Like Hinduism,Buddhism believes in the law of action and rebirth.However there is no mention of god or soul in Buddha’s teachings.The Buddha set up an order of monks,the Sangha,to spread Buddhism.Buddhists believe that the three jewels of Buddhism are the Buddha,the Dhamma(Buddhist doctrine) and the Sangha.his teachings emphasized the importance of humanism,compassion,an ethical life and gentleness.He used the local languages to spread his teachings and said that there was no need for priesthood.He taught the importance of non violence and non killing. Although Buddhism as a religion has comparatively few followers in India today, many of the essential reformist teachings of Buddhism were absorbed onto Hinduism such as non-killing for food,the stopping of ritual sacrifices etc.
The five percepts laid down by Buddhism for the ordinary man or woman are to abstain from injury to all living beings,to abstain from stealing,to abstain from unchaste living,to abstain from falsehood and to abstain from liquor and drugs.
After Buddha’s death at the age of 80,18 schools of Buddhism sprang up.The wide spread propogation of Buddhism all over India and to all the parts of the globe can be credited to emperor Ashoka (3rd century B.C.).Buddhism in its early form,Theravada,spread to Srilanka,Burma,Thailand,Combodia,Laos etc.The later Mahayana school spread to Nepal,Bhutan,Korea,Vetnam,Japan and China.
Theravada,the earliest school,aims at attaining enlightenment through ethical conduct,discipline and wisdom.Hinayan,the little vehicle aims at personal nirvana.In Mahayana,the great vehicle to become Buddha,one has to go through life as a Bodhisatva who,in his next birth will becomke Buddha.Buddhism was spread all ver the world by Buddhist monks.Equally important was the part played by the wealth of art,sculpture and paintings propagating Buddhism,so much of which is for us to see this day not only in India but in all the countries which have embraced Buddhism.
