Question

salient feature of buddha 's teachings​

Answer 1

The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism: 1) suffering as a characteristic of existence, 2) the cause of suffering is craving and attachment, 3) the ceasing of suffering, called Nirvana, and 4) the path to Nirvana, made up of eight steps, sometimes called the Eightfold Path

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Answer 2

Answer:

✯Gautam Buddha

• Buddhism was founded by Gautama Buddha.

• Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha at Lumbini near Kapilavastu (in present Nepal) in 566 BC.

• He was the son of Suddhodhana and Mahamaya. Suddhodhana was the chief of the Sakya clan. Due to this, Buddha was also known as ‘Sakyamuni’.

• He was married to Yashodhara and had a son, Rahula.

• He left his home at the age of 29 to become an ascetic. This event is called Mahabhishkramana.

• The idea of renunciation occurred to the Buddha after he saw four different states of man – sick man, old man, corpse and ascetic.

• Buddha wandered for seven years and at the age of 35 attained enlightenment at Uruvela while meditating under a Peepal tree (Fig Tree/ Ficus Religiosa) on the banks of the river Niranjana. This tree came to be known as ‘Bodhi tree’ and the place became Bodh Gaya (in Bihar).

• He died in 483 BC under a Sal tree in Kushinagar (in UP). This event is called the Mahaparinirvana.

• The term ‘Buddha’ means ‘enlightened one’.

• Important contemporaries of Buddha were Mahavira Jaina, Kings Prasenjit, Bimbisara and Ajatasatru.

✯Buddhist Philosophy/Teachings of the Buddha

The teaching are mentioned below:

• It teaches the Middle Path renouncing extreme steps like indulgence and strict abstinence.

• The four noble truths (Arya Satya) in Buddhism are:

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• 1. The world is full of sorrow

• 2. Desire is the root cause of all sorrow

• 3. Sorrow can be conquered by conquering desire

• 4. Desire can be conquered by following the eight-fold paths (Ashtangirka Marga)

• The eight-fold path in Buddhism is:

$\boxed{ \sf \: Eightfold \: Path \: in \: Buddhism}$

• Right understanding
• Right resolve
• Right speech
• Right action
• Right living
• Right efforts
• Right thought
• Right self-concentration.

• The Tri Ratnas of Buddhism are: Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. Details are mentioned below:

Triratnas of Buddhism Meaning of Triratnas

• Buddha: the highest spiritual potential in everyone.

• Dhamma: the teachings of Buddha (Pali for Sanskrit Dharma or righteousness)

• Sangha: order of monks who follow Buddhism.

• Buddha did not believe in God or the soul.

• Stressed on karma and ahimsa

• He was against the varna system. Buddha taught in Pali.

• Buddhism spread to several countries outside India. China adopted Buddhism in the 1st century AD

◉FURTHER LEARNING

✯List of Buddhist Councils

Four Buddhist Councils were held under different kings.

☆First Buddhist Council

• Conducted under the patronage of King Ajatasatru of Haryanka dynasty.

• The council was established in order to arrive at a consensus on how the teachings of the Buddha could be spread further.

• It was held in 483 BC just after Buddha’s demise.

• It was held at Sattapani caves (Sattaparnaguha) in Rajagriha.

• The monk who presided over the first council was Mahakassapa.

• Main objective was to preserve the Buddha’s teachings.

• At this council, Ananda composed the Suttapitaka (Buddha’s Teachings) and Mahakassapa composed the Vinaypitaka (monastic code).

☆Second Buddhist Council

• Conducted under the patronage of King Kalasoka of Sisunaga dynasty.

• It was held in 383 BC, i.e., a hundred years after the Buddha’s death.

• It was held at Vaishali.

• Sabakami presided over the council.

• The main objective was to discuss ten disputed points under the Vinaypitaka.

• The first major split happened here – two groups that would later evolve into Theravada and Mahayana. The first group was called Thera (meaning Elder in Pali). They wanted to preserve the teachings of Buddha in the original spirit. The other group called Mahasanghika (Great Community) interpreted the Buddha’s teachings more liberally.

☆Third Buddhist Council

• Conducted under the patronage of Emperor Ashoka of Maurya dynasty.

• It was held in 250 BC at Pataliputra.

• The council was presided over by Mogaliputta Tissa.

• Main objective was to purify Buddhism from opportunistic factions and corruption in the Sangha.

• The Abhidhamma Pitaka was composed here making the almost completion of the modern Pali Tipitaka.

• Buddhist missionaries were sent to other countries.

• Buddhism preached by Emperor Ashoka was Hinayana.

☆Fourth Buddhist Council

• Conducted under the patronage of King Kanishka of Kushan dynasty.

• It was held in the 1st century AD at Kundalvana in Kashmir.

• Vasumitra and Ashvaghosha presided over this council

• All deliberations were conducted in Sanskrit.

• Here, Abhidhamma texts were translated from Prakrit to Sanskrit.

• This council resulted in the division of Buddhism into two sects namely, Mahayana (the Greater Vehicle) and Hinayana (the Lesser Vehicle).

• Mahayana sect believed in idol worship, rituals and Boddhisattvas. They regarded the Buddha as God. Hinayana continued the original teachings and practices of the Buddha. They adhere to the scriptures written in Pali while the Mahayana includes Sanskrit scriptures as well.

✯Buddhist Texts

The most important sources of Buddhism are the Tripitakas / Tipitaka written in the Pali language. They are:

• Sutta Pitaka
• Vinaya Pitaka
• Abhidhamma Pitaka