Shaka
...religions of the world. It was
founded by Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha) in Northeastern India. It arose as
a monastic movement during a time of Brahman tradition. Buddhism rejected
important views of Hinduism. It did not recognize the validity of the
Vedic Scriptures, nor the sacrificial cult which arose from it. It also
questioned the authority of the priesthood. Also, the Buddhist movement
was open to people of all castes, denying that a person's worth could be
judged by their blood.
The religion of Buddhism has 150 to 350 million followers around
the world. The wide range is due to two reasons. The tendency for
religious affiliation to be nonexclusive is one. The other is the
difficulty in getting information from Communist countries such as China.
It's followers have divided into two main branches: Theravada and
Mahayana. Theravada, the way of the elders, is dominant in India, Sri
Lanka, Burma, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia. Mahayana, the greater vehicle,
refers to the Theravada as Hinayana, the lesser vehicle. It is dominant in
India, Tibet, Japan, Nepal, Taiwan, China, Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia.
Siddhartha Guatama was born in Kapilivastu. His father was the
ruler of the small kingdom near the Indian/Nepal border. As a child, his
future was foretold by sages. They believed that he would someday be a
fellow sage or leader of a great empire. He led a very pampered and
sheltered life until the age of twenty-nine. It was at that time that he
realized that he had led an empty life. He renounced his wealth and
embarked on a journey to seek truth, enlightenment, and the cycle of
rebirths.
In the first years of his journey, Siddhartha Guatama practiced
yoga and became involved in radical asceticism. After a short time, he
gave up that life for one of a middle path between indulgence and self-
denial. He meditated under a bo tree...
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