About Buddhism

Buddhism is based on the teachings of Lord Buddha. Though many people consider it a philosophy, it is the fifth most followed religion in the world. Whatever you think it is - a religion or a philosophy - knowing more about Buddhism is always extremely fruitful. The story of Lord Buddha itself is so interesting that it encourages further reading and understanding of Buddhism. Here's the story and info on basic principles of Buddhism, Buddhist countries and sites worth visiting.

Lord Buddha And Buddhism
An Indian prince born to Sakya chieftain, Suddhodhana, Lord Buddha, found little pleasure in the luxuries of his palace life from the very beginning. His father desired him to be a king and did his best to bind him in worldly responsibilities, however, the prince had more of a spiritual bent of mind.

For a long time Suddhodhana managed to keep Siddhartha (that was the name of Lord Buddha when he was a prince) within the walls of the palace. The prince was not aware of the miseries of the human life. But one fine day Siddhartha managed to get out of the palace and what he saw shook him completely. There, on the road, he saw an old man, a sick man and a corpse. Siddhartha had never known miseries, pain, death and other negative aspects of life, hence this event had a great effect on his life. He now wished to know the reason for human existence, the reason for life and death. He abandoned his palace, wife and newly born son; lived a life of extreme austerity in search of inner peace and travelled from one place to another. Finally, under a tree in Bodhgaya, he attained enlightenment and became the Buddha.

For the next 45 years, Lord Buddha spread his teachings by travelling to different parts of India.

The Basic Principles of Buddhism
At the very base of Buddhism are its principles - the four noble truths, the eightfold path and the Five Precepts. As per the four noble truths, life is a suffering and the reason for this is worldly attachments and desires. It is possible for all living beings to put an end to their sufferings by following the eightfold noble path.

The Eightfold noble path teaches that it is of paramount importance to understand, cultivate and follow 1) right view, 2) right intention, 3) right speech, 4) right action, 5) right livelihood, 6) right effort, 7) right mindfulness and 8) right concentration. It is these eightfold path that lead to the attainment of truth about life and freedom from sufferings.

The Five Precepts lay down the moral conducts for Buddhists so that they refrain from evil deeds and lead a pious life.

You can find more info on basic Buddhism -Buddhanet

Contribution of Ashoka
The rise and spread of Buddhism in India and abroad owes a lot to Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. He was an ambitious king who was so moved by bloodshed in a war that he abandoned brutality and took to Buddhism. The teachings of Lord Buddha influenced him greatly and he sent missionaries to different countries to propogate the message of peace. Sri Lanka and Myanmar were two such countries where he sent his missionaries. With very less percentage of people following Buddhism in India, Sri Lanka, today, is the oldest Buddhist country in the world.

Buddhism in Other Countries
Though Buddhism is not a dominant religion in India, there are other countries that have a major portion of population following the teachings of the Buddha. Thailand is at the top spot with around 95% of people following Buddhism. It is closely followed by Cambodia (90%), Myanmar (88%), Bhutan (75%) and Sri Lanka (70%). You can find more stats on Adherents.com

Buddhism, today, is also gaining prominence in the west. People in Europe and America are becoming more and more aware of the teachings of the Buddha. The translation of Buddhist texts in English is further improving the reach of Buddhism to other parts of the world.

Buddhist Sites of the World
For all those of you who are interested in visiting Buddhist sites and pilgrimage destinations, there is a big list to choose from. Since Buddhism is not confined to one country, first you will need to shortlist the country or countries to which you will take a trip to. After this, do not think that your task is done for in each country you will find a number of Buddhist sites that need to be visited. Provided here is a list of a few must visit Buddhist sites and shrines of some important countries

India - Mahabodhi Temple in Bihar, Ajanta Ellora Caves in Maharashtra, Monasteries of Ladakh,Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh
Sri Lanka - Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla caves, The Temple of Tooth
Thailand - Bangkok, Ayutthaya
Tibet - Lhasa
Myanmar - Shwedagon Pagoda
Cambodia - Angkor Thom

You can find more information on any of these or other countries where a Buddhist tour can be undertaken on Buddhist Tourism