Buddhist History and Principles
Long ago, Buddhism was once the fastest-growing religion in Asia. This all started in the birth of Shakyamuni in 563 B.C., who became the enlightened Buddha of the current age. Alexander the Great set the stage for the expansion, when he swept across India and deposed all the kings (Rajas). Two generations later, King Ashoka, weary of a war that left over a hundred thousand dead, converted to Buddhism and invented missionary work. He sent missionaries throughout the known world, even into Palestine. Many believe that Jesus was thoroughly acquainted with Buddhism, and that he may even have traveled to India and Tibet.
Buddhism spread across Asia, converting all in its path, including the fierce Mongols. The strategy was simple: the missionaries went from town to town introducing the teachings, without requiring anyone to give up their local religious customs. Since everyone dies, the structured teachings of Buddhism gradually displaced local sects. This worked well until the movement ran into the violent opposition of Islam.
World Buddhism is now divided into three branches: Thervadin (also called Hinayana, the lesser vehicle) is found in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. It teaches personal liberation. Mahayana (the greater vehicle) is found in parts of India, China and Japan. It teaches the liberation of others and includes all the teachings of the Hinayana. Vajrayana (the diamond vehicle), is found in Northern India, Tibet, and Mongolia. It teaches the dangerous path, a sort of mystical, esoteric activism. The Vajrayana includes all the teachings of the Hinayana and the Mahayana. Tibetan (Vajrayana) Buddhism is comprised of four sects: Nyingmapa, Kagyudpa, Sakyapa, and Gelugpa. My involvement has been with the Kagyudpa, but I have also been to Nyingmapa and Sakyapa services. The Dalai Lama is Gelugpa. I respect the Dalai Lama, but I do not like some of the things he says. He is way too political.
Meditation practice is a hallmark of Buddhism. Meditation is often accompanied by chanting. Chanting is said to cause the water in one's body to vibrate in harmony with the 21 cm background radiation that permeates the universe. Tibetan meditation concentrates on establishing a rapport with one's basic, unchanging nature. Behavior can be changed, but inner nature cannot be changed.
Buddhist iconography is taken by some to be literal, by others to be metaphorical, and by yet others to be both. Created states are often divided into threes, sixes, and sevens. All of existence is divided into three (body, form, and formless) realms. The lowest realm of existence is our own, and it is divided into six classes of beings: hell-beings (hatred), spirit-beings (desire), animals (ignorance), humans (passion), demigods (jealousy), and worldly gods (pride). Passion is the hallmark of the human realm, which is a tendency for doing things without a good reason, though some explanation is often devised after the fact. Despite the fact that passion can be very irrational, it is neutral and can be used to good deeds or evil deeds. Many claim that Buddhism teaches reincarnation, but this is simply not true. Buddhism only teaches that there will be rebirth, without any continuation of self.