History Of Buddha

* Chinese Buddha
* Laughing Buddha
* Gautama Buddha Quotes
* Life of Gautama Buddha
* Teachings of Gautama Buddha
* Japanese Buddha
* Tibetan Buddha
* Zen Buddha
* Buddha Yoga
* Buddha Statues
* Thai Buddha
* Nepal Buddha
* Gautam Buddha Birthplace
* Gautam Buddha Biography

1 Buddhism in China refers to various Buddhism schools that have flourished

since ancient times in China. These Buddhism schools have combined the

ideas of Taoism, Confucianism and other philosophies which became part of

the Chinese civilization. Chinese Buddhism has played an important part in

shaping the life of an average Chinese.
Chinese Buddha has an important role to play in the country of China where

he is revered as god. Originally born in Lumbini forest in Nepal Gautama

Buddha gained followers in not just India and Nepal but even China,

SriLanka, Thailand and a host of other countries.

Modern Chinese Buddha is a mix of Pure Land and Chan schools and the

most important sutra is the Platform Sutra which is the only Sutra written in

ethnic Chinese. China got its first taste of Buddhism when Emperor Ming

dreamt about a tall golden man with glow over his head and after this the

emperor send envoy to India to enquire about the doctrine of Gautama

Buddha which saw his statues and paintings make an appearance in China.

Chinese Buddha statues are not only popular in China but other countries

too where Gautam Buddha is worshipped. Buddhism has emerged as a

religion in the mainland of China which followed different gods and religions.

Chinese Buddha as fondly called gave a direction to the lives of millions of

Chinese.

All this seems to have changed the course of China which have become one

of the biggest followers of Buddhism.

2 Laughing Buddha
You must be wondering who Laughing Buddha is? Hotei or Pu-Tai, a celestial

Buddha is termed as Laughing Buddha and in the country of China he is

referred to as the Loving or Friendly One. Laughing Buddha has been

derived from an eccentric Chinese Zen monk who lived more than thousand

years back and since then has gained significance in the Buddhist and

Shinto culture.Laughing Buddha has been regarded as an incarnation of

bodhisattva and due to his protruding belly and jolly nature was given the

name laughing Buddha. Images of Laughing Buddha can be seen gracing

various amulets, temples and restaurants. The benevolent Buddha is also

regarded as deity of abundance and contentment.

Whenever you see an image of Laughing Buddha you can see it as an

image carrying a cloth sack filled with various precious items and is regarded

as the messiah of downtrodden, weak and children.

As per legendary sayings rubbing of Laughing Buddha fat belly is said to

bring luck, wealth and prosperity. In most of the statues of Laughing Buddha

you will see a smiling Buddha with pot belly exposed and it is known to bring

good luck and happiness.

Besides statues Laughing Buddha tattoos are pretty popular and you might

across certain people adoring the tattoo of this smiling Buddha on their body.

Laughing Buddha Yoga has also gained popularity and is aimed at beginners

and seasoned yogis. This too has added to the popularity of Yoga and that

of Laughing Buddha too.

3 Gautama Buddha Quotes
Gautama Buddha Quotes are pretty popular and lot of people search for

them and try to imbibe them in their lives. There are a lot of famous quotes

on Gautam Buddha related to love, anger, happiness and suffering.
Some of the popular quotes of Gautama Buddha are as follows:

Gautama Buddha quotes on happiness
We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind

is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves

Gautama Buddha quotes on anger
You will not be punished for your anger you will be punished by your anger
Gautama Buddha quotes on suffering
He who loves fifty people has fifty woes; he who loves no one has no woes

Gautama Buddha quotes about love
A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another. If these

minds love one another the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden. But

if these minds get out of harmony with one another it is like a storm that

plays havoc with the garden

Virtue is persecuted more by the wicked than it is loved by the good
Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without
You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love

and affection
Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule

4 Life of Gautama Buddha
Not much details are available regarding the life of Gautama Buddha but it is

said that he was a historical figure who lived around 5th century BC in India.

Gautama Buddha life is divided into twelve glorious events and important

events of his life are described in paintings known as Twelve Great Deeds of

the Buddha's Life.It not only depicts the progress of Gautam Buddha towards

spiritual enlightenment but also depicts the philosophy underlying the great

Buddha. It talks about the twelve important events in the life of Gautama

Buddha which changed him completely.

Born as Siddhartha Gautama he was also referred to as Sakyamuni and was

bestowed the title of enlightened one by his followers. Gautama Buddha is

believed to have lived between 563 BC and 483 BC.Life of Gautam Buddha

has been passed orally and was written in scriptures few hundred years after

his death. Buddhist scriptures narrate the life of Buddha and how his life

changed over due to certain important events which took place in his life.

It was at the age of 29 Gautam Buddha after visualizing the sufferings of

people and getting dissatisfied with his life left his palace to seek

enlightenment. After leading austere life for more than six years Gautama

Buddha realized that this was not giving him better understanding therefore

he left this and followed the middle path and he achieved enlightenment

under the Bodhi tree and therefore came to be known as the enlightened one

or Buddha.

For forty five years Gautam Buddha traveled across the Gangetic Plain of

central India and preached his findings and teachings. At the age of eighty

Buddha died in Kusinagar in India.

5 Teachings of Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha teachings have certainly caste a great impression on

people around the world
The basic teachings of Buddha can be summed up as under:

THREE UNIVERSAL TRUTHS

This truth was discovered by Gautama Buddha when he achieved

enlightenment

Nothing is lost in the universe
Everything Changes
Law of Cause and Effect

FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

Nature of Suffering
Origin of Suffering
Cessation of Suffering
Way Leading to the Cessation of Suffering

NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH

Right view
Right intention
Right speech
Right action
Right livelihood
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right concentration

These can be regarded as some of the important teachings of Gautama

Buddha which he gained as a result of his experience and findings over the

years.

6.Japanese Buddha
Japanese Buddha is dominant in the country of Japan and the history of

Buddhism in Japan can be summed up in three periods which includes the

Nara period, Heian period and post-Heian period. It is believed that

Buddhism was introduced to Japan in 584 BC when Buddhist text and

images were sent by King of Korea to Nihon Shoki.Japanese got their

Buddha through Korea and Japan and the present form of Buddhism in Japan

can be attributed to the Korean kingdom of Kudara of the sixth century.

Though Buddhism was welcomed in Japan but it didn’t spread among the

local people quickly owing to its complex theories.

The modern day Japan has more than ninety million people following

Buddhism but the religion does not affect their daily lives in a strong manner.

The form of Buddhism which dominates Japan is Mahayana and is also

known as the Buddhism of the Greater Vehicle. In modern Japan the main

paths of Buddhism includes Zen Buddhism, Nichiren Buddhism, Amidist

schools and Shingon Buddhism.
The main characters of Chinese Buddha are:
* It was not popular initially
* Japanese Buddhism was related to magical powers
* It didn’t not replace Kami and held in regard its power and existence

Buddha in Japanese is a revered soul and is worshipped by millions of

countrymen. Zen Buddhism has gained prominence in Japan and is one of

the well known forms of Japanese Buddhism outside the country.

Popular schools of Buddhism in Japan are:

Kegon
Tendai
Shingon
Jôdô
Nichiren Shu
All these have contributed to the popularity of Japanese Buddha to quite an

extent.

7. Tibetan Buddha
Tibetan Buddha or Buddhism refers to a body of religious Buddhist

institutions and doctrines of Tibet and Himalayan region which includes

states of Bhutan, northern Nepal, Russia, China and Mongolia. Tibetan

Buddha encompasses teachings of Mahayana, Hinayana and Vajrayana.
Tibetan Buddhism has spread to various western countries after China took

over Tibet. Tibetan Buddha was also known as Lamaism and it refers to

spiritual teacher in Tibetan. Tibetan Buddhism comprises of a number of sub

sects and schools and has become aligned with the hereditary nobility.

Modern Tibetan Buddha is practiced across Nepal, Bhutan, Tibetan Plateau,

Kalmykia and Mongolia and even in Ladhak and Sikkim situated in India.

Some of the popular school of Tibetan Buddhism includes:

Kagyu Nyingma Gelug Sakya

Its is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition which refers to the goal of all practice

for achieving enlightenment and the motivation behind the practice of

Mahayana is Bodhicitta which refers to the intention to emerge as

enlightened for the sake of all sentiments. The Buddhist of Tibet follows the

true nature of reality which is known as the Madhyamika Prsangika.The

history of Tibetan Buddhism dates back to the fifth century and one of the

earliest documented influence of Buddhism in Tibet dates back to the era of

Songtsän Gampo. He is known to have married a Chinese Buddhist princess

and it was Songtsän Gampo who founded the first of the temples of Buddhist.

8, Zen Buddha
Zen Buddha is considered to be more of a philosophy since Zen followers

don’t worship any god. Zen Buddhism is practiced by Samurai religion

followers who meditate to uncover the meaning of life. Zen Buddha has a

glorious past and it was derived from Buddhism and has been derived from

Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. In order to understand the true

meaning of Zen Buddha one needs to meditate to get to know its deeper

meaning.One of the closest translations of Zen Buddhism is contemplation

and the basic forms of contemplation is Shamatha and Vipshayana.

Shamatha
It is regarded as the preparatory measure of Vipshayana meditation.

Vipshayana
Here the meditator should not be interrupted by any other thoughts.

Vipshayana
This form of contemplation enables a person to find enlightenment

In Zen Buddhism its followers do not worship any particular god but worship

the complexity of mind and body. Following no faith has been derived from a

number of cultures prevailing in the east. Zen Buddha started off in Japan

and therefore it has borrowed certain aspects from the Japanese culture. It

might be a little difficult for a common man to understand the real picture of

this form of Buddhism but people who embrace Zen Buddha have a greater

chance of seeking enlightenment.Zen Buddhism refers to the school of

Mahayana Buddhism which has been known for its emphasis on acceptance

of the present moment, spontaneous actions and letting of judgmental

thinking. The emergence of Zen Buddha as a distinct school of Buddhism

was documented in China in the seventh century.

8.Buddha Yoga
Yoga and Buddhism are related to each other as they evolved in a similar

Indian spiritual culture. Swami Vivekananda was the one who was

responsible for bringing Yoga to the West and during this time he realized

that Buddhist sutras and Yoga has a lot of similarity. The name of Bodhi

Tibetan Yoga is more of a misnomer as it is not just one form of Yoga and as

the name suggests its practices certainly did not originate in Tibet.
In modern day Buddha Yoga is known more for its asanas and yogic

postures and is considered to be one of the popular forms of Buddhist

meditation just like Vipassana and Zen.Zen and Vipassana are form of Yoga

which deal with meditation practices and are not just part of the yogic system

but even its core teachings. It has appealed more to the Western culture.

Zen Buddha Yoga has been adopted by people who would like to understand

Yoga beyond its postures and look towards it as a way to understand the

deeper meaning of Yoga through its meditation aspect. There are numerous

yoga classes which teach Yoga Buddha to all those who are willing to get to

know the deeper meaning of life.

Buddha Yoga is aimed at helping in understanding the meditation traditions

created for helping to transcend rebirth and karma and realize the true

meaning of consciousness. One needs to dissolve their ego and return to

reality which is not just limited by seprate self.

One must get connected to Yoga Buddha to understand the true meaning of

life through its meditation techniques and get connected to the true inner self.

9. Buddha Statues
The earliest known Buddha statues were created using stone. Ancient

Buddha statues can be seen Buddha with garb hung close to his body with a

shaven head and sporting a thick top knot. These statues of Buddha were

either standing or in a seated position with crossed legs in a yoga posture or

on a lion throne. Some of the other popular postures of Buddha are the lotus

posture. Buddha statues created under the Gandhara School of art had open

eyes with a little circle between the brow and Lord Buddha statue had a

moustache with earlobes and a heavy cloak worn around his chest which

was hung deep in folds and the gesture of the image was either in Dhyana,

Abhaya, Bhumisparsa or Dharmacakra Parvartana pose.

Some of the popular statues of Buddha are:

Meditating Buddha Statue
Also known as the Amitabha Buddha it is known to symbolize wisdom and

serenity where Buddha is seated in a lotus posture with his hands placed in

lap as a gesture of meditation.

Manjushri Buddha Statue
This Buddha statue shows him brandishing a flaming sword in his right hand.

Akshobhya Buddha Statue
Representing Sakyamuni you can see Lord Buddha touching the earth with

his right hand and can be seen sitting in the Akshobhaya posture

Vajrasattva Buddha Statue
This statue of Gautam Buddha shows him holding a Vajra in his righ hand a

bell in his left hand

Bhaishajya Guru Buddha Statue
In this statue of Gautama Buddha you can see him offering fruit of myrabolan

with his right hand.

Besides stones statues of Lord Buddha has been caste in metal and alloys

such as gold, silver, brass and other metals besides wood.

10. Thai Buddha
Thai or Thailand Buddha refers to Buddha statues which have either been

created in or are seated in the country of Thailand. It was during the

Sukhothai period when Thai Buddha gained prominence and during this era

Lord Buddha was symbolized as elegant body with oval face and slender

body. Here the anatomical details have not been emphasized keeping in mid

the spiritual aspect.During this era Thai Buddha statues were caste in metal

rather than being carved. It was during this period that the walking Buddha

pose became popular and artists of Sukhothai followed defining marks of

Buddha as they were set in ancient texts of Pali.

Given below are some of the attributes of Thai Buddha derived from Pali

texts:

Head
Egg shaped

Hair
Similar to scorpion stingers

Nose
Parrot's beak

Earlobes
Lengthened due to royalty earrings

Eyebrows
Similar to drawn bows

Eyelashes
Similar to a cow

Chin
Similar a mango stone

Hands
Similar to blooming lotus

Fingertips
Like petals

Thighs
Like banyan tree

Legs
Similar to a deer

Skin
Smooth

Using all these features Thai Buddha was created. One can find numerous

Thai Buddha statues on sale symbolizing these very features which earned

him the place of god.

11. Nepal Buddha
Siddartha Gautama or Gautam Buddha as he is proudly called was born in

Lumbini forest in Nepal in 560 BC. He was named Siddhartha and was raised

up in the kingdom of Kapilavastu. Her mother Maya gave birth to Gautama in

Lumbini in a garden beneath the sal tree. The day on which Gautama Buddha

was born is celebrated in Theravada countries as Vasak. He spent 29 years

as the Prince of Kapilavastu during the period which he married Yasodhara

who gave birth to Rahula. In Hinduism Gautama Buddha is regarded as the

reincarnation of Vishnu. Since he was born in Nepal he is also referred to as

the Nepal Buddha. A few years back a teenage boy meditating under a tree

in south central Nepal was sighted and is being regarded as the

reincarnation of the great Buddha. He has also earned the nickname of

Nepal Buddha. The boy named Ram Bahadur Bamjan was witnessed sitting

cross legged in posture of Buddha under a peepal tree. The tree under which

he has been worshiping is festooned and the air gives the smell of incense

sticks.Besides Nepal Buddha he is also known as the Buddha Boy since he

is just a teenager and has drawn curiosity from world over since he has

meditated for over ten months without food and water. People have been left

wondering whether he is the incarnation of Gautama Buddha or not.

12. Gautam Buddha birthplace
It stated that Gautam Buddha was born two hundred years before King

Ashoka reign. Birthplace of Gautam Buddha is regarded as Lumbini in Nepal.

It is said that when his pregnant mother Maya was leaving Kapilvastu to

deliver Gautama at her father’s place she gave birth to a beautiful child in the

gardens of Lumbini below the sal tree. The child was named Siddhartha who

later on came to be known as Gautama Buddha. It was hermit Asita who

declared that the child would either become a great king or a holy man.
The birthplace of Gautam Buddha is situated on the foothills of Himalaya in

the kingdom of Nepal and the day on which Siddhartha Gautam was born is

celebrated as Vesak. King Ashoka visited the Lumbii forest and constructed

four stupas and stone pillars with horse figure on top of it.Lumbini, the

birthplace of Gautam Buddha remained neglected for centuries before a

German archaeologist discovered the famous pillars in 1895 in the foothills

of Churia range and on further excavation a brick temple and sandstone

sculpture was discovered within the temple which depiction of Buddha’s birth.

On the south of the Maya Devi Temple is Puskarni which is the famous

sacred bathing pool and it stated that Maya Devi took a bath in this pool

before delivering the baby. I 1996 a flawless stone placed by Emperor

Ashoka was discovered which was placed in 249 BC to mark the birth of

Buddha 2,600 years ago.

A visit to the birthplace of Gautama Buddha not only leads to spiritual

enlightenment but also brings peace in life.

13.Gautam Buddha Biography
Very little is known about Gautam Buddha. The biography of Gautam Buddha

has come to know through ancient scriptures which were written after details

related to him were passed by generations orally. It is stated that Gautama

Siddartha was a North Indian Prince who lived between 563 and 479 BC and

later on came to be known as Buddha or Enlightened One. It is stated that

Queen Maya died seven days after giving birth to Gautama and Prince

Siddhartha is said to have gone to Trayastrimsa Heaven and stayed there

for three months to preach supreme knowledge to his mother.
Astrologers had stated that Prince Siddhartha would become a great sage on

growing up if he came to know of the sufferings of mankind and in order to

prevent this from happening his father King Suddhodana tried to prevent

access of the outside world to Prince Siddartha and offered him all the

worldly pleasures so that he could turn out to be a worthwhile king but its

stated that nothing can change destiny but a visit to the kingdom changed all

where he saw the sufferings of mankind and he left his kingdom to go on to

become an ascetic.Lord Buddha tried self mortification for six years but

failed and traveled to Gaya and sat under a fig tree to gain enlightenment.

Here he achieved what he wanted and became Buddha, a person who was

released from consciousness of suffering.

It was at the age of thirty that Gautama Buddha left all his worldly belongings

and devoted his life for self denial and spent the rest of his life teaching his

disciples the Four Noble Truth and how they could achieve the state of

Nirvana. The rest as they say is history and Buddhism spread throughout the

world. This is the just of the biography of the great Gautam Buddha.