Essay About N Both And 6Th Century B.C.E.

Buddhism
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A question asked by many people is What is the difference between Theravada and Mahayana
Buddhism? To find the answer let us look at the history of Buddhism and compare and
contrast the beliefs and philosophies of the two.
The Buddah, Siddhartha Gautama, was born in the 6th century B.C.E. in Northwestern India.
The Buddah was the son of an aristocrat and grew up in a world of affluence and
privilege. His father, Suddhodana took every precaution to make sure Siddhartha didnt
experience anything that would hurt his happiness.
The Buddah attained enlightenment at the age of 35 and spent his life teaching. He taught
for 45 years and only slept for about two hours a day. What he taught was called Buddha
Vacana, i.e. the word of the Buddha.
Three months after the Buddhas death five hundred of his disciples convened the First
Council at Rajagaha. Maha Kassapa, the most respected and elderly monk, presided the
council. Since members of the council were not able to agree on any changes, Maha Kassapa
ruled that no rules laid down by the Buddha should be changed and no new ones should be
introduced. Maha Kassapa also said If we changed the rules, people would say that Ven.
Gotamas disciples changed the rules even before his funeral fire ceased burning.
On hundred years later a Second Council was held and they made some changes to certain
minor rules. In the 3rd Century B.C.E., the Third Council was held to discuss the
difference between different sects. At the end of this Council, the President of the
Council, Moggaliputta Tissa, wrote a book called the Kathavatthu refuting the heretical,
false views and theories of some sects. The teaching approved by this council was known
as Theravada. There was nothing known as Mahayana at this time.
Between the 1st Century B.C.E. and the 1st Century A.D., the term Mahayana appeared in
the Saddharma Pundarike Sutra or Sutra of the Lotus of the Good Law. About the 2nd
Century A.D., Mahayana became clearly defined.
Theravada and Mahayana have a lot of similarities:
n Both accept Sakyamuni Buddha as the Teacher.
n The Four Noble Truths are exactly the same in both schools.
n The Eightfold Path is exactly the same in both schools.
n The Paticca-samuppada or the Dependent Organization is the same in both schools.
n Both rejected the idea of a supreme being who created and governed this world.
n Both accept Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta and Sila, Samadhi, Panna without any difference.
There are also some differences. The Mahayanists did not see themselves as creating a new
start for Buddhism. They claimed that their canon of scriptures represented the final
teachings of Buddha. They accounted for the non-presence of these teachings in over 500
years by claiming that these were secret teachings entrusted only to the most faithful
followers.
Like the Protestant Reformation, the overall goal of Mahayana was to extend religious
authority to a greater number of people, rather