Buddhism: A General Outline

　　By Dr. Sunthorn Plamintr Contents

　　1 Historical perspective of Buddhism

　　2 Institutional makeup

　　3 Philosophy or religion

　　4 The Buddha”s successor

　　5 Composition of the Buddhist following

　　6 Buddhism and God

　　7 Worship in Buddhism

　　8 Cultural adaptations

　　9 Buddhism and material development

　　10 Becoming a Buddhist

　　Historical perspective of Buddhism

　　The word Buddhism is derived from Buddha, meaning the Enlightened One or the Awakened One. Buddha is not a proper name, but a generic term or appellative, referring to a founder of a religion, one who has attained supreme enlightenment and who is regarded as superior to all other beings, human or pine, by virtue of his knowledge of the Truth (Dhamma). Buddhism is therefore not just a faith, but a religion based on supreme enlightenment; it is a system of teachings and practice with enlightenment as its ultimate goal.

　　From its origins in India, Buddhism spread far and wide to various parts of the world. At one time it was the largest world religion, commanding one fifth of the total world population. As such it was one of the greatest civilizing forces the world has known. As H. G. Wells puts it, "Buddhism has done more for the advance of world civilization than any other influence in the chronicles of mankind." Today, it has become increasingly popular in the United States and other countries in the West. Its current following is reported to be over 300 millions.

　　Buddhism arose within the cultural milieus of Brahmanism, which came to be known in its present form as Hinduism. But Buddhism was a separate religion, never an offshoot of the older faith, as sometimes claimed by historians. Buddhism deeply influenced Hinduism, which later incorporated much of the Buddhist thought into its own philosophical system. It succeeded, through centuries of relentless persecution and assimilation, in replacing Buddhism as India”s major religion. It is also believed by some Christian scholars that Buddhism may have exerted an influence on early Christianity, when it spread westward from India during the reign of Ashoka, some two centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ, and flourished in the regions where Christ grew up, till the early days of Christianity. There is a strong belief among some scholars that in his early years Christ may have even studied and trained under Buddhist masters of the time. There are, of course, many who refute this idea.

　　Institutional makeup

　　An institutional religion is normally characterized by certain elements that go to make up the whole. Generally, these include the founder, the teachings, the congregation of followers, the system of worship (including rites and ceremonies), the religious sanctuaries, and the sacred objects within the framework of that particular religion. The Buddhist institution, with its own distinct character and culture, fits this description, being a complete system of thought and training.

　　The Buddha was the founder of Buddhism. Some religions, such as Hinduism, cannot ascribe their establishment to any one personality, owing their existence to an ancient tradition, the origin of which has long been lost in antiquity. Of those which are founded on a historical personality, their founders mostly claim affinity to, and connection with, a pine power, and are therefore compelled to demand unquestioning faith from their followers. The Buddha was a historical personality who made no such claims and who taught his followers without subscribing to any pine grace or supernatural powers.

　　The Buddha”s teachings are known as the Dhamma. In fact, this is the most important ingredient in the Buddhist religious system. As Buddhism is a religion based on knowledge and enlightenment, the validity…

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