Educating Yourself About The History Of Buddhism...

Buddhism Nichiren

Much of history regarding mankind has been rife with battles fought over religion. One culture believes in a monotheistic society and another believes in a polytheistic society. It might be that one believes in Heaven and another believes in reincarnation. Religion plays a huge role in people's lives. It is a never ending quest to believe that something waits after death and that goodness is rewarded. The history of Buddhism is very similar. If you are not familiar with Buddhism, then it is time for you to learn a bit.

You could say that the history of Buddhism all began when a prince was exposed to the harsh reality of daily life. Prince Siddhartha had previously led a very sheltered life from the illness and death of his kingdom. During his twenties the prince was given the Four Sights. These Four Sights (a diseased man, an elderly man, a corpse and a holy man) helped awaken him to the suffering of mankind and forever after, he sought a way to end it.

The Buddhist studies teach that Siddhartha went on a meditation retreat that lasted for forty-nine days. During this time he meditated on how human suffering was affecting him and everyone else. When he emerged from this meditation retreat he shared his enlightenment with the rest of the world. The answer to him was that material possessions caused people to suffer. There was no point in holding onto material goods when in the end they decayed and you could not take them with you. The way to end this suffering and to finally find the universal knowledge was through Buddhist meditation and chants.

Many things have changed since Siddhartha became the Buddha and began to spread his word. Since that time many of his mantras, or teachings, have been taken in different directions by various sects, such as those practiced by the Zen Buddhist, the Tibetan Buddhist and the Buddhism Nichiren, which were founded after Buddha's death. Different monks chose different mantras to teach Buddha's followers. Just as Christianity has many different offshoots, so does Buddhism.

There is a lot more to the history of Buddhism than what is written here. It is a diverse culture that has millions and millions of followers from many different backgrounds. The Buddhist studies are filled with the ways to achieve enlightenment and end suffering. It is through the Buddhist teachings that people can find a way to eliminate their suffering and achieve an inner peace that will lead them to enlightenment and tranquility. Is it difficult to learn? It is no more difficult to learn than Christianity is and it can be just as fulfilling.