Buddhism

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Diso DISA? ya? your? to kayir? worm? v? verinam breaded,
Micch?panihita? citta? p?piyo Na? your? kare.

Whatever the evil which an enemy makes to an enemy or heinous with heinous,
A badly directed c?ur makes an evil even larger.

(Dhammapada, "Cittavaggo tatiyo" [ Verses on the c?ur ], verse 42)

This article forms part of the series

Indian spiritualities

Religions

Brahmanism

Jaïnism

Buddhism

Sikhism

See too

Deities of the Indian world

Related articles

Religions of India

Holy Cities of India

Jews in India ~

Méta

Buddhism is one of the great systems of Eastern thought and action, born in with VI^E century before the Christian era. It is founded on triple base called them Three Jewels : the Buddhists state to take refuge in Buddha (the founder of Buddhism), in Dharma (doctrines of the Buddha) and in Sa?gha (community of faithful for some, the Monastic order for others).

The difficulty in defining Buddhism using traditional categories, makes that it is often regarded as one or one .

The Buddha

See the Leitartikel: Buddha.

In the beginning, Buddhism is not a philosophy, but a "lesson of things" (Dhamma), the teaching of reality, a talk of the facts, suffering and of its suspension. It becomes thereafter a philosophy and in certain schools one , regarded today as a "science of the spirit", inspired by the lesson of that which one names it " Buddha history ", a spiritual chief who lived with V^E century before the Christian era (years of its birth and its death, or parinirv??a, are not clear; it would have lived about eighty years, but the traditions have not agreed (it are the oldest tradition, of language p??i, which seemed a long time most probable (birth -624, died -544) but the current scientific community, for 50 years, choose rather a shortened and "renovated" lifespan: birth towards -460, died towards -400). Of its true name Gautama, of the family??kya (Siddhârtha is a first name invented at the beginning of the Christian era, nickname "Shakyamuni", the wise one of the??kya; in p??i: Siddhattha Gotama), it would have been born with Kapilavastu (Uttar Pradesh), of the queen M?y? and of the king ?uddhodana, in a family of k?atriya (caste noble-warriors).

Life of Buddha is rich in legends describing of the miracles, the divine appearances. It is however not possible to deny that a spiritual guide named Siddh?rtha Gautama existed. The world , at that time, was agitated by important philosophical and speculative dissensions; it is besides at this time that it jainism made its appearance. To be meaning within its sociocultural medium, Buddhism was impregnated besides with hindouism, of which it adopted a number of concepts (by modifying them appreciably sometimes), as the cycle of the reincarnations, will sa?s?ra, that it will reinterpret in "cycle of the rebirths" - since it will affirm the inexistence of any heart being able "réincarner" - or the law of the act - karma - and of the remuneration of the merits and faults achieved during the cycle. The Buddha underlines well that it is not nor one , nor the messenger of a god, and that his system of thought does not have a divine origin, but which it is rather centered on the comprehension of the nature of the human spirit, whom could be rediscovered by any person by her own means and the experiment; Buddhism of the origins denied even the creation of the world by the gods, the redemption or the revelation. Today, certain currents of Buddhism regard these concepts as samsaric, since duels, and thus not-contradictory with ultimate reality (nonduelle).

Dharma, or fundamental precepts of the teaching of the Buddha

Three roots of the evil, or " three poisons »

The three poisons of the spirit can be as follows called:

Greed,
Anger,
Ignorance or Indifference (according to the translation).

The veils of the spirit comprise for example:

Ignorance, illusion (avidyâ) about the three characteristics of the existence;
Desire, greed, covetousness, attachment (trishnâ);
Hatred, aversion.

Buddha estimated that the causes of the human suffering come from the incapacity to perceive reality correctly. This ignorance (which, as curious as that can appear, is one emotion, a disturbing mental factor) and the illusions which it causes lead to the greed of the men, with their desire to have more than the others, with the attachment and hatred tested for people or things.

Its philosophy is such as: the suffering nait desire or desire. By removing them all two it has reussi to reach the nirvana: the desire generates the desire. The desire, so not perceived, generates sadness, frustration and anger.

Three characteristics of the existence

Not-oneself (anatta), or interdependence or impersonnality: atom with the universe - while passing by the human beings and their state of minds - it has there nothing which even has an independent and real existence by him.
Impermanency (anitya) : all is constantly changing, all is flow, nothing is not fixed once and for all.
The suffering (dukkha), or dissatisfaction: it is not only the physical suffering; because of impermanency of the things, nothing can satisfy us in an ultimate and final way.

These three characteristics of the conditioned existence are universal, and known developed once the direct vision of reality (vipassana). With this intention, it is necessary to follow a drive to the development of our vigilance (satipatthana). The human being is thus not a thing in oneself, a indestructible entity containing a divine spark (in spite of the illusion that they have some), but the impermanent composition of the five aggregates which are the form (or corporeity), feelings, perceptions, mental formations and conscience. These aggregates (skandhas) bus subjected they are impermanent also to " conditioned coproduction » (pratîtya-samutpâda), according to which all has a whole of causes and a whole of consequences. For the Buddhists, it me is thus only vacuity (shûnyatâ). To note that Nibbana (in Sanskrit nirv?na) escapes from the characteristics from suffering and impermanency. A contrario, it is not one "in oneself" (atman).

In the theravada, vacuity is close to the concept of anatta: the world is empty of oneself. There is an attention paid to vacuity as well as a meditation vipassana, contemplation of this vacuity. The concept is however primarily exposed by N?g?rjuna.This author proclaims: "Any conditioned phenomenon is unsatisfactory, any conditioned phenomenon is transitory and any thing is without oneself. »

Rebirths

Because of the three poisons on the one hand, and coproduction conditioned of another, the men are brought to reappear in will samsâra (the cycle of the rebirths). plan of existence in which they will reappear will depend on their karma, i.e. their actions. This rebirth thus makes only indefinitely prolong the suffering (" do not have you enough of it to gorge the cemeteries? "known as a text). To note that in accordance with not-oneself, it is not neither the same one, nor another who reappears (it is not, as in other religions, an immortal heart which "réincarne"). The Buddha proposes to awake of this nightmare, to drive out the clouds of confusion and the illusion to be illuminated by reality. Thus, the suffering and the cycle karmic will be broken. It defines the ultimate goal of its teaching as being "the delivery", the "outcome", "the release of the suffering" or nirv??a.

A central theory of the Buddhist thought explains the cause of dukkha : conditioned coproduction, called like Prat?tya Samutpâda. This term literally means "the origin of action".

Buddhism indicates that each one of these causes takes action on the next one, until the cause of douzieme turns over to the first. This cycle of births and death stops only when one has atteind the nirv??a.

The way to reach that point rests on four noble truths (catt?ri ariyasacc?ni), and it noble eightfold path (ariy???a?gika magga).

Four noble truths

See Leitartikel Four noble truths .

dukkha : any life implies the suffering, the dissatisfaction;
samudaya : the origin of this suffering rests in the desire, the attachments;
nirodha : the end of the suffering (nibbana) is possible;
magga : the driving way at the end of the suffering is sees median, which follows it noble eightfold path.

The noble eightfold path

See the article Noble eightfold path.

The four incommensurable ones

Four will brahma-viharas, or residences of Brahma (Brahma not being here the god of, but being synonymous with noble, of superior) the four are also called incommensurable or unlimited, because they can be developed indefinitely.

They are extremely powerful positive emotions, developed by suitable practices. It acts of:

Universal benevolence (metta in p?li, maitri in Sanskrit), developed by the practice of meditation called it metta bhavana ;
Compassion (karuna), born from the meeting of the benevolence and the suffering of others, developed by the meditation called karuna bhavana;
The joy sympathetic nerve (mudita), which consists in being delighted by the happiness of others (mudita bhavana);
Equanimity (uppekka, upeksa) or peace, which goes beyond the compassion and from the joy sympathetic nerve and is a state of peace vis-a-vis to any circumstance, happy, sad or indifferent (uppekka bhavana).

See in a general way samatha bhavana.

Buddhist ethics and precepts

In Buddhism, ethics is based on the fact that the actions of the body, the word and the spirit have consequences for ourselves and what surrounds us, others like our environment. There are two kinds of actions, the actions kusala (word pali meaning healthy, skilful, favorable, positive) and the actions akusala (unhealthy, clumsy, unfavourable, negative).

The clumsy actions are those which take their roots in the three basic poisons: greed, aversion and mental confusion or ignorance. They tend to have consequences bad for us or the others. The skilful actions are those which are of greed, hatred and mental confusion and which, instead of that, is justified by generosity, the love and the compassion and comprehension. They tend to have positive consequences for us or the others. In Buddhism, an action is thus neither well nor badly in itself, but is favorable or unfavourable depending on the motivation and the state of mind which underlie it.

Buddhist ethics thus invites us to become aware of the state of minds in which we are and from which we act, speak or think and of being responsible as well for these state of minds as of the consequences of our actions.

These principles are declined in precepts, which are not rules of interdicts, but of the guides of ethical behavior face to which we can measure ourselves and progress. They can also be seen like the natural operating mode of an waked up person.

5 precepts

The precepts most frequently followed are the five precepts, generally presented in a negative form:

To endeavour not to harm the alive beings nor to withdraw the life,
To endeavour not to take what is not given,
To endeavour not to have an incorrect sexual control? more generally to keep the control of the directions (the mental one also forming part of feel),
To endeavour not to use of false or untrue words,
To endeavour not to introduce very produced poisonous decreasing the self-control and the awakening (alcohol, drugs, tobacco).

They have also a positive form, very useful, here with the first nobody:

With benevolent actions, I purify my body,
With a generosity without reserve, I purify my body,
With calms, simplicity and satisfaction, I purify my body,
With a true communication, I purify my word,
With a clear and radiant attention, I purify my spirit.

10 precepts

One uses sometimes a distinction in 10 precepts, which one can consider as correspondent with a refinement, a kind of prolongation of the 5 precepts above.

The first 3 precepts correspond to the body, the 4 following with the word and the 3 last, with the three poisons: the desire, aversion and ignorance. These 10 precepts are:

To endeavour not to harm the alive beings nor to withdraw the life,
To endeavour not to take what is not given,
To endeavour not to have an incorrect sexual control? more generally to keep the control of the directions,
To endeavour not to use of false or untrue words,
To endeavour not to calumniate (to create the discord),
To endeavour not to say wounding words,
To endeavour not to speak anything to say,
To endeavour not to have covetousness,
To endeavour not to have ill will or of animosity,
To endeavour not to have erroneous sights.

In their positive form, it is:

With benevolent actions, I purify my body,
With a generosity without reserve, I purify my body,
With calms, simplicity and satisfaction, I purify my body,
With a true communication, I purify my word,
With salutary and harmonious words, I purify my word,
With benevolent and gracious words, I purify my word,
Giving up covetousness for peace, I purify my spirit,
Changing hatred into compassion, I purify my spirit,
Transforming ignorance into wisdom, I purify my spirit.

(In this positive formulation, 6th and 7th "negative" precepts are gathered in only one).

Interpretation of the precepts

It was seen, these precepts are not absolute rules, but guides of ethical behavior. The application of some of them varies according to people's, of course, but also according to traditions'. If the first list of 5 precepts is considered, it is in particular the case:

First precept. For some, this precept (that one takes it in his positive formulation or his negative formulation) implies in an unquestionable way it vegetarianism, for others not. It should be noted that in their region, the Tibetans did not practise it: this is probably due to the fact that the breeding was a source of development of grounds difficult to cultivate. However, a certain number of those which nowadays practise Buddhism Tibetan in Occident are vegetarians.
Fifth precept. For some, this precept, in particular if one considers it in his positive form of attention and awakening, implies the total abstention from alcoholic drinks, drugs, of tobacco, which all decrease the awakening and develop greed or the attachment. For others, which attach undoubtedly more to letter that to spirit of precept (or for traditions which to the wire of the centuries moved away from the spirit to stick to the letter of the precept), the ingestion of a small quantity of alcohol is possible, just like the consumption of cigarettes; thus for example, these last frequently form part of the offerings given to the monks in Sri Lanka.

Three bodies (or kayas) of Buddha

(This theory of the 3 bodies is clean with Mahayana Buddhism, and thus foreign with Theravada Buddhism)

The awakening (bodhi)

For theravadins, the awakening is perfect comprehension and the realization of the four truths (it is a question of awaking nightmare with repetition of the successive rebirths) and to make spout out the truth. For the followers of Mahayana on the other hand, the awakening has to see more with the wisdom and the awakening of its own nature of Buddha. The awakening makes it possible to the man to enter nirv??a, then to reach with its death it parinirv??a(complete extinction). The cycle karmic is thus broken forever.

Sa?gha

See Leitartikel History of Buddhism .

The evaluations of the number of Buddhists oscillate between 230 and 500 million, generally around 350 million.

Chart of Buddhism

Since the death of the Buddha, Sa?gha was divided into many currents and schools.

There are two principal branches of Buddhism: Hînayana ("Small Vehicle", "Small Group", sometimes pejorative term or "Convey basic"; to see too Theravâda) and it Mahâyâna ("Great Group" or "Large Vehicle"). Théravâda (Way of old), only branch of the "Small Vehicle" to have survived, corresponds to Buddhism of the origins. It is most widespread with Sri Lanka, with Myanmar, in Thailand, with Laos and with , while Mahâyâna, forms later and more popular, is rather widespread in , with , in and with Tibet. Zen and itamidism are the most known subdivisions of Mahâyâna. tantrism Tibetan or Vajrayâna (diamond vehicle) is sometimes quoted as a third branch of Buddhism, sometimes like a current of Mahâyâna. The Japanese version of Buddhism tantric is it Shingon.

With died from the Buddha, Buddhism separated in several schools (called nikâya). Dissensions, which were largely noted at the time of the third council (towards 250 before J.- C.), were not long in occurring and carried out to a scission. The Old Ones (Thera) wanted to remain (or turn over) to more close to the precepts of the Buddha, when their opponents, brought together within Large Parliament, sought to dissociate themselves from this "conservatism" and to adapt the teaching of the Buddha to make it more accessible. Thus the Large Vehicle (Mahâyâna) was formed, while the unfavourable movement was called (in a pejorative way) Hînayâna (small vehicle). This last still diversified in various schools, of which only one still exists: Theravâda (what explains why one employs today a term for the other). One should not however exaggerate the rupture, which remainder was done gradually (two types of monks often living the same monasteries).

There is today a certain number of movements in Asia and Occident seeking "to modernize" Buddhism. Although these minorities are sometimes looked like deviating of the real lesson of the Buddha, others support that they represent the thoughts and the philosophy of a considerable quantity of Buddhists, in particular Buddhist youths living in Asia. Principal the movement concerned are it Buddhism evangelic and it Universal Vehiculism.

Crowned texts

See Leitartikel Texts of Buddhism

History and development of Buddhism by country

The boudhism was born in the Indian world, about at the same time as it jaïnism, with which it shares a certain tendency to the questioning of, such as it was practised at the time. Buddhism takes again many philosophical concepts of its environment, in their giving however an appreciably different direction.

See Leitartikel History of Buddhism.

Quotations

If those which are not with us, ô brothers! disparage me, or my doctrines or the temple, it hardly have there there reason with your anger. Buddha, Brahma-jâta-sutta ;

It is while arriving to our ends by the effort, while being ready to make the sacrifice of immediate profits in favour of the wellbeing of others in the long run, which we will arrive at the happiness characterized by peace and authentic satisfaction. The 14e Dalaï LAMA ;

Important characters of Buddhism

See Leitartikel Personalities of Buddhism.

See too

Buddhism theravâda ;
Buddhism mahâyâna ;
Buddhism vajrayâna ;
Zen ;
will samsâra ;
karma ;
nirv??a ;
arhat ;
bodhisattva ;
will s?tra ;
Dalaï LAMA ;
Relations of Buddhism to the other religions ;
Kalachakra ;
Apalala ;
Buddhist art () ;
Soka Gakkai.

External bonds

What Buddhism?, exposed Union of the Buddhists of French Language;
Center Bouddhiste Island of France, clear and precise texts on Buddhism;
The directory of Buddhism, resources, cat, forum. On the same site, another directory of sites on Buddhism ;
Dharma Buddha, Directory of sites on all the traditions of Buddhism;
European Buddhist university, French-speaking center of study and teaching on Buddhism;
Spiritual Masters, presentation of Buddhist spiritual Masters and their texts;
Presentation of Indian Buddhism : life of Buddha, old Buddhism, the revolution of Mahayana, Buddhism tantric;
Various quotations, quotations of saints, theologists, poets and philosophers, in particular Buddhist;
Buddhism in Belgium on Wikinations.Be;
The way Shambhala.
(Fr) inspiration productions (documentary films on Buddhism and the Tibetans in exile)
(Fr) To prepare great the three years retirement in the line kagyupa of Buddhism Tibetan, Master's paper of sociology.

Bibliography

To include/understand Buddhism, Samuel Bercholz & Sherab Chödzin Kohn, Laffont: Pocket, 1993, 428 pages, ISBN 2266076337
Buddhism, Henri Arvon, Quadriga, PUF
Encyclopaedic dictionary of Buddhism, Horned Philippe: Threshold, 2001, 841 pages, ISBN 2020362341