Buddhism (World Cafe)

Buddhism (World Cafe)

by Sreejani Bhaduri

​Buddha's early days

​Buddha was born to an aristocratic family, father Sudhodana and mother Mayadevi.

​He was born in Lumbini, Nepal, and was born in 563 BCE. It was predicted that he would see a corpse, an old man, a sick man, and an ascetic. His father shielded him from the woes of the people.

The realisation​

​Buddha once saw an old man, a sick man and a corpse. Then he saw an ascetic and was struck by the peace on his face. The prophecy was true. Gautama was a great monk. He left his wife and Rahula (His son) to search for the meaning of life.

​The Journey

​Buddha travelled to many places in search of the ultimate reality. First he went to the school of yoga, where he surpassed the teacher! Then he went to an ascetic, where he almost became a corpse. And then he decided to create his OWN PRACTICAL method.

​Types of Buddhism

​Theravada Buddhism: Prevalent in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos and Burma.

• Mahayana Buddhism: Prevalent in China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and Vietnam.

• Tibetan Buddhism: Prevalent in Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, Bhutan, and parts of Russia and northern India.

The Sangha

, Buddhist monastic order, traditionally composed of four groups: monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. The sangha is a part—together with the Buddha and the dharma (teaching)—of the Threefold Refuge, a basic creed of Buddhism.