Founder of Buddhism: Origin, Who is he? And who was?

Buddhism is considered the fourth most important religion in the world, despite not having a God. The Founder of Buddhism is obviously the Buddha himself, whose history is the supreme detachment from all material things to reach the longed-for Nirvana. We invite you to read this article to learn more about this character.

founder of buddhism

Founder of Buddhism

Although the answer may be obvious and silly, Buddhism was created by Buddha, however, doubts remain. What was its real name? Who leads Buddhism today? What is Buddhism today? What is the number of its followers?

What is Buddhism?

Buddhism is conceptualized as a global religion, as well as a "philosophical and spiritual discipline", which does not have a God and belongs to the dharmic family. It encompasses a diversity of customs, religious convictions, and spiritual praxis that are primarily attributed to Gautama Buddha. Buddhism is considered the fourth most important religion in the world, exceeding 500 million followers, something like 7% of the world's population.​

Buddhism arose in India between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries BC, from where it spread to much of East Asia and its practice declined in its country of origin when the Middle Ages arrived. Most of the Buddhist traditions have the common purpose of overcoming suffering (dukkha) and the period of death and rebirth (samsara), either by attaining Nirvana or by attaining Buddhahood.

The different Buddhist tendencies differ in their assessment of the path to liberation, the relative transcendence and the canonicity that has been established in the different Buddhist texts, and their particular teachings and praxis. Among the praxis included that have been largely fulfilled are: taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, the obedience of the ethical precepts, monasticism, abstraction and the cultivation of the Paramitas (perfections or virtues).

There are two currents of relevance in Buddhism: Theravāda (School of the Elders) and Mahāyāna (The Great Way). Theravāda Buddhism is predominant in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, such as in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand. Mahayana Buddhism, which incorporates Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism, Shingon, and Tiantai (Tendai) traditions, is found throughout East Asia.

Vajrayana, which is a body of teachings attributed to followers of India, can be viewed as a separate stream or field of Mahayana Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism, which preserves the Vajrayana teachings of XNUMXth-century India, is practiced in the nations of the Himalayan area, Mongolia, and Kalmykia.​

founder of buddhism

Origin of Buddhism and its Founder

As is known to all, Buddhism is accepted more as a philosophy of life than as a typical religion, however, it remains a religion despite lacking God, that is, it is not theistic. Its origins date back to the XNUMXth century BC in northeastern India, where its founder Siddhartha Gautama, better known as Gautama Buddha, would be responsible for spreading the initial message and leading his new set of followers. on the path of spiritual greatness.

Since its creation, this non-theistic doctrine has formed part of the dharmic family and by virtue of this, with the advance of time, it has spread throughout the Asian continent. In this way it became the religion of many places in the region, while in India it became official as a religion after Emperor Asaoka ordered it and a group of monks began to impart their message, to which He added the sending of these abroad of the country with the aim that their religion would be known in the world.

Gautama Buddha's birth took place near the Himalayas in what was then known as the republic of Shakya, which does not exist today. This one is considered neither God nor the supreme Buddha of this religion since, generally, one who has achieved full spiritual awakening under his religious practices can be appreciated as a Buddha.

In addition to the above, it was well established within Buddhism that only humans can achieve this condition and Gautama Buddha himself was evidence in life of the concept of the Buddha, recognizing him as the historical Buddha. What this religion intends is to suppress the suffering caused by the sensations experienced by the human being such as sensory enjoyment, passions or desires.

That is why a human can be considered a Buddha, that is, when he has achieved a state of complete mental calm and has awakened spiritually or has been fully enlightened. Before Sakiamuni (another of the nicknames by which Gautama Buddha is known) there were 28 other Buddhas as narrated in the same Pāli Canon (a collection of ancient Buddhist writings written in the Pali language).

The native religion of the Indian northeast was expanding until it was estimated as one of the largest number of followers in the world, being only behind Christianity, of course. In addition to this, it had a notable presence throughout Asia where it reached nations such as China, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mongolia, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore and Laos (countries in which it is the predominant religion).

Today his message is known all over the globe and although not everyone practices it, every year it is of interest to hundreds of followers who make a spiritual journey in several of the temples of India. Regarding the birth and death of the historical Gautama Buddha, a precise and specific date is not known, but it has been estimated, over time, that there have been three periods in which his life may have developed.

The first that was considered dates between 563 BC and 483 BC, a later date was estimated as probable a more recent period, from 486 BC to 483 BC and the last period is believed to be a closer date that covered between 411 BC. and 400 BC. However, this hypothesis was maintained until 1988, when it was considered by a team of historians that its existence ended 20 years before or after the year 400 BC.

As can be seen, there are many doubts about the birth and death of the historical Buddha and particularly because no writing has been found made by him in life, nor any other that narrates his death. And to make this date more diffuse, an ancient Buddhist sanctuary was recently found dating back to 550 BC, so it is conjectured that he was probably born at a much earlier date than has been estimated.

With regard to the original writings, a set of manuscripts known as the Ganghara Buddhist texts whose writing was carried out between the XNUMXst and XNUMXrd centuries BC was recently found. Their discovery took place in Afghanistan and they have been consigned to the British Library.

Who was the Founder of Buddhism?

Regarding the word Buddha, we can speak of two in particular, the first is that of the one who founded the doctrine and the second that of the term buddha. It is convenient to understand what the connotation of each of them is, as well as to know what it is necessary to achieve to be considered as a Buddha.

As mentioned above, Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama who after attaining enlightenment became known as Gautama Buddha. The meaning of buddha follows from there, since only someone who has fully awakened spiritually can achieve this degree, as if it were an organizational structure.

There are three names that have been given to the historical Buddha, they are: Siddhartha Gautama, Gautama Buddha or Sakiamuni but, in general, he can be simply called Buddha. He was the essential element for the spread and development of this religion. Later this would spread, despite the fact that later the interest in it would decline in India while it would quickly gain followers in other regions of the Asian continent.

Two countries have been singled out as possible birthplaces of the founder of Buddhism. In this sense, certain places in present-day Nepal and others in southeastern India have been considered, but, in general, it is in India where it is estimated that he was born under a full moon between the months of April and May. Father Buddha was the one who ruled the Republic of Sakia, so it is believed that he was educated to be the prince of that nation. His progenitor was Queen Mayadeví, married to Sudodana, father of Siddhartha.

The confusion regarding the birth of Gautama Buddha originates from the fact that at that time his mother had to give birth in his father's land. For this reason, before giving birth, she leaves to fulfill this mission. The previous night she dreamed that a white elephant with 6 tusks pierced her right side. It was also known that Buddha would be born during the journey to the land of the progenitor of Queen Maya in a garden under a Sala tree between the towns of Lumbini and Kapilavastu.

He would be raised by his maternal aunt and when he turned 16 his father had already arranged his marriage with a cousin of Gautama of the same age. What is known of the Buddha is that he was not a follower of any of the prevailing religions of the time so he would begin his own religious inquiry.

What reason would have triggered such a search? It is estimated that it would be his way of understanding humanity until now. His father wanted him to become a magnificent king so she also distanced him from the religious education of that time and duka (understanding of suffering).

Despite the fact that Sudodana (his father) tried to provide him with all the comforts and what he might require as a prince of the Sakia republic. According to the scriptures, Gautama realized that he did not need any wealth, but that what should be enriched was the soul, that is, material wealth was not required.

Through its existence, it carries out an uncountable number of conferences to disseminate and impart its teaching. Buddha lectured on Buddhism without dwelling on the social condition, in this way he was gaining supporters and disciples. From members of the nobility to garbage collectors and including unwanted people at that time among which the cannibal Alavaka and the homicidal Angulimala stand out.

Upon reaching his 80th birthday and after what was his last meal, the historical Buddha participated that the moment of his paranirvana had arrived (the moment in which the body, the earthly existence, is abandoned to initiate immortality). It has been presumed that his death was due to a condition related to old age, that is, an intestinal infarction.

Before his departure, Buddha asked Ananda, his assistant, to persuade the blacksmith Cunda that his offering (the Buddha's last supper) had not caused his death and that, on the contrary, he should feel worthy of having provided him with his last meal. .

Current Leader of Buddhism

Currently there are several leaders of Buddhist schools in different Asian countries that have accepted this philosophy of life as a creed. But the one who stands out and is known worldwide is the leader of Tibet Buddhism, who is known as the Dalai Lama. He is responsible for directing the central Tibetan administration and is therefore regarded as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism.

The phrase Dalai Lama is literally translated as "Ocean of Scholarship" and to this day, year 2020, he is the current leader of Buddhism in Tibet, whose real name is Tenzin Gyatso and who came to the world on 6 July 1935. At 83 years of age, the current Dalai Lama has already managed to achieve partial or total control over death and also knows which is the next place where he will go after his reincarnation, that is, in which site will be reborn.

The Dalai Lama of today has become known throughout the world not only for his humanist work and in favor of human rights, but also for the various awards he has received for these practices throughout his life. Among them, the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize stands out, which made it possible for him to be known for his struggle. He has also been part of several films and movies, so his image has become popular as an influential figure in the religious field and becoming one of the most relevant leaders globally.

It has been part of important events such as the inauguration of US President Barack Obama that took place at the White House in 2008, as well as his presence to officiate at prayers on the Asian island of Taiwan after a series of natural calamities that overwhelmed to the population.

On both occasions, the appearance of the Buddhist leader caused discomfort in the Chinese government, in the first case due to the political struggle with the United States and in the second because the territory of Taiwan is claimed by the Chinese regime as its own. The presence in that nation of the Dalai Lama was taken by China as an incitement.

There is a tradition, which is still alive today, and it refers to the choice of the new Dalai Lama. How is it done? Once the current leader dies, the Panchen Lama is in charge of recognizing who the new Dalai Lama has reincarnated as. In general, and according to what is stated, it takes up to 49 days to reincarnate, so the new leader of Tibetan Buddhism is usually a boy.

The Panchen Lama has to recognize the reincarnated substitute according to pre-established signs and once he is found, he becomes the Dalai Lama. This practice also works in the opposite direction, that is, every time the Panchen Lama dies, the Dalai Lama is responsible for getting his reincarnated heir.

Buddhist texts

Buddhism, like all religions in India, was an oral practice in ancient times. The Buddha's teachings, initial doctrines, concepts and interpretations were passed from father to son by word of mouth in monasteries and not through written texts. The initial canonical texts of Buddhism were probably written in Sri Lanka, some 400 years after the death of the Buddha.

The texts formed part of the Tripitakas and numerous versions have since emerged claiming to be the words of the Buddha. Scholarly writings of Buddhist disquisitions by well-known authors emerged in India around the second century AD. These texts were written in Pali or Sanskrit, sometimes in local languages, such as palm-leaf manuscripts, birch-crust manuscripts, painted scrolls, etc. carved on the walls of the temples, and later on paper.

In contrast to what the Bible means to Christianity and the Qur'an to Islam, however like all the major ancient religions of India, there is no agreement among the various Buddhist traditions as to what makes up the scriptures or body of truth. Common precepts in Buddhism. The general belief among Buddhists is that the canonical body is immense.

This body incorporates the ancient Suttas divided into Nikayas (volume), the second part of the three collections of texts called Tripitakas. Every Buddhist tradition has its own set of texts, most of which are translations of ancient Buddhist texts in the Pali and Sanskrit languages ​​of India.

Within Theravada Buddhism, the standard series of sacred writings constitute the Pali Canon. The Pāli Tripitaka, which means "three baskets", mentions the Vinaya Pitaka, the Sutta Pitaka and the Abhidhamma Pitaka. These make up the oldest complete canonical works in an Indo-Aryan language of Buddhism. The Vinaya Pitaka includes rules that regulate the life of Buddhist monks.

The Sutta Pitaka includes the collection of sermons attributed to the Buddha himself. The Abhidhamma Pitaka includes the collection of texts in which the doctrinal principles of the other two "baskets" are referred to, both of which vary significantly between Buddhist schools.

China's Buddhist canon incorporates 2184 writings in 55 volumes, while the Tibetan canon encompasses 1.108 writings, each by the Buddha, and another 3461 by Indian sages revered in the Tibetan tradition. The history of Buddhist texts has been immense; over 40,000 manuscripts, mostly Buddhist, some non-Buddhist, were found in 1900 alone in Dunhuang Cavern in China.​

Buddhism in the World

Buddhism is not structured in an organization of vertical dependency. Religious authority rests on the sacred writings: the Sutras, which are sermons by Gautama Buddha and his proselytes. In addition to this, there is a large amount of interpretation material in which masters and figures throughout history who have explained and analyzed collaborate.

The monastic community is historically organized by lines of transmission in time and in certain schools the link chains between masters and proselytes are essential. The laity have a different role since they depend on the two most important branches, Theravāda ('school of the elders') and Mahāyāna ('The great way').

In Mahayana Buddhism, the lay existence is considered to be just as helpful in achieving Nirvana as the monastic existence, while in Theravada more emphasis is given to the monastic existence. Another very frequent classification establishes a third branch; the Vajrayāna (or Tantric), which can be estimated as a part or a fraction of the Mahayana.

This decentralized structuring has made possible an immense flexibility of perspectives, variations and approaches. The variations of Buddhism happened by separations in time of points of doctrinal controversy, as well as by different social and geographical environments, like a tree with branches.​

Major Buddhist Schools

In general, Buddhism was established in many nations without coming into direct conflict with local religions, but on many occasions, with an exchange of influences. In contrast to other religions, Buddhism does not know what a holy war is, forced conversion, nor does it even regard the idea of ​​heresy as something usually harmful.

Although certain historical episodes of violent confrontations over matters of doctrine or harassment of dissident figures or certain minorities have occurred, these are unusual for a religion that became the largest number of followers in East Asia through a historical journey of 2500 years.

The multiplicity of approaches and the tolerance of different doctrinal perspectives has been, in its history, something shared and accepted in the Buddhist community, which has given rise to an immense amount of religious and philosophical literature. Appreciations about the amount of Buddhists on the planet change significantly according to different available sources, with the most moderate being between 200 and 330 million followers.

The Buddhist website Buddhanet estimates that 350 million might be the highest consensus number, which does not include people who are only sympathizers or supporters of Buddhism, compared to other doctrines such as Taoism, Shinto, or Christianity. , something that is not uncommon. The website Adherentes.com sets the number of Buddhists at 375 million (6% of the global population).

In any of these calculations, Buddhism appears as the fourth religion with the largest number of followers in the world, after Christianity, Islam and Hinduism, and is followed by the traditional religion of China. Other less conservative measurements put the number of Buddhists at 500 million, but the precise number is generally dubious and difficult to determine because of the particular nature of Buddhism and the nations through which it has spread.

Whatever the case, this means that Buddhism is one of the largest doctrines of humanity in number of adherents. These numbers have increased considerably after the withdrawals in the XNUMXth century, particularly because in nations like China the figures have only begun to be shown after their political opening.

Similarly, in India there have been mass conversions to Buddhism of hundreds of thousands of people who were part of the caste of the untouchables (Dalits). The largest number of Buddhists are located in Asia. In determining a more accurate global figure, the primary difficulty comes in reporting a figure for China.

Buddhism has significant historical roots in that country, however, it is officially an atheist nation, in which a very diverse and syncretistic traditional popular religion is also practiced, which, among others, incorporates Buddhist elements, which is frequently listed separated. In Western nations the number of Buddhists has increased significantly since the 1960s.

In Western Europe it has about 20 million followers and constitutes 5% of the population today. In the United States, Buddhism has a huge presence, with about four million adherents. Another impediment to determining the number of Buddhists is based on specifying whether the number refers to people who are only Buddhists or those who practice Buddhism at the same time. with another religion syncretically, as is the case in China and Japan.

History of Zen Buddhism

The discipline of Zen Buddhism evolved over time and its first historical reference is found in China in the middle of the XNUMXth century. This one looks for the convergence of the erudition but looking for it from the meditation and excluding the theoretical and practical knowledge.

It has been determined that it comes from different Buddhist schools but it has been agreed that it emerged in China, however, the Japanese word zen refers to a fan, with what meaning? In which it is admitted as a reference to various schools and teachings that were instructed in them.

As is well known, Buddhism began in India, hence its origin, but to adapt as Zen Buddhism, acquiring numerous teachings and seeking a higher degree of knowledge, many years were necessary until it was finally admitted in China. A posteriori, Zen Buddhism would reach other Asian nations such as South Korea and Vietnam, bearing in mind that this religion has a large number of followers in those countries.

According to what has been investigated, the history of Zen Buddhism begins with all the Chan patriarchs and they obviously base their teachings on those of other relevant Buddhas such as the creator of Buddhism: Gautama Buddha and others such as Ananda, Kashiapa, etc. The meditation habits in the Chan temples cohabited with theirs but in all the influence of a perspective and understanding of the world could be seen. The reason why all these habits prevailed within the same temples was because of such a perspective.

The development of Zen Buddhism would be reached while the noble dynasties in Asia succeeded. In addition to being strongly influenced by Taoism, the new religion would also be greatly influenced by Buddhism. In this way, new temples would be built for reflection and the instruction of this philosophy would be "perfected" with the passage of time.

Zen Buddhism influenced by the Chan practice would begin to be less popular and when the Tang dynasty took over, it tended to disappear. Here would begin a new contemplation of Buddhism in which the practice of silence was chosen, this happening during the Song dynasty. What was sought with the exercise of silent meditation is that the initiate or disciple achieves himself.

In Japan, the silent practice would continue to be carried out and it would become known as Zazen, which is what is currently known throughout the West. Although Chan Buddhism had begun to decline towards the end of the Tang dynasty, this doctrine was not fully established in China until the eleventh century. This is how it became the primary teaching of the country and a succession of monasteries and temples were built to fulfill this purpose.

Likewise, a series of effigies in homage to Buddha of colossal size can be seen in certain Buddhist temples. Also the architecture of these represents to a large extent the oriental culture and the Asian continent. Over the centuries they have been preserved and currently receive many visits from tourists.

Different customs have developed around the temples, such as that of the happy Buddha, who, traditionally, has touched his belly to attract good luck. In other temples in which the fortune is read to the visitors, it is believed that by again depositing in them the bad luck that is read to some, it is possible to free them from it.

Zen Buddhism was for many centuries a religious doctrine ignored in the West, although it is true that in the XNUMXth century certain missionaries managed to come into contact with it, the rigid expansion of Christianity and the current limitations in Europe managed to propitiate that all the material was censored. Still certain Christians came to have knowledge of some Buddhist practices, although they were almost all Jesuits.

The authentic knowledge of Zen Buddhism would first arrive in Europe in the course of the XNUMXth century and would be recognized globally after a meeting of various religions in the city of Chicago, United States. Buddhism is one of the religions with the largest number of followers on the planet, each year it attracts hundreds of people of different nationalities to participate in spiritual retreats and achieve self through meditation.

Gautama Buddha's perspective of an existence without material wealth is a philosophy that leads many people to rediscover and consider another way of life. Likewise, Buddhism offers us a serene lifestyle, in which we seek to free ourselves from the suffering caused by passions. That is why it is very normal for people to question whether romantic love is allowed in this doctrine.

Despite its popularity, that of Buddhism does not exceed that of Christianity, but it does make it one of the religions that has the largest number of followers worldwide, since almost all the inhabitants of the Asian continent are part of this religion and in much of the nations like China is the official religion.

Regarding the development of Buddhism, it gradually released different practices and some became established as the most essential of Buddhism. Among them is the silent meditation with which each person discovers himself and reaches to rise a little higher. When a person reaches spiritual enlightenment and is able to dominate his demise and know what his next existence will be like, he can already be considered a Buddha.

It is important to keep in mind that Buddhism is not a traditional doctrine in which a God is counted as the supreme leader just as there are prophets, since this is a non-theistic religion, that is, it does not follow any deity.

History of the Chinese Buddha

The Chinese Buddha is also known as "The Happy Buddha" and we can see that he has received that nickname because of his image of perpetual joy with a huge smile on his face and the big belly that characterizes him, unlike other effigies of buddhas existing within this religion.

The reason for this epithet is based on a Chinese monk who became a highly influential leader in Buddhism in Japan. In this country he was known as Hotei, while in China as Pu-Tai.

He was known in the latter country as the Friendly Buddha and in other regions as the Loving Buddha. Pu-Tai was very generous, benevolent and pleasant. For much of his existence and after it, he was known as Matreya, which is understood as the Buddha of the future, and in relation to the epithet of Happy Buddha, this was the product of his persistent smile.

He was a Zen Buddha, who had the task of spreading joy for the work that the saint developed throughout his existence in numerous journeys from town to town to achieve his goal. The legend around this Buddha is based on that: the joy that he brought to everyone with his presence. One of the most outstanding facts of the Chinese Buddha was that he carried with him a sack containing sweets.

He loved children and being a person of great charisma, who captivated masses, every time he arrived in a different town or city and the children lined up around him, he would throw a handful of sweets and contemplate the sky showing a huge laugh that infected everyone present. Every time this happened, he took it as a sign that his mission had been achieved in that place and that he was beginning a new journey to another place.

According to what is known, the Chinese Buddha infected everyone with his happiness, so it was usual for a crowd of people to gather around him when he arrived in a town. Every time the act of laughter and sweets was carried out, he was able to transmit happiness and enlightenment to those present. His way of being was what made him get that epithet.

The life philosophy of this monk was based on the fact that when you laugh, everything is easier, problems become smaller and you can breathe easy. Although he was a person of few words, he usually filled people with joy.

The reason for carrying the bag of sweets was (according to what he once explained) that he symbolizes the problems that people have, so when throwing the sweets he left the bag on the ground and whenever he was distant from he started laughing. And regarding the candies, she also details that it is an allegory to show that the more you give, the more you receive.

In this way he communicated the message of how to be cheerful, how to contemplate problems. And as if that were not enough, he also left a modest trick ready for the moment of his death. Before his death he asked those present that his body be burned whenever his earthly departure occurred.

This, more than alarm, was surprise, since it was not customary in Buddhism. In any case, his last will was fulfilled and when his body was touched by the flames, a fireworks display began. It turned out that prior to his death, they had put such elements in his clothes so that those who were grieving his death would be happy.

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