Portal:Buddhism

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Portal: Buddhism
Introduction The Kamakura Daibutsu, a 13th-century bronze statue of the Buddha Amitābha in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophy based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth-largest religion, with about 320 million followers, known as Buddhists, who comprise four percent of the global population. It arose in the eastern Gangetic plain as a śramaṇa movement in the 5th century BCE, and gradually spread throughout much of Asia. Buddhism has subsequently played a major role in Asian culture and spirituality, eventually spreading to the West in the 20th century. According to tradition, the Buddha instructed his followers in a path of development which leads to awakening and full liberation from dukkha (lit. 'suffering, unease'). He regarded this path as a Middle Way between extremes such as asceticism and sensual indulgence. Teaching that dukkha arises alongside attachment or clinging, the Buddha advised meditation practices and ethical precepts rooted in non-harming. Widely observed teachings include the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the doctrines of dependent origination, karma, and the three marks of existence. Other commonly observed elements include the Triple Gem, the taking of monastic vows, and the cultivation of perfections (pāramitā). (Full article...) Selected Articles Steven Sater is a Tony Award, Grammy Award, and Laurence Olivier Award-winning American poet, playwright, lyricist, television writer and screenwriter. He is best known for writing the book and lyrics for the Tony Award-winning 2006 Broadway musical Spring Awakening. (Full article...) Chi Ajani Ossé (born March 18, 1998) is an American politician and activist from New York City who serves as a member of the New York City Council for the 36th district, based largely in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford–Stuyvesant, and some of northern Crown Heights. (Full article...) Wayne Shorter in Amsterdam (1980) Wayne Shorter (August 25, 1933 – March 2, 2023) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Shorter came to mainstream prominence in 1959 upon joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, for whom he eventually became the primary composer. In 1964 he joined Miles Davis' Second Great Quintet, and then co-founded the jazz fusion band Weather Report in 1970. He recorded more than 20 albums as a bandleader. Many Shorter compositions have become jazz standards. His music earned worldwide recognition, critical praise, universal commendation, and 12 Grammy Awards. He was acclaimed for his mastery of the soprano saxophone since switching his focus from the tenor in the late 1960s, and began an extended reign in 1970 as DownBeat's annual poll-winner on that instrument, winning the critics' poll for 10 consecutive years and the readers' for 18. The New York Times music critic Ben Ratliff described Shorter in 2008 as "probably jazz's greatest living small-group composer and a contender for greatest living improviser". In 2017, he was awarded the Polar Music Prize. (Full article...) 71-metre tall Leshan Giant Buddha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Sichuan, China Buddhism in China refers to Buddhism that has been developed and practiced in China, based on the geographical location and administrative region instead of a particular Buddhist branch. Buddhism is the largest officially recognized religion in China. There are three main branches of Buddhism in China: Han or Chinese Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Theravada Buddhism. There is no definitive answer to the time when Buddhism was first introduced to China, but it is generally believed that this occurred around the time of the Han dynasty. (Full article...) Rogers in 2014 Chynna Marie Rogers (August 19, 1994 – April 8, 2020), known mononymously as Chynna, was an American rapper affiliated with the ASAP Mob. (Full article...) Shin in 2025 Irene Shin is an American politician and former non-profit executive serving as a delegate of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2022. Shin represents the 8th district, encompassing parts of Chantilly, Herndon, Oak Hill, and Reston. A Democrat, she defeated incumbent Ibraheem Samirah in the Democratic primary in 2021. On June 3, 2025, Shin announced her candidacy for the special election in Virginia's 11th congressional district to replace deceased incumbent Gerry Connolly. However, she lost the primary, placing second behind fellow Democrat James Walkinshaw. (Full article...) Shandling in September 1987 Garry Emmanuel Shandling (November 29, 1949 – March 24, 2016) was an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer. Shandling began his career writing for sitcoms, such as Sanford and Son and Welcome Back, Kotter. He made a successful stand-up performance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson where he became a frequent guest host. Shandling was, for a time, considered the leading contender to replace Johnny Carson. In 1986, he created It's Garry Shandling's Show, which aired on Showtime. It was nominated for four Emmy Awards (including one for Shandling) and lasted until 1990. Shandling's second show, The Larry Sanders Show, began airing on HBO in 1992. He was nominated for 18 Emmy Awards for the show and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 1998, along with Peter Tolan, for writing the series finale. In film, he had a recurring role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in Iron Man 2 and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He also lent his voice to Verne the turtle in Over the Hedge. Shandling's final performance was as the voice of Ikki in the live-action remake of The Jungle Book. (Full article...) Featured Image Maya Devi Temple at Lumbini Selected Quote “Buddhism has taught me that pain is an illusion; it’s our attachment to pain that causes suffering.” — Keanu Reeves (born 1964)
Selected Biographies Prasenajit of Kosala pays a visit to the Buddha Pasenadi or Prasenajit (Pali: पसेनदि, romanized: Pasenadi; Sanskrit: प्रसेनजित्, romanized: Prasenajit;) was a 6th or 5th century BCE Aikṣvāka ruler of Kosala, where Shravasti was his capital. He succeeded after Sanjaya Mahākosala. As a king, he was a prominent Upāsaka or lay follower of Gautama Buddha, and built many Buddhist monasteries for the Buddha. (Full article...) Sculpture of the Buddha preaching his first sermon from Sarnath, 5th century CE Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (lit. 'the awakened one'), was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was born in Lumbini, in what is now Nepal, to royal parents of the Shakya clan, but renounced his home life to live as a wandering ascetic. After leading a life of mendicancy, asceticism, and meditation, he attained nirvana at Bodh Gayā in what is now India. The Buddha then wandered through the lower Indo-Gangetic Plain, teaching and building a monastic order. Buddhist tradition holds he died in Kushinagar and reached parinirvana ("final release from conditioned existence"). According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha taught a Middle Way between sensual indulgence and severe asceticism, leading to freedom from ignorance, craving, rebirth, and suffering. His core teachings are summarised in the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, a training of the mind that includes ethical training and kindness toward others, and meditative practices such as sense restraint, mindfulness, dhyana (meditation proper). Another key element of his teachings are the concepts of the five skandhas and dependent origination, describing how all dharmas (both mental states and concrete 'things') come into being, and cease to be, depending on other dharmas, lacking an existence on their own (svabhava). While in the Nikayas, he frequently refers to himself as the Tathāgata; the earliest attestation of the title Buddha is from the 3rd century BCE, meaning 'Awakened One' or 'Enlightened One'. His teachings were compiled by the Buddhist community in the Vinaya, his codes for monastic practice, and the Sutta Piṭaka, a compilation of teachings based on his discourses. These were passed down in Middle Indo-Aryan dialects through an oral tradition. Later generations composed additional texts, such as systematic treatises known as Abhidharma, biographies of the Buddha, collections of stories about his past lives known as Jataka tales, and additional discourses, i.e., the Mahāyāna sūtras. (Full article...) Eiheiji gate Zen (Japanese pronunciation: [dzeꜜɴ, dzeɴ]; from Chinese: Chán; in Korean: Sŏn, and Vietnamese: Thiền) is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka philosophies, with Chinese Taoist thought, especially Neo-Daoist. Zen originated as the Chan school (禪宗, chánzōng, 'meditation school') or the Buddha-mind school (佛心宗, fóxīnzōng), and later developed into various sub-schools and branches. Chan is traditionally believed to have been brought to China by the semi-legendary figure Bodhidharma, an Indian (or Central Asian) monk who is said to have introduced dhyana teachings to China. From China, Chán spread south to Vietnam and became Vietnamese Thiền, northeast to Korea to become Seon Buddhism, and east to Japan, becoming Japanese Zen. Zen emphasizes meditation practice, direct insight into one's own Buddha nature (見性, Ch. jiànxìng, Jp. kenshō), and the personal expression of this insight in daily life for the benefit of others. Some Zen sources de-emphasize doctrinal study and traditional practices, favoring direct understanding through zazen and interaction with a master (Jp: rōshi, Ch: shīfu) who may be depicted as an iconoclastic and unconventional figure. In spite of this, most Zen schools also promote traditional Buddhist practices like chanting, precepts, walking meditation, rituals, monasticism and scriptural study. (Full article...) Lokanātha (legal name: Salvatore Cioffi; December 26, 1897 - May 25, 1966) was an Italian Buddhist missionary. (Full article...) An image of the Italian zen master Zendo Tetsugen Serra Carlo Zendo Tetsugen Serra (born in Milano, Italy in 1953) is an Italian missionary Soto Zen master (Kokusaifukyoshi 国際布教師), in the lineage of Harada Daiun Sogaku (原田祖岳, 1871–1961). He founded his sangha, of the "Sangha della foresta di Bambü" (Bamboo Forest's Sangha) and the monasteries Ensoji il Cerchio in Milan, and Sanbo-ji Tempio dei Tre Gioielli in Berceto. He also founded the "Scuola Zen di Shiatsu" (Zen Shiatsu School), which aims to use the art of shiatsu treatments as a zen practice. He is one of the Buddhist religious authorities in Europe, a signatory of the interreligious Italian "Manifesto della pace" (Peace Manifesto). (Full article...) The Great Buddha of Kamakura in the Kōtoku-in temple Amitābha (Sanskrit pronunciation: [ɐmɪˈtaːbʱɐ], "Measureless" or "Limitless" Light), also known as Amituofo in Chinese, Amida in Japanese, Amita-bul in Korean, and Öpakmé in Tibetan, is one of the main Buddhas of Mahayana Buddhism and the most widely venerated Buddhist figure in East Asian Buddhism. Amitābha is also known by the name Amitāyus ("Measureless Life"). Amitābha is the main figure in two influential Indian Buddhist Mahayana Scriptures: the Sutra of Measureless Life and the Amitābha Sūtra. According to the Sutra of Measureless Life, Amitābha established a pure land of perfect peace and happiness, called Sukhāvatī ("Blissful"), where beings who mindfully remember him with faith may be reborn and then quickly attain enlightenment. The pure land is the result of a set of vows Amitābha made long ago. As his name means Limitless Light, Amitābha's light is said to radiate throughout the cosmos and shine on all beings. Because of this, Amitābha is often depicted radiating light, a symbol for his wisdom. As per the name Amitāyus, this Buddha is also associated with infinite life, since his lifespan is said to be immeasurable. Amitābha's measureless life is seen as being related to his infinite compassion. Amitābha devotion is particularly prominent in East Asian Buddhism, where the practice of mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha (known as nianfo in Chinese, nembutsu in Japanese) is seen as a path to liberation open to everyone. Amitābha is also the principal Buddha in Pure Land Buddhism, which is a tradition focused on attaining birth in the pure land by relying on the power of Amitābha (also known as "Other Power") and faithfully reciting Amitabha's name. Amitābha is also a major deity in Tibetan Buddhism. where he is associated with pure land practices, as well as phowa (the transference of consciousness at the time of death). (Full article...) Painting of Kūkai from the Shingon Hassozō, a set of scrolls depicting the first eight patriarchs of the Shingon school. Japan, Kamakura period (13th–14th centuries). Kūkai (空海; Japanese pronunciation: [kɯꜜː.kai], 27 July 774 – 22 April 835), born Saeki no Mao (佐伯 眞魚) posthumously called Kōbō Daishi (弘法 大師; [koː.boː daꜜi.ɕi], lit. 'the Grand Master Who Propagated the Dharma'), was a Japanese Buddhist monk, calligrapher, and poet who founded the esoteric Shingon school of Buddhism. He travelled to China, where he studied Tangmi (Chinese Vajrayana Buddhism) under the monk Huiguo. Upon returning to Japan, he founded Shingon—the Japanese branch of Vajrayana Buddhism. With the blessing of several Emperors, Kūkai was able to preach Shingon teachings and found Shingon temples. Like other influential monks, Kūkai oversaw public works and constructions. Mount Kōya was chosen by him as a holy site, and he spent his later years there until his death in 835 CE. Because of his importance in Japanese Buddhism, Kūkai is associated with many stories and legends. One such legend attributes the invention of the kana syllabary to Kūkai, with which the Japanese language is written to this day (in combination with kanji), as well as the Iroha poem, which helped to standardise and popularise kana. Shingon followers usually refer to Kūkai by the honorific title of Odaishi-sama (お大師様; "The Grand Master"), and the religious name of Henjō Kongō (遍照金剛; "Vajra Shining in All Directions"). (Full article...) Special images - Images from various Buddhism-related articles on Wikipedia Candi tinggi, a temple within the Muaro Jambi temple compound (from Buddhist temple) An ordination ceremony at Wat Yannawa in Bangkok. The Vinaya codes regulate the various sangha acts, including ordination. (from Buddhism) A depiction of the supposed First Buddhist council at Rajgir. Communal recitation was one of the original ways of transmitting and preserving Early Buddhist texts. (from Buddhism) A vegetarian restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan serving Buddhist cuisine in buffet style. (from Culture of Buddhism) Remains of the circular rock-hewn circular Chaitya with columns, Tulja Caves (from Buddhist temple) Angkor Thom build by Khmer King Jayavarman VII (c. 1120–1218) (from Buddhism) Lotus Lantern Festival (연등회, Yeon Deung Hoe) in Seoul, South Korea. (from Culture of Buddhism) Bodhi tree temple depicted in Sanchi, Stupa 1, Southern gateway (from Buddhist temple) Buddhist expansion in Asia: Mahāyāna Buddhism first entered the Chinese Empire (Han dynasty) through Silk Road during the Kushan Era. The overland and maritime "Silk Roads" were interlinked and complementary, forming what scholars have called the "great circle of Buddhism". (from Buddhist art) Buddhist monks collect alms in Si Phan Don, Laos. Giving is a key virtue in Buddhism. (from Buddhism) Wat Benchamabophit (from Buddhist temple) Buddhist expansion throughout Asia (from Buddhism) Bodhisattva Lokesvara, Cambodia, 12th century (from Buddhist art) Jetavanaramaya tallest stupa in the ancient world (from Buddhist temple) The Buddha teaching the Four Noble Truths. Sanskrit manuscript. Nalanda, Bihar, India (from Buddhism) Buddhist temple of Kinkaku-ji, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (from Buddhist temple) Lhasa's Potala Palace, today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, pictured in 2019 (from Buddhism) The Kamakura Daibutsu, a 13th-century bronze statue of the Buddha Amitābha in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. (from Buddhism) Tejaprabhā Buddha and the Five Planets, 897 CE (from Buddhist art) Footprint of the Buddha, 1st century BCE, Gandhara (from Buddhist art) Ajanta Caves, Cave 10, a first period type chaitya worship hall with stupa but no idols (from Buddhism) A Buddhist triad depicting, left to right, a Kushan, the future buddha Maitreya, Gautama Buddha, the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, and a monk. Second–third century. Guimet Museum. (from Buddhism) Tall circular Buddhist temple, early 1st Century CE, Mathura Museum (from Buddhist temple) Gandhara birchbark scroll fragments (c. 1st century) from British Library Collection (from Buddhism) Relief of a multi-storied temple, 2nd century CE, Ghantasala Stupa (from Buddhist temple) Living at the root of a tree (trukkhamulik'anga) is one of the dhutaṅgas, a series of optional ascetic practices for Buddhist monastics. (from Buddhism) India's Mahabodhi Temple, built under the Gupta Empire, 6th century CE (from Buddhism) Maya Devi Temple marking the Buddha's birthplace in Lumbini, Nepal (from Buddhism) Over life-size figure of the bodhisattva Padmapani, cave 1, Ajanta Caves, 5th century (from Buddhist art) Phra Atchana Wat Si Chum, Sukhothai Province, Thailand (from Buddhist art) Borobudur in Central Java, the world's largest Buddhist temple (from Buddhist temple) Serindian art, 6th–7th century terracotta, Tumshuq (Xinjiang) (from Buddhist art) Avukana Buddha statue, 5th century, technically a rock relief (from Buddhist art) Khosheutovsky khurul (1818) (from Buddhist temple) The Buddha, Tapa Shotor monastery in Hadda, Afghanistan, 2nd century CE (from Buddhism) Map of the Buddhist missions during the reign of Ashoka according to the Edicts of Ashoka (from Buddhism) Buddhists of various traditions, Yeunten Ling Tibetan Institute (from Buddhism) An aniconic depiction of the Buddha's spiritual liberation (moksha) or awakening (bodhi), at Sanchi. The Buddha is not depicted, only symbolised by the Bodhi tree and the empty seat (from Buddhism) Ancient kingdoms and cities of South Asia and Central Asia during the time of the Buddha (c. 500 BCE)—modern-day India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan (from Buddhism) Yama, 18th century, Tibet (from Buddhist art) The statue of Dhyani Buddha Vairocana, Avalokitesvara, and Vajrapani inside the Mendut temple (from Buddhist art) Head of Buddha, Afghanistan (probably Hadda), 5th–6th century (from Buddhist art) Vajrayana adopted deities such as Bhairava, known as Yamantaka in Tibetan Buddhism. (from Buddhism) Buddhists fly lanterns during the Pavāraṇā ceremony in Bandarban, Bangladesh (from Buddhist holidays) A Cambodian Buddha, 14th century (from Buddhist art) Mihintale Buddha Statue, one of the tallest stupa in the ancient world (from Buddhist temple) The Goryeo era Gyeongcheonsa Pagoda sits on the first floor of the National Museum of Korea. (from Buddhist art) Traditional Tibetan Buddhist Thangka depicting the Wheel of Life with its six realms (from Buddhism) Bangasayusang, semi-seated contemplative Maitreya probably from Silla, circa early 7th century (from Buddhist art) The Berenike Buddha, discovered in Berenice, Egypt, in 2022. (from Buddhist art) Reclining Buddha in Wat Pho, Bangkok (from Culture of Buddhism) Sewu, an eighth century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Central Java, Indonesia (from Buddhist temple) Kōdō Sawaki practising Zazen ("sitting dhyana") (from Buddhism) Ming dynasty Shuilu ritual painting of Mahācakra, of the Eight Wisdom Kings, in Baoning Temple (from Buddhist art) An 18th century Mongolian miniature which depicts the generation of the Vairocana Mandala (from Buddhism) Kumarakanda temple (from Buddhist temple) Mathura school Buddha, Northern Satraps, end of 1st century CE (from Buddhist art) Site of Nalanda University, a great centre of Mahāyāna thought (from Buddhism) The Agusan image from Agusan del sur, now in Chicago. (from Buddhist art) Ashoka's Mahabodhi Temple and Diamond throne in Bodh Gaya, built circa 250 BCE. Bharhut frieze (from Buddhist temple) Sermon in the Deer Park depicted at Wat Chedi Liam, near Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand (from Buddhism) Buddhist monks and nuns praying in the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple of Singapore (from Buddhism) Seokguram Grotto is a World Heritage Site and dates to the Unified Silla era. (from Buddhist art) Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok, Thailand. (from Culture of Buddhism) Ramabhar Stupa in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India, is regionally believed to be Buddha's cremation site. (from Buddhism) The Tripiṭaka Koreana in South Korea, an edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon carved and preserved in over 81,000 wood printing blocks (from Buddhism) Buryat Buddhist monk in Siberia (from Buddhism) A Chinese wooden Bodhisattva from the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE), in the position of royal ease (from Buddhist art) Buddhism Buddhist temples Buddhist festivals Buddhist art Theravada Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism Vajrayana Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism Did You Know? ... that Etchmiadzin Cathedral, Armenia's mother church, previously had a Tibetan Buddhist bell? ... that Cambodia's first science-fiction film, Karmalink, combines Buddhist concepts of karma with themes of artificial intelligence? ... that the DJ NewJeansNim has been credited with reviving interest in Buddhism among South Korean youths? ... that Daruma-ji was razed in the early 14th century by Buddhists who opposed the spread of Zen Buddhism in Japan? ... that the Burmese Buddhist monk Sagyo Thu-Myat successfully lobbied for the recalibration of the Burmese calendar? ... that interfaith greetings in Indonesia include phrases from Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism? Subcategories Select [►] to view subcategories Buddhism Buddhism by location Buddhists Buddhism-related lists Buddhist belief and doctrine Buddhist buildings Buddhist communities Buddhist culture Buddhist education Figures in Buddhism Buddhist fundamentalism History of Buddhism Buddhist organizations Buddhism and other religions Buddhist philosophy Buddhist practices Schools of Buddhism Buddhist sermons Buddhism and society Spiritual faculties Buddhist studies Buddhist terminology Buddhism stubs Related Portals

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