It is said, « Every religion is good ». Due to varying life styles and degrees of intellect, the doctrines of the world’s religions and philosophies differ greatly, though it may, perhaps, be only an apparent difference in regard to aim and result. So it might well be concluded, from a study of comparative religion that all teachings are good. If such be the case, what then would be the purpose of the appearance of the Buddha Sakyamuni in this world ?

 Though the religions of India were many they did not reach to the heart of the Truth, the Good and the Beautiful Goal.

 So, the Buddha became incarnate, the transformation body, in order to teach being the way, « The Anuttara Samyaksambuddha », i.e. Unsurpassed Omniscient, completely Enlightened The Universal Knowledge of the Buddha in order to be free from the bondage of the wheel of birth and death to become an Enlightened One by one’s own power. Therefore, in the Saddharmapundarika sutra, it is stated that, « For the sake of great cause, the Lord Buddha appeared, i.e. to transform illusion into Enlightenment… »

 What is the great cause ?

 The Lord Buddha wanted to open, to indicate for humanity the way to apprehend and lead into the penetrative power of Buddha’s wisdom, i.e. the Buddha-nature ; to induce all beings to reject the transmigrational worlds and enter into Nirvana enlightenment, to embrace dispassion and enter into bodhi or knowledge.

Buddhism generally comprises all the teachings of the Lord Buddha Sakyamuni. He who realized that the way of release from the chain of rebirth and death lay not in asceticism but in moral purity. He explained first his diagnosis, in four tenets, and the eight aspects of the noble way, and later amplified and developed the same theme in many discourses.

He founded his community of the basis of chastity, poverty and insight meditation, and became known as the Buddha, the Enlightened One.

What is the meaning of the Buddha ?

Buddha is a Sanskrit or Pali word, meaning Enlightened One. One who Enlightens self and others. There are three meanings of Enlightenment :

1. Enlightenment for self, means enlightenment ourselfs.
2. For others, means to inspire others to attain enlightenment.
3. Perfect enlightenment and accomplishment, the enlightenment of a Buddha. (the first is the enlightenment of an arhat, the first and second of a Bodhisattva, and all three are included within the enlightenment of a Buddha).

According to the Theravada, the Buddha is one who has attained Enlightenment. The texts mention two kinds of Buddha : viz, Pacceka-Buddha, i.e. Buddhas who attain complete enlightenment but do not preach the way of delivrance to the world, and Sammasambuddhas who are omniscient and are teachers of the way to Nirvana.

The central point of Buddhism is aptly expressed in the gatha as follows :

- Abstention from all evils
- Performance of meritorious deeds
- Complete purification and control of the mind
- This is the teaching of the Buddha

We quote below the opinions of different scholars on Buddhism.

About Buddhism, Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan wrote, « Buddhism did not start as a new and independent religion. It was an off shoot of the more ancient faith of the Hindu, perhaps a schism or a heresy. While on the fundamentals of metaphysics and ethics of the Buddha agreed with the faith he inherited, he protested against certain practices which were in vogue at the time. He refused to acquiesce in the Vedic ceremonialism. » This is an opinion of a contemporary India philosopher. But we must also examine the opinions of others.

As Professor P.V. Bapat says, « Buddhism is the religion of kindness, humanity and equality. While the religion of the Vedas allowed animal sacrifice to propitiate the gods, Buddhism set its face against such sacrifices, on the contrary, it waged a merciless campaign against this practice.

The complicated nature of the sacrificial ritual required the services of the brahmanas, who had specialized in that lore. The Brahmanas, therefore, came to hold a unique position in the social structure of the Indo-Aryans. »

Answering the question, « What is Buddhism ? » the Japanese scholar, Rev. Soyen Shaky wrote, « It seems to be very appropriate and even necessary at the outset to draw a well-defined line of demarcation between what is understood as Hinayana Buddhism and what is known as Mahayana Buddhism ? Most people imagine that there is only one school of Buddhism and that school is no other than the Buddhism, they have learned from the Buddhist books written or compiled or translated by western orientalists who are in many respecs prejudiced against the doctrine which they propose to study most impartially. Owing to these unhappy circumstances the outsiders are either generally ignorant or misunderstanding of the true character of Buddhism. For what is generally understood in the west as Buddhism is no more than one of its main divisions, which only partially expresses the spirit of its founder."

(a) The spirit of Buddhism is without beginning, the Buddha-truth is without beginning and infinite as well as without period and space.
Because Buddhism is universal mind, conceived as pure intelligence. Therefore, the advent of humanity was also the advent of Buddhism ; humanity appeared in this world system a long time ago, Buddhism also manifested itself a long time ago !
(b) According to extent historical records, Buddhism dates to 2,543 years, i.e. 544 B.C.

The followers of Buddhism must understand the history of its founder. Buddhism is known among its followers as the Saddharma, that is the religion preached by Buddhas.

A Buddha is one who attain Bodhi. By Bodhi is meant an ideal state of intellectual and ethical perfection. Historically speaking, of the many who have attained Bodhi the best known to history is Gautama Sakyamuni.

The following account is a dilation of the main points of the history of the founder of the Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha. 

The Sakyamuni Buddha was the Prince Siddhartha or Sarvartha Siddha of Kapilavastu city. He was the son of the King of a small country in the North of India. It lies to the south of Nepal. His father’s name was Suddhodana, his mother was Mayadevi. His surname was Gautama. Sakya is the clan or family name of the Buddha. Sakya means strong, powerful, and muni means one who dwells in seclusion.

From early childhood Prince Siddhartha had an extraordinary capacity for knowledge. When he grew up he considered human beings as a temporary combination formed by the five skandhas and the twelve nidanas being the product of previous causes and without a real self for permanents soul. Being acutely aware of the world’s impermanence and suffering, he therefore determined to leave home and become a monk in order to seek the way of release for self and others, to guide humanity to the door of release.

After six years of austerities at Uruvilvakasyapa, the forest near Gaya, he decided that the practice of ascetic discipline was useless. He has practiced the most severe ascetic penances, until his body became shrunken like a withered branch. One day he accepted the offering of milk-rice from Sujata, the daughter of the village headman. Then the Bodhisattva sat under the Bodhi tree at Buddhagaya and made this firm resolution, « let my skin, sinews and bones along remain, and let my blood and flesh dry up, yet never will I move from this seat without first attaining full enlightenment. »

With this martial resolution Siddhartha, subsequently, obtained deliverance, Anuttara Samyaksambuddha. He preached Dharma to all, from love and compassion his whole life and after thus serving the world for more than forty-five years (Mahayana texts mention forty-nine), the blessed one reached the ripe age of eighty. He had fulfilled his mission on earth. The last days of the Buddha, as recorded in Mahaparinirvana sutra, were very active. In anticipation he was making his last journey visiting assemblies of his disciples ad instructing them in the fundamentals of his teachings. At last, we see him lying between the twin Sala trees at Kusinara surrounded by his disciples.

The Lord Buddha was the supreme Doctor. He knew all the sicknesses of humanity. According to the sighs of the mind’s disease, he gave the medecine of the law, capable of healing all misery.

The Doctrine of the Buddhism, consists of three « baskets » or sections, i.e. the tripitaka. These are the scriptures (Sutra), the law (Vinaya) and dissertations or essays (Abhidharma).

(1) The scriptures (Sutrapitaka) : The doctrines of the Sutras as spoken by the Buddha. It contains the Sermons of the Sakyamuni Buddha. It includes all the Jataka and the great Birth and a collection of aphorisms accorded to the Buddha. Those who follow it destroy suffering and attain Nirvana.
(2) The laws (Vinayapitaka) : the discipline or monastic rules, the precepts and commands of moral ascetisism and monastic discipline said to have been given by Buddha, and intended for the four varga (groups), i.e. monks (bhiksu), nuns (bhiksuni), male devotee (upasaka) and female devotee (upasika).
(3) The dissertations or essays (Abhidharmapitaka) : It comprises the philosophical works. The first compilation is accredited to Mahakasyapa, a disciple of the Buddha, but the work is of a later period. It includes all the work treating of doctrinal philosophy.

There are two kinds of « three baskets ». One is the Mahayana Tripitaka and the other is the Theravada tipitaka.

We quote below some of the opinions of the scholar about the Mahayana Tripitaka and the Theravada Tipitaka :

According to Karl Ludvig Reichell, « It may be stated on a conversative estimate that the Buddhist Tripitaka itself is seven hundred times larger than the Christian Bible. In addition to this there are immense collections of classic commentaries and essays, only a small fraction of which have been properly examined and translated into any European language. As a large part of the Hinayana writings has also been included in the Mahayana collection it will be seen that China, Japan, and Korea at present have the largest literary treasure in Eastern Buddhism. »

The Ven. Mahathera Narada says, « The voluminous Tipitaka, which contains the essence of the Buddha’s teachings, is estimated to be about eleven times the size of the Bible.

Buddhism had been divided in two main sects, that is, Hinayana or Southern Buddhism and Mahayana or Northern Buddhism. After the second conference was held in Vaisali city, the disagreement between the Sanskrit and the Magadha Sangha gave rise subsequently to their separation into two parties, those of the Hinayana and the Mahayana. The former, who scriptures are preserved in Pali, the later, whose scriptures are in Sanskrit.

According to a dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Termes, « Mahayana, the great yana, wain or conveyance, or the greater vehicle in comparison whith the Hinayana. It indicates Universalism, or Salvation for all, for all are Buddha and will attain bodhi. It is also called Northern Buddhism.

It is interpreted as the greater teaching as compared with the small or inferior. Hinaya, which is undoubedly nearer to the original teaching of the Buddha, is unfairly described as an endeavour to seek Nirvana through an ash covered body, and extinguished intellect and solitariness, its followers are Sravakas and pratyeka-Buddhas. Mahayana, on the other hand, is described as seeking to find and extend all knowledge and in certain schools, to lead all to Buddhahood. »

After the Mahaparinibbana of the Sakyamuni Buddha, there were many great disciples of the Buddha, such as Mahakasypa, Ananda, Mahakatyayana and so on, who took upon themselves the task of propagating the Doctrines of the Master all over India. Thereafter, the founder of every sect or school of Buddhism spread the Buddha-Dharma.

From central India, Buddhism was propagated to the adjoining countries and then it spread all over Asia and the world. This propagation of Buddhism was done through two routes, namely Northern and Southern.

The form of Buddhism prevalent in Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam and in other places in the far East, is called Nothern Buddhism or Mahayana Buddhism.

On the other hand, the school or sect that has maintained its supremacy mainly in the South is Theravada Buddhism. It comprises the countries Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and others.

But nowadays thanks to the easy mode of communication, the Tripitaka (Three Baskets) has found its way all over the countries. Therefore, the separation between Northern Buddhism and Southern Buddhism is not so water-tight as it was formerly. We can say that in the Northern Buddhism Doctrines some elements of Southern Buddhism and vice versa.

The purpose of Buddhism is to confer permanent benefits on human beings. It consists of four Nirvana Virtues or values, according to the Mahayana Nirvana Sutra, as follows :

(1) The true permanence or eternity. Human beings ran aground in the ocean of mortality, moral life samsara or transmigrations, they are living in the impermanence view, birth, age, sickness and death. Buddhism brings back for belivers one stage of attainment which has never been disturbed by the law of impermanence, that is the true and eternal reality of Buddha-truth.
(2) The true joyful. Living beings are unfortunate, they are a prey to suffering, if they get some happiness, but it only for a short time, as people when thirsty drink salt water to relieve thirst only for a moment, but afterwards that thirst will trouble them more than the first time. The Doctrine of the Buddha can hand over to beings the joyful realm.
(3) The real or Nirvana ego. People are bearing many adverse circumstances bound like the prisoners who are detained in the house of detention, they are never free and they would like to be released. The purpose of Buddhism is to guide people on the enlightened way in order to counteract the illusory or temporal ego.
(4) The true purity. The mind and the body of every person is full of five impurities (Kasaya) i.e. the kalpa in decay, when it suffers deterioration and gives rise to the ensuing form ; deterioration of view egoism, etc., arising, the passions and delusions of desire, anger, stupidity, pride and doubt prevail ; in consequence human miseries increase and happiness decreases and human life gradually diminishes to ten years. The second and third are described as the impurity itself and the fourth and fifth its results. The Buddha would like to guide them to go to the true and pure teaching of the Mahayana, are affirmed by the Sutra in the transcendental.

It is not only in the future that Buddhism will bring back benefits for human beings, but in the present also.

- Buddhism, thanks to the spirit of compassion and pity, makes human living love one another closer and closer.
- Buddhism, thanks to the light of knowledge and discernment (Prajna) i.e. knowledge of things and realization of truth, makes people in the society to decrease of ignorance and misery. They can choose where is the right way and where is the wrong way.
- Buddhism, with its humanity and absolute, eaquality, will remove injustice from society of the human livings and change this world to a more brilliant and happier one.

Those are the benefits that Buddhism brings back for this world.

The above previous benefits will never come to us if we do not learn and practice the Doctrine of Buddhism.

(1) To study Doctrine in Buddhism : Lord Buddha, in spite of being very intelligent, when he left home and became a monk, tried to study day and night as well. He spent so much time to search with ardour the wonderful Doctrines whoch are held back from us. So, we want to become the honest disciples of Buddha. First of all, we have to learn the Buddhist Doctrine. We not only learn the Doctrine of Buddha, but also to practice the learning by the commandments, or prohibitions, so as to guard against the evil consequences of error by speech, body and mind, by dhyana or meditation, by philosophy, i.e. study of principles and solving of doubts of the Buddha.
(2) To practice the Doctrine in Buddhism : Learning which is not practice. That comes to the same thing as keeping book in the pocket and not reading them. They know many subjects but it is useless for enlightenment.

Therefore, for us, Buddhists, study and practice should go hand and hand. What Lord Buddha practiced, we follow. The Buddha has four immeasurables (Carvari apramanani) : boundless kindness (maitri), boundless compassion (Karuna), boundless joy (mudita) and limitless equanimity (upeksa). We try our best to practice these qualities.

To do so, we should never ashamed with the name of Buddhist and practice so we can pay back a debt of gratitude to Lord Buddha by practicing even only one unit of the precepts for his thousand units.

Buddhist proverb :

 The truth of Buddha is infinite ;
 The door of truth is wide open.