What is Buddhism?
Where does Buddhism come from?
Buddhism is a legend that took root in Northern India, on the border of Nepal, in the 6th century BC. More precisely in a small town called LUMBINI, where a little boy was born to the Couple MAYADEVI and the kinglet SUDHODANA who commands the clan of noble warriors "SAKYA". At birth, the child receives the name of Siddharta GAUTAMA, later he will bear the name of SAKYAMUNI which means the wise man of the Sakya.
Legend has it that he was conceived from a white elephant in a premonitory dream. At his birth, he took 7 steps and announced his future spiritual realization. At that time, India was very much steeped in Hinduism. A religion much older than the future Buddhism by four millennia.
This religion has the belief of believing in reincarnation, namely that all humanity is subject to death with multiple repetitions whether one is human or animal. The faithful honor a multitude of divinities and place their trust in the BRAHMANS, who are the dominant class. These successive reincarnations were, for some, the nightmare of the faithful.
Our future "BUDHA" is raised inside the family palace, kept away from the human and divine crowd. One day, around his 20th birthday, the young man left the palace and met an old beggar, an outcaste man, a beggar monk, a dead man on the stake. These encounters were overwhelming. He decided to give up his promising situation, left his family palace and went into the forest towards the unknown. There, he met hermits who became his companions.
Buddhism or the search for a new truth
In this spiritual approach and in search of truth, our young man detached himself from the belief in a supreme god, multiplied by a host of specific qualities, all divine marrying together and forming an immense divine family.
Still in his search for the truth, he considers that man and woman are devoid of soul, of their own personality (ANATMAN), but only provided with a simple aggregation of impermanent and changing phenomena (ANITYA), generating suffering (DUKKHA) by their inability to fully satisfy us.
The young hermit, BUDDHA or the "Awakened One" gives himself the mission of ridding the sad course of successive lives of all suffering. For him, successive lives do not affect the same being indefinitely since he has no soul. He sees in successive lives a way of gradually transforming each human being by improving the aggregate of phenomena that each time produce a better being until he reaches "awakening" - NIRVANA which chases away confusion and illusion to be illuminated by reality.
The origin of suffering, according to him, comes from the desire for something, from attachment to something called thirst (TRSNA).
This inner transformation of our hermit, according to legend, took place during a deep meditation at BODHI GAYA where the BODHI tree is located. He deduced that the truth exists, neither in excess nor in extreme austerity; but in the middle way. Tradition presents this conviction as a perfect spiritual "illumination": BODHI or AWAKENING which is for each one the extinction of selfish desire and illusion which are the cause of suffering.
Enlightenment is therefore the goal achieved by practicing the doctrine of “DHARMA” to follow the noble Eightfold path.
Is Buddhism a religion?
Like many religions or philosophies, Buddhism is a code of life. Buddhist morality teaches that all our actions have consequences: some on ourselves and our behavior; others on our near and distant environment.
Positive human actions are called "KUSALA", and negative actions "AKUSALA". The practice of this morality requires everyone to examine the state of mind they are in when performing this or that act. Before any action, it is appropriate to realize the scope of our actions. And to take responsibility for doing or not doing.
There are therefore 5 precepts to respect:
- Do no harm to any living being, do no killing
- Do not take anything that is not given
- Not to engage in sexual misconduct
- Do not use false or lying words
- Abstain from alcohol or any intoxicants.
Others are added:
- Purify your body through kind and generous actions
- Purify your speech, with true communication
- Purify one's mind by abandoning lust, changing hatred into compassion, and transforming ignorance into wisdom.
Buddhist doctrine is compiled in writing, there are several collections. This doctrine is transmitted and commented on by a multitude of interpreters who will give birth to a multitude of schools. The works which detail the doctrine and the practice of the Way are kept in the monasteries.
Originating in India in the 5th century BC, Buddhism spread to Central Asia, China, Tibet, Thailand, North and South Cree, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Malaysia.
France is said to have 600,000 Buddhists and 1 million sympathizers.
