Page 12 - Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated) and Symbols

old age, diseases and death. In its long history, Buddhism has not

shed a single drop of blood in persuading people to walk its gen-

tle path. It is a religion that requires all its followers to practise

loving kindness and compassion towards all sentient beings.

Sakyamuni Buddha was deeply concerned with suffering in life

and for some forty-five years after his Enlightenment, taught

ways and means to overcome and transcend it. e Buddha’s

theme is therefore one of liberation from all suffering and

sorrow.

e Buddha established the Noble Order of the Sangha, the

community of monks, more than 2500 years ago. After His

death (Parinirvana), His Teachings (Dharma) became the sole

guide and source of inspiration to the Sangha. However, the vast

teachings together with their profundity brought about different

understanding and interpretations so that two main schools of

thought came into being.

At the second Buddhist Council in Vaisali, held some 100

years after the death of the Buddha, the two great traditions

of the Hinayana and Mahayana were formally established. e

Hinayanists (eravadins) follow the Pali Canon while the

Mahayanists took to heart the scriptures that were written in

Sanskrit.

is chart gives a brief summary of the two great schools of

Buddhism: Hinayana and Mahayana.

 