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Buddhism is the fourth largest religion of the world after Christianity,
Islam, and Hinduism. Although it originated in India, it has stronghold
in countries like Tibet, China, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia where
missioaries from India carried its message. Buddhism was founded
in India by prince Siddhartha Gautam, who was born about 550 B.C.
in Northern India and lived till 485 B.C. Siddhartha lived in wealth
and pleasantness but he found suffering
and sickness among people in his kingdom. He left his home and wandered
around to find the meaning of life. One day he sat under a bodhi
tree and got the enlightenment. From that time on he was called
as BUDDHA. Buddhism has many concepts akin to Hinduism like
karma and reincarnation. Buddha suggested that life is full of sufferings
and one must act in a way to escape from them.
He laid down four basic principles (TRUTHS) to achieve that:
- All life is sorrow and suffering
- Human suffers due to desire or selfcenteredness
- Overcome desire
- Desire can be ended by following the eight fold path- right
belief, intention,
speech, action, work, effort, thinking, and meditation.
A person who follows this path gets rid of desire and hatred and
achieves spiritual peace i.e.NIRVANA. This would then lead
to end of KARMA cycle or rebirth of soul (reincarnation).
Buddha founded the Buddhist monastic order before leaving the wheel
of life. The order known as SANGHA lays down certain principles-
- no killing of humans or animals;
- monks will shave their head and beard, wear special
yellow robes have a bowl for begging and a string with 108 beads.
These monks never
marry and devote their life to meditation and service.
Buddhism reached its peak in India during the time of king Ashok
in about 320 B.C. but started declining under Gupta dynasty. Indian
Buddhism, in time, restored many of older Hindu beliefs and gods.
By 1100 A.D., Hinduism again became the major religion
of India.
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