Buddhist monks and sangha. tibetan buddhism monastic religion buddhist monks profess

Rice. Sitting Buddha statue

The teaching of the Buddha himself turned out to be in many respects different from what appeared in Buddhism later. The most adequate was the earliest form - Hinayana (literally - a small chariot, a narrow path to salvation). Buddhism in this form opposed Brahmanism not with some new initial principle of religion, but took from his creed both the idea of ​​samsara - a disastrous chain of rebirths, and the doctrine of the law of karma, i.e. the idea that the subsequent incarnation depends on the behavior of a person in a previous existence. Even the ideal of deliverance, liberation in both religions is almost adequate: a person strives for an impersonal being, the extinction of the personality in nirvana, from which there is no return to a new birth.

Rice. Buddha with two disciples

The difference between religions lies in the new view of Buddhism on the world and in the understanding of the path of salvation. Buddhism is a religion of deliverance from suffering. The concept of "suffering" does not come down to the usual meaning put into this word, it is not just pain and misfortune. This is a religious category, which can be correctly understood only on the basis of the religious knowledge of the truth that the whole earthly existence, since it is individual, as a whole is a decline, something fatal both in suffering and in joys. What person does not know what hurts him? But the fact is that an unenlightened person (an ordinary person), if he does not possess a religious understanding, does not know that suffering, death, joys, all individual existence, i.e., any formed existence, is transient and inessential. Buddhism offers a theory about the essence of this individual reality - the doctrine of dharma, which asserts, like modern atomism, that all phenomena of the world we perceive, including our "Self", are not some permanent and resting entities, but a fluid, changing collision of factors of existence. , a consequence of the excitement of dharmas - particles of the universe, a kind of monads of the spiritual principle. The driving force of individual formations is the vital will (tanha). The whole cumulative world of phenomena is subject to the law of becoming, the dependence of one on the other. From this chain of determinations a single state falls out - nirvana, a calmed being, in its depths that no longer knows any differences and no movement.

Thus the world, as the Buddha saw it, is an infinite number of separate fleeting entities, in a state of beginningless agitation, but gradually moving towards the tranquility and absolute annihilation of all living things, when its elements are brought one by one to complete rest. This is nirvana, i.e. destruction, dissolution of the individual in the universal whole. Peace of mind is the only real bliss that life can give.
And apart from calming and completely destroying the soul as a separate substance, Buddhism offered nothing. The way to this goal, defined in the four sacred truths, is to get rid of suffering. Everything transient is subject to suffering, the cause of which is attachment to life, involvement in its cares. To avoid suffering, a person must suppress in himself any attachment to anything and any desire, become indifferent to the joys and sorrows of life, to death itself. The "eight-component path" leads to the destruction of suffering: righteous faith in the Buddha, his teaching and community; righteous determination; righteous words; righteous deeds; righteous lifestyle; righteous aspirations; righteous thoughts; righteous contemplation (meditation, yoga). Following this path, a person reaches enlightenment, becomes an arhat (holy) and plunges into nirvana (non-existence), when the chain of rebirths (sam-sara) stops and death no longer leads to a new birth, but frees from all desires, and with them from suffering, from returning to some form of individual existence. This is the ethical-ascetic path of immersion in mystical indifference. Man breaks the chains that bind him to the world. Having achieved the mysterious awakening of feelings, inner enlightenment, even in his earthly life he ceases to be a person and at the end of the youth achieves the goal, reaching the state of Buddha and plunging into nirvana.
Closest to this goal are monks who have renounced everything worldly and devoted their whole lives to pious reflections, much further away are lay Buddhists. The pious deeds available to them, although they improve karma, are still insufficient for salvation and nirvana. Buddhism in its original form, inayana, was the teaching of monks and mainly for monks, i.e. for those who have left the world. Buddhist communities, in the strict sense of the word, were communities of monks (bhikshus), ascetics. Over time, they began to create monasteries, which turned into the main and, in fact, the only form of organization of Buddhists. They did not have a hierarchically organized church structure, a priestly caste. Monasteries served as centers for the spread of Buddhism; sacred texts (sutras) were written here, which by the beginning of our era constituted the written Buddhist canon - Tripitaka.
The one who entered the monastery (sangha) renounced everything that connected him with the world, i.e. from family, caste, property, and took five vows: do not kill, do not steal, do not drink, do not lie, do not commit adultery. At any moment the monk could leave the sang-

Hee and return to worldly life. Those who decided to devote their whole lives to religion underwent an initiation ceremony (ordination) and took five additional vows - not to sing, not to dance, not to sleep on comfortable beds, not to eat at the wrong time, not to use things with strong smell and brightly colored, do not engage in money-grubbing.
Mahayana (broad path to salvation) - a form of Buddhism that developed later and reached its peak around 200 AD. e., - in many respects differed from the Hinayana. It is more like an ordinary religion in that it is not content with the function of "inner enlightenment" of a small circle of people. It makes the concept of nirvana more accessible to ordinary religious consciousness, moves away from an exclusively negative attitude towards the world of samsara. It was recognized that the piety and alms of a layman are comparable to the merits of a monk and can bring him closer to his cherished goal - nirvana. On the chariot of salvation now many can fit. A new figure appears in Buddhism - a bodisattva, a holy ascetic who has reached the stage of salvation, but remains with people in order to alleviate their suffering, to lead them along the path of salvation. With the advent of bodysattvas in Buddhism, a pantheon of saints began to develop, to whom one could pray, asking them for help and intercession. Along with the great Buddha (Shakya Muni), many other Buddhas appeared, they acquired names, were personified, turned into objects of reverence and worship. There was a practice of worshiping their images, mainly sculptural ones. In many countries of the East, the figures of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas carved in rocks, images of various scenes from their lives, have survived to this day. Along with all this, the concept of hell and paradise, unknown to early Buddhism, appeared, a cosmogony was developed, depicting many heavens, which housed the divine pantheon. And the Buddha himself turned from a teacher of wisdom into a God-savior. If the Hinayana rejected the mediation of the Brahmins, then in the Mahayana there are again ideas about the role of monks and clergy as mediators on the path to salvation. Monasteries are actively engaged in trade, fabulously rich temples with Buddha figures made of valuable materials appear.
In general, Buddhism is a pessimistic religion in its assessment of the world, its meaning and reality. In sociological terms, it is most significant that Buddhism did not attach any importance to the forms of community, social organization and associations that were taking shape in this world, it only rejected the caste system. For the Buddha and his followers there was no

Rice. Bodhisattva Maitreya. India. 2nd century

Boundaries between people established by castes. All castes were allowed access to Buddhist communities and thus to salvation, which was not necessarily achieved in the first existence as a Buddhist monk, but which could be gradually approached over many births. In the matter of one's own salvation, Buddhism, like other religions of India, takes into account not only the life currently being lived, but also much longer time intervals, therefore it lacks the aspiration to missionary preaching, when it is believed that a person should be saved today, while it is not too late until he has parted with his life as an unrepentant, unconverted sinner. According to Buddhism, a person gradually and slowly matures for knowledge and thus for enlightenment and salvation. Therefore, Buddhism creates a community both for those who have already achieved a lot on the path of purification - monastic orders (male and female), and for those who want to continue life in the world - worldly communities, such as the family and the state. All these communities, which according to the will of the Buddha should live in the spirit of his teaching, are considered, of course, only as preliminary and ultimately without the value of education. The monastic order founded by the Buddha is a community united by the pursuit of perfection in accordance with the preaching of the Master. In late Buddhism, when nirvana had already lost its absolute, purely negative essence, when it began to be regarded as a state in which a person discovers his own "I" in his neighbor and strangers are perceived as close (for all come from one system of dharma and thus are parts of one body), and the individual can secure his own salvation by the salvation of another.
In Buddhism in general, the commandment of mercy is of great importance. No living being can be killed. It is necessary to treat both the good and the evil equally kindly. It is impossible to repay evil for evil, for this only multiplies evil and suffering. It also means that it is impossible to protect others from violence, to punish even for murder. Non-resistance to evil is an absolute rule that knows no exceptions. Without resisting evil, one must refrain from complicity in it. That is why, in order to fulfill the precepts of Buddhism, one must leave the world and lead a monastic

Rice. Cult utensils from the Sikkim monastery in India

Lifestyle. Since renunciation cannot be a general rule, there are five commandments that are obligatory for all followers of the Buddha, which have already been mentioned, among them - not to kill the living.
The teaching of the Buddha himself is often characterized as "atheistic", meaning the following. According to this teaching, a person should rely not on the gods, but on himself: no one will save and save him from the suffering of samsara if he himself does not achieve this by a righteous way of life. The most orthodox Buddhist may revere the Buddha as the greatest person who ever lived, who comprehended the truth and showed the way, but he imagines him as a living person in the past, and nothing more. The main thing in Buddhism is the ethical teaching about the personal salvation of a person without the help of supernatural forces.

Rice. Thera (teacher) on the street of one of the cities of Myanmar

In the II century. Buddhism entered China and became widespread. It existed there for about two millennia, having a huge impact on Chinese culture. It did not become the dominant religion for a number of reasons, but took a firm place in religious life, in which Confucianism played a major role.
In the 7th century Ch'an Buddhism, now more commonly referred to as Zen Buddhism, originated in China. Chan instilled in Buddhism Chinese sobriety and rationalism: not to try to achieve nirvana or become a Buddha, but to see and understand the Truth that is around you - in the beauty of nature, in the joy of work, etc., learn to live and enjoy life, but live only for yourself . This teaching had a huge impact on the development of not only Chinese, but also Japanese culture, as well as a number of other countries of the East, and in the twentieth century. - and the West.
Buddhism as a world religion reached its most complete form in Tibet - in Lamaism. The Tibetan Dalai Lama is still a symbol and the highest value not only in the eyes of lamaists, but also in the eyes of many Buddhists in different countries world Lamaism developed in the late Middle Ages (VII-XV centuries). Based on the synthesis of different areas of Buddhism, he also absorbed the influence of Tantrism, which introduced the mandala - a kind of graphic diagram of the Universe, saturated with magical signs and symbols, which has many

The gesture of variations, and kalacharu - the "wheel of time", within which the 60-year animal cycle symbolizes the circulation of a person in the karmic world of samsara. However, the most important thing in Tantrism is its mystical and magical basis, which is revealed in meditation and in magical rites, including sexual practice: ritual communication of the sexes in order to acquire energy - shakti. Lamaism provides for strict ethical standards of existence.
The Indo-Buddhist religious tradition determined the characteristic features of the civilization in the depths of which it developed, such as predominant attention to religiously motivated individual behavior and socio-political indifference, the relative weakness of political institutions combined with a stable hierarchy of social inequality (caste) and the stability of the social structure. Another characteristic feature is religious tolerance. In the 19th century Eastern civilizations had to experience the onslaught of the capitalist West. Experience of the 20th century testifies that the countries of the East have managed to preserve traditions and to a large extent continue to rely on them in an attempt to fit into the modern world. This circumstance helps to solve the problems of maintaining a stable social order, a moral standard, and, to some extent, modernization, although there are also great difficulties. India gained political independence in the 20th century, and Hinduism was one of the most important factors in the development of the national liberation movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. But in the life of modern India, colossal difficulties are associated with religious strife (between Hindus and Muslims).

Christianity, along with Buddhism and Islam, is classified as a world religion, meaning both its influence on the course of history and the extent of its spread. If other world religions do not raise the question of the driving forces and the course of the history of mankind, so that it seems to fall out of their sphere of attention, then Christianity can rightfully be attributed to the "religions of historical Divine revelation." Christianity considers history as a one-way, unique, "one-time" process directed by God: from the beginning (the creation of the world) to the end, the youth (the coming of the Messiah, the Last Judgment). The content of this process is the drama of a person who has fallen into sin, who has departed from God, whom only the grace of God can save, and he can find this grace in faith in the Savior and the Church, which is the bearer of this faith. For many centuries, starting from the 3rd-4th centuries, Christianity was

Associated with key moments social development, which determined the historical fate of mankind.
According to data published in 1982 in the "World Christian Encyclopedia" (Oxford, UK), out of 4.2 billion of the world's population, 1.4 billion were nominally Christians, i.e. one third. Islam was practiced by 723 million and Buddhism by 274 million.
Christianity in the modern sense is a collective term that includes three main areas: Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism, within which there are many different faiths and religious associations that have arisen at different times throughout its two thousand-year history.

Rice. Jesus Christ. Monastery of St. Catherine. Sinai. 6th century

In the center of Christianity is the image of Jesus Christ. Christians - Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants - believe that he is both a man and God. They accept his teachings and try to follow his example in their lives. The holy book of Christians is the Bible, in which the Old Testament (the holy book of the followers of Judaism) is added New Testament about the life and teachings of Christ. The New Testament includes four Gospels (from Greek - the gospel), the Acts of the Apostles - the first preachers of Christianity, the Epistles of the Apostles to Christian communities and, finally, the Apocalypse, or the Revelation of St. John the Theologian. These works are considered "inspired by God", i.e. written by people under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Christians believe that by his death Jesus Christ reconciled the human race with God, that by his resurrection he conquered death and evil, gave " new life"To those who believed in him.
Christianity arose in the Roman Empire, which absorbed the entire world of the Mediterranean, when a civilization based on slavery was already declining) By the 60s. 1st century there were already several Christian communities, in addition to the very first, Jerusalem, which consisted of disciples gathered around Jesus. The earliest of the New Testament writings (Apocalypse) was written in 68-69, while the Gospels were compiled in the middle of the 2nd century. It was a time when the Romans' confidence that their world was the best of all possible worlds was already in the past, and was replaced by a sense of

Shchenie imminent catastrophe, the collapse of age-old foundations, the near end of the world. This idea was clearly heard by the Stoics, adherents of one of the most widespread trends in ancient philosophy, whose famous representatives were Seneca and the emperor Aurelius. In the lower classes, the condemnation of the kingdom of the rich and those in power, the thirst for renewal, the transformation of life are ripening. The search for salvation from life's hardships and injustices gives rise to faith in the coming of the Savior. The first Christians believed in the imminent end of the existing world and the establishment - thanks to the direct intervention of God - of his kingdom on Earth, in which justice would be restored.
The question of whether Jesus existed, apart from the many contingency discussions, is itself a simple enough one. Christian sources depict Jesus as the initiator of a historical movement, at the origins of which stood the Palestinian primitive community of his disciples. The sources report very little about the life and personality of Jesus, they rather expound his word, teaching. Tradition names Jesus as the bearer of this word, this teaching, and it is highly probable that this was the case in reality. One can agree with those theologians who believe that if it was otherwise, then this still does not change anything said in the legend. We speak of Jesus as the herald of the Christian doctrine, the image of which is precisely as portrayed by Christian sources. Many publications of the last century and a half about the life and personality of Jesus are nothing more than free "fantasies on the topic."
In the Gospels, Jesus of Nazareth is a Galilean preacher. Christ is a common name, which in Greek means the anointed one (in Hebrew - "mashiach", hence the messiah). Jesus did not reveal to anyone that he was the expected messiah, the Savior. In the Gospels, both names are nowhere near. None of the closest disciples of Jesus, except Simon-Peter, was sure that their teacher was Christ. Only he answered the question of Jesus: "And who do you consider me to be?" - answered: "You are the Christ." This is the Peter who later became the head of the Church. The gospel stories were designed to convince the listeners that the Galilean preacher Jesus is the Messiah expected by the Jews,

Rice. "The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ". Artist Gustave Dore

Christ, because most of the people did not want to believe that Jesus is the Christ: "We know him, where he comes from; when Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from." According to the Gospels, Jesus Christ was the founder of a new religion.
The title "Christ" connects Jesus with the Old Testament predictions about the coming Prophet, Priest and King - "the son of David". Christ is the King promised to Israel, "the righteous branch of David." He came to announce that "the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand", that God is the father of all people, and before him all are equal. He was accused of blasphemy and incitement against the power of Rome. He appeared before the court, was sentenced to death by the Roman governor Pontius Pilate and crucified on the cross. By His martyrdom, Jesus atoned for the sins of people and gave them hope for salvation. He resurrected, "trampling down death by death", gave new life to those who believed in him, internally freeing them from absorption by the usual course of things.
The denunciation of the corruption of the world, its sinfulness, the promise of salvation and the establishment of the kingdom of peace and justice - that's what attracted Christianity. It gave hope and comfort to all who suffer. They were promised the kingdom of God: those who are first here will be last there, and those who are last here will be first there. Evil will be punished, and virtue will be rewarded, the highest judgment will be done, and everyone will be rewarded according to his deeds. There is no such person who would not be guilty before God, who would not violate his commandments, everyone is sinful. Jesus Christ, by his martyrdom, atoned for the sins of people who believed in him, followed him, and thus gained hope for immortality and forgiveness. Thus was established the New Testament - "the law of Christ." Those who believe in him ceased to be slaves of the "law", they acquired "sonship", "the mercy of the Lord."
The new law gives instructions and rules of a higher order: it condemns not only murders, crimes, but also the very intention to commit them. Violence cannot make the world a better place: evil only multiplies evil. The gospel calls: "And as you want people to do to you, so do you to them." Therefore, do good not only to those who do good to you, but also "love your enemies, and give thanks, and lend, expecting nothing." The preaching of the gospel Christ called not for political resistance, but for moral perfection. A just state, a perfect arrangement

Rice. Evangelist Mark. Tile. Kolomenskoe. 1701

There can be no relationship. Everything human is sinful and inevitably imperfect. Attempts by the hands of man himself to build a kingdom of justice on earth are doomed, they will inevitably collapse in the same way as the Tower of Babel collapsed. The kingdom of justice is not of this world, it is the kingdom of God. A person cannot free himself from the duties that the state, the family impose on him, but he can and must free himself internally, to feel that life is not reduced to the daily, once and for all routine course of things.
The idea of ​​original sin, i.e. the falling away of people from God, the idea of ​​redemption and salvation, the idea of ​​the God-man, the Savior - these are the basic ideas of Christian preaching. Christianity taught to see in people not rich and poor, free and slaves, Greeks, Egyptians, Jews, etc., but only righteous and sinful. At first, it declared wealth, strength, greed, education, pride to be vices, and poverty, humility, love for one's neighbor as virtues. The weak tried in this way to assert their moral superiority over " the mighty of the world Christians believed that justice, unattainable in this world, will triumph in the Kingdom of Heaven, which was announced by the Son of God, the Savior of the world - Christ, which was Jesus, who preached the new faith and was crucified in Jerusalem on the cross, but resurrected and ascended to heaven The people who believed in him renounced their property, strove to lead a righteous life, working together and indulging in pious pursuits.
For a long time there were scattered Christian communities in which you

Rice. Portrait of the Apostle Paul. Artist Francesco Guercino. First half of the 17th century

Rice. Apostle Peter. Icon. 17th century

Shared preachers who did not have official position. Later, the positions of a deacon, who is in charge of the current affairs of the community, and a bishop, who was in charge of money and property, appear.
In Christian communities, presbyters (from Greek - elders) become their priests, metropolitans - leaders of church regions, patriarchs - first hierarchs of large regional church associations. Already in the II century. Bishops act not only as economic leaders, but also as the main experts on questions of doctrine (dogmatics) and worship. In the Christian communities of the first centuries there were many currents - sects, heresies. In the struggle between them, a creed and a system of rituals officially approved and accepted by the church were formed. The main place among them is occupied by the sacraments - cult actions, through which God's grace should come to believers. The first sacraments were communion, in which, under the guise of bread and wine, believers partake of "the flesh and blood of Christ," baptism with water that washes away "original sin."

Rice. Saints Cyril and Methodius. Modern work of the monks of Athos

In 395, the Roman Empire split into western and eastern parts. This contributed to the isolation of the Western Church, headed by the Roman bishop (pope) and a number of Eastern Churches, headed by patriarchs - Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria. Between the western and eastern branches of Christianity (Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches) a struggle for influence unfolded, which ended in their formal break in 1054. By that time, Christianity had already turned from a persecuted faith into a state religion. This happened in the 4th century. under Emperor Constantine and legitimized by the so-called Edict of Milan in 313. The "Constantine era" began in the history of Christianity - the centuries-old "union of the altar and the throne."
Orthodoxy of Byzantine origin was established in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. Kievan Rus adopted Christianity in 988 under Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. This step had important consequences in the history of Russia: first of all, for the development

Tiya statehood, and later for the formation of national identity.
The "Moscow and All Russia" metropolitans, and since 1589 the patriarchs, did not aspire to secular power, the power of the Church over the state. The patriarchate was abolished by Peter I, and it was restored only in 1918. The Synodal Church was in fact an integral part of the state apparatus. The Church in Russia has always followed the commandment "all power is from God."
Undoubtedly, Christianity brought with it from Byzantium to Russia a high level of culture - moral experience, philosophical and theological thought, aesthetic feelings. Church art left priceless works of architecture, icon painting, and singing. It was simply important that the Church contributed to the spread of literacy and softening of morals. At the same time, the acquisition of a new faith was associated with the destruction of the shrines of the former culture. In order to establish itself in Russia, Christianity had to oust the Slavic pagan beliefs, "crush the idols" that had previously been worshipped. Worship of mother nature, earthly and accessible, was replaced by worship of the unattainable and incomprehensible "Heaven". The adoption of Christianity by Kievan Rus is a transplant onto Slavic soil of an alien culture of Byzantine, Eastern Christianity. During the years of the Horde yoke and unrest, the Russian Orthodox Church reconciled the warring princes, she was the guardian of national culture. She occupied patriotic positions during the years of disasters, enemy invasions. So it was in 1812, and in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Orthodoxy as the "dominant religion" enjoyed considerable privileges. Exit from it, according to the laws of the Russian Empire, until 1905 was considered a criminal offense.
In the life of Western Europe until the XVI century. the Roman Catholic Church dominated (catholic in Greek means universal), i.e. universal, claiming to be she, and she alone,

Rice. Baptism of Russia. Icon

It is the true and complete embodiment of Christianity. The head of the Church - the Pope of Rome - was considered the vicar of Christ on earth and the successor of the Apostle Peter. He was elected by the conclave, an assembly of the college of cardinals (the current one, John Paul II, was elected in 1978). The pope is the head of not only the Church, but also the state of the Vatican, which occupies a small area on the territory of Rome and has diplomatic relations with many countries of the world. At the end of the last century, the dogma of the infallibility of the pope was proclaimed, when he officially, "from the pulpit", speaks on issues of faith and morality. This is one of the dogmatic differences between Catholicism and other areas of Christianity - the belief that in the Catholic faith not only religious truth is given, but also the truth about all human affairs, including the socio-political life of society. In the Middle Ages, the theory and practice of theocracy, claims to the supreme power of the Church, both in politics and in secular life, were based on this. Today, this confidence is expressed in the fact that the Church offers its social teaching as the only way to solve social problems. Connected with this confidence is the intolerance inherent in the Catholic Church towards other varieties of the Christian faith, other worldviews. It must be said that she largely abandoned the most archaic and interfering with her own traditions and turned her face to the modern world. The decisive event in this renewal was the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). At present, the Catholic Church proclaims the need to find solutions to the global problems of our time in the spirit of humanism, respect for life, and the dignity of the human person.
In the 16th century, during the era of early bourgeois revolutions in Europe, Christianity underwent another major split. Catholicism was the ideological support of feudalism, and therefore the anti-feudal movement that had begun turned out to be directed against the Catholic Church. The leaders of the Reformation in Germany and Switzerland - Martin Luther, John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli - accused her of distorting authentic Christianity. They called for a return to the true faith of the early Christians, to the "universal priesthood", eliminating intermediaries between man and God. In fact, a new kind of Christianity was created, bourgeois in spirit - Protestantism. Protestantism is characterized by individualism in matters of faith: every believer has the right to read and interpret the revelation of God - the Bible. “The thoughts and aspirations of the soul cannot be subject to anyone but God,” proclaimed Martin Luther, “that is why it is absurd and impossible to force someone to believe this way and not otherwise by commands ...” the fulfillment by each of his duties, so this is the doctrine of a "worldly calling", that it is in conscientious work that a person embodies the Christian commandments. Any work is valuable, its moral motive is important,

Also diligence and perseverance. Martin Luther wrote: "If you ask the last maid why she cleans the house, milks the cows, washes the closet, then she can answer: I know that my work is pleasing to God, which I know from his words and mandate."
The Reformation accepted Holy Scripture as the highest authority in matters of faith, rejecting the institutions accumulated over the previous centuries - the Holy Tradition of the Church. She recognized Christ as the only mediator between people and God, put forward the idea of ​​universal priesthood and justification only by grace-filled mercy, only by faith, in order to refuse the mediation of an entire army of clerics, to put an end to the sale of indulgences, the veneration of relics, pilgrimages and so on. It was a new understanding of God and man, the Church, the sacraments, the state, the freedom of Christianity, conscience. So to the great split into Eastern and Western Christianity in the 11th century. added in the 16th century. a new one - between medieval Christianity and Christianity, which has embarked on a reformist path.
From the very beginning, Protestantism was divided into a number of independent denominations - Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglicanism. Later, many denominations, Protestant sects, arose, this process continues in our time, and the former sects turned into churches, such as Baptist, Methodist or Adventist.
Protestantism was characterized by the desire to separate the spheres of influence of the spiritual power of the Church and the secular power of the state: God - God's, and Caesar - Caesar's. Protestantism transferred the center of gravity of religious life from church forms to the individual, his perfection. He simplified the ritual.
In the XX century. Protestantism initiated the ecumenical movement, i.e. movement to overcome the schism of Christianity. To this movement in the 50s. joined the Russian Orthodox Church. The ecumenical movement and the World Council of Churches created by it are now focusing on the search for strategies for the development of modern society, overcoming the threats hanging over humanity.

Islam is the second world religion after Christianity in terms of the number of followers, the religion of humility and complete submission to the will of the Almighty. It was founded in the 7th century. on the basis of Arab tribal religions, the Prophet Muhammad. In contrast to the polytheism of pagan religions, he proclaimed that there is only one great Allah (al or el - the common Semitic root of the word "God") and that everyone should be submissive to his Yule (Islam, Muslims - from the word "submission"). It was a call to rally the Arabs under the

Menem of the one God, All the faithful must rally around the teachings of the holy prophet, on the basis of the cult of the one and only Allah. Mohammed urged the Arabs to believe in one God and serve him in anticipation of the youth of the world, the day of judgment and the establishment of a "kingdom of justice and peace" on earth.
Mohammed was born, as is commonly believed, in 570. Orphaned early, he tended his uncle's cattle, and then entered the service of a wealthy widow and conducted her trading business. Arabia stood at the crossroads of trade routes, and in many respects the well-being of the Arabs, not only the inhabitants of cities such as Mecca or Yat-rib (the future Medina), but also the nomads, depended on trade. Active communication with different peoples and religions, including Judaism and Christianity, was also due to the fact that by this time the area of ​​residence of the Arabs had expanded: they lived in Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia. Not surprisingly, much of Muhammad's teaching was borrowed from the Old and New Testaments.

Rice. Mohammed and the black stone. Illustration from Rashidaaddin's book. 1307

The holy book of Muslims is the Quran. According to legend, the text of the Koran was told to the prophet by Allah himself through the mediation of Jabrail (the biblical archangel Gabriel; served as an intermediary between God and people). Muslim theologians explain the numerous coincidences of the texts of the Bible and the Koran by the fact that Allah had previously passed on his sacred commandments to the prophets - Moses, Jesus, but these commandments were distorted by Jews and Christians. Only Muhammad was able to convey them in full and true form.
The word Quran itself means "reading aloud". According to legend, Jibrail appeared to Muhammad in the desert and read to him the writings-revelations inscribed in the sky, which he passed on to his followers. The first sermons of Muhammad were recorded by his secretaries-scribes and formed the basis of the Koran, which consists of 114 suras (chapters), which speaks of all aspects of life, including justice, morality, ritual prescriptions.
In Islam, monotheism is carried out most consistently: Allah is God the only, faceless, supreme and omnipotent, wise, most merciful, creator of all things and the supreme judge. Above God there is no moral law according to which he must act. Allah is perceived and presented as an undetermined will. There are no other gods next to him, nor any independent beings. Allah creates the world and governs it not through constants, immanently

The laws inherent in the world, but through a permanent intrusion into the course of things. What looks like a regularity in natural phenomena is in fact only a habit in Divine activity, which can be changed by Allah at any moment.
The content of what Allah requires of people is set forth in the law given in his revelation. The boundless omnipotence of God is answered by the law, covering all aspects of life, including the profane, i.e. in this case, the rule "To God is God's, and to Caesar - Caesar's" is not applicable, since "God's" is all human life without exception. Islam is in this sense "the religion of the book and the law", the whole life of believers is completely subordinate to the law. As the Koran says, "truth, piety before God is humility." This is the only possible position of man before God and his incomprehensible will. One should obey this will not because it is good, but because it is Divine, omnipotent.
There are, in addition to angels, as if embodying the idea of ​​goodness (led by Jabrail, Mikail, Israfil and Azrael), demons and genies - evil spirits, led by Polis, who showed disobedience and became the devil, whom Allah cursed, promising that at the Last Judgment he along with all the demons will be overthrown. But they also fulfill the will of Allah.
In Islam there is a doctrine of heaven and hell, of rewarding a person in the afterlife for his deeds. At the Last Judgment, Allah himself will interrogate each of the living and the dead, and they, naked, with a book in which their deeds are recorded, will wait in fear for his decision. The sinners will go to hell, the righteous will go to heaven. The intercession of Muhammad can mitigate the fate of sinners, induce Allah to forgive the sinner and send him to paradise. The will of God is incomprehensible, bound by nothing. It can be misleading and misleading. In the 6th sura it directly says: "Whoever Allah wishes to lead straight, broadens his chest for Islam, and whomever He wishes to lead astray, makes his chest narrow, tight, as if he were ascending to heaven" (ayat 125). Allah is merciful to whom he favors. This is not equivalent to fatalism, but defines a religious position according to which man and his fate are completely dependent on the incomprehensible, irrational will of God.
Hence another practical result: unconditional obedience to religious law. The most powerful effect is

Rice. Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad. Medieval miniature

Lam on human life through the doctrine of duties - duty. The Islamic law system - Sharia - defines the norms of human relations in the family and society, its prescriptions cover all issues related to worship, civil and criminal law, regulate almost all details of everyday life, forms of polite address, etc. This is a comprehensive set of obligations of the faithful to people, society and Allah.
The main duties of a Muslim are the following "five pillars of faith"
1. Confession: "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet." To become a Muslim, it is enough to solemnly pronounce this phrase and fulfill the rest of the duties.

Rice. El Faiyum Mosque. Egypt

2. Prayer: obligatory daily ritual five times. Those who do not pray five times a day are infidels. On Fridays and on holidays, solemn services are performed, which are led by imams ("those who stand in front"). Before prayer, the faithful are obliged to perform ablution, a rite of purification (small - washing of hands, feet and face; large, in case of serious impurity - a complete washing of the whole body). If there is no water, sand replaces it.
3. Fasting: the main thing is Ramadan, which lasts a month, and during it from dawn to dusk, the faithful do not have the right to eat, drink, or smoke.
4. Alms: obligatory alms - zakat - is perceived as a cleansing ritual for those who have (a few percent of annual income), and additional - herring - is a voluntary donation.
5. Hajj: Another of the pillars of faith, the fulfillment of which is difficult for many to fulfill. It is believed that every healthy Muslim, if possible, should once in a lifetime visit the holy places in Mecca and bow to the Kaaba. Every year, several tens of thousands of believers arrive in Mecca on the days of the great sacrifice to Allah. The pilgrims who performed the rite receive an honorary name - hoja.
To these five, one more (sixth) pillar of faith is often added - a holy war against the infidels (jihad, or ghazavat). War against infidels is always

It was viewed as a sacred commandment, participation in it freed from all sins and provided the faithful who fell on the battlefield with a place in paradise
The essence of Islamic piety is expressed in the Qur'an in the 2nd sura: "Piety is not that you turn your faces towards the east and west, but piety is who believes in Allah, and on the last day, and in angels, and in scripture, and into the prophets, and gave property, in spite of love for him, relatives and orphans, and the poor, and travelers, and those who ask, and against slaves, and stood up prayer, and gave purification, - and fulfilling their covenants, when they make, and patient in the days of adversity and calamity, and in time of trouble, it is those who were truthful, it is they who fear God" (ayat 172).
The place of worship, sermons and prayers is the mosque. It is also a meeting place for the faithful on all important occasions of life, a kind of cultural center. Current affairs are resolved here, alms and donations are collected, etc. An important function of the mosque is to organize the education of children. Education in Islamic countries has always been religious and was under the care of local spiritual authorities. The imam and mullah of this mosque were at the same time teachers in the mekgeb, i.e. mosque school. At the most famous mosques, there were madrasahs, where future specialists in Islam, theologians and jurists were trained.
Islamic teaching was embodied in a kind of theocracy From the main, Divine law, they expected not only the definition of principles, the foundations of human activity, but also specific instructions regarding the behavior of a Muslim as a servant of Allah, a member of the family and society, as a citizen of a theocratic state. Islam did not create the Church, it created the theocratic state. Unlike other religions, it sought not to consecrate with religious authority and give dignity to a really existing society, but to realize, bring to life the religious community. This meant the merging of spiritual and secular principles. If compared with Christianity, then Islam developed in conditions of religious and political fusion, so that its leaders and authorities were political and at the same time religious leaders - the prophet, caliphs, emirs, and local authorities. Any official had to coordinate his actions with the norms of the Koran and Sharia, i.e. reckon with the role of the clergy, with the power of religion. Islam served as a powerful impetus to

Rice. Qubbat al-Sakhra ("Dome of the Rock") Mosque, also known as the Mosque of Omar Jerusalem.

The development in a short historical period of such a phenomenon, which is designated by the concept of the "Muslim world". From a small group of Semitic tribes in the vast territory of the Middle East, an ethno-cultural community with a powerful political structure and a highly developed civilization has grown. The rapidly developing Arab-Muslim culture in the Middle Ages for some time became the head of world civilization. The successes and achievements of Arab culture influenced many countries, including the cultural centers of Christian Europe. Later, due to the general decline of the Arab statehood, the situation changed. However, in those countries where Islam is widespread, it plays a huge role as a religious doctrine, a form of social organization, and a cultural tradition. From many religious systems modern world Islam remains one of the most significant.

test questions

1. On what basis do theological and philosophical-sociological sciences single out the three world religions?
2. Where and when did one of the world's religions, Buddhism, originate?
3. Tell us about the essence of Buddhism. How does he interpret the meaning of human existence?
4. How does Buddhism relate to the social organization of society?
5. Why is it considered that Buddhism as a world religion has reached its fullest completion in Lamaism?
6. When and how did Christianity arise, what main stages of the historical path of development did this world religion go through?
7. What are the main holy books of Christianity and tell us how they interpret the meaning of life, the norms and rules of human existence?
8. How to distinguish three main directions in the Christian religion? What is common between them and what is the difference?
9. Who and when founded Islam as a religion?
10. Why is the Koran considered the main holy book of Muslims, who compiled it and what is its content?
11. How does Islam interpret the concepts of "God", "law", "truth"?
12. List the main duties of Muslims before Allah, people and society.
13. How are Islam and social institutions related? Why is Islam believed to have contributed to the creation of the theocratic state?

MYSTERIES OF THE EAST

tibetan buddhism monastic religion

This icon-thangka, made on silk ( XXc.), serves as a clear illustration of Tibetan Buddhism, the so-called "monastic religion": the supreme lama, the spiritual head of the Buddhists, sits in the center, surrounded by monks, followers of his teachings.

In Tibet, a particular form of Buddhism arose, with many rituals, magical practices and meditation techniques. In pre-Buddhist times, shamanism and the animistic Bon religion prevailed there. The Tibetans believed that the mountains and valleys were inhabited by various evil and good spirits. The main place in the ancient Tibetan beliefs was occupied by the art of divination, trance, funeral rituals for the protection of the living and the dead, rituals of appeasing evil spirits.

Buddhism entered the Himalayas VIII in. Having experienced the great influence of the Bon religion, it turned into a characteristic Tibetan Buddhism with its cult of spiritual teachers - lamas. The concept of "lama" ("supreme") is equivalent to the Indian "guru" and means a spiritually enlightened teacher.

Schools of Tibetan Buddhism

Over time, four major Buddhist schools were formed in Tibet: Nyingma-pa (“School of Old Translations”), Kagyu-pa (“School of the continuity of the word of the Buddha”), Sakya-pa (named after the Sakya area in South Tibe - those where the first monastery of this school was erected) and Gelug-pa ("School of piety"). Gelugpa originated in 14th century In the XVI in. the supreme lama of this school began to be called the Dalai Lama, and a century later received the full secular and spiritual power in Tibet.

Vajrayana

The formation of Tibetan Buddhism was greatly influenced by Vajrayana (“diamond chariot”), or Tantric Buddhism, a late branch of Buddhism that originated in India within the framework of the Mahayana. Vajrayana, which assimilated ancient magical practices, is characterized by an extensive system of various rituals. > Tantric Buddhism recognizes the possibility of transferring karmic merit through magical actions. This means: a lama who has created good karma for himself by correct behavior in previous incarnations and in this life can share part of his karmic merits with the best students so that they achieve perfection faster. The main aspect of Vajrayana is oral instruction and initiation into the practice of meditation, which are carried out by an experienced lama who has received the blessing of his monastery. The lama informs the students of magical sound formulas (mantras), consisting of combinations of miraculous syllables, which are attributed to divine origin.

The Vajrayana states that with the help of certain methods - the repetition of mantras in combination with special bodily postures (asanas), ritual gestures (mudras) and special exercises - one can quickly awaken Buddha nature in every practitioner. Following the teachings and practices of the Vajrayana allows a person to achieve enlightenment within one lifetime.

Various ways of meditation are described in the sadhana texts ("achievement", "realization"). Sadhana is an extended program of cleansing the body, mind and soul with the help of moral, spiritual, mental, energy exercises. Their choice, intensity and sequence is determined by the teacher. This process of gradual growth of spirituality, morality and righteousness allows a person to rise above his passions and delusions, transforms his body and soul, awakens his superpowers and brings him closer to final liberation.

Symbol of unity

Tantras are texts of Tibetan Buddhism that describe the path of spiritual development. It is presented as a process that has three components - the basis, the path and the fruit. In mahamudra, the base is the ultimate, pure nature of the spirit. The path indicates the ways of assimilation of the teachings through knowledge, reflection, contemplation and meditation. The fruit is the full realization of non-duality, the simultaneous knowledge of the ordinary and the absolute in all things. Overcoming dualism is depicted in Tibetan Buddhism in the symbolism of the coition of male and female deities. The male essence (upaya) symbolizes the active absolute principle in the world of phenomena, the female essence (prajna) symbolizes passivity, intuitive wisdom, the unity of the world, universality. In Tantrism, any element of the universe is understood as an indissoluble unity of male and female principles.

An ancient bronze sculpture depicts the bodhisattva Mandjushri in unity with his female hypostasis - prajna. Bodhisattvas occupy a special place in Buddhism. They chose the path to enlightenment not for their own sake, but for the sake of helping other people, and voluntarily abandoned nirvana for the sake of rebirths. After all, this is the only way they can serve humanity.

Many lamas are considered to be reincarnated monks who have managed to achieve liberation from the cycle of rebirth and voluntarily return to life for the benefit of others. The highest incarnation is the Dalai Lama, revered as the next incarnation of the patron of Tibet, Aangchub Sempa. The first Dalai Lama, recognized as his incarnation, lived in XVIin. and was called Sonam Gyatso. After the death of the Dalai Lama, the monks, according to the predictions of the oracle and certain secret signs, find his new incarnation in a child, conceived in the period from 49 days to two years from the date of the departure of the Tibetan hierarch. The chosen one is subjected to numerous difficult tests. For example, he must accurately identify things that he owned in a past life. The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (b. 1935), was called in this way in 1939. His efforts to liberate Tibet in 1989 were noted Nobel Prize peace. Like all his predecessors, he is considered the incarnation of Avahokitesvara, the bodhisattva of mercy. His incarnation lineage goes back to Songtsen Gampo, who is considered a human emanation of Avalokiteshvara.

The texts of the sadhana describe in detail how to really cognize the divine beginning, achieve figurative visualization and finally completely dissolve again in meditation, devoid of forms and images.

The essence of the world is emptiness

In different schools of Tibetan Buddhism, two main forms of spiritual practice are used: shamatha (meditative concentration) and vipashyana (analytical contemplation). The student must first learn, by means of preparatory exercises, to concentrate and calm his spirit so as to be able to concentrate exclusively on the chosen object. The next step in shamatha is meditation without a specific object. Only having achieved mastery in this, the student will be able to move on to vipashyana, the next stage of spiritual self-perfection. Vipashyana is a long-term act of internal analysis of all phenomena of the world and consciousness, which is carried out by a spiritually enlightened person who is fluent in the technique of concentration.

The purpose of these practices is to comprehend emptiness (shunyata), the true essence of the world, through intuitive insight. This is available only to a purified spirit, which is able to contemplate phenomena that go beyond the cognitive capabilities of reason, intellect and logic. The view of the world as emptiness stems from the Buddha's teachings about the causal origin of all things and phenomena. This means that everything in this world is causally determined, that is, there is no such entity that would have its own nature and would be self-sufficient and absolutely independent. Therefore, all phenomena are essenceless or, in Buddhist terminology, empty.

"Great Seal"

The main goal of some schools, such as Kagyu-pa, is to achieve through meditation the intuitive knowledge of emptiness, which is tantamount to liberation from the cycle of rebirths. The highest form of the Vajrayana is called mahamudra ("great seal"). The “great seal” means emptiness and clarity as the true essence of all spiritual and material phenomena, with which they are marked, like a secret seal.

Mahamudra practice

The practice of mahamudra, the great seal of emptiness, begins with meditation, the object of which is the divine essence, yidam (“holding the mind”). Iidam is an ideal personal object of concentration, so it must correspond to the individual personality of the student. The visualization of the object continues until the meditator fully identifies himself with his yidam. This is followed by meditation, during which the student seeks to identify himself with his spiritual teacher (Lama) or tune in to the energy and presence of the teacher. This yoga of reverence for the teacher is called guru yoga. In the practice of mahamudra, it occupies an important place. Through guru yoga, the diligent student is given the blessing of the teacher, who is the bearer of an uninterrupted lineage of teaching and blessing, ascending to the Buddha Gautama himself. Lamas initiate their pupils into the most secret teachings of their school, its practices and traditions. For this, only the most advanced students are selected, since the realization of the true nature of the spirit is transmitted to them from the lamas. It is extremely important that from now on the students firmly adhere to the line of their school, since they have become its bearers.

Chetsang Rinpoche (b. 1940), a highly reincarnated lama and current bearer of the Drikung Kagyu lineage in Tibetan Buddhism, explains this magical operation in this way: in which guru yoga instills in the disciple the realization of the nature of the spirit.” Chetsang Rinpoche entered the religious life very early. He was enthroned at four and a half years old. Thanks to his efforts, 60 monasteries were rebuilt in Tibet. He cares about the prosperity of his school and around the world, for example, in Nepal, India, Chile, Canada and the USA.

Doctrine Defenders

Prayer temples (lhakhangs) of the monasteries are filled with cult objects, in front of which believers pray. These are silk scrolls (tangkas). frescoes on the walls, bronze and gold statues. Most often they depict Buddhas, bodhisattvas and dharmapalas. Dharmapalas (“defenders of dharma, Buddhist teachings”) are angry deities borrowed by Buddhism from ancient Tibetan beliefs. These spirits and demons of the shamanistic religion of Bon have become in Buddhism the champions of the teaching, its guardians from enemies and distortions. In difficult times, believers often turn to dharma-palas for help and protection.

magical heat

A special role in Tibetan Buddhism is played by the yoga of inner heat, the ability to evoke an inner fire (tummo) with the help of concentration, which not only warms the yogi himself, but also melts the ice around him. In the course of an ancient yoga initiation ritual, teachers tested how many wet sheets a student could dry on his naked body on a cold winter night in the snow. The experiment of modern scientists has shown that yogis

they can really increase the body temperature, for example, on the fingers and toes - up to 8 degrees Celsius. Buddhist yogi and poet Milarepa (1038-1123) is considered one of the great Tibetan ascetics. He is credited with extraordinary abilities. His teacher attached special importance to the development of inner fire (tummo). Milarepa spent many years in meditation in the mountain caves of the Himalayas, in the freezing cold, dressed only in thin cotton clothes. But warming up the body is only a side effect of tummo practice. Its main goal is to achieve the experience of states of absolute bliss and emptiness.

Influence of Hinduism

In Hinduism, the ascetic practice of developing internal heat and the thermal energy of the body itself are called tapas. It is believed that this energy, which has a magical effect on the environment, is produced by the inner “I” (antaratman). The myths say that the ancient god warmed himself and created the universe with the help of his inner fire. The yogi who learns tapas is engaged in alchemy in himself - in the physical and spiritual sense. He transforms himself from the inside, which outwardly can manifest itself in the withering of the body. Tapas is an incredibly intense, concentrated energy that is credited with fantastic power. The purpose of the ancient practice of this type of yoga was the accumulation of tapas energy in order to perform magical actions with its help.

The Hindu tantrist and magician Padmasamb-hava (c. 721-790) arrived in Tibet in 746 as a missionary teaching the tummo technique. According to legend, he included the magical traditions of the Tibetan Bon religion into Buddhism and subjugated the local spirits and demons, converting them to Buddhism and making them dharmapalas - protectors of u-seniya. Tibetans consider Padmasambhava their spiritual father. Wall painting in the monastery P eMayangtse, Sikkim, India (c. 1960).

Probably, everyone has questions, the answers to which are not so easy to find. Many think about the spiritual beginning, begin to look for a way to realize their existence. One of the oldest religious denominations - Buddhism, helps in such searches, teaches the comprehension of wisdom and the increase of one's own spirituality.

What is this religion

It is difficult to answer briefly what Buddhism is, since this, its postulates are more reminiscent of a philosophical doctrine. One of the fundamental provisions is the assertion that only impermanence is permanent. Simply put, in our world, only the incessant cycle of everything is constant: events, birth and death.

It is believed that the world arose by itself. And our life is, in fact, the search for the reasons for our appearance and awareness, for which we appeared. Speaking briefly about religion, Buddhism and its path are moral and spiritual, the realization that all life is suffering: birth, growing up, attachments and achievements, fear of losing what has been achieved.

The ultimate goal is enlightenment, the achievement of the highest bliss, that is, "nirvana". The Enlightened One is independent of any concepts, he has comprehended his physical, mental, mind and spirit.

Origins of Buddhism

In northern India, in the town of Lumbini, a boy Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BC, according to other sources - 1027-948 BC) was born into the royal family. At the age of 29, thinking about the meaning of life, Siddhatrha left the palace and took an ascetic life. Realizing that severe asceticism and debilitating will not give answers, Gautama decided to cleanse by deep.

By the age of 35, he had achieved enlightenment, becoming a Buddha and a teacher to his followers. The founder of Buddhism, Gautama, lived until the age of eighty, preaching and enlightening. It is noteworthy that Buddhists accept enlightened other religions as teachers, such as Jesus and Mohammed.

Separately about the monks

The community of Buddhist monks is considered the most ancient religious community. The way of life of the monks does not imply a complete estrangement from the world, many of them actively participate in worldly life.

Usually they travel in small groups, staying close to the laity who share their faith, since it is monasticism that is entrusted with the mission of preserving, enlightening in the faith, instructing and spreading the teachings of Gautama. It is noteworthy that after making a decision to devote their lives to monasticism, initiates are not required to completely break with the family.

The task of the monks is to show by example the right way of life, to study religion, to improve themselves both morally and spiritually, and also to keep religious writings, the holy book of Buddhism - Tripitaka.

Did you know? Contrary to the existing opinion that only men are monks in Buddhism, there were also women among them, they were called bhikkhunis. A classic example of this is the mother of Gautama Mahaprajapati, whom he himself elevated to the monastic rank.

Fundamentals of Doctrine

Unlike other religions, Buddhism has more philosophy than mysticism or blind faith. The main ideas of Buddhism are based on "four noble truths". Let's briefly consider each of them.

The truth about suffering (duhkha)

The truth about suffering is that it is continuous: we are born from suffering, during our life we ​​experience it, constantly returning thoughts to some problems, having achieved something, we are afraid to lose, suffering again about this.

We suffer in search of correcting the deeds of the past, we feel guilty for misconduct. Constant experiences, fear, fear of imminent old age and death, dissatisfaction, disappointment - this is the cycle of suffering. Awareness of oneself in this cycle is the first step to the truth.

On the Cause of Suffering (Trishna)

Following the path of self-awareness, we begin to look for the cause of constant dissatisfaction. At the same time, all actions and actions lend themselves to scrupulous analysis, as a result we come to the conclusion that life is a constant struggle with suffering. Striving for something and getting what he wants, a person begins to desire even more, and so on in a circle. That is, the primary source of our suffering is an insatiable thirst for more and more new achievements.

On the cessation of suffering (nirodha)

Rotating in the cycle of struggle with their own dissatisfaction, many mistakenly believe that they can get rid of suffering by defeating their ego. However, this path leads to self-destruction. It is possible to come to an understanding of the path without suffering only by stopping the struggle with it..

letting go negative thoughts(anger, envy, hatred, destroying the mind and soul), starting to look for piety in ourselves, we can look at our struggle from a distance. At the same time, an understanding of the true goal comes - the cessation of the struggle is moral purification, the rejection of unholy thoughts and desires.

Truth about the path (marga)

It is important to correctly understand the true path to enlightenment. The Buddha called it the "middle way", that is, self-development and spiritual purification without fanaticism. Some of his students misunderstood the truth about the path: they saw it in complete renunciation of desires and needs, in self-torture, and in meditative practice, instead of calm concentration, they tried to introduce themselves to bring themselves to.

This is fundamentally wrong: even the Buddha needed food, clothes, in order to have strength for further preaching. He taught to look for a way between severe asceticism and a life of pleasure, without extremes. On the path of enlightenment, meditation practice plays an important role: in this case, concentration is mainly aimed at gaining peace of mind and observing the flow of one's thoughts in the present moment.

By learning to analyze your actions here and now, in the future you can avoid repeating any mistakes. Full awareness of one's "I", the ability to step beyond the limits of the ego lead to the realization of the true path.

Did you know? In the hills east of Moniwa in Myanmar, there are unusual Buddha statues. Both are hollow inside, open to everyone, while inside there are images of events related to the development of religion. One of the statues rises to 132 meters, the second depicting the Buddha in a reclining position, has a length of 90 meters.

What Buddhists Believe: Stages of the Buddhist Path

Followers of the Buddha's teachings believe that each person did not appear on this earth by chance, each of us with each of our appearances (reincarnation) has a chance to clear karma and achieve special grace - "nirvana" (liberation from rebirth, a state of blissful peace). To do this, you need to realize the truth and free your mind from delusions.

Wisdom (prajna)

Wisdom lies in the determination to follow the teachings, the realization of truths, the manifestation of self-discipline, the renunciation of and desires. This is a vision of the situation through the prism of doubts and the acceptance of oneself and the surrounding reality as they are.

Comprehension of wisdom consists in opposing one's "I", intuitive insight through meditation, overcoming delusions. This is one of the foundations of the teaching, which consists in comprehending reality, unclouded by worldly prejudices. The word itself in Sanskrit means "superknowledge": "pra" - the highest, "jna" - knowledge.

Morality (sila)

Morality - maintaining the right lifestyle: renunciation of violence in any form, trafficking in weapons, drugs, people, abuse. This is the observance of moral and ethical standards: purity of speech, without the use of swear words, without gossip, lies, rude attitude towards one's neighbor.

Concentrations (samadhi)

Samadhi in Sanskrit means unification, completion, perfection. Mastering the methods of concentration, awareness of oneself not as an individual, but in merging with the higher cosmic mind. Such an enlightened state is achieved through meditation, calming one's consciousness and contemplation, as a result, enlightenment leads to perfect consciousness, that is, to nirvana.

About the currents of Buddhism

Over the entire history of teaching, many schools and branches from the classical perception have been formed, at the moment there are three main currents, and we'll talk about them. In fact, these are the three paths to knowledge that the Buddha passed on to his disciples. different methods, in different interpretations, but they all lead to the same goal.

Hinayana

Hinayana is the oldest school that claims to accurately transmit the teachings of its founder - Shakyamuni Buddha (in the world - Gautama), based on the teacher's first sermons on four truths. Followers draw the main postulates of faith from the most authoritative (according to them) sources - Tripitaka, sacred texts compiled after Shakyamuni's departure to nirvana.

Of all the (eighteen) schools of Hinayana, there is the Theravada today, more of a meditative practice than a philosophy of teaching. The goal of Hinayana followers is to get away from everything worldly through strict renunciation, achieve enlightenment, like the Buddha, and leave the cycle of samsara, having gone into a state of bliss.

Important! The key difference between the Hinayana and the Mahayana is that in the first, the Buddha is a real person who has achieved enlightenment, in the second, a metaphysical manifestation.

Mahayana and Vajrayana

The Mahayana movement is associated with Shakyamuni's disciple Nagarjuna. In this direction, the Hinayana theory is rethought and supplemented. This direction has become widespread in Japan, China and Tibet. The theoretical basis is the sutras, the written form of spiritual revelations, according to the practitioners of Shakyamuni himself.

However, the teacher himself is perceived as a metaphysical manifestation of nature, the primary matter. The sutras state that the teacher did not leave samsara and cannot leave it, because a part of him is in each of us.

Fundamentals of the Vajrayana - . The direction itself, along with the practice of Mahayana, uses various rituals and rituals, reading to strengthen the individual and her spiritual growth, and self-awareness. Tantrics most revere Padmasambhava, the founder of the Tantric movement in Tibet.

How to become a Buddhist

For a person interested in learning, there are several recommendations:

• Before becoming a Buddhist, read the relevant literature, ignorance of terminology and theory will not allow you to fully immerse yourself in the teachings.
• You should decide on the direction, choose the school that suits you.
• Study the traditions of the chosen trend, meditative practices and basic postulates.

To become a part of a religious teaching, it is necessary to go through the eightfold path of realizing the truth, which consists of eight stages:

1. Understanding, which is achieved by thinking about the truth of being.
2. Determination, which is expressed in the renunciation of everything that exists.
3. This stage is to achieve a speech in which there are no lies and swear words.
4. At this stage, a person learns to do only good deeds.
5. At this stage, a person comes to an understanding of true life.
6. At this stage, a person comes to the realization of the true thought.
7. At this stage, a person must achieve complete, renunciation of everything external.
8. At this stage, a person reaches enlightenment, having gone through all the previous stages.

Having traveled this path, a person learns the philosophy of teaching and joins it. Beginners are advised to seek guidance and some clarification from a teacher, this may be a wandering monk.

Important!Keep in mind that several meetings will not give the result you expect: the teacher will not be able to answer all the questions. To do this, next to him you need to live side by side for a long time, perhaps years.

The main work on oneself is to renounce everything negative, you need to apply in life everything that you read about in the sacred texts. Give up bad habits, do not show violence and rudeness, foul language, help people without expecting anything in return. Only self-purification, self-improvement and morality will lead you to an understanding of the teaching itself and its foundations.

You can be formally recognized as a true follower by meeting with the Lama in person. Only he will decide whether you are ready to follow the teachings.

Buddhism: differences from other religions

Buddhism does not recognize one god, the creator of all things, the doctrine is based on the fact that everyone has a divine principle, everyone can become enlightened and achieve nirvana. Buddha is a teacher.

The path of enlightenment, unlike world religions, consists in self-improvement and the achievement of morality and morality, and not in blind faith. A living religion recognizes and recognized science, smoothly adjusting to it, recognizing the existence of other worlds and dimensions, while considering the Earth a blessed place, from where, by purifying karma and achieving enlightenment, you can get into nirvana.

Sacred texts are not an indisputable authority, but only guidance and guidance on the path to truth. The search for answers and awareness of wisdom lies through self-knowledge, and not unquestioning obedience to the postulates of faith. That is, faith itself is based primarily on experience.

Unlike Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, Buddhists do not accept the idea of ​​absolute sin. Sin, from the point of view of the teachings, is a mistake of the individual, which can be corrected in subsequent reincarnations. That is, there is no strict definition of "hell" and "heaven" because there is no morality in nature. Any mistake is correctable, and as a result, any person through reincarnation can clear karma, that is, pay off his debt to the Universal Mind.

In Judaism, Islam or Christianity, the only salvation is God. In Buddhism, salvation depends on oneself, understanding one's nature, following moral and ethical standards, refraining from negative manifestations of one's ego, and self-improvement. There are also differences in monasticism: instead of complete thoughtless submission to the abbot, monks make decisions as a community, the head of the community is also elected collectively. Of course, respect must be shown to elders and experienced people. In the community also, unlike the Christian ones, there are no titles or ranks.

It is impossible to learn everything about Buddhism at once, teaching and improvement takes years. One can be imbued with the truths of the teaching only by devoting oneself entirely to this religion.

Diana Moiseenko, RIA Novosti.

Buddhist monk Felix Shvedovsky does not look like Muscovites: a shaved head, white and orange monastic clothes and a thoughtful look. A graduate of the journalism faculty of Moscow State University, he deliberately abandoned his career for the sake of religion - for ten years he did not work, since, according to tradition, monks live exclusively on alms and wander.

However, for the past three years, Felix has been a researcher at the Center for Japanese Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in order to continue studying the culture of the country, which led him to Buddhism.

A monk's day is different, but it begins and ends with prayers, which he reads not only at home, but also on the street. Passers-by take Felix for an eccentric when he, playing the drum, walks along the city boulevards and avenues, someone looks away, and someone, on the contrary, asks him about his lifestyle with interest.

Nevertheless, Felix does not regret his choice, despite the difficulties that an unusual person has to face in Russia's largest metropolis. The heavy atmosphere of the capital "presses" on the monk, but he does not want to move to another city, because "the heart of the country is the best place to pray for its people."

Finding yourself

In Felix's house, every object speaks of the owner's personality: incense sticks, a small prayer bell, images of the Buddha, a mandala (a sacred symbol for prayer and meditation), candles, photographs from India, China and Japan, where he was with his teacher - known for his peacemaking by the Japanese Junsei Terasawa. “We met him in 1993 when I needed someone to help me on my path to improvement. Before that, I did not belong to any religion. I had questions about how to help my country, my loved ones, just like the Buddha had questions about how to find a way to get rid of suffering when he saw that there is old age and death in the world,” Felix admits.

He had to go a long way before earning the trust of Terasawa and becoming a monk - constantly praying and staying in the temple. “Now I am responsible for the whole world, and this is daily and hard work,” says Felix.

According to him, Buddhism is not widely spread in Moscow, but there are about a dozen different directions of this religion in the city. “The teaching of the Buddha is so great and versatile that everyone accepts some of its parts, but there is no concept of apostasy for us - everyone is equal,” the monk explains.

As Felix says, Buddhists do not try to introduce Muscovites to their culture, “after all, the purpose of the Buddha’s teaching is not to make people Buddhists, but to pray for the world and pay respect to a person as he is.”

“My wife and son are Christians and we have never had religious conflicts. It doesn't matter to us what religion a person professes. Buddhism teaches you to understand people and constantly improve yourself,” explains the monk.

He does not condemn those for whom Buddhism has become a mere fashion trend, but encourages people to study the features of religion more deeply if they decide to connect their lives with it.

“Now even self-improvement has become a business. Yoga, psychological courses - all this is not real, since it is done for money. In everything, you should try to see the essence, and not just fashion, ”says Felix.

Fight for a common cause

According to the monk, the Buddhists of the Nipponzan Mehoji order, to which he belongs, gather together on the main holidays - Buddha's Birthday on April 8, Enlightenment Day on December 8 and Passing into Nirvana Day on February 15, to hold processions with prayers and drumming . “Only our monastic order conducts street processions with prayers, sometimes other Buddhists join us,” he explains.

In addition, once a year, Buddhists keep a seven-day fast to clear their minds and indulge in prayers. Sometimes fasting is timed to coincide with the holidays, but it can also take place on ordinary days. “For seven days we do not eat or drink anything, we pray from six in the morning to six in the evening. We sit in front of the altar, beat the drum and say a prayer in our church. In Moscow, this is impossible, so we go either to the dacha or to the monastery. If people hear the twelve o'clock drumming, how will they survive?” the monk says.

Buddhists take to the streets not only on holidays, but also hold peacekeeping actions, for which in the 90s they were often detained by law enforcement officers. “Now they recognize us, they understand that we are not up to anything bad,” says Felix.

According to him, Buddhists organized peace marches in Moscow and the Caucasus calling for unity, marches against the "unjust war." Ordinary passers-by rarely join such actions, look at Buddhists as exotic or avert their eyes. “In Moscow it is, but in other countries people react more vividly,” notes Felix.

Representatives of other religious denominations rarely cooperate with Buddhists in carrying out such actions, but such cases were not uncommon during the Chechen war.

“There are no Buddhists in Chechnya, but there are people there who treat them with respect. During the war, our peacekeeping actions, peace marches, rallies on the streets of Moscow were joined by Orthodox priests, mules, and the Old Believer Church. There were few representatives of the official Orthodox Church, but they were,” says Felix.

According to him, Buddhists are always open to dialogue and ready to help anyone who needs them.

Moscow is not a city for everyone?

Despite numerous statements by the authorities about their intention to create in the capital the necessary conditions for representatives of all nationalities and religious denominations, there is still no Buddhist temple in the city, despite the fact that in St. Petersburg it was built back in 1913.

“Buddhists rent apartments and semi-basements for meetings. In the Otradnoye metro area, a temple and the foundation of a stupa were laid, in which the ashes of the Buddha are placed - after his cremation, the ashes were divided into many parts and are now placed in stupas around the world. But, apparently, due to lack of funding, construction has not moved forward for several years. At that time, there was already an Orthodox church, a mosque and a synagogue in the area,” says the monk.

According to Felix, the temple will not appear in Moscow until the society is ready for it. “Buddha teaches to change a person completely. Even Tibetan medicine treats the whole body if it wants to cure some disease. It is necessary to treat the whole society, but we have corruption all around, ethnically motivated murders,” the monk explains.

Today, Buddhists have only two places of worship in the capital - the foundation of the stupa in Otradnoye and the stupa in the courtyard of the Roerich Center opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the existence of which few people know. “We need to make sure that there is harmony in society, and only then look for land to build a temple,” Felix says.

The situation is complicated by the fact that Muscovites often have a negative attitude towards Russian Buddhists, as they consider them traitors to the Orthodox faith. Often he is kicked out of Orthodox churches when he comes to pay respect to Jesus. “I do not consider it something shameful to come to the Orthodox Church, I respect all religions. We would not drive anyone out of our temple,” says the monk.

Food served from the heart is something else

People often do not understand Felix, because, from the point of view of a modern person, he deliberately chose the path of a loser, but the Buddhist never doubted the correctness of his choice. And at the same time, every monk observing traditions is directly dependent on the townspeople, because only with the help of their alms can he feed himself and his family. “People sometimes serve food and money. Sometimes we go to the market to pray, where it is easier for them to serve. We don't have to choose the food, but food bought with the money we earn is one thing, but served from the heart is another thing,” he says.

Be that as it may, in a metropolis where “everyone thinks about money, and does not engage in spiritual perfection”, it is difficult for a Buddhist Felix to stay for a long time. Only in two places - the center of Roerich and the Botanical Garden - he manages to find peace of mind.

“I try to leave the city at least once every two months to our monasteries or just to nature, because it is really very difficult here. You need to give yourself a deep inner attitude in order to have spiritual harmony and at the same time stay here,” he says.

According to him, the monk sometimes breaks tradition and wears ordinary clothes, as he "lives for people and among people", but perceives such behavior as weakness. However, he believes that it is necessary to be in harmony with the surrounding world. “Basically, we are ordinary people, but the main thing is what we have in our thoughts and heart,” says Felix.

Buddhists are now left alone with their problems. It would seem that this should bring them together, but they are very divided among themselves. Felix calls it "the disease of the big cities" and hopes that one day it will be cured, like other diseases of our society.

According to mythology, Buddhist monks, in order to achieve enlightenment, must show humanity the way to salvation. Tibet first became acquainted with this religion in the 700s, when the Great Master - Guru Rinpoche - came from India to defeat the demons. After that, they forever became an integral part of Tibetan Buddhism.

Buddhism today

Buddhism - the oldest of the three Christianity appeared about five centuries, and Islam - 12 centuries later. mainly live in Asian countries, in China, Korea, Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, Laos and Thailand. On the territory of our country, this religion is practiced by the inhabitants of Tuva, Buryatia and Kalmykia. But recently, Buddhist monks are also found in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other large Russian cities. It is difficult to determine how many in the total number of followers of this religion there are in the world. But approximately one can say that in general there are about one million monks and nuns and about 400 million lay people.

Followers of the Buddha use a rosary to concentrate their thoughts while reciting mantras. Traditionally, they contain exactly 108 beads, but, in principle, variations are possible, since their number indicates certain provisions of the teaching. For example, 108 beads of a traditional rosary imply 108 types of human desires that darken his spirit. They are associated with the six senses: smell, sight, touch, hearing, taste and mind. Desires about the relation to internal and external objects, to the past, present and future. There are three ways to control them: in words, thoughts and deeds. There are other options for deciphering the number 108, but this is the most famous.

Buddha's teaching. diamond path

Diamond Way Buddhism is often described as the crown jewel of the Great Buddha's teachings. Its main goal is to realize the authenticity of each event, as this expresses the unlimited potential of the mind. To ensure quick results in attaining enlightenment, Buddhist monks rely on inspired insight to transform all sensations into natural purity.

At a time when the disciples saw in the Buddha not a divine person, but simply trusted him as a mirror of their mind, he could introduce them to the Diamond Way. With his strength and penetrating vision, he awakened in people the virtues that contributed to their full development.

Three High Level Approaches of Buddhism

The highest level of the Buddha's teaching includes three approaches: the Path of Methods, the Path of Profound Vision, and meditation on the Lama. Buddhist monks, using these methods, get the opportunity to fully develop due to their energy or awareness of power. The broadest approach to enlightenment is meditation on the Lama, but only if the teacher is reliable. A person can be in the space of his mind until his own personal qualities are achieved. right level development. Diamond Way Buddhism promotes effective removal negative and harmful influences. Thanks to this teaching, a person will get rid of what can later become the cause of difficult situations. We need to work with our own mind, and then we will not become a victim of our own actions.