Buddhism
a history
Buddhism spread in all directions from India but nearly disappeared in India itself by
the 13th century CE.
Japan
Tibet
China
Early Folk Traditions
Early Folk Traditions
Classical Daoism
Vajrayana Buddhism
Daoism
Early Folk Traditions
Shinto
Theravada Buddhism
(from India)
Mahayana Buddhism
Confucianism
Mahayana Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism
Chen (Chinese Zen) Buddhism
Zen Buddhism
Religions of China
Religions of Japan
What we know about the historical
Buddha, for sure
• He was born somewhere between modern day India &
Nepal in the Shakya “republic” of which his dad was a
leader.
– He was born in either the 6th or 5th centuries BCE.
• He was of the Kshatriya caste and had at least one child
• He left his privileged life and had some sort of
unsatisfactory religious/spiritual experience
• This caused him found the religion of Buddhism. He spread
this, beginning at Sarnath, through teaching, gaining a few
followers, for a number of years.
• He died at an older age, somewhere in India and was
cremated in accordance with the funeral rite of Indus Valley
culture at the time.
First & second Buddhist councils
• First council (5th century BCE):
– With the death of Shakyamuni remaining Buddhist hold a council in
India to try to codify Buddhism and make it a unique, separate
religion from Hinduism
• Last part is important—some evidence show that many people tried to roll
Buddhism into Hinduism as some sort of offshoot/other marga
– Objective of the council is to codify dharma and its key sutra
• Much of the memory from Ananda and taken as fact; but much is still not
written down, following an oral tradition. This eventually becomes the Pali
Canon
• Also establishes vinaya—rules and regulations of the Sangha
– At this point, the Three Jewels are the foundation of Buddhism
• Second council (4th century BCE):
– Very short council to deal with corruptions and relaxation of rules of
the Sangha (kinda like issues with the Catholic Church in the Middle
Ages)
– Council reaffirms the necessity of Sangha rules and calls other ideas
heretical
Asoka (273-232 BCE)
& the 3rd council
• Mauyran king, generally considered greatest India king
– First person to rule all of modern India
• Began very warlike and unconcerned with religion, has revelation after
seeing violence he perpetuated
• Converted to Buddhism,
– But allowed freedom of religion, as long as you were religious in some way
• Tried to place Buddhism within the state:
– Never fought a war again
– Made any type of physical punishment illegal (branding, whipping, executions,
etc.)even applied this to animals
– Created public schools, roads, free inns for travelers
– Most famous series of pillars with Buddhist saying he erected throughout the land
• Generally called for all his people to be faithful and care about humanity
• Greatly spread Buddhism, and the simple idea of religion, within SE Asia
• Convenes the third council (c. 250 CE) to try and re-center the
increasingly corrupt Sangha (purifies—i.e. kicks out); also begins the
practice of spreading Buddhism through missionaries—first time it starts
to make its way out of India and east & all the way west to Athens
– By 13th century CE Buddhism is all but gone from India thanks to the Mughal
Empire (and attacks right before that)—make sense givens it pacifism
• During his reign Asoka tried to
influence dharma through his
position and 33 edicts. To get
the message out he erected
pillars across India which
stated the role of Buddhism,
beliefs and practices.
Key Virtues and Sins as decided
by the 3rd council
–Positive: charity, morality, mental cultivation,
respect, service to others, sharing merits with
others, preaching and teaching the dharma,
reading or listening to the dharma,
straightening ones views
–Negative: 3 bodily actions: Killing, stealing,
sexual immorality; 4 verbal actions: lying,
slander, harsh speech, gossip; 3 mental
actions: jealousy/covetousness, ill will, wrong
thought
Folk religions of China & Japan
• What do you remember about the early folk religions of China and
later Folk Daoism? To what extent did/does that blend with
Buddhism?
• Ancient folk religions of Japan eventually become codified and
turned into Shinto; Chinese religion becomes folk & classical
Daoism and we’ve covered those, a lot 
• Shinto is:
– The “Spirit Way” (shin-do)
– Ancient, indigenous, mythical, religion of Japan
• Based strongly in nature and the natural word
– Most traditional haiku writers are Shinto
– Roots begin around 3500 years ago, first remaining codified records date
back 1500 years
– No founder – An “ethnic” religion of the Japanese people  involves itself in
the state
– Intertwined into the culture like Hinduism in India (stays this way even with
Buddhism popularity)
• Shinto permeates Japanese birth and life with a series of
ceremonies: newborn, 7-5-3, adulthood, marriage, etc.
• Most Japanese use Buddhism for funeral rights
Kami, Gods, and Mythology
• The Kami/Megami is the main, overarching supreme being
God much like Brahman
– kami just means god or spirit
• Polytheistic after the Kami—each shrine has it own dedicated
animal
• Other, main deities based in nature or natural forces
– Ex: Amaterasu is Sun goddess and supposedly mother of first
emperor of Japan
– Leads to a series of festivals based around seasons and nature 
ex: water purification rights, etc.
• Creation myth – Japan as the center of the world
• Man then taught the Four Affirmations to live by:
– Tradition and Family
– Love of Nature
– Physical cleanliness
– Matsuri: festivals that worship and honor the Kami
Buddhism comes to
China and Japan
• Arrives sometime between 250BCE-250CE via traders on the
silk road
• Went to China first and then Japan
• Unsure whether Mahayana was founded in India and then
migrated or if Theravada mixed with indigenous religions to
form Mahayana
– Evidence suggest latter is more likely  correction, this may be
changing as of the last few years; more evidence is beginning to
suggest the former
• By 200 CE accounts of Chinese and Japanese scholars going
to India to learn emerge
– Around this time it begins to become integral to the popular
religions of both countries
• By 500CE at the latest Buddhism is integrating itself into the
workings of both states
The beginning of Mahayana and
Two Fourth Councils
• No one knows for sure exactly when, how, and why Mahayana Buddhism
began
– This makes that theory that it is closer to the original teachings of Shakyamuni
Buddha all the more important
– Also there were as many as 18 different schools of Theravada, all but one of
which died out, which it may also have come from
• But we have no primary sources on that; all written record is hearsay
– Most Buddhologists see it as a group of people trying to emulate and follow the
ideas of Shakyamuni that just grew
• Most evidence notes it started in South India
– Earliest sutra were probably written 1st century BCE
• First 4th council:
– Convened near the end of Asoka’s reign—Pali Canon written down for the first
time; ensures teachings of this T school will not be lost (becomes modern day T)
• Second 4th council:
– Convened around 100 CE—leads to the split between T & M—and T rejects this
council as not being authoritative
– Also leads to translating the entire works of the dharma in Sanskrit (from Pali);
this was used heavily by M, but then translated into the vernacular, resulting in
a major translations issue within Buddhism
Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet
• Comes to Tibetan Plateau around 400s CE from mountains of
India, mixes with Chinese Mahayana and Tibetan folk religions
– Becomes known as a tantric religion—it has more Gods, superstition, ritual,
festivals, etc.; also believes in tradition, magic/supernatural etc.
– Also involves a traditional class system
– Involves ritualizes war when Tibet is powerful
• When Mongolians war machine clashes with Tibet (and fights them
to a draw) they gain respect, share cultures and create a codified
theocracy
– Monks run all walks of life; all boys enter the monastery, hierarchical
system of religious lamas emerges
• Rest of the population remains hunters/gathers, for the large part
• Dalai Lama (incarnation of Kannon (Avalokitesvara), bodhisattva of
compassion) becomes head of state and religion
• By 1500s Tibetans become peaceful and integrate all parts of
Vajrayana into the state
Map showing the approximate distribution of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism
in the world today. About 60% of the world’s Buddhist are Mahayana.
Buddhism &
The Lotus Sutra (pp. 979-982)
• Four key types of Buddhism emerge with variations in both
China and Japan based around the Lotus Sutra: Pure Land,
Shingon, Zen, Nichiren, and 147 CE-1253
• Much more (group research projects on them all) later
• Outline the greater vehicle/higher path Shakyamuni Buddha
lays out for Shariputra in this passage
• Compare and contrast the core ideas of Theravada with the
new ideas laid out in the Lotus Sutra
• Analyze Tathagata’s attitude towards Shariputra.
• Examine what the Buddha warns Shariputra against.
Buddhism Socratic Seminar II
• Texts: from “Buddhism and the West” by Lopez (pp. 754-757)
The Rhinoceros Horn Sutra (pp. 910-913); from The Lotus
Sutra (pp. 964-972); The Heart Sutra (pp. 1044-1047); from
The Tibetan Book of the Dead (pp. 1393-1401); The Record of
Linji (pp. 1223-1227 — this is a Zen text, beware ); Buddha
or Karl Marx (pp. 1438-1443); Smokey the Bear Sutra (pp.
1459-1462); Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind (pp. 1452-1459); The
Dalai Lama’s Nobel Peace Prize Address (pp. 1463-1469)
• Discussion on the current beliefs, role, doctrines and use of
Buddhism today; the festivals, rituals, and iconography;
sacred texts and their meaning, development, and importance;
ethics and moral conduct; and the religious experience of
Buddhism.
• You will receive talking points/pictures for HW the night
before.
• This is a (75 point) culminating grade.
Buddhism and the
Japanese state
• Japan has a love-hate relationship with Buddhism
• Some emperors have declared it a state treasure, others a state
parasite
• Has often relied on support of population
– Mahayana monasteries are dead in the center of town, some towns built
around them
• In middle ages, many emperors ran out all forms of the practice
except Pure Land and Zen
• Eventually Japan militarizes Buddhism
– Samurai eventually become an offshoot of Zen
– Not the only state to do it but does so the most and for the longest
• During early Meji period (1860s-1880s) all religions except Zen,
Pure Land, and Shinto (used to promote nationalism) are kicked out
of Japan, violently if necessary
• Today many Japanese use aspects of both caring more for Shinto
earlier in life, Buddhism later (born Shinto, die Buddhist)
Zen at War
• Buddhism, like all other religions, has a history of violence that
dates to Buddha and early trappings of the sangha
– Partially due to the lack of unifying canonical scripture
• Samurai saw as an opportunity to do their duty—kill people often
and quickly—and carry some type of religion
– Worked with Zen because some schools of Zen & Pure Land allow
Buddahood in epiphanies  can fight and become Buddhist at the end
• Meiji Period (1868-1945) committed religiocide
– Used Shinto to promote nationalism and kill all non zen/warlike
Buddhists—saw others as drain on the state, which was rapidly modernizing
– Starts on a global level during Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)
• “[If ordered to] march: tramp, tramp, or shoot: bang, bang. This is the
manifestation of the highest Wisdom [of Enlightenment]. The unity of Zen and
war of which I speak extends to the farthest reaches of the holy war [now under
way]” – Zen Buddhist monk
– Promoted self sacrifice (i.e. kamikaze) to help state
• Buddhism/Shinto eventually make a very strong comeback after
WWII, and stay somewhat nationalist (kinda a don’t ask/don’t tell
situation)
Buddhism and the West
• Buddhism first makes it way to the West during the missionary period
under the reign of Asoka.
• After the end of the Hellenistic age, there is tangential mention of
Buddhism in the west but nothing major
– One account on the silk road points out the Buddhism and Christianity were so
similar a merchant thought he was dealing with slightly weird Christians, not
Buddhists
• The Mongolian Horde (which was originally Buddhist then it became
Muslim) brought it to the outskirts of Europe
– Some members of the far reaches of the Russian Empire adopted Buddhism to
the point Russia had, at one point (1600s) a Buddhist based regiment
• These regiment lasted long enough that it even brought the ideas of Buddhism to Paris at the
end of the Napoleonic Wars
• Real western interest in Buddhism began during the Age of Colonialism
and Imperialism
– Opening of Japan (1853) and Tibet (mid 1930s) to Westerns helped
– Westerns considered Buddhism to be the only “true” Eastern religion and
treated it with respect—considering it just below Christianity on the pecking
order
• While Americans come in contact with Buddhism when forming their late
19th century empire; real interest begins after the US fights two wars (Korea
and Vietnam) in Asia
– Troops come back with Buddhist wives; US lets in refuges who are Buddhist
– This will only continue to grow as we turn our foreign policy to Asia