Prince Siddhartha Gautama was the heir to his royal Shakya when he was born around 560 B.C.E and when Buddhism spread across the world the teachings of Siddharth Gautam gave a body to the faith.
Prince Siddhartha, like the Jain Leader, Mahavira, had a pure conviction, a non-violent way of life and a miraculous faith in the cycle of life.
Fourth Noble Truths and The Eighth Fold Path
The Buddhist middle path, which rejects both enjoyment and asceticism, is described by the fourth and final Noble reality.
The Eightfold Path, which includes right beliefs, right purpose, right voice, right action, right life , right effort, right mindfulness, and right mindfulness, is the Middle Way. Buddhas future generation of followers describe the details and valuable truths in order to follow the middle path.
The initial teachings of Buddhism were in Patil, as was spoke by the people of North India. However, as the teachings popularized around the world, Buddha established Sangha or Monastic.
Thus, The Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha became the three jewels of Buddhism.
The Buddhist Middle Way
In ancient India, the Buddhist Middle Way gained many followers because it allowed anyone who practiced nonviolence and dharma to rise above their circumstances.
There was a subsequent rise in the followers who left the route of homicide and suicide and generously donated all their finances for a greater cause.
The Buddhist way preaches lessons on how to give up worldly materialistic desires to end all concerns and pain.
Those communities who didn't support the Brahminic Varna Model, accepted the Buddhists way of life as it appealed to them and their conscience.
With the rise of Buddhism in and around the world, many schools of Metaphysics began to mushroom. The fundamental beliefs about the essence of life was popularized. Even artists used a variety of the Buddhist teachings to visually represent the deeper meaning of their art.
Upswing of Buddhism Universally
Buddhism spread as the world religion all over Asia over the centuries. It began in the 3rd BCE when many Indians immigrated to Sri Lanka and adopted the religious teachings of Buddha.
They followed the original teachings, known as Theravada or Hinayana. This form of Buddhism spread from Sri Lanka to Southeast Asia, where it is still prominent in Burma (now Myanmar), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Other Indian religious practices, such as Hinduism, also spread along these paths, but local societies adapted these religious traditions to their own communities in each case.
The Mahayana, which emerged around the 1st century C.E., was a continuation of Buddhist ideas in India, which spread across the border into what is now Afghanistan. Mahayana Buddhism spread from Afghanistan to China and then Japan, adapting to local customs along the way.
In 7th century the Narayana or Thunderbolt Vehicle ( form of Buddhism in India) had dissipated to Nepal and Tibet. Then Buddhism disappeared for over the centuries because Buddhism caught the eye of kings and emperors, especially those from non-Kshatriya backgrounds.
Merchants had a great advantage in bringing about huge donations to Buddhist sangha and it's sanctuaries. In India today, there are approximately 8 million Buddhists, the majority of whom are neo-Buddhist Dalits. However, this represents less than 1% of the Indian population. Using India's legal system, these new Buddhists have recovered many of Buddhism's religious sites from the Brahmins.
Written By - Pratthiksha Shree A
Edited By - Tushna Choksey
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