Buddhism

Buddhism is a releegion an philosophy foondit on the teachins o the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a speeritual leader that leeved fae aboot 563 tae 483 BCE in whit's noo Nor-east India an Nepal. (Modren scholars cannae be shair aboot the dates, but mony pit them aboot a century later.)   

Wi aboot 500 million folliers, Buddhism is conseedert a major warld releegion, wi aboot 7% o the warld's population.  Onlike maist ither releegions, Buddhism isnae centered on a creator Goad.  

Fae its origins in India, Buddhism spread tae maist o Asie an noo haes mony folliers in Europe an in North and Sooth Americae.   

Buddhism haes twa main forms: Theravada, fund in Sri Lanka an Sootheast Asia; an Mahayana, fund in East Asia (China, Korea, Japan an Vietnam), Tibet, Western China, Mongolia, Bhutan, pairts of India, Nepal an Russia.

 The Buddha 
Accordin tae tradeetion, Gautama (Gotama in Pāli) lived fae aroond 563 BCE tae aboot 483 BCE. He waes born in the Sakyan Republic, auldest son tae Suddhodana, wha was like tae hae been the heid o the republic's governin cooncil. Tradeetion gies Gautama the forename "Siddhartha" (Sanskrit) or "Siddhattha" (Pāli). Hooaniver, the early screeptures niver caw him bi his first name, whilk daesna appear ontil several hunnert year eftir his deith.

As a loon, Gautama "gaed furth" fae hame, seyin fareweil tae his faither and step-mither, an leain his wife, Yaśodharā (Pali: Yasodharā) an bairn, Rāhula, in their care. His ettle waes tae finn an end tae the sufferin he cuidna chaip in life.

He jined twa speeritual teachers — Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta — ain eftir the ither, maisterin the forms o meditation each taucht, but didna finn the escape fae sufferin he langed fir. He formed his ain community o ascetics, practicin sel-torture and fastin in order tae atteen complete maistery ower hissel. Aince mair, he didna finn an escape fae sufferin, an his ascetic practices brocht him near tae deith.

Takin food aince mair, he minded on a time whan, as a bairn, he'd haed a blissfu experience o meditation ablow a tree. Intuitively, he kent this path o meditation tae be the wey tae liberation. Eftir oors o meditatin deeply, he kent hissel tae hae won tae nibbāna, or the "smorin" o ignorance. He haed, aged 35 year, become "Buddha," meanin "Ane That's Awaukent."

Fae then oan, until his deith at the age o 80, he taucht his path tae awaukenin tae awbody at wid lissen. He gaithered aboot him a "fowerfauld assembly" (cattaro parisā) o monks (bhikkhus), nuns (bhikkhunīs), male hoosehauders (upāsakas), an female hoosehauders (upāsikās).

 See forby 
 Zen gairden

 References