Buddhism has existed in the world for thousands of years, and currently is the fourth largest religious group on the planet, encompassing a population of approximately 520 million people (almost 7% of the world population).

Origin & History

Buddhism first emerged in the 5th Century B.C.E. in the Indian subcontinent with the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, later to be known as the Buddha, or the “Enlightened One.” Born in the foothills of the Himalayas (now known as Nepal), Gautama was thrust into a life of nobility, as his father was the ruler of the Shakya tribe, a population made up mainly of warriors and nobility (“kshatriya” caste). Prophesied at birth of being either a great king or a great warrior, Gautama was kept sheltered by his father in order to protect and preserve his son’s destination. Living a life of extravagance and happiness, Gautama grew and began a family of his own through marriage and bearing a son. Yet there was a part of him that was curious about what existed outside the confines of his home. Eventually he left for a day and witnessed four examples of somewhat painful realities that had been kept from him all of his life: aging, illness, death and asceticism. These revelations were the catalyst that led to Gautama’s renouncing of his family and life status, and led him to become the founder of what we now know today as Buddhism.

• For the first several years of his new lifestyle, Gautama lived among Hindu ascetics, entirely devoted to religion and practiced extreme self-denial and discipline. 

• Eventually, Gautama realized that in order to live a life of serenity and enlightenment, one must strike a balance between self-indulgence and self-denial, later known as the “Middle Path.”

  • Under the Bodhi Tree, now seen as sacred to Buddhists, Gautama meditated and achieved enlightenment, undergoing a new identification as the Buddha.

• Buddhism, though a worldwide religion, is made up of many philosophical foundations that were taught by the Buddha himself.

  • Four Noble Truths:

    • 1. All life has inevitable suffering, or “dukkha.”

    • 2. The source of this suffering is desire.

    • 3. Once desire for impermanent things is destroyed, suffering will end.

    • 4. The way to achieve enlightenment is the Eightfold Path.

  • Nirvana: the final goal of Buddhism (the blowing out of the candle); to be relieved of “self” and false senses of reality, sometimes referred to as a “heaven-like state.”

Lectures

Buddhism in the United States

Types of Buddhism:

• Theravada Buddhism - known as “monastic Buddhism”; in order to reach nirvana, one must live as a monk or nun and withdraw from family, work, sex and money. This is perceived by many as extremely close to the teachings of the Buddha, very conservative in nature.

• Mahayana Buddhism - more inclusive view on reaching enlightenment, presenting a stronger role for lay people and new forms of ritual. The idea of a bodhisattva emerged from this branch of the faith.

  • A bodhisattva is one who has attained enlightenment but renounces nirvana in order to help others relieve themselves of suffering.

• Vajrayana Buddhism - commonly associated with the Dalai Lama, this branch tends to favor only a select group of individuals who teach of certain “shortcuts” that are available on the journey to reach enlightenment. The impermanence of existence is stressed heavily, illustrated by the creation and subsequent destruction of sand mandalas.

• Pure Land Buddhism - originated in Japan, this branch of Buddhism relies on the Amida Buddha (“Buddha of Boundless Light”) for help in seeking enlightenment; Amida Buddha is seen as a savior, similar to Jesus Christ in the Protestant Christian faith.

• Engaged Buddhism - different from other forms of Buddhism as it concerns itself with this world only, this branch stresses the interbeing of all humans and adopts Buddhist principles to problems of social or economic nature. Founded by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk born in the early 20th Century.

• As early as the 1850s, Buddhist temples and followers were found in the United States, primarily on the West Coast in areas such as San Francisco; this was influenced greatly by the presence of Chinese immigrants working within mining and railroad construction, bringing with them not only Buddhist religious traditions, but also traditions of Daoism and Confucianism. 

• In the 1890s missionaries brought Pure Land Buddhism to areas such as Hawaii and California, appealing to many Americans as they could see similarities between Christianity and this new Eastern faith.

  • Popularity grew in the early 20th Century, and in 1944 the movement became known as the Buddhist Churches of America (BCA), holding Sunday services similar to Christian establishments.

• Zen Buddhism, a branch of Mahayana Buddhism, was introduced to the United States in 1893; this school of Buddhism stressed awareness, strict meditation and enlightenment.

  • The “Beat Generation” of the 1950s were influenced by this style of Buddhism, and through writers such as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg it was brought into the makings of what would turn into the counterculture of the 1960s.

• Derived from Theravada Buddhism, vipassana, or “insight meditation,” has been successfully promoted in the United States.

  • In 1975, the non-profit organization the Insight Meditation Society was founded, and is rooted in the study of Theravada Buddhism in the U.S.

Site Visit

Buddhist Meditation service: Chenrezig (Tibetan) Buddhist Temple 953 N. Marshall St.,  Philadelphia, PA 19123.