Modern Buddhism. The position of Buddhism in the modern world

Essay on the topic: Buddhism in the modern world

Ufa - 2011
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Introduction
Buddhism is currently one of the main and most widespread world religions. Adherents of this religion inhabit mainly the regions of Central, South and Southeast Asia. However, the sphere of influence of Buddhism goes beyond this region of the globe: its followers are also found on other continents, although in smaller numbers. The number of Buddhists is also great in our country, mainly in Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva.
Buddhism, along with Christianity and Islam, belongs to the so-called world religions, which, unlike national religions (Judaism, Hinduism, etc.), have an international character. The emergence of world religions is the result of a long development of political, economic and cultural contacts between different countries and peoples. The cosmopolitan nature of Buddhism, Christianity and Islam allowed them to transcend national borders and spread widely across the globe. World religions to a greater or lesser extent are characterized by faith in a single, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God; he, as it were, combines in one image all those qualities and properties that were inherent in the numerous gods of polytheism.

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History of religion
Buddhism arose in the northeastern part of India (the territory of the modern state of Bihar), where those ancient states (Magadha, Koshala, Vaishali) were located, in which Buddha preached and where Buddhism from the very beginning of its existence was widely spread. It is usually believed that here, on the one hand, the positions of the Vedic religion and the varna (estate) system associated with it, which ensured the privileged position of the Brahmin (priestly) varna, were weaker than in other parts of India (that is, the northeast of India was, as it were, "weak link" of Brahminism), and on the other hand, it was here that the stormy process of state building was going on, which assumed the rise of another "noble" estate - the varna of kshatriyas (warriors and secular rulers - kings). Namely, Buddhism arose as a doctrine opposed to Brahmanism, based primarily on the secular power of kings. It is important to note here that, again, Buddhism contributed to the creation in India of powerful state formations like the empire of Ashoka. Much later, already in the 5th century. n. e. the great Buddhist teacher Vasubandhu, expounding the sociogenic myth in his "Receptacle of the Abhidharma" (Abhidharmakosha), says almost nothing about the brahmins, but describes in great detail the origin of royal power.
Thus, in India, Buddhism was the “royal religion,” which did not prevent it from simultaneously being a form of ancient Indian freethinking, since the priestly class of the Brahmins in India was the bearer of religious and generally ideological orthodoxy and orthopraxy. Middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. was in India the time of the crisis of the ancient Vedic religion, the guardians and zealots of which were the Brahmins. And it is not surprising that the "weak link" of Brahminism - the state of north-east India - became the mainstay of religious movements, to which Buddhism belonged. And the emergence of these alternative teachings was
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is closely connected with the disappointment of a part of the ancient Indian society in the Vedic religion with its ritualism and formal piety, as well as with certain contradictions and conflicts between the brahmins (priesthood) and the kshatriyas (who embodied the beginnings of the secular power of the ancient Indian kings).

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Significance of Buddhism
The emergence of Buddhism in India was a religious revolution in consciousness, subverting the authority of the Vedas - the basis of the traditional religion of India. About this revolutionary character of Buddhism, Roger Zelazny wrote the fantasy novel The Prince of Light. However, if we move from an artistic to a scientific understanding of the meaning of Buddhism, then serious difficulties arise: how to identify those moments of the Buddha's preaching that really were the beginning of a revolution in the worldview of the ancient Aryans?
At first glance, everything is simple - after all, the foundations of Buddhism are well known, Siddhartha himself outlined them in his first sermon. But if you carefully analyze his famous Benares sermon, which served as the beginning of Buddhism, it turns out that it contains well-known and generally accepted truths for the Indian of that time.
The earliest exposition of the Benares sermon is contained in the Dharmachakra pravartana sutra (sutra of starting the wheel of teaching), which is contained in the Pali Canon and is included in the Sutta Pitaka. It was translated into Russian many times, its scientific translation was made by A.V.Paribk. A detailed psychological analysis of this sutra has been carried out by Lama Anagarika Govinda. Let us analyze its content as the very first exposition of the concept of Buddhism.
At the beginning of his sermon, the Buddha opposes two extremes - asceticism and hedonism, only the middle path between these extremes leads to liberation. What does the Buddha offer instead of an ascetic feat or a hedonistic intoxication with pleasures? - there is observance of elementary moral norms, which he expresses in the eightfold Noble Path: true view, true intention, true speech, true deeds, true way of life, true
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diligence, true reflection, true concentration. Not a single aria of that time would argue with such moral standards. It is another matter whether he would observe them, but these moral norms themselves did not contain anything unusual, especially heroic or impossible.
The Buddha goes on to expound noble truths. The first truth about suffering is that life is suffering: suffering in birth and death, suffering in disease, union with the unloved is suffering, suffering is separation from the beloved, all the content of life arising from attachment is suffering.
By suffering, the ancient Aryan understood something completely different from what a modern European understands. For the modern European, suffering is a special affective state, which he tries with all his might to avoid. He perceives the understanding of life as suffering in a completely different sense than a Buddhist. The identification of life with suffering for a European means an active life-denial, an understanding of life by its nature as evil or corrupted.
The ancient Aryan understood by suffering not any temporary affects at all, but an understanding of everything that is revealed in life (it should be borne in mind that the transient is an empirical fact for a European who overcomes it in religious experience). In the end, a person can rejoice, but the understanding that this joy is transient and will inevitably be lost in the abyss of the past is suffering. Therefore, the identification of life with suffering did not carry for the ancient aria that pathos and expressive character, which it acquires for a European.
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The fact that life is suffering was self-evident to the man of the time of the Buddha, and, naturally, with this position, the Buddha could not open anyone's eyes to something new. The Aryans treated the identification of life and suffering quite calmly, as something natural and at the same time tragic - about the same as Europeans relate to the consciousness of their own mortality.
A.N. Knigkin, asserting the thesis: "there is nothing ahistorical in consciousness in the sense of the absoluteness of any contents" is much closer to Buddhism than to European philosophy. One way or another, both Plato, and Kant, and all European transcendentalism strives to reveal the absolute content in consciousness. The doctrine of suffering in Buddhism is that there is no such content in consciousness - everything is transient. In fact, the thesis of A.N. Knigina is a formulation of the first noble truth of the Buddha, but in European terminology.
The second truth taught by the Buddha is about the cause of suffering. And here the Buddha does not report anything new, but speaks a well-known and self-evident truth for the Aryans of that time: the cause of suffering is attachment to life.
The same can be said about the third noble truth, which is that liberation from suffering is liberation from attachment to life.
The path that allows you to stop these sufferings comes down to just those elementary moral standards that the Buddha spoke about at the beginning of his sermon. The eightfold noble path - that is, the path of following these moral standards, with which no one, in fact, was going to argue, was the content of the fourth noble truth.
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What was fundamentally new in the preaching of the Buddha?
The traditional consciousness of the Aryans of that time was based on the authority of the Vedas. It included a certain religious experience, which was reinforced by established rituals and spiritual and ascetic practices. All this the Buddha ignores. Religious consciousness, which is formed through ritual and ascetic practice, he opposes the everyday consciousness of a natural person.
It is necessary to immediately make a reservation that the consciousness of a natural person should be understood historically, as A.N. Knigin in his work "Philosophical Problems of Consciousness". In other words, there is no natural consciousness at all, just as there is no natural man at all. There is a constantly changing natural consciousness, which for the man of ancient India was filled with a different content than the natural consciousness of a modern European. To understand Buddhism means to find out its premises in the natural consciousness of a person of that time.
As pointed out by A.N. Knizhin, natural consciousness is pre-reflexive. To this it should be added that it must precede any experience acquired in one or another cult practice. The doctrine of the absolute, of reincarnation, of the Vedic deities - all these are evidences of precisely religious consciousness - the consciousness of a person already included in Brahmanistic cult practice. The Buddha contrasts it with natural consciousness, which is not only pre-reflexive, but not yet filled with the experience of any cult practice. This means that for such a consciousness it is not obvious all the traditional provisions of the Brahminist religion, which the Buddha rejects.

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Buddhism is the only religion in the world that did not require the person who turned to it to recognize any position that was not connected with the experience of natural man. It did not require belief in a deity, or in ideal entities, or in the material world, or in anything else, which for a natural person of Eastern culture would not seem self-evident.
One of the largest experts in the field of Buddhist philosophy, Lama Anagarika Govinda, wrote about this feature of Buddhism as follows: “Indeed, it is difficult to find another religion or philosophy that could be proud of such easily accessible and understandable formulations that do not require any scientific education, neither belief in fantastic assumptions, nor any other intellectual sacrifice."
The first principle of the methodology of natural realism, which A.N. Knizhin is the equality of all forms in which reality is given to man. This principle requires the equality of all theoretical positions and excludes the construction of a philosophical concept on any absolutized points of view, axioms or dogmas. This principle of the methodology of natural realism is also the first principle of the Buddhist religious and philosophical system. As Anagarika Govinda writes: “Buddha was a genius “free thinker” in the best sense of the word, not only because he recognized the right of every person to think independently, but above all because his mind was free from any fixed points. vision - theories. The Buddha refused to base his teaching on simple, ordinary beliefs or dogmas."
Indeed, apart from the premises of natural consciousness, nowhere in the Buddha's sermon do we see any dogma that absolutized
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any one way of perceiving reality. This is obvious if we specifically consider what a person believed in when he turned to the Buddha.
The natural person accepts at the pre-reflexive level the reality that is directly given to him. Buddhism recognizes only the directly given stream of life, without requiring the recognition of either the concept of the material world, or the concept of an ideal fundamental principle, or the concept of the absolute, which could somehow ontologically substantiate this stream of life. The Buddhist proceeds only from directly given existential experience.
Along with this, the beginninglessness of the flow of life is recognized, that is, that life has always existed, and not only from the moment of the empirically given fact of the birth of a person. For a modern person who believes in the finiteness of his own being, this thesis is not obvious, so he is inclined to attribute to Buddhism a dogmatic belief in this position. However, it is not. For an Eastern person, belief in the beginninglessness of life is not a dogma, but a pre-reflexive premise - self-evidence. Buddha appealed specifically to the pre-reflexive consciousness, and in accordance with this he accepted everything that is the content of this pre-reflexive consciousness of the natural person of Eastern culture, including the idea of ​​the beginninglessness of life.
However, the fact that there is a certain essence with which one can identify the idea of ​​a person, soul, God - for the natural person of Eastern culture was no longer self-evident, and the Buddha refrains from recognizing all these ideas. In other words, the requirement to be based only on the premises of the consciousness of a natural person gave rise to the concept of anatman, that is, the idea of ​​denying any essence of a person - spirit, soul, body, etc.
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Man is a phenomenon within the flow of life - this is given in existential experience as self-evidence, but the fact that a person represents any material or ideal entity is an absolutization of one of the rationalistic positions, from which Buddhism is completely free. One of the earliest expositions of the concept of anatman is given in the "Questions of Milinda" - an outstanding literary monument of early Buddhism, which is of no less importance for Buddhist philosophy than Plato has for European philosophy. Here is an excerpt from the sutra adjoining the text of the "Questions of Milinda":
“This knot was untangled already in antiquity. The king of Kalinga, having once come to Thera Nagasena, said: “I would like to ask the venerable one, but hermits happen to be very talkative. Will you answer directly what I ask you? "Ask," came the reply. “Are the soul and the body one and the same, or is the soul one and the body another?” "It's uncertain," Thera said. “How! We agreed in advance, venerable sir, to answer exactly the question. Why do I hear otherwise: is it vague?” Thera said, "I would also like to ask the king, but kings happen to be very talkative. Will you answer directly what I ask you?" "Ask," came the reply.
“Is the fruit of that mango tree that grows in your palace sour or sweet?” “Yes, I don’t have any mango tree in my palace,” he said. "How! We agreed in advance, sir, to answer exactly the question. Why do I hear otherwise: no de mango tree? - “How can I say whether the fruit of the tree is sweet or sour if it is not?” - “That's exactly the same, sir, there is no soul. How can I say whether it is identical with the body or different from it?
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Lama Anagarika Govinda emphasizes that the fundamental premise of the Buddha's teaching is a self-evident and universally valid truth. He compares it with Descartes' proposition “I think therefore I am”, on the self-evidence of which this French philosopher substantiated the whole building of his own philosophy. However, his position was self-evident only for the rational sphere - for the field of thought.
The Buddha, on the other hand, sought to substantiate his teaching on a position that is self-evident for the natural mind, that is, for such a mind for which any hypostasis of being is equal, both the sphere of thought and the sphere of feelings, the sphere of experience, the sphere of contemplation, etc. Such self-evidence, according to Anagarika Govinda, is the fact of suffering. At the same time, he emphasizes that suffering should not be understood in accordance with the stereotypes of a Western person, as a kind of temporary mental state - it is a universal intuition about the form of being, accessible not only to humans, but to all living beings.
About this Anagarika Govinda says this: “The famous French philosopher Descartes based his philosophy on the position: “I think, therefore I am.” The Buddha went one step further, he started from a much more universal principle based on experience common to all sentient beings: the fact of suffering. However, suffering in Buddhism is not an expression of pessimism or weariness from the life of an aging civilization: it is the fundamental thesis of an all-encompassing idea, for there is no other experience that is equally universal. Not all living beings are thinking beings, and not all thinking beings reach the level at which this faculty comprehends its own nature and meaning; but all sentient beings suffer, for they all
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subject to old age, sickness and death. This experience forms a link between beings that would otherwise have little in common with each other; this is the bridge that connects man with the animal world, this is the basis of universal brotherhood.

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Buddhism in the modern world
Buddhism is currently one of the main and most widespread world religions. Adherents of this religion inhabit mainly the regions of Central, South and Southeast Asia. However, the sphere of influence of Buddhism goes beyond this region of the globe: its followers are also found on other continents, although in smaller numbers. The number of Buddhists is also great in our country, mainly in Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva.
Buddhism, along with Christianity and Islam, belongs to the so-called world religions, which, unlike national religions (Judaism, Hinduism, etc.), have an international character. The emergence of world religions is the result of a long development of political, economic and cultural contacts between different countries and peoples. The cosmopolitan nature of Buddhism, Christianity and Islam allowed them to transcend national borders and spread widely across the globe. World religions to a greater or lesser extent are characterized by faith in a single, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God; he, as it were, combines in one image all those qualities and properties that were inherent in the numerous gods of polytheism.
Each of the three world religions developed in a specific historical environment, under the conditions of a certain cultural and historical community of peoples. This circumstance explains many of their characteristic features. We will turn to them in this essay, where Buddhism, its origin and philosophy will be considered in detail.
Buddhism originated in the 6th century. BC. in India, where at that time the process of formation of slave-owning states was going on. The starting point of Buddhism is the legend of the Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama. According to this legend, Gautama left his family at the age of 30 and became a hermit.
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and undertook a search for ways to rid mankind of suffering. After seven years of seclusion, he achieves awakening and comprehends the correct path of life. and he becomes a Buddha (“awakened”, “enlightened”), preaching his teachings for forty years. The four truths become the center of the teaching. According to them, human existence is inextricably linked with suffering. The real world is samsara - the cycle of births, deaths and new births. The essence of this cycle is suffering. The path of salvation from suffering, in the exit from the “wheel” of samsara, by achieving nirvana (“extinction”), the state of detachment from life, the highest state of the human spirit, freed from desires and suffering. Only a righteous person who has conquered desires can comprehend nirvana.
The doctrine and rituals of early Buddhism are set forth in the Trip Ithaca (“triple basket”) - a set of works based on the revelations of the Buddha. In particular, it describes the principles of the structure of the world and the universe, the doctrine of the soul and its salvation. The universe in Buddhist dogmatics has a multi-layered structure. One can count dozens of heavens mentioned in various canonical and non-canonical writings of Hinayana and Mahayana. In total, there are 31 spheres of being, located one above the other, from bottom to top according to the degree of their sublimity and spirituality. They are divided into three categories: karmolok, rupaloka and arupaloka.
There are 11 steps or levels of consciousness in the karmaloka. This is the lowest realm of being. Karma is fully at work here. This is a completely bodily material sphere of being, only at its highest levels it begins to move into more elevated stages.
Levels 12 to 27 belong to a higher sphere of contemplation - rupaloka. Here it is really no longer direct rough contemplation, but imagination, but it is still connected with the corporeal world, with the forms of things.
And finally, the last level - arupaloka - is detached from form and from
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bodily material principle.
In Buddhism, it occupies one of the most important places the so-called denial of the unity of the individual. Each personality is presented as an accumulation of “changeable” forms. According to the statements of the Buddha, a person consists of five elements: corporeality, sensations, desires, ideas and knowledge. Just as great is the significance of the teaching about the salvation of the soul, finding peace for it, in the original Buddhism. The soul breaks up, according to the teachings of Buddhism, into separate elements (skandas), but in order for the same person to be incarnated in a new birth, it is necessary that the skandas unite in the same way as they were united in the previous incarnation. The cessation of the cycle of reincarnations, the exit from samsara, the final and eternal rest - this is an important element in the interpretation of salvation in Buddhism. The soul, in the Buddhist view, is an individual consciousness that carries the entire spiritual world of a person, transforms in the process of personal rebirth and strives for calm in nirvana. At the same time, the achievement of nirvana is impossible without the suppression of desires, which is achieved by means of controlling views, speech, behavior, lifestyle, effort, attention, and complete concentration and determination.
The sum of all actions and thoughts in all previous rebirths, which can only be roughly described by the word “fate”, but literally means the law of retribution, is a force that determines a specific type of rebirth and is called karma. All actions in life are determined by karma, but a person has a certain freedom of choice in deeds, thoughts, actions, which makes it possible to reach salvation, exit from the circle of transformations into an enlightened state.
The social role of Buddhism is determined by the idea of ​​human equality in suffering and in the right to salvation. Even during his lifetime, a person could voluntarily embark on the righteous path by joining the monastic community (sanghaya), which means renouncing caste, family, property, joining the world of strict
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rules and prohibitions (253 prohibitions), five of which are obligatory for every Buddhist: refusal to kill living beings, from theft, lies, alcohol, observance of marital fidelity.
Buddhism has enriched religious practice with a device related to the field of individual worship. This refers to such a form of religious behavior as bhavana - deepening into oneself, into one's inner world for the purpose of concentrated reflection on the truths of faith, which has become further widespread in such areas of Buddhism as "Chan" and "Zen". Many researchers believe that ethics in Buddhism is central and this makes it more of an ethical, philosophical teaching, rather than a religion. Most of the concepts in Buddhism are vague, ambiguous, which makes it more flexible and well adaptable to local cults and beliefs, capable of transformation. Thus, the followers of the Buddha formed numerous monastic communities, which became the main centers for the spread of religion.
In the 1st century AD In Buddhism, two branches were formed: Hinayana (“small cart”) and Mahayana (“big cart”). This division was caused primarily by differences in the socio-political conditions of life in certain parts of India. Hinayana, more closely associated with early Buddhism, recognizes the Buddha as a person who found the path to salvation, which is considered achievable only through withdrawal from the world - monasticism. Mahayana proceeds from the possibility of salvation not only for hermit monks, but also for the laity, and the emphasis is on active preaching, on intervention in public and state life. Mahayana, in contrast to the Hinayana, more easily adapted to the spread outside of India, giving rise to many rumors and currents, the Buddha gradually becomes the highest deity, temples are built in honor of him, cult actions are performed.
An important difference between Hinayana and Mahayana is that
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The Hinayana completely rejects the path to salvation for non-monks who voluntarily renounce worldly life. In the Mahayana, the cult of bodystaves plays an important role - individuals who are already able to enter nirvana, but steal the achievement of the ultimate goal in order to help others, not necessarily monks, in achieving it, thereby replacing the requirement to leave the world with a call to influence it.
Early Buddhism is distinguished by the simplicity of rituals. Its main element is: the cult of Buddha, preaching, veneration of holy places associated with the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama, worship of stupas - places of worship where the relics of Buddhism are kept. Mahayana added veneration to the bodystaves to the cult of the Buddha, thus the rites became more complicated: prayers and all sorts of spells were introduced, sacrifices began to be practiced, and a magnificent ritual arose.
In the VI - VII centuries. AD the decline of Buddhism in India began, due to the decline of the slave system and the growth of feudal fragmentation, by the XII - XIII centuries. it is losing its former positions in the country of its origin, having moved to other parts of Asia, where it has been transformed taking into account local conditions. One of these varieties of Buddhism, which established itself in Tibet and Mongolia, was Lamaism, which was formed in the XII-XV centuries. based on the Mahayana. The name comes from the Tibetan word lama (highest, heavenly) - a monk in Lamaism. Lamaism is characterized by the cult of hubilgans (rebirths) - the incarnations of the Buddha, living gods, which include mainly the highest lamas. Lamaism is characterized by the mass spread of monasticism, while the process of communication with God was significantly simplified: a believer just had to attach a leaf with a prayer to a pole so that the wind swayed it, or put it into a special drum. If in classical Buddhism there was no image of the supreme God - the creator, then here he appears in the face of Adibuzda, who seems to be the primary Even of all further incarnations of the Buddha. Lamaism did not abandon the doctrine of
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nirvana, but the place of nirvana in Lamaism was taken by paradise. If a believer fulfills all the requirements of lamaist morality, then after the suffering and deprivation of samsara, he will find peace and a blissful life in paradise. To characterize the Lamaist picture of the world, the belief in the existence of an unknown ideal state (Shambhala), which will someday play a decisive role in the history of the Universe and the Earth, is of certain importance.
In many years of its existence, Buddhism spread in the Asian region, where in many states it has a strong influence on social and political life. In Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, the leadership of the church belongs to the heads of state. In countries where the influence of Buddhism is strong, many monks remain: suffice it to say that in Cambodia every twentieth man is a monk. Buddhist monasteries act as large educational institutions that are centers of education and art.
In our country, Buddhism is presented mainly as Lamaism. Many peoples inhabiting Siberia adhere to the Buddhist religion. The activities of the lamaist clergy are headed by the Central Spiritual Administration of Buddhists, established by the cathedral in 1946. The chairman of the administration wears the rank of bandido-hambolaba and is located in the Ivolginsky datsan (monastery), located not far from the city of Ulan-Ude.

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Conclusion
We got acquainted only in general terms with the very capacious and repetitive concept of "Buddhism". We have seen that this religion, which for many centuries served as the life guide of hundreds of millions of people, and to this day attracts attention to itself, and in some places still dominates the consciousness of believers, is neither "stupidity" nor "empty invention," nor "great wisdom," capable of answering at all times all the questions posed by life.
The emergence of Buddhism and its difficult fate is a natural result of the existence of such a society in which suffering was indeed a constant companion of life for the vast majority of people. Buddhism mystified this suffering, turned real human misfortunes into an "illusion of consciousness" and thus directed people's efforts towards liberation from suffering in its own direction. Moreover, the very method of getting rid of suffering, proposed by Buddhism, objectively turned out to be the backbone of that society in which compassion is inevitable.
Religion is a tool for a calm carefree life, work, happiness. A magnificent tool, fine-tuned for thousands of years, which allows a person to renounce atheistic views on such complex and depressing concepts as, for example, death. By believing, a person deprives himself of unnecessary doubts and torments of the uncertainty of the future, thereby gaining the opportunity to become a full-fledged member of society, i.e. having appropriate aesthetic and moral principles. Buddhism is, in my opinion, one of the best tools for appeasing the human soul.

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Bibliography
- Korolev k.m.; Buddhism. Encyclopedia; Midgard; Eksmo; St. Petersburg, Moscow; 2008; 250 pages
- Lama Om Nidal; How everything is; Diamond way; 2009; 240 pages
- Surzhenko L.A.; Buddhism; book house; 2009; 384pp.
- Keown Damien; Buddhism; The whole world; 2001; 176pp.
- www.zencenter.ru

Chapter 1. History of Buddhism 6

1.1. Prerequisites for the emergence of Buddhism 6

1.2. Buddha personality 8

1.3. Essence of Buddhism 11

1.4. Buddhism in Japan 14

Chapter 2. Buddhism in modern countries. eighteen

2.1. Buddhism in Modern Mongolia 18

2.2. Buddhism in Sri Lanka 22

2.3. Buddhism in Indochina 24

2.4. Buddhism in Japan. Neo-Buddhism. 26

2.5. Buddhism and Neo-Buddhism in Russia. 28

Conclusion 41

Literature 43

Introduction

The relevance of this topic lies in the fact that Buddhism in modern society is one of the world religions along with such as Christianity, Islam, etc. During its existence, Buddhism has spread throughout the world and, having undergone many transformations, has reached our time. At the moment, the approximate number of Buddhists in the modern world is about 300 million people.

A distinctive feature of modern Buddhism is that most schools can be attributed to the so-called neo-Buddhism - this term is a collective name for a variety of modernist and reformist movements in Buddhism, aimed at adapting traditional forms and methods of propaganda of the dogma to modernity (to modern science, technology, public -economic conditions) in order to preserve the essence of Buddhist teachings. As a religious reform movement, Neo-Buddhism is very heterogeneous. In each country, it manifests itself in different ways, reflecting its ethical and socio-political characteristics. In some regions of Asia (Mongolia, Buryatia), neo-Buddhism arose at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. within the framework of the renovation movement of the Buddhist clergy and laity as a reaction to the dominance of Western ideology and culture. In the countries of South and Southeast Asia (Sri Lanka, Burma), neo-Buddhism was associated with the armed anti-colonial struggle of peoples and manifested itself primarily in the politicization of the Buddhist clergy, their more active participation in political movements. In a number of Asian countries, the neo-Buddhism movement led, before and after the Second World War, to the formation of new independent religious and political associations (in Japan - the so-called "new religions", in Vietnam - Hoahao, etc.). These associations, as a rule, have absorbed elements of other religious teachings (for example, Christianity) and are of a syncretic nature. Neo-Buddhism is currently developing rapidly in Western countries (USA, Canada, Western Europe), where Buddhism comes into intense interaction with Western religious teachings and socio-cultural traditions. Common to all currents of neo-Buddhism is a more or less deep degree of secularization and the strengthening of the social interpretation of Buddhist doctrine, the desire to present it as a "secular art of life" or "scientific" and even "atheistic religion". In order to synthesize the Buddhist picture of the world with scientific knowledge, neo-Buddhism introduces ideas about the historical movement and development and other scientific concepts, attempts are made to demythologize, demystify and psychologize Buddhist teachings.

The problem is that the Buddha's teaching, having been transformed under the influence of evolution and civilization, has largely lost its original essence. Some researchers, mostly from among representatives of aggressive confessions, try to present neo-Buddhism in the modern world as a degenerate, harmful religion, etc., explaining this by the fact that modern Buddhist concepts not only differ from the original ones, but also openly promote anti-religious directions of human activity Moreover, Buddhism interferes in political activity, which, according to the clergy of other religions, is unacceptable. We note here that, for example, the Christian Church in the same way underwent a huge number of changes in dogma and even more actively interfered in the political life of the countries where it was dominant. Thus, it is impossible to speak about the anti-religiousness of neo-Buddhism on this basis. However, the question of the essence of modern Buddhist concepts remains open.

Thus, we can formulate the main goal of this study: the study of Buddhism in the modern world.

Based on the goal, it is possible to determine the main objectives of this study:

Study literature on a given topic

Explore the history of Buddhism

Explore the original concept of Buddhism

Study the history and forms of the spread of Buddhism

Explore the current state of Buddhism

To study the directions of modern Buddhism (on the example of the most famous neo-Buddhist schools)

Object of study: Buddhism as a world religion

Subject of study: the essence of modern Buddhism

Research methodology: theoretical analysis of literature on a given topic

The structure of the work: the work consists of an introduction, two chapters, nine paragraphs, a conclusion and a list of references.

Chapter 1. History of Buddhism

1.1. Prerequisites for the emergence of Buddhism

Buddhism originated in the northeastern part of India (on the territory of the modern state of Bihar), where there were states in which the Buddha preached. It was there that Buddhism became widespread from the very beginning of its existence, because, according to some scholars, such as, for example, E. A. Torchinov, it is in this part of India that the position of the Vedic religion and the class system associated with it, which ensures the privileged position of the Brahmin varnas were weaker than in other parts of India. On the other hand, it was in these parts that state building was actively developing, which involved strengthening the positions of the varna of the kshatriyas (rulers). Buddhism relied on the secular power of kings (especially considering that the Buddha himself was from the Kshatriya dynasty). Buddhism as a public religion favored the creation of powerful states in India, such as the empire of Ashoka. That is, initially Buddhism was supported as a "royal religion", and at the same time it was a certain form of freethinking, rejecting the obsolete laws of Brahmanism, which by the middle of the first millennium BC was experiencing a serious crisis of faith. And therefore it was quite natural that the states where Brahmanism as a public religion finally lost its positions (the states of north-east India) became the “place of primary deployment) of new religious movements, one of which - and the most striking - was Buddhism.

Job published

Theravada Buddhism of South and Southeast Asia

Sri Lanka

At present, there are a number of countries where Buddhism flourishes, while in others it faces certain difficulties. For example, the Theravada tradition is strongest in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Burma (Myanmar), but rather weak in Laos, Cambodia (Kampuchea) and Vietnam. From the 16th to the 19th century, Buddhism experienced a decline in Sri Lanka, first due to persecution by the Inquisition, and then through the fault of missionaries in the service of the colonial Christian rulers. Buddhism was revived at the end of the 19th century, largely due to the efforts of British scientists and theosophists. As a result, Sri Lankan Buddhism is sometimes referred to as "Protestant" Buddhism, as it emphasizes scientific knowledge, the pastoral activity of monks in relation to the lay community, and proper meditative practices for the laity, and not just for people in monastic robes. The faith of lay Buddhists is quite strong, but sometimes one can hear expressions of dissatisfaction from their side with the small number of monks who equally pay attention to both the study of doctrine and meditation practice.

Indonesia and Malaysia

The monks of Sri Lanka were actively involved in the revival of Theravada Buddhism in Bali and in other parts of Indonesia and Malaysia, where it gradually died out towards the end of the 15th century. However, this revival was very limited. In Bali, interest in Buddhism has been shown mainly by followers of the local mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism and various pagan cults, while in other parts of Indonesia and Malaysia, the Buddhist audience is mainly represented by a diaspora of Chinese immigrants who practice Mahayana Buddhism. There is also a very small number of new Indonesian Buddhist sects that are a mixture of Chinese and Tibetan traditions with Theravada.

In accordance with the Indonesian state policy "panchashila" all religions must profess belief in a god. Although Buddhism does not recognize god as an individual and is therefore sometimes considered an "atheistic religion", it is officially recognized and permitted because it recognizes the existence of Adibuddha, which literally means "Original or Primordial Buddha". This issue is dealt with in the Kalachakra Tantra, which was widespread in Indonesia about a thousand years ago. Adibuddha is the omniscient creator of all manifestation, existing beyond time, words and other limitations. Although he is represented as a symbolic figure, he is not in himself a being, or a person per se. Adibuddha is more abstract and can be found in all living beings as the nature of clear light mind. On this basis, Buddhism is recognized as one of the five state religions of Indonesia along with Islam, Hinduism, Protestant and Catholic forms of Christianity.

India

Around the 17th century, Buddhism gradually declined in the regions of India adjacent to the Himalayas. However, at the end of the 19th century, Sri Lankans, with the help of British scientists, founded the Maha Bodhi Society with the aim of restoring Buddhist places of pilgrimage in India, in which they achieved significant success. At present, both the Sri Lankan tradition and some other Buddhist traditions have temple complexes in each of these places, in which monks live and services are held.

In the 1950s in western India, Ambedkar founded a "neo-Buddhist" movement among the lower castes, or untouchables. Hundreds of thousands of followers joined this movement, mainly to avoid the "stigma" of belonging to this lower caste. Their main goal was to acquire political and social rights. Ambedkar died shortly after this "rebirth" began. After his death, the movement was led by Sangharakshita, an Englishman who founded the Friends of Western Buddhism order, created as a new form of Buddhist community focused on Western followers of the teachings of the Buddha.

Thailand

In Thailand, influenced by the Thai model of monarchy, the Supreme Patriarch and the Council of Elders are responsible for maintaining the purity of tradition in the Buddhist monastic community. There are two types of monastic communities: those who live in the forests and those who live in the villages. Both are objects of reverence and support for the lay community. Mendicant monks, belonging to a strong "forest" tradition, live in seclusion in the jungle and practice meditation intensively. They strictly follow the monastic rules of discipline, which also governs their curriculum. The training of "village" monks consists mainly of memorizing texts. These monks also perform a variety of ceremonies to ensure the well-being of the locals. The "village" monks also provide the laity with protective amulets in accordance with Thai beliefs in various spirits. The local Buddhist university, reserved for monks, mainly teaches the translation of Buddhist scriptures from classical Pali into modern Thai.

Myanmar (Burma)

In Myanmar (Burma), the military regime took Buddhism under strict control, entrusting it to a special ministry for religious affairs. The monasteries where the dissidents lived were subjected to ruthless destruction, this process was especially intensive in the north of the country. Now the government is giving large subsidies to the surviving monks in an attempt to woo their support and stifle criticism. Burma has an ancient tradition of monasticism that emphasizes both meditation and study, mainly the study of abhidharma, the system of Buddhist psychology, metaphysics and ethics. Many monasteries of this tradition are still active today, and there is a strong faith among the laity. Beginning in the second half of the 19th century, perhaps under the influence of British colonization, there were many meditation centers where monks and lay teachers taught lay people, both men and women, the basics of meditation leading to the development of mindfulness.

Bangladesh

In southern Bangladesh, in the mountains along the Burmese border, there are many scattered villages whose inhabitants traditionally follow the Burmese Buddhist tradition. However, since they are cut off from Burma, the level of understanding of the doctrine and practice there is quite low.

Laos

In Laos, rural areas still study and practice Buddhism in the traditional way, but the monasteries are in a deplorable state due to the aftermath of the American-Vietnamese War. Lay people still put food in the monks' begging bowls and go to temples on full moon days. However, the tradition of meditation is extremely weak. Previously, monks had to study Marxism and teach it to others, but now they are not obliged to do this. Today only a formal expression of devotion to communist doctrine is required of the populace, and becoming a monk has become much easier.

Cambodia

In Cambodia (formerly Kampuchea), Buddhism is undergoing a period of recovery from the persecution and destruction of its Pol Pot, and the restrictions are slowly becoming less severe. This process gained momentum during the reign of Prince Sihanouk. However, until now, monasticism is allowed only after 30 or 40 years, because the country needs human resources. The head of the monasticism, the Khmer monk Maha Ghosananda, studied meditation in Thailand, since the art of meditation was completely lost in Cambodia. Now he is trying to restore this practice here. What remained of the "forest" tradition in Kampuchea had more to do with the pursuit of high social status than with meditation as such.

Vietnam

Although Vietnam has never had a counterpart to the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Buddhism is still considered an enemy of the state, and the monks continue to challenge state power and its control of the population. It is very difficult to become a monk in this country, and many of them are still imprisoned. Only "ostentatious" monasteries function, mainly for propaganda purposes. In the north, where monastic institutions peacefully co-existed with the communists during the Vietnam War, the regime for monks is looser. In the south of the country, the authorities treat the monks more harshly and suspiciously.

East Asian Mahayana Buddhism

Taiwan, Hong Kong and Chinese diaspora areas

The East Asian Mahayana Buddhism tradition, originating in China, is strongest in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea. In Taiwan, the monastic community is the most developed, as it is generously sponsored and supported by the lay community. There are Buddhist universities and Buddhist charities. The monastic community in Hong Kong is also thriving. Buddhist communities in the Chinese diaspora in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines place emphasis on holding ceremonies for the well-being of the ancestors and the prosperity and wealth of the living. There are many mediums who, through trance, contact Buddhist oracles, allowing them to communicate with people. Laity turn to them for advice on health and psychological problems. Chinese businessmen, who are the main driving force behind the economies of the "Asian tigers", often make generous offerings to monks to perform rituals for their financial success.

Korea

In South Korea, Buddhism still has some weight, although it faces increasing difficulties due to the spread of Protestant Christian movements. There are a large number of monastic communities whose monks and nuns enjoy the support of the population. There is a thriving tradition of meditation, mostly sleep, a Korean form of Zen Buddhism. On the other hand, Buddhism is severely suppressed in North Korea, functioning monasteries there exist only for propaganda purposes.

Japan

There are many beautiful temples in Japan, most of which have been turned into sources of income and are kept only for tourists and visitors. Although serious practitioners can be found in Japan, the traditions are for the most part very formalized and weak. Beginning in the 13th century, the Japanese had a tradition of married temple clergy who did not have a ban on drinking alcohol. These clerics gradually supplanted the tradition of celibate monks. Most Japanese follow a mixed religion, where Buddhism is closely intertwined with the traditional Japanese religion of Shinto. There are priests who perform Shinto rituals for births and weddings, and Buddhist ones for funerals, with a very limited understanding of both. Large companies are trying to introduce some Buddhist meditation techniques to relieve employee stress. A large Japanese Buddhist sect has an extensive program of building so-called peace pagodas around the globe. There are also a number of fanatical apocalyptic cults whose followers call themselves Buddhists, but in fact have very little to do with the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni. Historically, some Japanese Buddhist traditions have been highly nationalistic and based on the belief that Japan is a Buddhist paradise. This belief comes from the Shinto cult of the emperor and the importance of belonging to the Japanese nation. These traditions have given rise to Buddhist political parties whose agendas are highly nationalist and fundamentalist.

People's Republic of China

In Inner China, namely in the territories of the PRC where ethnic Chinese (Han people) live, most Buddhist monasteries were destroyed and the bulk of educated monks, nuns and teachers were executed or sent to camps during the cultural revolution of the 60s and 70s years of the twentieth century. However, these processes were not as comprehensive as in non-Chinese regions, namely in Tibet, Inner Mongolia and East Turkestan. Today in Inner China, many ethnic Chinese of all ages are interested in Buddhism, but the main problem is the lack of qualified teachers. Many young people are ordained as monks, but the quality leaves much to be desired. Most young people who graduate from higher education prefer to work and earn money, while those who go to monasteries mostly come from poor and/or uneducated families, mainly from villages. There are very few qualified older monks and nuns who survived the persecution by the communists who can teach, and there are no representatives of the middle generation who would be trained in anything. In many major cities in Inner China and places of pilgrimage, there are public Buddhist colleges with a two- to four-year program of study, with political education being part of the curriculum there. A small number of ethnic Chinese who have recently taken monastic vows study at these colleges.

In general, the level of Buddhist education in the Chinese monasteries proper is very low. At present, believers are focusing mainly on the physical restoration of Buddhism - the reconstruction of temples, pagodas, statues and the like, and this requires time and effort to raise funds and construction. In some cases, the Chinese government is helping to finance the reconstruction of monasteries and temples. As a result, many Buddhist temples have now opened as museums or tourist attractions. The monks act there rather as ticket controllers and attendants. This creates the appearance of "freedom of religion" - that element of the image, which is now urgently needed by the Beijing authorities. Most restoration work, however, is financed by locals, sometimes by foreign sponsors, and very often by the monks themselves. Some of the traditional ancestor worship practices that were held in temples before the communist persecution have now been revived. Nevertheless, in some regions of Inner China, there are still a small number of active Chinese monasteries with a high level of Buddhist education and spiritual practice.

Central Asian Mahayana Buddhism

Tibetans in exile

The strongest among the Tibetan traditions of Central Asia is that associated with the Tibetan refugee community around His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in North India since the 1959 popular uprising against the military occupation of Tibet by Communist China. Thanks to the efforts of these refugees, most of the major convents and monasteries in Tibet have been rebuilt and have a complete educational program for learned monks, meditation masters and teachers. Educational and research institutions and publishing houses have been established to preserve all aspects of each school of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

Exiled Tibetans have helped revive Buddhism in the Himalayan regions of India, including Ladakh and Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan by sending teachers and retransmitting lineages. Many monks and nuns from these places are educated and brought up in the male and female monasteries of Tibetan refugees.

Nepal

Although the Sherpa people of eastern Nepal and the Tibetan refugees in the central part of the country follow the Tibetan tradition of Buddhism, a traditional form of Nepalese Buddhism still exists on a limited scale among the Newari people of the Kathmandu Valley. It is a mixture of late Indian Mahayana Buddhism and Hinduism, and is the only Buddhist tradition that retains caste distinctions within monasteries. Since the 16th century, monks have been allowed to marry. Among the monks there is a hereditary caste of temple keepers and people who lead the rituals. Only those who come from these castes can perform these functions.

Tibet

The situation of Buddhism in Greater Tibet itself, which the People's Republic of China has divided among five provinces - the Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan, is still very deplorable. Of the 6,500 male and female monasteries that existed before 1959, all but 150 were destroyed, mostly before the Cultural Revolution. The vast majority of educated monks and nuns were either executed or died in concentration camps. One way or another, most of the monks and nuns were forced to take off their monastic robes. Since 1979, the Chinese have allowed the Tibetans to rebuild their monasteries, and many have already been reconstructed. The Chinese government helped rebuild two or three of them, but the vast majority were rebuilt with funds and efforts from former monks, the local population, and Tibetan refugees abroad. Thousands of young people have become monks and nuns, but the Chinese government has once again put in place strict restrictions. Many Chinese government policemen and spies, disguised as monks, carry out thorough checks in the monasteries. Monks and nuns often openly protest against China's policy of trampling on individual freedoms, demanding true Tibetan autonomy and religious freedom.

The attempts of the Chinese authorities to control Buddhism in Tibet have become evident in connection with recent events related to the search for the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. The first Panchen Lama, who lived in the 17th century, was the teacher of the Fifth Dalai Lama and is considered the second most important spiritual leader of the Tibetans after the Dalai Lama himself. After the death of the Dalai Lama or Panchen Lama, his successor is chosen - a child who is recognized as the reincarnation of his predecessor. This boy is found after consulting an oracle and carefully examined to see if he remembers people and objects from his previous life.

While the Dalai Lamas since the Fifth Dalai Lama have been both spiritual and temporal rulers of Tibet, the Panchen Lamas have never been political figures of this magnitude. Despite this, since the beginning of the 20th century, the Chinese have been unsuccessfully trying to split Tibetan society by supporting the Panchen Lama as a political opponent of the Dalai Lama.

The Manchus, a non-Han Chinese people living in northeast Asia, ruled China from the mid-17th century to the early 20th century. They tried to win over the Mongol and Tibetan peoples who came under their empire's sphere of influence by outwardly supporting Tibetan Buddhism, but at the same time trying to manipulate and control its institutions and shift their center of influence from Lhasa to Beijing. In the middle of the 18th century, they proclaimed that only the Manchu emperor had the right to choose and recognize the reincarnations of the Dalai and Panchen Lamas by drawing lots from a golden urn. The Tibetans ignored this statement; The choice of the Panchen Lamas has always been confirmed by the Dalai Lamas.

The Chinese communist government, being deliberately atheistic, should not interfere in the religious life of its citizens. In addition, it condemns all the policies of the previous imperial dynasties that ruled China. Despite this, in 1995 it proclaimed itself the legitimate heir of the Manchu emperors in their right to find and enthrone the reincarnation of the Tenth Panchen Lama, who passed away in 1989. This happened shortly after the abbot of the Panchen Lama's monastery had already found the reincarnation, and the Dalai Lama gave this boy official recognition. Subsequently, this child and his family were taken to Beijing, and no one heard from them again. The abbot was imprisoned, and the Panchen Lama's monastery is now under the strict control of the communist authorities. The Chinese authorities then ordered all the high teacher lamas to come together and hold a ceremony in which they chose their own reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. After that, the President of China met with this six-year-old boy and instructed him to be loyal to the Chinese Communist Party.

Aside from interference from the Chinese government, the main problem faced by Buddhists in Tibet is the lack of teachers. An extremely small number of old masters managed to survive after the communist repressions. There are also some teachers who have received two or at most four years of education in a rather limited program at the state Buddhist colleges opened thanks to the efforts of the last Panchen Lama. Although, in general, teaching is better in Tibet than in Inner China, many monasteries in Tibet are only tourist attractions, where the monks have to work as ushers and attendants. In general, lay Tibetans have a very strong faith, but a significant part of the youth is gradually demoralized, falling victim to unemployment resulting from the displacement of huge numbers of ethnic Chinese to Tibet, as well as from the ever-increasing supply from Inner China of cheap alcohol, heroin, pornography and billiard tables for gambling.

East Turkestan (Xinjiang)

Most of the Kalmyk monasteries in East Turkestan were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Some of them have now been restored, but there is an even more acute shortage of qualified teachers compared to Tibet. Young people who have recently become monks become frustrated by the lack of educational institutions, and many of them soon leave monasticism.

Inner Mongolia

For Tibetan Buddhists living in the territory of the People's Republic of China, the worst situation is in Inner Mongolia. Most of the monasteries in its western half were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. In the eastern half, which used to be part of Manchuria, much had already been destroyed by Stalin's troops at the end of World War II, when the Russians helped liberate northern China from the Japanese. The Cultural Revolution only completed this process of ruin. Of the 700 monasteries that previously existed in Inner Mongolia, only 27 survived. But, unlike in Tibet and East Turkestan, almost no efforts were later made to restore them. As a result of the huge influx of ethnic Chinese and mixed marriages, most of the local Mongolian population, especially in the cities, have very little interest in their language, traditional culture or Buddhist religion. Several monasteries are open to attract tourists. There are a small number of young monks, but they receive practically no education. In the remote areas of the Gobi desert, one or two monasteries remain with monks who still perform traditional rituals. But none of them is younger than seventy. Unlike the Tibetan regions, where pastures are plentiful and nomads have the means to support the rebuilding of monasteries and support new monks, Inner Mongolia's Gobi desert nomads, even those of faith, are extremely poor.

Mongolia

There were thousands of monasteries in Mongolia itself (Outer Mongolia). All of them were partially or completely destroyed in 1937 by order of Stalin. In 1946, one of the monasteries in Ulaanbaatar formally reopened, and in the early 1970s, a special school for monks was opened here with a five-year program of study, extremely abbreviated and heavily emphasizing the study of Marxism. The monks were allowed to perform a limited number of rituals for the population, which was in the field of constant attention from the state. With the fall of communism in 1990, a vigorous revival of Buddhism began with the help of Tibetans living in exile in India. Many new monks were sent to Indian monasteries for training. 150 monasteries were either reopened or partially reconstructed, and Tibetan teachers from India were invited as mentors. In contrast to Tibet, where the old monks who took off their monastic robes did not join the monasteries, but only worked on their reconstruction and supported them, in Mongolia many former monks came to the monasteries. Since most of them did not give up sleeping at home with their wives and drinking alcohol, today there is a serious problem among them with the observance of the rules of monastic discipline.

However, the most serious problem facing Mongolian Buddhists today is aggressive American Mormon missionaries and Baptist Christians. Coming for the purpose of "teaching English," they offer money and help to educate children in America to those who convert to their faith. They distribute beautiful free booklets about Jesus printed in colloquial Mongolian and show propaganda films. Buddhists cannot compete with them in propaganda. In Mongolia there are still no books on Buddhism in the spoken language, there are only in the classical one, and there is hardly anyone who can translate them, and even if such a person were found, there would be no money to print these books. Thus, young people and intellectuals are gradually moving from Buddhism to Christianity.

Russia

Three Russian regions where Tibetan Buddhism is traditionally spread are in Siberia, near Lake Baikal - Buryatia, also in Siberia, in the north of western Mongolia - Tuva and in the north-west of the coast of the Caspian Sea - Kalmykia. The Buryats and Kalmyks belong to the Mongolian group, while the Tuvans are a people of Turkic origin. All the monasteries in these three regions were completely destroyed by Stalin in the late 1930s, with the exception of three that partially survived in Buryatia. In the late 1940s, Stalin reopened two "ostentatious" monasteries in Buryatia under the strictest supervision of the competent authorities. The monks, who had previously taken off their monastic robes, put them on again as a work uniform and performed certain rituals during the day. Some of them went to study at a special religious school in Mongolia. After the fall of communism in 1990, a vigorous re-establishment of Buddhism began in all three regions. Tibetans in exile began to send their teachers there, young monks went to study in India in Tibetan monasteries. Seventeen monasteries-datsans have now been restored in Buryatia. The same problems exist here as in Mongolia: the problem of alcohol and the presence of wives among former monks who returned to monasteries. However, unlike the Mongolian monks, these monks do not pretend to be monks who observe a vow of celibacy. Plans are currently being developed to open monasteries in Kalmykia and Tuva. Christian missionaries are also active in these three regions, but not as actively as in Mongolia.

Residents of many Asian countries with other Buddhist traditions are also interested in Tibetan Buddhism. Lama teachers from the Tibetan community living in exile in India are often invited to teach in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. Such people recognize that a clear presentation of the Buddha's teachings that exist in the Tibetan tradition helps them to better understand their own traditions. People are also attracted to the complex and colorful Tibetan Buddhist rituals performed for the sake of prosperity, good health and longevity. Traditionally non-Buddhist countries

There are also various forms of Buddhism in traditionally non-Buddhist countries around the world. Practitioners can be divided into two main groups: Asian immigrants and non-Asian practitioners. Many ethnic temples have been built by immigrants from Asia, especially in the United States and Australia. On a smaller scale, this is also true of Canada, Brazil, Peru, and some Western European countries, notably France. The main emphasis here is on prayer practice and maintaining a unifying center that helps immigrant communities maintain their cultural and national identity.

Buddhist Dharma centers of all traditions exist today in more than eighty countries around the world, and they are visited mainly by people of non-Asian origin. In the Dharma centers, most of the time is devoted to meditation, learning and performing rituals. The largest percentage is made up of Dharma centers of the Tibetan tradition, the Theravada and Zen traditions. Teachers in these centers can be both Europeans and ethnic Buddhists from Asian countries. The largest number of such centers are in the United States, France and Germany. The most serious students often visit Asia to study the Dharma in greater depth. Buddhist educational programs exist in many universities around the world. At present, the dialogue and exchange of ideas between Buddhism and other religions, modern science, psychology and medicine is expanding. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is playing a leading role in this process.

In recent years, Buddhism has become known to the general public, and those who are interested can study the various Buddhist schools and traditions. An outside observer may be confused by the many currents and outward differences in the forms in which Buddhism manifests itself. Some are unable to see the Dharma behind these currents. They may be repelled by the fact that they were looking for unity in a world divided by sects and confessions. Misguided by some sect's claim that "my school is better and higher than your school," they may not see the value of the Dharma. The Buddha teaches various paths leading to Enlightenment (bodhi), and each of them is of equal value, otherwise the Buddha would not have taught them. The important qualities in the Teaching are Loving Kindness (metta), Compassion (karuna), and Wisdom (panya). They are central to any school of Buddhism.

Since the time of the First Teaching of the Buddha, which is about 26 centuries, Buddhism has spread throughout Asia. Before the victory of communism in China, about a third of the world's population professed Buddhism. Each country has developed its own special form. The main Buddhist countries are: Cambodia, Japan, South Korea, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Tibet. There are also Buddhists in Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Nepal and Vietnam. There are centers of various Buddhist traditions all over the world.

In 1996 there were over 320 million Buddhists in the world. But this figure speaks only about the so-called “pure” Buddhists who do not simultaneously profess other religions (which is possible in Buddhism). If we take into account both “clean” and “impure”, then about 500 million people are Buddhists. This number is constantly growing. First of all, interest in Buddhism has increased in the West in recent years.

In our country, entire regions in Siberia profess Buddhism. This religion is no longer "overseas" for Russia. It has been with us for several centuries. Entire nationalities, such as: Buryats, Chuvashs, Udmurts, etc. consider Buddhism their original, national religion. In terms of the total number of its followers, Buddhism in Russia is in third place after Christianity and Islam (about 2 million Buddhists).

Buddhism, following the personal example of its founder Gautama, was and remains a missionary religion. Together with Hinduism in our time, it has a great influence on the inhabitants of Western countries - Europe and America. Buddhism is the cause of the emergence of various cults and syncretic currents.

1 Dharmaraja is the king of Dharma. It is believed that originally this was the name of the kings of ancient India. The kings had the right to judge and establish the legal order in the country. The word "dharma" in this context meant law. The term received a special semantic coloring, penetrating into Tibet with the spread of Buddhism. It became the title of the kings who spread and protected the Buddhist Dharma. The meaning of the word "dharma" here is the true law, the Teaching of the Buddha. God Yama judges according to the Law of Karma, he is also called Dharmaraja. According to Buddhist cosmology, Yamaraja resides in the Heaven of Yama. Among the six Heavens of the Gods of the Passion Realm, his world is above the Heaven of the Four Strong Sovereigns and the Heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods, but below the other three Heavens. God Yama judges and decides where the soul of the deceased will be reincarnated according to the karma accumulated during life. For this reason, he is called the "Lord of Death". The karma of beings is in most cases so bad that they are destined to reincarnate below the Heavens of Yama, and therefore go through his terrible judgment.

Since its inception, Buddhism has gone through three main stages: it began as a monastic community that preached escapism (escapism), then turned into a kind of religion of civilization that united the various cultures and traditions of many Asian countries, and finally became a cultural religion, i. e. a religion that forms a culture that has entered the cultural traditions of many countries and peoples in different ways. At the present stage in Buddhism, one can distinguish both the features of a sectarian religion (for example, in countries where Buddhists are forced to hide their religion, as was the case in the USSR), and the features of the religion of civilization (new international associations of Buddhists from different countries, for example, the World Brotherhood of Buddhists), and , of course, the features of a cultural religion (new Buddhist societies in the West).

Perhaps, none of the Eastern religions evoked such complex and contradictory feelings among Europeans as Buddhism. And this is quite understandable - Buddhism, as it were, challenged all the basic values ​​of the Christian European civilization. It lacked the idea of ​​a creator god and the almighty of the universe, he abandoned the concept of the soul, and there was no religious organization in him, like the Christian church. And most importantly, instead of heavenly bliss and salvation, he offered believers nirvana, taken for complete non-existence, nothing. It is not surprising that a person of the West, brought up in Christian traditions, such a religion seemed paradoxical, strange. He saw in it a deviation from the very concept of religion, of which, naturally, Christianity was considered a model.

For some Western thinkers, the idea of ​​Buddhism as a religion opposite to Christianity, but just as widespread and revered in the world, has become an important tool for criticizing Western culture, the Western system of values, and Christianity itself.

These thinkers primarily include Arthur Schopenhauer, Friedrich Nietzsche and their followers. It was thanks to them, as well as to the founders of new synthetic religious movements, which in many ways opposed themselves to Christianity (for example, Helena Blavatsky and her associate Colonel Olcott, the founders of the Theosophical Society), in the late XIX - early XX centuries. Buddhism began to spread in the West and in Russia.

By the end of the 20th century, the West had already experienced many waves of enthusiasm for Buddhism in its various forms, and all of them left a noticeable mark on Western culture.

If at the beginning of the XX century. Europeans read the texts of the Pali canon in the translations of the most prominent Buddhist scholars, then after the Second World War, thanks to the translations of E. Conze, the European world got acquainted with the Mahayana sutras. Around the same time, the famous Japanese Buddhist Suzuki introduced Zen to the West, a craze for which has not faded to this day.

Buddhism has become widespread in most European countries: Buddhist organizations, centers and small groups exist in almost all countries of Western Europe, as well as in individual countries of Eastern Europe. Almost all Western European countries have branches of the international Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai International. The oldest in Europe are Buddhist organizations in Germany (since 1903), Great Britain (since 1907), France (since 1929). In Hamburg, in 1955, the German Buddhist Union was formed, i.e. a center uniting Buddhist organizations in Germany. The Friends of Buddhism Society was founded in France. The Buddhist Society of Great Britain was also considered the largest and most influential organization in Europe. There are also the Buddhist Mission in Great Britain (since 1926), the London Buddhist Vihara, the Buddhaladin Temple, the Tibetan Center and other societies (about forty in total). Many members of Buddhist societies in Europe were well-known Buddhist scholars and preachers of Buddhism.

Tibetan Buddhism is growing in popularity these days. The high authority of the current Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India due to the persecution of the Chinese authorities, contributed a lot to the popularity of the teachings of the Gelukpa school. All this allows us to say that Buddhism, which influenced the movement of beatniks and hippies, the work of American writers such as Jerome Salinger, Jack Kerouac and others, has become an integral part of modern Western culture.

In Russia, the influence of Buddhism was practically not felt for a long time, although peoples professing Buddhism in the Mongolian version (Buryats, Kalmyks, Tuvans) live on its territory. Now, in the wake of a general religious revival, there is a revival of Buddhist activity. A Buddhist society and a Buddhist university have been created, old Buddhist temples and monasteries (datsans) are being restored and new ones are being opened, and a large amount of Buddhist literature is being published. In both Russian capitals and in a number of other cities there are centers of several Buddhist traditions at once.

The most influential Buddhist organization is the worldwide brotherhood of Buddhists, founded in 1950. The Buddhist literature is extensive and includes writings in Pali, Sanskrit, hybrid Sanskrit, Sinhalese, Burmese, Khmer, Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan.

Development of Buddhism since 1990

In Buryatia, Kalmykia, Tuva, St. Petersburg, the surviving Buddhist temples are being restored and new ones are being opened, educational institutions are being set up at monasteries, and Tibetan teachers are being invited.

In Russia, Buddhism is also gaining popularity among Russians and other peoples.

At present, many Buddhist schools are represented in Russia: Theravada, several Mahayana schools, including Japanese Zen, Korean Son, and practically all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

Buddhism in the Russian Federation is proclaimed one of the four traditional religions for Russia, along with Orthodoxy, Sunni Islam and Judaism.

May 18 - May 19, 2009 in Moscow for the first time in Russia the forum "Days of Traditional Russian Buddhism" was held. Representatives of Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva took part in this event. The forum included a dialogue between various schools of Buddhism, practicing Buddhists and representatives of the Russian Buddhist school. The forum was held at the International Center-Museum named after N.K. Roerich

Currently, there are many Buddhist schools and temples, here are some of them:

buddavihara(full name: Wat Buddhavihara) - a house in the village of Gorelovo (St. Petersburg). Privately owned by Thai citizen Phra Chatri Hemapandha since October 15, 2006, he declared it a Buddhist temple.

Etymology

Wat is the Indochinese word for monastery. Buddha Vihara can be translated as "Buddha's Abode"

Gusinoozersky datsan (also Tamchimnsky, Khulunnomrsky, formerly Hambimnsky; the Tibetan Mongolized name is “Dashim Gandamn Darzhalimng”) - a Buddhist monastery on the territory of the Republic of Buryatia; from 1809 to the 1930s - the residence of Pandito-hambo lamas, the center of traditional Buddhism in Russia. Monument of history and architecture.

Datsan- Buddhist monastery-university of the Russian Buryats. Also in Tibet, individual “faculties” of Buddhist monasteries are called datsans.

Before the revolution, there were 35 datsans in Russia (32 - in the Trans-Baikal region, 2 - in the Irkutsk province, 1 - in St. Petersburg), currently there are about 30.

Education system in datsans

The largest datsans had three faculties - general (philosophical - tsanid), medical and tantric (gyu; jud), in small datsans there was only a general faculty; only monks who had received a general philosophical training were admitted to the tantric faculty, and only the most capable of those admitted to the study of tantras were admitted to groups for the study of the Kalachakra Tantra.

The tsanid system involved the sequential study of five disciplines, which took about fifteen years (as a rule, parents sent their children to monasteries at a very early age):

1. Logic (pramana) - according to the writings of Dharmakirti.

2. Paramita (the path of Mahayana) - according to the text of Maitreya-Asanga "Abhisamayalankara").

3. Madhyamaka (according to the treatise of Chandrakirti "Madhyamakavatara").

4. Vinaya (primarily the Vinaya of the Mulasarvastivadins).

5. Abhidharma (according to Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakosha and Asanga's Abhidharmasamucchaya).

Buddhist temple in St. Petersburg(modern official name: St. Petersburg Buddhist Temple "Datsan Gunzechoinei") - the first Buddhist temple in Europe.

Story

The representative of the Dalai Lama in Russia, Agvan Dorzhiev, received permission to build a temple in the capital in 1900. The money for the construction was donated by the 13th Dalai Lama, Agvan Dorzhiev, and also collected by the Buddhists of the Russian Empire. The temple was built by the architect G.V. Baranovsky in accordance with the canons of Tibetan architecture. For the scientific management of the construction, a committee of oriental scientists was created, which included V.V. Radlov, S.F. Oldenburg, E.E. Ukhtomsky, V.L. Kotvich, A.D. Rudnev, F.I. Shcherbatskaya, N.K. Roerich, V.P. Schneider. Construction continued from 1909 to 1915, but the first services in the temple began in 1913. The consecration of the temple took place on August 10, 1915. The abbot was Lama Agvan Lobsan Dorzhiev.

In 1919 the temple was plundered. In 1924, it began to function again until 1935, when the temple was closed and the Buddhist monks were repressed.

During the Great Patriotic War, a military radio station was set up in the church. She remained in the building until the 1960s, used as a "jammer". November 25, 1968 the building was declared an architectural monument of local importance. On July 9, 1990, by decision of the executive committee of the Leningrad City Council, the temple was handed over to Buddhists.

Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni(Kalm. Burkhn Bagshin altn s?m) - the largest Buddhist temple in the Republic of Kalmykia and Europe [source not specified 96 days]. Consecrated on December 27, 2005. The temple houses the tallest Buddha statue in Europe.

Ivolgimnsky datsamn "Khambymn Sumem""(also" Gundamn Dashim Choynhorlimn "; Buryat. T? ges Bayasgalantai? lzy nomoi Kh? Russia, a monument of history and architecture. Located in the Republic of Buryatia in the village of Upper Ivolga.

There is also the Russian Association of Buddhists of the Karma Kagyu school.

The centralized religious organization "Russian Association of Buddhists of the Karma Kagyu School" (previously called the International, hereinafter referred to as the Association) was established in 1993 by Buddhist centers and groups in Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the post-Soviet space to preserve, develop and spread Buddhism of the Karma Kagyu school and a diverse assistance to our Centers in their work, what is called in clerical Newspeak the assistance to associations that are members of the Association in exercising the right to freedom of religion.

It is governed democratically: by the highest body - the Conference of Representatives of the Centers, and in the intervals between conferences - by the Council of these representatives, of which Lama Ole Nydahl is a permanent member. There is a President for representation in various institutions and signing various papers. The headquarters of the Association (and legal address) is located in St. Petersburg.

The association carries out coordinating-information-organization-communication- and other unifying "-communication" functions - in everything that concerns not one, but many or all centers - teachers' travel schedules and the organization of large courses, information support, publication of literature, assistance in construction projects.

With the release in October 1997 of a new religious law prohibiting the full-fledged activity of religious associations that have existed for less than 15 years in a given place or do not belong to any centralized organization, the Association has another important official role. The Association, as a centralized all-Russian religious organization, recognized as traditional at the government level, establishes new centers and confirms that existing ones belong to the Buddhist tradition, which is the basis for their state registration.

The magazine "Buddhism of Russia" is dedicated to the history and current situation of Buddhism in Russia, publication and explanation of Buddhist texts, support for the non-violent resistance of the Tibetan people to the Chinese occupation regime. In addition to the archive of the most interesting materials of the magazine published since 1992, the site contains the most relevant current news of Buddhism.

Magazine "Buddhism.ru"

Published by the Religious Organization Russian Association of Buddhists of the Karma Kagyu school since 1994, published twice a year.

In each issue you will find materials on the theory and practice of Buddhism, the work of the Karma Kagyu centers, the life of contemporary Russian and Western Buddhists.

The section "Buddhology" regularly publishes works by famous historians and orientalists. The "Art" section provides an opportunity to plunge into the world of Buddhist painting and sculpture, and "Rain of Wisdom" - these are masterpieces of Indian and Tibetan spiritual poetry.

Materials on the topic "Buddhism and Science" show the relationship between the ancient teachings about the nature of the mind and the latest discoveries in science.

Not only magazines are published, but books, for example, books published by the Diamond Way publishing house:

Lama Ole Nydahl “What everything is. Buddha's Teachings in Modern Life"

Lama Ole Nydahl “The depth of the Slavic mind. Buddhism in questions and answers. Volume I"

V.P. Androsov, Buddhist Classics of Ancient India. The word of the Buddha and the treatises of Nagarjuna"

Kalu Rinpoche "We all have Buddha nature"

- "Vajrayana Buddhism in Russia: History and Modernity", a collection of articles

Audiobook “WHAT EVERYTHING IS. LAMA OLE NIDAL»

Art projects.

In early 2011, it is planned to publish a Russian-English version of the illustrated book "Space and Bliss", published in 2004 by the Buddhist publishing house in Wuppertal (Germany) in German and English ("Raum & Freude, Space & Bliss")

Photo exhibition "Buddhism in the modern world"

The opening of the exhibition took place within the framework of the III International Festival "Buddhism.RU", which took place in October 2008 in St. Petersburg. The exposition is presented in three sections, such as: "The Tradition of Living Transfer of Experience from Teacher to Student", "The Symbolism of Buddha Aspects" and "Buddhist Stupas-Monuments of Peace and Happiness on Earth". All works are made by professional photographers who are also practicing Buddhists.

Here are some building projects:

Stupa of Enlightenment in Elista

In 1995, during Shamar Rinpoche's visit to Russia, it was decided to build a Stupa of Enlightenment in the capital of Kalmykia - a monument symbolizing the enlightened mind of the Buddha.

In the autumn of 1998, construction began under the guidance of qualified lamas.

The ceremonial opening of the Stupa in Elista took place on July 28, 1999. The opening and consecration ceremonies were conducted by Tsechu Rinpoche himself. The opening was attended by about 2,500 local and 500 visiting Buddhists.

City Center in Vladivostok

The epic construction of the center building began in 1995 with the purchase of a site located on the highest hill in the city. This place offers a fantastic view of the Golden Horn Bay, the central harbor of Vladivostok and the Sea of ​​Japan.

Altai Retreat Center

In Altai, not far from the city of Gorno-altaysk, a center for meditation courses is being built. The idea of ​​creating a place for practices in the Altai Mountains arose simultaneously with the appearance in Novosibirsk of a Kagyu meditation group - students of Lama Ole Nydahl.

The Nizhny Novgorod Buddhist Center of the Diamond Way is building a two-story building with a residential semi-basement and a flat exploitable roof, the project was carried out by a Nizhny Novgorod architect.

And of course the City Center in Krasnoyarsk.

During the Mahamudra course in 2002, Lama Ole blessed the purchase of a land plot of about 15 acres. This place offers a breathtaking view of the western part of the city, the Sayans and the Yenisei. The new building is a three-story building, oriented exactly to the cardinal points.

The purpose of these centers is to provide an opportunity for all those interested to get to know modern Diamond Way Buddhism, and the opportunity to start practicing with them.