| The most basic Buddhist expression of faith is called | | | | visit the link to my site at the end of the article to learn |
| the triple refuge: "I take refuge in the Buddha, I take | | | | about it. |
| refuge in the Dharma (teaching), and I take refuge in | | | | As Buddhism was transmitted to other countries in |
| the Sangha (the community of Buddhist disciples). | | | | Asia, it also continued to develop in striking ways. It |
| To start to learn about Buddhism we must look at | | | | was carried to Sri Lanka by Buddhist missionaries. |
| each one of these three refuges. We'll begin with the | | | | From there it was carried to most of South East Asia. |
| Buddha himself. The Buddha is often depicted seated | | | | Buddhism entered China and developed some |
| in a very serene posture with his feet crossed in front | | | | distinctive traditions interacting with the indigenous |
| of him and his hands folded in his lap. This is the very | | | | traditions already present. China, as you may know, is |
| picture of calm and contemplation. This is the image | | | | a supremely confident and bold civilization, and it wasn't |
| that has drawn many people to the Buddha. The | | | | easy at all for Buddhism to be accepted as it was a |
| Buddha is the image of calm and serenity in a | | | | foreign teaching. However, there was some kind of |
| confused and distracting world. | | | | affinity between Buddhist teachings and some aspects |
| The second refuge is the Dharma or teaching. These | | | | of the Chinese culture. |
| teaching is presented in a doctrinal formula known as | | | | From China, Buddhism was carried to Korea, Japan |
| the Four Noble Truths: the truth of suffering, the origin | | | | and then to Vietnam. In the 8th century, Buddhism was |
| of suffering, the cessation of suffering and the path to | | | | carried across the Himalayas from India to Tibet. |
| the cessation. | | | | Today, the Dalai Lama, the leader of the Tibetan |
| The Buddha didn't remain sited for his entire life. He got | | | | Buddhist community, is one of the most active leaders |
| to get up and build a community of disciples. The sites | | | | in the world. In many aspects, he is a living symbol of |
| where the major events of the Buddha's life took | | | | Buddhism itself. |
| place are still the focus of pilgrimages today. | | | | Today, Buddhism has spread through much of the rest |
| In India itself, there were two major reform | | | | of the world, including Europe, Australia and the |
| movements that appeared in the early history of | | | | Americas. In some places, Buddhism is stronger in |
| Buddhism that changed the face of the tradition. The | | | | ethnic communities, such as the Sri Lankan Buddhist |
| first of these was called the Mahayana, the "great | | | | Sangha in Los Angeles. |
| vehicle". It involved a massive reorganization of basic | | | | To learn more about Buddhism, you might be |
| Buddhist values. The second movement was called | | | | interested in my site. |
| Tantra. This is a complex tradition, you might want to | | | | |