
..... Click the link for more information.
History of Buddhism
Timeline of Buddhism
Buddhist councils
Foundations
Four Noble Truths
Noble Eightfold Path
Buddhist Precepts
..... Click the link for more information.
Buddhist meditation encompasses a variety of meditation techniques that develop mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and insight. Core meditation techniques are preserved in ancient Buddhist texts and have proliferated and diversified through the millennia of teacher-student
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
In English translations of Buddhist literature, householder denotes a variety of terms. Most broadly, it refers to any layperson, and most narrowly, to a wealthy and prestigious familial patriarch.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
Buddhist beliefs and practices vary according to region. There are distinctions between and within the Buddhism practised in various regions, including:
..... Click the link for more information.
- South Asia
- Bangladesh
..... Click the link for more information.
Theravada (Pāli: theravāda; Sanskrit: स्थविरवाद sthaviravāda; literally, "the Way of the Elders") is the oldest surviving Buddhist school, and for many centuries has been the predominant
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
East Asian Buddhism is a collective term for the schools of Buddhism that developed in the East Asian region, most of which are part of the Mahayana (which means "The Greater Vehicle") transmission.
..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information.
This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the wikipedia encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.
Herod_Archelaus
