History of Buddhism

History of Buddhism

Avoiding all the wrong behavior, The undertaking of the good, And develop your own mind.

                                            ( Buddha )

Buddhism is a philosophical and religious movement which was started by Gautama 

Buddha. According to the science of history he lived from about 450 BC to about 370 BC. in 

the Nepal. According to modern scholars, he would ca. 480-400 BC. have lived. All sources 

agree that Buddha died at the age of 80. Buddhism has gradually spread to other parts of 

Asia and has played a central role in the spiritual, cultural and social development of the 

Eastern world. The original name of Buddhism is "Boeddhasasana" meaning "the teachings 

of the Buddha." The essence of this doctrine is the natural principle that the Buddha 

discovered as a result of his search for an end to the suffering and dissatisfaction. 


"Buddhism" in the course of time become a generic term for the many traditions that are 

based on the original teachings of the Buddha.


The Birth of Buddha : 


Wise men visited Mayan queen and told her she was pregnant with a divine son a great 

ruler or teacher, Buddha would be. Maya died a week after giving birth to her son 

Siddhartha Gautama, in childbirth. Her husband, the king Suddhodhana, was determined 

that his son he would ever succeed. Therefore, he fed the young prince in the protected 

environment of the royal palace, and he saw to it that he did not come into contact with the 

outside world. Siddhartha thus led indeed a life of luxury and pleasure, but he was not 

happy.


He married his cousin and became the father of a son. One day Siddhartha left the palace 

to go for a ride. During this trip, he saw four men: An old man, a sick man, a dead man and 

an ascetic ¹, who possessed nothing but lived off food and money that was given to him. 

Nevertheless, he looked happy. Siddhartha decided to follow suit and left that same evening

from the palace. The aim was to find the answer to the question why people had to suffer 

so. 


He joined the five ascetics who had secluded in the wilderness. They lived freely without 

food and sleep. Six years later, when he nearly died of hunger, he decided that this was not 

the right way to achieve wisdom. He, therefore, went on towards the city. When he was back

in power, he decided to meditate under a tree and does not get underneath it without having

had the answer to his question. His question was why people had to suffer. On the forty 

ninth day, he gained insight into the causes of human suffering and how it should be taken 

away suffering. Through these answers, he was an enlightened person, Buddha. He 

reached a state of joy and peace, this is called Nirvana.


The rest of his life, he pulled teaching what he had learned through India. His first followers

were the five ascetics. His family took his teachings and his aunt became the first Buddhist 

nun. His followers were called Shanghai's. At eighty years old, he knew he would die. He 

would not be born again because he was enlightened, and was now forever to Nirvana. 

(Nirwana is the place where the soul will find eternal rest).


The basic principles of Buddha :


The Buddha encouraged a healthy relationship between faith and direct empirical 

observation too. He said that faith must be balanced with wisdom. The wisdom of Buddhism

is focused on understanding the right of life and is expressed in a life lived properly. Faith 

alone is blind, it believes everything that is said and does not distinguish between truth and 

falsehood.


The Buddha gave different concepts vary, which is essential for a correct understanding of 

reality here and now. Without a correct understanding of these concepts is not possible 

relief. The basis of Buddhism is about suffering (dukkha in Sanskrit), and how we can come 

from definitive.


The Four Noble Truths describe the principle by which this is possible. A correct 

understanding of how reality exists (the wisdom of emptiness) is essential in Buddhism in 

order to put an end to the cycle of rebirth and suffering that goes with it. Basically, all our 

harmful thoughts (attachment, anger, pride etc.) caused by an incorrect understanding of 

this reality. Besides, the concept of karma is essential, which also leads to an understanding

of the Buddhist ethics such as the Five Precepts, the four sublime states of mind and the 

six (or ten) perfections.


Buddha said that if a person acts to these principles and develops them in himself, he will 

be happier and better able also to understand the higher teachings and apply.


The Buddha also taught the law of karma 'good' actions lead to outcomes such luck, and 

bad actions have bad consequences of suffering and problems. The results of actions 

(karma) but are often only long afterwards, as in future lives. Buddha said that karma is 

mostly the intention that motivates the action. By controlling the motivation can, in fact, 

determine their own future in terms of happiness or suffering.


The principle of rebirth (reincarnation =) is a fundamental Buddhist concept directly 

connected with Karma, because the world in which one is reborn, everything to do with the 

actions (karma) from past (= past lives).



In Buddhist cosmology are several levels of existence of sentient / conscious beings: gods 

(an existence almost exclusively luck) to hell beings (an existence almost exclusively 

suffering); people find themselves with life in the middle where happiness and suffering 

alternate. Good actions lead to rebirth as a deva (demigod) or as a human being in a 

relatively comfortable situation. Bad actions result in rebirth as a human being in a bad 

situation, and beast, and called a hungry ghost, or even in hell. These lives are all 

temporary. The present life is preceded according to Buddhism by a seemingly 

beginningless series of previous lives. Only attaining enlightenment brings this continuously 

through rad (samsara) of dying and being born to an end. Then there is an end to old age 

and sickness, sorrow, regret, pain and despair.


An ascetic is a person who rigorous, austere, pleasure-free life keeping alive, in order to achieve a higher spiritual purpose.


Karma is thinking and doing and determine its position after reincarnation.