PATH OF ENLIGHTENMENT OF BUDDHA

CONTENT LIST

1) Introduction
2) Who is buddha?
3) Buddha birth place
4) The prophecy of Siddhartha
5) The four passing sights
6) Siddhartha renunciation
7) Enlightenment under bodhi tree
8) The four noble truth
9) The noble eightfold path
10) Formation of the sangha
11) Dependant origination
12) Impermanence
13) Metta and its place in Buddhism
14) Buddhism and literature
15) Buddhism and politics
16) Buddhism and personal development
17) Buddhism and social justice
 Introduction

Buddhism began in India in the sixth century B.C as reforms movement in

Hinduism. It was the first religion in the world to become international. The
founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautam,

The son of a rich ruler of kshatriya caste. Finally, around the age
of thirty five he sat down under the shade of a Peepal tree to
meditate he determined to meditate until he received
enlightenment. After seven weeks he received the great
enlightenment; the four noble truth and the eight fold path.
Henceforth, he became known as the buddha

Gautama Buddha taught a way of life devoid of authority, ritual,

speculation, tradition and the supernatural. He stressed intense
self-effort. His last words before he died at the age of eighty
were, “work out you own salvation with diligence” Gautama
accepted the law of karma and reincarnation. He did not
believe in the existence of a personal god nor did he believe
that mam had a soul. He tended to deny the existence of
substance of every kind and saw the transitoriness of all finite
things being; he stressed impermanence.

Who is buddha?

The Buddha who lived 2,600 years ago was not a god. He was
an ordinary person, named Siddhartha Gautama .
Buddha is not a name, but a title. It is a Sanskrit word that means “a person
who is awake.” What a buddha is awake to is the true nature of reality.
Simply put, Buddhism teaches that we all live in a fog of illusions created by
mistaken perceptions and “impurities” — hate, greed, ignorance. A buddha is
one who is freed from the fog. It is said that when a buddha dies he or she is
not reborn but passes into the peace of Nirvana, which is not a “heaven” but a
transformed state of existence.
Most of the time, when someone says the Buddha, it’s in reference to the
historical person who founded Buddhism. This was a man originally named
Siddhartha Gautama who lived in what is now northern India and Nepal about
twenty-five centuries ago.

BUDDHA BIRTH PLACE

The birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, who later became known as the

Buddha, is traditionally believed to be Lumbini, which is located in
present-day Nepal.
Lumbini is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is considered one of the
most sacred places for Buddhists worldwide. Lumbini is situated in the
Rupandehi District of Nepal, near the border with India. It is about 25
kilometers (16 miles) from the town of Bhairahawa and approximately
280 kilometers (174 miles) southwest of Kathmandu, the capital city of
Nepal.
The exact spot where Siddhartha was born is marked by the Mayadevi
Temple, named after Siddhartha's mother, Queen Maya Devi. The temple
complex includes archaeological remains and monuments
commemorating the birth of the Buddha. A sacred pool nearby is
believed to be where Queen Maya Devi bathed before giving birth to
Siddhartha.
Lumbini attracts Buddhist pilgrims from around the world who come to
pay homage to the birthplace of the Buddha and to meditate and reflect
on his teachings. The site serves as a focal point for Buddhist practice
and pilgrimage, fostering a sense of reverence and spiritual connection
among followers of the Buddhist faith.
THE PROPHECY OF SIDDHARTHA
The prophecy surrounding Siddhartha Gautama, who later became known as
the Buddha, varies depending on the sources and traditions within Buddhism.
Born as the heir to an Indian kingdom, Prince Siddhartha
knows only happiness, luxury and love. Fearing the prophecy
that the child will one day abandon his princely life,
Siddhartha’s father builds him three palaces to provide
everything he could ever desire. But the power of destiny
cannot be held back by physical walls.
Asita predicted that Siddhartha would either become a great king,
ruling a vast empire, or renounce worldly life to become a spiritual
leader of profound significance. This dual prophecy reflects the
uncertainty surrounding Siddhartha's future path. many versions of
the prophecy, Asita foresaw that Siddhartha had the potential to
become a Buddha, a fully awakened being who would lead others to
enlightenment and liberation from suffering. Asita predicted that
Siddhartha's teachings would have a profound impact on the world,
bringing about spiritual awakening and liberation for countless
beings. Some versions of the prophecy include specific signs that
would indicate Siddhartha's attainment of enlightenment, such as the
display of certain marks or characteristics on his body.
Overall, the prophecy of Siddhartha serves to foreshadow his future
role as the Buddha and to highlight the significance of his spiritual
journey in the context of Buddhist teachings. It emphasizes the
transformative potential of human life and the possibility of
liberation from suffering through the pursuit of wisdom and
compassion.
Leaving palace, wife and son behind, Siddhartha embarks on a new
life that will ultimately lead him to the one thing that he is in search
of – the solution to all human suffering. Now an enlightened Buddha,
Siddhartha Gautama wanders the country, spreading the knowledge
that he has discovered.

THE FOUR PASSING SIGHTS

The four sights are four encounters in the life of Siddhartha
goutama which led to his realization of the impermanence and the
ultimate dissatisfaction of conditioned existence. According to
traditional accounts, before these encounters Siddhartha had been
confined to his palace by his father, who feared that he would
become a religious mendicant if he came into contact with sufferings
of life. However, on his first venture out of the palace, these four
encounters affected him deeply and made him realize the sufferings
of all beings. These encounters eventually compelled him to begin his
spiritual journey, which eventually led to his enlightenment.
One day he persuaded his charioteer to take him into the city. His first journey into
the world outside was traumatic. he first saw the more severe forms of
human suffering.
1. Old Age: Siddhartha encountered an elderly person, frail and feeble, which
made him realize the inevitability of aging and the transient nature of youth
and beauty

2. Sickness: On another occasion, Siddhartha saw someone suffering from illness.

This sight highlighted the reality of human suffering and the vulnerability of
the human body to disease and decay.

3. Death: Siddhartha witnessed a funeral procession, where he saw a deceased

person being carried to the cremation ground. This experience confronted him
with the certainty of death and the impermanence of life

4. Ascetic: Finally, Siddhartha encountered an ascetic, a wandering mendicant

who had renounced worldly pleasures in pursuit of spiritual awakening. This
 encounter planted the seed of renunciation and the quest for spiritual
fulfilment in Siddhartha's heart.

After observing these four sights, Siddhartha returned to the palace, where a
performance of dancing girls was arranged for him. Throughout the
performance, the prince kept on thinking about the sights. In the early hours
of morning, he finally looked about him and saw the dancers asleep and in
disarray. The sight of this drastic change strengthened his resolve to leave in
search of an end to the suffering of beings
The contrast between his life and this human suffering made him
realize that all the pleasures on earth where in fact transitory, and
could only mask human suffering . Soon after he left the palace and set
out in search of his own truth.

SIDDHARTHA RENUNCIATION

Gautama left for ever his home, wealth, dominion, power, father, wife and the
only child. He shaved his head and put on yellow robes. Siddhartha was
determined to attain supreme peace. He explored several paths including
bodily mortification which led him to a situation of near death. He was reduced
to a skeleton . He realised then that he should not go to extremes in torture the
body by starvation and that he should adopt the golden mean or the happy
medium or the middle path by avoiding extremes. He meditated for several
days and finally attained enlightenment.
Finally, after years of dedicated practice and profound insight, Siddhartha
attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India. He became
the Buddha, the awakened one, and spent the rest of his life teaching others
about the path to enlightenment and liberation from suffering.

ENLIGHTENMENT UNDER BODHI TREE

The Enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, under

the Bodhi Tree is a pivotal event in Buddhist tradition and philosophy. It's
believed to have occurred around 500 BCE in what is now Bodh Gaya, India.
 Siddhartha Gautama was a prince who renounced his royal upbringing in
search of understanding the nature of human suffering and the path to
liberation. After years of rigorous spiritual practice and meditation, he
finally attained enlightenment while sitting beneath a Bodhi Tree, also
known as the Tree of Awakening or the Tree of Enlightenment.
During this profound moment, Siddhartha Gautama is said to have
experienced a series of insights that led to his awakening and realization of
the Four Noble Truths

The 4 Noble truths of Buddhism

The 4 noble truths of Buddhism are central to the
Theravada tradition, yet recognized by all schools of
Buddhism as illuminating the essence of the Buddha’s
teachings. These four facts introduce us to the truth
that there is great pain in life. But because this pain is
caused, the end of pain has a cause, too. There is a
solution to the pain.

The Buddha himself realized these truths through

meditation. The importance of the four noble truths is
in their effectiveness as a map. By taking action and
following this map it is possible to find lasting freedom
from suffering.

In brief, the four noble truths can be understood as the

following:

1. Suffering exists
2. Suffering has a cause
3. Suffering has an end
4. There is a path that leads to the end of suffering
The First Noble Truth

The First Noble Truth is often translated as "life is suffering."

This is not as dire as it sounds; it's actually quite the opposite,
which is why it can be confusing.

Much confusion is due to the English translation of the

Pali/Sanskrit word dukkha as "suffering." According to the Ven.
Ajahn Sumedho, a Theravadin monk and scholar, the word
actually means "incapable of satisfying" or "not able to bear or
withstand anything." Other scholars replace "suffering" with
"stressful."

Dukkha also refers to anything that is temporary, conditional, or

compounded of other things. Even something precious and
enjoyable is dukkha because it will end.

Further, the Buddha was not saying that everything about life is
relentlessly awful. In other sermons, he spoke of many types of
happiness, such as the happiness of family life. But as we look
more closely at dukkha, we see that it touches everything in our
lives, including good fortune and happy times.

Among other things, the Buddha taught that the skandhas are
dukkha. The skandhas are the components of a living human
being: form, senses, ideas, predilections, and consciousness.
In other words, the animated body you identify as yourself is
dukkha because it is impermanent and it will eventually perish.

The Second Noble Truth

The Second Noble Truth teaches that the cause of suffering is

greed or desire. The actual word from the early scriptures
is tanha, and this is more accurately translated as "thirst" or
"craving."

We continually search for something outside ourselves to make

us happy. But no matter how successful we are, we never
remain satisfied. The Second Truth is not telling us that we
must give up everything we love to find happiness. The real
issue here is more subtle; it's the attachment to what we desire
that gets us into trouble.

The Buddha taught that this thirst grows from ignorance of the
self. We go through life grabbing one thing after another to get
a sense of security about ourselves. We attach not only to
physical things but also to ideas and opinions about ourselves
and the world around us. Then we grow frustrated when the
world doesn't behave the way we think it should and our lives
don't conform to our expectations.

Buddhist practice brings about a radical change in perspective.

Our tendency to divide the universe into "me" and "everything
else" fades away. In time, the practitioner is better able to enjoy
life's experiences without judgment, bias, manipulation, or any
of the other mental barriers we erect between ourselves and
what's real.

The Buddha's teachings on karma and rebirth are closely

related to the Second Noble Truth.

The Third Noble Truth

The Buddha's teachings on the Four Noble Truths are

sometimes compared to a physician diagnosing an illness and
prescribing a treatment. The first truth tells us what the illness is
and the second truth tells us what causes the illness. The Third
Noble Truth holds out hope for a cure.

The solution to dukkha is to stop clinging and attaching. But

how do we do that? The fact is that it cannot be accomplished
by an act of will. It's impossible to just vow to yourself, from now
on I won't crave anything. This doesn't work because the
conditions that give rise to craving will still be present.

The Second Noble Truth tells us that we cling to things we

believe will make us happy or keep us safe. Grasping for one
ephemeral thing after another never satisfies us for long
because it's all impermanent. It is only when we see this for
ourselves that we can stop grasping. When we do see it, the
letting go is easy. The craving will seem to disappear of its own
accord.

The Buddha taught that through diligent practice, we can put an

end to craving. Ending the hamster wheel-chase after
satisfaction is enlightenment (bodhi, "awakened"). The
enlightened being exists in a state called nirvana.

The Fourth Noble Truth

The Buddha spent the last 45 or so years of his life giving

sermons on aspects of the Four Noble Truths. The majority of
these were about the Fourth Truth: the path (magga).

In the Fourth Noble Truth, the Buddha as a physician

prescribes the treatment for our illness: The Eightfold Path.
Unlike in many other religions, Buddhism has no particular
benefit to merely believing in a doctrine. Instead, the emphasis
is on living the doctrine and walking the path.

The path is eight broad areas of practice that touches every

part of our lives. It ranges from study to ethical conduct to what
you do for a living to moment-to-moment mindfulness. Every
action of body, speech, and mind are addressed by the path. It
is a path of exploration and discipline to be walked for the rest
of one's life.

Without the path, the first three Truths would just be a

theory. The practice of the Eightfold Path brings
the dharma into one's life and makes it bloom.

The Noble Eightfold Path

The Noble Eightfold Path is one of Buddha's principal teachings

about ending the suffering of life and achieving self-awakening.
The Noble Eightfold Path is the fourth truth of the Noble Four
Truths of Buddha teachings. It is also known as the Middle
Way or Middle Path. The Noble Eightfold Path is represented
by the Dharma wheel, also known as Dharmachakra.

Threefold Division of Noble Eightfold Path

1. Wisdom
The first division of the three-fold division is Wisdom. Wisdom
provides the sense to understand and see things as they are.
There are two eightfold factors in Wisdom.

 Right View:
Right View is also known as Samma Ditti or Complete
Vision. The Right View can be explained as the eye that
guides the vision and directs all other factors. Right
View means knowledge to end the suffering of life,
knowledge of the origin of suffering, and knowledge of
practice to end the suffering.

 Right Intention:
The second factor of Wisdom division is the Right
Intention. It is also known as Samma Sankappa. Samma
Sankappa means Intention, motivation, and
purpose. Right Intention comes right after the Right View.
Understanding the Right View helps differentiate the
actual meaning of right and wrong intentions. Lord
Buddha mentioned the three kinds of Right intentions.
o Intention of renunciation
o Intention of loving-kindness
o Intention of Compassion

2. Moral Conduct
The Second Division of the Noble Eightfold Path is Moral
Conduct or Ethical Conduct. It states that preventing one from
making wrong speech and taking wrong actions is necessary
since they are powerful tools that can increase one's suffering.

 Right Speech
The first factor of the Moral Conduct division
of Buddhism is the Right speech. Right speech is also
known as Samma-vaca. Right Speech of Noble Eightfold
Path refrains one from using false speech, bad words, or
lying. Right speech encourages one always to speak the
truth.

 Right Action
Right Action is also known as Samma-Kammanta, which
means integral Action or proper conduct. Right
Action states that one should consistently behave well and
never hurt or criticize others. One should never conduct
any such action that will harm others and should not
conduct sexual misconduct.

 Right Livelihood
The Right Livelihood is the final factor of the Moral
Conduct division of the Middle Path. Right Livelihood is
also known as Samma-Ajiva. Lord Buddha taught that one
should not be involved in such occupation or job that may
or will cause harm and suffering to others. They should not
involve any occupation that deals with the flesh, poisons,
weapons & arms, slave trade & prostitution, liquors, and
drugs.

3. Concentration
Concentration is the third division of the Noble Eightfold
Path and is believed to make one calm and collected to
develop true Wisdom. Three Eightfold factors can be achieved
by concentrating on a single meditating object.

 Right Effort
Right Effort can also be called Samma Vayama and
translated as right endeavor and diligence. It is the first
 factor of the Concentration division of the Middle Way.
One who follows Dharma's path must try to lose all evil
thoughts, speech, and Action. Buddha mentioned four
phases of efforts. They are:
o Make an effort to cultivate and maintain wholesome
states
o Make an effort to develop and raise wholesome
states
o Make an effort to abandon the unwholesome that
arise
o Make an effort to prevent unwholesome states from
arising

 Right Mindfulness
Right Mindfulness is also known as Samma-Sati, which
means complete awareness. Right Mindfulness states that
one must constantly keep one's mind open to phenomena
that may affect one's body and mind, which means one
must know one's thoughts, words, and actions.

 Right Concentration
The Right Concentration is the last factor of the
Concentration division and the Noble Eightfold Path. Right
Concentration is also known as Samma-
Samadhi. Buddha mentioned that any mind aware of all
seven factors of the Middle Way, which are the Right
View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right
Livelihood, Right Effort, and Right Mindfulness, is
called Noble Right Concentration.

According to the Buddhist tradition of Theravada Schools

and Chinese Buddhist Schools, the Noble Eightfold
Path or Middle Way was discovered by Lord Buddha when he
was trying to achieve Enlightenment. These eight factors of the
Middle Path were taught by Buddha so that the people who
follow the Buddhist religion can follow them. They can lead to
self-awakening and liberation from worldly suffering and pain.
Formation of the sangha

The Buddha established the Sangha— originally a community

of celibate monks and nuns who follow strict discipline and
teach the Dharma to fellow Buddhists. Some consider the
Sangha to include both monastics and Buddhist laypeople

Those who followed the Buddha came to be called the Sangha

—the community of monks (bhikkhus) and nuns (bhikkhunis).
Those who became monks and nuns underwent an ordination
ceremony of shaving their heads and donning robes to
symbolize world-renunciation. They entered into the homeless
life of wandering monastics who settled down in monasteries
only during the months of the rainy season. For some, the
Sangha is the whole community of the Buddha’s followers.
From the beginning, the Buddha’s disciples included laypeople
who followed the Buddha’s teachings but remained
householders.

Both the ordained and the laity followed the five precepts of
basic ethics that are the foundation of religious life. In addition,
a more extensive code of monastic rules, the Pratimoksha,
eventually developed to govern the conduct of ordained
persons. The monastic and lay communities are
interdependent. Even today, the laity receive teachings and
guidance from monastics, while the monastics receive food,
clothing, shelter, and in some cases all of their material
requirements from the laity. Providing food and supplies to the
monks is considered by many lay Buddhists to be an act of
“merit-making,” earning good karma for oneself or loved ones.

Dependant origination

Everything is interconnected. Everything affects everything

else. Everything that is, is because other things are. What is
happening now is part of what happened before, and is part of
what will happen next. This is the teaching of Dependent
Origination

This teaching has many names. It can be

called Interdependent Origination, (Inter)dependent
Arising, Co-Arising, Conditioned Genesis or Causal
Nexus along with many other names. The Sanskrit term
is Pratitya-Samut Pada. The corresponding Pali word can be
spelled Panicca-samuppada, Paticca-samuppada,
and Patichcha-samuppada. Whatever it is called, Dependent
Origination is a core teaching of all schools of Buddhism.

Nothing Is Absolute

No beings or phenomena exist independently of other beings

and phenomena. This is especially true for the illusion
of Self. All beings and phenomena are caused to exist by other
beings and phenomena, and are dependent on them. Further,
the beings and phenomena thus caused to exist also cause
other beings and phenomena to exist. Things and beings
perpetually arise and perpetually cease because other things
and beings perpetually arise and perpetually cease. All this
arising and being and ceasing occurs in one vast field or nexus
of beingness. And there we are.

In Buddhism, unlike other religious philosophies, there is no

teaching of a First Cause. How all this arising and ceasing
began—or even if it had a beginning—is not discussed,
contemplated or explained. The Buddha emphasized
understanding the nature of things as-they-are rather than
speculating on what might have happened in the past or what
might happen in the future.

Things are the way they are because they are conditioned by
other things. You are conditioned by other people and
phenomena. Other people and phenomena are conditioned by
you.
As the Buddha explained,

When this is, that is.

This arising, that arises.
When this is not, that is not.
This ceasing, that ceases.

Nothing Is Permanent

Dependent Origination is, of course, related to the doctrine of

Anatman. According to this doctrine, there is no "self" in the
sense of a permanent, integral, autonomous being within an
individual existence. What we think of as our self—our
personality and ego—are temporary constructs of the skandhas
—form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and
consciousness.

So this is what "you" are—an assembly of phenomena that is

the basis for the illusion of a permanent "you" separate and
distinct from everything else. These phenomena (form,
sensation, etc.) were caused to arise and assemble in a certain
way because of other phenomena. These same phenomena
are perpetually causing other phenomena to arise. Eventually,
they will be caused to cease.

A very little self-observation can demonstrate the fluid nature of

self. The self you are in a workplace, for example, is a very
different self than the one that is parent to your children, or the
one that socializes with friends, or the one that partners with a
spouse. And the self you are today may well be a different self
than the one you are tomorrow, when your mood is different or
you find yourself with a headache or have just won the lottery.
Indeed, there is no single self to be found anywhere—only
various aggregates appearing in the moment and which
depend on other phenomena.

Everything in this phenomenal world, including our "self,"

is, anicca (impermanent) and anatta (without individual
essence; egoless). If this fact causes dukkha (suffering or
dissatisfaction), it is because we are unable to realize the
ultimate reality of it.

Put another way, "you" are a phenomenon in much the same

way a wave is a phenomenon of ocean. A wave is ocean.
Although a wave is a distinct phenomenon, it cannot be
separated from ocean. When conditions such as winds or tides
cause a wave, nothing is added to ocean. When the activity of
wave ceases, nothing is taken away from the ocean. It appears
in the moment because of causes, and disappears because of
other causes.

The principle of Dependent Origination teaches that we, and all

things, are wave/ocean.

Impermanence (anicca)

The Pali word “anicca” is composed of two combined words,

“nicca” meaning permanence or continuity and the privative
particle “a”, so that it means absence of permanence or
continuity. The concept of impermanence, transience,
inconstancy or uncertainty exists in other philosophies too, but
in Buddhism it occupies a central and key position. The
Buddhist doctrine of impermanence states that all conditioned
phenomena are impermanent and subject to constant change.
Conditioned phenomena include personal and impersonal,
internal and external, physical and mental phenomena
including thoughts, feelings, opinions and emotions as well as
relationships and possessions. They are not permanent or
metaphysically real and are in a constant state of flux arising
due to antecedent causes and conditions only to be ceased
soon after. Although at a superficial level things appear to give
an impression of being stable, a closer and a much deeper
level of examination will reveal their very ephemeral nature that
no conditioned phenomenon in this universe is stable or
everlasting.

Everything in existence from micro-cosmic to macro-cosmic is

ephemeral and changing. They are subject to constant and
continuous rise and fall at such an enormous speed that it
creates the illusion of permanency to ignorant minds. This
process could be compared to what happens when cartoon
frames are projected on to a screen. Each cartoon frame (a still
image), is followed by another frame with a slightly different
content in such a rapid speed that it creates a sense of
continuity. The result is that those who are viewing it will see it
as a continuous movie and not as separate frames.

Changes due to impermanence may be noticed at three

different levels. At a macro-cosmic level there is the universe of
huge dimensions evolving and breaking down in repeated
cycles from a beginning-less time. At a personal level,
impermanence can be observed through our own experience of
ageing, becoming ill and death as well as similar experiences in
everyone and every thing around us. Finally, at a micro-cosmic
level, through deep analysis and insight, we are able to
experience the arising and cessation of all elements that
constitute our physical and mental phenomena with no
substantial abiding entity within them

Metta and its place in Buddhism

Metta in Buddhism is a state of mind. Its object is the lovable

being. It is the state of wishing to promote the welfare of the
lovable being. In the Buddhist teachings, the doctrine of anatta
– or non-self – occupies a position of prime importance. As
such it may seem to be conflicting. This is because there are
two types of truths, conventional (sammutti) and ultimate
(paramattha).

Conventional truths are conceptual, and true only at the

conventional level. When seen in an ultimate point of view (i.e.
a mind freed from ideas, concepts) they do not exist. They are
like shadows cast by realities. Therefore the "person" exists
only conventionally. Ultimately, "he" can be experienced as
mental and material processes. If you see things in this way
you are looking at things as they really are, which is actually
insight (vipassana). To develop this direct vision into reality is to
practise insight meditation – vipassana bhavana.

At such a time, we cannot be having metta as the nature of the

objects differs. Moreover, when we return to conventional
realities or switch back to conceptual objects then we may have
the metta again. That is why, comparatively, vipassana is more
profound and superior. It frees one utterly from all sufferings
of samsara (cycle of birth and death).

Metta, however, must not be underestimated, although it has its

limitations. Most of us will need a lot of time before we have
completed the work of insight cultivation. And even after that
metta will still play a great role. Even Buddhas are not always
without conceptual objects. Concepts occur together with the
mental formations and processes

On the evening he died, the Buddha delivered his final, but one
of his most powerful teachings for generations to come. As
recounted by many historians, he gathered with his monks
encouraging them to continue practicing everything he taught
them long after he was gone.

Essentially, he was telling them that he himself and his

teachings were not the source of well-being, peace, and
wisdom. Instead, he reminded them that to become fully free,
they needed to find the truth for themselves and within
themselves.

In her book True Refuge, Buddhist meditation teacher and

psychologist Tara Brach puts it like this:

“In his last words, the Buddha was urging us to see this truth:
although you may search the world over trying to find it, your
ultimate refuge is none other than your own being.”
According to the Buddhist chronicles, when the Buddha died
near the city of Kushinagara, in northern India, he broke free
from the cycle of rebirths and attained nirvana, absolute release
from karmic rebirth. This panel, which would have been
displayed in the harmika enclosure at the summit of a stupa
(relic mound), shows the Buddha surrounded by lay and
monastic mourners expressing their grief. These reactions are
contrasted with the calm of the monk Subhadra, seated facing
the Buddha’s corpse, who alone comprehends the true
meaning of the Buddha’s death. Images of the Buddha’s
paranirvana based on this Gandharan prototype became
important icons for veneration across the Buddhist world in the
following centuries.

The Parinirvana Stupa or Mahaparinirvana Temple is

a Buddhist temple in Kushinagar, India which is said to be the
place of death of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.
Alexander Cunningham gains the most attention for his work in
the area, because he conclusively proved that Gautama
Buddha had died in the area.

Buddhism has been a significant influence on the art of many

cultures. In India, for example, the Gandhara school of art,
which flourished between the 1st and 7th centuries, was heavily
influenced by Buddhist art. The sculptures and paintings
produced during this period often depicted the Buddha and
other Buddhist figures in a highly stylized and symbolic way,
emphasizing spiritual ideals rather than physical realism. This
influence can also be seen in the art of other Buddhist cultures,
such as those in China, Japan, and Tibet.

Moreover, Buddhism has inspired the creation of many works of

art, including sculptures, paintings, and textiles. Buddhist art
often features representations of the Buddha, other important
figures in the Buddhist tradition, and symbols associated with
Buddhism, such as the lotus flower and the Wheel of Dharma.
Buddhist art is known for its intricate and detailed designs,
often created using various materials, including bronze, stone,
wood, and silk.

Buddhism and Literature

Buddhism has also significantly impacted literature, influencing

many great literary works in Asia. The Ramayana and the
Mahabharata in India, the Tale of Genji in Japan, and the
Journey to the West in China are just a few examples of literary
works that Buddhist ideas and beliefs have influenced.
Buddhist literature has also been an essential source of
inspiration for many contemporary writers, who often draw on
Buddhist themes and symbols in their work.

In addition to inspiring literature, Buddhism has produced its

own body of literature. The Buddhist canon, the Tripitaka,
contains a vast collection of scriptures, including sutras,
records of the Buddha's teachings, and commentaries on these
teachings. The Tripitaka is written in several languages,
including Pali, Sanskrit, and Chinese, and it has been
translated into many languages worldwide.

Buddhism and Politics

Buddhism has played a significant role in shaping politics and

economics in various parts of Asia. In some cases, Buddhist
monks have been actively involved in political and social
movements. For example, during the Vietnam War, Buddhist
monks in Vietnam and other countries played a crucial role in
protesting against the war and promoting peace. In other
cases, Buddhism has influenced economic practices, such as
in Japan, where Zen Buddhism has significantly impacted the
development of the tea ceremony and other cultural practices
central to Japanese business culture.
Moreover, Buddhism has also had an impact on the political
structure of some countries. Buddhism is the dominant religion
in countries such as Thailand and Sri Lanka, and its influence
can be seen in these countries' political and social structures.
In Thailand, for example, the king is considered a protector of
Buddhism and is expected to uphold Buddhist values and
principles.

Buddhism and Personal Development

Buddhism's emphasis on self-awareness and personal growth

has influenced many aspects of modern psychology.
Mindfulness, a practice of being present and aware of one's
thoughts and feelings, has become increasingly popular in
recent years and has been used to treat a range of mental
health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. This
technique is derived from Buddhist meditation practices and
has been adapted for use in a secular context.

Buddhism has also inspired the development of various

meditation forms, which promote relaxation and improve mental
and physical health. These practices have become increasingly
popular in Western countries, where they are often used as a
tool for stress reduction and personal development

Buddhism and Social Justice

Buddhism has a long history of promoting social justice and

equality. One of the essential teachings of Buddhism is the
concept of interdependence, which suggests that all things are
interconnected and interdependent. This idea has inspired
many Buddhists to work towards creating a more just and
equitable society.

Buddhist social activism has taken many forms throughout

history, including movements for human rights, environmental
protection, and promoting non-violence. The Dalai Lama, the
spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, has been a prominent
advocate for human rights and has worked tirelessly to promote
peace and reconciliation.