Budismo
Buddhism ( BUU-dih-zm, US also BOOD-), also known as
Buddha Dharma, Bauddha and Dharmavinaya (transl."doctrines and disciplines"), is an
Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to
the Buddha. It originated in present-day North India as a
ramaamovement in the 5th century BCE, and gradually spread throughout
much of Asia via the Silk Road. It is the
world's fourth-largest religion, with over 520 million followers (Buddhists) who
comprise seven percent of the global population.The Buddha's central teachings
emphasize the aim of attaining liberation from attachment or clinging
to existence, which is said to be marked by impermanence
(anitya), dissatisfaction/suffering (dukha), and the absence of lasting essence (antman).
He endorsed the Middle Way, a path of spiritual development
that avoids both extreme asceticism and hedonism. A summary of
this path is expressed in the Noble Eightfold Path, a
cultivation of the mind through observance of meditation and Buddhist
ethics. Other widely observed practices include: monasticism; "taking refuge" in
the Buddha, the dharma, and the sagha; and the cultivation
of perfections (pramit).Buddhist schools vary in their interpretation of the
paths to liberation (mrga) as well as the relative importance
and 'canonicity' assigned to various Buddhist texts, and their specific
teachings and practices. Two major extant branches of Buddhism are
generally recognized by scholars: Theravda (lit.'School of the Elders') and
Mahyna (lit.'Great Vehicle'). The Theravada tradition emphasizes the attainment of
nirva (lit.'extinguishing') as a means of transcending the individual self
and ending the cycle of death and rebirth (sasra), while
the Mahayana tradition emphasizes the Bodhisattva-ideal, in which one works
for the liberation of all beings. The Buddhist canon is
vast, with many different textual collections in different languages (such
as Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, and Chinese).The Theravda branch has a
widespread following in Sri Lanka as well as in Southeast
Asia, namely Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. The Mahyna branchwhich
includes the traditions of Zen, Pure Land, Nichiren, Tiantai, Tendai,
and Shingonis predominantly practised in Nepal, Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Vietnam,
Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. Additionally, Vajrayna (lit.'Indestructible Vehicle'), a body
of teachings attributed to Indian adepts, may be viewed as
a separate branch or tradition within Mahyna. Tibetan Buddhism, which
preserves the Vajrayna teachings of eighth-century India, is practised in
the Himalayan states as well as in Mongolia and Russian
Kalmykia. Historically, until the early 2nd millennium, Buddhism was widely
practised in the Indian subcontinent; it also had a foothold
to some extent elsewhere in Asia, namely Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and
the Philippines.
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