Buddhism, along with Islam and Christianity, is considered a world religion. This means that it is not defined by the ethnicity of its followers. It can be confessed to any person, regardless of his race, nationality and place of residence. In this article we will briefly look at the main ideas of Buddhism.

A summary of the ideas and philosophy of Buddhism

Briefly about the history of Buddhism

Buddhism is one of the most ancient religions in the world. Its origins occurred in contrast to the then dominant Brahmanism in the middle of the first millennium BC in the northern part of India. In the philosophy of Ancient India, Buddhism occupied and occupies a key place, closely intertwined with it.

If we briefly consider the emergence of Buddhism, then, according to a certain category of scientists, this phenomenon was facilitated by certain changes in the life of the Indian people. Around the middle of the 6th century BC. Indian society was hit by a cultural and economic crisis. Those tribal and traditional ties that existed before this time began to gradually undergo changes. It is very important that it was during that period that the formation of class relations took place. Many ascetics appeared, wandering across the expanses of India, who formed their own vision of the world, which they shared with other people. Thus, in the confrontation with the foundations of that time, Buddhism also appeared, earning recognition among the people.

A large number of scholars believe that the founder of Buddhism was a real person named Siddhartha Gautama , known as Buddha Shakyamuni . He was born in 560 BC. in the wealthy family of the king of the Shakya tribe. Since childhood, he knew neither disappointment nor need, and was surrounded by limitless luxury. And so Siddhartha lived through his youth, ignorant of the existence of illness, old age and death. The real shock for him was that one day, while walking outside the palace, he encountered an old man, a sick man and a funeral procession. This influenced him so much that at the age of 29 he joins a group of wandering hermits. So he begins the search for the truth of existence. Gautama tries to understand the nature of human troubles and tries to find ways to eliminate them. Realizing that an endless series of reincarnations was inevitable if he did not get rid of suffering, he tried to find answers to his questions from the sages.

After spending 6 years traveling, he tested different techniques, practiced yoga, but came to the conclusion that enlightenment could not be achieved using these methods. He considered reflection and prayer to be effective methods. It was while he was spending time meditating under the Bodhi tree that he experienced enlightenment, through which he found the answer to his question. After his discovery, he spent a few more days at the site of the sudden insight, and then went to the valley. And they began to call him Buddha (“enlightened one”). There he began to preach the doctrine to people. The very first sermon took place in Benares.

Basic concepts and ideas of Buddhism

One of the main goals of Buddhism is the path to Nirvana. Nirvana is a state of awareness of one’s soul, achieved through self-denial, rejection of comfortable conditions of the external environment. Buddha, after spending a long time in meditation and deep reflection, mastered the method of controlling his own consciousness. In the process, he came to the conclusion that people are very attached to worldly goods and are overly concerned about the opinions of other people. Because of this, the human soul not only does not develop, but also degrades. Having achieved nirvana, you can lose this addiction.

The essential four truths that underlie Buddhism:

1. There is the concept of dukkha (suffering, anger, fear, self-flagellation and other negatively colored experiences). Every person is influenced by dukkha to a greater or lesser extent.
2. Dukkha always has a reason that contributes to the emergence of addiction - greed, vanity, lust, etc.
3. You can get rid of addiction and suffering.
4. You can completely free yourself from dukkha thanks to the path leading to nirvana.

Buddha was of the opinion that it is necessary to adhere to the “middle path,” that is, every person must find the “golden” mean between a wealthy, satiated with luxury, and an ascetic way of life, devoid of all the benefits of humanity.

There are three main treasures in Buddhism:

1. Buddha - this can be either the creator of the teaching himself or his follower who has achieved enlightenment.
2. Dharma is the teaching itself, its foundations and principles, and what it can give to its followers.
3. Sangha is a community of Buddhists who adhere to the laws of this religious teaching.

To achieve all three jewels, Buddhists resort to fighting three poisons:

• detachment from the truth of being and ignorance;
• desires and passions that contribute to suffering;
• incontinence, anger, inability to accept anything here and now.

According to the ideas of Buddhism, every person experiences both physical and mental suffering. Illness, death and even birth are suffering. But this state is unnatural, so you need to get rid of it.

Briefly about the philosophy of Buddhism

This teaching cannot be called only a religion, at the center of which is God, who created the world. Buddhism is a philosophy, the principles of which we will briefly consider below. The teaching involves helping to direct a person on the path of self-development and self-awareness.

In Buddhism there is no idea that there is an eternal soul that atones for sins. However, everything a person does and in what way will find its imprint - it will definitely return to him. This is not divine punishment. These are the consequences of all actions and thoughts that leave traces on your own karma.

Buddhism has the basic truths revealed by Buddha:

1. Human life is suffering. All things are impermanent and transitory. Having arisen, everything must be destroyed. Existence itself is symbolized in Buddhism as a flame consuming itself, but fire can only bring suffering.
2. Suffering arises from desires. Man is so attached to the material aspects of existence that he craves for life. The greater this desire, the more he will suffer.
3. Getting rid of suffering is possible only through getting rid of desires. Nirvana is a state, having reached which a person experiences the extinction of passions and thirst. Thanks to nirvana, a feeling of bliss arises, freedom from the transmigration of souls.
4. To achieve the goal of getting rid of desire, one must resort to the eightfold path of salvation. It is this path that is called the “middle”, which allows one to get rid of suffering by rejecting extremes, which consists of something in between the torture of the flesh and the indulgence of physical pleasures.

The Eightfold Path of Salvation includes:

• correct understanding - the most important thing to do is to realize that the world is full of suffering and sorrow;
• correct intentions - you need to take the path of limiting your passions and aspirations, the fundamental basis of which is human egoism;
• correct speech - it should bring good, so you should watch your words (so that they do not exude evil);
• right actions - one should do good deeds, refrain from unvirtuous actions;
• the right way of life - only a worthy way of life that does not harm all living things can bring a person closer to getting rid of suffering;
• correct efforts - you need to tune in to goodness, drive away all evil from yourself, carefully monitoring the course of your thoughts;
• correct thoughts - the most important evil comes from our own flesh, by getting rid of the desires of which we can get rid of suffering;
• correct concentration - the eightfold path requires constant training and concentration.

The first two stages are called prajna and involve the stage of achieving wisdom. The next three are the regulation of morality and correct behavior (sila). The remaining three steps represent mental discipline (samadha).

Directions of Buddhism

The very first who supported the teachings of the Buddha began to gather in a secluded place while the rains were falling. Since they refused any property, they were called bhikshas - “beggars.” They shaved their heads, dressed in rags (mostly yellow) and moved from place to place. Their life was unusually ascetic. When it rained, they hid in caves. They were usually buried where they lived, and a stupa (domed-shaped crypt building) was built on the site of their graves. Their entrances were made tightly walled up and buildings for various purposes were built around the stupas.

After the death of the Buddha, a convocation of his followers took place, who canonized the teaching. But the period of greatest flowering of Buddhism can be considered the reign of Emperor Ashoka - the 3rd century. BC

You can select three main philosophical schools of Buddhism , formed in different periods of the doctrine’s existence:

1. Hinayana. The main ideal of the direction is considered to be a monk - only he can get rid of reincarnation. There is no pantheon of saints who could intercede for a person, there are no rituals, the concept of hell and heaven, cult sculptures, icons. Everything that happens to a person is the result of his actions, thoughts and lifestyle.
2. Mahayana. Even a layman (if he is pious, of course), can achieve salvation just like a monk. The institution of bodhisattvas appears, who are saints who help people on the path of their salvation. The concept of heaven, a pantheon of saints, images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas also appear.
3. Vajrayana. It is a tantric teaching based on the principles of self-control and meditation.

So, the main idea of ​​Buddhism is that human life is suffering and one must strive to get rid of it. This teaching continues to confidently spread across the planet, winning more and more supporters.

one of the three world religions. Originated in Ancient India in the VI-V centuries. BC The founder is considered to be Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhism preaches liberation from suffering by renouncing desires and achieving “highest enlightenment” - nirvana. In Buddhism there is no opposition between subject and object, spirit and matter, there is no God as a creator and an unconditionally supreme being, and personality (and therefore the soul) is recognized as an illusion.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

BUDDHISM

one of the three most widespread (along with Christianity and Islam) religions. B. originated more than 2 thousand years ago in India and became widespread in the countries of the Center. and Vost. Asia. Interest in biology in science appeared in the 2nd half. 19th century, when they were published in originals and translations into European. The most important languages ​​are Pali and Sanskrit. texts outlining the history and doctrine of B. Subsequently, a whale was also brought in to study B. and Japanese literature, including translations of a number of the earliest sources, not preserved in the originals. Russians made a great contribution to the study of biology. orientalists V. P. Vasiliev, I. P. Minaev, O. O. Rosenberg and especially F. I. Shcherbatskaya. Ross. Since 1897, the Academy of Sciences has undertaken the publication of the series “Bibliotheca Buddhica” (or “Collection of original and translated Buddhist texts”; the publication was continued by the Academy of Sciences of the USSR), in which they took part, along with Russian. buddhologists many foreign scientists (vol. 1-30, St. Petersburg (L.), 1897-1937; vol. 31, M., 1960). Means. The French played a role in the study of B. scientists E. Burnouf (1801-52) and E. Senard (1847-1928), German - F. Max Muller (1823-1900) and G. Oldenberg (1854-1920), English - T. W. Rhys-Davids ( 1843-1922), Indian - R. Mitra (1824-91), A. Dharmapala (1864-1933), H. P. Shastri (1853-1931), D. Kosambi (1871-1947), S. Radhakrishnan and others In the extensive literature on B. not only dep. concepts with which B. operates, but even basic. its dogmas receive a wide variety of, often mutually exclusive, interpretations from various authors. In methodological in relation to most B. researchers in the bourgeoisie. Orientalists approached B. from an idealistic perspective. positions. Thus, the emergence of B. was explained only by the personal qualities of its legendary founder Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) or the main one. B.'s ideas were completely derived from earlier religions. systems Dr. India, primarily from Brahmanism. In Sov. historiography, one of the first attempts to explain the origin of Buddhism by social reasons was made by M. A. Reisner (Ideologies of the East, 1927; article “Buddhism” in the 1st ed. TSB), who, however, mistakenly considered early Buddhism. as the ideology of decaying feudalism and emerging bargaining. capital. A more correct approach to the question of the origin of B. became possible as a result of the study of owls. and progressive foreign scientists of social and economic. relations in dr. India. In mid. 1st millennium BC e. In India, the process of development of slave ownership intensified. relations and formation of large slave owners. state-in. Lack of rights and ruin, complete uncertainty about the future, increasingly severe oppression of the producing strata of society - slaves and free farmers - caused changes in societies. consciousness. A huge number of sects, theological trends and preachers have appeared, trying to find a way out of the “earthly dead end” in the “other world”. Under these conditions, the initial provisions of the teachings of early B. arose - the ideas of identity between being and suffering, the equality of people in the right to “salvation”, the fluidity and precariousness of the entire “visible world”, calls to break all earthly attachments, from which resulted non-resistance to the evil of the “illusory world” "for the sake of the coming salvation." Due to B.'s characteristic preaching of a passive attitude towards reality, B. was considered dominant. class as a harmless doctrine and not only was not persecuted, but, on the contrary, was supported by it. Provisions developed by numerous groups of wandering Buddhist monks and preachers were brought together into a more or less unified system already under King Ashoka (273-236 or 232 BC) from the Maurya dynasty. Ashoka, attaching great importance to the new ideology, helped various groups close in their teachings come to an agreement and develop common principles of doctrine and common statutory requirements for monasticism. communities. Basic position of B., reflected in sources dating back to the 3rd-1st centuries. BC e., and persisting to this day, is the doctrine of “salvation” in “unearthly” life. B.'s philosophy and his moral demands serve to justify and approve the paths of this “salvation.” B. teaches that any existence in the “illusory” world (“samsara”) that is visible and tangible to us is inevitably suffering. This suffering does not stop even after the death of a person, because a new rebirth awaits him, the form of which is determined by the deeds and thoughts of the person himself, both in this life and in previous ones. This is the so-called the law of "karma" ("retribution"). Any attachment to life and earthly things, any attempt to actively change this “illusory reality” for the better leads to new endless rebirths. Only by entering upon the Buddha's "eight fold noble path of salvation" ("right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right life, right effort, right contemplation, right reflection") can lead to "auspicious rebirth" and even, finally, to the realization of the ideal - to the complete cessation of rebirths, non-existence - “nirvana” (lit. - extinction). The most convenient conditions, according to B.'s teachings, for following this path were created when leaving the world and living as a monk. community - so-called sangha, the edge appears for the first time precisely in B. (apparently in the 5th-4th centuries. BC e.). The Buddhist doctrine of rebirth brought together the most opposite strata of society in the minds of believers. A slave can become a rajah, a deity, or even stop being reborn completely, and be “saved.” The most powerful ruler can be reborn as a powerless person or even a despised animal. B., who made everyone equal in suffering and “salvation,” became in the hands of the rulers. classes as one of the means to silence the protest of the exploited against oppression. The universality of the “path to salvation” proposed by Buddhist teachings, which is accessible to everyone regardless of class, caste, estate, was one of the reasons for B.’s victory in Dr. India and its wide distribution in the future in feudal countries. Asia. B., who denies tribal exclusivity, turned out to be a suitable ideological. the basis for the emerging large slaveholdings. state-in. The Buddhist teaching about the world of suffering was incompatible with the ideas about the “all-good” deity - Brahma - the creator of such an imperfect world. In this sense, B. denied the significance of all the ancient Indian gods. pantheon. But he put in their place a deified mentor - a mythical one. Buddha, whose goodness and mercy lie in his desire and ability to destroy this world of suffering. Buddha is a religious teacher who shows other beings the “path of salvation.” When everyone is “saved”, when the consciousness of the last living being extinguishes in nirvana, there will be no “samsara” - the world of illusions, which is only the creation of lost humanity. fantasies. Buddhist philosophy developed in some connection with the Buddhist religion. the system emphasized the impermanence and variability of the visible world - “samsara” (flow world) - and established the causal interconnectedness of phenomena in the flow world. It included, therefore, elements of spontaneous dialectics, which was a well-known step forward in the development of human thinking. After the collapse of the Maurya Empire, B. continued to develop in the north-west. parts of India and reached its peak in the 1st-2nd centuries. p.e. in the Kushan kingdom under King Kanishka (78-123), who went down in the history of Bashkortostan as the second Ashoka. The council convened by Kanishka in Kashmir formulated the basic principles. provisions of the new form of B. - Mahayana ("great chariot" or "broad path" of salvation). The Buddhist teaching, which was previously widespread in the Ganges Valley, began to be called, in contrast to Mahayana, Hinayana (“small vehicle” or “narrow path” of salvation). If the Hinayana emphasized preim. renunciation of all connections with earthly life, then in Mahayana the main thing is the influence on the laity, initiation into B. more and more new adherents. With the further deification of the Buddha, the first place in the Mahayana was put forward by the belief in “bodhisattvas” - saints worthy of entering nirvana, but who do not do this in order to be able to instruct others on the true path. The doctrine of heaven and hell is being developed. A complex cult is being developed, in which the main place is taken by spells of gods and spirits borrowed from primitive religions. Monks become intermediaries between people and gods, and conjurers of spirits. An image is being created. art, magnificent services are accompanied by mass processions, music, etc. In the 6-7 centuries. B.'s decline began in India and by the beginning. 10th century it has lost its meaning here. Development of feud. relations led here to the formation of a caste system and to the revival on a new basis of the most important provisions of Brahmanism in the form of Hinduism. Since the 1st century. n. e. B. in the form of Mahayana penetrated into China, where from the 2nd century. became widespread. In the 4th-7th centuries. The Buddhist Church in China has grown into a large economic and political strength. In the 8th-9th centuries. in means. parts of China, B. again gave way to dominance. ideology - Confucianism, although it was still quite widespread; in Tibet, where B. began to spread in the 7th century, in the 14th-15th centuries. he acquired the peculiar features of Lamaism. In the 4th-6th centuries. B. spread from China to Korea, and from there to Japan. B. with its unity of cult and absolute meaning is top. deities contributed in Japan to overcoming the previous tribal disunity and the formation of early feudal rule. centralized state. Until the last third of the 16th century. The Buddhist church played a big role in politics. and economical life of the country. During the Tokugawa period (1603-1867) B. ceded dominance. position of Confucianism, and after the so-called. Meiji revolution (1867-68) - national. Japanese Shinto religion (see Shintoism), but preserved at this time means. positions. In the form of Lamaism, B. in the 16th and 17th centuries. spread to Mongolia, in the end. 17 -1st floor 18th centuries - in Buryatia. In the form of Hinayana, B. spread directly from India (last centuries of the 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) to Ceylon, Indonesia and Indochina. In some of these countries (Ceylon, Burma) B. is still an important ideological. factor in the life of society. In the places where it spread, B. mastered many nationalities. religion, included local gods in his pantheon and introduced local rituals. In Japan and China, B., coexisting with Shinto, Taoism and Confucianism, was partially syncretized with them. All this gave great diversity to the teaching and cult of B. in different countries, so that we cannot talk about a single B. Now it’s impossible. In the USSR, the Buddhist religion has followers in the Buryat, Kalmyk, Tuva Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics and in the national. districts of Irkutsk and Chita regions. Headed by the Spiritual Administration of Buddhists of the USSR. Source (except for the reference in the article): Pali text society, v. 1-84, L., 1882-1931; Pali text society. Translation series, v. 1-21, L., 1909-31; Sacred books of the East, ed. by F. Max M?ller, v. 10, 11, 13, 17, 19, 20, 35, 36, 49, 50, L., 1879-1910; Sacred books of the Buddhists, ed. by F. Max M?ller and T. W. Rhys Davids, v. 1-3, 1895-1910; Suttanipta, transl. from P?li by V. Pausb?ll, Oxf., 1881 (Russian translation. Gerasimova, M., 1899); Buddhist Mah?y?na texts, transl. from the Sanskrit by E. V. Cowell, F. M. M?ller, J. Takakusu, pt 1-2, Oxf., 1894; The Jataka together with its commentary..., transl. by T. W. Rhys Davids, v. 1-5, 7, L., 1877-97; Lalitavistara Leben und Lehre des Z?kya - Buddha. Textausgabe von S. Lefmann, v. 1-2, Halle, 1902-1908; Die Reden Gotamo Buddhos ?bertr aus dem Pali-Kanon von K. E. Neumann, Bd 1-3, Z., (1956-57); Pratimoksha Sutra Buddhist Service Book, ed. and lane I. Minaev, St. Petersburg, 1869. Lit.: Engels F., Ludwig Feuerbach and the end of classical German philosophy, Marx K. and Engels F., Works, 2nd ed., vol. 21, p. 294; by him, Dialectics of Nature, M., 1955, p. 176; Vasiliev V., Buddhism, its dogmas, history and literature, parts 1-3, St. Petersburg, 1857-69; Minaev I.P., Buddhism. Research and materials, vol. 1, century. 1-2, St. Petersburg, 1887; Pozdneev A.M., Essays on the life of Buddhist monasteries and Buddhist clergy in Mongolia..., St. Petersburg, 1887; Rosenberg O. O., Introduction to the study of Buddhism in Japanese. and whale sources, part 2 - Problems of Buddhist philosophy, P., 1918; Shcherbatskoy F.I., Theory of knowledge and logic according to the teachings of later Buddhists, parts 1-2, St. Petersburg, 1903-1909; his, The central conception of Buddhism..., L., 1923; his, The conception of buddhist nirvana, Leningrad, 1927; his, Buddhist logic, v. 1-2, Leningrad, 1930-32; Oldenberg G., Buddha. His Life, Teaching and Community, trans. from German, 5th ed., M., 1905; Rhys-Davids T.V., Buddhism, trans. from English, St. Petersburg, 1906; Radhakrishnan S., Indian Philosophy, trans. from English, vol. 1, M., 1956; Ilyin G. P., Religions of other India, M., 1959; Kochetov A. N., The Origin of Buddhism, in the book: Yearbook of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism, collection. 1, M.-L., 1957; Glasenapp H., Buddhismus und Gottesidee, Wiesbaden, 1954; Oldenberg H., Die Lehre der Upanischaden und die Anf?nge des Buddhismus, G?tt., 1923;Thomas E. J., The history of Buddhist thought, L.-N. Y. , 1933; Senart E., Essai sur la l'gende de Buddha, son caractere et ses origines, R., 1882; 2500 years of Buddhism Gen. ed. R. V. Bapat, Foreword by S. Radhakrishnan, (Dehli, 1959), p. 382-442 (review of literature and sources); La Vallée Poussin L. de, Le Dogme et la philosophie du Bouddhisme, P., 1930; Conz? E., Buddhism, (L.), 1951; Kern H., Der Buddhismus und seine Geschichte in Indien, Bd 1-2, Lpz., 1882-84; Ruben W., Geschichte der indischen Philosophie, B., 1954. Bibliographic. indexes: Bibliographie bouddhique, v. 1-23, R., 1928-52; March A. S., A buddhist bibliography, L., 1935; Held H. L., Deutsche Bibliographie des Buddhismus, M?nch - Lpz., 1916; Leumann E., Buddhistische Literatur, nordarisch und deutsch, v. 1, Lpz., 1920. Reference publications: Malalasekera G. P., Dictionary of Pali proper names, v. 1-2, L., 1937-38; Soothill W. E. and Hodous L., A dictionary of Chinese Buddhist terms, L., 1937; Edgerton F., Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit grammar and dictionary, v. 1-2, New Haven, 1953; his, Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit reader, New Haven, 1953; H?b?girin, Dictionnaire encyclop?dique du Bouddhisme d´apr?s les sources chinoises et japonaises, fasc. 1-3, Tokyo, 1929-(38); Nyanatiloka, Buddhistisches W?rterbuch..., Konstanz, (1954); Labou M., R?pertoire du Tanjur d´apr?s le catalogue de P. Cordier. Avec une pr?f. de P. Pelliot, P. 1933; Catalog of the Sanskrit and Prakrit Manuscripts, Oxf., 1935. Magazines: "Buddhism" An illustr. quarterly review, Rangoon (Burma), 1903-1908; "Buddhist". The English organ of the Southern church of Buddhism, Colombo, 1888-1907; "Buddhist text and research society", Calcutta, 1893-1906; "Journal of the Pali text society", L., 1882-1927; "Xian-dai Foxue" (Modern Buddhism), Beijing. A. N. Kochetov. Leningrad.

In our series of articles about Nepal, there are several materials dedicated to Buddhist shrines (for example, stupas), which are important tourist attractions in the country. Many tourists like to visit these places, but Russians know very little about Buddhism, and there is a lot they simply don’t understand. This short series of articles will give you some knowledge about this religion and will make your excursions more interesting.

The main thing about Buddhism

The first thing you need to know is that Buddhism is not a religion in the traditional sense of the word by Russians. It would be more accurate to call Buddhism an ideology.

Buddhists do not believe in the existence of God - the supreme being and creator of the universe. Of course, in Buddhist cosmology one finds “devas,” who are sometimes called “gods.” But this idea is wrong. The Devas did not create this world and do not decide the fate of people. We can say that they are just people, but from an alternative reality.

You ask: “Who is Buddha?” He is just a man, a great teacher and a real historical figure who lived about 2,500 years ago. His name is Siddhartha Gautama, he was the prince of one of the Indian principalities.

Therefore, the question is: “Do you believe in Buddha?” sounds as absurd as “Do you believe in Julius Caesar?” or “Do you believe in Ivan the Terrible?”

Let us dwell in detail on the essence of the concept of Buddha, since most people associate it with Buddha Shakyamuni (Siddhartha Gautama), but this is not entirely true. The word "Buddha" is translated as "enlightened" or "awakened" and it refers to any person who has achieved enlightenment. There were a lot of such living beings, and they were all Buddhas.

Usually it is customary to write only the Great Buddhas with a capital letter, and all others with a small letter. Among the Great Ones there is the Badda of the Present - Shakyamuni and several Great Buddhas of the past. Past Greats according to the canons of different schools from 6 to 21.

Branches of Buddhism

Buddhism has three main branches: Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana.

It is correct to call them the word “trend”, and they should not be associated with the division of churches in Christianity, which many do.

The division of churches among Christians (Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant) is, first of all, an organizational division. Buddhists do not have churches or a single organization at all.

The movements differ in the details of their ideology, the list of revered bohhitsattvas, and their views on the processes of purification of the mind and enlightenment.

The well-known Dalai Lama is not the leader of all Buddhists, and certainly not similar to the Pope. His name is Tenjing Gyamtsho, and he is the main Buddhist teacher for the Tibetans and Mongols. For example, in neighboring China, Buddhists do not recognize him, but they respect him.

Vajrayana is a very small movement, which many consider to be an integral part of Mahayana. Derived from the word “vajra”, which translates as “diamond”. There is a sacred object with this name. It can be seen in Nepal near the stupa in Kathmandu.

Relationships between schools of Buddhism

They have always been extremely peaceful. Buddhism is generally a very peaceful religion that prohibits causing any harm to living beings.

Distribution of schools by region

Theravada (or Mahayana or Lesser Vehicle) is considered the oldest school and is often given the epithet “orthodox Buddhism.” Theravada is common in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The number of Theravada followers is estimated at 100-200 million.

Mahayana (or Greater Vehicle) is much more widespread. This scale of Buddhism is common in Tibet, China, Japan and Korea.

The number of Mahayana followers is much more difficult to estimate, since there is no exact data on the percentage of believers in China. The approximate number of followers is estimated at 500,000,000.

And a separate large branch is the schools of Buddhism in China, many of which are difficult to classify anywhere.

Basic concepts of Buddhist philosophy

There are a lot of them, we will dwell a little on each of them, and in the following articles we will describe them in detail.

Karma. It is a fundamental principle that explains the causes and consequences of all actions and events that happen to us. The principle of karma can be briefly described by the phrase “what goes around comes around.”

Incarnations. The principle of rebirth of some living beings into others. This doctrine is slightly different from the principle of “transmigration of souls”, since it does not recognize the existence of a permanent soul, like, for example, the “atman” of the Hindus. Karma as a result of reincarnation passes from one living being to another.

Four Noble Truths. They were formulated by Shakyamuni Buddha and are the basis of the ideology of Buddhism. Their translation into Russian is very inaccurate, since there is a serious difference in concepts between languages. In one of the following articles we will talk about this in detail.

We will present four noble truths, but we ask you not to take them too literally.

1. Our whole life is dissatisfaction and suffering.

2. The cause of suffering is thirst.

3. The end of suffering is the destruction of thirst.

4. The method is the eightfold path.

As you noticed, these definitions are very general, they can and should be deciphered, which we will do in one of the following articles.

Enlightenment. A state of mind cleared of negative thoughts, emotions and impulses, allowing one to see all things as they truly are and achieve nirvana.

Nirvana. A condition that cannot be described in human language. Therefore, we will not describe it.

Samsara. Or the “wheel of life”. This is the state in which all living beings arrive, except enlightened minds.

In the following articles we will talk about all this in detail. .

Read about Nepal on our website

The message about Buddhism summarized in this article will tell you a lot of useful information about one of the most influential religions in the world.

Report on Buddhism

The main object of worship and the founder of Buddhism is Prince Gautama Siddhartha. He lived in 563 - 483 BC. e. Therefore, this religion is one of the most ancient in the world.

According to legend, when Gautama turned 35, he achieved enlightenment and changed his life, as well as the lives of those people who followed him. They called him Buddha, which is from Sanskrit meaning awakened, enlightened. He spread his sermons for 40 years and Siddhartha died at the age of 80. It is noteworthy that Siddhartha did not leave behind any written work.

How is God interpreted in Buddhism?

Sects that have separated from Buddhism revere Buddha as God. But the majority of followers see Siddhartha as a mentor, founder and educator. They are confident that enlightenment can only be achieved with the help of infinite Universal energy. Therefore, we can draw the following conclusion: the world of Buddhism does not recognize the existence of a creator god, omnipotent and omniscient. According to their beliefs, every person is part of a deity. Buddhists do not have a permanent God, because every enlightened person is capable of achieving the great title of “Buddha”. This understanding of God is what distinguishes Buddhism from other Western religions.

What is the essence of Buddhism?

The main desire of Buddhists is to purify the clouded state of mind that distorts reality. This state includes feelings of fear, anger, selfishness, ignorance, laziness, greed, envy, irritation, and so on.

Religion develops beneficial and pure qualities of consciousness: compassion, generosity, wisdom, kindness, gratitude, hard work. They help you gradually clear and understand your mind. When it becomes bright and strong, irritation and anxiety, leading to depression and adversity, decrease.

In general, Buddhism is a religion of more than a philosophical nature. Its doctrine contains 4 basic truths:

• about the origin and causes of suffering
• about the nature of suffering
• about ways to end suffering
• about ending suffering and eliminating its sources

All of them ultimately lead to the destruction of pain and suffering. The achieved state of the human soul allows one to plunge into transcendental meditation, achieving enlightenment and wisdom.

Ethics and Morality of Buddhism

Buddhist ethics and morality are based on the principles of not committing moderation and harm. In a person, religion educates and develops a sense of concentration, morality and wisdom. Meditation allows you to understand the workings of the mind and the cause-and-effect relationships between spiritual, bodily and psychological processes. Each level of the teachings of Buddhism is aimed at the comprehensive development of the human personality - mind, speech and body.

We hope that the report on Buddhism helped us learn a lot of useful information about this world religion. And you can leave your message about the religion of Buddhism using the comment form below.

Buddhism

BUDDHISM-A; m. One of the world religions based on the teaching of the “four noble truths”: suffering, its cause, liberation from it (nirvana) and the path to such liberation. ● Buddhism arose at the end of the 6th century. BC in India and named after its founder Sidhartha Gautama (about 623 - 544 BC), nicknamed Buddha, i.e. enlightened; widespread in Eastern countries.

◁ Buddhist, oh, oh. B-th teaching. B. temple.

one of the three (along with Christianity and Islam) world religions. Originated in Ancient India in the VI-V centuries. BC e. The founder is considered to be Siddhartha Gautama (see Buddha). Main directions: Hinayana and Mahayana. The rise of Buddhism in India in the 5th century. BC e. - beginning of the 1st millennium AD e.; spread in Southeast and Central Asia, partly in Central Asia and Siberia, assimilating elements of Brahmanism, Taoism, etc. In India by the 12th century. dissolved into Hinduism, greatly influencing him. He spoke out against the predominance of external forms of religious life (including ritualism) inherent in Brahmanism. At the center of Buddhism is the teaching of the “4 Noble Truths”: there is suffering, its cause, the state of liberation and the path to it. Suffering and liberation are subjective states and at the same time a certain cosmic reality: suffering is a state of anxiety, tension, equivalent to desire, and at the same time a pulsation of dharmas; liberation (nirvana) is a state of unbound personality by the outside world and at the same time the cessation of the disturbance of dharmas. Buddhism denies the otherworldliness of liberation; in Buddhism there is no soul as an unchanging substance - the human “I” is identified with the total functioning of a certain set of dharmas, there is no opposition between subject and object, spirit and matter, there is no God as a creator and an unconditionally supreme being. During the development of Buddhism, the cult of Buddha and bodhisattvas, ritual gradually developed, sanghas (monastic communities), etc. appeared.

BUDDHISM, one of the three (along with Christianity and Islam) world religions. Originated in Dr. India in the 6th-5th centuries. BC e. The founder is considered to be Siddhartha Gautama (see Buddha (cm. BUDDHA)). Main directions: Hinayana and Mahayana. The rise of Buddhism in India in the 5th century. BC e. - beginning 1st millennium AD e.; spread to the Southeast. and Center. Asia, partly in Wed. Asia and Siberia, having assimilated elements of Brahmanism, Taoism, etc. In India by the 12th century. dissolved into Hinduism, greatly influencing him. He spoke out against the predominance of external forms of religious life (including ritualism) inherent in Brahmanism. At the center of Buddhism is the teaching of the “4 Noble Truths”: there is suffering, its cause, the state of liberation and the path to it. Suffering and liberation are subjective states and at the same time a certain cosmic reality: suffering is a state of anxiety, tension, equivalent to desire, and at the same time the pulsation of dharmas (cm. DHARMA); liberation (nirvana) (cm. NIRVANA)) - a state of disconnection of the individual from the outside world and at the same time the cessation of the disturbance of dharmas. Buddhism denies the otherworldliness of liberation; in Buddhism there is no soul as an unchanging substance - the human “I” is identified with the total functioning of a certain set of dharmas, there is no opposition between subject and object, spirit and matter, there is no God as a creator and an unconditionally supreme being. During the development of Buddhism, the cult of Buddha and bodhisattvas gradually developed in it (cm. BODHISATTVA), ritual, sanghas appeared (cm. SANGHA)(monastic communities), etc.
* * *
BUDDHISM, the oldest world religion, the origins of which go back to the activities of the Indian sage Buddha (cm. BUDDHA) Shakyamuni, who preached in the cities of the Ganges Valley (cm. GANGES) around the 5th century. BC e.
Buddhism has never known a single church organization (even within the same state), nor other centralizing social institutions. The only rule common to all Buddhists is the right to keep the three Jewels (tri-ratna): Buddha, Dharma (cm. DHARMA) and sangha (cm. SANGHA), - which was passed down from generation to generation in almost all countries of South, East and Central Asia, and in the 20th century. - North America, Europe, Russia. According to this rule,
1) There is Buddha - an enlightened, omniscient being who has reached spiritual heights naturally through the development of the mind and heart in a long sequence of rebirths (samsara (cm. SAMSARA)). The main of these peaks are Enlightenment (bodhi (cm. BODHI)) and Calm (nirvana (cm. NIRVANA)), which mark the final liberation (moksha (cm. MOKSHA (in Hinduism))) and the achievement of the highest goal of spiritual aspirations in Indian and other Eastern cultures, which is inaccessible to either the gods or saints of other religions.
2) There is Dharma - the Law discovered by the Enlightened One, the semantic core of the Universe, which determines all the processes occurring in the world, the interconnection and interdependence of everything. The Buddha comprehended this Law and communicated it to his disciples in the form of the Word, the text of sutras (sermons, conversations). The texts of the Buddha Law were transmitted orally for several centuries. In 80 BC e. they were first written down in Pali, a language specially created by Buddhist monks of the Indo-European group (close to Sanskrit). These scriptures formed the canon of the Theravadin (elders) school and were called the Three Baskets (Tripitaka (cm. TRIPITAKA), in Pali - Tipitaka): Basket of rules, rules of conduct (Vinaya Pitaka), Basket of conversations, sermons (Sutra Pitaka, in Pali - Sutta Pitaka) and Basket of teachings of the Law (Abhidharma Pitaka (cm. ABHIDHARMA-PITAKA), in Pali - Abhidhamma Pitaka). It was in baskets and wicker boxes that palm sheets of records of texts distributed among departments were stored.
3) There is a sangha - a community of equals who do not have any property, mendicants (bhikkhus, in Pali: bhikkhu), a community of bearers of the Law, guardians of knowledge and skill, who from generation to generation follow the path of the Buddha.
Buddhism began as a movement of the poor and outcasts in the context of the collapse of tribal relations and the formation of early civil society. To people who could not find a place for themselves in the emerging social structures, the Buddha offered his Law (Dharma) and the way of salvation from suffering in community brotherhood, which is outside of civil life and state institutions, but does not break with them, nourishing citizens spiritually and feeding from them materially . Thus, life on the margins of society, in a community (sangha), a monastery became the most suitable place for improving the human mind and psyche.
Distribution history
Already the first documentary information about Buddhism, which was the decrees of Emperor Ashoka carved in stone (cm. ASHOKA)(268-231 BC), which united northeastern, northern and central India, testified to the enormous influence of the Buddha's Law on state policy. Ashoka sought to influence neighboring countries, sending Buddhist missions there, including to distant Sri Lanka (cm. SRI LANKA). The earliest monuments of religious architecture in Buddhism date back to the same time, primarily stupas - mounds over the remains of Buddha Shakyamuni, which were excavated in the territory from the Ganges Valley to the northern outskirts of the empire in Gandhara (cm. GANDHARA)(eastern part of modern Afghanistan (cm. AFGHANISTAN)) and which were preserved due to the fact that from about the 2nd century. were decorated with stone pedestals, bas-reliefs, fences and became centers for the construction of temple and monastery complexes.
It is obvious that the surviving material monuments were created much later than the arrival of Buddhist missionaries in the emerging states. Thus, in the countries of Southeast Asia from Myanmar (cm. MYANMAR (state))(Burma) to Vietnam (cm. VIETNAM) Buddhism gained a foothold gradually in the 1st-3rd centuries. (in Laos only in the 16th century). To the islands of the Malay archipelago (cm. MALAY ARCHIPELAGO)(primarily Java (cm. JAVA) and Sumatra (cm. SUMATRA)) Buddhism penetrated at the end of the 7th century.
Buddhists came to the countries of Central Asia in the 1st century. n. e. during the great Kushan Empire (cm. KUSHAN KINGDOM), patron of Buddhism. From here, in the same century, along the two main caravan routes of the Great Silk Road, Buddhists arrived in the city-states on the territory of modern Xinjiang (cm. XINJIANG UYGUR AUTONOMOUS REGION)(East Turkestan) and to the Chinese capital Luoyang (cm. LUYANG). Buddhism penetrates from China in the second half of the 4th century. to the Korean Peninsula, and from there in the mid-6th century. to Japan.
In Tibet, Buddhism spread mainly from India from the mid-7th century. It became the state religion in Tibet from the second half of the 8th century, in Tangut (cm. XIA WESTERN) state 9-13 centuries. (northwestern part of modern China) - in the 10th century, in Mongolia in the second half of the 16th century; from that time on, it was also accepted by the Oirats (Western Mongols), who formed it in the 17th and 18th centuries. the huge Dzungar Khanate (extended from Semipalatinsk and the steppe Altai to Tibet in the south and Tuva in the east), as well as the Kalmyk Khanate, which entered the mid-17th century. to the Moscow kingdom. At the same time, Transbaikalia was included in it, which at the same time as the Russians was populated by Buryats, who already professed Tibetan Buddhism. In 1741, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna legalized Buddhism and its monasteries in Russia (in 1991 its 250th anniversary was celebrated in our country).
Simultaneously with the spread of Buddhism to the North and East from the 8th century. The gradual decline of Buddhism begins in the west and south of the Indian subcontinent, as well as the expulsion of monks by warriors of Islam from the lands of modern Afghanistan, the republics of Central Asia, and Pakistan.
Directions in Buddhism and features of their teachings
Numerous forms of modern Buddhism can be divided into three main directions, distinguished by sets of canonical literature, cult, behavioral and other features - Hinayana (cm. HINAYANA), Mahayana (cm. MAHAYANA) and Vajrayana (cm. VAJRAYANA).
(1) Hinayana (Small Vehicle)
Buddhism in the countries of South Asia is represented by the Theravada school (teaching of the elders), which in ancient times was one of the 18 schools of the Lesser Vehicle (Hinayana), some canonical and post-canonical texts of which are preserved in Sanskrit, as well as in Chinese and Tibetan translations. The Theravada Tripitaka is historically the most authoritative recording of the Law of Shakyamuni Buddha. Already in the First Sermon of the Enlightened One (Dharma-chakra-pravartana-sutra) the role of the Law is defined: it is intended for those who intend to follow the highest spiritual goals, liberation from the circle of rebirths, the Middle Path (madhyama-pratipat), running between the two extremes of religious life . One consists of satisfying worldly desires (for this, priests perform rituals, sacrifices, etc.), the other is in the renunciation of desires, in mortification of the flesh, asceticism, self-flagellation for the sake of the freedom of one’s own Self (atman (cm. ATMAN)) and identification of the Self with the Absolute (Brahman or God). The Buddha advised avoiding both extremes, striving for balance, or equanimity (upeksha), in actions, words, thoughts, love (maitri) and compassion (karuna) for all beings, as well as joy (mudita) from purity of intentions. An important condition for such a way of life, which promotes “true knowledge, peace, Enlightenment, non-rebirth in the world of sorrow,” is non-attachment, the negation of one’s own Self (anatman) and, therefore, Mine.
One of the forms of presentation of the Law in Theravada and the Lesser Vehicle is the teaching of the “four noble truths”: 1) existence, consisting of birth, aging, illness, death, failure to achieve what one wants, etc. is suffering (duhkha); 2) the cause of suffering is the thirst for sensual pleasures, existence and disastrous rebirth; 3) suffering can be stopped only by eradicating this thirst, for which it is proposed; 4) The Eightfold Path (also known as the Middle Path), which includes as steps contemplation of the Law, reflection on it, speech, behavior, method of maintaining life, application of strength, memory and concentration.
These four truths and their various aspects (commonly called the 16) serve as objects of in-depth thought and meditation. (cm. MEDITATION), which in Buddhism play the main role in knowledge and spiritual improvement. State of absolute peace, nirvana (cm. NIRVANA)- the ultimate goal of the religious path, which presupposes, following the example of the Buddha, the abandonment of all worldly worries and duties, the oblivion of attachments and inclinations, the severance of family ties and tonsure as monks (in the Lesser Vehicle only they were considered members of the sangha, the community).
Buddha taught that in the world there are no eternal entities, immortal gods, incorruptible souls, there is no permanence whatsoever, but only a constant alternation of emergence and development, destruction and death, being in an unmanifested state and a new manifestation. This reversible process of samsara (cm. SAMSARA) beginningless. Each creature has a heavy chain of karma behind it. (cm. KARMA) as a result of his actions in countless rebirths, in which he had already been a god, a king, an animal, and a creature of hell. But the fate of man is most favorable for perfection and achievement of nirvana.
Unlike other religions of India, Buddhism denied the existence of the eternal bearer of karma, that is, the soul, atman. According to the Hinayana schools, only independent moral and spiritual efforts can have a beneficial effect on the fate of an individual, because neither other people, nor gods, nor supernatural forces have power over the law of karma: “Purity and impurity are connected only with oneself, one cannot cleanse the other” ( Dhammapada, 165). Karmic causation is revealed in the doctrine of 12 links in the chain of dependent origination (pratitya-samutpada), which characterizes the past, present and future lives of an individual.
Among the largest representatives of Hinayana are the thinkers of the 5th century. Buddhaghosa (cm. BUDDHAGHOSHA) and Vasubandhu (cm. VASUBANDHU).
(2) Mahayana (Great Vehicle)
The earliest Mahayana texts are the Sutras on the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajna (cm. PRAGNA)-paramitas, 1st century. BC e. - 1st century n. e.; already from the second half of the 2nd century. translated into Chinese). According to legend, they were also spoken by Buddha Shakyamuni, but their meaning was not understood by people, and therefore these sutras were kept by nagas (snake-dragons) and gods for 500 years, until Nagarjuna came (cm. NAGARJUNA)(historians date his life to the 2nd-3rd centuries), whom Mahayanists call the Second Buddha, and did not proclaim them again, giving detailed comments. The same thing happened with the second generation of Mahayana sutras, which were explained to people by Maitreya (or Maitreyanatha) and Asanga (cm. ASANGA) in the 4th-5th centuries. Mahayana texts were written in Sanskrit; from 2nd to 11th centuries. they were actively translated into Chinese and were collected into a single colossal Tripitaka; from the 8th century were translated into Tibetan in the 14th century. were organized into a single canon, consisting of two collections: Ganjur (The Word of the Buddha in 108 volumes in encyclopedic format) and Danjur (Interpretations of the Law by Indian Masters in 225 volumes). The Chinese and Tibetan canons do not coincide and also include Hinayana sutras and Vajrayana tantras (cm. VAJRAYANA), since Mahayana recognizes an infinite variety of paths and methods of liberation.
At the center of the Mahayana doctrine is the doctrine of heavenly and earthly bodhisattvas (cm. BODHISATTVA). The first are beings who have already achieved Enlightenment (bodhi), but have made a vow to remain in the circle of rebirths in order to help other beings achieve this state and nirvana. Earthly bodhisattvas are Mahayana monks and laypeople who strive for Enlightenment out of compassion for the suffering of their neighbors. This must be done with love, but without attachment, which can be learned with the help of 10 (in the early Mahayana - 6) types of improvement: giving, morality, tolerance, determination, concentrated contemplation (meditation), insightful wisdom, method, prayer, strength and knowledge . The acquired perfection is characterized, in particular, by the supernatural abilities of the adept: clairvoyance, clairaudience, reading other people's thoughts, memory of past rebirths, miraculous power. The Bodhisattva is constantly on the move, accumulating virtues and knowledge, comprehending the mystery of “emptiness” (shunyata).
This great Emptiness (shunya (cm. SHUNYA)), which can be contemplated, is the only true reality. Buddha resides in it - the absolute unity of existence, indistinguishable from Emptiness and incomprehensible by thought (achintya). Everything else, starting from samsara and nirvana, is Illusion (maya (cm. MAYA (in Indian philosophy))), deception, a game of consciousness. Getting rid of Illusion is achieving the state of Buddhism, which exists always, everywhere and in everything, including us. The entire universe can be likened to the Body (kaya) of the Buddha. Dharma-kaya - The Body of Law, which is Buddha and Emptiness.
The main schools of Mahayana were the middle school (Madhyamika (cm. MADHYAMIKA)) and the school of yoga of consciousness (yogacara (cm. YOGACHARA), Vijnanavada), which had several sub-schools in India, and now exist among the Tibetans, Chinese, Japanese and other Mahayana Buddhists.
(3) Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle, Buddhist Tantrism)
Scientists date the earliest texts (tantras) of the Diamond Chariot to the 5th-6th centuries. Tantras teach only initiates (great importance is attached to ritual) innumerable ways of yogic practice. In its teaching, Vajrayana is almost identical to Mahayana, but it considers it possible to achieve Enlightenment in this life; developed a multi-level yoga system. There are three external systems of tantrism: 1) Kriya Tantra, or tantra of action, ritualism of body and speech, 2) Charya Tantra, or tantra of simple yoga of the mind, 3) Yoga Tantra, or tantra of complex yoga of the mind, and three internal systems of tantrism : 1) Maha-yoga, or the great fatherly yoga of contemplating the Illusory body, 2) Anu-yoga, or the motherly yoga of contemplating the Emptiness, 3) Ati-yoga, or the yoga of Great completeness (dzogchen) as the state of perfection of the Primordial Buddha.
Earlier external systems of Tantrism spread to China and Japan. Both systems of tantrism were practiced only in India, the Himalayas, Tibet and among the Mongolian peoples; now this tantrism (especially Dzogchen) is popular in the West and in Russia.
Cosmology
Already the earliest Pali texts presented the universe as an ever-changing cyclical process. In each cycle (kalpa), four successive time stages (yuga) are distinguished: the creation of the world, its formation, decline and decay (pralaya), lasting many thousands of earthly years, and then repeating in the next cycle. The Universe is described in the form of a vertical of 32 worlds, or levels of consciousness of the beings residing on them: from the creatures of hell (naraka) to some inaccessible nirvanic dwellings of enlightened minds in nirvana. All 32 levels of existence of consciousness are divided into three spheres (dhatu or avachara).
The lower sphere of passions (kama-dhatu) consists of 10 levels (in some schools - 11): hell, animal level, pretas (hungry ghosts), human level, as well as 6 types of the divine. Each of them has its own sublevels, for example, at the hell level there are at least 8 cold and 8 hot hells; classifications of human level of consciousness are based on the ability to study and practice the Buddha Law.
The middle sphere is the sphere of shapes and colors (rupa-dhatu), represented by 18 heavenly worlds inhabited by gods, saints, bodhisattvas and even buddhas. These heavens are objects of meditation (dhyana), during which adepts can spiritually visit them and receive instructions from their inhabitants.
Upper - sphere - beyond forms and colors (arupa-dhatu (cm. ARUPA-DHATU)), consists of 4 nirvanic “dwellings of consciousness”, available to those who have achieved Enlightenment and can dwell in infinite space, in infinite consciousness, in absolute nothingness and in a state beyond consciousness and beyond its absence. These four levels are also the four types of highest meditation that Shakyamuni Buddha mastered in the state of Enlightenment.
The cycles of cosmic cataclysms cover only 16 lower worlds (10 from the sphere of passions and 6 from rupa-dhatu). Each of them, during the period of death, disintegrates down to the chaos of the primary elements (earth, water, wind, fire), while the inhabitants of these worlds with their inherent level of consciousness and karma in the form of “self-brilliant and self-propelled” tiny “fireflies” move to the sky of light Abhasvara. (17th world, not subject to universal disintegration) and remain there until the restoration of cosmic and terrestrial conditions suitable for returning to their level. When they return, they undergo a long biological and socio-historical evolution before they become the same as they were before moving to Abhasvara. The driving cause of these changes (as well as the entire cosmic cycle) is the total karma of beings.
In Buddhism, especially in Mahayana, a tradition develops of refuting the idea of ​​a creator God (nirisvara-vada) by logical means; this idea itself is considered acceptable only at the ordinary level of consciousness. Buddhists accepted and “settled” in the lower heavens of their universe all the gods of Hinduism, as well as other religions, in particular in the 20th century. - Christianity: Jesus Christ was called the great heavenly bodhisattva who incarnated on earth. Some national schools of Buddhism identify the highest Buddhas of the late Mahayana and Vajrayana with the main local gods. For example, in the Japanese Shingon school, Buddha Vairochana (cm. VAIROCANA) identified with the main ancestor goddess of Shintoism, Amaterasu (cm. AMATERASU). Thus, both religious systems are preserved and discord between religious communities is eliminated.
Buddhist ideas about the earthly world (horizontal cosmology of the 6 lower levels of the sphere of passions) are very mythological. In the center of the earth rises the huge tetrahedral Mount Meru (Sumeru), surrounded by oceans, mountain ranges with four continents (at the cardinal points) and islands beyond them. The southern continent is Jambudvipa, or Hindustan, with adjacent lands known to the ancient Indians. Below the surface of the oceans there were 7 underground and underwater worlds, the lowest of which was hell. Above the surface, deities live on Mount Meru; on its top are the heavenly palaces of the 33 Vedic gods, led by Indra. (cm. INDRA).
The duration of life at each level of the universe is different: the shortest life is for people and animals, and higher and lower it lengthens, time seems to slow down. For example, 50 human years are one day for the gods of the sphere of passions, while hungry spirits (pretas) (cm. PRETTY)) live 500 Earth years.
Buddhism in modern Asian countries
In Bhutan, about a thousand years ago, Vajrayana was established in its Tibetan version: the Dalai Lama (cm. DALAI LAMA) is recognized as the spiritual head, but in terms of cult, the features of the more ancient schools of Tibet - Nyingma and Kagyu - are clear.
In Vietnam, Buddhist preachers appeared in the 3rd century. in the northern part of the country, which was part of the Han Empire. They translated Mahayana sutras into local languages. In 580, the Indian Vinitaruchi founded the first school of Thien (Sanskrit - dhyana, Chinese - Chan), which existed in Vietnam until 1213. In the 9th and 11th centuries. The Chinese created here 2 more sub-schools of Southern Chan Buddhism, which became the main religion of the independent Vietnamese state in the 10th century. In 1299, by decree of the emperor of the Chan dynasty, the united Thien school was approved, which, however, lost by the end of the 14th century. after the fall of Chan its supremacy, which gradually passes to Amidism (cm. AMIDAISM) and Vajrayana Tantrism. These trends spread in rural areas; Thien monasteries remained centers of culture and education, patronized by wealthy families and which regained their positions by the 17th-18th centuries. throughout the country. Since 1981, there has been a Vietnamese Buddhist Church, the unity of which is achieved by a skillful combination of elite Thien monasticism and folk syncretism of Amidism, Tantrism and local beliefs (for example, in the god of the earth and in the god of animals). According to statistics, approximately 75% of the population of Vietnam are Buddhists; in addition to Mahayana, there are also supporters of Theravada (3-4%), especially among the Khmers.
In India (including Pakistan, Bangladesh and eastern Afghanistan) Buddhism existed from about the 3rd century. BC e. to 8th century n. e. in the Indus Valley and from the 5th century. BC e. to 13th century n. e. in the Ganges valley; in the Himalayas did not cease to exist. In India, the main directions and schools were formed, and all the texts that were included in the canons of Buddhists in other countries were created. Buddhism spread especially widely with the support of the central government in the empires of Ashoka (cm. ASHOKA)(268-231 BC), Kushan (cm. KUSHANS) in the north and Satavahans in the south of Hindustan in the 2nd-3rd centuries, Guptas (cm. GUPTOV STATE)(5th century), Harshi (cm. HARSHA)(7th century) and Palov (8th-11th centuries). The last Buddhist monastery in lowland India was destroyed by Muslims in 1203. The ideological heritage of Buddhism was partly absorbed by Hinduism (cm. HINDUISM), in which Buddha was declared one of the avatars (cm. AVATAR)(earthly incarnations) of the god Vishnu (cm. VISHNU).
Buddhists in India make up over 0.5% (more than 4 million). These are the Himalayan peoples of Ladakh and Sikkim, the Tibetan refugees, hundreds of thousands of whom have migrated to India since the early 1960s. led by the 14th Dalai Lama. Special merits in the revival of Indian Buddhism belong to the Maha Bodhi Society, founded by the Sri Lankan monk Dharmapala (cm. DHARMAPALA (ruler))(1864-1933) and restored the ancient shrines of Buddhism (primarily associated with the activities of Buddha Shakyamuni). In the year of the 2500th anniversary of Buddhism (1956), the former minister of justice of the central government, B. R. Ambedkar (1891-1956), called on the untouchable caste Indians to convert to Buddhism as a non-caste religion; in just one day he managed to convert more than 500 thousand people. After his death, Ambedkar was declared a bodhisattva. The conversion process continued for several more years; new Buddhists are classified as the Theravada school, although there is almost no monasticism among them. The Government of India subsidizes the work of numerous Buddhist institutes and departments at universities.
Indonesia. In 671 Chinese Buddhist traveler I Ching (cm. I JING)(635-713) on his way to India by sea, he stopped on the island of Sumatra in the kingdom of Srivijaya, where he discovered an already developed form of Hinayana monastic Buddhism and counted 1 thousand monks. Archaeological inscriptions show that both Mahayana and Vajrayana existed there. It was these trends, with the strong influence of Shaivism, that received powerful development in Java during the Shailendra dynasty in the 8th-9th centuries. One of the most majestic stupas, Borobudur, was erected here. (cm. BOROBUDUR). In the 11th century students from other countries came to the monasteries of Indonesia, for example, the famous Atisha (cm. ATISHA) studied the books of Sarvastivada - the Hinayana school - in Sumatra. At the end of the 14th century. Muslims gradually replaced Buddhists and Hindus; Nowadays there are approximately 2% of Buddhists in the country (about 4 million).
To Cambodia (cm. CAMBODIA) Buddhism penetrated along with the formation of the first Khmer state in the 2nd-6th centuries. It was dominated by Mahayana with significant elements of Hinduism; in the era of the Ankgora Empire (9-14 centuries), this was especially evident in the cult of the god-king and the bodhisattva in one person, the emperor. From the 13th century Theravada became increasingly important, eventually supplanting both Hinduism and Mahayana. In the 50-60s of the 20th century. In Cambodia, there were about 3 thousand monasteries, temples and 55 thousand Theravada monks, most of whom were killed or expelled from the country during the reign of the Khmer Rouge in 1975-1979. In 1989, Buddhism was declared the state religion of Cambodia, 93% of the population are Buddhists. The monasteries are divided into two sub-schools: Mahanikaya and Dhammayutika Nikaya. The Vietnamese ethnicity of Cambodia (9% Buddhist population) mainly follows the Mahayana.
In China from the 2nd to the 9th centuries. Buddhist missionaries translated sutras and treatises into Chinese. Already in the 4th century. The first schools of Buddhism, hundreds of monasteries and temples appeared. In the 9th century the authorities imposed the first property and economic restrictions on the monasteries, which turned into the richest feudal owners in the country. Since then, Buddhism in China no longer played a leading role, except for periods of mass peasant uprisings. In China, a single ideological and cult complex of three faiths (Buddhism, Confucianism) has developed (cm. CONFUCIANISM) and Taoism (cm. TAOISM)), each of which had its own purpose both in ritual (for example, Buddhists were involved in funeral rites) and in religious philosophy (preference was given to Mahayana). Scientists divide Chinese Buddhist schools into 3 types: 1) schools of Indian treatises, which studied texts related to Indian Madhyamika, Yogacara and others (for example, Sanlun Tsung - the school of Three Treatises - this is the Chinese version of Madhyamika, founded by Kumarajiva at the beginning of the 5th century for studying the works of Nagarjuna and Aryadeva (cm. aryadeva); 2) sutra schools - a sinicized version of the worship of the Word of the Buddha, while Tiantai-tsung is based on the “Lotus Sutra” (Saddharma-pundarika), the “Pure Land” school is based on the sutras of the “Sukhavati-vyuha” cycle; 3) schools of meditation taught the practices of contemplation (dhyana), yoga, tantra and other ways of developing the hidden abilities of the individual (Chan Buddhism). Chinese Buddhism is characterized by the strong influence of Taoism, the emphasis on the idea of ​​emptiness as the true nature of things, the teaching that the absolute Buddha (emptiness) can be worshiped in the forms of the conventional world, the idea of ​​instantaneous Enlightenment in addition to the Indian teachings of gradual Enlightenment.
In the 30s of the 20th century. in China there were over 700 thousand Buddhist monks and thousands of monasteries and temples. In the 1950s, the Chinese Buddhist Association was created, uniting more than 100 million lay believers and 500 thousand monks. In 1966, during the “cultural revolution,” all places of worship were closed, and the monks were sent to “re-education” through physical labor. The association's activities resumed in 1980.
In Korea, from 372 to 527, Chinese Buddhism spread, officially recognized on the Korean Peninsula in all three states that existed at that time; after their unification in the second half of the 7th century. Buddhism received strong support, Buddhist schools were emerging (most of them are Mahayana analogues of Chinese, with the exception of the Nalban school, based on the Nirvana Sutra). At the center of Korean Buddhism is the cult of bodhisattvas, especially Maitreya. (cm. MAITREYA) and Avalokiteshvara (cm. AVALOKITESHVARA), as well as Buddhas Shakyamuni and Amitabha (cm. AMITABHA). Buddhism in Korea reached its peak in the 10th-14th centuries, when monks were included in a unified system of officialdom, and monasteries became state institutions, actively participating in the political life of the country.
In the 15th century the new Confucian dynasty curtailed monastic property, limited the number of monks, and then generally banned the construction of monasteries. In the 20th century Buddhism began to revive under Japanese colonial rule. In 1908, Korean monks were allowed to marry. In South Korea in the 1960-90s, Buddhism was experiencing a new rise: half of the population considers themselves Buddhists, there are 19 Buddhist schools and their branches, thousands of monasteries, publishing houses, and universities; administrative leadership is carried out by the Central Council, consisting of 50 monks and nuns. The most authoritative is the Chogye monastery school, formed in 1935 by combining two schools of meditation and training monks at Dongguk University (Seoul).
In Laos, during the period of its independence in the 16th and 17th centuries, the king banned the local religion and officially introduced Buddhism, which represented two peacefully coexisting communities: the Mahayana (from Vietnam, China) and the Hinayana (from Cambodia, Thailand). The influence of Buddhism (especially Theravada) increased during the colonial period of the 18th-20th centuries. In 1928, with the participation of the French authorities, it was declared the state religion, which it remains to this day: about 80% of the 4 million Lao residents are Buddhists, 2.5 thousand monasteries, temples and over 10 thousand monks.
Mongolia. During its formation in the 13th century. The Mongol Empire included states whose people professed Buddhism - the Chinese, Khitans, Tanguts, Uighurs and Tibetans. At the courts of the Mongol khans, Buddhist teachers, competing with shamans, Muslims, Christians and Confucians, were victorious. Founder of the Yuan Dynasty (cm. YUAN (dynasty))(ruled China until 1368) Kublai Kublai in the 70s of the 13th century. tried to declare Buddhism the religion of the Mongols, and Lodoy-gyaltsen (1235-1280), the abbot of the monastery of the Tibetan Sakya school, as the head of the Buddhists of Tibet, Mongolia and China. However, the massive and widespread adoption of Buddhism by the Mongols occurred in the 16th century, primarily thanks to the Tibetan teachers of the Gelug school: in 1576, the powerful Mongol ruler Altan Khan met with the Dalai Lama III (1543-1588) and presented him with a gold seal - a sign of recognition and support . In 1589, the grandson of Altan Khan was declared Dalai Lama IV (1589-1616) - the spiritual head of the Buddhists of Mongolia and Tibet.
The first monastery was erected in the Mongolian steppes in 1586. In the 17-18 centuries. Mongolian Buddhism (formerly called “Lamaism”) emerged, which included most of the autochthonous shamanic beliefs and cults. Zaya Pandit (cm. ZAYA-PANDITA) Namkhai Jamtso (1599-1662) and others translated sutras from Tibetan into Mongolian, Jebtsun-damba-khutukhta (1635-1723, in 1691 proclaimed the spiritual head - Bogdo-gegen (cm. BOGDO-GEGEN) Eastern Mongols) with his followers created new forms of ritual. The Dalai Lama was recognized as the spiritual head of the Dzungar Khanate, formed by the Oirats and existing in 1635-1758.
At the beginning of the 20th century. in sparsely populated Mongolia there were 747 monasteries and temples and about 100 thousand monks. In independent Mongolia under the communists, almost all churches were closed and the monks were dispersed. In the 1990s, the revival of Buddhism began, the Higher School of Lamas (monk-priests) was opened, and monasteries were being restored.
The first Theravadin Buddhist missionaries from India arrived in Myanmar (Burma) at the beginning of our era. In the 5th century Sarvastivada and Mahayana monasteries are being built in the Irrawaddy Valley. By the 9th century Burmese Buddhism was formed, combining the features of local beliefs, Hinduism, the Mahayana cults of the bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Maitreya, Buddhist tantrism, as well as monastic Theravada, which received generous support in the Pagan Empire (9-14 centuries), built huge temple and monastery complexes. In the 18th-19th centuries. monasteries became part of the administrative structure of the new empire. Under English colonial rule (19th-20th centuries), the Buddhist sangha disintegrated into separate communities; with independence in 1948, the centralized Buddhist hierarchy and the strict monastic discipline of Theravada were revived. In the 1990s, in Myanmar there were 9 Theravada sub-schools (the largest are Thudhamma and Sweden), 25 thousand monasteries and temples, more than 250 thousand monks. The practice of temporary monasticism has been developed, when laymen join the sangha for several months, performing all the rituals and spiritual practices; by this they “earn” merit (luna, lunya), which should outweigh their sins and create “light karma”, ensuring a favorable reincarnation. Approximately 82% of the population is Buddhist.
Nepal. The south of modern Nepal is the birthplace of Buddha and his Shakya people. The proximity of the Indian centers of Mahayana and Vajrayana, as well as Tibet, determined the nature of Nepalese Buddhism, which prevailed from the 7th century. The sacred texts were Sanskrit sutras, and the cults of Buddhas (Nepalese believe that they were all born in their country), bodhisattvas, especially Avalokiteshvara and Manjushri, were popular. The strong influence of Hinduism affected the development of the cult of the one Buddha - Adi Buddha. By the 20th century Buddhism ceded spiritual leadership to Hinduism, which was caused partly by the migration of peoples, and partly by the fact that from the 14th century. Buddhist monks were declared the highest Hindu caste (banra), they began to marry, but continued to live and serve in monasteries, as if included in Hinduism.
In the 1960s of the 20th century. Refugee monks from Tibet appeared in Nepal, contributing to the revival of interest in Buddhism and the construction of new monasteries and temples. Newars, one of the indigenous peoples of Nepal, profess the so-called. “Newar Buddhism”, in which Mahayana and Vajrayana are closely intertwined with the cults and ideas of Hinduism. Newars conduct worship in one of the largest stupas in the world, Bodhnatha.
In Thailand, archaeologists date the earliest Buddhist stupas to the 2nd-3rd centuries. (erected during Indian colonization). Up to the 13th century. the country was part of various Indo-Chinese empires, which were Buddhist (from the 7th century Mahayana predominated). In the middle of the 15th century. In the kingdom of Ayutthaya (Siam), the Hinduized cult of the “god-king” (deva-raja), borrowed from the Khmers, was established, included in the Buddhist concept of the unified Law (Dharma) of the universe. In 1782, the Chakri dynasty came to power, under which Theravada Buddhism became the state religion. Monasteries turned into centers of education and culture, monks performed the functions of priests, teachers and often officials. In the 19th century many schools are reduced to two - Mahanikaya (popular, numerous) and Dhammayutika Nikaya (elite, but influential).
Currently, the monastery is the smallest administrative unit in the country, including from 2 to 5 villages. In the 1980s, there were 32 thousand monasteries and 400 thousand “permanent” monks (approximately 3% of the country’s male population; sometimes 40 to 60% of men are temporarily tonsured as monks), and there are a number of Buddhist universities that train senior clergy personnel. The headquarters of the World Fellowship of Buddhists is located in Bangkok.
Buddhism appeared in Taiwan with Chinese settlers in the 17th century. Here a local variety of folk Buddhism, Chai-Hao, was established, in which Confucianism and Taoism were assimilated. In the 1990s, of the country's 11 million believers, 44% (approximately 5 million) were Buddhists of the Chinese Mahayana schools. There are 4,020 temples, dominated by the Tiantai, Huayan, Chan and Pure Land schools, which have connections with the Buddhist Association of Mainland China.
In Tibet, the adoption of Indian Buddhism was a conscious policy of the Tibetan kings of the 7th-8th centuries: prominent missionaries were invited (Shantarakshita, Padmasambhava, Kamalashila, etc.), sutras and Buddhist treatises were translated from Sanskrit into the Tibetan language (Tibetan writing was created on the basis of Indian in the middle. 7th century), temples were built. In 791, the first Samye monastery opened, and King Trisong Detsen declared Buddhism the state religion. In the first centuries, the Vajrayana Nyingma school, created by Padmasambhava, dominated. After Atisha's successful missionary (cm. ATISHA) in 1042-1054 the monks began to follow the rules more strictly. Three new schools arose: Kagyutpa, Kadampa and Sakyapa (called the schools of “new translations”), which alternately dominated the spiritual life of Tibet. In the school rivalry, the Gelugpa, who grew up in Kadampa, won; its creator Tsongkaba (cm. TZONKABA)(1357-1419, Mongolian - Tsonghava) strengthened monastic discipline according to the Hinayana rule, introduced strict celibacy, and established the cult of the Buddha of the future - Maitreya. The school developed in detail the institution of rebirth - the living gods of the Tibetan religion, who were the incarnations of Buddhas, heavenly bodhisattvas, great teachers and saints of past times: after the death of each of them, candidates were found (children 4-6 years old) and chosen from them (with the participation of an oracle) the next representative of this line of spiritual succession. From the 16th century This is how they began to appoint the highest Gelugpa hierarchs - the Dalai Lamas - as rebirths of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara; with the support of the Mongol khans, then the Chinese-Manchu authorities, they became the de facto rulers of autonomous Tibet. Until the 50s of the 20th century. every family in Tibet sent at least one son to become a monk, the ratio of monastics to laity was approximately 1: 7. Since 1959, the XIV Dalai Lama, the government and parliament of Tibet have been in exile, in India, with part of the people and the majority of monks. The second spiritual hierarch of the Gelugpa school, the Panchen Lama (the incarnation of Buddha Amitabha), remains in China, and there are several monasteries of unique Tibetan Buddhism - a synthesis of Mahayana, Vajrayana and Bon (local shamanism).
The first missionaries of the Indian king Ashoka, among whom were his son and daughter, arrived in Sri Lanka in the second half of the 3rd century. BC e. For the shoots of the Bodhi tree they brought (cm. BODHI TREE) and other relics, several temples and stupas were erected. At a council held under King Vatagamani (29-17 BC), the first Buddhist canon Tipitaka of the Theravada school that dominated here was written down in the Pali language. In the 3rd-12th centuries. The influence of Mahayana, which was adhered to by the Abhayagiri Vihara monastery, was noticeable, although from the 5th century. Sinhalese kings supported only Theravada. At the end of the 5th century. Buddhaghosa worked on the island and completed editing and commenting on the Tipitaka (the day of his arrival in Lanka is a public holiday). Currently, Buddhism is professed predominantly by the Sinhalese (60% of the population), there are 7 thousand monasteries and temples, 20 thousand Theravada monks, and unlike the Theravada countries of Indochina, there is no practice of temporary monasticism and no emphasis on the idea of ​​accumulating “merits”. There are Buddhist universities, publishing houses, and the headquarters of the world Mahabodhi Society (founded by Anagarika Dharmapala (cm. DHARMAPALA (ruler))), Buddhist youth associations, etc.
The first Buddhist preachers from Korea arrived in Japan in the mid-6th century. They received the support of the imperial court and built temples. Under Emperor Semu (724-749), Buddhism was proclaimed the state religion, a monastery was founded in every administrative region of the country, the majestic Todaiji Temple with a giant gilded statue of Buddha was erected in the capital, young men were sent to study Buddhist sciences in China.
Most schools of Japanese Buddhism are descended from Chinese ones. They are divided into three categories: 1) Indian - this is the name of those Chinese schools that have analogues in India, for example, the earliest Japanese school Sanron-shu (625) is in many ways identical to the Chinese Sanlun-zong, which, in turn, can be considered a sub-school of Indian Madhyamika; 2) analogues of Chinese schools of sutras and meditation, for example, Tendai-shu (from Tiantai-tsung), Zen (cm. ZEN)(from Chan), etc.; 3) actually Japanese, which have no direct predecessors in China, for example, Shingon-shu or Nichiren-shu; in these schools, Buddhist ideas and practices were combined with the mythology and rituals of the local Shinto religion (cm. SHINTO)(cult of spirits). Relations between it and Buddhism were sometimes strained, but mostly they coexisted peacefully, even after 1868, when Shinto was declared the state religion. Today, Shinto shrines coexist with Buddhist ones, and lay believers participate in the rituals of both religions; According to statistics, the majority of Japanese consider themselves Buddhists. All schools and organizations are members of the All-Japan Buddhist Association, the largest being the Zen school Soto-shu (14.7 thousand temples and 17 thousand monks) and the Amida school Jodo Shinshu (10.4 thousand temples and 27 thousand priests). In general, Japanese Buddhism is characterized by an emphasis on the ritual and cult side of religion. Created in the 20th century. In Japan, scientific Buddhology made a great contribution to the textual criticism of ancient Buddhism. Since the 1960s, neo-Buddhist organizations (the Nichiren school) have been actively involved in political life.
Buddhism in Russia
Earlier than others, Buddhism was adopted by the Kalmyks, whose clans (belonging to the Western Mongolian, Oirat, tribal union) migrated in the 17th century. to the Lower Volga region and the Caspian steppes, which were part of the Moscow kingdom. In 1661, the Kalmyk Khan Puntsuk took an oath of allegiance to the Moscow Tsar for himself and all the people and at the same time kissed the image of Buddha (Mongolian - Burkhan) and the book of Buddhist prayers. Even before the official recognition of Buddhism by the Mongols, the Kalmyks were well acquainted with it, since for about four centuries they were in close contact with the Buddhist peoples - the Khitans, Tanguts, Uighurs and Tibetans. Zaya Pandit was also a Kalmyk (cm. ZAYA-PANDITA)(1599-1662) - creator of Oirat literature and writing “todo bichig” (“clear writing”) based on Old Mongolian, translator of sutras and other texts. New Russian subjects arrived with their nomadic Buddhist temples on tents - khuruls; elements of ancient shamanism were preserved both in everyday rituals and in the Buddhist ritual holidays Tsagan Sar, Zul, Uryus, etc. In the 18th century. there were 14 khuruls, in 1836 - 30 large and 46 small, in 1917 - 92, in 1936 - 13. Some of the khuruls turned into monastic complexes inhabited by lama monasticism of three degrees: manji (novice students), getssul and gelyung. The Kalmyk clergy studied in Tibetan monasteries in the 19th century. In Kalmykia, local higher theological schools - Tsannit Choore - were created. The largest khurul and Buddhist university was Tyumenevsky. Followers of the Tibetan Gelug school, the Kalmyks considered the Dalai Lama their spiritual head. In December 1943, the entire Kalmyk people were forcibly evicted to Kazakhstan, and all churches were destroyed. In 1956, he was allowed to return, but Buddhist communities were not registered until 1988. In the 1990s, Buddhism was actively revived, Buddhist schools for the laity were opened, books and translations into the New Kalmyk language were published, temples and monasteries were built.
The Buryats (northern Mongolian clans), who roamed the river valleys of Transbaikalia, already professed Tibeto-Mongolian Buddhism when, in the first half of the 17th century. Russian Cossacks and peasants arrived here. The formation of Buddhism in Transbaikalia was facilitated by 150 Mongol-Tibetan lamas who fled in 1712 from Khalkha-Mongolia, captured by the Manchu Qing dynasty. In 1741, by decree of Elizabeth Petrovna (cm. ELIZAVETA Petrovna) Lama Navak-Puntsuk was declared chief, lamas were exempt from taxes and taxes and received permission to preach Buddhism. In the 50s of the 18th century. the oldest Buryat monastery is being built - the Tsongol datsan of seven temples, its abbot in 1764 is appointed head of the entire lama clergy - Bandido-hambo-lama (from Sanskrit “pandita” - scientist); this title has been preserved to this day, although the high priesthood passed in 1809 to the rector of the largest Gusinoozersk datsan in Russia (founded in 1758). By 1917, 46 datsans had been built in Transbaikalia (their abbots, shiretui, were approved by the governor); Aginsky datsan (cm. AGINSKY DATSAN) became the center of Buddhist education, scholarship, and culture. In 1893 there were 15 thousand lamas of various degrees (10% of the Buryat population).
Buddhism in Buryatia is practiced in the Mongolian version of the Tibetan Gelug school. For promoting monastic Buddhism, Catherine II was included in the host of rebirths of White Tara (“Savior”) (cm. CATHERINE II), thus becoming the northernmost "living deity" of the Buddhist religion. A Buryat was one of the most educated figures of Tibetan Buddhism, Agvan Dorzhiev (1853-1938), who taught the Dalai Lama XIII (1876-1933) and headed the renovation movement in Buryatia and Tuva in the 20-30s of the 20th century; he was subsequently repressed. At the end of the 1930s, the datsans were closed and the lamas were sent to the Gulag. In 1946, only the Ivolginsky and Aginsky datsans were allowed to open in Transbaikalia. In the 1990s, the revival of Buddhism began: about 20 datsans were restored, 6 large khurals - Buddhist holidays are solemnly celebrated: Saagalgan (New Year according to the Tibetan calendar), Duinhor (the first sermon of the Buddha of the teachings of Kalachakra, the Wheel of Time, and Vajrayana), Gandan-Shunserme (birth, Enlightenment and nirvana of Buddha), Maidari (day of joy for the future Buddha - Maitreya), Lhabab-Duisen (conception of Buddha, who descended from Tushita heaven into the womb of mother Maya), Zula (memorial day of Tsongkhapa - the founder of the Gelugs).
Tuvans were familiar with Buddhism long before its adoption from the Dzungars in the 18th century. (Mongol-Tibetan version of the Gelug school, but without the institution of rebirth). In 1770, the first monastery was erected - Samagaltai Khure, which consisted of 8 temples. By the 20th century 22 monasteries were built, in which more than 3 thousand lamas of various degrees lived; Along with this, there were about 2 thousand “Buddhist” worldly shamans (the functions of shamans and lamas were often combined in one person). The head of the clergy was Chamza Khambo Lama, subordinate to the Bogdo Gegen of Mongolia. By the end of the 1940s, all khures (monasteries) were closed, but shamans continued to operate (sometimes secretly). In 1992, the XIV Dalai Lama visited Tuva, attended a festival of Buddhist revival and ordained several young people as monks.
Currently, several centers have been opened in Russia for the study of various forms of world Buddhism. Japanese schools are popular, especially the secular version of Zen Buddhism; there is a monastery (in the Moscow region) of the Buddhist Order of the Lotus Sutra (Nippozan-Mehoji), founded by Dz. Terasawa in 1992-1993 and belonging to the Nichiren school. In St. Petersburg, the Fo Guang (Light of Buddha) Society of Chinese Buddhism is actively involved in educational and publishing activities; since 1991, a Tibetan temple dedicated to the deity Kalachakra has been operating (opened in 1913-1915, closed in 1933). The activities are coordinated by the Central Spiritual Administration of Buddhists.

Encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009 .

• Collier's Encyclopedia
•