This document provides a detailed summary of Buddhism, including: - Buddhism was founded in India by Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, who attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. - Key concepts include the four noble truths, the eightfold path, and seeking liberation from suffering through meditation. - There are three main denominations - Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana - which differ in their ideals and teachings. - Buddhism incorporates various rituals, festivals, and symbols like the dharma wheel to aid the journey to enlightenment.

1. Detail Study on World Religions
Buddhism
By Dhaval Panchal
Enroll No : 3782
10th March, 2016

2. Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Historical Background
• Key Concept
• Founder
• Holy Books
• Religious Symbols
• Food & Restrictions
• Dressings
• Festivals
• Denominations
• Prayer Centre
• Deities / Prophets
• Other Beliefs
• Rituals
• Quotes & Sayings

3. Introduction
Buddhism, in its natural form, is not a religion; rather it is a tradition
that focuses on personal spiritual development. Buddhists strive for
a deep insight into the true nature of life and do not worship gods
or deities.
Buddhism was founded in Northern India by the first known
Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, in 6th century BC, after he attained
enlightenment and assumed the title Lord Buddha (one who has
awakened)

4. Historical Background
• The founder of Buddhism in this world is Buddha Shakyamuni. He
was born as a royal prince in 624 BC in a place called Lumbini,
which was originally in northern India but is now part of Nepal.
• In his early years he lived as a prince in his royal palace but when
he was 29 years old he retired to the forest where he followed a
spiritual life of meditation. After six years he attained
enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya, India.
• He was subsequently requested to teach and as Venerable Geshe
Kelsang says in Introduction to Buddhism.

5. • ‘As a result of this request, Buddha rose from meditation and
taught the first Wheel of Dharma. These teachings which include
the Sutra of the Four Noble Truths and other discourses, are the
principal source of the Hinayana, or Lesser Vehicle, of Buddhism.
Later, Buddha taught the second and third Wheels of Dharma,
which include the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras and the Sutra
Discriminating the Intention respectively. These teachings are the
source of the Mahayana, or Great Vehicle, of Buddhism.Both
traditions flourished in Asia, at first in India and then gradually in
other surrounding countries, including Tibet. Now they are also
beginning to flourish in the West.’
• In all Buddha Shakyamuni gave eighty-four thousand teachings.
His intention in founding Buddhism was to lead living beings to
permanent liberation from suffering. He realized temporary
liberation from suffering and difficulties is not enough. Motivated
by love and compassion his aim was to help living beings find
lasting peace or nirvana.

6. Key Concept
• The workings of the mind are examined with great precision in
these teachings of the Buddha that originated in India over 2000
years back. However the way to freedom lies not in a scholarly
study of these teachings, but instead in practicing meditation and
mindfulness. The reality of suffering draws many to Buddha's
teachings; the teachings are not about suffering though. Instead
they are about ultimate freedom, and the exuberance that this
freedom is accessible to all. Strive to be a Buddha, not a
Buddhist!

7. Founder
• Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism in this world, was
born as a prince in 624BC in a place called Lumbini, which was
originally in northern India but is now part of Nepal. ‘Shakya’ is
the name of the royal family into which he was born, and ‘Muni’
means ‘Able One’. His parents gave him the name Siddhartha and
there were many auspicious predictions about his future. In his
early years he lived as a prince in the royal palace but when he
was 29 years old he retired to the forest where he followed a life
of meditation. After six years he attained enlightenment under the
Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya, India. He was subsequently requested
to teach others the path to enlightenment.

8. Holy Books
• The Buddhist canon consists of the Sutras: the words and
teachings of the Buddha. There are also a number of
noncanonical Buddhist texts that provide supplementary
teachings, rules of conduct and commentary on transitional states
after death. The Tripitaka (Pali Canon), Mahayana Sutras and the
Tibetan Book of the Dead are three major noncanonical Buddhist
texts. The Pali Canon, which means “the word of Buddha,”
includes some of the Buddha’s discourse, but it also incorporates
the teachings of his pupils. Different sects of Buddhism follow
canonical and noncanonical scriptures to varying degrees.

9. Religious Symbol
• The dharma wheel, or dharma chakra in Sanskrit, is one of the
oldest symbols of Buddhism. Around the globe it is used to
represent Buddhism in the same way that a cross represents
Christianity or a Star of David represents Judaism. It is also one
of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism.
• A traditional dharma wheel is a chariot wheel with varying
numbers of spokes. It can be in any colour, although it is most
often gold. At the center sometimes there are three shapes
swirling together, although sometimes at the center is a yin-yang
symbol, or another wheel, or an empty circle.

10. Food and Restrictions
• There are no set prescriptions for food restrictions in Buddhism.
Under the concept of ahisma / doing no harm, a lacto-vegetarian
diet is followed by many Buddhists. Buddhist monks have
additional restrictions such as fasting and not eating solid foods
after noon.

11. Dressing
• Buddhist generally wear robes. The Sanskrit and Pali word for
monastic robes is civara. Wearing a civara is the first of a monk's
four traditional requirements. Monks are never to enter a village
without wearing all three parts of their robe:
• An inner robe, from the waist to the knee.
• An upper robe around the torso and the shoulders.
• An outer robe used as and over garment.

12. • Buddhist also wear mala, a bracelet that has 108 beads. The 108
beads on the mala represents the 108 human passions that
Avalokiteśvara assured when telling the beads. They also have 3
extra beads on the mala to represent the completion of a cycle of
mantras. The 3 extra bead also symbolize the Three Jewels of
Buddhism: the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha. The hidden
string that passed through all the beads symbolized the
penetrating power of the Buddha’s.
• A mala is usually worn as bracelets but priest generally wear
them as long necklaces.

13. Festivals
• Some holy days are specific to a particular Buddhist
tradition or ethnic group. There are two aspects to take into
consideration regarding Buddhist festivals: Most Buddhists,
with the exception of the Japanese, use the Lunar
Calendar and the dates of Buddhist festivals vary from
country to country and between Buddhist traditions. There
are so many Buddhist festivals, here are some of the more
important ones.
• There are quite a few Buddhists festivals. Here are some
festivals and what they are about…

14. • Buddhist New Year
• In some countries like Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia
and Lao, the New Year is celebrated for three days from the
first full moon day in April.
• Vesak
• This festival celebrates the Birthday of Buddha. In one day, the
Buddhists celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of
Buddha. This festival takes place on the first full moon of May.
• Magha Puja Day
Magha Puja Day takes places on the full moon day of the third
lunar month (March). This holy day is to commemorate an
important event in the life of the Buddha, the fourfold assembly.
• Asalha Puja Day
• Asalha Puja means to honour Buddha on the full moon day of
the 8th lunar month (approximately July). It recalls and shows
respect to the Buddha’s first teaching.

15. • Uposatha
• The four holy days in each month. These holy days are during
the new moons, full moons and quarter moons. On these days
the Buddhists fast (they don’t eat at all).
• Kathina Ceremony
• In this ceremony new robes are offered to Buddhists monks.
• Abhidhamma Day
• This day celebrates the event when the Buddha is said to have
gone to the Heaven to teach his mother. It is held on the full
moon of April.
• Songkran
• This Buddhist festival goes on for several days during the
middle of April. People clean their houses and wash their
clothes and enjoy sprinkling perfumed water on the monks.
This festival is like a spring cleaning!

16. • Loy Krathong
• This festival takes place on the full moon night of the Twelfth Lunar
month. People bring bowls made of leaves, which contain flowers,
candles and incense sticks. People float them in water and as they go, all
bad luck is supposed to disappear.
• The Ploughing Festival
• This festival takes place in May, when the moon is half-full, two white
oxen pull a gold painted plough, followed by four girls dressed in white
who throw rice seeds from baskets. This is to celebrate the Buddha’s first
moment of enlightenment, which happened when Buddha was seven
years old, when he had gone with his father to watch the ploughing.

17. Denominations
• There are 3 major denominations of Buddhism which are Mahayana, Theravada,
and Vajrayana.
• Mahayana
• Mahayana Buddhism, which literally means "Great Vehicle" in Sanskrit, is
mainly the predominant sect in central and East Asia, and is making its
appearance in western culture in forms of Tibetan, Zen, and Pure land
Buddhism. The origin of Mahayana Buddhism is now traced to about the
beginning of the Common Era. The Mahayana ideal is the bodhisattva, "one
bearing enlightment" who realized it was important to save all others before
realizing their own redemption. In this denomination, they early on
acknowledged the polarity of Buddha’s that could also act from outside this
world. One of the main goals of Mahayana was to unfold or find the truth or
hidden gem of enlightment. Mahayana has come to be known as the second
turning of the Wheel of Dharma.

18. • Theravada
• Theravada Buddhism, also known as Southern Buddhism, is mainly in
South and South East Asia. It is the only surviving tradition of the 30
original sects and is said to be the closest to the original teachings of the
Buddha. Their focal point is to an order of monks. Their ideal is to a
person's nonattachment to the world and practicing the Buddhist path of
renunciation. The monk’s main task is to live to that ideal to pass on
Buddhist teachings and way of life. Theravada is also known as the first
turning of the Wheel of Dharma.

19. • Vajrayana
• Vajrayana Buddhism is the most exotic of the denominations
and is the third turning of the Wheel of Dharma. Around the
3rd century in the Common Era, Vajrayana became the more
prominent denomination in India and many other regions of the
Buddhist world. It dominated in the Himalayan region and
quite a few other areas. Vajrayana is the "secret vehicle" of
Buddhism, and is also called the diamond or electric vehicle,
due to its indestructible and clarity qualities, or in reference to
the thunderbolt sceptre of Indra, a Vedic god. The Vajra
represents cosmic power and its prongs represent different
Buddha’s, and the power of enlighten itself. Vajrayana uses
aspects of both Buddhism and Hinduism and uses mantras,
which are magical chants and syllables, a lot. It is also known
as Mantra Yana because of that. Tantric Buddhism is another
name it is known as due to the great use of Tantric texts and
rites.

20. Monasteries
• The work of the monastery
• In Buddhism and Christianity however, instead of statues,
monks or nuns pray on behalf of the people. The monastery
typically becomes the spiritual focus of the nearest town or
village. In Christianity the monks pray for the salvation of the
souls of the living. But in Buddhism, there is no concept of the
soul. The goal is not heaven, rather it is cessation from the
endless cycle of rebirth (samsara), to achieve moksha, which
is freedom or release from attachment to ego or the material
world and an end to samsara, and to realize nirvana (or
liberation), which is to be released into the infinite state of
oneness with everything.

21. • Buddhist Monasteries in India
• In India, by the 1st century, many monasteries were founded
as learning center’s on sites already associated with Buddha
and Buddhism. These sites include Lumbini where the Buddha
was born, Bodh Gaya where he achieved enlightenment and
the knowledge of the dharma (the Four Noble Truths), Sarnath
(Deer Park) where he preached his first sermon sharing the
dharma, and Kushingara where he died.

22. Deities and Prophets
• Each of the deities represents a unique spiritual personality or
essence. The principal beings are the five Dhyani Buddha's- the
esoteric meditation Buddha's of the five colours found in The
Tibetan Book of the Dead and other sources. Contrary to popular
belief, these deities are not Buddhist Gods, but rather different
aspects of the one God. Among these are several teachers or
gurus, who have attained notoriety and importance, and as such
are venerated.
• Like the Hindu Deities, these are meant to express particular
aspects of the Infinite, and are are used as devotional images
helping the seeker visualize, concentrate on, and thus in time
attain, that aspect of the Infinite in him or herself.

23. • The essence of each being is:
• First, of a spiritual personality describing his or her essential nature
• Second, of an actor describing his or her role in the Vajrayana
tradition, and the spiritual environment in which action takes place
• Third, of a spiritual guide giving advice to the seeker.
• The purpose is to introduce the spiritual seeker to elements of the
Vajrayana Buddhist tradition outside the bounds of a particular lineage
or school. When a Tibetan monk or nun is initiated into a Vajrayana
lineage, he or she is often given a Yidam who serves as a spiritual
guide, protector, and a focus of meditation. The practitioner meditates
on the deity to forge a strong link with this inner guide and teacher.
One of the beings listed below is often chosen as a Yidam or guide for
the initiate.
• One function of these guides is to inspire creativity, for they can serve
as muses. However, their traditional role is that of a guide to the
spiritual traveller who seeks knowledge of and access to the many
inner worlds one may encounter during meditation. This kind of
visionary experience is a stepping-stone to the ultimate Buddhist goal
of liberation from suffering (enlightenment).

24. Other Beliefs
• Basic Beliefs and Practices
• The basic doctrines of early Buddhism, which remain common
to all Buddhism, include the "four noble truths": existence is
suffering (dukkha); suffering has a cause, namely craving and
attachment (trishna); there is a cessation of suffering, which is
nirvana; and there is a path to the cessation of suffering, the
"eightfold path" of right views, right resolve, right speech, right
action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right
concentration. Buddhism characteristically describes reality in
terms of process and relation rather than entity or substance.

26. Rituals
• Buddhism incorporates a variety of rituals and practices, which
are intended to aid in the journey to enlightenment and bring
blessings on oneself and others. While some activities are unique
to certain expressions of Buddhism, there are others that are
found in most of the popular forms of the belief system.
• Types of Buddhist Rituals
• Going for Refuge. This is probably the most significant ritual
connecting people to the Dharma. This is the oldest and most
common ritual throughout most Buddhist traditions.

27. • Offering homage or respect to the Buddha, to Buddhist
teachers, teachings, or other important areas of Buddhist life.
• Making offerings or practicing dana.
• Confession of faults.
• Precept ceremonies.
• Calling on spiritual forces for support or protection.
• Blessings, aspirations, and Brahmavihara “prayers.”
• Dedication of merit.
• Rites of Passage such as weddings and funerals.
• Initiations and ordinations.

28. Quotes and Sayings
• Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.
• No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.
• Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
• Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
• You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.
• The mind is everything. What you think you become.
• We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think.
• When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.
• There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not
starting.
• To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong
and clear.
• Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.