The main ideas and directions of Buddhism

Buddha statue (India)

The teachings of Buddhism are presented in the form of special collections. The central place is occupied by the canon written in the Pali language (therefore also called Pali) - "Tipitaka" (which means "Three baskets"):

Vinaya Pitaka (Basket of Discipline)

Sutra Pitaka (Basket of Conversations)

"Abhidhamma Pitaka" ("Basket" containing the fundamentals of the teachings mentioned in the second "basket")

The basis of the doctrine is the "four great truths":

1. Life is suffering.

2. The cause of all suffering is desire.

3. Suffering can be ended by giving up all desires.

4. To do this, you need to lead a virtuous life according to the laws of “correct behavior” and correct knowledge ”(do not kill or harm anyone, do not steal, do not lie, do not commit adultery and do not use intoxicating drinks, engage in inner contemplation (meditate)).

Buddhism is a polytheistic religion that does not have a single creator god. Buddhists believe that there are many worlds and spaces in which life develops from birth to death and a new rebirth.

By the beginning of our era, two directions were formed in Buddhism:

the “narrow” path of salvation (hinayana) - only monks can be saved (i.e. achieve nirvana);

“broad” way of salvation (mahayana) - all believers can be saved. In the III - I centuries. BC. Buddhism spread south and southeast of India in the form of the Hinayana. From the beginning of our era, Buddhism began to move north and northeast in the form of the Mahayana.

In India itself, at the beginning of the second millennium AD. Buddhism practically disappeared, the surviving monks settled in Nepal and Tibet.

Buddhism in Russia

History reference

The first evidence of the existence of Buddhism on the territory of modern Russia dates back to the 8th century AD. and are associated with the state of Bohai, which in 698-926. occupied part of today's Primorye and Amur region. The Bohai, whose culture was greatly influenced by neighboring China, Korea and Manchuria, professed Buddhism, one of the directions of the Mahayana.

The second penetration of Buddhism into Russia occurred in the 16th and 17th centuries, when nomadic tribes from western Mongolia—who called themselves Oirats and were known to others as Kalmyks—came to the Volga region via Siberia. The Oirats adopted Tibetan Buddhism as early as the 13th century, and they received initial initiations from the lamas of the “red-capped” Sakya and Kagyu schools. By the time they arrived in the Volga region, due to the peculiarities of the political situation in Tibet, they mostly moved to Gelug, the school of the Dalai Lamas.

From the 17th century, Tibetan Buddhism also spread to Buryatia - it came here thanks to local ascetics who studied in Tibet, mainly in Gelug monasteries, and then brought the Buddha's Teachings to their country.

In 1741, by decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, Buddhism was recognized as one of the Russian religions.

For centuries, Buddhist culture has developed on the territory of Russia. The presence of two Buddhist regions within the empire and the close proximity of other countries with Buddhist culture largely contributed to the fact that in the 19th and early 20th centuries one of the most powerful oriental schools in the world was formed in Russia. Departments of Sanskritology, Tibetology, Sinology were opened at the universities of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan, Kharkov, as well as other major scientific centers, the most important Buddhist treatises were translated, and expeditions to Asia were equipped. Proceedings of V.P. Vasiliev (1818–1900), F.I. Shcherbatsky (1866–1942), E.E. Obermiller (1901–1935) and other prominent domestic orientalists serve as a model for scientists around the world. With the active assistance of leading Buddhist scholars and the support of the tsarist government, the Buryat lama Agvan Dordzhiev built a datsan (Buddhist temple) in St. Petersburg in 1915.

In the difficult 1930s, a period of persecution of Buddhism and Buddhology as a science began. Many lamas and monks died in the camps, most temples and monasteries were closed or destroyed. For almost two decades, any Buddhist studies completely ceased in Russia.

A partial revival of Buddhism and the Buddhist tradition began in the 1950s and 1960s, but they were officially rehabilitated only at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s. In 1989, a group of Buddhology of the St. Petersburg branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences was created under the leadership of V.I. Rudogo is the first officially formalized Buddhist direction since the time of Shcherbatsky. Since then, other branches and departments of Buddhism have also appeared in several universities, and the process of rebuilding Oriental studies as a whole is going faster and faster. Simultaneously, in Buryatia, Kalmykia, Tuva, the surviving Buddhist temples are being restored and new ones are being opened, educational institutions are being set up at monasteries, and Tibetan teachers are being invited. At present, many Buddhist schools are represented in Russia: Theravada, Japanese and Korean Zen, several directions of the Mahayana, and practically all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism that exist in the world. According to the latest census, about 900,000 Russians call themselves Buddhists.

Today, the Russian Association of Buddhists of the Diamond Way of the Karma Kagyu Tradition is the largest Buddhist organization in the Russian Federation in terms of representation in the subjects of the federation.

Modern Buddhism

Modern Buddhism: main features

At the moment, Buddhism, despite the upheavals it underwent in the 20th century, is one of the three world religions, with about 800 million followers, most of whom live in East and Southeast Asia. The end of the existence of an independent Buddhist state came in 1959, when China captured Lhasa, after which the 14th Dalai Lama was forced to leave holy city and continue their missionary activities to spread the Buddhist doctrine already outside their homeland. At present, the conflict between the Chinese government and the Buddhist hierarchs headed by the Dalai Lama remains unresolved, so numerous Buddhists living in China are forced to do without the spiritual guidance of their mentor and head, although a separate Buddhist church of China was organized at the suggestion of the Communist Party of China having its own chapter. The 14th Dalai Lama is actively engaged in educational activities, visiting with official or unofficial visits almost all countries of the world where Buddhist communities exist (in 2004 he visited the territory of Russia).

The German religious scholar G. Rothermundt identifies the following directions for the revitalization of Buddhism in the 20th century.

1. Strengthening the role of Buddhism in both purely religious and political aspects in Southeast Asia. Already in 1950, the World Fellowship of Buddhists was organized in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), the residence of which was moved to Thailand a few years later. Particularly noticeable manifestations of this Buddhist "renaissance" became noticeable in the 1960s, which was served by active speeches Buddhist monks against the use of napalm by the United States during the Vietnam War. Several monks in 1963 and 1970 staged public self-immolations in protest against such an inhumane way of warfare.

2. The emergence of new religious trends and sects, the doctrine of which is dominated by the principles of the Buddhist religion. This process is especially active in Japan, where there is a reorientation of traditional Buddhist views in the light of contemporary problems and issues that simple people require an answer from religion. So, by the mid-1960s. the number of Buddhist sects in Japan exceeded 165, although this number does not yet mean a qualitative assimilation of Buddhist teachings. Most of these sects focus their attention not on issues of dogma, but, interpreting the main provisions of the Buddhist religion in a simplified way, turn to the solution of topical social issues, for example, they try to solve the question of the justification for the widespread use of technical innovations from a religious position.

3. The revival of the Buddhist movement in India. Almost disappeared on the Hindustan Peninsula in the Middle Ages under the pressure of orthodox Hindus and Muslims, Buddhism is gradually returning to its homeland. This is obviously due to the change in Indian society itself, which is gradually being freed from caste and varna enslavement, which requires corresponding changes in the religious system. Buddhism turns out to be more convenient and in demand by the general population. The first steps towards the return of Buddhism were associated with the decision of the Indian government to allocate territory in the north of the country for the location of the residence of the Dalai Lama, who was expelled from Tibet in 1959. It was on the territory of this residence that the First World Council of Buddhists was held in 1976, with delegates from almost all over the world.

4. Striving for the gradual unification of the various Buddhist sects. This process goes in parallel with the formation of new sects, but it is aimed at reaching an agreement between the traditional areas of Buddhism, primarily between representatives of the Mahayana and Hinayana. Despite the discrepancies that exist between representatives of various branches of Buddhist teachings, the Dalai Lama has been trying in recent years to intensify the process of centralization of various sects and schools under the auspices of Tibetan Buddhism.

5. The activation of missionary activity and the penetration of Buddhism into the countries of Western Europe and the USA. A special role in this process should be recognized for Dr. Suzuki (1870-1960), a representative of Japanese Zen Buddhism. Numerous books and brochures written by him in a popular science style, which set out the postulates of Zen Buddhist teaching in a simple and accessible form, became especially popular in the second half of the 20th century. Of course, such an interpretation of the Buddhist canon leads to an almost complete rejection of rituals and rituals, but much attention is paid to koans - riddles that cannot be solved with the help of logic, but can move a person to instant insight. The confession of Buddhism in such a simplified form led to the fashion for other oriental teachings - feng shui, divination from the I-ching book, etc.

To these five areas of Buddhism revitalization, we can add the sixth - the restoration and rapid development of Buddhism in Russia. The history of Russian Buddhism dates back to the 18th century, when the peoples traditionally professing the Buddhist religion, Kalmyks, Buryats, entered the Russian Empire (at the beginning of the 20th century, Tuvans joined them). Before the revolution of 1917, Buddhism was under the patronage of the Russian government: under the datsans, according to the decree of Empress Elizabeth I of 1741, schools were opened in which the indigenous population studied. One of the mentors of the future Dalai Lama XIII was the Buryat lama Agvan Dorzhiev.

After the October Revolution in Russia, a struggle began against both shamanists and Buddhists. In 1931, the Mongolian and Kalmyk-Oirat types of writing were replaced by the Latin alphabet, in 1939 - by the Cyrillic alphabet. From 1927 to 1938, all 47 datsans and dugans that previously existed in the Baikal region and Buryatia were closed and destroyed. Not a single datsan operated from 1938 to 1946, only in 1947 two monasteries resumed work - Ivolginsky and Aginsky. The next increase in the number of datsans occurred only in 1991, but it was significant - by 10 at once. At present, it is in the Ivolginsky datsan that the residence of the head of Russian Buddhists and the viceroy of the Dalai Lama of KSU, who bears the title of bandido-hambo-lama, is located.

During its existence, Buddhism has taken deep roots in Asian countries, where it continues to have a strong influence on public and state life. In many of them, Buddhism is the state religion, and in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, the heads of state preside over the Buddhist church.

In countries where the influence of Buddhism is strong, many monks remain: suffice it to say that in Cambodia every twentieth man is a monk. In Burma. Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, there are monasteries in almost every village. Temples are being built both with money collected by monks and believers, and with funds allocated by the state. Often the population participates in construction with their own labor. The life of the countryside is closely connected with the monastery. On holidays, the monastery becomes the center of festive ceremonies. On weekdays, it is a rural school, where monks are teachers, and Buddhist books are textbooks. A Buddhist monk, until he has taken off his toga, cannot be arrested, he cannot be a witness in a secular court, and he himself cannot apply to a secular court. He cannot be drafted into the army, he cannot participate in the elections of government bodies, in politics in general. Without officially participating in political life, monasticism actually has a very serious influence on it. Monasteries often enjoy greater prestige than government agencies.

A number of Buddhist authors advocate the spread of Buddhism throughout the world, believing that the "great revolution of social thought" can be achieved only by "crowding out Western materialistic social and individual spiritual values ​​and establishing true values ​​based on the teachings of the Buddha." Entire programs for promoting Buddhism outside of Asia are being compiled and widely distributed by a number of international Buddhist organizations. Zen Buddhism has some success in European countries and the USA. Her teaching that through contemplation and self-contemplation one can achieve enlightenment, comprehend the true essence of the world, is in tune with the moods of some part of the youth and intelligentsia. Zen Buddhism is attractive to them because it promises people to achieve complete inner independence from society without going into a hermitage, without taking on any strict vows that could in any way violate the normal way of life for those who have adopted this faith. According to this teaching, a person can achieve inner independence from society, "complete serenity of spirit" without much effort, without transforming this society, while maintaining its foundations.

Interest in Buddhism on the part of the world community has sharply raised in our time the question of the synthesis of Western (rationalistic, objective) culture and Eastern (contemplative, non-rationalistic) Indo-Buddhist psychoculture. As is known, the selfless activity of the great Russian intellectuals N.K. and E.I. Roerichs. They believed that the synthesis (interaction) of two cultures is capable of spiritually enriching the modern culture of mankind, saving it both from the extremes of Western rationalism and from the extremes of Eastern mysticism and psychologism.

To date, according to various sources, the followers of Buddhism in the world number from 400 to 700 million people. This discrepancy in numbers is due to the fact that Buddhist censuses have never been conducted, and individual religious movements, schools and organizations tend to overestimate the number of their adherents. The number of followers of Buddhism in the CIS countries (there are more of them in Russia) is approaching 1 million people.

As a world religion, Buddhism, as it integrates into the culture of the countries of its distribution, has itself become a part of this culture, national psychology, and the way of life of the peoples who profess it. All this allows us to consider Buddhism as a religious-philosophical and historical-cultural complex, which makes it possible to approach it both as a religion (a certain confession), and as a philosophy, and as a psychology (Buddhism is primarily focused on changing consciousness), and as an ideology, and as a cultural phenomenon.

Buddhism is practiced by a significant part of the population of such states as Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, Kampuchea, Vietnam, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Korea, Japan, and is less common in Nepal and Indonesia. The vast majority in Mongolia and Bhutan practice Lamaism. In our country, the followers of Buddhism mostly live in Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia.

A feature of the second half of the 20th century is the fact that Buddhist organizations united into international associations of Buddhists, which set themselves the task of solving the urgent problems of the era, primarily the preservation of peace. The first such large organization was established in 1950 in Colombo - the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WBB). Later - in June 1970. - A new organization "Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace" (ABKP) was created. She currently has 17 national centers in 13 Asian countries and in Russia. The IX General Conference of the peace organization "Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace" was held in July 1983. in Buryatia and was held under the motto "Spiritual development makes the world sustainable."

Buddhism was officially recognized in Russia in 1741. Decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Buddhism, inextricably linked with the more ancient traditions of the peoples of Buryatia, Tuva, Kalmykia, became part of their national culture. By the beginning of the 20th century, there were 46 monasteries and 15,000 lamas (monks) in Buryatia, 105 small churches and 5,000 lamas in Kalmykia, and 33 churches and about 4,000 lamas in Tuva. the first Tibetan-Russian dictionary was published in St. Petersburg, prepared by a member Russian Academy Sciences Yakov Schmidt. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the famous Buddhist figure Agvan Dorzhiev initiated the creation of a Buddhist temple in St. Petersburg and on August 10, 1915. the temple was consecrated and opened. It was called "the source of the Holy Teaching (Buddhism) of the Lord-Hermit (Buddha), compassionate to all", and more briefly - "The source of the Teaching of the Buddha, compassionate to all living things." The temple was dedicated to Kalachakra ("Wheel of Time"). The abbot of the temple was the Buryat lama Ganzhirva Gegen (from the Dutsal Monastery), there were 20 lamas in the staff. The history of the temple in the future is very sad: it was plundered in 1919, and in 1932. although the temple was not officially closed, in fact it no longer functioned. In 1937 all the lamas were repressed, among them 90-year-old Agvan Dorzhiev. In 1938 the temple with the adjacent territory was transferred to the state. All ritual items, except for the altar statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, thrown into the Malaya Nevka River, were transferred to the Museum of History and Atheism (Kazan Cathedral). Much later, the temple was taken under state protection.

Decree on the separation of the church from the state and the school from the church of January 23, 1918, in connection with the later establishment of Soviet power on Far East, in Transbaikalia and Kalmykia, in comparison with the central regions, remained unrealized for a long time. In the 1930s, the political struggle was directed both against the conservatives and against the supporters of the renewal of Buddhism. As a result, almost all Buddhist temples were closed or destroyed, thousands of monks were destroyed. In 1931 Old Mongolian writing was replaced by Latin, and in 1939. - Russian.

During the years of the Great Patriotic War among the Buddhist clergy of our country, a movement for the restoration of confessional organizations begins. In 1946 a meeting of Buddhist leaders was held at which they adopted the Regulations on the Buddhist clergy in the USSR, containing the basic principles of cooperation between the Buddhist community and the Soviet state, emphasizing loyalty to the socialist system. In 1947 Ivolginsky datsan was built 40 km south of Ulan-Ude. Soon the Aginsky datsan also resumed work.

Currently in our country there is a process of religious revival, including Buddhism. June 28, 1989 The Buddhist Society in Leningrad (Petersburg) was officially registered. If in 1989 2 religious associations of Buddhists were officially registered, then in 1991. - already 16, in 1993-52, in 1996. – 124 religious organizations. There are more than 20 datsans in Buryatia, 10 Buddhist communities are registered in Tuva. Currently, Buddhism in Russia is practiced by about 1 million people. Human.

Buddhism in Russia is quite diverse, its ideas are also popular among young people and intellectuals who do not belong to any particular Buddhist community.

At present, Buddhism, as we already know, has spread throughout the world. Buddhists can be found everywhere: in Europe, America, Asia, Africa.

It should be said that until 1959 there was a country, the head of which was the supreme minister of one of the Buddhist movements - Lamaism. We are talking about Tibet, which was a theocratic state, and its official ruler, the Dalai Lama. In 1959, Tibet was invaded by China.

At the time of the arrival of the Chinese, Tibet was a feudal society. Half of the six million population of Tibet led a nomadic lifestyle, a third of the adult population was engaged in agriculture; 15% of the population of Tibet were monks, in other words, beggars who led a certain, long-established lifestyle. Since it has been the duty of believers in Buddhist countries for centuries to give alms, begging there does not meet with such disapproval as in Western countries. However, this state of affairs affected life in the region as a whole. Although it is unlikely that anyone will disagree with the fact that a beggar monk is different from a beggar who trades in megacities, who seeks to profit at the expense of others.

In addition to the role of guardians of spiritual traditions, the monks in Tibet performed other activities, sometimes extremely unpleasant. For example, some of the monks were engaged in preparing corpses for cremation. The traditional concern for their neighbor required them to separate the meat from the bones, cremate the meat, and grind the bones into flour so that birds and animals could feed on it. The corpses of the poor were simply let down the river so that the fish could eat them.

Villages provided themselves with everything they needed themselves. Surplus funds went to donations to temples, monasteries and the poor. There was no unemployment in Tibet, social development was not the dominant idea. Tibet lived on its own and had no desire to change anything. The head of state and church in Tibet, as we have already said, was the Dalai Lama, who was considered the incarnation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.

After the Chinese invasion, many monasteries were destroyed. But the worst thing for the Tibetans was that the Dalai Lama was forced to leave the country. One hundred thousand Tibetans chose to go into exile in the wake of their leader. They still consider Buddhism to be their religion and the core of their national culture.

Immediately after the invasion, the Dalai Lama asked the United Nations about the fate of Tibet. The General Assembly adopted three resolutions, however, China was in no hurry to give a positive response to any of them. Meanwhile, Tibet was shaken by social, economic, political and military changes. Flashes of Resistance local residents systematically suppressed.

It would seem that in the years since the Chinese invasion, the situation in Tibet should have changed for the better. Yes, I would very much like to end the story about Tibet on this optimistic note, but alas ... And if things in other Buddhist countries of the world proceed with varying success (as, indeed, in the non-Buddhist world), life for the Tibetans has not improved at all. Anti-government protests have become commonplace. Tibetans now live in China People's Republic in the absence of political rights, with no way to communicate with their government, which is still in exile. For many indigenous people, there was a real threat of resettlement in ghettos, equipped in a hard-to-reach part of the mountains. The Chinese government in Beijing made it quite clear that after the death of the current fourteenth Dalai Lama, it is China that will look for his new incarnation ...

Desperate monks commit public acts of suicide by setting themselves on fire near government offices, but this is unlikely to improve the situation in any way.

It got to the point that the Dalai Lama, who is in exile, who heads there a tiny - in the planetary sense - community, which today amounts to about one hundred and fifty thousand people and whose opinion the world does not particularly listen to, announced that he was leaving his post as head of state . A man known for his enlightenment, an unbending supporter of the idea of ​​world peace, a Nobel Prize winner and a person who enjoys incredible authority both among the Tibetans and, by the way, among the Chinese (which, however, did not prevent the capture of his homeland by this country), the current Dalai the lama has always taken an active life position. And since the Chinese invasion of Tibet, he has tirelessly fought to restore peace and tranquility there. Now, the 76-year-old Dalai Lama has come up with the idea of ​​free democratic elections (the very possibility of which, in principle, is provided for by his own new constitution, issued to Tibetans after the Chinese invasion) of the government and the separation of the state from religion. Despite the fact that the Dalai Lama cannot give up the role of spiritual leader with all his desire (perhaps he does not have such an intention), millions of his compatriots, for whom the word of the Dalai Lama has always been an indisputable truth, beg him to change his mind.

It is unlikely that China will be very concerned about such a step by the Tibetan leader, who is in distant exile, by which he, apparently, is trying to convey to the Beijing government the idea that neither with his departure nor with death, the problem of Tibet will not disappear anywhere and, sooner or later, but its will have to be settled.

It is bitter to realize that even the seemingly benevolent and humane world of Buddhism is not able to avoid tragic cataclysms. Well, samsara is samsara, here no one is safe from anything.

Nevertheless, as we have already understood, Buddhism is one of the most striking and original phenomena, thanks to the existence of which high human ideals will never lose their value even in such a complex, unstable and contradictory place as our material world.

Buddhism has left to descendants an incredible number of monuments of culture, art, architecture and continues to create new ones that our children and grandchildren will have the opportunity to see.

Statues of Buddha, as well as figures of Jesus Christ in churches, are always present in every Buddhist temple. And many of them have their own history. But among them there are certainly unique sculptures, and one of them is the Golden Buddha from Wat Traimit in Bangkok.

Take at least its size: this huge statue is almost three meters high and it weighs five and a half tons! The eyes of the Golden Buddha are made of black Thai sapphires, and the whites of the eyes are made of pearls.

Long time this miracle of the Buddhist tradition was hidden from human eyes. While the figure was in one of the temples of the former capital of Thailand, it was believed that it was cast in plaster. The thing is that during the war with Burma, many precious statues were covered with cement or plaster so that they would not be damaged during the bombing or from marauders. And, as we can see, the idea was a success!

The history of the new discovery of the Golden Buddha is full of mystical coincidences. For example, when a new temple was built in Bangkok, they decided not to cast a new sculpture for it, but to take one of the existing ones. It was then, during loading, that the precious statue was dropped. From the gap in the plaster, gold shone! The washed and cleaned huge sculpture turned out to be completely golden!

Besides the fact that the statue of the Golden Buddha is one of the largest, it is also very ancient! It is believed that it was cast 700 years ago, during the reign of King Ramkhamhen, who not only sought to impress the viewer with a majestic work of art, but also pursued a different goal: it is believed that he invested all the gold of the country in the Golden Buddha, and thus it served spiritual purposes rather than being squandered on luxury items.

In addition to statues of the Buddha, monasteries and temples are constant companions of the Buddhist tradition, which amaze with their original beauty. For example, the Golden Temple of Dambulla, the largest Buddhist cave complex in South Asia, has become widely known. It was carved in the 1st century BC. e. in the rocks. It was presented as a gift to Buddhist monks by the ruler of Sri Lanka. It houses the most famous 14-meter statue of the reclining Buddha with his devoted disciple Ananda at his feet. It recreates the moment of Buddha's entry into nirvana. The largest cave houses the Temple of the Great Rulers, which features 16 standing Buddha statues and 40 Buddha statues in meditation.

The temple complex is built in a picturesque mountainous area and includes several caves located at an altitude of 350 meters above sea level. In addition, it has many niches, the surface of which is painted with amazing Buddhist wall paintings. The temple has 5 main caves and 25 rock cells, or rather what is left of them. In different caves there are 153 figures of Buddha, three statues of the rulers of Sri Lanka, several statues of gods and goddesses; the walls are covered with paintings in the Buddhist style ( total area 2100 m2). It is believed that this temple has the largest collection of Buddha statues, many of which are truly ancient - they are more than two thousand years old.

The Dambulla temple got its name - "golden" - due to the fact that seventy-three of his statues are covered with real gold. This temple is located in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, near the city of Matale, and has been a place of pilgrimage for many centuries. To date, the Golden Temple of Dambulla is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is protected by law.

Another famous temple that cannot be left out is the White Horse Temple, 13 km east of the Chinese city of Luoyang, built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This is the most revered Buddhist temple in China (after the Tibetan ones). The history of the foundation of the temple is interesting: in 67 AD. e. The second emperor of the Han Dynasty sent two envoys to India to collect Buddhist scriptures. When the ambassadors reached Afghanistan, they met with two Indian monks, who gave them Buddhist sutras and statues and agreed to go to China, to Luoyang, where the country's first Buddhist temple was founded. Since the statues and scriptures were transported on the back of a white horse, the temple was called the Temple of the White Horse. In front of it, during the Song Dynasty, two stone statues depicting horses were erected. In the east rises a 13-story pagoda built in the 10th-11th centuries.

Another example is the amazing Mogao Cave, which in translation means “a cave not for tall people” - the largest cave of the early Buddhist cave temple complex Qianfodong, erected in 353-366. n. e. 25 km from the Dunhuang oasis in China. This temple complex will not leave indifferent any connoisseur of beauty. Qianfodong, which is often called Mogao (after the name of the main cave), unites 492 sanctuaries, which were decorated with frescoes and sculptures for a whole millennium (IV-XIV centuries)!

Mogao is one of the earliest Buddhist temples in China. Its appearance on the very border of the Taklamakan desert is not accidental: it was here that caravans with silk once passed, with which Buddhist teachings filtered into China. Unlike the later cave temples - Longmen and Yungang - in Mogao, it is not sculpture that dominates, but fresco painting, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich is equal to 42,000 m 2!

At the very beginning of the 20th century, a huge warehouse of manuscripts was discovered in one of the caves of the complex, consisting of approximately 20,000 objects! Scientists suggest that they were built here in the 11th century, when the manuscripts began to be forced out of use by printed books.

The manuscript fund of Mogao is diverse in content and dating: these are Buddhist, Taoist and other texts, treatises on philosophy, mathematics, medicine, dictionaries, classical Chinese poetry, and official documents. Among the handwritten monuments of Mogao there is also the "Book of Divination" - a unique text written in the Turkic runic script and, in addition, the first printed "Diamond Sutra", dated around 868.

Most of the frescoes of Mogao are dedicated to the Buddha and his sermons, as well as bodhisattvas, apsara fairies, monks and believers. Many of the murals reproduce authentic events from the history of the spread of Buddhism.

In almost all caves there are images of flying apsaras, which have long multi-colored ribbons instead of wings. Other frescoes are dedicated to events Everyday life. Here you can see scenes of hunting, fishing, agricultural work, there are also images of warriors, musicians, wedding ceremonies, and the frescoes depict people of different nationalities and social strata.

The next cave complex associated with Buddhism that needs to be mentioned is Longmen.

The Longmen Cave Temples (literally: "Stone Caves at the Dragon Gate") are located 12 km south of Luoyang. Along with Mogao and Yungang, they are considered one of the three most significant cave temple complexes in China. The caves stretch south of Luoyang for a kilometer along the slopes of Xianshan (Eastern Mountains) and Longmenshan (Western Mountains), between which the Yi River flows. They got their name Longmen (Dragon Gate) due to the fact that the two mountains through which the river I passes, they look like a gate.

The Longmen Caves are the pinnacle of Buddhist cave temple art in China. According to official estimates, there are 1352 caves, 2345 grottoes and depressions with 43 temples, which contain about 2800 inscriptions, 785 icon cases, 97 thousand Buddha statues and more than 3680 monuments and sculptures with calligraphic inscriptions, in total about 100 thousand images of a religious nature. The total length of rocks with artificial caves is 1 km. The bas-reliefs traditionally depicted the Buddha surrounded by bodhisattvas, sometimes the Buddha in the company of his first disciples, Ananda and Kashyapa.

The Longmen Caves have gone through two stages of development. The creation of temples began in 493 during the Northern Wei Dynasty, but almost 60% of the statues date back to the Tang Dynasty (7th-10th centuries), when a large number of caves were created, which contain true masterpieces of Buddhist art. Thus, the history of Longmen caves has more than 400 years.

Unfortunately, many sculptures were stolen by foreigners in the 19th and early 20th centuries and ended up in state museums and private collections in the West. So, two large frescoes are in the Metropolitan Museum in New York and Atkinson in Kansas City. It is surprising that the Red Guard brigades during the "cultural revolution" did not touch the caves at all, although they stood without any protection.

Guyang-dong Cave is one of the oldest Long-men caves, created between 428 and 488. The cave is covered with randomly arranged niches, on which the names of the masters, the time and the reason for the creation of each cave room are carved. It also contains images of members of the imperial family and aristocrats from the Northern Wei Dynasty. Three rows of Buddha statues of various sizes are carved into the northern and southern walls.

The main part of the cave temples is located on the western bank of the river and is called Bingyang caves. They stretch along the face of the cliff along a north-south axis.

The Three Bingyang Caves were created by Emperor Xuanwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty in memory of his parents and later himself. However, only in one cave - the middle one - the work was completed. It took 802,326 workers and 24 years of hard work to build this cave. Inside the entrance, on two walls, there are two large sculptural images "The Emperor and the Empress present a gift to the Buddha."

Fengtiansi Cave, which is the largest of the Longmen caves, houses the sculptural complex of the Temple of Honoring the Memory of Ancestors, created by order of Empress Wu Zetian, the first and only woman who formally legitimately ruled China alone in its entire history.

The complex consists of a central statue - Buddha Lusheng 17.14 m high; statues of students of Lusheng, Tianwang (God of Heaven), paired statues of heroes and donors to the temple. The Buddha statue is considered the pinnacle of Buddhist art in China.

A short walk south of Bingyang is another famous complex, Ten Thousand Buddha Cave. Thousands of buddhas are actually small bas-reliefs on the cave walls. There is also a large and beautiful statue of the Buddha and images of apsaras - celestial liberated creatures, and musicians. The Ten Thousand Buddha Cave in Longmen is another masterpiece of the Tang era. It was created in 680 AD. e. in honor of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu.

In 2000, a decision was made to inscribe the Longmen Caves on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.

It is also impossible not to mention Tanzhe - a large Buddhist temple complex, one of the most famous temples in China. It is located to the west of Beijing, in the Xishan mountains. It was built back in the Jin era (2nd half of the 3rd - beginning of the 5th century AD). The name of the complex comes from the name of Mount Tanzheshan, which, in turn, owes them to the nearby Dragon Pond (Longtan) and the zhe trees growing on its banks.

Interestingly, according to legend, the daughter of Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, Princess Miaoyan, who at one time became a Buddhist nun, was once buried on the territory of Tanzhe.

And, of course, we cannot but tell about the Potala. The Potala Palace, located in the city of Lhasa in Tibet, is not only the court of the ruler, but also a Buddhist temple complex, which was the main residence of the Dalai Lama, until the time when the 14th Dalai Lama was forced to seek political asylum in India after the Chinese invasion to Tibet. The complex is located on a high hill near the city, its total area is 360 thousand m 2!

It is known that in 637 the ruler of Tibet erected the first building of the future complex in the place where he used to meditate. When he made Lhasa his capital, he built a palace, which was later expanded to 999 rooms. In addition, protective walls and towers were erected here and a bypass channel was dug.

A sad fate befell the palace in the second half of the 8th century: lightning struck it and the wooden buildings burned down. And even later, due to internecine wars, the palace was completely destroyed. To date, only the Fa-Vana cave and the Pabalakan hall have survived.

Palace in his modern form began to be built in 1645 at the initiative of the V Dalai Lama. In 1648, the White Palace (Potrang Karpo) was rebuilt, and the Potala began to be used as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas. The Red Palace (Potrang Marpo) was completed four decades later. It is known that the best craftsmen from Tibet, Nepal and China took part in this grandiose construction.

Researchers suggest that the name of the palace comes from the name of the legendary Mount Potala, on which, according to legend, lives the great bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, whose incarnation on Earth is the Dalai Lama.

The palace is located at an altitude of 3700 m on the Red Hill (Marpo Ri) in the middle of the Lhasa Valley. Numerous pilgrims go around the hill, making a kora - a ritual detour of the holy place. Along the bark are numerous prayer wheels and shopping arcades.

The White Palace consists of the Great Eastern Pavilion, the Solar Pavilion, the living quarters of the regent and mentor of the Dalai Lama, and government offices. The Great Eastern Pavilion was used for official ceremonies, and the Dalai Lama actually lived and worked in the Solar Pavilion.

The Red Palace served as a place of prayer and religious rituals, in which eight memorial stupas, including the fifth and thirteenth Dalai Lamas, are of great importance. In addition to stupas, the palace includes large and small halls - temples dedicated to the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, Dalai Lamas, as well as rooms for audiences and ceremonies. Various jewels and relics are on display in the halls: mandalas, memorial stupas, statues of deities, Dalai Lamas and gurus, books, ritual objects. The walls of the palace premises are covered with majestic paintings. The Great Western Hall usually hosted religious ceremonies, sacrifices and receptions.

Of particular importance in the history of the palace is the Fa-Wana cave, which we mentioned above, in which, even before construction began, the ruler of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo, the founder of the complex, read the sacred texts.

Today, the Potala Palace is a museum actively visited by tourists, while remaining a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. It continues to perform Buddhist rituals. Due to its enormous cultural, religious, artistic and historical value, in 1994 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

However, not only temples, palaces and monasteries remind us of the Buddhist tradition, there are even entire Buddhist islands! For example, the Chinese island of Putuoshan, located southeast of Shanghai.

This island is known in Chinese Buddhism as bodhimanda, or the place of enlightenment of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, revered in Chinese tradition as the goddess of mercy Kwan Yin. In addition, Putuo is one of the four sacred mountains of China (together with Wutai, Jiuhuashan and Emeishan). The name Putuo comes from Potalak, the mountain retreat of Kuan Yin mentioned in the Avatamsaka Sutra, as does the name of the Potala Palace, the former residence of the Dalai Lamas.

The island has many Buddhist temples, pagodas and incredible natural beauty. This is a 33-meter statue of the goddess of mercy Kuan Yin herself, holding the Wheel of Dharma in her left hand - a symbol of Buddhist teachings; and Puji - the largest temple complex, built in 1080, during the Song Dynasty, with subsequent additions to the later. The main hall of the complex contains a large statue of Kuan Yin and 32 small sculptures depicting her incarnations. The Pagoda of All Treasures is also very interesting - the oldest pagoda on the island, erected next to the Puji Temple in 1334, during the Yuan Dynasty. Currently, the island, like the monuments mentioned above, is a protected tourist site.

In addition, speaking of Buddhism, it is necessary to pay special attention to such a concept as holy, or pilgrimage, places. Pilgrimage sites associated with stages life path Buddha. There are eight centers of worship for the Buddha, four of which are the main ones for believers. It is not surprising that the bulk of the pilgrimage sites are located in India - after all, it is exactly where, as we already know, Gautama Buddha was born and preached.

The first center of worship is located on the territory of the modern town of Lumbini (Nepal). Here, as we remember, in 543 BC. e. Siddhartha Gautama was born. Nearby are the ruins of the palace where he lived until he was 29 years old. There are more than 20 monasteries in Lumbini today!

The second center is Bodhgaya (India). It was here that the Buddha was bestowed enlightenment. The center of pilgrimage is the Mahabodhi Mandir, a temple located on the spot where the Buddha attained enlightenment.

The third center - Sarnath (India) is located near the city of Varanasi. Here the Buddha delivered his first sermon on the four noble truths.

The fourth center - Kushinagara (India) is located near the town of Gorakhpur. This is where the Buddha left his body.

Other centers of veneration for the Buddha are located in the cities of Rajgar (India), where the Buddha told the world his teaching about emptiness; there is a cave in which the first Buddhist cathedral took place; Vaishali (India) - here the Buddha read his sermons and predicted his imminent departure from the earthly world; as well as in the state of Maharashtra, where the cave temples of Ajanta and Ellora are located. There are 29 temples in total, they were built in the rocks of the gorge hanging over the river.

The main pilgrimage center of Tibet is its capital, the city of Lhasa with the Potala Palace, which have already been mentioned above. In addition, the most important pilgrimage site in Tibet is the sacred Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, located nearby. Interestingly, Mount Kailash is a sacred mountain for representatives of four religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and the ancient Tibetan Bon religion. Around Mount Kailash, pilgrims follow the outer and inner circles. It is customary to enter the inner circle if the pilgrim has passed through the outer circle at least 12 times. Pilgrims bypass Mount Kailash in the outer circle in about 30 hours (the length of the circle is 55 km, it is located at an altitude of 4800-5600 m above sea level). Bypassing Mount Kailash with prostrations is also practiced (pilgrims lie down on the ground in an act of worship), but then this process takes one to two weeks. There are four Tibetan monasteries on the outer circle, two on the inner one.

The second largest city in Tibet, Shigatse, is also a center of worship. It is located on the Kathmandu-Lhasa highway. Here tourists visit Tashilungpo Monastery, the residence of the Panchen Lama.

In Japan, one of the most revered Buddhist places is the city of Nara. At one time it was the capital of the Japanese state. In our time, Nara is visited annually by about 3 million pilgrims! On the territory of the city there are several Buddhist and Shinto temples and kumiren. The most famous Buddhist temple is Todaizi, which houses one of the largest Buddha statues in the world and the largest in Japan. The height of this sculpture is 22 meters.

On the territory of Sri Lanka, the centers of worship are primarily the royal city of Kandy, in which, on the shore of an artificial lake, stands the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha.

The city of Anuradhapura also attracts thousands of pilgrims every year. There are eight holy places here, among which is the place where the sapling of the Bodhi tree grows, under which, according to legend, Prince Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment. In addition - Tupa-rama, the first religious building and a stupa, where a particle of the collarbone of the Buddha is kept. In the city of Polonaruwa there is a second Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha and the famous Stone Temple, where four colossal Buddha statues are carved into the granite rock.

There are more than 18 thousand Buddhist temples and monasteries in Thailand! Of these, more than 400 - in the City of Angels - Bangkok. The most famous is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which is located on the territory of the royal palace. On the way from Bangkok to the city of Kanchanaburi, you can see the highest Buddhist monument in the world - Phre Pakhtom Chedi.

In Cambodia, the famous temple complex of Angkor Wat is a place of pilgrimage; its area is 260 km 2 and includes about 200 different places of worship.

In Indonesia, on the island of Java, the world-famous Borobudur temple complex is located.

So, we see that history has given us an innumerable number of wonderful cultural monuments, one way or another connected with Buddhism. However, in modern world this tradition is not interrupted. For example, in Kalmykia, in 1996, the construction of the Buddhist complex Gedden Sheddup Choykorming, the largest temple in Europe, which houses a gilded statue of Buddha, was completed.

In the Urals, a Buddhist monastery and a place of meditative retreat on Mount Kachkanar are currently under construction. The monastery already has a name - Shad Tchup Ling, which in Tibetan means "a place of practice and realization." It is built among the rocks on the northeastern slope of Mount Kachkanar, at an altitude of 843 meters above sea level. Construction according to the ancient Tibetan and Mongolian canons of monastic architecture allows you to preserve the local ecosystem and harmoniously fit the complex into the picturesque local landscape.

Unfortunately, beautiful monuments of history and culture in our cruel world sometimes serve far from peaceful purposes. An example is the infamous Hindu Shiva Temple of Preah Vihear. Built in the 11th century and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the temple has already suffered serious damage during the re-emerging border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. For more than half a century, these two Buddhist (!) states have been fighting for a temple, which neither one nor the other needs for religious purposes. The conflict, which broke out for the first time in 1904, continues to this day with varying success and intervals. Everything is involved in the battles, even heavy artillery. Blood is shed, people are dying, thousands of refugees are trying to hide from bullets, going deep into their countries.

Thailand and Cambodia are alternately trying to gain a foothold in the disputed Hindu temple site; the question of the ownership of the land on which it was erected has not been clarified so far.

In 2009, the conflict between the two states escalated to such an extent that the parties mutually recalled their ambassadors. However, in August 2010, Thailand and Cambodia restored diplomatic relations, which, however, did not help to solve the problem.

There are not so many Hindus living in the territories of both states to assume that their interests became the cause of the conflict. What then? Experts believe that there is a banal struggle between the two states for the “client”, which in this case is a tourist. Like it or not, in any case, the war goes on and there is no end in sight. And, as usual in such cases, innocent people suffer, and it is very sad to admit that the peaceful teachings of Gautama Buddha, as in the case of the conflict between China and Tibet, did not help the leaders of states at all...

Epilogue

The greatest difficulty in accepting any teaching, including the Buddha, lies in the constant need of the human mind to find proof of its validity. And although Buddhism is an exclusively practical teaching, the Buddha never urged anyone to take his word for it, nevertheless, until we are enlightened, we are unlikely to receive a satisfactory confirmation of the ideas of Buddhism.

It cannot be said that today the entire human race, without exception, considers Buddha a prophet. But the same cannot be said about Jesus Christ or Muhammad. There have always been and will always be doubters, and in a world where no one can be sure of anything, this is a common occurrence. The main thing here, probably, is not the title, but the fact that the teachings of the Buddha, like Christ, Muhammad and other prophets, helped and to this day helps hundreds, thousands, even millions of people survive in difficult times. life situations, to maintain faith in goodness, justice and in high human ideals, without which this world would turn into nothing more than a place of slaughter and chaos, and much earlier than the Armageddon predicted by many.

In this regard, I would like to note the following. In fact, all world religions, regardless of what they are called, when they arose and what prophets or teachers were conveyed to the masses, in general, they call for the same thing: do no harm to living beings, lead a highly moral lifestyle and tune your mind (whether by mantras or prayers) to some higher, bright and good authority, in the hope that it will accept us after our death and place us in a world cleansed of any manifestations of suffering. To a world where “death will be no more; there will be no more crying, no crying, no sickness; for the former things have passed away…” (Revelation of St. John the Theologian: 21:4).

Therefore, even the most ardent atheist, after a cursory study, will sooner or later ask himself: “Are there too many coincidences? Maybe there is something in it after all? Something that, perhaps, sometime, a very long time ago, was twisted, turned upside down and (whether intentionally or by mistake) reported in a form in which there was little left of the true truth.

The truth is also that many people on Earth consider the hope of the afterlife as the outcome of the life of a loser who has nothing else to hope for except for joy in the other world (incarnation). Or vice versa, the result of absolute satiety with today's abundance, when nothing of what is "here" is no longer interesting, therefore - for a change - the question begins to worry: "What about there?.." BUT there, like here, I want, of course, everything and a lot. Moreover, such a philosophy completely excludes the selfless, pure and noble impulses of the human soul.

What can I say? This dispute, apparently, will be judged only by the very last line that everyone will someday have to cross.

Another important, but rather sad moment is as follows. Probably, none of the existing and / or existing religions and creeds (with the exception, perhaps, of the philosophy of scientific communism, the fate of which is no secret to anyone) claims that in our world, by the forces of the population of the planet itself, that is, without the intervention of some higher forces, it is possible to build an ideal society in which all people, without exception, will be happy even during this life. And apparently, for good reason. In addition to insurmountable external obstacles, this is unfortunately prevented by too different ideas about the happiness of each individual set of five elements, in other words, a representative of the human race. In connection with this state of affairs, the dream of the common good began to be called utopian, that is, unrealizable. It's a pity…

reincarnation- a theory corresponding to Hinduism and some other currents that after death a person is born again in the form of a human, animal, mortal deity, and so on, until, with the help of working off past sins and not committing new ones, he is freed from rebirth and leaves forever to a happy spiritual world. The Buddhist theory of reincarnation is essentially different from the above (see text).

Sadhu- a holy man who vowed to renounce the world.

Guru is a spiritual teacher in India.

Samsara- a material world full of illusion (misconceptions), in which immortality does not exist, consisting of three planetary levels (heavenly, hellish and middle worlds; the Earth belongs to the latter).

Meditation(in a broad sense) - calming the mind by eliminating the thought flow with the help of concentration and concentration of consciousness; in the narrow, a certain transcendental state into which the meditator enters. It is believed that a spiritually advanced yogi in a state of meditation can see extraordinary things, travel to other worlds, create planets, and so on.

Mayan- illusion, a philosophical category in Hinduism and Buddhism. It is believed that the entire material world, including the world of people, is an illusion. One who manages to get rid of the illusions of maya begins to see the true essence of things. Seeing the essence of things is the most important step towards liberation from the cycle of samsara.

Dharma(Skt. "truth, law, teaching") - the general name of the Buddhist practice.

Brahma God is the creator in Hinduism.

A mile is about 1.61 km.

Nirvana- unlike anything known in the material world, a transcendental state in which neither physical nor mental pain is present. Although the Buddha did not give a specific - but only poetic - definition of nirvana; it is believed that any being who enters it acquires (after death) - or experiences - the most beautiful state of all possible.

Since morning(Sanskrit "thread") - collections of texts of the spiritual canon.

Dukkha, duhkha(Sanskrit “soreness, trouble, suffering, pain”). In the Four Noble Truths of Gautama Buddha, the term "dukkha" can hardly be translated as "suffering" proper. Dukkha means impatience, impermanence, intolerance. Some researchers propose to translate this word as "anxiety", "excitement" or as "restless dissatisfaction".

The meaning of the words "compassion", "sympathize" and the like in modern society is often distorted. In fact, to sympathize, to condole is not to be sad in passing over someone's misfortune, not to express one's pity about what happened, but to have the ability feel someone else's pain just as exactly like your own. The ability to feel the pain of others is developed, in fact, only in a very few, and the development of such an ability is considered the most important step on the path of spiritual growth.

Sangha, samgha,(Skt. "assembly, multitude") - the name of the Buddhist community. This term can be used to refer to the religious brotherhood as a whole. In a narrower sense, a host of beings who have reached a certain degree of enlightenment.

In a broad sense, the term "fourfold sangha" is used: a community of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen. It is important to note that laymen and laywomen do not constitute a separate sangha, but monks and nuns can be called a sangha regardless of laymen.

Ajiviki- followers of the philosophical and ascetic teachings in ancient India, which preceded Buddhism. They were wandering wanderers who believed that human destiny does not depend on a person, but is determined by a harsh impersonal cosmic law.

Jains- (from the Sanskrit "gin" - the winner) - followers of a large, extremely mystical religious community in India. The direction is close to Buddhism, but arose many centuries earlier. Jainism claimed that in fact Gautama Buddha was only a disciple of one of their saints. Jainism does not recognize the authority of the Vedas, they believe in the eternity of matter, the cyclical nature of the Universe and the immortality of the minds of people and animals.

buddha amitabha(from Sanskrit literally - "limitless light") - one of the main buddhas in the Mahayana and Vajrayana, the most revered figure in the Buddhist school of the Pure Land. It is believed that he has many worthy qualities: he explains the universal law of being in the Western Paradise and takes under his protection all who sincerely appealed to him, regardless of their origin, position or virtues.

Bodhisattva(Sanskrit "bodhi" - awakening, enlightenment; "sattva" - being) is one of the most important concepts of Buddhism.

Bodhichitta– because Skt. “chitta” is the content of the mind that needs to be controlled, then the word “bodhichitta” can be translated as “enlightened mind”, “mind correctly taken under control”.

Metaphysics(from the Greek “what is after physics”) is a branch of philosophy that studies the original nature of things, being and the world as such.

Taoism- a traditional Chinese teaching, which includes elements of mysticism, shamanism, religion, meditative practices, science and philosophy.

Vinay School(Sanskrit “rules, discipline”), otherwise the Lu school is one of the varieties of Far Eastern Buddhism. The main thing in this school was the fulfillment by the monks of certain rules and norms. Vinaya in a broad sense is a set of rules of the Buddhist monastic community, recorded in the canonical literature. As new branches of Buddhism emerged, new variants of the Vinaya emerged.

Bhagawan- a Sanskrit term used in Hinduism in relation to the Supreme Personality of Godhead or Absolute Truth (approximately the same as God in the Christian sense). In Buddhism, this title is also used to refer to Gautama Buddha, other Buddhas and bodhisattvas. In the modern world, the term is often used when referring to spiritual teachers in India.

Mantra(Sanskrit “a tool for the implementation of a mental act”) - combinations of sounds and / or words in Sanskrit that have a deep sacred meaning and require accurate reproduction. Mantras are of Vedic Hindu origin; later adopted by Buddhism and Jainism. For a better understanding, mantras can be compared to prayers and spells.

Pratyekabuddha- a being that becomes a person who has achieved enlightenment, but prefers not to preach the dharma to other people.

In its modern meaning, the term "kung fu" ("gong fu") is often used to refer to Chinese martial arts, but its original meaning is not necessarily associated with martial arts. The term consists of two hieroglyphs - “kung”, or “gun” (“work”, “mastery”, “achievements”), and “fu” (“person”) - and literally means “work on oneself”, as well as the results any activity. These hieroglyphs are combined to describe any acquired skill, achievements obtained in the process of long hard work, including the art of mastering one's body, mind, energy. It is believed that the term "kungfu" in its modern sense (in the sense of "Chinese martial art") first began to be used in the West and was not used in China until the 20th century, and in this sense it does not appear in ancient texts. In Chinese texts martial arts were designated as "u-shu" or (more often) "u-i".

This country is now called Myanmar.

Armageddon in Christianity is the last, decisive battle between Good and Evil, when the legendary “end of the world” should occur. It is perceived both in a negative (like any war, it is associated with fear, pain, death and destruction), and in a positive (the end of the world in which Evil rules, the beginning of the world of Good and justice) meaning.

Buddhism in the modern world

buddhism india ethical

In recent years, Buddhism has become known to the general public, and those who are interested can study the various Buddhist schools and traditions. An outside observer may be confused by the many currents and outward differences in the forms in which Buddhism manifests itself. Some are unable to see the Dharma behind these currents. They may be repulsed by the fact that they were looking for unity in a world divided by sects and confessions. Misguided by some sect's claim that "my school is better and higher than your school," they may not see the value of the Dharma. The Buddha teaches various paths leading to Enlightenment (bodhi), and each of them is of equal value, otherwise the Buddha would not have taught them. We can call it the Buddha (Buddhayana) Chariot. The important qualities in the Teaching are Loving Kindness (metta), Compassion (karuna), and Wisdom (panya). They are central to any school of Buddhism.

Since the time of the First Teaching of the Buddha, which is about 26 centuries, Buddhism has spread throughout Asia. Before the victory of communism in China, about a third of the world's population professed Buddhism. Each country has developed its own special form. The main Buddhist countries are: Cambodia, Japan, South Korea, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Tibet. There are also Buddhists in Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Nepal and Vietnam.

Among the many different schools, we can highlight the following: Theravada: Early Buddhism, mainly practiced in Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka and Thailand - this school uses the early texts written in Pali. Emphasis is placed on the path of the Arhat-Buddha, but the path of Samma-Sambuddha is also practiced. There are far fewer rituals here than in most other schools.

Mahayana: New Schools called:

Tibetan Buddhism: In Tibetan Buddhism, the emphasis is on the path of Samma-Sambuddha. They divide their system into Hinayana (Little Vehicle), Mahayana (Great Vehicle) and Vajrayana (Diamond or Supreme Vehicle). The Buddha's teachings are in Tibetan. Although the Dalai Lama is sometimes regarded as the head of all Buddhists, he is exclusively the head of Tibetan Buddhism.

Zen: This form of Buddhism developed the Samadhi meditation aimed at achieving dhyana (Chan in Chinese) and is particularly popular in Japan. The teachings of the Zen Masters play an important role. The teachings of the Buddha himself, as a rule, play a secondary role.

Chinese Buddhism: Along with the texts (in Chinese and Sanskrit), the sayings of the Patriarchs play an important role. As in other Mahayana schools, there is a strong connection with the Bodhisattva ideal, i.e. working for the benefit of all sentient beings and postponing one's own Enlightenment until all beings can achieve the same enlightenment. The main role is played by Kuan Yin (in Tibetan Buddhism, Chenrezig or Avalokiteshvara).

Each country has its own Buddhist culture, but the essence of the Buddha's Teachings is the same everywhere.

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