Where does the Origin of Buddhism Lie?

 Buddhism started in India over 2,600 years

ago as a way life that had a potential of
transforming a person.
o It is one of the important religions of
South and South-Eastern Asian
countries.
 The religion is based upon the teachings, life
experiences of itsfounder Siddhartha Gautam,
born in circa 563 BCE.
o He was born into royal family of Sakya
clan who ruled from Kapilvastu,
in Lumbini which is situated near the Indo-
Nepal Border.
 At the age of 29, Gautama left home and rejected his
life of riches and embraced a lifestyle
of asceticism, or extreme self-discipline.
o After 49 consecutive days of
meditation, Gautama attained Bodhi
(enlightenment) under a pipal
tree at Bodhgaya, a village in Bihar.
 Buddha gave his first sermon in the village of
Sarnath, near the city of Benares in UP. This event
is known as Dharma-Chakra-Pravartana(turning
of the wheel of law).
o He died at the age of 80 in 483 BCE at a
place called Kushinagaraa town in UP. The
event is known as Mahaparinibban.
What are the Tenets of Buddhism?
 Buddha asked his followers to avoid the two
extremes of indulgence in worldly
pleasure and the practice of strict
abstinence and asceticism.
 o He ascribed instead the 'Madhyam
Marg' or the middle path which was
to be followed.
 According to him everyone was
responsible for their own happiness in
life, stressing upon the individualistic
component of Buddhism.
 The main teachings of Buddhism are encapsulated in
the basic concept of four noble truths or ariya-
sachchani and eightfold path or astangika
marg.
o Four noble truths:
 Suffering (dukkha) is the essence of
the world.
 Every suffering has a cause
– Samudya.
 Suffering could be extinguished
– Nirodha.
 It can be achieved by following the
Atthanga Magga (Eight Fold Path).
o Eight-Fold Paths: It consists of various
interconnected activities related to
knowledge, conduct, and meditative
practices.
 Right view
 Right intention
 Right speech
 Right action
 Right livelihood
 Right mindfulness
 Right effort
 Right concentration
  Dukkha and its extinction are central to the
Buddha’s doctrine. Suffering is not limited to the
actual pain but also to the potential to experience
these things.
 The essence of Buddhism is the attainment of
enlightenment. It points to a way of life that avoids
self-indulgence and self-denial.There is no
supreme god or deity in Buddhism.
 The ultimate goal of Buddha’s teaching was
the attainment of nibbana which was not a place
but an experience, and could be attained in this life.
 Buddha also established code of conduct both for the
monastic order and the laymen to follow which are
also known as the Five Precepts or Pancasil and
refrain from them.
o Violence
o stealing
o sexual misconduct
o lying or gossip
o taking intoxicating substances e.g.
drugs or drink
What are the Major Buddhist Texts?
 The Buddha's teaching was oral. He taught for 45
years, adapting the teaching to suit the group he
was addressing.
o The Sangha memorized the teachings, and
there were group recitations at festivals and
special occasions.
 The teachings were rehearsed and
authenticated at the First Counciland were
divided in Three Pitakas in 483 BC.
o His teachings were written down around
25 B.C.E. in Pali.
 Three Pitakas
 o The Vinaya Pitaka consists of rules of
conduct and disciplineapplicable to the
monastic life of the monks and nuns.
o The Sutta Pitaka consists of the main
teaching or Dhamma of Buddha. It is
divided into five Nikayas or collections:
 Digha Nikaya
 Majjhima Nikaya
 Samyutta Nikaya
 Anguttara Nikaya
 Khuddaka Nikaya
o The Abhidamma Pitaka is a
philosophical
analysis and systematization of the
teaching and the scholarly activity of the
monks.
o Other important Buddhist texts
include Divyavadana, Dipavamsa,
Mahavamsa, Milind Panha etc.
What Role did the Buddhist Councils Play?
 Buddhist Councils marked important turning points
in the early Buddhism.
 These councils resulted in sectarian clashes and
the eventual Great Schism that resulted in the two
major schools, Theravada andMahayana.
 In total, 4 major Buddhist councils were convened:
o First Council
 It was held soon after the
Mahaparinirvan of the Buddha,
around 483 BC under the
patronage of King
Ajatshatru and was presided by
Mahakasyapa, a monk.
  The council was held in
the Sattapani cave at Rajgriha.
 The council was held with the
purpose of preserving Buddha’s
teachings (Sutta) and rules for
disciples.
 During this council, the
teachings of Buddha
were divided into three
Pitakas.
o Second Council
 It was held in Vaishali, a village in
Bihar under the patronage of the
king Kalasoka in 383 BC. It
was presided by Sabakami.
o Third Council
 It was held in 250 BC
in Patliputra under
the patronage of Ashoka and
was presided by Moggaliputta Tissa.
o Forth Council
 It was held in 72 AD
at Kundalvana, Kashmir. It was
presided by Vasumitra,
while Asvaghosa was his deputy
under the patronage of King
Kanishka of Kushan Empire.
 Buddhism was divided into two
sects namely Mahayan and
Hinayan.
What are the Different Schools of Buddhism?
 Mahayana:
o It is one of the two main schools of
Buddhism.
 o The term Mahayana is a Sanskrit word which
literally means "Great Vehicle".
o It believes in the heavenliness of
Buddha and Idol worship of Buddha
and Bodhisattvas embodying Buddha
Nature.
o It originated in northern India and
Kashmir and then spread east into Central
Asia, East Asia and some areas of Southeast
Asia.
o Buddhist schools embedded in China,
Korea, Tibet and Japan belong to the
Mahayana tradition.
 Hinayana
o Literally Lesser vehicle, It believes in the
original teaching ofBuddha or Doctrine
of elders.
o It does not believe in Idol worship and
tries to attain individual
salvation through self discipline and
meditation.
o Theravada is a Hinayana sect.
 Theravada
o It is the most ancient branch of extant
Buddhism today.
o It remains closest to the original
teachings of the Buddha.
o Theravada Buddhism developed in Sri
Lanka and subsequently spread to the rest
of Southeast Asia.
o It is the dominant form of religion
in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand.
 Vajrayana
 o Vajrayana means “The Vehicle of the
Thunderbolt”, also known as tantric
Buddhism.
o This Buddhist school developed in India
around 900 CE.
o It is grounded on esoteric elements and
very complex set of rituals compared
with the rest of the Buddhist schools.
 Zen
o It is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that
originated in Chinaduring the Tang
dynasty as the Chan school of Chinese
Buddhism in and later developed into
various schools.
o It spread to Japan in 7th century C.E.
o Meditation is the most distinctive
feature of this Buddhist tradition.
How did Buddhism Spread in Ancient India?
 Buddha had two kinds of disciples – monks
(bhikshus) and lay worshippers (upasikas).
 The monks were organized into the Sangha for
the purpose of spreading his teachings.
o The Sangha was governed on
democratic lines and was empowered to
enforce discipline among its members.
 Owing to the organised efforts made by the Sangha,
Buddhism made rapid progress in North India
even during Buddha’s life time.
 After the death of Buddha, his followers traversed on
his path of meditation and roamed throughout the
countryside.
 For 200 years Buddhism remained overshadowed by
their Hindu counterparts until the advent of Great
Mauryan King – Ashoka.
 o After the bloodbath in his Kalinga conquest,
emperor Ashoka decided to give up the
policy of worldly conquest and adopted
Dhamma conquest.
o Ashoka during the third Buddhist council
dispatched various Buddhist missions to
different areas such as Gandhara, Kashmir,
Greece, Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), Egypt,
and Thailand.
 Through his missionary effort Ashoka spread
Buddhism into West Asia and Ceylon. Thus a local
religious sect was transformed into a world religion.
What is the Contribution of Buddhism to Indian
Culture?
 The concept of ahimsa was its chief
contribution. Later, it became one of the cherished
values of our nation.
 Its contribution to the art and architecture of
India was notable. The stupas at Sanchi, Bharhut
and Gaya are wonderful pieces of architecture.
 It promoted education through residential
universities like those at Taxila, Nalanda and
Vikramasila.
 The language of Pali and other local languages
developed through the teachings of Buddhism.
 It had also promoted the spread of Indian culture
to other parts of Asia.
How has Buddhism Acted as a Way of Soft
Diplomacy?
 Share of Cultural and Moral
Values: The Buddhist faith, due to its emphasis
on peaceful co-existence and its wide pan-Asian
presence, lends itself well to soft-power
diplomacy.
 o Buddhism in India as a Soft Power is
different from the conventional sense of the
term. India talks about shared cultural
development instead of export of
culture.
o The values of peace, accommodation,
inclusiveness, and compassion that are
part of our societies can be attributed to the
influence of the teachings of Lord Buddha
and Buddhism.
 Strengthening Ties with Asian
Countries: The ideals of Buddhismcontinue to
intersect with the political and economic
contexts of many Asian nations with 22% of the
world’s population.
o Buddhism can act as an intensifying
factor for Asian emotional bonding and
connectivity as it is embedded into
their“nationalistic” thinking and
actions.
o India has in its favour at the moment
an abundance of resources by way of
pilgrimage sites, the presence of the Dalai
Lama, and international goodwill, as well
as the right intentions.
 International Buddhist Conclave: The Ministry of
Tourism organises Buddhist Conclave every
alternate year (since 2004) with the objective of
promoting India as a Buddhist Destination and major
markets around the globe.
o In 2018, the conclave witnessed the
participation of the delegates from
Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka
and 29 other countries.
 Cultural Exchange Programme with
Mongolia: Under the Cultural Exchange
Programme, there are 10 dedicated ICCR
scholarships for studying ‘Tibetan
 Buddhism’ allocated for Mongolians to study in
specialized institutes.
o The Ministry of Culture is likely to complete
reprinting of about 100 sets of
sacred Mongolian Kanjur (a Buddhist
canonical text considered to be the most
important religious text in Mongolia) for
distribution in the main centers of Buddhism
in Mongolia.
o Steps have also been taken to facilitate
the visa and travel of Buddhist monks
from Mongolia within India.
o More recently in June 2022, four Holy
Relics of Lord Buddha(Kapilavastu
Relics) were taken from India to Mongolia
for an 11-day exposition to coincide with
Mongolian Buddha
Purnimacelebrations.
 Kushinagar International
Airport: The Kushinagar Airport in Uttar Pradesh
became the latest entrant in India's list of
international Airports.
o It is expected to provide seamless
connectivity to people from South east
and East Asian countries for Buddhist
Pilgrimage Tourism.
o The inauguration of Kushinagar International
airport is set to be a landmark in
the India-Sri Lanka relations.
What Initiatives have been Taken to Promote
Buddhist Tourism in India?
 Buddhist Circuit: Under the Swadesh Darshan
scheme the Ministry of Tourism has identified
Buddhist Circuit as one of the thirteen thematic
circuits for development under the Swadesh Darshan
scheme.
 o Under the scheme, 5 projects of Rs 325.53
crore have been sanctioned for Buddhist
circuit development.
o A Buddhist Circuit Train FAM Tour has
also been organised as part of the Dekho
Apna Desh initiative.
 The tour covers the
destinations Gaya-Bodhgaya,
Rajgir-Nalanda in Bihar as well
as Sarnath-Varanasi in Uttar
Pradesh.
 PRASHAD Scheme: The “National Mission on
Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual,
Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)” was
launched in the year 2014-15 with the objective
of holistic development of identified pilgrimage
destinations including Buddhist sites.
 Iconic Tourist Sites: Buddhist Sites
at Bodhgaya, Ajanta & Ellora have been identified
to be developed as Iconic Tourist Sites (aimed at
enhancing India’s soft power).
 Dekho Apna Desh Initiative: It was launched by
the Ministry of Tourism in 2020 to encourage the
citizens to travel widely within the country thus
enabling the development of Domestic
Tourism tourist facilities and infrastructure.
 Diversity of Languages: Signages have been
installed in Chineselanguage at buddhist
monuments in Uttar Pradesh and in Sinhala
language (official language of Sri Lanka) at Sanchi
monuments in Madhya Pradesh.
UNESCO’s heritage sites related to Buddhism
 Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at
Nalanda, Bihar
 Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi, MP
  Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya,
Bihar
 Ajanta Caves Aurangabad, Maharashtra
What More India can do to Pursue Diplomacy through
Buddhism?
 Effective revitalisation of the Nalanda
University project and encouragement of
Buddhist studies in well-established universities
will bring International community at a common
platform.
 The promotion of Buddhist tourism reminiscent
of the ‘Incredible India’ campaign is required to
popularise India’s association with the faith
internationally.
 The government faces the crucial challenge of
effective execution.Buddhist diplomacy would go
a long way in countering the rise of China,
strengthening its relations with Asian
countries, and helping it further down the path of
its regional and global power ambitions.
 Presently, it is estimated that there are nearly 500
million Buddhists all over the World and
majority of them live in East Asia, South East Asia
and Far East countries.
o However, a very small percentage of
them visit the Buddhist sites in
India each year.
o Therefore, the significance of
encouraging more tourists to visit the
Buddhist destinations where Lord Buddha
lived and preached is immense.
 India’s Buddhist heritage is not only important from
the tourism point of view but is also a binding factor
that strengthens its relationship with Asian
countries, in line with its Act East Policy.
 As peace and sustainable development are
interlinked, the Buddha’s prism can be the guiding
lights to every single stakeholder from local to global
institutions and leaders, to work together for
promoting dialogue, harmony, and justice based on
compassion and wisdom.