- "It originated in the eastern Gangetic plain as a śramaṇa–movement in the 5th century BCE, and gradually spread throughout much of Asia via the Silk Road."
Study of the origins and beliefs of Buddhism, including the life of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path.
The Life of the Buddha: This topic includes the important events in the life of the Buddha, such as his enlightenment, teachings, and death.
The Four Noble Truths: This fundamental teaching of Buddhism explores the nature of suffering, its causes, and the way to end it.
The Noble Eightfold Path: This doctrine provides a path for practitioners to reach enlightenment, which includes ethical principles, mental discipline, and wisdom.
Karma and Rebirth: This belief system states that actions have consequences, and these consequences impact future lives, either positively or negatively.
The Three Jewels: This refers to the Buddha, Dharma (his teachings), and Sangha (the community of Buddhist practitioners).
Buddhist Scriptures: These include the Pali Canon, the Mahayana Sutras, and other texts that guide Buddhist teachings.
Buddhist Ethics: This topic covers the core values and principles that Buddhists adhere to, including compassion, non-harming, and mindfulness.
Meditation: One of the core practices of Buddhism, this topic explores different meditation techniques and their benefits.
The Different Schools of Buddhism: There are various traditions under Buddhism, including Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana.
Buddhist Art and Architecture: This includes the design and construction of temples, stupas, and other structures that are central to Buddhist practice.
Contemplative Practices: Buddhism has a number of contemplative practices, like mindfulness and visualization, which help to deepen the practitioner's spiritual experience.
Rituals and Ceremonies: Buddhism has a rich cultural heritage that includes a wide range of traditional rituals and ceremonies, such as chanting and offerings.
Cultural Context: This topic is about understanding how Buddhism has evolved over time and in different cultures, including Indian, Chinese, and Japanese Buddhism.
Modern-day Buddhism: This topic explores how Buddhism has adapted to contemporary life in different parts of the world, including the West, and how it interacts with other religions and cultures.
Theravada Buddhism: This is the oldest surviving form of Buddhism and is practiced primarily in Southeast Asia. It emphasizes the individual's pursuit of enlightenment through meditation, ethical behavior, and study of the Buddha's teachings.
Mahayana Buddhism: This form of Buddhism is prevalent in East Asia, including China, Japan, and Korea. Mahayana emphasizes the bodhisattva ideal of helping others reach enlightenment, and it includes many schools and sub-traditions.
Vajrayana Buddhism: This form of Buddhism is found primarily in Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan. Vajrayana emphasizes esoteric practices, such as deity visualization and tantra, as a means of achieving enlightenment in one lifetime.
Zen Buddhism: This form of Buddhism is also known as Chan Buddhism in China and Seon Buddhism in Korea. It emphasizes the practice of meditation and mindfulness as a means of achieving enlightenment, and it is characterized by its minimalist aesthetic.
Pure Land Buddhism: This form of Buddhism is prevalent in East Asia and emphasizes devotion to Amitabha Buddha and the recitation of his name as a means of achieving rebirth in his Pure Land, a Buddhist paradise.
Tibetan Buddhism: This form of Buddhism is a blend of Mahayana and Vajrayana and is practiced in Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan. It is known for its elaborate practices of deity visualization, mantra recitation, and meditation, as well as its unique system of reincarnated lamas, or tulkus.
Nichiren Buddhism: This form of Buddhism is practiced mainly in Japan and is based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese monk Nichiren. It emphasizes the recitation of the Lotus Sutra and the principle of the Buddha nature inherent in all beings.
Engaged Buddhism: This is a modern movement that seeks to apply Buddhist principles to social and environmental issues. It emphasizes compassion, nonviolence, and social responsibility.
- "It is the world's fourth-largest religion, with over 520 million followers (Buddhists) who comprise seven percent of the global population."
- "The Buddha's central teachings emphasize the aim of attaining liberation from, or release of, the fetters and hindrances, which cause attachment or clinging and mental unstableness or unease (dukkha)."
- "He endorsed the Middle Way, a path of mental development that avoids both extreme asceticism and hedonism."
- "A summary of this path is expressed in the Noble Eightfold Path, a cultivation of the mind through observance of meditation and Buddhist ethics."
- "Other widely observed practices include: monasticism; 'taking refuge' in the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the dharma, and the saṅgha; and the cultivation of perfections (pāramitā)."
- "Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars: Theravāda (lit. 'School of the Elders') and Mahāyāna (lit. 'Great Vehicle')."
- "The Theravada tradition emphasizes the attainment of nirvāṇa (lit. 'extinguishing') as a means of transcending the individual self and ending the cycle of death and rebirth (saṃsāra)."
- "The Mahayana tradition emphasizes the Bodhisattva-ideal, in which one works for the liberation of all beings."
- "The Buddhist canon is vast, with many different textual collections in different languages (such as Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, and Chinese)."
- "The Theravāda branch has a widespread following in Sri Lanka as well as in Southeast Asia, namely Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia."
- "The Mahāyāna branch—which includes the traditions of Zen, Pure Land, Nichiren, Tiantai, Tendai, and Shingon—is predominantly practiced in Nepal, Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan."
- "Additionally, Vajrayāna (lit. 'Indestructible Vehicle'), a body of teachings attributed to Indian adepts, may be viewed as a separate branch or tradition within Mahāyāna."
- "Tibetan Buddhism, which preserves the Vajrayāna teachings of eighth-century India, is practiced in the Himalayan states as well as in Mongolia and Russian Kalmykia."
- "Historically, until the early 2nd millennium, Buddhism was widely practiced in the Indian subcontinent."
- "It also had a foothold to some extent elsewhere in Asia, namely Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan." Please note that the quotes provided are paraphrased summaries of the answers found in the text, rather than direct quotes.