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Buddhism (/ˈbʊdɪzəm/ BUUD-ih-zəm, US also /ˈbuːd-/ BOOD-),^[1][2][3] also known as Buddha Dharma, is an Indian religion^[a] and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE.^[7] It is the world’s fourth-largest religion,^[8][9] with almost 500 million followers, known as Buddhists, who comprise seven percent of the global population.^[10][11] It arose in the eastern Gangetic plain as a śramaṇa movement in the 5th century BCE, and gradually spread throughout much of Asia. Buddhism has subsequently played a major role in Asian culture and spirituality, eventually spreading to the West in the 20th century.^[12]

According to tradition, the Buddha instructed his followers in a path of development which leads to awakening and full liberation from dukkha (lit. ’suffering or unease’^{[note 1]}). He regarded this path as a Middle Way between extremes such as asceticism or sensual indulgence.^[17][18] Teaching that dukkha arises alongside attachment or clinging, the Buddha advised meditation practices and ethical precepts rooted in non-harming. Widely observed teachings include the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the doctrines of dependent origination, karma, and the three marks of existence. Other commonly observed elements include the Triple Gem, the taking of monastic vows, and the cultivation of perfections (pāramitā).^[19]

The Buddhist canon is vast, with many different textual collections in different languages (such as Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, and Chinese).^[20] Buddhist schools vary in their interpretation of the paths to liberation (mārga) as well as the relative importance and “canonicity” assigned to various Buddhist texts, and their specific teachings and practices.^[21][22] Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars: Theravāda (lit. ’School of the Elders’) and Mahāyāna (lit. ’Great Vehicle’). The Theravada tradition emphasizes the attainment of nirvāṇa (lit. ’extinguishing’) as a means of transcending the individual self and ending the cycle of death and rebirth (saṃsāra),^[23][24][25] while the Mahayana tradition emphasizes the Bodhisattva ideal, in which one works for the liberation of all sentient beings. Additionally, Vajrayāna (lit. ’Indestructible Vehicle’), a body of teachings incorporating esoteric tantric techniques, may be viewed as a separate branch or tradition within Mahāyāna.^[26]

The Theravāda branch has a widespread following in Sri Lanka as well as in Southeast Asia, namely Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. The Mahāyāna branch—which includes the East Asian traditions of Tiantai, Chan, Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren, and Tendai is predominantly practised in Nepal, Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. Tibetan Buddhism, a form of Vajrayāna, is practised in the Himalayan states as well as in Mongolia^[27] and Russian Kalmykia.^[28] Japanese Shingon also preserves the Vajrayana tradition as transmitted to China. Historically, until the early 2nd millennium, Buddhism was widely practiced in the Indian subcontinent before declining there;^[29][30][31] it also had a foothold to some extent elsewhere in Asia, namely Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.^[32]

Etymology

The names Buddha Dharma and Bauddha Dharma come from Sanskrit: बुद्ध धर्म and बौद्ध धर्म respectively (“doctrine of the Enlightened One” and “doctrine of Buddhists”). The term Dharmavinaya comes from Sanskrit: धर्मविनय, literally meaning “doctrines [and] disciplines”.^[33]

The Buddha (“the Awakened One”) was a Śramaṇa who lived in South Asia c. 6th or 5th century BCE.^[34][35] Followers of Buddhism, called Buddhists in English, referred to themselves as Sakyan-s or Sakyabhiksu in ancient India.^[36][37] Buddhist scholar Donald S. Lopez asserts they also used the term Bauddha,^[38] although scholar Richard Cohen asserts that that term was used only by outsiders to describe Buddhists.^[39]

The Buddha

Main article: The Buddha

Details of the Buddha’s life are mentioned in many Early Buddhist Texts but are inconsistent. His social background and life details are difficult to prove, and the precise dates are uncertain, although the 5th century BCE seems to be the best estimate.^{[40][note 2]}

Early texts have the Buddha’s family name as “Gautama” (Pali: Gotama), while some texts give Siddhartha as his surname. He was born in Lumbini, present-day Nepal and grew up in Kapilavastu,^{[note 3]} a town in the Ganges Plain, near the modern Nepal–India border, and he spent his life in what is now modern Bihar^{[note 4]} and Uttar Pradesh.^[48][40] Some hagiographic legends state that his father was a king named Suddhodana, his mother was Queen Maya.^[49] Scholars such as Richard Gombrich consider this a dubious claim because a combination of evidence suggests he was born in the Shakya community, which was governed by a small oligarchy or republic-like council where there were no ranks but where seniority mattered instead.^[50] Some of the stories about the Buddha, his life, his teachings, and claims about the society he grew up in may have been invented and interpolated at a later time into the Buddhist texts.^[51][52]

Various details about the Buddha’s background are contested in modern scholarship. For example, Buddhist texts assert that Buddha described himself as a kshatriya (warrior class), but Gombrich writes that little is known about his father and there is no proof that his father even knew the term kshatriya.^[53] (Mahavira, whose teachings helped establish the ancient religion Jainism, is also claimed to be ksatriya by his early followers.^[54])

According to early texts such as the Pali Ariyapariyesanā-sutta (“The discourse on the noble quest”, MN 26) and its Chinese parallel at MĀ 204, Gautama was moved by the suffering (dukkha) of life and death, and its endless repetition due to rebirth.^[55] He thus set out on a quest to find liberation from suffering (also known as “nirvana“).^[56] Early texts and biographies state that Gautama first studied under two teachers of meditation, namely Āḷāra Kālāma (Sanskrit: Arada Kalama) and Uddaka Ramaputta (Sanskrit: Udraka Ramaputra), learning meditation and philosophy, particularly the meditative attainment of “the sphere of nothingness” from the former, and “the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception” from the latter.^{[57][58][note 5]}

Finding these teachings to be insufficient to attain his goal, he turned to the practice of severe asceticism, which included a strict fasting regime and various forms of breath control.^[61] This too fell short of attaining his goal, and then he turned to the meditative practice of dhyana. He famously sat in meditation under a Ficus religiosa tree—now called the Bodhi Tree—in the town of Bodh Gaya and attained “Awakening” (Bodhi).^{[62][according to whom?]}

According to various early texts like the Mahāsaccaka-sutta, and the Samaññaphala Sutta, on awakening, the Buddha gained insight into the workings of karma and his former lives, as well as achieving the ending of the mental defilements (asavas), the ending of suffering, and the end of rebirth in saṃsāra.^[61] This event also brought certainty about the Middle Way as the right path of spiritual practice to end suffering.^[17][18] As a fully enlightened Buddha, he attracted followers and founded a Sangha (monastic order).^[63] He spent the rest of his life teaching the Dharma he had discovered, and then died, achieving “final nirvana“, at the age of 80 in Kushinagar, India.^{[64][43][according to whom?]}

The Buddha’s teachings were propagated by his followers, which in the last centuries of the 1st millennium BCE became various Buddhist schools of thought, each with its own basket of texts containing different interpretations and authentic teachings of the Buddha;^[65][66][67] these over time evolved into many traditions of which the more well known and widespread in the modern era are Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism.^[68][69]

Worldview

Main article: Glossary of Buddhism

The term “Buddhism” is an occidental neologism, commonly (and “rather roughly” according to Donald S. Lopez Jr.) used as a translation for the Dharma of the Buddha, fójiào in Chinese, bukkyō in Japanese, nang pa sangs rgyas pa’i chos in Tibetan, buddhadharma in Sanskrit, buddhaśāsana in Pali.^[70]

Four Noble Truths – dukkha and its ending

Main articles: Dukkha and Four Noble Truths

The Four Noble Truths, or the truths of the Noble Ones,^[71] express the basic orientation of Buddhism: we crave and cling to impermanent states and things, which is dukkha, “incapable of satisfying” and painful.^[72][73] This keeps us caught in saṃsāra, the endless cycle of repeated rebirth, dukkha and dying again.^{[note 6]}

But there is a way to liberation from this endless cycle^[79] to the state of nirvana, namely following the Noble Eightfold Path.^{[note 7]}

The truth of dukkha is the basic insight that life in this mundane world, with its clinging and craving to impermanent states and things^[72] is dukkha, and unsatisfactory.^{[74][85][web 1]} Dukkha can be translated as “incapable of satisfying”,^{[web 5]} “the unsatisfactory nature and the general insecurity of all conditioned phenomena“; or “painful”.^[72][73] Dukkha is most commonly translated as “suffering”, but this is inaccurate, since it refers not to episodic suffering, but to the intrinsically unsatisfactory nature of temporary states and things, including pleasant but temporary experiences.^{[note 8]} We expect happiness from states and things which are impermanent, and therefore cannot attain real happiness.

The Four Noble Truths are:

• dukkha (“not being at ease”, “suffering”) is an innate characteristic of the perpetual cycle (samsara, lit. ’wandering’) of grasping at things, ideas and habits
• samudaya (origin, arising, combination; “cause”): dukkha is caused by taṇhā (“craving,” “desire” or “attachment,” literally “thirst”)
• nirodha (cessation, ending, confinement): dukkha can be ended or contained by the confinement or letting go of taṇhā
• marga (path) is the path leading to the confinement of taṇhā and dukkha, classically the Noble Eightfold Path but sometimes other paths to liberation

Three marks of existence

Main article: Three marks of existence

Buddhism teaches that the idea that anything is permanent or that there is self in any being is ignorance or misperception (avijjā), and that this is the primary source of clinging and dukkha.^[91][92][93]

Ignorance is countered by insight (paññā); most schools of Buddhism, therefore, teach three marks of existence, which fundamentally characterize all phenomena:^[94]

• Dukkha: unease, suffering
• Anicca: impermanence
• Anattā: non-self; living things have no permanent immanent soul or essence^[95][96][97]

Some schools describe four characteristics or “four seals of the Dharma”, adding to the above

• Nirvana is peaceful/peace (śānta/śānti)^[98][99]

The cycle of rebirth

Saṃsāra

Main article: Saṃsāra (Buddhism)

Saṃsāra means “wandering” or “world”, with the connotation of cyclic, circuitous change.^[100][101] It refers to the theory of rebirth and “cyclicality of all life, matter, existence”, a fundamental assumption of Buddhism, as with all major Indian religions.^[101][102] Samsara in Buddhism is considered to be dukkha, unsatisfactory and painful,^[103] perpetuated by desire and avidya (ignorance), and the resulting karma.^{[101][104][105]} Liberation from this cycle of existence, nirvana, has been the foundation and the most important historical justification of Buddhism.^[106][107]

Buddhist texts assert that rebirth can occur in six realms of existence, namely three good realms (heavenly, demi-god, human) and three evil realms (animal, hungry ghosts, hellish).^{[note 9]} Samsara ends if a person attains nirvana, the “blowing out” of the afflictions through insight into impermanence and “non-self“.^{[109][110][111]}

Rebirth

Main article: Rebirth (Buddhism)

Rebirth refers to a process whereby beings go through a succession of lifetimes as one of many possible forms of sentient life, each running from conception to death.^[112] In Buddhist thought, this rebirth does not involve a soul or any fixed substance. This is because the Buddhist doctrine of anattā (Sanskrit: anātman, no-self doctrine) rejects the concepts of a permanent self or an unchanging, eternal soul found in other religions.^[113][114]

The Buddhist traditions have traditionally disagreed on what it is in a person that is reborn, as well as how quickly the rebirth occurs after death.^[115][116] Some Buddhist traditions assert that “no self” doctrine means that there is no enduring self, but there is avacya (inexpressible) personality (pudgala) which migrates from one life to another.^[115] The majority of Buddhist traditions, in contrast, assert that vijñāna (a person’s consciousness) though evolving, exists as a continuum and is the mechanistic basis of what undergoes the rebirth process.^[74][115] The quality of one’s rebirth depends on the merit or demerit gained by one’s karma (i.e., actions), as well as that accrued on one’s behalf by a family member.^{[note 10]} Buddhism also developed a complex cosmology to explain the various realms or planes of rebirth.^[103]

Karma

Main article: Karma in Buddhism

In Buddhism, karma (from Sanskrit: “action, work”) drives saṃsāra—the endless cycle of suffering and rebirth for each being. Good, skilful deeds (Pāli: kusala) and bad, unskilful deeds (Pāli: akusala) produce “seeds” in the unconscious receptacle (ālaya) that mature later either in this life or in a subsequent rebirth.^[118][119] The existence of karma is a core belief in Buddhism, as with all major Indian religions, and it implies neither fatalism nor that everything that happens to a person is caused by karma.^[120] (Diseases and suffering induced by the disruptive actions of other people are examples of non-karma suffering.^[120])

A central aspect of Buddhist theory of karma is that intent (cetanā) matters and is essential to bring about a consequence or phala “fruit” or vipāka “result”.^[121] The emphasis on intent in Buddhism marks a difference from the karmic theory of Jainism, where karma accumulates with or without intent.^[122][123] The emphasis on intent is also found in Hinduism, and Buddhism may have influenced karma theories of Hinduism.^[124]

In Buddhism, good or bad karma accumulates even if there is no physical action, and just having ill or good thoughts creates karmic seeds; thus, actions of body, speech or mind all lead to karmic seeds.^[120] In the Buddhist traditions, life aspects affected by the law of karma in past and current births of a being include the form of rebirth, realm of rebirth, social class, character and major circumstances of a lifetime.^{[120][125][126]} According to the theory, it operates like the laws of physics, without external intervention, on every being in all six realms of existence including human beings and gods.^[120][127]

A notable aspect of the karma theory in modern Buddhism is merit transfer.^[128][129] A person accumulates merit not only through intentions and ethical living, but also is able to gain merit from others by exchanging goods and services, such as through dāna (charity to monks or nuns).^[130] The theory also states a person can transfer one’s own good karma to living family members and ancestors.^[129]

This Buddhist idea may have roots in the quid-pro-quo exchange beliefs of the Hindu Vedic rituals.^[131] The “karma merit transfer” concept has been controversial, not accepted in later Jainism and Hinduism traditions, unlike Buddhism where it was adopted in ancient times and remains a common practice.^[128] According to Bruce Reichenbach, the “merit transfer” idea was generally absent in early Buddhism and may have emerged with the rise of Mahayana Buddhism; he adds that while major Hindu schools such as Yoga, Advaita Vedanta and others do not believe in merit transfer, some bhakti Hindu traditions later adopted the idea just like Buddhism.^[132]

Liberation

Main articles: Moksha and Nirvana (Buddhism)

The cessation of the kleshas and the attainment of nirvana (nibbāna), with which the cycle of rebirth ends, has been the primary and the soteriological goal of the Buddhist path for monastic life since the time of the Buddha.^{[81][133][134]} The term “path” is usually taken to mean the Noble Eightfold Path, but other versions of “the path” can also be found in the Nikayas.^{[note 11]} In some passages in the Pali Canon, a distinction is being made between right knowledge or insight (sammā-ñāṇa), and right liberation or release (sammā-vimutti), as the means to attain cessation and liberation.^[136][137]

Nirvana literally means “blowing out, quenching, becoming extinguished”.^[138][139] In early Buddhist texts, it is the state of restraint and self-control that leads to the “blowing out” and the ending of the cycles of sufferings associated with rebirths and redeaths.^{[140][141][142]} Many later Buddhist texts describe nirvana as identical with anatta with complete “emptiness, nothingness”.^{[143][144][145][note 12]} In some texts, the state is described with greater detail, such as passing through the gate of emptiness (sunyata)—realising that there is no soul or self in any living being, then passing through the gate of signlessness (animitta)—realising that nirvana cannot be perceived, and finally passing through the gate of wishlessness (apranihita)—realising that nirvana is the state of not even wishing for nirvana.^{[133][147][note 13]}

The nirvana state has been described in Buddhist texts partly in a manner similar to other Indian religions, as the state of complete liberation, enlightenment, highest happiness, bliss, fearlessness, freedom, permanence, non-dependent origination, unfathomable, and indescribable.^[149][150] It has also been described in part differently, as a state of spiritual release marked by “emptiness” and realisation of non-self.^{[151][152][153][note 14]}

While Buddhism considers the liberation from saṃsāra as the ultimate spiritual goal, in traditional practice, the primary focus of a vast majority of lay Buddhists has been to seek and accumulate merit through good deeds, donations to monks and various Buddhist rituals in order to gain better rebirths rather than nirvana.^{[156][157][note 15]}

Dependent arising

Main articles: Pratītyasamutpāda and Twelve Nidānas

Pratityasamutpada, also called “dependent arising, or dependent origination”, is the Buddhist theory to explain the nature and relations of being, becoming, existence and ultimate reality. Buddhism asserts that there is nothing independent, except the state of nirvana.^[160] All physical and mental states depend on and arise from other pre-existing states, and in turn from them arise other dependent states while they cease.^[161]

The ‘dependent arisings’ have a causal conditioning, and thus Pratityasamutpada is the Buddhist belief that causality is the basis of ontology, not a creator God nor the ontological Vedic concept called universal Self (Brahman) nor any other ‘transcendent creative principle’.^[162][163] However, Buddhist thought does not understand causality in terms of Newtonian mechanics; rather it understands it as conditioned arising.^[164][165] In Buddhism, dependent arising refers to conditions created by a plurality of causes that necessarily co-originate a phenomenon within and across lifetimes, such as karma in one life creating conditions that lead to rebirth in one of the realms of existence for another lifetime.^{[166][167][168]}

Buddhism applies the theory of dependent arising to explain origination of endless cycles of dukkha and rebirth, through Twelve Nidānas or “twelve links”. It states that because Avidyā (ignorance) exists, Saṃskāras (karmic formations) exist; because Saṃskāras exist therefore Vijñāna (consciousness) exists; and in a similar manner it links Nāmarūpa (the sentient body), Ṣaḍāyatana (our six senses), Sparśa (sensory stimulation), Vedanā (feeling), Taṇhā (craving), Upādāna (grasping), Bhava (becoming), Jāti (birth), and Jarāmaraṇa (old age, death, sorrow, and pain).^[169][170] By breaking the circuitous links of the Twelve Nidanas, Buddhism asserts that liberation from these endless cycles of rebirth and dukkha can be attained.^[171]

Not-Self and Emptiness

Main articles: Anātman and Śūnyatā

The Five Aggregates (pañca khandha) according to the Pali Canon.
	form (rūpa) 4 elements (mahābhūta)    ↓  contact (phassa)    ↓↑  consciousness (viññāna)	→ ←       ←	mental factors (cetasika)   feeling (vedanā)     perception (sañña)     formation (saṅkhāra)
Form is derived from the Four Great Elements.Consciousness arises from other aggregates.Mental Factors arise from the Contact of Consciousness and other aggregates.The five aggregates are no-self.
Source: MN 109 (Thanissaro, 2001)  |  diagram details

A related doctrine in Buddhism is that of anattā (Pali) or anātman (Sanskrit). It is the view that there is no unchanging, permanent self, soul or essence in phenomena.^[172] The Buddha and Buddhist philosophers who follow him such as Vasubandhu and Buddhaghosa, generally argue for this view by analyzing the person through the schema of the five aggregates, and then attempting to show that none of these five components of personality can be permanent or absolute.^[173] This can be seen in Buddhist discourses such as the Anattalakkhana Sutta.

“Emptiness” or “voidness” (Skt: Śūnyatā, Pali: Suññatā), is a related concept with many different interpretations throughout the various Buddhisms. In early Buddhism, it was commonly stated that all five aggregates are void (rittaka), hollow (tucchaka), coreless (asāraka), for example as in the Pheṇapiṇḍūpama Sutta (SN 22:95).^[174] Similarly, in Theravada Buddhism, it often means that the five aggregates are empty of a Self.^[175]

Emptiness is a central concept in Mahāyāna Buddhism, especially in Nagarjuna‘s Madhyamaka school, and in the Prajñāpāramitā sutras. In Madhyamaka philosophy, emptiness is the view which holds that all phenomena are without any svabhava (literally “own-nature” or “self-nature”), and are thus without any underlying essence, and so are “empty” of being independent.^{[example needed]} This doctrine sought to refute the heterodox theories of svabhava circulating at the time.^[176]

The Three Jewels

Main article: Three Jewels

All forms of Buddhism revere and take spiritual refuge in the “three jewels” (triratna): Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.^[177]

Buddha

Main article: Buddhahood

While all varieties of Buddhism revere “Buddha” and “buddhahood”, they have different views on what these are. Regardless of their interpretation, the concept of Buddha is central to all forms of Buddhism.

In Theravada Buddhism, a Buddha is someone who has become awake through their own efforts and insight. They have put an end to their cycle of rebirths and have ended all unwholesome mental states which lead to bad action and thus are morally perfected.^[178] While subject to the limitations of the human body in certain ways (for example, in the early texts, the Buddha suffers from backaches), a Buddha is said to be “deep, immeasurable, hard-to-fathom as is the great ocean”, and also has immense psychic powers (abhijñā).^[179]

Mahāyāna Buddhism meanwhile, has a vastly expanded cosmology, with various Buddhas and other holy beings (aryas) residing in different realms. Mahāyāna texts not only revere numerous Buddhas besides Shakyamuni, such as Amitabha and Vairocana, but also see them as transcendental or supramundane (lokuttara) beings.^[180] Mahāyāna Buddhism holds that these other Buddhas in other realms can be contacted and are able to benefit beings in this world.^[181] In Mahāyāna, a Buddha is a kind of “spiritual king”, a “protector of all creatures” with a lifetime that is countless of eons long, rather than just a human teacher who has transcended the world after death.^[182] Shakyamuni’s life and death on earth is then usually understood as a “mere appearance” or “a manifestation skilfully projected into earthly life by a long-enlightened transcendent being, who is still available to teach the faithful through visionary experiences”.^[182][183]

Dharma

Main article: Dharma

The second of the three jewels is “Dharma” (Pali: Dhamma), which in Buddhism refers to the Buddha’s teaching, which includes all of the main ideas outlined above. While this teaching reflects the true nature of reality, it is not a belief to be clung to, but a pragmatic teaching to be put into practice. It is likened to a raft which is “for crossing over” (to nirvana) not for holding on to.^[184] It also refers to the universal law and cosmic order which that teaching both reveals and relies upon.^[185] It is an everlasting principle which applies to all beings and worlds. In that sense it is also the ultimate truth and reality about the universe, it is thus “the way that things really are”.

Sangha

Main articles: Sangha, Bodhisattva, and Arhat

The third “jewel” which Buddhists take refuge in is the “Sangha”, which refers to the monastic community of monks and nuns who follow Gautama Buddha’s monastic discipline which was “designed to shape the Sangha as an ideal community, with the optimum conditions for spiritual growth.”^[186] The Sangha consists of those who have chosen to follow the Buddha’s ideal way of life, which is one of celibate monastic renunciation with minimal material possessions (such as an alms bowl and robes).^[187]

The Sangha is seen as important because they preserve and pass down Buddha Dharma. As Gethin states “the Sangha lives the teaching, preserves the teaching as Scriptures and teaches the wider community. Without the Sangha there is no Buddhism.”^[188] The Sangha also acts as a “field of merit” for laypersons, allowing them to make spiritual merit or goodness by donating to the Sangha and supporting them. In return, they keep their duty to preserve and spread the Dharma everywhere for the good of the world.^[189]

There is also a separate definition of Sangha, referring to those who have attained any stage of awakening, whether or not they are monastics. This sangha is called the āryasaṅgha “noble Sangha”.^[190] All forms of Buddhism generally reveres these āryas (Pali: ariya, “noble ones” or “holy ones”) who are spiritually attained beings. Aryas have attained the fruits of the Buddhist path.^[191]

Other key Mahāyāna views

Main articles: Yogachara and Buddha-nature

Mahāyāna Buddhism also differs from Theravada and the other schools of early Buddhism in promoting several unique doctrines which are contained in Mahāyāna sutras and philosophical treatises.

One of these is the unique interpretation of emptiness and dependent origination found in the Madhyamaka school. Another very influential doctrine for Mahāyāna is the main philosophical view of the Yogācāra school variously, termed Vijñaptimātratā-vāda (“the doctrine that there are only ideas” or “mental impressions”) or Vijñānavāda (“the doctrine of consciousness”). According to Mark Siderits, what classical Yogācāra thinkers like Vasubandhu had in mind is that we are only ever aware of mental images or impressions, which may appear as external objects, but “there is actually no such thing outside the mind”.^[192] There are several interpretations of this main theory, many scholars see it as a type of Idealism, others as a kind of phenomenology.^[193]

Another very influential concept unique to Mahāyāna is that of “Buddha-nature” (buddhadhātu) or “Tathagata-womb” (tathāgatagarbha). Buddha-nature is a concept found in some 1st-millennium CE Buddhist texts, such as the Tathāgatagarbha sūtras. According to Paul Williams these Sutras suggest that ‘all sentient beings contain a Tathagata’ as their ‘essence, core inner nature, Self’.^{[194][note 16]} According to Karl Brunnholzl “the earliest mahayana sutras that are based on and discuss the notion of tathāgatagarbha as the buddha potential that is innate in all sentient beings began to appear in written form in the late second and early third century.”^[196] For some, the doctrine seems to conflict with the Buddhist anatta doctrine (non-Self), leading scholars to posit that the Tathāgatagarbha Sutras were written to promote Buddhism to non-Buddhists.^[197][198] This can be seen in texts like the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, which state that Buddha-nature is taught to help those who have fear when they listen to the teaching of anatta.^[199] Buddhist texts like the Ratnagotravibhāga clarify that the “Self” implied in Tathagatagarbha doctrine is actually “not-self“.^[200][201]

Paths to liberation

Main article: Buddhist paths to liberation

The Bodhipakkhiyādhammā are seven lists of qualities or factors that promote spiritual awakening (bodhi). Each list is a short summary of the Buddhist path, and the seven lists substantially overlap. The best-known list in the West is the Noble Eightfold Path, but a wide variety of paths and models of progress have been used and described in the different Buddhist traditions. However, they generally share basic practices such as sila (ethics), samadhi (meditation, dhyana) and prajña (wisdom), which are known as the three trainings. An important additional practice is a kind and compassionate attitude toward every living being and the world. Devotion is also important in some Buddhist traditions, and in the Tibetan traditions visualisations of deities and mandalas are important. The value of textual study is regarded differently in the various Buddhist traditions. It is central to Theravada and highly important to Tibetan Buddhism, while the Zen tradition takes an ambiguous stance.

An important guiding principle of Buddhist practice is the Middle Way (madhyamapratipad). It was a part of Buddha’s first sermon, where he presented the Noble Eightfold Path that was a ‘middle way’ between the extremes of asceticism and hedonistic sense pleasures.^[202][203] In Buddhism, states Harvey, the doctrine of “dependent arising” (conditioned arising, pratītyasamutpāda) to explain rebirth is viewed as the ‘middle way’ between the doctrines that a being has a “permanent soul” involved in rebirth (eternalism) and “death is final and there is no rebirth” (annihilationism).^[204][205]

Paths to liberation in the early texts

A common presentation style of the path (mārga) to liberation in the Early Buddhist Texts is the “graduated talk”, in which the Buddha lays out a step-by-step training.^[206]

In the early texts, numerous different sequences of the gradual path can be found.^[207] One of the most important and widely used presentations among the various Buddhist schools is The Noble Eightfold Path, or “Eightfold Path of the Noble Ones” (Skt. ‘āryāṣṭāṅgamārga’). This can be found in various discourses, most famously in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (The discourse on the turning of the Dharma wheel).

Other suttas such as the Tevijja Sutta, and the Cula-Hatthipadopama-sutta give a different outline of the path, though with many similar elements such as ethics and meditation.^[207]

According to Rupert Gethin, the path to awakening is also frequently summarized by another a short formula: “abandoning the hindrances, practice of the four establishings of mindfulness, and development of the awakening factors”.^[208]

Noble Eightfold Path

Main article: Noble Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path consists of a set of eight interconnected factors or conditions, that when developed together, lead to the cessation of dukkha.^[209] These eight factors are: Right View (or Right Understanding), Right Intention (or Right Thought), Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

This Eightfold Path is the fourth of the Four Noble Truths and asserts the path to the cessation of dukkha (suffering, pain, unsatisfactoriness).^[210][211] The path teaches that the way of the enlightened ones stopped their craving, clinging and karmic accumulations, and thus ended their endless cycles of rebirth and suffering.^{[212][213][214]}

The Noble Eightfold Path is grouped into three basic divisions, as follows:^{[215][216][217]}

Division	Eightfold factor	Sanskrit, Pali	Description
Wisdom (Sanskrit: prajñā, Pāli: paññā)	1. Right view	samyag dṛṣṭi, sammā ditthi	The belief that there is an afterlife and not everything ends with death, that Buddha taught and followed a successful path to nirvana;[215] according to Peter Harvey, the right view is held in Buddhism as a belief in the Buddhist principles of karma and rebirth, and the importance of the Four Noble Truths and the True Realities.[218]
	2. Right intention	samyag saṃkalpa, sammā saṅkappa	Giving up home and adopting the life of a religious mendicant in order to follow the path;[215] this concept, states Harvey, aims at peaceful renunciation, into an environment of non-sensuality, non-ill-will (to lovingkindness), away from cruelty (to compassion).[218]
Moral virtues[216] (Sanskrit: śīla, Pāli: sīla)	3. Right speech	samyag vāc, sammā vāca	No lying, no rude speech, no telling one person what another says about him, speaking that which leads to salvation.[215]
	4. Right action	samyag karman, sammā kammanta	No killing or injuring, no taking what is not given; no sexual acts in monastic pursuit,[215] for lay Buddhists no sensual misconduct such as sexual involvement with someone married, or with an unmarried woman protected by her parents or relatives.[219][220][221]
	5. Right livelihood	samyag ājīvana, sammā ājīva	For monks, beg to feed, only possessing what is essential to sustain life.[222] For lay Buddhists, the canonical texts state right livelihood as abstaining from wrong livelihood, explained as not becoming a source or means of suffering to sentient beings by cheating them, or harming or killing them in any way.[223][224]
Meditation[216] (Sanskrit and Pāli: samādhi)	6. Right effort	samyag vyāyāma, sammā vāyāma	Guard against sensual thoughts; this concept, states Harvey, aims at preventing unwholesome states that disrupt meditation.[225]
	7. Right mindfulness	samyag smṛti, sammā sati	Never be absent-minded, conscious of what one is doing; this, states Harvey, encourages mindfulness about impermanence of the body, feelings and mind, as well as to experience the five skandhas, the five hindrances, the four True Realities and seven factors of awakening.[225]
	8. Right concentration	samyag samādhi, sammā samādhi	Correct meditation or concentration (dhyana), explained as the four jhānas.[215][226]

Common practices

Hearing and learning the Dharma

In various suttas which present the graduated path taught by the Buddha, such as the Samaññaphala Sutta and the Cula-Hatthipadopama Sutta, the first step on the path is hearing the Buddha teach the Dharma. This then said to lead to the acquiring of confidence or faith in the Buddha’s teachings.^[207]

Mahayana Buddhist teachers such as Yin Shun also state that hearing the Dharma and study of the Buddhist discourses is necessary “if one wants to learn and practice the Buddha Dharma.”^[227] Likewise, in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, the “Stages of the Path” (Lamrim) texts generally place the activity of listening to the Buddhist teachings as an important early practice.^[228]

Refuge

Main article: Refuge (Buddhism)

Traditionally, the first step in most Buddhist schools requires taking of the “Three Refuges”, also called the Three Jewels (Sanskrit: triratna, Pali: tiratana) as the foundation of one’s religious practice.^[229] This practice may have been influenced by the Brahmanical motif of the triple refuge, found in the Rigveda 9.97.47, Rigveda 6.46.9 and Chandogya Upanishad 2.22.3–4.^[230] Tibetan Buddhism sometimes adds a fourth refuge, in the lama. The three refuges are believed by Buddhists to be protective and a form of reverence.^[229]

The ancient formula which is repeated for taking refuge affirms that “I go to the Buddha as refuge, I go to the Dhamma as refuge, I go to the Sangha as refuge.”^[231] Reciting the three refuges, according to Harvey, is considered not as a place to hide, rather a thought that “purifies, uplifts and strengthens the heart”.^[177]

Śīla – Buddhist ethics

Main article: Buddhist ethics

Śīla (Sanskrit) or sīla (Pāli) is the concept of “moral virtues”, that is the second group and an integral part of the Noble Eightfold Path.^[218] It generally consists of right speech, right action and right livelihood.^[218]

One of the most basic forms of ethics in Buddhism is the taking of “precepts”. This includes the Five Precepts for laypeople, Eight or Ten Precepts for monastic life, as well as rules of Dhamma (Vinaya or Patimokkha) adopted by a monastery.^[232][233]

Other important elements of Buddhist ethics include giving or charity (dāna), Mettā (Good-Will), Heedfulness (Appamada), ‘self-respect’ (Hri) and ‘regard for consequences’ (Apatrapya).

Precepts

Main article: Five precepts

Buddhist scriptures explain the five precepts (Pali: pañcasīla; Sanskrit: pañcaśīla) as the minimal standard of Buddhist morality.^[219] It is the most important system of morality in Buddhism, together with the monastic rules.^[234]

The five precepts are seen as a basic training applicable to all Buddhists. They are:^{[232][235][236]}

1. “I undertake the training-precept (sikkha-padam) to abstain from onslaught on breathing beings.” This includes ordering or causing someone else to kill. The Pali suttas also say one should not “approve of others killing” and that one should be “scrupulous, compassionate, trembling for the welfare of all living beings”.^[237]
2. “I undertake the training-precept to abstain from taking what is not given.” According to Harvey, this also covers fraud, cheating, forgery as well as “falsely denying that one is in debt to someone”.^[238]
3. “I undertake the training-precept to abstain from misconduct concerning sense-pleasures.” This generally refers to adultery, as well as rape and incest. It also applies to sex with those who are legally under the protection of a guardian. It is also interpreted in different ways in the varying Buddhist cultures.^[239]
4. “I undertake the training-precept to abstain from false speech.” According to Harvey this includes “any form of lying, deception or exaggeration…even non-verbal deception by gesture or other indication…or misleading statements.”^[240] The precept is often also seen as including other forms of wrong speech such as “divisive speech, harsh, abusive, angry words, and even idle chatter”.^[241]
5. “I undertake the training-precept to abstain from alcoholic drink or drugs that are an opportunity for heedlessness.” According to Harvey, intoxication is seen as a way to mask rather than face the sufferings of life. It is seen as damaging to one’s mental clarity, mindfulness and ability to keep the other four precepts.^[242]

Undertaking and upholding the five precepts is based on the principle of non-harming (Pāli and Sanskrit: ahiṃsa).^[243] The Pali Canon recommends one to compare oneself with others, and on the basis of that, not to hurt others.^[244] Compassion and a belief in karmic retribution form the foundation of the precepts.^[245][246] Undertaking the five precepts is part of regular lay devotional practice, both at home and at the local temple.^[247][248] However, the extent to which people keep them differs per region and time.^[249][248] They are sometimes referred to as the śrāvakayāna precepts in the Mahāyāna tradition, contrasting them with the bodhisattva precepts.^[250]

Vinaya

Main article: Vinaya

Vinaya is the specific code of conduct for a sangha of monks or nuns. It includes the Patimokkha, a set of 227 offences including 75 rules of decorum for monks, along with penalties for transgression, in the Theravadin tradition.^[251] The precise content of the Vinaya Pitaka (scriptures on the Vinaya) differs in different schools and tradition, and different monasteries set their own standards on its implementation. The list of pattimokkha is recited every fortnight in a ritual gathering of all monks.^[251] Buddhist text with vinaya rules for monasteries have been traced in all Buddhist traditions, with the oldest surviving being the ancient Chinese translations.^[252]

Monastic communities in the Buddhist tradition cut normal social ties to family and community and live as “islands unto themselves”.^[253] Within a monastic fraternity, a sangha has its own rules.^[253] A monk abides by these institutionalised rules, and living life as the vinaya prescribes it is not merely a means, but very nearly the end in itself.^[253] Transgressions by a monk on Sangha vinaya rules invites enforcement, which can include temporary or permanent expulsion.^[254]

Restraint and renunciation

Another important practice taught by the Buddha is the restraint of the senses (indriyasamvara). In the various graduated paths, this is usually presented as a practice which is taught prior to formal sitting meditation, and which supports meditation by weakening sense desires that are a hindrance to meditation.^[255] According to Anālayo, sense restraint is when one “guards the sense doors in order to prevent sense impressions from leading to desires and discontent”.^[255] This is not an avoidance of sense impression, but a kind of mindful attention towards the sense impressions which does not dwell on their main features or signs (nimitta). This is said to prevent harmful influences from entering the mind.^[256] This practice is said to give rise to an inner peace and happiness which forms a basis for concentration and insight.^[256]

A related Buddhist virtue and practice is renunciation, or the intent for desirelessness (nekkhamma).^[257] Generally, renunciation is the giving up of actions and desires that are seen as unwholesome on the path, such as lust for sensuality and worldly things.^[258] Renunciation can be cultivated in different ways. The practice of giving for example, is one form of cultivating renunciation. Another one is the giving up of lay life and becoming a monastic (bhiksu or bhiksuni).^[259] Practicing celibacy (whether for life as a monk, or temporarily) is also a form of renunciation.^[260] Many Jataka stories focus on how the Buddha practiced renunciation in past lives.^[261]

One way of cultivating renunciation taught by the Buddha is the contemplation (anupassana) of the “dangers” (or “negative consequences”) of sensual pleasure (kāmānaṃ ādīnava). As part of the graduated discourse, this contemplation is taught after the practice of giving and morality.^[262]

Another related practice to renunciation and sense restraint taught by the Buddha is “restraint in eating” or moderation with food, which for monks generally means not eating after noon. Devout laypersons also follow this rule during special days of religious observance (uposatha).^[263]

Mindfulness and clear comprehension

The training of the faculty called “mindfulness” (Pali: sati, Sanskrit: smṛti, literally meaning “recollection, remembering”) is central in Buddhism. According to Analayo, mindfulness is a full awareness of the present moment which enhances and strengthens memory.^[264] The Indian Buddhist philosopher Asanga defined mindfulness thus: “It is non-forgetting by the mind with regard to the object experienced. Its function is non-distraction.”^[265] According to Rupert Gethin, sati is also “an awareness of things in relation to things, and hence an awareness of their relative value”.^[266]

There are different practices and exercises for training mindfulness in the early discourses, such as the four Satipaṭṭhānas (Sanskrit: smṛtyupasthāna, “establishments of mindfulness”) and Ānāpānasati (Sanskrit: ānāpānasmṛti, “mindfulness of breathing”).

A closely related mental faculty, which is often mentioned side by side with mindfulness, is sampajañña (“clear comprehension”). This faculty is the ability to comprehend what one is doing and is happening in the mind, and whether it is being influenced by unwholesome states or wholesome ones.^[267]

Meditation – Sama-amādhi and dhyāna

Main articles: Buddhist meditation, Samadhi, Samatha, and Rupajhana

A wide range of meditation practices has developed in the Buddhist traditions, but “meditation” primarily refers to the attainment of samādhi and the practice of dhyāna (Pali: jhāna). Samādhi is a calm, undistracted, unified and concentrated state of awareness. It is defined by Asanga as “one-pointedness of mind on the object to be investigated. Its function consists of giving a basis to knowledge (jñāna).”^[265] Dhyāna is “state of perfect equanimity and awareness (upekkhā-sati-parisuddhi),” reached through focused mental training.^[268]

The practice of dhyāna aids in maintaining a calm mind and avoiding disturbance of this calm mind by mindfulness of disturbing thoughts and feelings.^{[269][note 17]}

Origins

The earliest evidence of yogis and their meditative tradition, states Karel Werner, is found in the Keśin hymn 10.136 of the Rigveda.^[270] While evidence suggests meditation was practised in the centuries preceding the Buddha,^[271] the meditative methodologies described in the Buddhist texts are some of the earliest among texts that have survived into the modern era.^[272][273] These methodologies likely incorporate what existed before the Buddha as well as those first developed within Buddhism.^{[274][note 18]}

There is no scholarly agreement on the origin and source of the practice of dhyāna. Some scholars, like Bronkhorst, see the four dhyānas as a Buddhist invention.^[278] Alexander Wynne argues that the Buddha learned dhyāna from Brahmanical teachers.^[279]

Whatever the case, the Buddha taught meditation with a new focus and interpretation, particularly through the four dhyānas methodology,^[280] in which mindfulness is maintained.^[281][282] Further, the focus of meditation and the underlying theory of liberation guiding the meditation has been different in Buddhism.^{[271][283][284]} For example, states Bronkhorst, the verse 4.4.23 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad with its “become calm, subdued, quiet, patiently enduring, concentrated, one sees soul in oneself” is most probably a meditative state.^[285] The Buddhist discussion of meditation is without the concept of soul and the discussion criticises both the ascetic meditation of Jainism and the “real self, soul” meditation of Hinduism.^[286]

The formless attainments

Often grouped into the jhāna-scheme are four other meditative states, referred to in the early texts as arupa samāpattis (formless attainments). These are also referred to in commentarial literature as immaterial/formless jhānas (arūpajhānas). The first formless attainment is a place or realm of infinite space (ākāsānañcāyatana) without form or colour or shape. The second is termed the realm of infinite consciousness (viññāṇañcāyatana); the third is the realm of nothingness (ākiñcaññāyatana), while the fourth is the realm of “neither perception nor non-perception”.^[287] The four rupa-jhānas in Buddhist practice leads to rebirth in successfully better rupa Brahma heavenly realms, while arupa-jhānas leads into arupa heavens.^[288][289]

Meditation and insight

See also: Meditation and insight and Yoga

In the Pali canon, the Buddha outlines two meditative qualities which are mutually supportive: samatha (Pāli; Sanskrit: śamatha; “calm”) and vipassanā (Sanskrit: vipaśyanā, insight).^[290] The Buddha compares these mental qualities to a “swift pair of messengers” who together help deliver the message of nibbana (SN 35.245).^[291]

The various Buddhist traditions generally see Buddhist meditation as being divided into those two main types.^[292][293] Samatha is also called “calming meditation”, and focuses on stilling and concentrating the mind i.e. developing samadhi and the four dhyānas. According to Damien Keown, vipassanā meanwhile, focuses on “the generation of penetrating and critical insight (paññā)”.^[294]

There are numerous doctrinal positions and disagreements within the different Buddhist traditions regarding these qualities or forms of meditation. For example, in the Pali Four Ways to Arahantship Sutta (AN 4.170), it is said that one can develop calm and then insight, or insight and then calm, or both at the same time.^[295] Meanwhile, in Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośakārikā, vipaśyanā is said to be practiced once one has reached samadhi by cultivating the four foundations of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthānas).^[296]

Beginning with comments by La Vallee Poussin, a series of scholars have argued that these two meditation types reflect a tension between two different ancient Buddhist traditions regarding the use of dhyāna, one which focused on insight based practice and the other which focused purely on dhyāna.^[297][298] However, other scholars such as Analayo and Rupert Gethin have disagreed with this “two paths” thesis, instead seeing both of these practices as complementary.^[298][299]

The Brahma-vihara

Main article: Brahmavihara

The four immeasurables or four abodes, also called Brahma-viharas, are virtues or directions for meditation in Buddhist traditions, which helps a person be reborn in the heavenly (Brahma) realm.^{[300][301][302]} These are traditionally believed to be a characteristic of the deity Brahma and the heavenly abode he resides in.^[303]

The four Brahma-vihara are:

1. Loving-kindness (Pāli: mettā, Sanskrit: maitrī) is active good will towards all;^[301][304]
2. Compassion (Pāli and Sanskrit: karuṇā) results from metta; it is identifying the suffering of others as one’s own;^[301][304]
3. Empathetic joy (Pāli and Sanskrit: muditā): is the feeling of joy because others are happy, even if one did not contribute to it; it is a form of sympathetic joy;^[304]
4. Equanimity (Pāli: upekkhā, Sanskrit: upekṣā): is even-mindedness and serenity, treating everyone impartially.^[301][304]

Tantra, visualization and the subtle body

See also: Tibetan Tantric Practice and Vajrayana § Tantra_techniques

Some Buddhist traditions, especially those associated with Tantric Buddhism (also known as Vajrayana and Secret Mantra) use images and symbols of deities and Buddhas in meditation. This is generally done by mentally visualizing a Buddha image (or some other mental image, like a symbol, a mandala, a syllable, etc.), and using that image to cultivate calm and insight. One may also visualize and identify oneself with the imagined deity.^[305][306] While visualization practices have been particularly popular in Vajrayana, they may also found in Mahayana and Theravada traditions.^[307]

In Tibetan Buddhism, unique tantric techniques which include visualization (but also mantra recitation, mandalas, and other elements) are considered to be much more effective than non-tantric meditations and they are one of the most popular meditation methods.^[308] The methods of Unsurpassable Yoga Tantra, (anuttarayogatantra) are in turn seen as the highest and most advanced. Anuttarayoga practice is divided into two stages, the Generation Stage and the Completion Stage. In the Generation Stage, one meditates on emptiness and visualizes oneself as a deity as well as visualizing its mandala. The focus is on developing clear appearance and divine pride (the understanding that oneself and the deity are one).^[309] This method is also known as deity yoga (devata yoga). There are numerous meditation deities (yidam) used, each with a mandala, a circular symbolic map used in meditation.^[310]

Insight and knowledge

Main articles: Prajñā, Bodhi, Kenshō, Satori, Subitism, and Vipassana

Prajñā (Sanskrit) or paññā (Pāli) is wisdom, or knowledge of the true nature of existence. Another term which is associated with prajñā and sometimes is equivalent to it is vipassanā (Pāli) or vipaśyanā (Sanskrit), which is often translated as “insight”. In Buddhist texts, the faculty of insight is often said to be cultivated through the four establishments of mindfulness.^[311] In the early texts, Paññā is included as one of the “five faculties” (indriya) which are commonly listed as important spiritual elements to be cultivated (see for example: AN I 16). Paññā along with samadhi, is also listed as one of the “trainings in the higher states of mind” (adhicittasikkha).^[311]

The Buddhist tradition regards ignorance (avidyā), a fundamental ignorance, misunderstanding or mis-perception of the nature of reality, as one of the basic causes of dukkha and samsara. Overcoming this ignorance is part of the path to awakening. This overcoming includes the contemplation of impermanence and the non-self nature of reality,^[312][313] and this develops dispassion for the objects of clinging, and liberates a being from dukkha and saṃsāra.^{[314][315][316]}

Prajñā is important in all Buddhist traditions. It is variously described as wisdom regarding the impermanent and not-self nature of dharmas (phenomena), the functioning of karma and rebirth, and knowledge of dependent origination.^[317] Likewise, vipaśyanā is described in a similar way, such as in the Paṭisambhidāmagga, where it is said to be the contemplation of things as impermanent, unsatisfactory and not-self.^[318]

Devotion

Main article: Buddhist devotion

Most forms of Buddhism “consider saddhā (Sanskrit: śraddhā), ‘trustful confidence’ or ‘faith’, as a quality which must be balanced by wisdom, and as a preparation for, or accompaniment of, meditation.”^[319] Because of this devotion (Sanskrit: bhakti; Pali: bhatti) is an important part of the practice of most Buddhists.^[320] Devotional practices include ritual prayer, prostration, offerings, pilgrimage, and chanting.^[321] Buddhist devotion is usually focused on some object, image or location that is seen as holy or spiritually influential. Examples of objects of devotion include paintings or statues of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, stupas, and bodhi trees.^[322] Public group chanting for devotional and ceremonial is common to all Buddhist traditions and goes back to ancient India where chanting aided in the memorization of the orally transmitted teachings.^[323] Rosaries called malas are used in all Buddhist traditions to count repeated chanting of common formulas or mantras. Chanting is thus a type of devotional group meditation which leads to tranquility and communicates the Buddhist teachings.^[324]

Vegetarianism and animal ethics

Main article: Buddhist vegetarianism

Based on the Indian principle of ahimsa (non-harming), the Buddha’s ethics strongly condemn the harming of all sentient beings, including all animals. He thus condemned the animal sacrifice of the Brahmins as well hunting, and killing animals for food.^[325] However, early Buddhist texts depict the Buddha as allowing monastics to eat meat. This seems to be because monastics begged for their food and thus were supposed to accept whatever food was offered to them.^[326] This was tempered by the rule that meat had to be “three times clean”: “they had not seen, had not heard, and had no reason to suspect that the animal had been killed so that the meat could be given to them”.^[327] Also, while the Buddha did not explicitly promote vegetarianism in his discourses, he did state that gaining one’s livelihood from the meat trade was unethical.^[328] In contrast to this, various Mahayana sutras and texts like the Mahaparinirvana sutra, Surangama sutra and the Lankavatara sutra state that the Buddha promoted vegetarianism out of compassion.^[329] Indian Mahayana thinkers like Shantideva promoted the avoidance of meat.^[330] Throughout history, the issue of whether Buddhists should be vegetarian has remained a much debated topic and there is a variety of opinions on this issue among modern Buddhists.

Texts

Main article: Buddhist texts

Buddhism, like all Indian religions, was initially an oral tradition in ancient times.^[331] The Buddha’s words, the early doctrines, concepts, and their traditional interpretations were orally transmitted from one generation to the next. The earliest oral texts were transmitted in Middle Indo-Aryan languages called Prakrits, such as Pali, through the use of communal recitation and other mnemonic techniques.^[332] The first Buddhist canonical texts were likely written down in Sri Lanka, about 400 years after the Buddha died.^[331] The texts were part of the Tripitakas, and many versions appeared thereafter claiming to be the words of the Buddha. Scholarly Buddhist commentary texts, with named authors, appeared in India, around the 2nd century CE.^[331] These texts were written in Pali or Sanskrit, sometimes regional languages, as palm-leaf manuscripts, birch bark, painted scrolls, carved into temple walls, and later on paper.^[331]

Unlike what the Bible is to Christianity and the Quran is to Islam, but like all major ancient Indian religions, there is no consensus among the different Buddhist traditions as to what constitutes the scriptures or a common canon in Buddhism.^[331] The general belief among Buddhists is that the canonical corpus is vast.^{[333][334][335]} This corpus includes the ancient Sutras organised into Nikayas or Agamas, itself the part of three basket of texts called the Tripitakas.^[336] Each Buddhist tradition has its own collection of texts, much of which is translation of ancient Pali and Sanskrit Buddhist texts of India. The Chinese Buddhist canon, for example, includes 2184 texts in 55 volumes, while the Tibetan canon comprises 1108 texts – all claimed to have been spoken by the Buddha – and another 3461 texts composed by Indian scholars revered in the Tibetan tradition.^[337] The Buddhist textual history is vast; over 40,000 manuscripts – mostly Buddhist, some non-Buddhist – were discovered in 1900 in the Dunhuang Chinese cave alone.^[337]

Early texts

Main article: Early Buddhist Texts

The Early Buddhist Texts refers to the literature which is considered by modern scholars to be the earliest Buddhist material. The first four Pali Nikayas, and the corresponding Chinese Āgamas are generally considered to be among the earliest material.^{[338][339][340]} Apart from these, there are also fragmentary collections of EBT materials in other languages such as Sanskrit, Khotanese, Tibetan and Gāndhārī. The modern study of early Buddhism often relies on comparative scholarship using these various early Buddhist sources to identify parallel texts and common doctrinal content.^[341] One feature of these early texts are literary structures which reflect oral transmission, such as widespread repetition.^[342]

The Tripitakas

Main articles: Tripiṭaka and Pali Canon

After the development of the different early Buddhist schools, these schools began to develop their own textual collections, which were termed Tripiṭakas (Triple Baskets).^[343]

Many early Tripiṭakas, like the Pāli Tipitaka, were divided into three sections: Vinaya Pitaka (focuses on monastic rule), Sutta Pitaka (Buddhist discourses) and Abhidhamma Pitaka, which contain expositions and commentaries on the doctrine. The Pāli Tipitaka (also known as the Pali Canon) of the Theravada School constitutes the only complete collection of Buddhist texts in an Indic language which has survived until today.^[344] However, many Sutras, Vinayas and Abhidharma works from other schools survive in Chinese translation, as part of the Chinese Buddhist Canon. According to some sources, some early schools of Buddhism had five or seven pitakas.^[345]

Mahāyāna texts

Main article: Mahayana sutras

The Mahāyāna sūtras are a very broad genre of Buddhist scriptures that the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition holds are original teachings of the Buddha. Modern historians generally hold that the first of these texts were composed probably around the 1st century BCE or 1st century CE.^{[346][347][348]} In Mahāyāna, these texts are generally given greater authority than the early Āgamas and Abhidharma literature, which are called “Śrāvakayāna” or “Hinayana” to distinguish them from Mahāyāna sūtras.^[349] Mahāyāna traditions mainly see these different classes of texts as being designed for different types of persons, with different levels of spiritual understanding. The Mahāyāna sūtras are mainly seen as being for those of “greater” capacity.^{[350][better source needed]} Mahāyāna also has a very large literature of philosophical and exegetical texts. These are often called śāstra (treatises) or vrittis (commentaries). Some of this literature was also written in verse form (karikās), the most famous of which is the Mūlamadhyamika-karikā (Root Verses on the Middle Way) by Nagarjuna, the foundational text of the Madhyamika school.

Tantric texts

Main article: Tantras (Buddhism)

During the Gupta Empire, a new class of Buddhist sacred literature began to develop, which are called the Tantras.^[351] By the 8th century, the tantric tradition was very influential in India and beyond. Besides drawing on a Mahāyāna Buddhist framework, these texts also borrowed deities and material from other Indian religious traditions, such as the Śaiva and Pancharatra traditions, local god/goddess cults, and local spirit worship (such as yaksha or nāga spirits).^[352][353]

Some features of these texts include the widespread use of mantras, meditation on the subtle body, worship of fierce deities, and antinomian and transgressive practices such as ingesting alcohol and performing sexual rituals.^{[354][355][356]}

History

Main article: History of Buddhism

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Buddhism.

Historical roots

Historically, the roots of Buddhism lie in the religious thought of Iron Age India around the middle of the first millennium BCE.^[357] This was a period of great intellectual ferment and socio-cultural change known as the “Second urbanisation”, marked by the growth of towns and trade, the composition of the Upanishads and the historical emergence of the Śramaṇa traditions.^{[358][359][note 19]}

New ideas developed both in the Vedic tradition in the form of the Upanishads, and outside of the Vedic tradition through the Śramaṇa movements.^{[362][363][364]} The term Śramaṇa refers to several Indian religious movements parallel to but separate from the historical Vedic religion, including Buddhism, Jainism and others such as Ājīvika.^[365]

Several Śramaṇa movements are known to have existed in India before the 6th century BCE (pre-Buddha, pre-Mahavira), and these influenced both the āstika and nāstika traditions of Indian philosophy.^[366] According to Martin Wilshire, the Śramaṇa tradition evolved in India over two phases, namely Paccekabuddha and Savaka phases, the former being the tradition of individual ascetic and the latter of disciples, and that Buddhism and Jainism ultimately emerged from these.^[367] Brahmanical and non-Brahmanical ascetic groups shared and used several similar ideas,^[368] but the Śramaṇa traditions also drew upon already established Brahmanical concepts and philosophical roots, states Wiltshire, to formulate their own doctrines.^[366][369] Brahmanical motifs can be found in the oldest Buddhist texts, using them to introduce and explain Buddhist ideas.^[370] For example, prior to Buddhist developments, the Brahmanical tradition internalised and variously reinterpreted the three Vedic sacrificial fires as concepts such as Truth, Rite, Tranquility or Restraint.^[371] Buddhist texts also refer to the three Vedic sacrificial fires, reinterpreting and explaining them as ethical conduct.^[372]

The Śramaṇa religions challenged and broke with the Brahmanic tradition on core assumptions such as Atman (soul, self), Brahman, the nature of afterlife, and they rejected the authority of the Vedas and Upanishads.^{[373][374][375]} Buddhism was one among several Indian religions that did so.^[375]

Early Buddhist positions in the Theravada tradition had not established any deities, but were epistemologically cautious rather than directly atheist. Later Buddhist traditions were more influenced by the critique of deities within Hinduism and therefore more committed to a strongly atheist stance. These developments were historic and epistemological as documented in verses from Śāntideva‘s Bodhicaryāvatāra, and supplemented by reference to suttas and jātakas from the Pali canon.^[376]

Indian Buddhism

Main article: History of Buddhism in India

The history of Indian Buddhism may be divided into five periods:^[377] Early Buddhism (occasionally called pre-sectarian Buddhism), Nikaya Buddhism or Sectarian Buddhism (the period of the early Buddhist schools), Early Mahayana Buddhism, Late Mahayana, and the era of Vajrayana or the “Tantric Age”.

Pre-sectarian Buddhism

Main article: Pre-sectarian Buddhism

According to Lambert Schmithausen Pre-sectarian Buddhism is “the canonical period prior to the development of different schools with their different positions”.^[378]

The early Buddhist Texts include the four principal Pali Nikāyas^{[note 20]} (and their parallel Agamas found in the Chinese canon) together with the main body of monastic rules, which survive in the various versions of the patimokkha.^{[379][380][381]} However, these texts were revised over time, and it is unclear what constitutes the earliest layer of Buddhist teachings. One method to obtain information on the oldest core of Buddhism is to compare the oldest extant versions of the Theravadin Pāli Canon and other texts.^{[note 21]} The reliability of the early sources, and the possibility to draw out a core of oldest teachings, is a matter of dispute.^[384] According to Vetter, inconsistencies remain, and other methods must be applied to resolve those inconsistencies.^{[382][note 22]}

According to Schmithausen, three positions held by scholars of Buddhism can be distinguished:^[388]

1. “Stress on the fundamental homogeneity and substantial authenticity of at least a considerable part of the Nikayic materials”. Proponents of this position include A. K. Warder^{[note 23]} and Richard Gombrich.^{[390][note 24]}
2. “Scepticism with regard to the possibility of retrieving the doctrine of earliest Buddhism”. Ronald Davidson is a proponent of this position.^{[note 25]}
3. “Cautious optimism in this respect”. Proponents of this position include J.W. de Jong,^{[392][note 26]} Johannes Bronkhorst^{[note 27]} and Donald Lopez.^{[note 28]}

The Core teachings

According to Mitchell, certain basic teachings appear in many places throughout the early texts, which has led most scholars to conclude that Gautama Buddha must have taught something similar to the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, Nirvana, the three marks of existence, the five aggregates, dependent origination, karma and rebirth.^[394]

According to N. Ross Reat, all of these doctrines are shared by the Theravada Pali texts and the Mahasamghika school’s Śālistamba Sūtra.^[395] A recent study by Bhikkhu Analayo concludes that the Theravada Majjhima Nikaya and Sarvastivada Madhyama Agama contain mostly the same major doctrines.^[396] Richard Salomon, in his study of the Gandharan texts (which are the earliest manuscripts containing early discourses), has confirmed that their teachings are “consistent with non-Mahayana Buddhism, which survives today in the Theravada school of Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, but which in ancient times was represented by eighteen separate schools.”^[397]

However, some scholars argue that critical analysis reveals discrepancies among the various doctrines found in these early texts, which point to alternative possibilities for early Buddhism.^{[398][399][400]} The authenticity of certain teachings and doctrines have been questioned. For example, some scholars think that karma was not central to the teaching of the historical Buddha, while other disagree with this position.^[401][402] Likewise, there is scholarly disagreement on whether insight was seen as liberating in early Buddhism or whether it was a later addition to the practice of the four jhānas.^{[385][403][404]} Scholars such as Bronkhorst also think that the four noble truths may not have been formulated in earliest Buddhism, and did not serve in earliest Buddhism as a description of “liberating insight”.^[405] According to Vetter, the description of the Buddhist path may initially have been as simple as the term “the middle way”.^[140] In time, this short description was elaborated, resulting in the description of the eightfold path.^[140]

Ashokan Era and the early schools

Main articles: Early Buddhist schools, Buddhist councils, and Theravada

According to numerous Buddhist scriptures, soon after the parinirvāṇa (from Sanskrit: “highest extinguishment”) of Gautama Buddha, the first Buddhist council was held to collectively recite the teachings to ensure that no errors occurred in oral transmission. Many modern scholars question the historicity of this event.^[406] However, Richard Gombrich states that the monastic assembly recitations of the Buddha’s teaching likely began during Buddha’s lifetime, and they served a similar role of codifying the teachings.^[407]

The so called Second Buddhist council resulted in the first schism in the Sangha. Modern scholars believe that this was probably caused when a group of reformists called Sthaviras (“elders”) sought to modify the Vinaya (monastic rule), and this caused a split with the conservatives who rejected this change, they were called Mahāsāṃghikas.^[408][409] While most scholars accept that this happened at some point, there is no agreement on the dating, especially if it dates to before or after the reign of Ashoka.^[410]

Buddhism may have spread only slowly throughout India until the time of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka (304–232 BCE), who was a public supporter of the religion. The support of Aśoka and his descendants led to the construction of more stūpas (such as at Sanchi and Bharhut), temples (such as the Mahabodhi Temple) and to its spread throughout the Maurya Empire and into neighbouring lands such as Central Asia and to the island of Sri Lanka.

During and after the Mauryan period (322–180 BCE), the Sthavira community gave rise to several schools, one of which was the Theravada school which tended to congregate in the south and another which was the Sarvāstivāda school, which was mainly in north India. Likewise, the Mahāsāṃghika groups also eventually split into different Sanghas. Originally, these schisms were caused by disputes over monastic disciplinary codes of various fraternities, but eventually, by about 100 CE if not earlier, schisms were being caused by doctrinal disagreements too.^[411]

Following (or leading up to) the schisms, each Saṅgha started to accumulate their own version of Tripiṭaka (triple basket of texts).^[67][412] In their Tripiṭaka, each school included the Suttas of the Buddha, a Vinaya basket (disciplinary code) and some schools also added an Abhidharma basket which were texts on detailed scholastic classification, summary and interpretation of the Suttas.^[67][413] The doctrine details in the Abhidharmas of various Buddhist schools differ significantly, and these were composed starting about the third century BCE and through the 1st millennium CE.^{[414][415][416]}

Post-Ashokan expansion

Main article: Silk Road transmission of Buddhism

According to the edicts of Aśoka, the Mauryan emperor sent emissaries to various countries west of India to spread “Dharma”, particularly in eastern provinces of the neighbouring Seleucid Empire, and even farther to Hellenistic kingdoms of the Mediterranean. It is a matter of disagreement among scholars whether or not these emissaries were accompanied by Buddhist missionaries.^[417]

In central and west Asia, Buddhist influence grew, through Greek-speaking Buddhist monarchs and ancient Asian trade routes, a phenomenon known as Greco-Buddhism. An example of this is evidenced in Chinese and Pali Buddhist records, such as Milindapanha and the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhāra. The Milindapanha describes a conversation between a Buddhist monk and the 2nd-century BCE Greek king Menander, after which Menander abdicates and himself goes into monastic life in the pursuit of nirvana.^[418][419] Some scholars have questioned the Milindapanha version, expressing doubts whether Menander was Buddhist or just favourably disposed to Buddhist monks.^[420]

The Kushan Empire (30–375 CE) came to control the Silk Road trade through Central and South Asia, which brought them to interact with Gandharan Buddhism and the Buddhist institutions of these regions. The Kushans patronised Buddhism throughout their lands, and many Buddhist centres were built or renovated (the Sarvastivada school was particularly favored), especially by Emperor Kanishka (128–151 CE).^[421][422] Kushan support helped Buddhism to expand into a world religion through their trade routes.^[423] Buddhism spread to Khotan, the Tarim Basin, and China, eventually to other parts of the far east.^[422] Some of the earliest written documents of the Buddhist faith are the Gandharan Buddhist texts, dating from about the 1st century CE, and connected to the Dharmaguptaka school.^{[424][425][426]}

The Islamic conquest of the Iranian Plateau in the 7th-century, followed by the Muslim conquests of Afghanistan and the later establishment of the Ghaznavid kingdom with Islam as the state religion in Central Asia between the 10th- and 12th-century led to the decline and disappearance of Buddhism from most of these regions.^[427]

Mahāyāna Buddhism

Main article: Mahāyāna

The origins of Mahāyāna (“Great Vehicle”) Buddhism are not well understood and there are various competing theories about how and where this movement arose. Theories include the idea that it began as various groups venerating certain texts or that it arose as a strict forest ascetic movement.^[428]

The first Mahāyāna works were written sometime between the 1st century BCE and the 2nd century CE.^[347][428] Much of the early extant evidence for the origins of Mahāyāna comes from early Chinese translations of Mahāyāna texts, mainly those of Lokakṣema. (2nd century CE).^{[note 29]} Some scholars have traditionally considered the earliest Mahāyāna sūtras to include the first versions of the Prajnaparamita series, along with texts concerning Akṣobhya, which were probably composed in the 1st century BCE in the south of India.^{[430][note 30]}

There is no evidence that Mahāyāna ever referred to a separate formal school or sect of Buddhism, with a separate monastic code (Vinaya), but rather that it existed as a certain set of ideals, and later doctrines, for bodhisattvas.^[432][433] Records written by Chinese monks visiting India indicate that both Mahāyāna and non-Mahāyāna monks could be found in the same monasteries, with the difference that Mahāyāna monks worshipped figures of Bodhisattvas, while non-Mahayana monks did not.^[434]

Mahāyāna initially seems to have remained a small minority movement that was in tension with other Buddhist groups, struggling for wider acceptance.^[435] However, during the fifth and sixth centuries CE, there seems to have been a rapid growth of Mahāyāna Buddhism, which is shown by a large increase in epigraphic and manuscript evidence in this period. However, it still remained a minority in comparison to other Buddhist schools.^[436]

Mahāyāna Buddhist institutions continued to grow in influence during the following centuries, with large monastic university complexes such as Nalanda (established by the 5th-century CE Gupta emperor, Kumaragupta I) and Vikramashila (established under Dharmapala c. 783 to 820) becoming quite powerful and influential. During this period of Late Mahāyāna, four major types of thought developed: Mādhyamaka, Yogācāra, Buddha-nature (Tathāgatagarbha), and the epistemological tradition of Dignaga and Dharmakirti.^[437] According to Dan Lusthaus, Mādhyamaka and Yogācāra have a great deal in common, and the commonality stems from early Buddhism.^[438]

Late Indian Buddhism and Tantra

Main article: Vajrayana

During the Gupta period (4th–6th centuries) and the empire of Harṣavardana (c. 590–647 CE), Buddhism continued to be influential in India, and large Buddhist learning institutions such as Nalanda and Valabahi Universities were at their peak.^[439] Buddhism also flourished under the support of the Pāla Empire (8th–12th centuries). Under the Guptas and Palas, Tantric Buddhism or Vajrayana developed and rose to prominence. It promoted new practices such as the use of mantras, dharanis, mudras, mandalas and the visualization of deities and Buddhas and developed a new class of literature, the Buddhist Tantras. This new esoteric form of Buddhism can be traced back to groups of wandering yogi magicians called mahasiddhas.^[440][441]

The question of the origins of early Vajrayana has been taken up by various scholars. David Seyfort Ruegg has suggested that Buddhist tantra employed various elements of a “pan-Indian religious substrate” which is not specifically Buddhist, Shaiva or Vaishnava.^[442]

According to Indologist Alexis Sanderson, various classes of Vajrayana literature developed as a result of royal courts sponsoring both Buddhism and Saivism. Sanderson has argued that Buddhist tantras can be shown to have borrowed practices, terms, rituals and more form Shaiva tantras. He argues that Buddhist texts even directly copied various Shaiva tantras, especially the Bhairava Vidyapitha tantras.^[443][444] Ronald M. Davidson meanwhile, argues that Sanderson’s claims for direct influence from Shaiva Vidyapitha texts are problematic because “the chronology of the Vidyapitha tantras is by no means so well established”^[445] and that the Shaiva tradition also appropriated non-Hindu deities, texts and traditions. Thus while “there can be no question that the Buddhist tantras were heavily influenced by Kapalika and other Saiva movements” argues Davidson, “the influence was apparently mutual”.^[446]

Already during this later era, Buddhism was losing state support in other regions of India, including the lands of the Karkotas, the Pratiharas, the Rashtrakutas, the Pandyas and the Pallavas. This loss of support in favor of Hindu faiths like Vaishnavism and Shaivism, is the beginning of the long and complex period of the Decline of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent.^[447] The Islamic invasions and conquest of India (10th to 12th century), further damaged and destroyed many Buddhist institutions, leading to its eventual near disappearance from India by the 1200s.^[448]

Spread to East and Southeast Asia

The Silk Road transmission of Buddhism to China is most commonly thought to have started in the late 2nd or the 1st century CE, though the literary sources are all open to question.^{[449][note 31]} The first documented translation efforts by foreign Buddhist monks in China were in the 2nd century CE, probably as a consequence of the expansion of the Kushan Empire into the Chinese territory of the Tarim Basin.^[451]

The first documented Buddhist texts translated into Chinese are those of the Parthian An Shigao (148–180 CE).^[452] The first known Mahāyāna scriptural texts are translations into Chinese by the Kushan monk Lokakṣema in Luoyang, between 178 and 189 CE.^[453] From China, Buddhism was introduced into its neighbours Korea (4th century), Japan (6th–7th centuries), and Vietnam (c. 1st–2nd centuries).^[454][455]

During the Chinese Tang dynasty (618–907), Chinese Esoteric Buddhism was introduced from India and Chan Buddhism (Zen) became a major religion.^[456][457] Chan continued to grow in the Song dynasty (960–1279) and it was during this era that it strongly influenced Korean Buddhism and Japanese Buddhism.^[458] Pure Land Buddhism also became popular during this period and was often practised together with Chan.^[459] It was also during the Song that the entire Chinese canon was printed using over 130,000 wooden printing blocks.^[460]

During the Indian period of Esoteric Buddhism (from the 8th century onwards), Buddhism spread from India to Tibet and Mongolia. Johannes Bronkhorst states that the esoteric form was attractive because it allowed both a secluded monastic community as well as the social rites and rituals important to laypersons and to kings for the maintenance of a political state during succession and wars to resist invasion.^[461] During the Middle Ages, Buddhism slowly declined in India,^[462] while it vanished from Persia and Central Asia as Islam became the state religion.^[463][464]

The Theravada school arrived in Sri Lanka sometime in the 3rd century BCE. Sri Lanka became a base for its later spread to Southeast Asia after the 5th century CE (Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and coastal Vietnam).^[465][466] Theravada Buddhism was the dominant religion in Burma during the Mon Hanthawaddy Kingdom (1287–1552).^[467] It also became dominant in the Khmer Empire during the 13th and 14th centuries and in the Thai Sukhothai Kingdom during the reign of Ram Khamhaeng (1237/1247–1298).^[468][469]

Schools and traditions

Main articles: Schools of Buddhism and Timeline of Buddhism § Common Era

Buddhists generally classify themselves as either Theravāda or Mahāyāna.^[470] This classification is also used by some scholars^[471] and is the one ordinarily used in the English language.^[472] An alternative scheme used by some scholars divides Buddhism into the following three traditions or geographical or cultural areas: Theravāda (or “Southern Buddhism”, “South Asian Buddhism”), East Asian Buddhism (or just “Eastern Buddhism”) and Indo-Tibetan Buddhism (or “Northern Buddhism”).^{[note 32]}

The Theravada tradition traces its origins as the oldest tradition holding the Pali Canon as the only authority. The Mahayana tradition reveres the Canon but also derivative literature that developed in the 1st millennium CE; its roots are traceable to the 1st century BCE. The Vajrayana tradition is closer to the Mahayana, includes Tantra, and as the younger of the three is traceable to the 1st millennium CE.^[473][474]

Some scholars use other schemes, such as the multi-dimensional classification in the Encyclopedia of Religion.^[475] Buddhists themselves have a variety of other schemes. Hinayana (literally “lesser or inferior vehicle”) is sometimes used by Mahāyāna followers to name the family of early philosophical schools and traditions from which contemporary Theravāda emerged, but as the Hinayana term is considered derogatory, a variety of other terms are used instead, including: Śrāvakayāna, Nikaya Buddhism, early Buddhist schools, sectarian Buddhism and conservative Buddhism.^[476][477]

Not all traditions of Buddhism share the same philosophical outlook or treat the same concepts as central. Each tradition, however, does have its own core concepts, and some comparisons can be drawn between them:^[478][479]

• Both Theravāda and Mahāyāna accept and revere the Buddha Sakyamuni as the founder, Mahāyāna also reveres numerous other Buddhas, such as Amitabha or Vairocana as well as many other bodhisattvas not revered in Theravāda.
• Both accept the Middle Way, Dependent origination, the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Three Jewels, the Three marks of existence and the Bodhipakṣadharmas (aids to awakening).
• Mahāyāna focuses mainly on the bodhisattva path to Buddhahood which it sees as universal and to be practiced by all persons, while Theravāda does not focus on teaching this path and teaches the attainment of arhatship as a worthy goal to strive towards. The bodhisattva path is not denied in Theravāda, it is generally seen as a long and difficult path suitable for only a few.^[480] Thus the Bodhisattva path is normative in Mahāyāna, while it is an optional path for a heroic few in Theravāda.^[481]
• Mahāyāna sees the arhat’s nirvana as being imperfect and inferior or preliminary to full Buddhahood. It sees arhatship as selfish, since bodhisattvas vow to save all beings while arhats save only themselves.^[482] Theravāda meanwhile does not accept that the arhat’s nirvana is an inferior or preliminary attainment, nor that it is a selfish deed to attain arhatship since not only are arhats described as compassionate but they have destroyed the root of greed, the sense of “I am”.^[481]
• Mahāyāna accepts the authority of the many Mahāyāna sutras along with the other Nikaya texts like the Agamas and the Pali canon (though it sees Mahāyāna texts as primary), while Theravāda does not accept that the Mahāyāna sutras are buddhavacana (word of the Buddha) at all.^[483]

Monasteries and temples

Main article: Buddhist architecture

Various types of Buddhist buildings

Buddhist institutions are often housed and centred around monasteries (Sanskrit: viharas) and temples. Buddhist monastics originally followed a life of wandering, never staying in one place for long. During the three-month rainy season (vassa) they would gather together in one place for a period of intense practice and then depart again.^[484][485] Some of the earliest Buddhist monasteries were at groves (vanas) or woods (araññas), such as Jetavana and Sarnath’s Deer Park. There originally seems to have been two main types of monasteries, monastic settlements (sangharamas) were built and supported by donors, and woodland camps (avasas) were set up by monks. Whatever structures were built in these locales were made out of wood and were sometimes temporary structures built for the rainy season.^[486][487] Over time, the wandering community slowly adopted more settled cenobitic forms of monasticism.^[488]

There are many different forms of Buddhist structures. Classic Indian Buddhist institutions mainly made use of the following structures: monasteries, rock-hewn cave complexes (such as the Ajanta Caves), stupas (funerary mounds which contained relics), and temples such as the Mahabodhi Temple.^[489] In Southeast Asia, the most widespread institutions are centred on wats. East Asian Buddhist institutions also use various structures including monastic halls, temples, lecture halls, bell towers and pagodas. In Japanese Buddhist temples, these different structures are usually grouped together in an area termed the garan. In Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhist institutions are generally housed in gompas. They include monastic quarters, stupas and prayer halls with Buddha images. In the modern era, the Buddhist “meditation centre”, which is mostly used by laypersons and often also staffed by them, has also become widespread.^[490]

In the modern era

Main articles: Buddhism by country and Buddhist modernism

Colonial era and after

Buddhism has faced various challenges and changes during the colonisation of Buddhist states by Christian countries and its persecution under modern states. Like other religions, the findings of modern science have challenged its basic premises. One response to some of these challenges has come to be called Buddhist modernism. Early Buddhist modernist figures such as the American convert Henry Olcott (1832–1907) and Anagarika Dharmapala (1864–1933) reinterpreted and promoted Buddhism as a scientific and rational religion which they saw as compatible with modern science.^[491]

East Asian Buddhism meanwhile suffered under various wars which ravaged China during the modern era, such as the Taiping rebellion and World War II (which also affected Korean Buddhism). During the Republican period (1912–49), a new movement called Humanistic Buddhism was developed by figures such as Taixu (1899–1947), and though Buddhist institutions were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution (1966–76), there has been a revival of the religion in China after 1977.^[492] Japanese Buddhism also went through a period of modernisation during the Meiji period.^[493] In Central Asia meanwhile, the arrival of Communist repression to Tibet (1966–1980) and Mongolia (between 1924 and 1990) had a strong negative impact on Buddhist institutions, though the situation has improved somewhat since the 80s and 90s.^[494]

In Afghanistan and Pakistan, militants have destroyed some historic Buddhist monuments.^[495][496]

In the West

Main article: Buddhism in the West

1893 World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Interior of the Thai Buddhist wat in Nukari, Nurmijärvi, Finland

While there were some encounters of Western travellers or missionaries such as St. Francis Xavier and Ippolito Desideri with Buddhist cultures, it was not until the 19th century that Buddhism began to be studied by Western scholars. It was the work of pioneering scholars such as Eugène Burnouf, Max Müller, Hermann Oldenberg and Thomas William Rhys Davids that paved the way for modern Buddhist studies in the West. The English words such as Buddhism, “Boudhist”, “Bauddhist” and Buddhist were coined in the early 19th-century in the West,^[497] while in 1881, Rhys Davids founded the Pali Text Society—an influential Western resource of Buddhist literature in the Pali language and one of the earliest publisher of a journal on Buddhist studies.^[498] It was also during the 19th century that Asian Buddhist immigrants (mainly from China and Japan) began to arrive in Western countries such as the United States and Canada, bringing with them their Buddhist religion. This period also saw the first Westerners to formally convert to Buddhism, such as Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott.^[499] An important event in the introduction of Buddhism to the West was the 1893 World Parliament of Religions, which for the first time saw well-publicized speeches by major Buddhist leaders alongside other religious leaders.

The 20th century saw a prolific growth of new Buddhist institutions in Western countries, including the Buddhist Society, London (1924), Das Buddhistische Haus (1924) and Datsan Gunzechoinei in St Petersburg. The publication and translations of Buddhist literature in Western languages thereafter accelerated. After the second world war, further immigration from Asia, globalisation, the secularisation on Western culture as well a renewed interest in Buddhism among the 60s counterculture led to further growth in Buddhist institutions.^[500] Influential figures on post-war Western Buddhism include Shunryu Suzuki, Jack Kerouac, Alan Watts, Thích Nhất Hạnh, and the 14th Dalai Lama. While Buddhist institutions have grown, some of the central premises of Buddhism such as the cycles of rebirth and Four Noble Truths have been problematic in the West.^{[501][502][503]} In contrast, states Christopher Gowans, for “most ordinary [Asian] Buddhists, today as well as in the past, their basic moral orientation is governed by belief in karma and rebirth”.^[504] Most Asian Buddhist laypersons, states Kevin Trainor, have historically pursued Buddhist rituals and practices seeking better rebirth,^[505] not nirvana or freedom from rebirth.^[506]

Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan in 1896 (top) and after destruction in 2001 by the Taliban Islamists.^[507]

Buddhism has spread across the world,^[508][509] and Buddhist texts are increasingly translated into local languages. While Buddhism in the West is often seen as exotic and progressive, in the East it is regarded as familiar and traditional. In countries such as Cambodia and Bhutan, it is recognised as the state religion and receives government support.

Neo-Buddhism movements

Main articles: Dalit Buddhist movement, Navayana, and Twenty-two vows of Ambedkar

A number of modern movements in Buddhism emerged during the second half of the 20th century.^[510][511] These new forms of Buddhism are diverse and significantly depart from traditional beliefs and practices.^[512]

In India, B.R. Ambedkar launched the Navayana tradition—literally, “new vehicle”. Ambedkar’s Buddhism rejects the foundational doctrines and historic practices of traditional Theravada and Mahayana traditions, such as monk lifestyle after renunciation, karma, rebirth, samsara, meditation, nirvana, Four Noble Truths and others.^{[513][514][515]} Ambedkar’s Navayana Buddhism considers these as superstitions and re-interprets the original Buddha as someone who taught about class struggle and social equality.^[516][517] Ambedkar urged low caste Indian Dalits to convert to his Marxism-inspired^[515] reinterpretation called the Navayana Buddhism, also known as Bhimayana Buddhism. Ambedkar’s effort led to the expansion of Navayana Buddhism in India.^[518][516]

The Thai King Mongkut (r. 1851–68), and his son Chulalongkorn (r. 1868–1910), were responsible for modern reforms of Thai Buddhism.^[519] Modern Buddhist movements include Secular Buddhism in many countries, Won Buddhism in Korea, the Dhammakaya movement in Thailand and several Japanese organisations, such as Shinnyo-en, Risshō Kōsei Kai or Soka Gakkai.

Some of these movements have brought internal disputes and strife within regional Buddhist communities. For example, the Dhammakaya movement in Thailand teaches a “true self” doctrine, which traditional Theravada monks consider as heretically denying the fundamental anatta (not-self) doctrine of Buddhism.^{[520][521][522]}

Sexual abuse and misconduct

Buddhism has not been immune from sexual abuse and misconduct scandals, with victims coming forward in various Buddhist schools such as Zen and Tibetan.^{[523][524][525]} “There are huge cover ups in the Catholic church, but what has happened within Tibetan Buddhism is totally along the same lines,” says Mary Finnigan, an author and journalist who has been chronicling such alleged abuses since the mid-80s.^[526] One notably covered case in media of various Western countries was that of Sogyal Rinpoche which began in 1994,^[527] and ended with his retirement from his position as Rigpa‘s spiritual director in 2017.^[528]

Classification

There is consensus among religious studies scholars that Buddhism is a religion.^[529] However, Buddhism has posed problems to Western scholars of religion who define religion based solely on a “theistic conception”.^[530][531] Further, some Western Buddhists and commentators like Alan Watts maintain that Buddhism does not constitute a religion but rather a philosophy, a psychotherapy, or a way of life.^{[532][533][531]} This conception is rooted in 19th century orientalist writers, such as theosophist Henry Steel Olcott, which reinterpreted Buddhism in a Protestant lens and viewed Buddhism in Asia as representing a debased religious form of what was originally non-religious and rational.^[534] Some Buddhist teachers and commentators, such as Dharmavidya David Brazier, have criticized the persistence of this view.^[535][536] Among Buddhists in Sri Lanka, Buddhism is parallel to Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity as an āgama,^[537] literally “scripture” or “teaching”.^[538]

Cultural influence

Main article: Culture of Buddhism

Buddhism has had a profound influence on various cultures, especially in Asia. Buddhist philosophy, Buddhist art, Buddhist architecture, Buddhist cuisine and Buddhist festivals continue to be influential elements of the modern Culture of Asia, especially in East Asia and the Sinosphere as well as in Southeast Asia and the Indosphere. According to Litian Fang, Buddhism has “permeated a wide range of fields, such as politics, ethics, philosophy, literature, art and customs”, in these Asian regions.^[539] Buddhist teachings influenced the development of modern Hinduism as well as other Asian religions like Taoism and Confucianism. Buddhist philosophers like Dignaga and Dharmakirti were very influential in the development of Indian logic and epistemology.^[540] Buddhist educational institutions like Nalanda and Vikramashila preserved various disciplines of classical Indian knowledge such as grammar, astronomy/astrology and medicine and taught foreign students from Asia.^[541]

In the Western world, Buddhism has had a strong influence on modern New Age spirituality and other alternative spiritualities. This began with its influence on 20th century Theosophists such as Helena Blavatsky, which were some of the first Westerners to take Buddhism seriously as a spiritual tradition.^[542] More recently, Buddhist meditation practices have influenced the development of modern psychology, particularly the practice of Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and other similar mindfulness based modalities.^[543][544] The influence of Buddhism on psychology can also be seen in certain forms of modern psychoanalysis.^[545][546]

Demographics

See also: Buddhism by country

Buddhism is practised by an estimated 488 million,^[10] 495 million,^[547] or 535 million^[548] people as of the 2010s, representing 7% to 8% of the world’s total population. China is the country with the largest population of Buddhists, approximately 244 million or 18% of its total population.^{[10][note 33]} They are mostly followers of Chinese schools of Mahayana, making this the largest body of Buddhist traditions. Mahayana, also practised in broader East Asia, is followed by over half of world Buddhists.^[10]

Buddhism is the dominant religion in Thailand, Cambodia, Tibet, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Laos, Mongolia, Japan,^[550] Hong Kong,^[551] Macau,^[552] Singapore,^[553] and Vietnam.^[554] Large Buddhist populations live in Mainland China, Taiwan, North Korea, Nepal and South Korea.^[555] The Indian state of Maharashtra accounts for 77% of all Buddhists in India.^[556] In Russia, Buddhists form majority in Tuva (52%) and Kalmykia (53%). Buryatia (20%) and Zabaykalsky Krai (15%) also have significant Buddhist populations.^[557]

Buddhism is also growing by conversion. In India, more than 85% of the total Buddhists have converted from Hinduism to Buddhism,^[558][559] and they are called neo-Buddhists or Ambedkarite Buddhists.^[558][559] In New Zealand, about 25–35% of the total Buddhists are converts to Buddhism.^[560][561] Buddhism has also spread to the Nordic countries; for example, the Burmese Buddhists founded in the city of Kuopio in North Savonia the first Buddhist monastery of Finland, named the Buddha Dhamma Ramsi monastery.^[562]

Criticism

Main article: Criticism of Buddhism

In modern Japan, Kawahashi Noriko observes that Buddhist communities hold harmful views of women as inherently incompetent and are dependent on men for liberation. These perspectives perpetuate gender bias, ignoring women’s experiences and feminist critiques.^[563]

In a playful way, we learn the main principles of Buddhism. Basically, the Buddha oracle is a game which helps us toward positive principles of life and strategies of wisdom.

The Buddha oracle consists of 64 single oracle statements. They can be found via a random generator. Simply enter numbers 1 through 64 and click on generate. You can also write the oracle numbers on several small pieces of paper or create your own oracle cards, mix the cards, and then select a paper from the stack. You can print and play it with friends (left). Interpret the oracle as makes sense for you. Download PDF

Buddha

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1. Search your spiritual role model (Buddha, Guanyin, Socrates, Jesus). It does not matter which model you have. The most important thing is that it symbolizes for you the enlightenment energy (healing, happiness). Connect yourself regularly with your spiritual role model through a meditation, a text or a mantra (prayer). Imagine now over your crown chakra in the sky a big sun. In the sun sits a golden Buddha (or a Goddess as Guanyin). The Buddha (the Goddess) are you ! The Buddha (the Goddess) sees the suffering on earth, and sends all beings light. Move a hand and think: “I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy.” What is your deed of love today? Success on the spiritual path. Forward.

Gautama Buddha

A Buddha (literally, “Awakened One”) is a man who got Bodhi (“awakening”, enlightenment). The Tantric Buddhism (Tibet) knows a wealth of transcendent Buddhas (living in a higher dimension), with which you can connect spiritually. Moreover, the term is used for the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, who was the founder of a world religion.

Gautama Buddha was prince from Nepal who lived 560-480 BC. He came from the family of the Shakya and is therefore called Shakyamuni Buddha in Tibetan Buddhism. Gautama Buddha was married. At age 29 he left his wife and son and became a yogi. He saw the worldly life as meaningless and superficial. He meditated for six years in the solitude and then got enlightenment. After his enlightenment, he felt compassion for the suffering people in the world. The remaining 45 years of his life, he lived as a spiritual teacher in India and gave people the wisdom of inner happiness.

The teachings of Buddha are called Dharma. Basis of the Dharma are the Four Noble Truths: 1. Living in the cycle of existence involves suffering. 2nd The cause of suffering is attachment to worldly pleasures, denial of unpleasant situations and ignorance of the deeper meaning of life (inner happiness). 3rd If the causes are dissolved, the suffering disappears. 4th The way to overcome suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path.

The Eightfold Path to enlightenment consists of the right wisdom (living in inner happiness), the right decision (for spiritual practice), the right speech (do not lie), the right action (do not steal, not kill), the right livelihood (do good), the right struts (after enlightenment), the right mindfulness (mental work) and the right concentration (meditation).

Buddhism

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2. There are three ways to develop enlightenment. There is the path of spiritual practice (yoga, meditation, reading, walking). There is the way of all-embracing love (do good, the bodhisattva path). And there is the path of rest (inner peace). The main path to inner happiness is to live in the rest. The essence of a Buddha is the inner seclusion from the world. A Buddha enshrined his soul in the transcendence (in a higher dimension of consciousness, in the Nirvana, in pure being, in the void / unit, in inner peace and happiness).

Who lives secluded and constantly does his spiritual practice is growing five times as fast as other people to enlightenment. Most people in today’s time flee the silence. They are fleeing the inner happiness. Take every opportunity to get rest. Do your spiritual exercises. Go through the uncomfortable feelings of boredom and get an enlightened state of consciousness (unity consciousness, inner harmony, inner positivity).

Buddhism

The Buddhism is a philosophy that has its origins in India. We can summarize the essence of Buddhism in mental work (inner peace, wisdom and love) and meditation. The meditation consists of lying, sitting, standing and walking. The main meditation Buddhas are the four stages of contemplation: thinking about life, inner peace, happiness, dissolving the ego / enlightenment. The fourth stage of meditation is difficult to achieve for an untrained person. It comes by grace (by itself). The more a man is walking the spiritual path, the sooner he can reach a life in the light (Nirvana, God).

There are three main directions of Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana) and many sub-forms (for example the Amitabha Buddhism and Zen Buddhism). The Theravada Buddhism focuses on the original teachings of Buddha. It is all about one’s own enlightenment. The main goal is to be a saint (arhat) and to live in Nirvana (God).

The Mahayana Buddhism is the way of all-embracing love. The main goal is not one’s own enlightenment, but the happiness of all beings. A Mahayana Buddhist does not see himself separated from his fellow beings, but sees himself as part of the world. He wants to bring all beings to enlightenment. He wants a happy world and a happy cosmos. The ideal of the Mahayana is to be a Bodhisattva. A Bodhisattva is working simultaneously for his own enlightenment and for the enlightenment of all beings. Usually he incarnates on earth some more times.

The Vajrayana (“Diamond Vehicle”) is known in the West as the Tibetan Buddhism. It is based on the philosophical foundations of Mahayana, but supplemented by a variety of spiritual techniques. These include yoga, visualization, mantra and initiations (energy transfers from enlightened masters). In Vajrayana we find a mixture of Buddhism and Hinduism. Many spiritual techniques of Vajrayana came from Hinduism and were changed more or less into Buddhism. This refers in particular to the model-yoga (visualization of the deities), the yoga techniques (Hatha Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Karma Yoga, Tantra Yoga) and the veneration of the enlightened master (Guru Yoga, Lamaism).

The difference between Buddhism and Hinduism with respect to the ultimate goal is that the term Nirvana emphasizes on the emptiness (the ego-dissolution) and the term Brahman on the unit (unit consciousness, abundance, light). In the state of enlightenment both perceptions exist simultaneously. They are two sides of same coin. Some people need to focus on the one side and some on the other side of the coin, to arrive in the state of enlightenment.

Happiness

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3. Go your way with joy. What do you need to feel comfortable today? A little pleasure (eating, drinking), some social contacts (internet forums), some slowness, some beauty (music, flowers) and some fun? If you live the joy on the spiritual path in the right amount (not too much and not too little), it helps you to get spiritual victory. “My way of pleasure is …” Forwards. Success.

The flower of joy

Saint Anthony the Great is the founder of Christian Yoga. He lived in the third century in Egypt. As a young man he had a vision in a church. Out of the empty space a voice spoke to him: “Do you want inner happiness, go into the desert and live as a hermit.” Anthony had to go through many spiritual crises and cleaning processes, but after a few years he reached enlightenment.

Exciting at St. Anthony is the fact that he got on his spiritual path in contact with his former lifes. In Christianity, the doctrine of the rebirth was later rejected largely. But only if St. Anthony had resolved all tension from his previous lifes, he was able to attain enlightenment. In the texts it is said that in his mind appeared wild animals, which torn him with their teeth. Even with his sexual wishes he had to fight. With his will power and his spiritual exercises (prayers), he overcame his worldly attachments and reached a life in the light.

The main principle of St. Anthony was, “Sit down in your hut, and your hut will teach you everything.” Feel inside the right way of your daily spiritual practice. What triggers on your inner tensions? How can you overcome your fears and desires? What exercises brings you best into the light? His second principle was, “Some yogis need a flower in their hut, and some do not need a flower.” Who needs a little pleasure on his way, should give it himself every day.

Small Steps

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4. Little people win with small steps, cleverness and endurance. Forward with small steps. Success.

The sick farmer

There once was a farmer in India who had a large goiter on his neck. The goiter looked very ugly and was very painful. The farmer was desperate. He asked many doctors. But no one could help him. In his distress he went on pilgrimage to a holy place where an enlightened master lived. The farmer was called Kukcipa. The name of the enlightened master was Nagarjuna. Nagarjuna is one of the founders of Mahayana Buddhism, the connection of the path of enlightenment with the way of all-embracing love (karma yoga).

Nagarjuna instructed the farmer to meditate every day on his crop. He should dissolve the tensions in his throat chacra with yoga exercises. He should envelop it with light and send healing energy to all people over the world. He should think the mantra “light” until his mind is completely at rest. Then he should spend some time in the rest. Kucipa practiced for many years as a yogi. First, the pain in his throat grew bigger and bigger. Prior to healing often comes a phase of energization. Then the pain became less, the goiter disappeared and Kucipa was healed. He was outwardly and inwardly healed. Outwardly he got a healthy body and inwardly peace and happiness.

Self-realization

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5. Realise yourself! What do you want to achieve in your life? What are your goals? Feel exactly into you. What do your inner truth and wisdom say? You can find the way of your truth through the combination of clear thinking with good inner feeling. Go the way of your inner wisdom. Your inner wisdom will guide you to your true self, to self-realization and inner happiness. Who’s going the way of his inner wisdom in the depths of his soul is in accordance with himself. He has the feeling to be on the right track. He feels good with himself and his life. Are you on the right way of life?

The path of inner happiness

What hinders a person to be happy at a deep level, primarily are his inner tensions. They rob him his power, they destroy his well-being, they damage his inner peace and they reduce his mental positivity. A person with many inner conflicts tends to have negative thoughts. The love to himself and to his fellow man is blocked. The internal stresses are often created already in the childhood. In a tensed society, which is based on work pressure and rivalry, tension is passed down from parents in the upbringing of their children. The parents live out their fears, aggression and addictions and thus influence the psychological development of their children. Many children’s tensions are also came from the capitalistic TV. It focuses on fears, aggressions and addictions to get many viewers, and therefore destroys the happiness in the children. Tenseness in a person can also be caused by big stress events or by a permanent stress at school, at work or in partnership.

If internal stresses can be built up, they also in principle can be broken down again. That’s the good news for all tensed people. The not so good news is that this may take quite a long time. The structure of the tension is built up over many years. We need, therefore, usually many years to reduce the tension again. But the effort is always worthwhile. We thus avoid many diseases in old age. And we get a happy life filled with peace, power and positivity. The amount of inner happiness of a man is defined by the number of tensions in the body and in his spirit. The less we are tensed, the more inner energy (life force, well-being) we have. Every person has an intrinsic happiness potential. Every human being can attain enlightenment. What blocks our enlightenment, are only our inner tensions.

A wise life is to make every day so many spiritual exercises, that the internal tensions become always less. We have to live in a way that we grow into the light and not into the darkness. Most people in today’s time march in the wrong direction. They live selfishly and stressed. They build up in the course of life more and more tensions. They end up in the burn-out, in sickness, negativity and depression. Tensions can sit in the body and in the spirit. Basically the two are linked. Thus we free ourselves from our internal tensions, if we do spiritual exercises for both areas. Inner happiness comes at a deep level only when the body and the mind are purified from the tension. People are different from their personalities and have different tensions. Everyone should therefore find the exercises that are suited best for him. He should develop the practice of happiness that leads him at the best to his goal.

Difficulties

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6. Difficulties. There is some pain in your life. Flow flexible through the situation. Consistently follow your inner wisdom (the sense of correctness). Stabilize your mind through yoga, meditation and positive thinking. Stop your negative thoughts. Think the mantra: “Om all enlightened Masters. Please guide and help me on my way.” Use the mantra with the name of your personal role model (Buddha, Jesus, Shiva, Tara, Guanyin). Feel yourself really connected with your role model. Visualize it in the heaven or in front of you. Then his spiritual energy flows into you and strengthen you on your way. All ends well. Optimism. Success!

The enlightened master

A great treasure in life is it to have an enlightened master. Who do you trust? Whose spiritual teachings do you like? Anyone who goes her or his way every day with an enlightened master (prayer, meditation, reading), grows into the light.

According to Amritanandamayi (Amma) there are fully enlightened souls in the afterworld. They posses a cosmic consciousness which is at one with the cosmos (with he light) and through this they are also one with one another. One could view this as a mass of souls who see themselves as one (God, Buddha, Amitabha), or a mass of souls who view one another as friends. We can therefore pray to Buddha (Amitabha, Jesus), to a Bodhisattva (Avalokiteśvara, Tara, Guanyin) or to all enlightened souls in the afterlife. It is also possible that an enlightened master is simultaneously present on the earth in a body and as a soul in the afterlife. As a soul he or she can always see us and help us.

According to Amma, a prayer is always heard and reacted to or upon by one of these higher beings. It doesn’t matter what name humans use in the process, whether it be God, Jesus, Krishna, Shiva or Buddha, it is all the same. The only point of importance is that the person praying would like help from a higher force in the cosmos. God is often described as a cloud in Christianity. This image goes well with the idea of the aforementioned great enlightened force of souls. We could consider these souls as an energy cloud of highly developed consciousness. They are capable of affecting every dimension of the cosmos with beams of light. This often transpires via symbols such as books, images, and statues which appear in certain locations. More spiritually developed humans are able to sense these beams of energy which emanate symbolically through the statues and images. People can focus and turn this energy into inner power, peace, or positive thoughts.

The Way of Victory

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7. Your way is difficult, but you will win. You have a good feel for the right way. Go your way forward in a constant contact with your inner wisdom (correctness). What are your goals? What are your internal or external obstacles? On which way can you achieve your goals? The cosmos offers you today the gift of success. Think the mantra: “Om all enlightened Masters. Please guide and help me on my way.” Use the mantra with the name of your personal role model (Buddha, Jesus, Shiva, Tara, Guanyin). Feel yourself really connected with your role model. Visualize it in the heaven or in front of you. Then his spiritual energy flows into you and strengthen you on your way. You will have enough power to succeed. At the right moment the right thought will come to you. You will win. Forward with optimism. Success.

The soul (atman and anatta)

Atman is a term used in Indian philosophy. It refers to the individual self and is often translated as soul. According to Hindu philosophy man is in his innermost being an immortal soul (atman), who reincarnates after the death of the body. The Buddhist doctrine of anatman (Anatta) explains the absence of a permanent and unchanging self, a solid core or essence of an unchanging soul. What is usually regarded as the “self” is then just a collection of constantly changing, physical and psychological components.

The doctrine of rebirth (reincarnation), exists in Hinduism and Buddhism. If there is no fixed self, no permanent essence of a person according to Buddhism, what is reborn? It is the karmic impulse (the thought patterns), which establishes the link between the individual lifes. The self is like a burning candle. At the moment of extinction, a new candle is lit from the flame. The flame (the character) is preserved, but the candle (the man) is a new one. Hinduism emphasizes the continuity of the soul, and Buddhism the autonomy of the individual incarnations. Both is true simultaneously. There is continuity associated with independence. A man’s character is preserved, but each incarnation feels as its own self.

A soul can continue to develop. You can practice meditation and train positive values, and thus change your nature to enlightenment. Then the soul finds out that it is a non-self (anatman, anatta). It dissolves its ego and then recognizes it as part of the cosmos (unity awareness). The enlightened soul is a relatively independent consciousness (energy cloud), and has simultaneously no feeling of a self (no ego, unity consciousness). The enlightened soul rests in pure existence (Nirvana), and can act in the outside world if it want. There may are so many dimensions in the afterlife, that an enlightened soul can evolve forever and ever rising higher and higher. It increasingly becomes more and more one with the highest dimension of consciousness in the cosmos and gains greater and greater abilities (omnipresence, knowledge, power, love, serenity).

A big question is what happens to a Buddha (fully enlightened beings) after his death. Buddha has considered this question as speculative and not answered. If all the vibrations of consciousness (thoughts pulses) come to rest, the soul dissolves into the great sea of ​​consciousness (the highest cosmic dimension). Only the teachings of a Buddha, his symbolic role model and his followers (Sangha) remain on the earth. An enlightened one can make the decision not to dissolve completly into the highest happiness (Nirvana), but to continue to exist as a soul out of love to his fellow beings.

—> For advanced: the great discussion about Wikipedia: Ātman (Buddhism)

—> See also: Wikipedia: Buddhism and Hinduism

Good Relationship

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8. A good relationship. Which relationship to other people means this card today? Live positive relationships with your fellow man. Success! Send a friend light. Send him a positive sentence. “I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy.”

The Secret of Tantra

On the way of Tantric Yoga we live in the conflict of outer pleasure and inner happiness. Both paths are exactly opposite. The path of the outer pleasure leads to the growth of attachment to the world and reinforces inner tensions. The more we live in the outer pleasures, the more our attachment grows. The internal tensions become more and more and shrink the inner happiness. We are losing our inner peace, our strength and our inner harmony. On the way of inner happiness we solve systematically all inner tensions. We free us from all attachments to external things. Enlightenment ist the ultimately freedom from the outer world. And thus we can keep our inner happiness in all outer circumstances. The less inner tensions we have, the greater is the inner happiness. Until we live permanently in the light, in the enlightenment and in the unity (God, Nirvana).

One can say that there is ego-realization and self-realization. The long-term the ego-realization basically leads to inner unhappiness and the self-realization to inner happiness. The ego-realization is easy at the beginning and suffering at the end. The self-realization is difficult at the beginning and an incredible grace at the end. The ego-realization consists of good food, lots of sex, nice travel, extreme consumption, and external praise. It follows the sloth (tamas), or the exaggerated activity (rajas). The self-realization consists of daily work on yourself and constant mental effort. We don´t set the ego (our external desires), but the self (the freed psyche) in the center of our life.

In Tantric Yoga, we solve the conflict between the outer and the inner path by flowing with wisdom with the things of life. We live the outer pleasures so that they bring us forward into the light. We live them sensitively, in due measure and with the right mental attitude. We put the spiritual goal in the focus of our lives. We use the positive potential of the external pleasures, without getting lost in them. We solve all attachments again and again with our spiritual technics (meditation and mind work) and always get back into the light (to inner harmony). We live primarily in rest, in our spiritual practice and in the all-embracing love.

If we do not see the problem of attachment, we go into the big trap of Tantra. We are strengthening our attachment and block our enlightenment. We come into the dynamics of self-indulgence. Our needs are constantly increasing, we see more and more the negative sites of our partner, and the satisfaction with our relationship is decreasing more and more. We want love from others and not to give love. We do not live primarily out of the spirituality. Then the development of attachment and negativity can not be controlled. A happy relationship arises when we live our relationship with wisdom and love. We should practise our relationship so that both partners grow in their inner happiness. We should put the happiness of all beings in the center of our lives. Then we will succeed in our relationships and our lifes.

The Master

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9. You are good. Recognize yourself as strong, wise and successful. Save spiritually the people who confide you. Give them the path of wisdom and universal love. Bring them into the light. Live as a spiritual Master (Teacher of wisdom, Mother and Father of all beings). Give your children (students, supporters, friends, relatives) the spiritual knowledge so that they can accept it. Be a skillful spiritual mother (father) of your people. Success!

Mahakaccana in Avanti

Mahakaccana was a disciple of Buddha. He lived as a spiritual master in the country Avanti. The climate in Avanti was rough. People were more secular and less spiritual minded. Mahakaccana had to modify the teachings of the Buddha so that the people in his country could successfully practice. A total of his teaching was half as severe as those of Buddha. As a main road, he taught the spiritual life in a relationship (partner, family). He advised only individuals to a life as a yogi.

Mahakaccana himself was an undogmatic Yogi. Although he lived alone he took his seclusion but less seriously than other disciples of Buddha. He taught the unity of all religions, because the truth is finally over all spiritual systems. He advocated harmony between the religions. Buddha praised Mahakaccana for his excellence in explaining sophisticated dharma (dhamma) in an easily and correctly understandable manner. Particularly noteworthy was his honey-ball speech, “Nirvana is like a honey ball. Who lives in nirvana, whose life is steeped in the sweetness of inner happiness.”

The Cosmos

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10. Live in harmony with the laws of the cosmos. Use your lifetime. The cosmos is a system to develop inner happiness. From life to life we can grow in enlightenment. Often leads the way to enlightenment through outward suffering. Who sacrifices his ego directly into the pain and meditates on the suffering, transforms himself to inner happiness. Avoid the disaster as far as possible. Develop your happiness through your spiritual exercises. Live according to a wise plan of your life. Walk step by step towards enlightenment. “My wise life plan is …” Success.

Tibetan Buddhism

The Tibetan Buddhism is also called Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle). It is a complex spiritual system. It is based on the teachings of Buddha, but were extended by the mahayana path of love and by a lot of techniques from Indian yoga. Monks developed in the Middle Ages a comprehensive system of teaching that is imparted in a long-term training and tailored to the needs of people in Tibet. Advanced monks and nuns is recommended a three-year meditation as a yogi in seclusion.

A major problem is the adaptation of Tibetan Buddhism in the modern world and in particular to the needs and possibilities of people in the west. The Dalai Lama tries to create a modern Buddhism based on the equalty of men and women, democracy and less strict sexual rules. He permits masturbation for monks and accepts homosexuality (Luise Rinser, Compassion as a way to peace, 1995, page 80).

In principle the Tibetan Buddhism is very simple. It consists of the Kundalini Yoga, the meditation in silence and the path of all-embracing love. With Kundalini Yoga the kundalini energy (enlightenment energy, happiness energy) is awakened through yoga postures, breathing exercises, mantras and visualizations. The center of tibetian meditation is the deity yoga. Through the visualization of various deities the energy channels are cleaned, the chakras are activated and the enlightenment consciousness is created. By special methods the ego will be dissolved and the Yogi enters into the bliss of nirvana.

A key element of Tibetan Buddhism is the work with an enlightened Master. The enlightened Master transmits enlightenment energy to his students after an initiation. The great advantage of Tibetan Buddhism is that there are many enlightened Masters who regularly travel to their western groups. Also possesses the Tibetan Buddhism with the Dalai Lama an inspiring leader who is often seen by Western television. The Dalai Lama represents the cooperation of all religions and initiates also people who do not belong to the Tibetan Buddhism.

In Tibetan Buddhism there are five major lineages: the Gelugpa (emphasis on compassion and spiritual training), the Kagyupa (emphasis on meditation), the Sakya (emphasis on the wisdom), the Bonpo (traditional shamanism) and the Nyingma (the non-dogmatic way). The Nyingma emphasize the spiritual development from the inside. They teach the individual path. Nyingma yogis may also live in a relationship.

The founder of Tibetan Buddhism is Padmasambhava. He lived some 1200 years ago as a yogi in India and was invited by the Tibetian King Trisong Detsen. He knew a lot of spiritual methods and taught a diverse mix of yoga techniques (Hatha Yoga, Karma Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Tantra Yoga and Guru Yoga). He said, “Practise so that you feel comfortable. Whenever there is a doubt on your way, then pray to the enlightened Masters, think for yourself and follow the voice of your inner wisdom. This is the voice of the enlightened Masters. If you do this, you will win on your spiritual path.”

—> For advanced see also: Wikipedia Tantra techniques (Vajrayana) (Deity Yoga, Guru Yoga, Clear Light Yoga, Death Yoga, Tantric Sādhana)

Unobtrusiveness

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11. The unobtrusive Master. You can keep your energy best when you act from rest. Practice mouna (silence). Speech only when it is necessary and helpful. In the midst of a group of people stay more in the background. Position yourself small, unobtrusive and modest. See you as insignificant, less than your people. Look at yourself primarily as a servant of your people. Put not yourself, but the great treasure (the doctrine of enlightenment) at the center. Live like a secret Yogi (small, inconspicuous, modest) and as a worshiper of the wisdom of inner happiness and all-embracing love. Then you will be victorious.

The unassuming monk

Ananda was one of Buddha’s chief disciples. 25 years he lived as Buddha’s personal servant, and accompanied his master on all trips. He knew all the speeches and all the teachings of Buddha. After the death of Buddha, he shared his vast knowledge with the Buddhist community. He received the Buddha’s wisdom for the posterity.

Ananda was a gentle monk with a lot of love for his fellow man. His greatest deed was the opening of the Buddhist order for the women. Buddha did not want any women in his community. He probably was still suffering from the separation from his family and therefore had a tendency to displace the existence of women. Ananda had compassion for the women. He argued so long for the women, untill Buddha permitted women in his community.

After the founding of the Order of nuns, Ananda was the spiritual teacher of the women. He cared for them like a mother. For this he was very loved by the women. Sometimes even a few women fell in love with Ananda. He had to be very careful that he not strayed from the path of wisdom. He succeeded after some emotional entanglements.

The name “Ananda” indicates that Ananda was a man with inner happiness. If you stay a lot with other people, you can easily lose your spiritual energy. Living in a group robs you easily your energie. Ananda maintained his energy by keeping himself in the background. He cultivated his servant consciousness and lived as a worshiper of the wisdom of enlightenment. He was always discreet, modest and a friend of all people. At the same time he was also a master of inspiring speech. He was able to motivate his fellow man well and strengthened them on their spiritual path.

After the Crisis

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12. After the crisis. A difficult phase is completed. Recover yourself. Build up your positive energy again. You have won a great victory. Go positively into your future. Forward with optimism.

Buddha Meditation

The fastest way into light is to visualize oneself as an enlightened being (Buddha, Yogi, Goddess) (deity yoga).

Buddha = We visualize in the sky above our crown chakra our happiness model (Buddha, a Goddess, ourselves enlightened). We rub our palms over our head and think, “Om Buddha. Om all enlightened Masters. Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way.” We think the mantra until our crown chakra opens and the energy from the sky flows down to us and fills our body with happiness.

Light = We move a hand in blessing before the heart chakra and think: “I send light to (name). May all people be happy. May the world be happy.” We feel really connected with all beings in the world.

Cosmos = We visualize the cosmos with all stars around us. We put our hands in the lap, circle with the thumbs, move the toes and think: “I live in a cosmic consiousness. I take all things the way they are. I flow positive with my life.”

Mantra = All movements come to rest. The back is straight and the belly is relaxed. We think and visualize the numbers from 1 to 20 in our head, thorax, abdomen, legs, feet and in the earth. We think and visualize the numbers in the entire universe around us.

Stop = We stop a minute all thoughts completely. When thoughts arise, we push them away.

Relax = We relax. The thoughts and feelings may come and go as they want. Our body and our mind clean themselves by their own. We just watch our internal affairs and remain in the meditation. At this stage of meditation, there are two big mistakes. The first mistake is that we meditate too strong. Then no thoughts appear and no inner tensions resolves. The second error is to force thinking. We solve our problems or fall into daydreams. The proper way is just to be a passive observer of our own emotions and thoughts. We do not control things. We only watch everything that emerges from our inner self. We stay in a state of inner silence, everything dissolve by itself and suddenly we’re happy.

Keep = Keep your inner happiness. Make the right spiritual exercises at the right moment. Bring the light of peace, love and happiness in the world. Forward with wisdom, love and inner peace.

Transformation

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13. Something is changing. Bring yourself with your spiritual practices from the darkness into the light. Awaken your happiness energy (kundalini energy). What exercises do you need? Yoga, meditation, reading, walking, doing good, having pleasure? Forward with wisdom, creativity and power! Success!

Kankaripa

There once was a man who had a beautiful woman. The two loved each other dearly. They thought positively and therefore could lead a happy relationship for many years. The man was Kankaripa. Kankaripa had a successful career in his job and a happy relationship. He was very happy with his life.

But nothing lasts forever in the outer life. One day his woman died. Kankaripa was inconsolable. He depended entirely on his deceased wife. He could not rid himself of the attachment. So he went to a spiritual Master and asked him for advice. The Master said, that at a great love the emotional connection is very strong. It can be resolved only through spiritual exercises over a long period of time. The Master recommended Kankaripa to make three hours every day spiritual exercises. He should take a walk, do yoga, mental work, meditation and read in a spiritual book. He should practice his profession in focus as a Karma Yogi for the goal of a happy world. He should concentrate more on the happiness of his fellow man than his own happiness.

In addition, he should practice every day mentally Tantra Yoga. He should visualize himself in a sexual union with his wife, enjoy the happiness, think the mantra “light”, envelop both in light and then resolve both persons in the unity of the cosmos. He should visualize the universe full of stars around him, thinking the mantra “stars”. Then he should stop three minutes his thoughts and after that he should linger in a relaxed meditation and let his thoughts and feelings flow.

This Kankaripa did a few years and then he was cured of his relationship addiction. He could now live a new relationship and also good to be alone, just like life it brought with it. His firm roots in spirituality allowed him to flow positive with all the changes in his life and always to preserve his inner happiness.

Pleasure Principle

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14. Bring joy into your life today. What do you need to go your spiritual way positively? Go with the pleasure principle through the day. Follow your spontaneous needs. What do you need now? What do you want now? “My way of happiness is today …(living in accordance with the pleasure principle).”

The God of Happiness Ganesha

Ganesha is a thick Yogi (Buddha) with an elephant head (wisdom and power). He has a big belly. He concentrates his energy in his belly. This happens because he is living at rest (doing nothing, pure existence in nirvana), in the all-embracing love and with the pleasure principle. He works for the happiness of all beings, but he does it out of the pleasure principle. He feels every day exactly what is good for him and for his fellow people. He does not work too much und not too less. He gives himself every day the outer pleasure that he needs for his inner balance.

Ganesha wears on his head the crown of wisdom. In his hands he holds the axe of spiritual self-discipline, a rope to be always connected with his spiritual goal, and a bowl of sweets. With his right hand he blesses us with inner happiness. Ganesha sits on a lotus flower. He is well grounded. He lives in a cosmic consciousness. He remains, even in difficult situations, in inner peace, because he flows intelligent with the life. With the five qualities of wisdom, peace, love, strength and joy he is a Master of the connection of life with spirituality.

Some years ago the little Yogi Nils felt bad. In order to gain his balance again, he ate lots of sweets. His spirit brightened more and more. Unfortunately, after some time his abdomen was completely full. And yet his mind was not totally happy. Our little Yogi visualized the sweets in his belly and through this his kundalini energy awakened. Within him arose a strong happiness energy, which quickly brought him into the light. Our Yogi learned from it, to connect external pleasure and spiritual exercises. Then you don´t need to eat so many sweets. Some external pleasure is enough for the path of inner happiness.

Vow

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15. It is good to remember regularly his positive goals and to affirm them by an vow. So we get willpower. We acquire endurance on the spiritual path. Step by step we become a Buddha. We realize a life in the light. We always stay on our path of wisdom, health and self-realization. What do you want to promise yourself today? Formulate your personal vow, “My vow is … (I go the way of wisdom, love and happiness. I achieve my goals. I have endurance. I live as a winner.)”

Bodhidharma

Bodhidharma is the founder of Zen Buddhism. In the sixth century he brought the Buddhism from India to China. There were already some Buddhists in China. But they dealt mainly with the theory. They regularly read their holy books, and then predominantly lived a secular life. Bodhidharma explained to them that it is not enough to talk about Buddhism, but only the consistent practice leads to enlightenment. Zen means to meditate consistently. It means rigorous spiritual practice. Then you get to spiritual progress. Bodhidharmas clarity convinced the people. Zen Buddhism spread first in China, then Japan, Korea and today in the West.

All Zen Buddhists vow every day, morning and evening: “There are masses of creatures, I vow to save them all. Anxiety and hate, delusive-desires inexhaustible, I vow to break them all. Dharma gates beyond measure, I vow to learn them all. Buddha Way, nothing higher, I vow to accomplish it.”

Succeed by Self-discipline

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16. Think about your problem. What solves your problem. Meet a clear decision. Go ahead with power, wisdom and endurance. “My goal is … My path of victory is …” Forward with self-discipline. Success!

Healing Meditation

Sun = We visualize a beautiful sun about us, raise both hands to the side at head level and think several times the mantra “sun”. We let the sunlight flowing down on us and massage it into our body. We continue to think the mantra “sun”.

Earth = We visualize the earth beneath us, rub our feet at the earth and think, “I send light to the whole earth. May all people of the world be happy.”

Sick neighbor = We focus on a person who is physically or the mentally ill. We feel real connected with him. We move one hand in blessing and think: “I send light to (name).” We wrap him with light and let light flow into him. We think several times the mantra “light”.

Therapeutic Massage = We consider, which part of our body needs healing in the moment. We massage him circeling, let light flow into him and think some times the word “light” as a mantra. We can also rub sequentially light in several parts of the body.

Cosmos = We visualize the universe around us full of stars. We make big circles with our arms and think: “Om cosmos. I take things as they are. I flow positiv with my life. I go consistent my way of healing and health.”

Buddha of Healing = We visualize the Buddha of Healing above or in front of us. We rub our palms and say, “Om Buddha of Healing. Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way.”

Healing Question = We focus on our personal problem or on the body area which needs healing. We think about our problem. What solves our problem? What is the way of our healing? What does our inner wisdom say? We think for a so long time until we are satisfied with the result. When we hear no reply, we are either blocked (we do not want to see the true causes of the problem) or we have no good contact to ourselves. The best way then is it to come slowly into thinking about our problem.

Sick people = We move a hand, bless all people with light and think, “My problem is … The way of healing is … May all the people who have the same problem as I be healed.”

Meditation = We breathe deeply several times in our belly and think the mantra “Om”. We stop one minute every thought. Then we linger in a slight meditation. All thoughts and feelings may come and go as they please. We relax. We go forward with optimismus. We can trust our inner wisdom.

Day of Grace

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17. What are your goals in your life? “My life goals are … Om all enlightened Masters. Om inner wisdom. Please guide and help me on my way.” Consistently go the way of your inner wisdom. You’ll achieve your goals. Great success. The light is with you. Forwards. Today is a day of grace. It happens something good. Recognize the grace in your life and be thankful for it.

Sun Meditation

We sit or lay down comfortably. We can turn on a beautiful meditation music (for example Enya with a right click on new tab).

1. Relaxation = We tense the muscles of the legs and feet. We keep the tension, stop all thoughts and breathe three times into the legs. Then we relax briefly. We tighten the muscles of the arms and hands. We breathe three times into the arms and hands. We relax. We tighten the muscles of the head and face. We breathe three times into the face. We relax. We tighten the muscles of the whole body. We breathe three times into the whole body. We relax.

2. Numbers = We count the numbers from 1 to 10 several times in the head, concentrate on the head and breathe into the head. Our mind becomes quiet. We focus on your chest, breathe into the chest and count the numbers 1 to 10 in the chest. We breathe in the stomach and there we count the numbers 1 to 10. We concentrate on the legs and feet, and count the numbers 1 to 10. We visualize a large ball under our feet and count the numbers from 1 to 10 in the ball.

3. Sun = We visualize a beautiful sun in the sky above us. The sun sends its rays down on us. We feel the light and warmth on our skin. It is as if we lie on holiday in the sun. We enjoy the sunlight. We think several times the mantra “light”.

4. Envelop with light = We wrap our whole body with the light. We take a golden ray of sun and let the sunlight circle around us. We think the mantra of “light”. We let the sunlight flow into us and fill us with light. We think the mantra “light”.

5. Send light = We send light to another person. We wrap him with light and let the light flow into him. Whom you will now send light? Think some times his name as a mantra. Then we send the light all over the world. We envelop the whole world with light and fill it with light. We want all beings to be happy and think several times the mantra “world”.

6. Om Shanti = We breathe in and think “Om”. We exhale and think “Shanti” (peace). We do this some times. We stop all other thoughts. Slowly serenity, peace and silence are emerging in us.

7. Stop = We stop a minute every thought. When thoughts arise, we always push them away. We move gently the feet and toes. We focus on our feet and move on, until our mind comes to rest completely.

8. Relax = Then we relax for a few minutes. Thoughts and feelings may come and go as they please. We come back slowly. We move our feet and hands. We stretch and loll us. We are there again. Life may come. We are ready to victory.

Chaos

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18. The Master of dancing with the life. Difficult situations come and go. Dance with the chaos. Look exact at each situation and then find the right spiritual technic to keep your inner balance. Do Yoga, meditation, reading, walking or mental work (positive thinking). What is your positive sentence now? “My positiv thought is … (I am a Master of Life. I flow positiv with each difficcult situation.)” Flexible forward. Success.

Tenzin Palmo

Tenzin Palmo is a Western woman who has decided to become a female Buddha. She was born in 1943 in London as Diane Perry. After graduation, she worked in a library. She liked to read. One day she discovered a Buddhist book and was impressed by the teachings contained therein. She traveled to northern India and met her Master, the 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche. She became a Buddhist nun in the tradition of Kagyupa (Kundalini Yoga and Meditation).

She noticed that there are very few female Tibetan Buddhist Masters. She therefore put off the vow to attain Buddhahood as a woman – no matter how many lifetimes it would take. She saw this as her contribution to the emancipation of women. The 16th Karmapa blessed her and said. “You are the first Western woman I ordain. You have to be strong and vigilant. It is very important that the beginning of a new movement is purely. In the coming years there will be many western women who go the Buddha-way.

On the night she had a vision of the Goddess Tara, who smiled happily and gave her a flower. That was a good ohmen. Buddha gave his successor also a flower. Tenzin Palmo spent several years in a monastery. She learned that there is in Tibetan Buddhism a nearly extinct line of female yogis, the Togdenmas. Tenzin Palmo wanted to restore the tradition of the Togdenmas. She moved into a cave in the Himalayas and meditated there for twelve years intensively.

At the age of about fifty years she came back to the West. She radiated happiness, peace and light. She founded a convent and traveled throughout the West, to raise money for her monastery. Wherever she went, people were enthusiastic. Her teaching was authentic, non-dogmatic and suitable to the needs of western women.

—> Video: Tenzin Palmo

Renunciation

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19. Who wants to develop inner happiness, therefor needs much time and energy. He must remember every day his spiritual goals and practice consistent. The more time and energy he invested in the spiritual path, the faster he is moving forward. On what do you want to renounce so you can reach your spiritual goals? What worldly things you can let go, and how much? What positive thought helps you to provide the necessary waiver? “Today, I waive ….” Start with little things. Forward. Success.

Khema and Uppalavanna

Khema and Uppalavanna were two girlfriends. They were the two female chief disciples of Buddha. Khema had a lot of wisdom. Uppalavanna had a lot of inner strength. Khema was good at motivating their people spiritually. Uppalavanna could exert persistent and well go through difficult times. Khema had been an indian queen. She clung to their worldly pleasures. But she was also very clever. She knew that inner happiness is more important than outer pleasure. Khema knew that a life in the light (in enlightenment) is a thousand times happier than the best secular life. The best way of happiness is the spiritual self-realization. One day Buddha met the Queen Khema and showed her the way of spiritual practice. She renounced all her worldly wealth and became a nun. This was a great sacrifice, which led to a big win. May we all have the power to waive in the right moment the right thing and win the great happiness.

Sacrifice

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20. Inner happiness is created by the resolution of the tensions in the body and in the spirit. The greatest tension is the ego (I-attachment). Anyone who takes himself and his personal desires too important gets much inner tension, as a result. The I-attachment may be dissolved by the spiritual technique of sacrifice. Today is a day of sacrifice. You have to accept or let go of something. “My sacrifice is today …”

To sacrifice effectively is a great art. The sacrifice must be dosed just right so that it optimally solves the inner tensions. Too small a sacrifice does not work (it has to feel as a sacrifice), and a too great sacrifice creates tensions by itself. The best way of sacrifice is the way of all-embracing love. Sacrifice your ego for the goal of a happy world. Live in the center of your life as a Karma Yogi (Bodhisattva) and not for your own enjoyment. But care also good for yourself. A Karma Yogi is only successful in the long term, if he is well anchored in himself (in rest, in his own happiness).

The king and the five sacrifices

There was once a king who wanted to realize his inner happiness. A priest told him that a five-fold renunciation is necessary. The king had a lot of wisdom and a strong will. He was willing to perform a sacrifice, if it was necessary to achieve his goal. First, the king renounced his kingdom. He moved to a secluded forest and lived as a yogi. Second, the king renounced on sexuality. He lived without a relationship to better focus his energy on his spiritual exercises. That was for him the greatest sacrifice.

Third, the king renounced on his thoughts. He meditated a lot and lived in great peace. Fourth, he renounced his ego. He let go of his ego, went through the vast emptiness (becomming internal nothing, no feeling of an independend self) and came into the light. It feels uncomfortable when the ego dissolves. But behind this is waiting the inner happiness. Who knows this, can easily sacrifice his ego. The king enjoyed some time in the happiness of enlightenment. Then he thought of the suffering of his people. They needed an enlightened Master who guided them along their way. The king renounced so fifthly on the happiness of seclusion and went back to his kingdom. He lived as a Hatha Yogi (physical exercises, meditation), as a Karma Yogi (love to all) and as a Bhogi Yogi (much external pleasure) permanently in the light (in unity consciousness, Nirvana). The five sacrifice were found to be the greatest grace in his life.

Fortune

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21. You can look optimistically into the future. You will win. You’ll be happy. Who works for the happiness of the world and of his fellow man, one day gets a good harvest. This is the law of karma. Celebrate your happy life. Optimism. Good karma. Fortune awaits you. Forward !!

Mother Meera

Mother Meera is an enlightened master who lives in Germany. She was born on 26/12/1960 in India. 1982 she married a German. She now lives in Thalheim near Frankfurt. On weekends, she gives satsang (meeting) in the castle Balduinstein. Everyone can visit her and receive her free blessings (darshan). She gives darshan also in the USA and Canada. A darshan is an important purification step on the spiritual path. Often enlightenment energy is transfered, which one day develops in a great grace.

Mother Meera receives thousands of visitors for darshan which she conducts in total silence. Her darshan consists of a ritual, where she will touch a person’s head, and then look into his eyes. During this process, she reportedly ‘unties knots’ in the person’s subtle system and permeates them with light. She teaches the unity of all religions. Everyone can go his own way. It is only important to be connected with the light (the personal spiritual role model) by praying, reading or meditating.

Mother Meera has lived some time in the ashram of Sri Aurobindo. Sri Aurobindo was one of the great Indian saint of modern times. He taught the Integral Yoga, the combination of meditation and Karma Yoga (doing good). Mother Meera has said that she works together on a spiritual level with the Dalai Lama for the good of the world.

Statements of Mother Meera: “Each religion has its basic books. It is helpful to read these major works of religions.” “Everything comes out of silence. In silence more work can be done.” “You may enjoy material life, but centering yourself in spirituality.” (Live the joy as part of the spiritual path.) (…) “Whoever comes to me for darshan, receives always what he needs.” “I look at everything within you to see where I can help, heal and give strength.” “I take anyone who comes sincere to me.” “The grace works automatically when the quest is sincere.” “Prayer always helps.” “Many souls go after death directly into the highest nirvana (God), some advanced souls keep their subtle bodies, to help others.”

Negative Qualities

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22. Inner happiness is created by the development of positive qualities (love, peace, self-discipline, wisdom) and by reducing the negative characteristics. All the negative characteristics are ultimately based on attachment (to external pleasures, other people, to his ego) or rejection (of suffering situations, pain). If we accept the suffering in our lifes and let go of our worldly desires and longings, the tensions in our minds resolve. Our inner happiness creates a positiv feeling of life. We get into a life in the light (in a paradise view of life).

The most serious negative property of a man in spirituality is pride. Even enlightened yogis can fall deeply. Pride is a tension, which hinders one from realizing the unity (oneness) of all beings. Pride can be overcome through Karma Yoga (to wish all people happy), through the practice of humility (modesty) and by the suffering. Who lives in suffering, is humble. Be constantly aware of the suffering in your life, accept it, kill your pride and awake your inner happiness by positiv thinking. The main way to overcome the negative qualities is to focus on the positive qualities of wisdom, self-discipline, peace, love and happiness. It is also helpful to work directly on the negative qualities. “My negative quality is … (pride, anger, fear, sadness, envy, addiction, desire or unwisdom). My way to overcome it is…”

Ambapali

Ambapali was a prostitute. All the men were lying to her feet. She was beautiful, rich and intelligent. Ambapali was very proud of herself and her body. When she heard a sermon of Buddha one day, she realized that all outer wealth and also her beautiful body were transient. Only her soul would always exist. To have a happy soul, one has to cultivate his inner happiness. Ambapali changed her life radically. She became a yogini. She practiced intensively. She resolved systematic the proud of her beautiful body. She meditated constantly on the transience of all things on earth. She visualized herself as an old woman, a suffering woman, the death of her body and her transformation into a buddha and a life in nirvana. After a few years she realized enlightenment. All of her negative qualities disappeared. A prostitute became a saint. In spiriuality it is not important what job a person has, but what inner spirit he or she has.

Great Victory

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23. A great success. A great victory. You have fought a lot. And you have won. The Buddha’s cheer. What is your victory today? Celebrate the day. Rejoice over your victory. Enjoy your success.

The five principles of health

The main principles of health are healthy diet, no drugs (alcohol, smoking, drugs, eating too much), regular exercise, adequate rest and positive thinking. These five principles of health give us a long, healthy and happy life. We can integrate them into our everyday lifes if we want it. If we live by these principles, we can avoid most diseases. If we are sick, we become significantly faster healthy.

1. Eat healthy. A healthy diet consists of fruits, vegetables, etc. It is advised to eat little or no meat and much raw food (raw fruits and vegetables). Raw food gives the body lots of vitamins and minerals that protect him from disease.

2. Avoid drugs, smoking and alcohol. That causes many diseases and usually shorten your life significantly. Too many sweets (sugar), fat, lots of salt and lots of meat are also unfavorable. Don´t eat too much calories. You live longer, if you eat less (but not too less). Hear to your body. He knows what is good for you. Live wisely and stay healthy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caloric_restriction

3. Do sports. Go walking, jogging, cycling, swimming once or twice a day (one half to one hour), to keep the body strong and healthy. It is also sufficient to train on an exercise bike (bicycle, treadmill) or to do dynamic yoga for half an hour a day. Or to go for a walk on the weekend for an hour. It is important, that the body is well warmed through (practice until a slight sweating). It kills disease germs.

4. Relax sufficiently. Stress should always be put away by adequate recovery periods, yoga or meditation. For the inner happiness, it is important to live in the right proportion of personal activity (work) and rest (relaxation).

5. Think positive. Avoid negative thoughts. Keep your mind through conscious control predominantly positive. Positive thoughts lead to positive feelings and positive emotions have a positive effect on your body. Motivate yourself with positive phrases and ideas. Read positive books and have a positive task (hobby).

“Who eats properly, may live up to 20 years longer,” says the Jena nutritionist Michael Ristow. Ristow warns to take vitamin tablets. No matter how high-dose vitamin capsule you take, it cannot replace an apple with its hundreds of individual substances. (Quote Welt online, Germany 2011)

Four simple rules of conduct extend life by an average of 14 years: Do not smoke, do some sports, drink no (or little) alcohol, eat fruit and (raw) vegetables daily. British researchers studied since 1993 the fate of more than 20 000 subjects aged over 45 years. The EPIC study extends over a total of ten European countries. (Quote Online Focus, 2008)

—> Interview about Correct Nutrition

Self-reflection

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24. A day of introspection. Reflect on yourself, to what you really want. Think about yourself, your life and your way of life. What are your goals? What do you want to achieve in your life? What is your way of a happy life? How do you get a fulfilling life? “My goals are … Unwisdom is … My way of wisdom is …” Forwards. Success.

The Four Stages of Life

Jada Bharata was the first great king in India. He united the whole country under his rule and gave him a common religion. Jada Bharata called his religion the Sanatana Dharma (eternal truth). Sanatana Dharma can be called the science of happiness. In the west the Sanatana Dharma is called Hinduism. Neo-Hinduism is the predominant form of Hinduism of today. Neo-Hinduism emphasizes the all-embracing love, the unity of all religions and the spiritual practice. Important representatives of Neo-Hinduism are Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi, Anandamayi Ma, Mahatma Gandhi, Yogananda, Swami Sivananda, Sai Baba, Mata Amritanandamayi and Mother Meera.

Jada Bharata taught the way of the four stages of life. In youth, one acquires spiritual and professional knowledge. Then do you set up a family. If the kids are grown up, you concentrate on the spiritual practice. The age is then spent in inner happiness and after death you move up into the world of light. Simplified one can say that a wise man should devide his life into two parts. The first half of life on earth we explore the world outside and enjoy it´s pleasures. In the second half we realize our inner happiness. One lives first mainly as Bhogi (hedonist) and then as a Yogi (happy man). This is from the perspective of yoga a fullfilled life. Buddha also followed this dichotomy. Until about the age of 30 years he lived with his wife and son. And then he transformed from a secular to a spiritual person and lived the second part of his life as a Buddha (enlightened).

Jada Bharata himself became a yogi and realized the inner happiness. Shortly before his death, he thought about if he now should stay permanently in the world of light, or return to earth again. Each enlightened yogi has in the moment of his death the choice. With his last thought (mantra), he decides his fate. Jada Bharata saw the many suffering in the world and opted for a rebirth as a spiritual Master. In his next life as a human he became a yogi, and quickly reached the enlightenment. He lived as Jivanmukta (liberated soul, Buddha) in the big nothing (nirvana, happiness). One day, “by chance” the new Indian king visited him. Jade Bharata initiated him into the path of universal love. The Indian religion was temporarily paralyzed in a formal way of practicing and preserving the power of the ruling class. The king gave the Sanatana Dharma the real spirituality back and transformed India into a happy country.