Tuesday, 26 May 2020

The History of Buddhism


             

                                            Sanchi Stupa, Madhya  Pradesh

The History of Buddhism dates back to the sixth century BCE. On the full moon day of Vaishakha Siddhartha Gautama, was born in about 563 BCE. The birth place of Sidhartha Gautama in ancient India is Lumbini which is now in Nepal. Sidhartha meticulous belongs to Sakya- kshtriya having family lineage ‘Gautama’.[i]  In the 6th century BCE., religion was forgotten in India. At such a critical period when there were cruelty, degeneration and unrighteousness everywhere, therefore he came as a great social reformer by renouncing the household life. Buddha put down priest craft and animal sacrifices, to save people and disseminate the message of equality, unity and cosmic love everywhere. He came to be called "the Buddha," which means "Awakened One. In the remaining years of his life, the Buddha traveled and delivers different discourses to diverse people of the world. However, he didn't teach people what he had realized when he became enlightened. Instead, he educated people how to realize enlightenment for themselves. He also clearly taught that arousing comes through one's own direct understanding, not through attitude and beliefs. In the centuries following the Buddha's life, Buddhism spread throughout Asia to become one of the dominant religions of the continent.



[i]               Shastri Manmatha Nath, The History of Buddhism (Together with the Life and Teaching of Buddha), Aryan Books International, New Delhi, 1996, p. 1.


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