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Azzam Publications
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London WC1N 3XX
UNITED KINGDOM
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History of Buddhism and the Bamiyan Buddhas
Contents:
History of the Bamiyan Buddhas
History of the man Buddha
Teachings of Buddhism
History of the Bamiyan Buddhas
Afghanistan is a country with a rich and complicated history. Its mountainous terrain meant that it often found itself on the borders of different empires and played a part in a host of different eras.
Buddhism was first introduced into Afghanistan in the Third Century B.C. by the Mauryan emperor, Ashoka. It found fertile soil in the former Gandhara province (present day East Afghanistan and North Pakistan) during the first and second centuries Christian Era. under the rule of the Kushan ruler, Kanishka. With the Silk Route running through Afghanistan, Buddhist monks, accompanying caravans of precious goods, came and went, teaching their religion along the route.
Eastern Afghanistan was full of Buddhist monasteries, stupas and monks, actively preaching their religion. In this period, a new art form emerged in the area: the art of Gandhara, bearing the same name as the province in which it appeared. This art entailed the making of images and statues of the Buddha himself, and it flourished during that time.
Two giant statues were created i.e. the Buddhas of Bamiyan, situated in the city of Bamiyan. These two giant Buddhas (53m and 38m high) stand in the Bamiyan valley, situated 230 km NW of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 metres.
The caravans on the Silk Route invariably made a stop in this valley. It was one of the major Buddhist centres from the second century up to the period in which Islam entered the valley in the ninth century. The two statues were hewn out of rock at around the 4th or 5th century CE. They were covered with a mud and straw mixture to model the expression of the face, the hands and the folds of the robes, then plastered and, finally, they were painted: the smaller Buddha blue, the larger one red, with their hands and faces gold. The area became a place of pilgrimage, and 10 monasteries were built into the cliff, occupied by yellow robed monks who would often lead religious festivals and gatherings.
History of the man Buddha
Buddhism is based on the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as The Buddha, who lived approximately 557 B.C. to 477 B.C. The word "Buddha" means an Enlightened One or Awakened One. He was born a prince in a kingdom around what is now the border between India and Nepal.
At the age of 29, desiring to know the path that lead to the ending of all impermanence and anguish, and to his permanent well-being, he renounced everything of the world, becoming a homeless ascetic, vowing to find the way to true ultimate reality.
At the age of 35 he claimed that he had accomplished his purpose and had attained the realization of perfect wisdom. He said that he had found the answer that led to the complete cessation of all impermanence and anguish and that led to reaching the other shore that is permanent true reality - Nirvana. He then began to teach, instruct and guide others who were seeking similar enlightenment. He started to serve humanity by helping the sick, poor and needy people.
The foundations of Buddhism stem from these teachings of Gautama, or the Buddha. The Buddha died at the age of 80, after a ministry of 45 long years, exhorting his disciples to regard his doctrine as their teacher.
Teachings of Buddhism
Buddhism has been described as a very pragmatic religion. It does not indulge in metaphysical speculation about first causes; there is no theology, no worship of a deity or deification of the Buddha. The ways to reach this 'true reality' are many, but all revolve around giving up the desire for worldly belongings.
It also teaches followers to abstain from dishonesty, abusive and frivolous speech, and stipulates abstention from killing all creatures (strict Buddhists are vegetarians because killing of all living beings is prohibited), stealing, sexual misconduct, all forms of intoxication, and all other evil acts.
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