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Buddhism arose in India and flourished for a long time. It eventually declined and disappeared from most regions of India around 13th century, but not without leaving a significant impact. In Himalayan areas like Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, Buddhist practice was continued. It has reemerged as a major faith in India in the past century.
Characteristics
Nikaya
- Theravada is the single remaining representative of the eighteen (or twenty) Nikaya schools of Indian Buddhism, which are sometimes referred to by the controversial term Hinayana. Theravada is now practiced mainly in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.
- Another prominent Nikaya school was the Sarvastivada, much of the doctrine of which was incorporated into Tibetan Buddhism. It included one of the main branches of Indian Abhidharma that was instrumental in the creation of Yogacara doctrine. Its system of monastic rules Vinaya is still used in Tibetan Buddhism and is also somewhat influential in monastic Chinese Buddhism.
Mahayana
For a full discussion of Mahayana Buddhism, please see Mahayana.
- Madhyamaka (Middle Way), of which the most significant thinker is Nagarjuna
- Yogacara founded by Asanga and Vasubandhu. Also known as Cittamatra, Vijnanavada (Mind Only, Consciousness-Mind Only).
- Tathagatagarbha A tenet of Indian and East Asian Buddhist thought based on the third turning of the wheel of dharma and central to Yogacara.
Vajrayana
A form of Indian Buddhism that emerged in roughly the 7th century AD and later became widespread in Tibet, and also found in Japan. For a full discussion, please see Vajrayana.
History
For a full account of the spread of Buddhism in India and beyond, see the History of Buddhism and the History of Buddhism in India.
Modern revival
Main article: Buddhism in modern IndiaThe number of Indian Buddhists remains quite small; under 1% population of whole India (excluding refugees from elsewhere) in a country of over a billion. Revival movements have been attempted with slowly increasing success.
A Buddhist revivalist movement among Dalit Indians was initiated in 1956 by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. Historically Sri Lankan Buddhist monks have played big role for Buddhist Movement in India.. In the month of October 2006 most of the Buddhist Ordinations are carried by Sri Lankan Buddhist Monks where some Hindus converted to Buddhism. They took Trisarana, Panchsheel and 22 vows in the conversion ceremony arranged in different part of India. The move was criticized by Hindu groups as "unhelpful" and has been criticized as a "political stunt"
Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO) is a Buddhist movement that was founded in the UK by Sangharakshita (formerly Dennis Lingwood) in 1967, followed by the Western Buddhist Order in 1968. In 1978 Indian wing of the FWBO founded, known as the Trailokya Bauddha Mahasangha Sahayaka Gana.
See also
- History of Buddhism
- Decline of Buddhism in India
- Early Buddhist Schools
- Schools of Buddhism
- Buddhism in Kashmir
External links
- Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch (Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3) by Sir Charles Eliot, at Project Gutenberg
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- http://www.mahabodhiindia.com/home.htm
- http://web.archive.org/web/20030622160717/http://www.the-week.com/21nov18/events6.htm
- http://www.tbmsg.org/index1.html