The main aim of Buddhism is to guide a person towards 'Nirvana', the state of liberation from the continuous cycle of birth and rebirth. Buddhism as a religion does not advocate the presence of a God and indeed questions the Hindu practices of image worship, elaborate rituals, subjugation of women and dividing people on the basis of caste. Buddhism believes in the concept of equality for all. In fact, Buddhism also rejects the idea of permanence besides emphasizing that nothing happens by chance. All the teachings and discourses of Buddha were first compiled in Pali as the 'Tripitakas'. Besides, Buddhism is divided into two major sects namely Huinayanas (travelers by a lesser vehicle) and Mahayanas (travelers by a greater vehicle). One of the most well known believers of Buddhism was King Ashoka (250 BC).

BUDDHISM SECTS

Buddhism was classified into two schools of thought in the 1st millennium BC and a new cult known as Mahayana came into being. This new cult was mainly a reaction against the orthodoxy of the existing sect called the Theravadins or Hinayanas. The older version of Buddhism (the Hinayanas) believed that leading a monastic life of austerity and abandoning all worldly pleasures was the only way to attain Nirvana. Thus it came to be widely believed that there was no scope for a layperson to attain liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth. Prince Siddhartha, who later became the Buddha, was accepted as the sole possessor of the Eternal Truth. Presently, the Mahayana sect has a much larger following because of its more liberal interpretation of the teachings of the Buddha than the Hinayanas. In fact, this new school of Buddhism advocated the possibility of enlightenment for everyone who followed the path of righteousness, irrespective of his/her status in society. Mahayana diligently advocates the importance of love and compassion combined with that of knowledge. This might be one of the main reasons why Mahayana attracts devotees in great numbers.

MAHAYANA BUDDHISM

The Mahayana form of Buddhism introduced the idea of a deity into the religion. In fact it was done both on a speculative level and in a popular way. Thus Buddha became the supreme deity and was revered with great fervor by all his followers.

History throws up many examples of Bodhisattvas or noble persons who decided to follow the path shown by Buddha and became eligible to attain to Buddhahood. But they stopped at the bodhisattva stage and did not take the final step out of compassion for a suffering humanity.

According to Mahayana Buddhism, if the suffering of many is brought to an end by the suffering of a single person, he/she should foster this suffering by means of compassion. The "good of others" should be the main objective of a Mahayana follower. According to Mahayana, all who are unhappy are unhappy from having sought their own happiness. Meanwhile, those who are happy are happy from having sought the happiness of others. A follower of Mahayana must always strive to exchange his/her well being for the miseries of others.

In course of time, the historical Buddha faded away and in his place was taken over by the Buddha who advocated Dharma (the ultimate void) as the only reality. Without denying the historical Buddha, not only Mahayana, but all forms of Buddhism see in him only the manifestation of a type, and one of a series of Buddhas who appear on earth throughout the ages.

Owing to the influence of numerous bodhisattvas, ideas like polytheism, belief in demons and the like could be easily incorporated into Buddhism. The gods and demons of other religions were declared to be incarnations or duplicates of the Buddhist pantheon.

HINAYANA BUDDHISM

Hinayana Buddhism follows the basic principles of the Pali canon and is often likened to primitive Buddhism. It focuses on the four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path that places it closer to the original teachings of Buddha instead of Mahayana that has always strived to reinterpret Buddha's esoteric doctrine and make it universally acceptable.

The issue between the two systems runs deeper than the familiar difference between the active and contemplative life in Western religious thought. It points towards a radical dichotomy between the two contradictory schools of Buddhism: Mahayana admits a personal deity (or deities) and therefore accepts the concept of social justice and charity under obedience to a higher power. Meanwhile, Hinayana denies any god outside and above man thus concerning itself only with the self, which it seeks to free from the continuous cycle of birth and rebirth through the attainment of Nirvana.

Man seeks liberation, freedom, and salvation, "Nirvana". Whether one believes in rebirth, purgatory, hell or some other form of suffering here or hereafter, to escape from suffering is a universal aspiration. Buddhism while avoiding speculation provides a practical discipline.

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