BUDDHA DHAMMA ACADEMY.Regd.Tiruvannamalai.by sivaji CEO.vellore.
2.The Origin Of Buddhism.
-The Buddha-to-be was born Siddhattha Gotama about 2,600 years ago as a prince of the Sakya clan near what is now the Indian-Nepalese border. To preserve the monastic order, the Buddha set down 227 rules for a bhikkhu (monk) to observe and 311 for a bhikkhuni (nun). Before his death (known as parinirvana) he said that some minor rules could be changed.
-Within a short time of his passing away there was disagreement over what could be changed and different sects emerged. The more reformist sects later called themselves Mahayana (greater vehicle) and referred to the conservative sects as Hinayana (lesser vehicle). The only conservative sect remaining today is Theravada, which is prevalent in Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. Theravada recognises the Pali Canon as its scriptures and a variety of ancient Theravadin commentaries.
-Whereas Theravada spread to the south and east, Mahayana moved to the northwest through what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan and then across Central Asia to China, Tibet, Vietnam, Korea and Japan. For historical reasons, the language of Mahayana scriptures was Sanskrit and that of Theravada was Pali. Hence the difference in spelling of some common Buddhist terms: Nirvana/Nibbana, Sutra/Sutta, Karma/Kamma, Dharma/Damma, etc. Westerners are more familiar with Mahayana Sanskrit terms.
-Mahayana also has its own scriptures in addition to the Pali Canon, the most important of which is the Lotus Sutra. These sutras are purported to be the Buddha's secret "higher" teachings, which were handed down only to those who were ready for them - an idea emphasised at the beginning of the Lotus Sutra.
-Apart from a modified monastic code which made monasticism possible in harsh environments such as Tibet, Mahayana emphasises the Bodhisattva Ideal, where a man vows not to achieve final enlightenment until all sentient beings have been saved. So anyone helping others to achieve enlightenment can be considered a bodhisattva. In Theravada, the term bodhisattva usually refers only to the historical Buddha in his previous lives. Historically, some Mahayanists consider Theravadins to be selfish for seeking enlightenment only for themselves, while some Theravadins consider Mahayanists to have deviated from what the Buddha taught.
-For more than 2,500 years, the religion we know today as Buddhism has been the primary inspiration behind many successful civilizations, the source of great cultural achievements and a lasting and meaningful guide to the very purpose of life for millions of people. Today, large numbers of men and women from diverse backgrounds throughout our world are following the Teachings of the Buddha. So who was the Buddha and what are His Teachings?.
Story.
The Story of Moggallana
Once there lived a man called Moggallana. He had a beautiful wife whom he loved very much. But this lady had a wicked nature and used to ill-treat Moggallana’s old, blind parents. She kept pushing Moggallana to send his parents away to the forest. Unwilling to displease his wife, Moggallana one day took his parents to the forest and left them there. We are unable to take care of ourselves. Please don’t leave us all alone in the forest, pleaded his mother. But Moggallana paid no heed to his mother’s pleas and went away. On the way, he fell into a pit and broke his legs. Unable to move, Moggallana lay there in pain. The Bodhisattva was passing by the pit. When he saw Moggallana, he helped him out. But alas! Moggallana had become a cripple for life. He then realized that one always pays for one’s misdeeds, and sought his parents’ forgiveness.
UT news.Sivaji
Comments
Post a Comment