When he was about 29, around 450 B.C.E., Siddartha Gautama left his wife and young child and his comfortable life as a prince in the kingdom of Kapilvastu in India, and went on a spiritual journey. He studied with various spiritual masters but was not satisfied with any. Eventually at the age of 35 he sat under a Bodi tree at Bodh Gaya, vowing that he would not rise until he had attained enlightenment. It is said that this took him 45 days of sitting and meditating. Siddartha was now known as Buddha, the 'Enlightened One'.
Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism
Following his enlightenment Buddha spent the next 45 years, until the end of his life, travelling and teaching. He also formed the Sangha, i.e. a community of ordained Buddhist monks and nuns. The Sangha has the responsibility of maintaining, translating, advancing and spreading the teachings of the Buddha.
Many sects and different schools of thought have developed since the time of the Buddha. The two main schools of Buddhism are known as Mahayana and Theravada. In the Theravada doctrine, a person may awaken from ignorance by directly discerning the true nature of reality. In the Mahayana, the Buddha is seen not as just a human person but as an earthly projection of an eternal omnipresent being, outside the realm of thought.
Nippozan Myohoji Founder Venerable Nichidatsu Fujii
Nichidatsu Fujii was born on August 8th 1885 in Japan. In his late teens he became an ordained monk in the Nichiren school of Buddhism, which is part of the Mahayana tradition. In 1917 Nichidatsu founded a new religious movement which is known as Nipponzan Myohoji. In common with other Nichiren sects, followers chant Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo (the Daimoko), often while striking a drum. Nichidatsu resolved that this would be his principal spiritual practice, together with walking for peace. The Daimoku expresses devotion to the Lotus Sutra. Chanting the daimoku is held to bring about enlightenment.
The immense loss of life that occurred during the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki towards the end of World War II had a profound effect upon Nichidatsu. He made it his life's work to try to bring about the abolition of nuclear weapons. As part of this process his monks and nuns of Nipponzan Myohoji have built numerous Peace Pagodas, in various parts of the world. They embody the universal spirit of peace.
The first pagodas were erected in Japan in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, as symbols of peace. Since then more than 80 have been erected worldwide, although not all have been built by or on behalf of Nippozan Myohoji.
Reference: The World's Religions Ninian Smart (Cambridge University Press) 1989
Trevor Lewis - Trevor Lewis has been working in the IT industry for the last thirty years. He also has a long-standing interest in astronomy and space ...
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