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Introduction to Buddhism
Introduction
This chapter is designed to introduce a brief historical background of Buddhism in
English to students. Students will be expected to be able to explain about the origin of
Buddhism to foreigners.
Buddhism is a religion originated from India 2600 years ago. It is atheism among
other religions such as Brahmanism or Hinduism. Buddhism is a religion of wisdom which
focuses on humanism, where human beings can develop themselves to reach the highest
spiritual level, the highest goodness, Nibbāna or Summum bonum. It does not focus on any
external salvation or any concept of creation of the universe, yet it only aims at learning the
cause of suffering and finding the way to its end.
Some people may consider Buddhism as a philosophy; other groups regard it as a
religion. To intellectual people, Buddhism is a science. Because it teaches the causes and
effects; it invites people to practice and investigate by themselves before firmly adhering to.
Buddhism invites us to investigate the teachings by individual practice. The result of practice
witnesses the authentic teachings, without applying the Buddha’s words into daily life; one
may not profoundly understand the Buddha’s teachings. Through an implementation of the
Dhamma, one will live happily and so that Buddhism is considered as the way of life.
For those who learn Buddhism metaphorically, they may critically ponder upon the
techniques, concepts, perspectives, similes that the Buddha utilized and come to conclusion
that Buddhism is the philosophy. And this is a secular evaluation in the eyes of modern
scientists. However, Buddhism is beyond any secular meaning on earth. It is more than just
the teachings, but also the knowledge gained from an enlightenment of the Buddha.
1
Buddhism teaches that all human beings are used to be a father, mother, brother,
sisters, and even nephew and nieces. Therefore, the teachings somehow focus on loving-
kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. It teaches all of us to be endowed
with these four qualities of the Dhamma towards others. In this sense, it means that human
beings should live together in harmony, in a peaceful way as if we were all born from the
same parents.
The founder of Buddhism is a real historical person who ever walked, lived, and
taught on earth. He was initially a prince who was born in a luxurious royal family, Sakya
clan in northern former India, which is now known as the part of Nepal. His name is
Siddhartha, the prince of Sakya, who later was known as the Buddha, the Supreme
Enlightened One.
1
Photisane, Souneth, Dr, Lao Buddhism: History and Practice,(Mahasalakham: Mahasalakham University,
2006), p.16.
2
Class Activities:
1. What is Buddhism? Please summarize in brief
2. Who kind of religion is Buddhism?
3. How many phases of Buddhism were introduced into Laos?
4. How many kinds of Buddhism were introduced into Laos?
Vocabulary:
apply(v) ນຳໃຊ້,ປະຍຸກໃຊ້
Buddhism(n) ພຣະພຸທຯດະສຳສນຳ
compassion(n) ຄວຳມກະຣຸນຳ
Brahmanism(n)ສຳສນຳພຣຳຫ໌ມ
equanimity(n)ອຸເປກຂຳ, ກຳນວຳງເສີຍ
Hinduism(n) ສຳສນຳຮິນດູ
human beings(n) ມະນຸດ
individual practice(n) ກຳນປະຕິບັດໂດຍສ່ວນຕົວ
influence (v) ກຳນຜູ່ອິດທິພົນ, ກຳນໄດ້ຮັບອິດທິພົນ
introduction(n) ກຳນນຳສະເໜີ, ຄວຳມຮູເ້ ບື້ອງຕົື້ນ
loving-kindness(n)ຄວຳມເມດຕຳ
Mahayana(n) ມະຫຳຍຳນ
Nibbāna (n) ພຣະນິພພຳນ(ເປົ້ຳໝຳຍສູງສຸດໃນທຳງພຣະພຸທຯດະສຳສນຳຯ)
phase(n) ຂັື້ນຕອນ, ລະຍະເວລຳ
profess(v) ຍອມຮັບ, ນັບຖ
religion(n) ສຳສນຳ
secular(adj) ກ່ຽວກັບຊຳວໂລກ,ກ່ຽວກັບຄະລຫັດ
summarize(v) ສະຫລຸບ
Supreme-Enlightened One(n) ຜູ້ຕັດສະຮູ້, ພຣະພຸທຯດະເຈົື້ຳ
sympathetic joy (n) ມຸທິຕຳ, ຄວຳມຮູ້ສຶກຍິນດີ ໃນເມື່ອຜູ້ອື່ນໄດ້ດີ.
Trantayana (n) ຕັນຕຣະຍຳນ, ພຸດຯດະສຳສນຳນິກຳຍໜຶື່ງໃນຕີເບດ