Buddhism: History

By- Olga Cotter and Priscilla Navas

Buddhism in Britain

How was Buddhism developed in Britain?

Buddhism was first introduced in Britain in the 19th century through

translations of scriptures from the schools in the different eastern areas.
In 1879, Sir Edwin Arnold composed the epic poem, The Light of Asia,
which described the Buddhas life.
Once enough people got a hold of this book, it inspired them to start
practicing Buddhism as a way of life.
In 1907 a group of people got together and established The Buddhist
Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
In succession to The Buddhist Society of Great Britain and Ireland,
Christopher Humphreys founded The London Buddhist Society in 1924.
The Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950
exodus of thousands of
Tibetans with the Dalai Lama in 1959 and the move of the lamas to the
west led to new Buddhist groups. As a result, today almost all Buddhist
tradition is represented in Britain.

How many Buddhists are there in Britain?

As reported by the 2001 census, there are 151,816

Buddhists in Britain.
Though this number doesnt include those who
consider themselves to be both Buddhist and
Christian, Jewish, Taoist, or anything else.
There are also some who wish to not label
themselves as Buddhist because it contradicts
the principles of egolessness and selflessness.
There is an undeniable growing interest of
Buddhism in Britain.

Does Buddhism in Britain differ from that

in the East?
BRITAIN

A few of the monasteries and

temples almost exactly replicate
their counterparts in the east.
Food is taken to the temples by
supporters or cooked on site.

EAST

Monks can walk down the road in

their saffron robes carrying alms
bowls without getting a surprised
reaction from passing people.
It is customary to put food in the
Monks alms bowl for his daily
meal.

The cultural customs and traditions differ in Britain and in the East but the cultural
customs are the only differences. The teachings of Buddhism in the East and in Britain
have generally remained true to its origins.

Converts to Buddhism

Some Buddhists view themselves as converts, i.e.

they have rejected their religion they were born into
for Buddhism.
Buddhism doesnt demand a commitment to it
alone, many can happily harmonise more than one
religion or way of life.
There are also people who were only ever nominally
a certain religion but found their true spiritual
calling to Buddhism- they, too, wouldnt have a deep
feeling of converting from one religion to another.

How are festivals celebrated in Britain?

The celebrations take place in the monasteries and

temples.
Food is prepared and taken to the celebration
Gifts are presented by lay people to the monks to show
support for the temple and their way of life.
The festivals are not only spiritual days of chanting and
singing but social occasions that are enjoyed like
practicing Christians may enjoy Christmas or Easter
The traditional festivals and holidays arent as popular in
Britain. This is not saying that the Buddhists in Britain
dont attend or enjoy them, but often there is no cultural
connection.

What sort of Buddhist Centres there?

A few of the numerous centres in Britain are established for the wellness and
betterment of their own ethnic communities
Other centres use specific Buddhist practices and traditions and combine them
with a western culture to create authentic traditions that can then be taught.
Yet other groups focus on the practice of meditation in Buddhism and they pay
little attention to the rest of the teachings.
There are a couple of organizations which give a platform for all schools and
traditions of Buddhism from around the world. They dont wish to modify or revise
anything in the different forms of Buddhism, yet they are open to the possibility of
what could eventually become a British form of Buddhism.

The Buddha
In general, Buddha means Awakened One, someone who
has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and sees things
as they really are. A Buddha is a person who is completely
free from all faults and mental obstructions. He benefits all
living beings without exception by emanating various forms
throughout the universe, and by bestowing his blessings on
their minds.

The Prophecy
One night, Queen Mayadevi dreamed that a white elephant descended from heaven and entered her womb. The
white elephant entering her womb indicated that on that very night she had conceived a child who was a pure and
powerful being. When the king saw the child he felt as if all his wishes had been fulfilled and he named the young
prince Siddhartha. The king then invited a seer to peer into the child's future. The seer said: There are signs that
the boy could become either a chakravatin king, a ruler of the entire world, or a fully enlightened Buddha. However,
since the time for chakravatin kings is now past it is certain that he will become a Buddha, and that his beneficial
influence will pervade the thousand million worlds like the rays of the sun.

Life of Luxury
As the young prince grew up he mastered all the traditional
arts and sciences without needing any instruction. He knew
sixty-four different languages, each with their own alphabet,
and he was also very skilled at mathematics. At his fathers
request he joined a school where, in addition to various
academic subjects, he became skilled at sports such as
martial arts and archery. The prince also gained several
faithful followers through heroic acts of strength. One of the
many stories tells that when he was taking part in an archery
contest, he declared, With the bow of meditative
concentration I will fire the arrow of wisdom and kill the tiger
of ignorance in living beings. He then released the arrow and
it flew straight through five iron tigers and seven trees before
disappearing into the earth.

Witnessing Suffering
Sometimes Prince Siddhartha would go into the capital city of his fathers kingdom to see how the people lived.
During these visits he came into contact with many old people and sick people, and on one occasion he saw a
corpse. These encounters left a deep impression on his mind and led him to realize that all living beings without
exception have to experience the sufferings of birth, sickness, aging and death. Realizing that only a fully
enlightened Buddha has the wisdom and the power to help all living beings in this way, he resolved to leave the
palace and retire to the solitude of the forest where he would engage in profound meditation until he attained
enlightenment.

The Path to Enlightenment

Siddhartha escaped from his father and then made his way to a place near
Bodh Gaya in India, where he found a suitable site for meditation. There he
remained, emphasizing a meditation called space-like concentration on the
Dharmakaya in which he focused single-pointedly on the ultimate nature of
all phenomena. After training in this meditation for six years he realized that
he was very close to attaining full enlightenment, and so he walked to Bodh
Gaya where, on the full moon day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar,
he seated himself beneath the Bodhi Tree in the meditation posture and
vowed not to rise from meditation until he had attained perfect
enlightenment. With this concentration, which is the very last mind of a
limited being, he removed the final veils of ignorance from his mind and in
the next moment became a Buddha, a fully enlightened being.

Works Cited
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The British flag. Digital Image. The Pound or the Euro?. 1997. Web. 22 February 2016
An early copy of the Light of Asia. Digital Image. Keys fine Art Auctioneers. 2016. Web. 22 February 2016
Tick the box for Buddhism. Digital Image. Network of Buddhist Organizations. 2011. 22 February 2016
A symbol of harmony. Digital Image. Flower of Life. Web. 22 February 2016
Women carrying gifts. Digital Image. BBC. 2014. Web. 22 February 2016
Ruth, Diana St. "British Buddhism." BBC. BBC, 18 Aug. 2005. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
Website

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"The Awakened One Sleeps MindPodNetwork." MindPodNetwork. N.p., 14 June 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.
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"The Life of Buddha." N.p., 28 Sept. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.
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