The three major branches of Buddhism in the modern world are Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism and Vajrayana sometimes described as Tibetan Buddhism. Vajrayana Buddhism, the smallest of the three major branches, is concentrated in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and Mongolia. The Buddhist population figures in this study also include members of other groups that identify as Buddhist, such as Soka Gakkai and Hoa Hao.
Only two other regions — North America 3. Globally, Buddhists are older median age of 34 than the overall population median age of Of the three regions for which data are available, sub-Saharan Africa has the youngest Buddhist population median age of 29 , followed by North America The Asia-Pacific region has the oldest Buddhist population, with a median age of Buddhists are older than the general population in two of the three major regions for which data are available: sub-Saharan Africa where Buddhists have a median age of 29 and the general population has a median age of 18 and Asia and the Pacific 34 vs.
Now the Buddha "the Enlightened or Awakened One" began to teach others these truths out of compassion for their suffering. His first Noble Truth is that life is suffering dukkha. Life as we normally live it is full of the pleasures and pains of the body and mind; pleasures, he said, do not represent lasting happiness. They are inevitably tied in with suffering since we suffer from wanting them, wanting them to continue, and wanting pain to go so pleasure can come. The second Noble Truth is that suffering is caused by craving—for sense pleasures and for things to be as they are not.
We refuse to accept life as it is. The third Noble Truth, however, states that suffering has an end, and the fourth offers the means to that end: the Eight-Fold Path and the Middle Way.
If one follows this combined path he or she will attain Nirvana, an indescribable state of all-knowing lucid awareness in which there is only peace and joy. The Middle Way represents a rejection of all extremes of thought, emotion, action, and lifestyle. Rather than either severe mortification of the body or a life of indulgence insense pleasures the Buddha advocated a moderate or "balanced" wandering life-style and the cultivation of mental and emotional equanimity through meditation and morality.
After the Buddha's death, his celibate wandering followers gradually settled down into monasteries that were provided by the married laityas merit-producing gifts. The laity were in turn taught by the monks some of the Buddha's teachings.
They also engaged in such practices as visiting the Buddha's birthplace; and worshipping the tree under which he became enlightened bodhi tree , Buddha images in temples, and the relics of his body housed in various stupas or funeral mounds. Many monastic schools developed among the Buddha's followers.
Another reason for the development of different schools was that he refused to appoint asuccessor to follow him as leader of the Sangha monastic order. He told the monks to be lamps unto themselves and make the Dhamma their guide.
About the first century C. Of the Hinayana "the Lesser Vehicle" branch of schools, only the The ravada school founded 4th century B. This school stresses the historical figure of Gautama Buddha, and the centrality of the monk's life-style and practice meditation. They believe, however, that human beings continue to be "reformed" and reborn, and to collect karma until they reach Nirvana.
The The ravada school has compiled a sacred canon of early Buddhist teachings and regulations that is called the Tripitaka. The Mahayana "Greater Vehicle" branch of schools began about the 1st century C. Mahayana schools in general utilize texts called sutras, stressing that lay people can also be good Buddhists, and that there are other effective paths to Nirvana in addition to meditation—for instance the chanting and good works utilized in Pure Land. Approximately half are practitioners of Mahayana schools in China and it continues to flourish.
Due to the Chinese occupation of Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism has been adopted by international practitioners, notably westerners, in a variety of different countries. This movement is not divided between monastic and lay members and includes Buddhists from Buddhist countries, as well as western converts.
New movements continue to develop to accommodate the modern world. The Buddha was not concerned with satisfying human curiosity related to metaphysical speculations. The Buddha ignored topics, such as the existence of god, the afterlife, and creation stories.
During the centuries, Buddhism has evolved into different branches, and many of them have incorporated a number of diverse metaphysical systems, deities, astrology and other elements that the Buddha did not consider. In spite of this diversity, Buddhism has a relative unity and stability in its moral code.
The four truths are dukkha the truth of suffering ; the arising of dukkha the causes of suffering ; the stopping of dukkha the end of suffering , and the path leading to the stopping of dukkha the path to freedom from suffering. All humans experience surprises, frustrations, betrayals, etc. Acknowledging or accepting that we will encounter difficulties in daily life as an inevitable and universal part of life as a human being is the first truth.
Within this, there are two types of suffering :. All suffering lies not in external events or circumstances but in the way we react to and deal with them, our perceptions and interpretations.
Suffering emerges from craving for life to be other than it is, which derives from the 3 poisons :.
0コメント