Buddhism is one of the world's largest major religions, ranking fourth in terms of the number of adherents, and it is enjoying an increasing spread in the West for its compatibility with secularism.

Buddhism originated in northern India at the hands of a young man named Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in the middle of the sixth century BC, to a Hindu aristocratic family. His father was the leader of the Shakya tribe that inhabits the foothills of the Himalayas within the borders of today's Nepal.

The legend says that his mother received in a dream a prophecy during her pregnancy that he would be of great importance, and upon his birth his father noticed signs in his body that corresponded to the prophecy, and he was qualified to be either a wise or a great king, so his father was keen to train him with special military training, with drowning him since his childhood With all the requirements of a comfortable life, to distract him from the first possibility.

According to legend, Siddhartha was intelligent, inquisitive and thoughtful, and seemed to be more interested in understanding the universe than political and military issues.

After he reached the age of youth, married and had a child, he went out four times from his father's palaces on cart tours, meeting the marginalized people who were struggling with life.

Siddhartha first saw an old man, then a sick person, then met the funeral of one of the dead, and he would return to his palace every time to meditate on the nature of life, until the last time he saw a beggar hermit, so he decided to choose for himself this path, and that was the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy that His father tried to undo it.

Siddhartha left the palace to begin the path of searching for the meaning of life, and received the principles of meditation from some of the hermits. He preceded all the teachers in reaching the states of immersion in which consciousness is absent. Then he began to try austerity at its maximum limits. On perdition, he was finally convinced of the necessity of choosing the "middle way" between austerity and prosperity.

A Buddhist monk prays at a giant statue of Buddha in Thailand (Anatolia)

Enlightenment legend

One night, while he was meditating under a fig tree, he discovered the state of complete awakening he was seeking (enlightenment), which he called "Nirvana". And the death of all beings, and before the rising of the sun, he received knowledge assuring him that he had rid himself of all that defile his soul and all the lusts of his body forever.

Legend says that Siddhartha kept thinking for 7 weeks about what to do next, and then one of the gods inspired him that teaching people is the best option. To monasticism, then the circle of followers expanded who succeeded in repeating the experience of Buddha, but the title remained the preserve of him because he was the discoverer who received himself and not a teaching from anyone.

It is said that he continued to spread his teachings during his travels in northern India, until he died at the age of 80, in his most meditative state, and thus entered the eternal state of "Nirvana".

It is worth noting that the biography of Buddha's life is not certain, but many researchers question his historical existence. About the inclusion of myths in the original story, as some believe that Siddhartha was a prophet receiving revelations from heaven before his message was distorted, a claim that cannot be verified either.

Monks perform prayers in front of a historic temple in the Indonesian city of Silman (Reuters)

Religion or philosophy?

This question occupies the forefront of the discussion when addressing Buddhism. If we take the simplest definition of religion, which is the belief in and worship of the Creator, Buddhism will not be a religion, as it denies the existence of a creator god, despite its belief - like Hinduism - in the existence of a huge number of gods.

Therefore, some researchers rely on the theory of the Scottish Ninian Smart, which analyzes religion into 7 main dimensions, which are the ritualistic practical dimension, the emotional emotional dimension, the narrative dimension, some ideological and philosophical dimensions, the legislative ethical dimension, the institutional social dimension, and finally the material dimension.

When applying the above criteria to Buddhism, we can study it as an integrated religion, even if it denies the existence of a Creator in the sense accepted by other religions.

Giant Buddha statue in Brazil (Shutterstock)

The most important teachings

In the first sermon of Buddha, which is the starting point of this religion, he spoke of 4 facts;

To form the pillars of the new religion, the first is “suffering,” which means the need to understand the foundation of human life on the principle of continuous suffering, from birth to death.

The second truth is the “origin of suffering,” meaning that being driven by lusts is the root of suffering, and that ignorance of this truth generates sensuality, hatred and illusion, and then all vices are generated from these assets.

The third fact is “stopping suffering,” which confirms the possibility of curbing lusts, and then completely eliminating them.

As for the fourth fact, it is “the path that leads to the cessation of suffering.” It is composed of 8 stages, and it is called the Noble Eightfold Path, which in turn is classified into 3 categories. The first category is wisdom, which includes correct vision and correct determination, and the second is the category of morals, which includes correct speech Right behavior, right living, and finally the meditation class that includes right effort, right awareness and right meditation.

As a result, Buddhists believe that whoever adheres to these teachings will reach the position of infallibility and complete liberation from desires, and this is an end that we do not find in other religions, as even prophets and angels do not reach it in Judaism and Christianity.

Children at a Buddhist school in Colombo, Sri Lanka (French)

Karma and reincarnation

Karma is one of the most important elements of the Buddhist belief, and it can be summarized that everything that a living being (human or animal) does must have consequences, and it reproduces and grows until it matures to fall on its owner, so his reward is either a reward or a punishment.

Since age may shorten the cycle of justice, the myth of transmigration comes to fill this gap, as the being must be resurrected in a new body to receive the punishment he deserves.

The karma system works according to an independent natural law, it is not subject to the will of God, and it is a strict and multifaceted system, through which all human qualities such as beauty, intelligence, age, wealth and social status are determined, as the Buddhist believes that any deficiency in his life is a punishment for his mistakes he committed while he was living A previous life is not mentioned, and vice versa.

The chain of reincarnation may lead to the most extreme degree of relapse or elevation. In his next life he may return to the body of an animal as a punishment, or he may be rewarded for his compliance with strict teachings by being resurrected after his death in the form of one of the gods, thus leaving the chain of reincarnation.

Buddhist monks attend the funeral of a meditation teacher at a monastery in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu (Reuters)

From Hell to Heaven

Buddhism divides existence into 6 worlds, and although it is classified by class, it is depicted in a circular arrangement within the "wheel of life", because the beings rotate between them up and down, and these worlds are divided into degrees, totaling 31 sections.

In the lower layer we find the world of hell, which is where evil creatures descend to receive their punishment, and in it there are forms of torment almost what we find in the description of hell in the heavenly religions, and above it there is the world of animals, in which Buddhists fear that they will also be born even if it is free of torture. The world of unfortunate ghosts comes, and they roam around our human world and receive their punishment in prison awaiting salvation. As for the fourth world, it is the world of the tyrants (demons) who love wars and live captives to violent tendencies.

In the fifth world humans live, and a person may be born again to live in a new body, with great differences in the details of his life according to the system of reward and punishment for what he committed in the previous life.

The following realms, from the sixth to the 31st, are the homes of the gods (Divas), and they are nothing but people like us who are reborn in that immaterial world with its 26 layers, as a reward for their compliance with the teachings of Buddha and their commitment to virtue, and whoever arrives there may also be reborn and descend into the human world. With the exception of those who reach the five highest heavens, which are for non-returnees, i.e. those who will not return to human bodies.

Buddhists believe that Buddha reached the 31st level when he reached the state of full awakening "enlightenment" (Nirvana) under the fig tree at the age of 35, and then moved to it to be immortalized in it when he died at the age of eighty, meaning that reaching this degree through the application of the Eightfold Path and meditation is possible. In this life, but only in temporary experiences, and then after death the final transition to this immortal world takes place, in a state of mind in which the idea of ​​nothingness vanishes, and is known as 'awareness and unconsciousness'.

It is worth noting that Buddha rejected the Hindu concept of God (Brahman) and soul (Atman), as Hinduism believed that Brahman is the metaphysical absolute from which the universe emerged, but he is not a willing god as in the heavenly religions, and that Atman is the part that emerged from Brahman and settled in the body Every living creature.

But Buddha considered that the living being is made up of a body, sensations, knowledge, natures and awareness, and he did not believe in the existence of the soul. Reincarnation is not a transfer of the soul but a re-formation.

A huge statue of Buddha in a meditating position at the entrance to a temple in the Indonesian island of Java (Anatolia Agency)

Apotheosis of Buddha

After the departure of Buddha, the division began between his followers, and two large sects appeared, and then each of them dispersed into smaller sects, most of them quickly disappeared, until the Mahayana sect became the most widespread, which was formed within the first century BC.

Within the Mahayana, the principle of "Bodhisattva" appeared, a title given to a person who pledges to work throughout his successive lives to lead others to Nirvana, so Buddhist advocates set out to preach it, and high priests emerged in it, and then the idea of ​​waiting for the other savior who would appear at the end The present age, called Maitreya, is to call people back to enlightenment as Buddha did before.

New concepts also arose about the fate of Buddha. Some believed that he did not go to the upper world and leave them without communication, but rather moved to a heavenly realm to work on granting happiness to beings, and thus became similar to the god whom they approach with prayers and offerings.

Buddhist priests in Indonesia during the "Vesak" day celebrations on May 16, which is believed to be the day of Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death (Anatolia Agency)

Spread of Buddhism

In the third century BC, the Emperor of India, Ashoka Maurya, converted to Buddhism, and made it the official religion of his kingdom instead of Hinduism, and then spread strongly in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Bhutan, Cambodia and Korea, but later disappeared in India in favor of Hinduism and Islam.

In China, Buddhism stumbled due to the presence of the Confucian religion, which urges the consolidation of family and social relations under the authority of the state. Existentialism, which they did not find in their local religions.

However, Buddhism overlapped with Chinese Taoism, and the "Chan" doctrine emerged from them, which moved to Japan in the 13th century AD to turn there into "Zen Buddhism".

Buddhist monks take part in anti-government protests in Sri Lanka in April (Getty Images)

As for the Tibetan plateau, on the slopes of the Himalayas, Buddhism reached it in the eighth century, and the Tantric sect was formed, which is full of magical teachings and the use of incantations and incantations, and it also showed indulgence in sexual relations that were presented in a spiritual philosophical framework, although it is one of the lusts that must be curbed. in authentic Buddhism.

In the West, the discovery of Buddhism was delayed until the 13th century, and it remained surrounded by false myths, and then academics began studying and translating its texts in the 18th century.

With the growing interest of Europeans in the paranormal and magic in the 19th century, and with the rapid spread of secret societies and esoteric cults, Western interest in Hinduism and Buddhism increased together, especially under the British occupation of India, as well as the emigration of about half a million Buddhists from East Asia to the United States, a rising industrial power.

After World War II, and in light of the spread of ideas of rebellion and anarchism, and the rise of the “hippie” movement and the New Age movement, “Zen Buddhism” quickly became a popular commodity in the United States, and the use of drugs became a means to achieve the state of nirvana, as some of my teachers found Buddhism is an opportunity to open meditation schools and sell products.

What encouraged its spread in the West was the emergence of Buddhism in the form of rational, secular philosophy, especially since it excludes the existence of the Creator. Meditation brings positive results.

Two Buddhist monks from Bangkok present a live broadcast on the Internet (Reuters)

From nonviolence to terrorism

Buddhism is world-famous for its peaceful culture. Buddha used to say that soldiers who are killed in battle go to hell, and this was explained that even self-defense is a mistake, and these teachings were applied by the first Buddhist emperor Ashoka, after he licked the blood of his enemies before embracing this religion.

In the second century AD, interpretations emerged that would allow resorting to war in the event of the failure of peaceful means, and Sri Lankan historical documents recorded the veneration of some kings because they led victorious battles against the Hindus.

In medieval Japan, Buddhist monasteries became wealthy institutions that owned land and recruited warriors to protect it. Samurai fighters even incorporated Zen beliefs into their martial skills.

In the modern era, Buddhism is no less violent than others. In World War II, Buddhists participated in all battles with great enthusiasm, and also participated in the football war during the sixties, and in the seventies the voices of Buddhist priests rose in Thailand and elsewhere to exterminate the communists.

In Myanmar, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, and became a world champion for the philosophy of nonviolence, and her supporters from Buddhist monks challenged the ruling military council during the “Saffron Revolution” in 2007, and after Sochi came to power, the world was shocked by its silence on the incitement of some monks. outright violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu has become a global model representing "Buddhist terrorism" because of his incitement against the Rohingya (Reuters)

Since 1999 until today, the Buddhist nationalist "969" movement has been leading the bloody violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar's Arakan region, and in 2013 the American "Time" magazine published a picture of the Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu on its cover under the title "The Face of Buddhist Terror", although he was imprisoned and prosecuted. More than once because of his extreme extremism, but the ruling military council released him a year ago, to return to the practice of incitement under Buddhist slogans.

Even Christians from the Chin minority in western Myanmar are beaten and forced to convert to Buddhism, as the prevailing culture among many monks is "Being a Burmese means you must be a Buddhist".

In Sri Lanka, Buddhist chauvinism played a major role in employing religious sentiments among the Sinhalese during the civil war against the (Hindu) Tamil Tigers, which ended in 2009. Hate speeches continue to escalate there today.

In sum, throughout its long history Buddhism could not resist the tendencies of change and alteration. Since the departure of its founder, his followers have still volunteered his philosophy to conform to developments and interests, even if they ended up turning some principles into their opposite.