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PEER REVIEWED & REFEREED JOURNAL, OCT-NOV, 2020, VOL- 8/42

ROLE AND ASPECT OF BUDDHISM

Nandamedha
(Ph.D. Research Scholar), Samrat Ashok Subharti School of Buddhist Studies, Swami
Vivekanand Subharti University, Subhartipuram, Meerut (U.P.), India.
[email protected]

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Introduction
Buddhism is widely known to many people of the world as the entire teachings of the
Buddha. In terms of ‘Buddhism’, the whole teaching of the Buddha can also be called
Dhamma. This Dhamma expounded by the Buddha popularly known as Buddhism. It
initiated to arise over 2500 years ago in India. The Buddha was realized and penetrated in the
Four Noble Truths, and He attained Enlightenment in the six century B.C. at Buddhagayā in
Northern India, and delivered His Dhamma to all beings, both His disciples and lay devotees.
And then the Dhamma spread out many places of the whole world, and pervade many
countries as the name of Buddhism. Hence, the original place of Buddhism is Buddhagayā of
India.
Buddhism is commonly known to several part of the world as one of the great
religions. In general, the real essence of Buddhism is not rightly understood by many people
of the world, especially in the West. The term Buddhism is ordinarily used all over the world
as a religion which is believed by the lay Buddhists. Buddhism was properly understood in its
proper sense by some scholars who have seriously complete research in comparative study of
religions. Buddhism, especially Theravada Buddhism, is not well understood in its proper
sense by the majority of the people of the world. Anyway, Buddhism is not only a system of
practice for material development. It is not merely theory to be studied, and it is not only a
doctrine revealed by the miracle power of the Buddha.
The Role, Aspect, Significance, Methodological Features, and Epitome of Buddhism
Buddhism is the natural principles of man and the universe searched out by the
Buddha for self-purification and self-enlightenment. Buddhism is a modern or wider sense as
a system of thought, a rational faith or practice followed by individuals. Buddhism is an
object of veneration and devotion for the attainment of mental perfection and peace of mind
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and body. Buddhism definitely accept and assume that one’s own actions of how one has
done either good or bad, and the results of how one has to reap the fruits as reaction out of
their very actions formerly done. Hence, Buddhism cannot possibly be called a religion as
the most other religions.
Buddhism is not a system of faith and worship due any allegiance to a supernatural
supreme being. Buddhism is not a sort of revelation created by any Divine being or Divine
messenger. Buddhism does not demand blind faith from its followers. Buddhism is regarded
with truths and facts. Buddhism emphasizes itself to moral and spiritual truths, and practice
and realization. Buddhism is a course or way that guides a disciple by pure living and
thinking to gain insight wisdom and deliverance from all evils and defilements. Buddhism is
to be followed, learned, understood, and practiced by the people.
Buddhism is not a philosophy because it does not include an elaborate system of
theories and facts. Buddhism is the deeper and more profound sense of search of truth which
is the Four Noble Truth (Ariya Saccā). It is sure that the way to achieve the Ultimate Reality
can be found only in Buddhism. Buddhism is universal methods discovered through a
practical experience by a holy human being, the Buddha. The principles of Buddhism are
something like guidance for one who has wrong view, like the medicine for a patient who is
seriously sick from diseases of defilements, like a map for a traveller who is ignorant of the
way to take for his journey. Buddhism is more deep and comprehensive than religion and
philosophy. The fundamental and essential point of Buddhism is reasoning or understanding
(Sammāditthi).
Morality (Sīla) is the only preliminary stage and wisdom (Paññā) is the apex of
Buddhism. The morality of Buddhism has a logical reason, for it seeks to prevent
unwholesome results by changing or removing the cause. Buddhism is the teaching of the
open mind and the sympathetic heart. Buddhism is endowed with the mentality of free
inquiry and perfect tolerance. Buddhism is lighting and warming the whole universe with its
ray of wisdom and compassion. Buddhism sheds its genial glow on every being struggling in
the ocean of birth and death (Saṁsāra). The golden gate of Buddhism was open to all widely
without any distinction of race, caste, color, and rank.
Buddhism is universal for it is not prohibited to any particular country or nation.
Buddhism is endowed with the Four Sublime States, namely, Loving kindness (Mettā),
Compassion (Karunā), Sympathetic joy (Muditā), and Equanimity (Uppekkhā). Hence, it is a

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common platform on which any being whoever can stand, work, and tread together with
loving kindness to peace and harmony of the whole world. Buddhism is the upright way of
life and the justice view of life which is neither optimistic nor pessimistic. Buddhism mainly
deals with one way of life for the monks and another for the lay devotees. Buddhism is
unique doctrine chiefly due to its rationality, upright, justice, loving kindness, tolerance, and
universality.
In Buddhism, there is no any concept of deity, is called Deva, God or Spirit.
Buddhism conveys a clear and well argued, negative attitude towards the idea of God, and it
denies the concept of God. Buddhism indicates the inconsistency of a good God with the
evils of the world. There is no ritual and dogma in Buddhism for gaining deliverance from
suffering which is the continuity of birth and death. Buddhism lay originally emphasizes the
individual responsibility for gaining deliverance from the ills of life. Buddhism proclaims the
laws of uprightness, the universal law, the system of cause and effect, and states that man is
the master of his own destiny. Buddhism is the doctrine of actuality and righteousness, and a
means of real deliverance.
Buddhism makes humanity to stand on their own feet and to be master of destiny.
Buddhism performs the most postulations on mental activity, mindfulness, earnestness,
strenuousness, self-confidence and self-reliance, etc. Buddhism guides that the memory can
be trained with the practice of meditation. Buddhism points out that by meditation,
concentration and mental purification, one can obtain the power to see and know one’s
rebirth as a link or a sequence of links. And Buddhism also indicates that one can arrive at the
end of the chain of rebirths and deaths. Ultimately, Buddhism is a systematic and essential
exercise in mentality.
Buddhism is the noblest and excellence of all harmonious powers and potencies of the
world. Buddhism presented beings that to rely upon themselves in order to achieve their own
salvation, and not to look to any external savior. The technique of salvation is the
characteristic of Buddhism. The practice of the moral life is the very core and essence of
Buddhism. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is the realization of the truth (Saccā) through the
actual practice of the teachings addressed by the Buddha. Buddhism guides experience of life
and personal endeavor towards a pure understanding through morality and loving kindness.
Buddhism discourages superstitious credulity, rites, and ceremonies. Buddhism never
accepts arbitrary views, faiths, creeds, and methods. There are no the sacrifice of poor beasts

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in Buddhism, and it admonish to extend loving kindness to all living beings. Buddhism is a
system of thought which is rational, reasonable and practical. Buddhism also embraces
science, other religions, philosophy, ethics, and arts and it never disparage and disgust to any
other religion. Buddhism has established the brotherhood of all living beings through
universal love. Buddhism is a method of searching for truth by own effort, mindfulness,
concentration, and insight knowledge. Buddhism emphasizes the requirement of meditation
which leads to the purification and peace of mind. Buddhism consists of three Aspects,
namely:
1. Study or Theoretical Aspect of the Dhamma (Pariyatti)
2. Practice or Practical Aspect of the Dhamma (Patipatti), and
3. Attainment of Enlightenment in Nibbāna by way of the Path (Magga) and Fruition
(Phala), Realizable Aspect (Pativeda) which are interdependent and interrelated.
Buddhism is classified into different divisions as follows:
1. Three constituent parts (Tipiṭaka),
2. Five collections (Pañca Nikāya),
3. Nine parts of Teachings (Navaṅgāni)
4. 84000 groups of doctrines (Caturāsīti Dhammakkhandha Sahassāni)
Buddhism is to be learned and put into practice in the course of one’s daily life
because one cannot appreciate truth without actual practice. In Buddhism, studying or
learning is first, and following and practicing is second, and then penetration or realization is
the end in series to attain the Nibbāna which is the Ultimate goal of Buddhism. Therefore,
Buddhism is comparable to a raft which is meant for the unique objective of deliverance from
the cycle of birth and death (Saṁsāra). Today, Buddhism is found in Myanmar, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Bhutan, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, China, Mongolia, Nepal, and
some parts of India.
Conclusion
In brief, the Three Training Rules—Sīla (morality), Samādhi (concentration), Paññā
(insight wisdom), the Middle Way which is the Noble Eightfold Path, and the Four Noble
Truth are the foundation, summary, heart, beauty, and keystone of Buddhism. The following
aspects of Buddhism should be followed and practiced by all Buddhists, they are:
1. Greed, hatred, and delusion must be always eradicated and controlled.
2. Transiency, suffering, and non-self are usually contemplated with mindfulness.

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3. Morality, concentration, and insight knowledge are trained and practiced

completely.
4. Reflection of loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity
which are the four sublime states, will be diffused constantly.
5. Dhamma, the Ultimate Truth, must be precisely realized without limit.
These above aspects are living methods which are performed by means of the
physical (kāya), verbal (vacī), and mental (mano) actions. Buddhism is a complete discovery
of a dynamic comic order. Buddhism indeed instructs a cosmic law that exists everywhere.
The cosmic law and moral order in Buddhism are related to one another as they are not in any
other religious systems. In fact, Buddhism guides that the natural law is immutable and
absolute truth or cosmic principle. The summary and excellent exhortation (instruction) of the
teachings of the Buddha (Buddhism) is—
“Not to do any evil,
To do good deeds,
To purify one’s mind.”
Actually, Buddhism (all the teachings of the Buddha) is the light, a lamp for the
whole world.
References:
Dhammapada verse-183, Khuddaka Nikāya, Suttanta Piṭaka, Canonical Pāḷi Text.
Venerable Kaba-Aye Sayadaw Bhaddanta Paññādīpa, Dhamma: The Noble Doctrine of the Buddha,
published by World Buddhist Meditation Institute, Yangon, Myanmar.
Venerable Kaba-Aye Sayadaw Bhaddanta Paññādīpa, Buddha Desanā and Essential Principles for
Enlightenment, published by Shwe Parabaik Sarpay, Yangon, Myanmar, 1998.
Nārada Mahāthera, Buddhism in a Nutshell, published for free distribution by Sukhi Hotu Sdn Bhd,
Malaysia, 1996.
Venerable Hammalawa Saddhatissa, Facets of Buddhism, edited by Venerable Pesala, published by
The World Buddhist Foundation, London, 1991.
Ashin Thitthila (Aggamahāpandita), Essential Themes of Buddhist Lectures, published by Department
of Religious Affairs, Yangon, Myanmar, 1992.
Various Authors, Buddhism Handbook, edited by U Han Htay (Research), compiled by Sar Maung
Toh, published by Tetlan Sarpay, Yangon, Myanmar, February, 1997.
Dr. Ñānissara (Ashin), Selected Speeches Delivered by Sitagu Sayadaw, published by Sitagu
International Buddhist Academy, Yangon, Myanmar, 2012.

Copyright © 2020, Scholarly Research Journal for Humanity Science & English Language