“Windows To Spirituality”
Buddha The Buddha most commonly refers to Siddhārtha Gautama (Siddhāttha Gotama), also called Shakyamuni (“sage of the Shakyas,” in Pali “śakamuṇi”), who was a spiritual teacher from ancient India and the historical founder of Buddhism. A majority of twentieth-century historians date his lifetime from 563 B.C.E. to 483 B.C.E. Etymologically, the term Buddha is the past participle...
Buddhism In Vietnam Buddhism in Vietnam or Vietnamese Buddhism (Đạo Phật or Phật Giáo), as practised by the ethnic Vietnamese, is mainly of the Mahayana tradition. Buddhism may have first come to Vietnam as early as the 3rd or 2nd century BCE from the Indian subcontinent or from China in the 1st or 2nd century CE. Vietnamese Buddhism has had a syncretic relationship...
Buddhism And Christianity Analogies have been drawn between Buddhism and Christianity and Buddhism may have influenced early Christianity. Buddhist missionaries were sent by Emperor Ashoka of India to Syria, Egypt and Greece beginning in 250 BCE and may have helped prepare for the ethics of Christ. Others have noted the significant...
Gautama Buddha In World Religions This article covers how they view Gautama Buddha in world religions. Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, is also venerated as a manifestation of God in Hinduism and the Bahá’í faith. Some Hindu texts regard Buddha as an avatar of the god Vishnu, who came...
Korean Buddhism Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism. Early Korean monks believed that the traditions they received from foreign countries were internally inconsistent. To address this, they developed a new holistic approach to Buddhism. This approach is characteristic of...
Buddhism In Japan Buddhism in Japan has been practiced since its official introduction in 552 CE according to the Nihon Shoki from Baekje, Korea, by Buddhist monks. Buddhism has had a major influence on the development of Japanese society and remains an influential aspect of the culture to this day. In modern times, Japan’s popular...
History Of Buddhism The history of Buddhism spans from the 6th century BCE to the present. Buddhism arose in the eastern part of Ancient India, in and around the ancient Kingdom of Magadha (now in Bihar, India), and is based on the teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama. This makes it one of...
Five Precepts The five precepts or five rules of training is the most important system of morality for Buddhist lay people. They constitute the basic code of ethics undertaken by lay followers of Buddhism. The precepts are commitments to abstain from killing living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxication. Within the Buddhist...
Trikaya The Trikaya or Trikāya doctrine (literally “three bodies”; 三身; sānshēn; sanjin, sanshin; samsin; tam thân, སྐུ་གསུམ, sku gsum) is a Mahayana Buddhist teaching on both the nature of reality and the nature of Buddhahood. Definition The doctrine says that a Buddha has three kāyas or bodies: The Dharmakāya, Buddha nature, law and order, or Truth body which embodies...
Three In One: A Buddhist Trinity This article covers the Buddhist Trinity. The “three bodies of the Buddha” may seem like a remote construct, says Reginald Ray, but they are the ground of existence and present in every moment of our experience. It is said that the Buddha is defined...
Buddhahood In Buddhism, buddhahood (buddhatva, buddhatta or buddhabhāva; 佛果) is the condition or rank of a buddha “awakened one”. The goal of Mahayana‘s bodhisattva path is Samyaksambuddhahood, so that one may benefit all sentient beings by teaching them the path of cessation of dukkha. Mahayana theory contrasts this with the goal of the Theravada path, where the goal is...
Faith In Buddhism In Buddhism, faith refers to a serene commitment to the practice of the Buddha‘s teaching and trust in enlightened or highly developed beings, such as Buddhas or bodhisattvas (those aiming to become a Buddha). Buddhists usually recognize multiple objects of faith, but many are especially devoted to one in particular,...
Chinese Buddhism Chinese Buddhism or Han Buddhism has shaped Chinese culture in a wide variety of areas including art, politics, literature, philosophy, medicine and material culture. The translation of a large body of Indian Buddhist scriptures into Chinese and the inclusion of these translations together with works composed in China into a...
Buddhism And Hinduism Buddhism and Hinduism have common origins in the Ganges culture of northern India during the so-called “second urbanisation” around 500 BCE. They have shared parallel beliefs that have existed side by side, but also pronounced differences. Buddhism attained prominence in the Indian subcontinent as it was supported...
East Asian Buddhism East Asian Buddhism or East Asian Mahayana is a collective term for the schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism that developed in East Asia and follow the Chinese Buddhist canon. These include the various forms of Chinese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism, Vietnamese Buddhism, and Korean Buddhism. Besides being a major religion in...
Buddhism And Science Buddhism and science have increasingly been discussed as compatible, and Buddhism has entered into the science and religion dialogue. The case is made that the philosophic and psychological teachings within Buddhism share commonalities with modern scientific and philosophic thought. For example, Buddhism encourages the impartial investigation of Nature (an activity referred to...
Buddhism And Jainism Buddhism and Jainism are two ancient Indian religions that developed in Magadha (Bihar) and continue to thrive in the modern age. Mahavira and Gautama Buddha are generally accepted as contemporaries. Jainism and Buddhism share many features, terminology, and ethical principles, but emphasize them differently. Both are śramaṇa...
Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism (also Indo-Tibetan Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet where it is the dominant religion. It is also found in the regions surrounding the Himalayas (such as Bhutan, Ladakh, and Sikkim), much of Chinese Central Asia, the Southern Siberian regions such as Tuva, as well as...
Buddhist Folktales And Parables We have collected and put the best Buddhist Folktales And Parables. Enjoy reading these insights and feel free to share this page on your social media to inspire others. The Father A young single father had a son that he loved more than anything in the...
Prajna Or Panna In Buddhism Prajna is Sanskrit for “wisdom.” Panna is the Pali equivalent, more often used in Theravada Buddhism. But what is “wisdom” in Buddhism? The English word wisdom is linked to knowledge. If you look the word up in dictionaries, you find definitions such as “knowledge gained through experience”; “using good judgment”; “knowing...
