BUDDHISM 1

The History and Development of Buddhist Tradition

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BUDDHISM 2

The History and Development of Buddhist Tradition

Introduction

Buddhism is a non-theistic religion, moral discipline, and a philosophy that emerged from

the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama, "the Buddha," an Indian teacher who existed between the

4th and 6th centuries BCE. Expanding from India to regions such as southeast and central Asia

and countries such as China, Japan, and Korea, Buddhism has played a fundamental role in the

cultural, social, and spiritual life of Asians. And in the wake of the 20th century, it spread to

other parts of the world, especially in Western countries (Feener & Fountain, 2018). Practiced by

nearly 500 million people worldwide, researchers consider Buddhism one of the major religions

in the world (Feener & Fountain, 2018). In fact, Buddhism is currently the fourth largest region

after Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism, based on the most recent research report by Pew

Research Center. However, most, if not all, Buddhist teachings, traditions, ideas, and

philosophies overlap with those of other world religions, especially Hinduism. Generally,

Buddhism followers believe that human life is full of suffering and that meditation, physical and

spiritual labor, and ethical behavior are the only means of achieving "nirvana," which is

enlightenment (Feener & Fountain, 2018). They see human life as a cycle of suffering and

rebirth and believe that one can only escape this cycle by achieving a state of enlightenment.

According to historical evidence, Siddhartha Gautama was the first human to achieve this

state, who is their moral example. Even though they believe there are supernatural beings that

can hinder or aid persons on their path toward achieving "nirvana," Buddhists do not believe in

the existence of a god or deity. Today, many forms of Buddhism are reported around the world.

The three main types of Buddhism prevalent in various geographical areas are Theravada,

Tibetan or Vajrayana, and Mahayana Buddhism. Although all are Buddhist religions, they differ
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slightly in the interpretations of Buddha's teachings and philosophies. Hence, this paper sets out

to examine the history and development of the Buddhist religion and tradition. It also seeks to

explore forms of Buddhism existing around the world and the practice of mediation among

Buddhists.

The Origin of Buddhism

According to the best available historical evidence, Buddhism originated in northeastern

India between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, an era of intense social transformation and

religious activity. During this era in India, there was a lot of discontent amongst Indians

regarding the practice of sacrifice and rituals associated with the older Hinduism religion. Many

researchers posit that Buddhism was one of the many religions formed during this era (Kasetsiri,

2019). Siddhartha Gautama, "the Buddha," is believed to be the founder of Buddhism in the 5th

century BCE. Many modern scholars indicate that the historical Buddha existed in the years

between 563 and 483 BCE. Many others argue that Gautama lived about a century later. But the

general idea is that he lived in an era in which the Indian community was experiencing rigorous

religious activity. According to researchers, Siddhartha Gautama was born into a royal family as

a prince in current Nepal (Kasetsiri, 2019). Although he was from a wealthy family, studies

suggest that he was often moved by human suffering in the world.

Siddhartha Gautama then decided to abandon his royal lifestyle and endure the suffering

like ordinary humans. When this idea failed to impress him, he changed to the conce[pt of the

"Middle Way," which, according to researchers, meant living between the two extremes, that is,

poverty and richness (Kasetsiri, 2019). Therefore, Gautama sought life without sociocultural

distinctions and also without suffering. After several years, which many studies suggest was six

years, Gautama discovered enlightenment while meditating under a tree, believed to have been a
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Bodhi tree (Hewamanage, 2019). Henceforth, he spent his life teaching other Indians how to

attain such a spiritual state from that time. When he died within the last decades of the 4th

century, his followers carried on the gospel and began organizing a more strong religious

movement (Chattopadhyaya, Chimpa, & Chattopadhyaya, 2018). Siddhartha Gautama's

teachings became the foundation of the Buddhist region, which has become one of the largest

world religions.

Historical Development of Buddhism

As mentioned earlier, after the death of Siddhartha Gautama in the 4th century BCE, his

followers continued teaching the Buddha's doctrines, which became the foundations for the

religious movement that would develop into Buddhism. As many studies indicate, the centuries

after Gautama's death, the story of the great Buddha was remembered and adored, his doctrine

was preserved and established, and the group that he had taught became a religious force

(Chattopadhyaya, Chimpa, & Chattopadhyaya, 2018). Many of his followers settled in

permanent monastic foundations and developed monastic norms and standards. Within a short

period, the Buddhist community grew to include a number of political and economic elites. In

the first century since its inception, Buddhism spread from where it began in Kosala and

Magadha to other parts, especially the northern and western parts of the country. A few decades

later, in the 3rd century BCE, Ashoka the Great, an Indian emperor from the Maurya Dynasty,

made the Buddhist religion the national religion in India. Ashoka ruled over a more significant

part of the subcontinent and, therefore, played a vital role in the history of Buddhism due to his

support of the Buddhist religion (Kasetsiri, 2019). After the death of "the Buddha," he had more

influence through stories that portrayed him as a "world monarch." In fact, Ashoka is depicted by
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many researchers as a legendary Buddhist emperor who accomplished many tremendous

religious milestones and devotion (Hewamanage, 2019).

Over the next few centuries and during the leadership of Ashoka, the Buddhist

community had started expanding beyond India. However, with Ashoka's death, the Mauryan

dynasty that influenced the spread of Buddhism in the kingdom was overthrown during the 2nd

century BCE, and the growth of Buddhism started facing some setbacks. According to some

researchers, it even reached a point in the 1st century when Buddhism in India experienced

victimization. Despite these threats, however, Buddhism persevered and still remained one of the

leading religious traditions in India. In the following centuries, significant developments

occurred in almost all aspects of Buddhism. Towards the beginning of the Common Era,

numerous Buddhist monuments were built throughout the subcontinent of India. Simultaneously,

numerous monasteries were established in the region. A large body of evidence indicates that

these monasteries received immense support from local leaders who saw them succeed

(Hewamanage, 2019). The Buddhist monasteries continue to grow and develop diverse schools

of interpretation regarding doctrine issues and monastic behavioral standards (Chattopadhyaya,

Chimpa, & Chattopadhyaya, 2018). According to many researchers, this marked the beginning of

the development of the many types and subtypes of Buddhism that exist in the modern world.

In the first decades of the Common Era, reports suggest that Buddhism had expanded

beyond the subcontinent of India. The religion spread to Central Asia and China, owing to trade

growth between India and other Kingdoms (Kasetsiri, 2019). In the 19th century, scholars

suggested that the Buddist religion was almost extinct in India, and only a few Buddhists

preserved the ancient tradition that existed before the Muslim era. Towards the end of the

century, several Indian intellectuals became interested in Buddhism as a more rational alternative
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to Hinduism. Even though the interest was with a few scholars, it soon became the interest of

government officials, with some Indians converting from being Hindus to becoming Buddhists

(Feener & Fountain, 2018). Since then, religion has increased dramatically in the country and

spread to other parts of the world. Today, demographic evidence shows that Buddhism exists

everywhere around the world. Further, Buddhism has taken many forms in the modern world,

such as Theravada, Vajrayana, and Mahayana, among others, that appear to slightly differ in how

they interpret Buddha's teachings.

Divisions of Buddhism

Today, several types of Buddhism exist worldwide. Each of these types is reported to

differ slightly in the way they interpret the Buddha's doctrine and teachings. They also

incorporate ideas of other religious traditions and philosophies at a somewhat varying rate. To

date, the three main divisions of Buddhism include Theravada, Vajrayana, and Mahayana

(Hewamanage, 2019). Buddhist believers and researchers recognize these three divisions as the

primary paths to enlightenment, the culmination of all of the Buddhist religious traditions.

Theravada Buddhism is the oldest and the most conservative of the three divisions of Buddhism

(Hewamanage, 2019). Many followers of Theravada Buddhism follow the doctrine and teaching

of "the Buddha," Siddhartha Gautama, as they were taught by him, with most being monks and

nuns (Hewamanage, 2019). Followers of this type of Buddhism strive to become arhats. By

definition, arhats are simply saints or individuals who have managed to gain true insight into the

realities of human nature. This implies that they have followed the right path and attained the

state of enlightenment. In Theravada Buddhism, enlightenment leads to "nirvana," which is

freedom from the human life cycle of suffering and rebirth. According to geographical evidence,

Theravada Buddhism is prevalent in Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Sri Lanka. Its
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primary texts or doctrines are in Pali, Buddha's spoken language and Theravada Buddhist texts

are exclusively about the Budda's life and teaching, unlike Mahayana and Vajrayana texts which

appear in several languages (Hewamanage, 2019).

Mahayana Buddhism followers believe that they can attain the state of enlightenment

through following Buddha's teachings. The main goal of Mahayana Buddhists is to become

Bodhisattva, which according to the division's doctrine, is achieved through six perfect areas of

their lives (Litian, 2018). These six areas of perfection in human life include meditation, wisdom,

morality, patience, generosity, and energy (Litian, 2018). Given that compassion is at the heart of

Theravada Buddhism, Bodhisattvas choose to remain in the "cycle of samsara" to continue

helping followers achieve the ultimate state of enlightenment. This leads us to the main

difference between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism. "While Theravada Buddhists' main

goal is to become Arhats and free from the cycle of samsara or rebirth, followers of Mahayana

Buddhist traditions strive to become Bodhisattvas and remain in the cycle of rebirth out of

compassion for others who are yet to achieve the state of enlightenment" (Litian, 2018).

Mahayana Buddhist texts use Sanskrit as their main language. Overall, its monastic and ordinary

followers strive for the liberation of all beings, which makes compassion and wisdom or insight

the subreligion’s main doctrines. Some researchers suggest that ancient Mahayana texts indicate

that Bodhisattva could only be male. Later, Mahayana Buddhism allowed female followers to

become Bodhisattvas. Considerable evidence shows that the Mahayana Buddhism's focus on

becoming a Bodhisattva was inspired by the life story of one of the ancient monks, Buddha

Shakyamuni, who attained the state of enlightenment by taking a vow to help other suffering

humans. According to the best available demographic evidence, Mahayana Buddhism is more

prevalent in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam (Litian, 2018).

Lastly, Vajrayana Buddhism, sometimes referred to as Tibetan Buddhism, is one of the

major divisions of Buddhism perceived as originating from the Mahayana Buddhist tradition.

According to researchers, this religious tradition is based on a complex ritual system that

provides the path toward achieving the ultimate state of enlightenment (Hewamanage, 2019).

Many researchers argue that Vajrayana Buddhism, unlike other divisions of Buddhism, is full of

rites and symbolism and focused on the attainment of enlightenment (Hewamanage, 2019).

Mostly, the Vajrayana rites are meditations that include the tantric techniques that bring the

physical and spiritual world together during the meditation process. The rites are also integrated

with a series of sounds of trumpets and smells of incense to facilitate meditation. The main goal

of this religious tradition is to become a Bodhisattva for the male followers and Dakinis for the

female followers (Hewamanage, 2019). Like in Mahayana Buddhism, Bodhisattvas and Dakinis

achieve the state of enlightenment so that they help those around them since it is also based on

compassion as its central doctrine. However, there is this unique concept of Karma which is

important in the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition. The concept of Karma defines morality and

ethical standards, which promote the doctrine of compassion, as central to the religious

traditions, beliefs, and practices. One unique practise of Vajrayana Buddhists involves the use of

"Tantra" (Hewamanage, 2019). This practice is perceived as the faster path to enlightenment,

especially for lay Buddhists. According to demographic evidence, Vajrayana Buddhism is

prevalent in Tibet and Mongolia (Van, 2019).

Buddhist Meditation

Like other major world religions, Buddhism has several popular practices. Among the

many religious traditions of Buddhists is the practice of meditation, which is deeply rooted in the

ancient Buddhist community and has remained basic to all divisions and subdivisions of
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Buddhism (Gethin, 2020). Buddhist meditation consists of a wide range of techniques used to

generate a heightened state of awareness and concentration that leads to insight into the true

nature of issues and liberation from all kinds of human suffering. "Bhavana," "Dhyana," and

"samadhi" are some translations of Buddhist meditation (Gethin, 2020). Overall, researchers

suggest that most, if not all, Buddhist meditation traditions encompass some of the ideas of

tranquility meditation and insight mediation. In all Buddhist traditions, meditation may involve

visualizing and worshiping Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, chanting the name of Buddha, or reflecting

on the doctrines and teachings of the Buddha (Gethin, 2020). Buddhist meditation has become a

subject of increasing interest across the world, especially in the West, and today it is even

practiced beyond the religious context.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Buddhism is a religious tradition, moral discipline, and a philosophy that

originated from Siddhartha Guatama, "the Buddha," and developed from his teachings. It is

perceived to have been founded by the Buddha more than 2,500 years ago in India. With nearly

500 million followers and existing almost everywhere, scholars classify Buddhism as one of the

major world religions. Buddhists do not believe in the existence of a supreme god or deity;

instead, they focus on attaining a state of enlightenment to overcome human suffering. The path

to achieving the state of enlightenment consists of embracing morality, the practice of

meditation, and gaining insight into the true nature of human life. The founder of Buddhism, the

Buddha, is not considered to be a god but an extraordinary being who was able to discover the

path of enlightenment. Additionally, there are multiple forms of Buddhism, making it one of the

most tolerant and evolving religious traditions in the world. However, all Buddhist traditions
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focus on encouraging their followers to achieve the state of enlightenment, a state beyond human

suffering.
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References

Chattopadhyaya, A., Chimpa, L., & Chattopadhyaya, D. (2018). Taranatha's History of

Buddhism in India. Motilal Banarsidass.

Feener, R. M., & Fountain, P. (2018). Religion in the Age of Development. Religions, 9(12),

382.

Gethin, R. (2020). Schemes of the Buddhist path in the Nikāyas and Āgamas.

Hewamanage, W. (2019). Meditation and wisdom: The Platform Sutra of six patriarch and early

Buddhism.

Kasetsiri, C. (2019). Thai historiography. In Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Thailand

(pp. 26-35). Routledge.

Litian, F. (2018). Chinese Buddhism and traditional culture. Routledge.

Van, V. H. (2019). Comparative Buddhism in India, China, Vietnam and the spirit of localization

in Vietnamese Buddhism. International Journal of Recent Scientific Research, 10(6), 1-7.