Brief history of Buddhism
Buddhism is one of the major religions of the world. It was founded by Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha) in Northeastern India. It arose as a monastic movement during a time of Brahman tradition. Buddhism rejected important views of Hinduism. It did not recognize the validity of the Vedic Scriptures, nor the sacrificial cult which arose from it. It also questioned the authority of the priesthood. Also, the Buddhist movement was open to people of all castes, denying that a person's worth could be judged by their blood. The religion of Buddhism has 150 to 350 million followers around the world. The wide range is due to two reasons. The tendency for religious affiliation to be nonexclusive is one. The other is the difficulty in getting information from Communist countries such as China. It's followers have divided into two main branches: Theravada and Mahayana. Theravada, the way of the elders, is dominant in India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia. Mahayana, the greater vehicle, refers to the Theravada as Hinayana, the lesser vehicle. It is dominant in India, Tibet, Japan, Nepal, Taiwan, China, Korea, Vietnam, and Siddhartha Guatama was born in
Interest in Vajrayana has also increased. They began to think of Buddha as an eternal, all powerful being. Buddhism spread throughout Asia after the two divisions came about. Tensions had grown within the sangha over discipline, the role of laity, and the nature of arhat. The traditional eighteen schools of Buddhism were a result of different interpretations of Buddhist teachings. In the first years of his journey, Siddhartha Guatama practiced yoga and became involved in radical asceticism. Believing the human Buddha was an apparition sent down for human benefit, the Mahasanghikas began Mahayana. However, they have narrowed the date to in between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD. He meditated under a bo tree until he reached true enlightenment by rising through a series of higher states of consciousness. By the next century, it had become an important aspect of Tibetan culture. It was at that time that he realized that he had led an empty life. After a short time, he gave up that life for one of a middle path between indulgence and self-denial. This decision has been found to be the cause of the division of the Buddhists. The use of money, drinking wine, and other irregularities were among the acts. Not even the names of Mahayana's founders are known.
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